It Might Have Been And Other Stories - A.K. Frailey

It Might Have Been: And Other Stories
A.K. Frailey
A. K. Frailey Books
ISBN 9781712512968
ASIN B08236RFBZ


I have only read one novel from A.K. Frailey. But have intended to read more of them, and even have a few on my device ready to go. I have enjoyed many of the stories and reflections she has shared links to via social media, and greatly enjoyed them. When I found out she had released this collection of short stories and a collection of reflections, Heart Beats: Spiritual Being Human Journey. I immediately picked up both. I could not decide between fiction and non-fiction so with a tossed a coin, this one lost but I read both in under a week. And I can state that both are great collections. The stories in this volume are:

It Might Have Been
Trying to Be a Hero
Unless You Give Up
As Mom Used to Say
Wouldn’t You?
If the World Were Any Better
I Think I’ll Live
The Loving Choice
A Real Smile This Time
Blue Ink Flowed
Hidden Under Irony
So What’ll It Be?
The Difference Between Us
If You Want To
Topic Sentence
Live and Learn
Romantic Soul
New Life into Her Soul
Face the Cranberries
One Aisle at a Time
A Connection
It Makes All the Difference
Start in the Clouds
For the First Time in Months
Like Dreams upon Waking
Where Is My Hope Now?
Die Hard Optimism
And Everything in Between
I Need the Practice
What Do You Know?
Leopold
Sister-O-Mine
With Your Help
Crushed—but Not to Death
I’ll Always Know
Before the Lights Go Out
For the Living and the Dead
That’s Your Job
Beyond the Scar
Live Honestly and Follow Your Passion
Soul Mates
Like a Ballerina
Take over the World
Not with His Eyes
Innocence
Enlightened
Alternative Universe
So Blind
My Love Is Strong
Don’t Miss a Day
You Don’t Look Dead to Me
Ol’ Diablo
A Beggar’s Choice
High
Survival of the Fittest
Good Deed
Addicted to Me
Skeletons
Same Spirit
Guardian
Visions of Grandeur
Drama Trauma
Decorum
The Visit
Persian
Native Elements
Translator
Lilliputians
Every Word
To Make a Difference
The Key
James Milford Parker III
Sanity
The Kingdom of IF

My three favorite stories were Topic Sentence, That’s Your Job, and Ol’ Diablo.  But there are many excellent stories in this collection. While reading these stories I felt a sadness. There Are many stories that I want to know more about. What happened before, what happened next. But I also thought about J.F. Powers, Powers was a master of short fiction. In his lifetime of work, he published 2 novels, and 5 collections of short stories. But both novels had multiple chapters that had been previous published as shorter fiction. I would love to see some of these pieces resurrected into a larger work. But even if that wish never happens, this is a great collection of short fiction. I wish there was an index, or table of contents, but other than that it is an excellent collection, that I highly recommend.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by A.K. Frailey:
Melchior: Vengeance is Mine
The Adventures of Tally Ho
It Might Have Been: And Other Stories
Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories and Novella
One Day At A Time And Other Stories

Homestead

For Me?

…

New Earth Series:
The Last of Her Kind
NEWEARTH: Justine Awakens
…

Deliverance Series:
ARAM
Ishtar's Redemption: Trial by Fire
NEB the Great: Shadows of the Past
…

Hidden Heritage Series:
Georgios
Georgios II - A Chosen People
…

Old Earth Series:
OldEarth ARAM Encounter
OldEarth Ishtar Encounter
OldEarth Neb Encounter
OldEarth Georgios Encounter
…

Non-Fiction:
The Road Goes Ever On: A Christian Journey Through the Lord of the Rings
Heart Beats: Spiritual Being Human Journey
Hope's Embrace and Other Poems

…