Daily Della is a series of short fiction anthologies for all Kindle enabled reading devices.
Five stories in each issue, ideal for your daily coffee break.
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TRY ME – Daily Della #00
This promotional ‘Daily Della’ is a special cut-down, cut-price version, designed to give you a taster.
In this issue:
When Emma and Jilly see an advert for NUDE male cleaners they wonder whether it’s genuine. Emma decides there’s only one way to find out – she has visions of naked men ironing her clothes – and despite Jilly’s protestations, she rings the number, in The Naked Truth.
The last place Karen expects to find herself on her thirtieth birthday is stuck up a tree, but thanks to her niece and nephew, ten year old twins, Conrad and Sarah that’s exactly what happens. They tell her not to worry, Tom will get her down and they disappear to find him. Then to make matters worse it starts to rain and Karen’s left worrying about the identity of the mysterious Tom, in On One Condition.
Debs and her friend go to see a Welsh male voice choir and Debs falls in love with a gorgeous tenor, third row, fifth from the left. When they play her favourite hymn, ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ she begins to feel like a sinner herself. Especially as she’s married to Andrew who’s waiting patiently for her back home, in Saint or Sinner.
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Lessons in Love – Daily Della #1
In our very first issue we bring you a touch of romance.
In Lessons in Love, Kate discovers that Martin, her new client, is not quite the dating beginner he’d like her to think. The Colour of Love explores what happens when you hear voices in colour and see people as different tastes on your tongue. A Right Time for Everything is a story about healing and renewal and House Rule Number Three is a light hearted tale about the dangers of falling for your lodger. Finally, do questions get simpler or more difficult to answer as we grow older? Especially when they’re to do with matters of the heart. Della’s story, A Blue Moon, may just help you to decide!
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Waiting for Love – Daily Della #2
Daily Della Two brings you another selection of romance.
Waiting is a poignant story about what happens when you fall in love, but you’re both married to other people, and you don’t believe you have the right to tear lives apart.
Who are the mysterious couple who dance in the sunset on the edge of the corn field? Find out in The Last Dance.
In The Mood for Love is a light hearted tale about expectation and a ring that can predict the wearer’s moods? Roots is about belonging, and learning to feel at home, both with places and with people. And In The Longest Journey Becky knows that other women lust after her man. Jake is so gorgeous he can take his pick. But will he succumb to temptation?
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More By Love Than Judgement
– Daily Della #3
More By Love than Judgment is the story of a girl who loves elephants. Romeo and Juliet and the Peanut that Changed History, is a tongue in cheek look at Shakespeare’s famous story while Reasons for Marriage is about two best friends reflecting on their relationships. What happens when you’re in love with your best friend but can’t tell him? Find out in Presents. And The Guitar Man is an epic love story set on the Devon coast.
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Can’t Buy Me Love
– Daily Della #4
Can’t Buy Me Love is the story of Lissa, who’s obsessed with her career until the day her world crashes and she finds solace in the rhythms of a ferry – and its ferryman. Losing her job and her man at the same time isn’t fun, but then Karen meets David and it begins to feel like Luck Or Destiny. You can tell a lot about a man by his taste in candles, Katie reckons, Is she right? Find out in Candles. A mysterious blind date gets more mysterious by the second in An Angel Saved My Life. And finally, Murphy, this story holds a rather special place in my heart. In twenty-five years it’s the only short story I’ve written, which resulted in three fan letters. And reading it again just made me cry. That’s all I’m going to say!
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Pictures of Love
– Daily Della #5
In Pictures Of Love Nikki is worried she might not be marrying the right man. Can her best friend and a mud-covered dog reassure her? Learning to swim at the age of 45 when you’ve been terrified of water all your life is a big deal. But Claire soon finds out that both swimming and love are simply A Matter of Trust. Apple Dumpling Pie is the story of how a supermodel and a very overweight man find the love they’ve always dreamed about. What do you do when you’re cleaning a second floor window and you’re confronted with a very attractive naked man? Falling off your ladder is just the beginning of the drama in Window Cleaners and Romantic Heroes. Janine is Dreaming of Dinner For Two when she hits on a creative idea. Her community centre has a table which sells items for charity. Maybe she could sell herself – in the nicest possible way, of course!
