A Nail-Biting Story!

Mystery, suspense, and thriller are lumped into The Burgas Affair -- a fictional account of the aftermath of a real terrorist attack that took place in 2012 in Bulgaria.

We accompany a Bulgarian detective and a female Israeli intelligence data analyst temporarily seconded to Bulgaria during a joint investigation after a bomb explodes and kills a number of Israeli tourists on a bus at the Bulgarian airport.

The Burgas Affair is written from two different points of view: Detective Boyko Stanchev of the Bulgarian police task force is seen as a phlegmatic, scruffy, and inept individual while Ayala Navon is a disciplined and focused personality who becomes impatient with the pace of the investigation, especially when Boyko crosses the line of professional boundaries.

Despite initial hiccups and lugged by a troubled past, they both develop a growing attachment and affection as they try to bring the culprits to justice.

The novel ends on a note of bittersweet hopefulness.

This review of The Burgas Affair was posted on Amazon in March, 2022.

"The Menu" - short story

Dennis skimmed through the menu and quickly made his selection. Prime New York Strip Steak with sides of Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Mushrooms. No need for a starter with a heavy meal like that, but what wine would be appropriate? A Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon or a Pinot Noir? Admittedly, he could hardly distinguish one red from another, but from experience, he knew the right wine would make his steak dinner all the more enjoyable.

Bianca—that was his companion's name. Let's recap how they had met, he thought, as she concentrated on her menu. A blind date set up by mutual friends. He had been hesitant at first, but they insisted. He needed to get back in the game, they said, but he was still raw from his breakup with Mona.

Bianca. As she perused the menu, he smiled. She had an alluring face, green eyes, and shoulder-length blond hair. Quite attractive, actually. He knew absolutely nothing about her; that would soon change. His friends assured him she wasn't a vegetarian; that was why he booked a table at this upscale steakhouse, with its somewhat snobbish upholstered chairs, white linen tablecloths, and smartly uniformed staff. Seeing the overpriced entrées on the menu, he hoped the meal would be worth the expense.

Bianca's eyes went wide as she flipped through the menu pages. "Let me see…" she said.

Read the rest of the story at Umbrella Factory Magazine. You can read the story in one of three ways:

1) On the Umbrella Factory website

2) On this website, it's a little easier: 

3) Download the PDF and read offline.

"The Menu" is on page 14 of Issue 58.

"Seven Blessings" - short story

I felt terribly uncomfortable at the wedding, standing to the side as exuberant yeshiva students danced around the hall in frenzied circles, while black-suited rabbis looked on with pride. I remained rigidly in place, finding no opportunity to approach and congratulate the bride and groom.

The wedding customs were foreign to me. There was little tradition in my secular lifestyle. That was why I had yet to find a bride for myself, my sister often lectured me. She became ultra-Orthodox after she married. Maybe she expected the same of me. Before I left, she invited me for Sheva B’rachot the next day.

Read the rest of the story on the The Jewish Literary Journal.

Photo by Aaron Ovadia on Unsplash

2022 - My Writing Year in Review

It's seven in the morning at an Aroma coffee shop in Tel Aviv. There I am, typing on my laptop while drinking my cappuccino. Ignoring the other customers, the grinding of coffee beans, and the hiss of milk being steamed, I concentrate on my writing. Short stories. That's what I'm writing these days.

My three mornings a week at Aroma are when I'm the most productive. Ideas stream onto my screen and I write, revise, edit, improve. 2022 was quite a successful year for me. Eleven of my stories were published. Another 3 are scheduled to be published in early 2023.

Looking ahead into the new year I am very excited, very optimistic. I hope each of my stories will find a good place to be published, but more than that, I am hopeful that Rakiya, my collection of short stories set in Bulgaria, will be published in 2023.

I'm proud of what I accomplished in 2022. Here are my writing statistics for the year:

 

Short stories written	17
Story submissions (including simultaneous submissions)	201
Withdrawals	42
Acceptances	14
Published	11
Stories currently on submission	10
Active Submissions	43

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my stories and share my writing career!

Short stories published in 2022:

 

The Tiger - JewThink, January 5, 2022

Have a Nice Day - Written Tales Magazine, May 3, 2022

  

Heterochromia - Otherwise Engaged Journal, May 30, 2022                          

                   

Jupiter Aligned With Mars - 50 Word Stories, June 30, 2022

Night Shift - Across the Margin, July 19, 2022

Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov (book review) - World Literature Today, August 29, 2022      

Running in Time - On the Run, October 28, 2022

                    

A Stand-Up Comedian Walks Into a Bar - Esoterica, November 7, 2022   

                         

The Last Tweet - The Chamber Magazine, December 4, 2022

Mrs. Levinsky’s Old Fiat - Verdad Magazine, December 9, 2022

Musala - Ariel Chart, December 21, 2022                              

Stay tuned for my writing progress in 2023!

 

Related article:

2021 – My Year in Writing

Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash