Meant To Be by Tee-Jay
Price: Free! 270 words.
Published by Margarete Schulz on January 9, 2013. .
(4.00)
A short book of poetry about love.
(Prelude to a longer work Tee-Jay hopes to release in future.)
Heart of Hearing by Soraya Schulz
Price: $2.99 USD. 4160 words.
Published by Margarete Schulz on January 3, 2013. .
Sometimes drawn from personal experiences, sometimes drawn purely from the author's imagination, Heart of Hearing is a collection of poetry about life.
Books
My Name is Zelda by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 5660 words.
Published on February 4, 2013. Fiction.
An offbeat anthology of poetry, (hopefully humorous) very short stories, and a short story about love.
Best Friends Forever by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 1210 words.
Published on August 1, 2012. Fiction.
A Filipina Undead short story -- Aina, Mahala and Kaisa are preparing for their school dance, but someone's out for blood... and it may not be who everyone expects...
Return to Surrender by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 7270 words.
Published on July 2, 2012. Fiction.
Three short stories -- three main characters who surrender to the realities of love. (Includes "On Earth".)
On Earth by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 1640 words.
Published on May 31, 2012. Fiction.
After a great and ravaging war, the goddess Nerþuz, accompanied by her troupe, visits the earth, touring the lands and healing the sickly.
Senga by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 10930 words.
Published on March 16, 2012. Fiction.
(4.00 from 1 review)
The long road...
Senga is confused about a lot of things - especially herself. She wonders if she is depressed - but can't admit it to herself yet. Hoping to perk herself up one night, she goes out in her car and ends up running out of petrol in the middle of nowhere.
*Approximately 10,000 words*
Blind Date and Other Stories by Margarete Schulz
Price: $0.99 USD. 7090 words.
Published on March 9, 2012. Fiction.
A collection of short stories delving into the relationship between two people. Includes "I Promise", "Meet Me", and "Blind Date.
Shortly by Margarete Schulz
Price: $0.99 USD. 17870 words.
Published on February 5, 2012. Fiction.
A collection of short stories for young adult readers. A mixed bag, really. **For older teens**
Sometimes, a little grace by Margarete Schulz
Price: $0.99 USD. 4250 words.
Published on November 17, 2011. Fiction.
Sometimes, we all need a little grace... A little grace to let the good things into our lives, instead of blocking them out out of fear. We need the courage and knowledge to do what is best for us whilst not hurting others. When we can do that... sometimes, we can even find a little magic in our lives!
My Life, My Dreams by Margarete Schulz
Price: $0.99 USD. 10010 words.
Published on September 13, 2011. Fiction.
Poppy has worked at the Brightside Diner for seven years, even since graduating high school. For seven years, she's drifted through life, living from day to day, her life filled with little joys but little joy outside of work... Until one day she decides she has to do something about her own happiness, that it's up to her and no-one else!
Petticoat Road by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 960 words.
Published on August 31, 2011. Fiction.
(4.50 from 2 reviews)
A short collection of poems inspired by the bush.
Brewing Trouble by Margarete Schulz
Price: $0.99 USD. 8190 words.
Published on August 11, 2011. Fiction.
The second story in the Slayd series.
Easha Bell knows she's no saint. Usually, she deals with it just fine, but then something happens that throws her off-balance. Can she pull herself back together and find a little ray of hope in her life to keep her going, or will she crash and burn?
Let's Make It Together by Margarete Schulz
Price: $0.99 USD. 4180 words.
Published on August 11, 2011. Fiction.
(5.00 from 1 review)
The first story in the Slayd series.
Agapanthia has been alone for a long time, and it's killing her. Can she get up the courage to tell the man she loves just how she feels, or will she stay alone forever? Can it ever be that simple?
Knots by Margarete Schulz
Price: Free! 3410 words.
Published on July 19, 2011. Fiction.
(4.00 from 1 review)
Jude is just your normal high school girl - she's got friends and a little brother who'll soon start in school, himself; she worries about looking good, getting good grades, and staying fit - until something happens that turns her world upside-down. (Included in the young adult anthology, Shortly.)
Shehzaad Yavar
Latest book:
Nujhat.
Published on February 17, 2012.
(5.00 from 1 review)
Smashwords book reviews by Margarete Schulz
The Ride
on Aug. 14, 2011
Sexy and emotionally engaging! Smashing stuff! Loved it!