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The Piano Man – Daily Della #6
In Daily Della #6 we bring you…
The Piano Man: Alone in Spain, and recovering from a traumatic divorce, Chloe finds peace in the music of a gifted pianist, who entertains the tourists nightly. Neither of them is looking for love, but then they spend a night together that both will remember for ever.
Not Quite The Orient Express: Abbey’s best friend, Joanne, persuades her to celebrate her thirtieth birthday in style with a luxury four-course dinner on a restored steam train. Abbey’s more at home in jeans and trainers than short skirts and high heels, especially when there’s some climbing around on footplates to be done – and a rather fit man looking on.
Shower Power: Andrea reckons you can tell a lot about a man by his bathroom. And she should know. She’s an expert on bathrooms – her job is to design and install them. Her latest client, flirty Ben Stickland, makes choices that reveal him to be a laid-back guy who’s into comfort and style. Andrea thinks they have a lot in common, but then his wife turns up.
Never Too Late: Kieran is about to meet Megan, the prettiest girl in Ireland, but he’s worried she’s out of his league. As he walks through the cemetery to meet her beneath the village clock, he’s racked with doubt. Maybe he should forget the whole thing.
But a hundred years earlier, Dillon Grady, whose grave Kieran passes, was late meeting the girl of his dreams and he’s spent several decades regretting it. Dillon is determined to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself.
The Juggler: Carol has a boyfriend who calls her C – she suspects because he can’t be bothered to say the rest of her name. Dennis is learning to juggle with fire because his fiancé thinks he is boring. Both of them dream about having a more fulfilling relationship. But love, like fire juggling, is always a risk. Do either of them have the courage to change?
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Educating Nita – Daily Della #07
First in a run of twist-in-the-tale Daily Dellas, each containing five stories with an unexpected ending.
In Educating Nita, Lynn and Ian are beginning to get exasperated. Nita cannot decide which college course is best for her – Accountancy or Art? She keeps changing her mind. AlthoughLynn is a little more sympathetic than Ian because she remembers how hard it was to choose when she did the same thing. Not to mention how unhelpful her parents were. Surely the most important thing is that Nita is happy. Isn’t it?
Seeing Red; Gordon cannot understand why he is failing to get his features published – his writing class tell him they are spot on. Neither can he understand why Chloe Bennett, editor of Prime of Your Life, seems to enjoy torturing him so much. Then he discovers she is doing a talk at his local library. So he goes along to ask her – and finds out the shocking truth.
4 Oaks Drive; When Carol’s, boss asks her to show Mr and Mrs Hardy around 4 Oaks Drive, she is none too pleased. They are the prospective buyers from hell and complain loudly (in front of the owners) about every property they view. Will4 Oaks Drive prove to be the exception – or does she have to resort to plan B which is to murder them and bury their bodies beneath the ornamental patio?
Facing The Truth; Helen’s new man works in a health and fitness centre and he likes her to look good. But Liz, Helen’s elder sister, thinks his suggestion Helen has botox is a step too far. She goes to his workplace to give him a piece of her mind – with surprising results.
The 100-Metre Race; Carol’s son Toby is worried about Sports Day – or to be more specific the 100 metre race.
“I’m competing against Jack Wilson,” he confesses, “and he’s hot favourite.”
“Yes, but the taking part is more important than the winning,” Carol tells him firmly. But Toby still looks very worried. Because Jack’s dad has told him something entirely different.
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One Step Ahead – Daily Della #08
Second in a series of Twist-in-the-Tale Daily Dellas – five short stories, each with an unexpected ending.
One Step Ahead; Maggie isn’t best pleased when her son tells her she’ll no longer fit into a size 12 dress, especially when he puts his money where his mouth is. “I bet you a fiver you won’t buy anything in a size 12 when you go shopping for the dinner dance, Mum.” Maggie’s confident she’ll prove him wrong when she sets out. Didn’t she read somewhere recently that dress sizes have gone up in line with British women getting larger? But who will win the bet and who will get the last laugh?
Hearing Voices; When Emma joins Talking Dates, she finds herself conjuring up images of what her dates will look like by how they sound. Surely it figures that a man with a gorgeous voice will be – well – gorgeous. But Emma is in for one or two surprises.
Mother Love; Family weddings are difficult at the best of times, and when the bride’s parents have both married someone else they are even more complicated. But it should be possible to put aside your doubts and jealousies for just one day, shouldn’t it?
