The Awkward Squad

 I've typed up the book of short stories. It is, provisionally, titled No Light in the Trees. There are 18 stories contained within, and it's 80, 000 words long.  I'm not adding any more. Words, or stories. Any further stories I think of will go into a separate depository, another book of short stories, provisionally titled The Devil in Music. There's about fifteen of those. But I'm drawing a line with this one. It is complete. 

That doesn't mean it's finished. I shall be rereading, rewriting, fine-tuning all of the stories again. I shall buff them to a high sheen. But these are the ones that made it in. I like them. My children. My odd little family. A couple of them have been printed elsewhere - the clubbable, Donnie & Marie stories, take 'em anywhere, drop 'em anywhere, they'll be fine - but the majority are my shadow chasing Boo Radleys. The tricky customers. The why did you do this collection. The awkward squad. They don't belong anywhere, except with me. 

And maybe with you. 

Embrace my peculiar progeny.

They love you.