Best Night Ever
on Aug. 17, 2011
It was quite sad, actually, with everything that we learned about Jordan's and Sapphire's pasts, but it did have a happier ending.
Best Night Ever II - Never Again
on Aug. 17, 2011
There were a few typos, but, all in all, it was a satisfying conclusion to the previous story.
All of Me
on Sep. 02, 2011
A thought-provoking read, for sure. It brings up many more questions and possibilities, in the mind. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel, but I have a feeling this was only meant to be a one-off, and more in the sci-fi vein than the vein of thinking about non-religious spirituality and that sort of thing. After all, having so many "spirits" (or even if you don't believe in spirit, consciousnesses) in one body would certainly be... different.
I had a fairly good idea of the ending, before the reveal, but it was rather awful to discover the truth, and really digs into the heart of scientific experimentation and the lengths some people are willing to go, even so far as setting aside their natural morals, or those that they have spent a lifetime abiding by because, let's face it, that's what you do. It seems that the parents merely played by the rules, for a time, so they could later break them. That level of coldness and calculation has to be a bit frightening, I think.
First Kiss
on Sep. 04, 2011
High school romances are so cute and conflicted, aren't they? Plenty of angst, and a happy ending for the protagonist.
Afterthoughts
on Sep. 04, 2011
Sad and touching, but at times happy and full of hope. A wonderful collection of emotional poems. My only qualm -- and it's not really, strictly a "qualm", per se -- is that I don't believe you have to have religion to have spirituality, to feel a part of the universe and valued, valuable and needed by the rest of the world: you just have to be you. A lot of the poems are very sad and I think the thing you have to remember when you read them is that they are to make you think. Merely because others don't -- or have trouble showing -- that they care (or even love) you, doesn't mean that you aren't loved: you should always love yourself enough to care what happens to you and how your actions reverberate through the world and the people/living beings that you interact with. Loving yourself doesn't have to mean you're "in love" with yourself, but you've got to acknowledge yourself and realise that just because it's coming from you, that doesn't make it okay if the sentiment is meant to hurt and debilitate. Life and the very act of living and feeling can hurt, but not all pain has to be destructive, debilitating pain. And if no one else cares for you, or you feel that they don't, then it's not because you shouldn't be cared for -- you should always care for yourself -- and the future is a mystery. Anything can happen. Even change. You may, in the most unlikely moment, meet someone you can really care for and who really cares for you. You are never alone in the world. If you are alive, you are a part of all Life and the physical things and processes that facilitate life. In life, I think tolerance has to be one of your best assets. Tolerance allows you to learn and love, not matter what anyone else tells you. Everything you feel inside is real for you; it's real. It's saying something to you -- someone or something is saying something to you, either you or someone you know and think about, in the front or the back of your mind. Your feelings matter. Why, then, wouldn't anyone else's? You don't have to be alone in this world -- you aren't alone!
These poems made me think about something I don't think about a whole lot -- the way some people relate to the world and how, even though they might have many labels for themselves that are different to the labels others appoint themselves still, we are all basically the same, in a good way. We all have emotions and we all deal with them and handle them in different, but sometimes quite similar ways, and we all need recognition, love, safety and to live and, ideally, to learn and go on learning our whole lives (which, in truth, we do, though we may not realise). We sometimes build up walls that tell us we're different, but they're both real and unreal in varying degrees. And sometimes, the walls are for different reasons; why we label ourselves "different" is for different reasons. A way to separate ourselves from others, maybe to shield ourselves from emotional hurt and pain, but also, sometimes, to allow ourselves to feel as though we have something meaningful in our lives that we clutch onto and which sometimes ends up stilting us, too, not allowing us to see the good that we could allow into our lives by perhaps opening our minds and allowing ourselves to connect again. Life isn't always going to be glorious and joyous, but we don't have to be unhappy just because we're not "happy". Emotions are more complex than that, really, and are constantly unfolding in various shades and lights and aspects, affected by our present, future and past, as well as everyone that we know, interact with and know, hear, or read about, or even dream or someone merely from our imaginations.
Tolerance allows us to live our lives to the fullest extent and also to connect more fully. It can be a really great thing; for you, and for those around you. I think these poems are trying to point out how life can be dulled and how you can hurt yourself very badly if you don't love yourself and if you don't allow yourself to accept the past as the past and take your lesson from it and move on. And I also feel that it strongly encourages tolerance between people to foster better relationships (and understanding in relationships), whether they be romantic or not.