My Gran; Sherry loves going to her gran’s for lunch on Fridays, even though sometimes it’s a huge effort. Like today – when she’d rather be chilling out at home. On the other hand they’ve made many a memory in her gran’s house, even though things have never been quite what they seem.
Car Trouble; Agreeing to car share with her teenage son was never going to be a wise move, especially when Dianne remembers her own teenage car sharing experiences. Things went badly wrong back then and it looks like history is going to repeat itself. It doesn’t help that her mother can’t wait to say, I told you so.
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Value For Money – Daily Della #09
Third in a series of Twist-in-the-Tale Daily Dellas – five short stories, each with an unexpected ending.
Value For Money; Sarah’s next-door neighbour, Nick, is a dab hand at DIY. Unfortunately, her boyfriend, Danny isn’t, but that doesn’t stop him trying to outdo Nick. Sarah is desperate to prevent Danny’s DIY disasters, although it takes her a while to come up with the perfect solution.
The Best Laid Plans; Katie doesn’t plan on spending her 25th wedding anniversary in bed – well, not in a hospital bed anyway. But then perhaps she shouldn’t be surprised as she and Paul don’t have a very good track record when it comes to anniversaries. But Paul has a plan. Can he carry it out before fate intervenes?
The Forgery; Jason is thrilled when Grace Harding brings a valuable Stubbs Painting into his antique shop, offering it for sale. He tells the old lady it’s not worth that much – as it’s an excellent forgery – although it does still have some value. Jason isn’t the only one who’s not being completely honest, but who will get the better of who?
Horse Sense; Sarah loves horses, but hasn’t wanted anything to do with them since she broke up with her farrier boyfriend, Micky. The associations are just too painful. But then her sister, Carol, asks her if she’ll help her out with her horse and she grudgingly agrees. Can she learn to move on?
The Homing Instinct; Tara, who owns an animal sanctuary, thinks Ben Anderson is the perfect owner for one of her dogs. But Albert, who works for Tara, has other ideas. So what exactly is going on that Tara doesn’t know about? And should she be as worried as Albert is?
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Feeding The Ducks – Daily Della #10
Fourth in a series of Twist-in-the-Tale Daily Dellas – five short stories, each with an unexpected ending. The lead story, Feeding The Ducks, is one of my all time favourite stories.
Feeding The Ducks; Maggie leaves home for her dream job and her dream man, but when things don’t work she’s too ashamed to tell anyone and pretends everything is fine. But Paul knows her better than most and refusing to be fobbed off he tracks her down in London. Can he persuade her she is still very much loved, even though both their futures are changed for ever?
Honeymoon; What else are you going to do on your honeymoon – if not stay in bed all day – but when Becky and Danny miss breakfast, dinner and tea, the hotel staff are beginning to get worried. Although they are far too posh to say anything – aren’t they?
Plan B; Becky’s had enough of trying to get her lazy husband to find a job or even help around the house. So she decides to shock him into action and enlists her mother’s help. Mums are experts on marriages, aren’t they? But perhaps there is more going on here than meets the eye?
Beneath The Wrappings;Dee is looking forward to her fortieth birthday until her friends and family start telling her it’s all downhill from here. Still, at least the presents will be good, she consoles herself. She tells everyone to surprise her – certain that her friends and family will know what she wants. But do any of them really know what’s beneath the wrappings at all?Dee is about to find out.
My Brother’s Shoes; When Mark’s brother dies just before his daughter Nikki is to get married, Mark is called upon to give his niece away. He is desperately worried that he cannot fill his brother’s shoes. They haven’t always seen eye to eye. But he knows for Nikki’s sake he has to try.
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Heroes – Daily Della #11
Another Twist-in-the-Tale Daily Della – five short stories, each with an unexpected ending.
Heroes; Why are TV heroes always so perfect, Debs wonders – why can’t the film makers make them more realistic? Although she realises she might be a little jaded. The lack of realism doesn’t seem to have put off her husband, Nick. Maybe she’s getting cynical in her old age – or are there any ordinary heroes left in the world?
Mrs Peter’s Hair; Rachel is sure she recognises her new client, Amber Peters, but she can’t work out where they have met before. They go through the usual places– school, work, hobbies – and discover their paths have never crossed. And then Amber says something that makes Rachel realise the truth is more wondrous than either of them could ever have imagined.
