Seasons of Imagination

by Trent McDonald

Trent P. McDonald’s “Seasons of Imagination” contains an eclectic mix of stories covering many places, times and even different genre, yet they all hold one thing in common, they are all about people.

Be they silly, serious or speculative, all of the stories are about us.

What makes us tick? Why do we say the things we do? Why do we react as we do?

So whether it seems the stories are exploring outer or inner space, in reality they’re always exploring the human space.

Here is an invitation to open the page and come with me to explore the Seasons of Imagination

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 20, 2017

About the author

I never decided what I wanted to do when I grew up. I compose and play music, draw and paint, take a lot of pictures, and yes, I write. I’ve written a couple of books that are sitting on my shelf waiting to go out and I write a new short story almost every week, which I often post on my blog, trentsworldblog.wordpress.com. I’ve collected some of the best short stories I’ve written and put them out as “Seasons of Imagination”.


I also like to eat, so I work as a computer nerd during the day while I figure out what it is I really want to do.
If you really need details, I was born and raised in Ohio by the shore of beautiful Lake Erie and now split my time between mountainous New Hampshire and the coast of Massachusetts.
One thing to know about me is that I hate to write bio-blurbs in the third person.

Reviews

[Dale Rogerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most enjoyable read. I often worry that a book of short stories will end up being a series of the same story, told sligtly differently. Definitely not the case here! They varied in length and there was a wide range of styles. I have to say I enjoyed most of them tremendously. Not a fan of the overly techie style with too many details on the hows (à la Star Trek) but there weren't too many of those.

Some of the stories really stayed with me and I almost wish they were expanded - though they were complete in and of themselves. I definitely recommend this one!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology comprises 36 different stories, taking you on thirty-six very different trips; some will make you happy, some will make you sad, others will make you wonder. There is one thing that they all have in common: They are unforgettable. I cannot tell you more about this anthology as it would spoil the fun of reading it yourself. Before reading the stories, please enjoy the awesome Introduction.

With Seasons of Imagination, Trent P. McDonald presents us with thirty-six little gifts. Each story is skilfully elaborated, has its own great flow. Ernest Hemingway once stated “When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people not characters. A character is a caricature.” Trent P. McDonald shows this masterly with every story – he created living people instead of mere characters. I was drawn into each story right away – very close to the protagonists. I could easily envision the characters and locations. I had a great time reading Seasons of Imagination. It is a very enjoyable read.

This is for you if you like a broad variety of stories on people, very likeable characters to cheer on their thrilling trip, surprises and food for thought – all packed in memorable short stories.

This is a book to read again. Highly recommended!

[D. Peach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seasons of Imagination is not only the title of this book of 36 short stories, but it’s one of my favorites within the pages (a series of four stories, actually, one for each season). It’s playful, delightful, and full of… imagination! But it’s only one tale within this eclectic series that covers a wide range of genres, moods, and characters.

There are heartbreaking and heartwarming stories about love and family (The Monster House), a bit of horror and suspense (Please Leave a Message), and plenty of sci-fi and paranormal (Here to Help). Occasional touches of humor insert themselves too (The Stranger).

McDonald’s story-telling is superb, and I enjoyed the variety of tales. The plots held my interest throughout, and there are numerous entertaining twists. Most importantly, the stories are peopled with characters who have unique voices and emotional depth. This rich characterization was key to my immersion, something that doesn’t often happen for me with short reads.

I highly recommend this read to anyone who enjoys short stories and particularly to those who love speculative fiction. You won’t be disappointed.

[Anneberly Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different

These short stories are quite unique. The emotions of the characters are strongly described. Emotions are the center of a human being’s life.

[Carol Masciola · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of stories isn't easy to classify because it contains all sorts of stories of different genres. This gives the book a real element of surprise. You never know what's coming up next. I really liked that! The book ranges from ordinary slices of life to the supernatural, from outer space to romance to time-travel. In the gentle story "Riffing", two college physics students meet in a coffee shop and listen to jazz. The story is simply about finding somebody who can be a companion when you're unusual. Many of the stories seem to have undertones of the outsider, somebody unusual looking for their place and for love. The first story, for example, is about an HIV-positive man who had to raise himself from a teenager after being thrown out of his house by his cruel father. When the man finally returns years later to see his dying mother, he discovers that he never was forgotten by her, and that there is still a home there, with relatives who accept him as he is -- a story of exile, love and redemption. In "Out of Sync" an 84-year-old man who has led a lonely life finally receives a delayed inheritance from his grandfather, an antique mirror that connects him with his soulmate, a woman in the past. Some of the stories are just good creepy fun. "The Shell" is about a girl who picks up a strange, blood-red shell on the beach, after which the entire household is plagued by strange occurrences. Kudos to the author.