I am not a religious person, myself, but I am of the belief that if it makes you a better person and allows you to enjoy your life more fully and be more aware of yourself as an individual as well as one living in a community, as a part of the world, go with it -- certainly! But we don't just have one form of belief in our lives, we have many, many, and as we go on learning and living, and reflecting on our lives, we may alter our beliefs, but that doesn't make what we believe in or believed in any less important to our life's journey.
Ah... such a long review! If you find it tedious, reading it all (on a computer screen, no less!), I'll understand. Basically, I quite liked the poems. :) I know I could have brought that same thing across in less words, but a fair portion of the poems evoked such downheartedness that I just had to go off on a tangent and ramble. I know I've felt quite downheartened, myself, at times, but life isn't only about hurt and hurting. It's also about connecting with the world and with others and with ourselves (and getting to know ourselves better through our interactions with the world), and finding joy in life. Life is sadness, but also happiness: living is to have feelings. I guess that's all I meant to say. I don't know you, the author, and I might not know any of your readers (past, present or future), but I do know we're all in this world together.
Yeah, well, that's me -- rambled on enough. Shall stop now. :)
The Meat Market
on Sep. 05, 2011
(no rating)
**Contains Spoilers... Sort Of**
Man, that gave me the creepy crawlies! Were this listed under horror, I would definitely have given it 4 out of 5 stars, but under erotica, I feel the twist at the end kind of ruined the whole erotic element that had been built up through the start and middle. I was thinking maybe this woman would get to know one of the guys as a human being and change her mind about her coldness towards him/them, but that's not what happened. And that wasn't what you wanted to convey in your story... that's what I would have liked to have read, but it's your story.
Good job on the creepiness, though. I actually didn't see it coming. I guess it shows that I don't read a lot of horror.
His Robot Girlfriend
on Sep. 19, 2011
An interesting concept. Overall, I thought it was alright.
The Last Tattoo, A Short Story
on Sep. 24, 2011
Hmm... Interesting, but a little too short to really make all that much of an impression. There's quite a bit of character explanation, but the storyline is then quite simple. Though, in all fairness, I wasn't expecting it to be phenomenal at that length. There's just one thing I was confused about... was the girl that came in for the tattoo also one of Wilbur's kind?
The Gathering
on Sep. 24, 2011
It gives one something to think about, certainly.
The Captive
on Sep. 24, 2011
Simple, but effective.
The Lawyer
on Sep. 24, 2011
Sad, but true. This really happens. People slowly become machines and give away their humanity and their connection to the living, breathing, feeling being inside them and those around them. I quite liked this short story, though, being a bit of a romantic, it would have been cute if he could have reconciled with his wife and helped her to see the larger truth and how she was so badly hurting herself by blindly following along with a system she didn't truly understand (or even, as it seems, want to understand).
Cyber Lover
on Sep. 30, 2011
For being as short as it was, I sorta liked it. Concise and to the point. It would have been interesting to see this idea expanded into a longer story with some more background on the characters...
3 Poems
on Nov. 29, 2011
I really liked your poems. They conveyed a lot of story in little words. In the line "...and the sea is the one we’re lost in, call Life" there's a small typo, I think. You meant "called Life", didn't you?
Phoetry
on Nov. 29, 2011
I thought the little poems and the pictures went well together.
Water
on Nov. 29, 2011
A little too thin on storyline, for me. Feels much more like wish fulfilment (for the character) than anything else. With expanding, it could go places. It was just too short for me.
Where The Sun Sets
on Dec. 04, 2011
Something a little different, but an intriguing, interesting read, nonetheless.
Nujhat
on Feb. 17, 2012
It drew me in slowly and made me think about what you were saying... I liked your poems. My favourite has to be "You Define Me", though I couldn't say why. I really liked this line: "Bricks as bones, you build me up again slowly". I'd love to see a larger collection of poetry from you. :)
Spank Me, Senator!
on March 07, 2012
Aw, now I want to read more about these two! :-) If you ever think about making this into a longer story, I'd be happy to read it.
Spanking Stacey
on March 07, 2012
Aw, I liked the ending! The characters weren't Barbie doll-perfect, and I think that worked well. It really leaves the reader with an impression of the characters, and wondering what's going to happen next in their lives.
Stranger Sex: Three Different Ways
on March 14, 2012
Constructive criticism:
Out of the three stories, I preferred the second as it offered more in the way of storyline and character development. For it being erotica, the first and third stories really didn't give enough of either of these for my complete satisfaction. There were a few typos dotted throughout too, but it wasn't so bad I couldn't go on reading.