Aunt Poppy; Aunt Poppy is upset because she hasn’t been asked to do the flowers at her niece’s wedding, despite having over 50 years of experience in the trade. She traps an unsuspecting wedding guest in a corner and complains bitterly throughout the reception, but nothing is quite what it seems.
Karma; Can the ancient principals of Buddhism be used to get your kids to help with the housework? Jeannie thinks they can, as she embarks on a campaign to persuade them that good things will happen if they do good things like tidying up their rooms. But will it all backfire on her?
A Touch of Magic; Eleanor’s new job as a waitress in Burt’s Café is a far cry from the glamorous life she led before, as The Mighty Magico’s assistant. But oddly enough there are quite a few similarities between serving up all day breakfasts and being sawn in half every night. Perhaps the magic hasn’t disappeared as completely as she thinks!
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A Perfect Murder – Daily Della #12
Another Twist-in-the-Tale Daily Della – five short stories, each with an unexpected ending.
A Perfect Murder; When Karen’s husband was made redundant and she suggested he become an author like her, she didn’t expect him to become ten times more successful and then start rubbing her nose in it. So she works out a way to murder him without being caught – with luck his death will double up as a major publicity stunt for her own flagging career.
The Cheapskate; Carol’s had enough of husband Eddie’s skinflint ways so she leaves him. Eddie is hurt and upset especially when she takes his half of the DVD collection and the antique table he does his crossword on. He’s even more upset when she announces she’s claiming the house, even though she has never contributed a penny towards it, and she intends to move in with her new fellow. But will Eddy get the last laugh?
Voices from the Grave; Amy is sent to cover a story about a stage medium by her cynical newspaper boss, Jim, who thinks all mediums are fakes.
“I could be a medium, if I wanted,” he tells her. “I mean how difficult is it? If you pick someone old they’re bound to have lost their parents. And everyone over sixty knows a Dorothy or an Albert. That’s why I’m sending you – you’re too young to have lost any of your family. I’ll bet you a fiver the medium doesn’t pick you.” But Amy has a secret that neither Jim nor the medium could possibly guess.
The Homing Instinct; Tara has an animal sanctuary and thinks she has found the perfect home in Ben Anderson for one of her latest rescue dogs. But Albert, her retired zookeeper assistant, is being strangely evasive about doing the home check on Ben. It’s not until Tara goes to visit Ben herself that she finds out why.
A One Woman Man; Karen is as shocked as the rest of her office when her boss Tom has a heart attack. He’s only 44. But Karen is also the most upset because she’s been having an affair with Tom for months. She is desperate to visit him at the hospital but she is worried about bumping into his wife. What will she do?
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Love On The Rocks – Daily Della #13
It’s back to romance in Daily Della number thirteen.
Love on the Rocks; Kath and Mick’s marriage is on the rocks – and so are they, quite literally when they get stranded in a cove because they’ve misjudged the tides. But will the enforced time together get them talking again or will this be a bittersweet parting?
Boomerang Back to Me; When Karen meets the handsome Ozzie at uni, she falls in love with him. But Nick has made his father a promise to return to work on the family sheep farm. He yearns for the wide open spaces of home. “I promise I’ll come back for you,” are his final words to her. But as the months pass Karen begins to wonder if their love is strong enough to last when they are half a world apart.
Bad Habits; Neil and Sarah have the perfect relationship, or they would do if Neil didn’t have so many irritating habits. Then Neil finds a novel way to address the problem. Although at first Sarah thinks he has only made things worse.
In Pole Position; Taking up pole dancing seems like a fine way of losing weight and Louise is so enthusiastic she buys a pole for her lounge. Unfortunately it doesn’t fit, so she has to put it in her kitchen, with the help of Terry her downstairs neighbour. Nothing goes according to plan however and very soon Terry is coming to Louise’s rescue again with unexpected results.
Two Grans and a Jumper; Ben feels obliged to wear his gran’s latest hand knitted jumper when he goes to her 90th birthday party, but this proves to be a mistake. Soon he is itching like mad in the overheated flat and has to rip it off in a hurry. But being mistaken for the stripogram by his gran’s friends is only the beginning of his problems!
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