Smorgasbord Free Book Promotions 2023- Share an Excerpt from one of your published books – #Shortstories – Tales From the Hereafter by Ted Myers

In this series you are invited to share an excerpt of 500 words from any of your published books, I have extended the series up to Christmas

This feature is for any author who has been promoted on Smorgasbord previously.

Please read full details of how to participate at the end of the post.

The aim of the series

1. 1. To showcase your book and sell some more copies.
   2. Gain more reviews for the book.
   3. Promote a selection of your other books that are available

Today an excerpt from the recently released short story collection I enjoyed and reviewed from Ted Myers… an exploration of what comes next… Tales From the Hereafter

About the collection

BEYOND THE VEIL

Is death the end? Most people in the world think not.

In Book I of this collection, Ted Myers imagines seventeen possible post-death experiences, all first-person narratives by people who have died. Each narrator―whether they be male, female, straight, gay, black, white, or something else―has a completely unique experience. And, each narrator’s environment varies with their experience in life. In “Bardo Train to Canarsie,” a Buddhist monk traverses the bardo on a New York City subway train, with only a homeless Black poet as his companion. In “Shop Till You Drop,” two middle-aged matrons meet in their afterlife―the lingerie department at Bergdorf Goodman’s, where they can shop to their hearts’ content with no limit on their credit cards. In “Ghost Academy,” a Black high school teacher learns to be a vengeful ghost, and its cost.

Book II, “I Dream in Black and White,” is an homage to the chiaroscuro noir films of the ’40s and ’50s.

A retired copywriter in his late sixties dreams a film noir story in black and white. Every night, his dreamlife reveals a continuation of the story. In the dream, he is young, strong, and handsome. But every morning the dream fades. Try as he may, the dreamer can only recall tantalizing slivers. He knows it’s no ordinary dream; he knows it’s exciting and romantic―everything his boring and repetitive life is not. He becomes obsessed with remembering it, so he seeks help from a hypnotherapist. What he learns leads him into uncharted territory, a place where life, death, and dreams intersect.

An excerpt from the collection.. and the author does advise that there is some profanity in keeping with the character.

BARDO TRAIN TO CANARSIE

My body had been dead for two days. I could hear my brother monks chanting the mantra of the dead the whole time: “Go to the Light. Do not be distracted by the demons of the bardo.”

If this was the bardo, it certainly was not what I was expecting.

I found myself on a swaying, rattling train that made its way at a frightening speed on screeching silver rails through tunnels that were beneath a huge, bustling city. Above the windows were rows of signs in English. They were advertisements of some kind, but I couldn’t read them.

“Go to the Light,” they said, so I made my way through sliding doors that separated the empty cars to the front car. I looked out the front window, and I did see a light. I was headed in the right direction! But it turned out to be just a station. The train stopped and the doors opened. I wondered if I should get off. A single passenger entered my car. He was a large man with wild hair and full beard. He was dressed in filthy rags and he carried
an overpowering smell of urine.

“Hey, baby. Nice threads.” he said, looking straight at me.

“Threads?”

“Yeah, man, your outfit. That’s da shit. I wish I had me a rig like that.”

I gathered he was referring to the burgundy and saffron robes I had worn all my life. The robes all the monks of my order wear every day. I never thought there was anything special about them, but seeing how impressed he was, I began to think maybe they were rather special, at least in contrast to him and these gray, dirty surroundings.

The train pulled into another station. The doors opened again, but no one got on. My companion and I were still alone. In fact, there didn’t seem to be any other passengers on
the entire train.

I had no trouble understanding my companion’s spoken English, even though
the writing on the advertisements looked completely alien to me.

“How are you called?” I asked him.

“‘Yo, muthafucka!'” He laughed loudly. Apparently he had made a joke, but I
didn’t get it.

“My dharma name is Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. I have many other names, though,
some of them secret. You can call me Dilgo. Nice to meet you, Yo Muthafucka.”

My companion had another hearty laugh. It was hard for him to stop laughing, but when he finally did, he said, as straight-faced as he could, “Nice to meet you, Dildo!”

“It’s Dilgo.”

“Yeah, I know. I was just playin’ wit’ cha. By the way, my name is Leroy. Leroy C.V. Jones, writer, poet extraordinaire and bon vivant, at your service.”

I looked at him in puzzlement.

“Just call me Leroy. Say, you a monk, right?”

“Yes.”

“From Tibet?”

I brightened. This man knew more than he let on.

©Ted Myers 2023

My review for the book August 5th 2023

From the moment we are mature enough to understand the concept of life and death, we as humans know without any shadow of a doubt that one day we will die. What we believe comes after, is dependent on a number of factors, culture, belief systems, early indoctrination of one kind or another, our imaginations and fears.

The author takes what is an event we all expect, and explores the when, how and what comes next in a series of short stories and a novella in the second part of the book. The stories certainly challenge the accepted beliefs many of us have, but also reinforces other philosophies and their teachings, such as during Bardo Train to Canarsie when a Tibetan monk takes on a train deep beneath the streets of New York in the company of a jazz loving homeless man .

Not all the characters “go gentle into that good night” either by another’s hand or their own. Some find themselves on the other side by accident or as a result of their own unwise decisions. All however, find their expectations challenged, when they resurface in the hereafter. There is also an element of be careful what you wish for… and Shop Till You Drop is a cautionary tale for those of us who have filled our wardrobes and shoe racks to bursting at some point in our lives! 

The stories certainly do encourage some introspection about our own lives and if we might too end up in a dock awaiting judgement as potential plaintiffs from our lives share their grievances…with a few surprise revelations.

Overall the short stories and the intriguing novella at the end will both entertain and raise some interesting questions about what actually might be out there, such as should we be fearful or excited about the next adventure in our story. Recommended.

Read the reviews: Amazon US –  And: Amazon UK

Also by Ted Myers

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow Ted Myers: Goodreads – Blog: Ted Myers WordPress – Twitter: @TedMyersAuthor – Facebook: Ted Myers

About Ted Myers

After twenty years trembling on the brink of rock stardom and fifteen years working at record companies, Ted Myers left the music business—or perhaps it was the other way around—and took a job as a copywriter at an advertising agency. This cemented his determination to make his mark as an author.

His nonfiction has appeared in Working Musicians (Harper Collins), By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Revolution of 1969 (Backbeat Books), and Popular Music and Society. His short stories have appeared in many literary magazines and anthologies. His epic and amusing memoir, Making It: Music, Sex & Drugs in the Golden Age of Rock was published by Calumet Editions in 2017.

His first novel, Fluffy’s Revolution, was published by Black Rose Writing in 2019. His second novel, Paris Escapade, was published by Black Rose Writing in December 2020. A collection of themed short stories, Tales From the Hereafter, was published by Deuxmers Publishing in August, 2023.

What will be in the post and how to get in touch

• • • • I will top and tail the post in the usual way with your other books and links, bio, photo and social media.
      • I will also select a review from Amazon or Goodreads that I feel has the best selling pitch for the book.
      • Please share a book that has reviews to select from.
        
      • This series is open to all authors who have previously been featured in the promotions on Smorgasbord.
      • I do have a younger readership for the book posts so please consider that when selecting your excerpt.
      • I suggest an excerpt of 500 words that you feel would encourage a reader to buy the book, or a poem that you feel best reflects the theme of your collection.
      • No need to send the cover as I will have that or will access from Amazon.
      • Please send your excerpt to sally.cronin@moyhill.com
      • I only ask that authors share the link to their social media and respond to each comment individually as a matter of courtesy.

 

Thank you for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. Sally.