Though it's not usually what I like to read, I thought I'd try something different, and all of the stories were okay, but I think Whip Me Harder was the standout of this collection. I really found myself thinking quite a lot about Rachel's psychological condition and wishing there was a little more background to both her's and the unnamed man's thoughts and emotions regarding their new-found relationship. I'd have liked this particular story to be longer because I felt it could really get down to exploring some serious, true-to-life issues.
I can, however, live with it being as is. So, yes, out of the three, number two was my favourite. The first and last story didn't really flesh out the characters as people enough for me, they just seemed a little too much like give-me-what-I-want machines, not that I mean to sound horrible. I just think, in real life, people can't always expect things to go down like that, and they have other motivations in life also... And sometimes the sex doesn't have to be what other people would consider mind-blowing because, in real life, there's a component to it that it's often hard to capture in stories... the emotional connection two people can have to one another that make living life just a little bit sweeter, and sometimes a little sadder. Sex is important, but in many cases it wouldn't be as... meaningful... without that emotional connection.
A relationship is about two people (or sometimes more), and I don't feel Rough Custody or Taken In The Dark really embodied this enough for my liking, or explained the reasons why this may not (exactly) be the case. I can appreciate that the female protagonists also wanted to give the guy's back as good as they got (sexually), but from my point of view... well, I see how it could be debilitating sometimes if one really, honestly did live in that sort of state. For your life, as well as your relationships. Some people may be okay with it (may see it as giving them freedom and room to live out their fantasies and find what truly satisfies them sexually), whilst others may not (who may just want to be with that one person because they love them for being a person, and not merely (or mostly) a sex object).
Lastly, I hope you don't think I was dissing your stories. I wasn't trying to, even if I ended up doing so. Sorry. They just gave me a lot to think about, and I *know* - maybe it's a side effect of high school English class, or something, but when I get started, I can analyse things to death, not always seeing the simple simplicity that a story was merely meant to be... that it's just entertainment. Sometimes I get overly attached or excited about a piece and I want it to be something more... that's just the type of weird I am.
But back to Whip Me Harder, I would love, love, *love* more of this story! I guess it just speaks to me. And the ending - gulp! I definitely didn't see that coming. I don't know what to think about that comment, truthfully. It sorted gave me chills but I could also see it in a potentially romantic light, too. (I'm a bit of a romance junkie, eep!) Call me old-fashioned, stuck-up, or whatever.
Do keep writing, though; I can see something really touching (and possibly quite raw) happening in the future. :-)
Rating:
Rough Custody - 3.5 Stars, Whip Me Harder - 4.5 Stars; Taken in the Dark - 3.5 Stars.
Overall - 4 Stars.
Connections (A Short Erotic / Erotica Romance)
on March 14, 2012
I can see why this story got such high praise. It was slightly awesome! Plenty of character development, a plot, romance, and an emotional, fulfilling sex scene. :-)
Star Spangled Spanking
on March 17, 2012
I liked this story, just not as much as your other story I read, Spank Me, Senator! I don't really know why, but maybe it was because Sami and Evan were already a couple and weren't getting to know about each other for the first time and already knew a lot of stuff about each other emotionally and psychologically. Can't really explain it, but it was okay, just not super excellent for me. For others? Who knows?
How to Fake an Eye Smile, and other poems
on March 21, 2012
Just what the description says: some trivial, some serious, some humorous. They certainly give the reader something to think about. An interesting collection of poetry.
The Pain
on Aug. 08, 2012
A great little collection of poems, though sad. 4 1/2 stars!
Pinko
on Dec. 15, 2012
Each time I read these poems, I find myself finding something new to relate to, or some new way of interpreting them. These are thoughtful, intriguing and involving poems. I like them very much.
Ain't Even Done With The Night
on May 13, 2013
(no rating)
I like this story very much, so you can imagine that I am rather pleased that it is now available in print format via Amazon. I find print books easier on the eyes, but that's just me. And you don't have to be worried about breaking them if you happen to drop them, if you're just a bit clumsy as I am. ;)
Hold On To The Nights
on May 15, 2013
An absolutely fantastic addition to the series; expect more twists, more angst, and more love! Much, much more! I enjoyed this instalment as much as the first, and gladly look forward to the next, Because The Night. ;)