Cienfuegos by Chris Deal
Fiction
One of the most talented emerging authors I know is Chris Deal. He and I have published together many times, and I’ve also published his work, as well. This collection of short fiction is really fantastic. I was lucky enough to run a fun little contest over at The Velvet, where we had a 100 word short story contest. Just something I thought might be interesting. Mr. Deal really came out of his shell and created some fantastic imagery, eventually winning. Cienfuegos is the result of that inspiring competition, and I’m happy that I could be a part of his process.
Here is the official blurb I sent him:
In Cienfugeos, Chris Deal writes about solitude, loss, and the cold certainty of death, a chill running over you as the stories unfold, and then, he drops you into a furnace of hate and mysticism, the short, fractured stories abruptly over with nothing left but an echo. These are all in the same world, in different worlds, in the mirrored reflection of places that seem familiar, and yet, are not at all what you thought you knew, unexpected and piercing. You could call this a collection of flash fiction, and that would be correct if you meant blinding white light, a crack of violent thunder, and the distant shrieks of babies crying, mothers unsettled and father frowning, arms crossed in defiance. These are moments in time, a snatch of conversation, the last visions of dented souls bound for other places. His work is visceral, haunting and always steeped in history, ancient tales made new. This is the tip of the iceberg in so many ways.
So pick it up today, it’s worth every penny. Brown Paper Publishing did a great job getting this out.
- Richard Thomas - 
You are really great people, Richard.
no problem chris, easy to pimp and whore when you believe in something – i really do love this collection, and can’t wait for your first novel