Location: United States
Member Since: March 18, 2011
8 users have added this author as a favorite.

Bernard Fancher


Biography

I live on a small and mostly defunct farm in western New York, where the events of a typical day include writing and walking my dogs--items not necessarily listed in order of priority. (At least not from the dogs' point of view.)

Books

A Communion of Water and Blood    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 5530 words. Published on February 4, 2012. Fiction.
A follow-up collection of poems continuing upon themes dealt with in "Before Dark, and After"--but concentrating more on the element of water than fire.
Before Dark, and After    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 5460 words. Published on February 1, 2012. Fiction.
(4.00 from 1 review)
Poems that explore the interstice between light and dark, day and night, perhaps even good and evil.
Resurrection    by Bernard Fancher
Price: $1.99 USD. 87900 words. Published on January 5, 2012. Fiction.
Stories for the living and dead. (Revised and expanded, with new stories.)
Desire Under the Big Oak Tree    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 2270 words. Published on October 27, 2011. Screenplays.
0.5 star(4.50 from 2 reviews)
A short play in one act, in which a couple considers their present and past.
The Deep and Dark Woods Behind Us    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 9970 words. Published on August 5, 2011. Nonfiction.
"The Ghost Deer" "The Old Orchard" "A Quiet Hunt, Late in the Day" Three real-life stories about hunting and, relatedly, man's search for what's lasting and true.
The Empty House, assorted stories    by Bernard Fancher
Price: $1.99 USD. 73310 words. Published on May 3, 2011. Fiction.
Sixteen tales that explore the possibility of finding within everyday experience something extraordinary, possibly even transcendent. (Revised edition)
A Pond in the Middle of Nowhere    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 1060 words. Published on April 25, 2011. Fiction.
0.25 star(4.29 from 7 reviews)
Years later, a young woman and man meet again, unexpectedly, a reunion that seems somehow fated. (This selection is also available in: The Empty House, assorted stories)
Falling    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 4210 words. Published on April 9, 2011. Fiction.
(5.00 from 1 review)
Detective M. Raines investigates the wanton murder of a child, precipitating a re-evaluation of her own life and a small crisis of the soul. WARNING: This book contains descriptions of an unsettling nature, and might not be suitable for all readers. (This selection is also available in: The Empty House, assorted stories)
The End of the Circus    by Bernard Fancher
Price: Free! 2910 words. Published on March 31, 2011. Fiction.
0.75 star(4.67 from 3 reviews)
Boy meets girl after dark, at the conclusion of the circus... for a rendezvous both bitter and sweet. (This selection is also available in: The Empty House, assorted stories)
Amish Country    by Bernard Fancher
Price: $0.99 USD. 7080 words. Published on March 27, 2011. Fiction.
Jacob Mast is for the most part a content man, happy and proud of what his life's work has accomplished. And yet, his thoughts sometimes plague him with doubt. WARNING: This book contains descriptions of an unsettling nature and may not be appropriate for all readers. (This selection is also available in: The Empty House, assorted stories)
A Good and Gentle Man    by Bernard Fancher
Price: $0.99 USD. 22690 words. Published on March 24, 2011. Fiction.
A turn onto an unfamiliar road opens an unanticipated but welcome chapter in Corky McKerrow's life, leading to mystery and eventual sorrow. (A story that promises to amply reward the patient and perceptive reader. And now at a new, lower price!) WARNING: This book contains graphic sexual content and may not be suitable for all readers.
That Day    by Bernard Fancher
Price: $0.99 USD. 15940 words. Published on March 18, 2011. Fiction.
(5.00 from 1 review)
After 9/11, Sarah knew her world would never be the same. She just never dreamed how different it would be. (Now also available, slightly revised, in the collection: "Resurrection, Stories for the Living and Dead") WARNING: This book contains graphic sexual and violent content, and may not be suitable for all readers.

Bernard Fancher’s tag cloud

911 fiction    adult romance    adventure    adventure romance    amish slaughter    childhood    circus    contemporary    contemporary poetry    country land    dead    death    desire    dogs    fate    fidelity    guilt    hunting    ice skating    infidelity    innocence    life    light and dark    living    loss    lost eden    love    meaning    memory    murder    muzzleloaders    mystery    nine eleven    play spirits family past present    poetry    redemption    resurrection    reunion    romance    rural america    short stories    shotguns    stars    stories    submission    terrorism    transcendence    transitory existence    water    young love   

Bernard Fancher's favorite authors on Smashwords


Smashwords book reviews by Bernard Fancher

  • New York and Chador on April 14, 2011
    star star star star
    Very nice short short story. Very compact and even terse. A lot is going on here in a very few words. Reminds me of some of the masters of the form--notably Saki and Chekov. I found the girl in the story interesting, and was left wanting to know more. (Not only why she decided to wear the chador on this particular occasion, but also what happens in her life next.) One small quibble: 'joing' seems to be a typo for 'joining' and pretty much detracts from what is otherwise a lovely sentence. I do wish you would make the correction.
  • My Dream as a Reality on Sep. 10, 2011
    star star star star
    A very interesting, engaging, and pleasant short story about what appears to be the first blossoming of love. Any man, one hopes, would consider himself fortunate to be met at the door by such a young woman offering a rose and calm penetrating look, both freely given with the unstated reassurance that "the world of unreality is gone forever." Nicely done, Arezou.
  • Homer's Odyssey: A Retelling in Prose on Sep. 21, 2011
    star star star star star
    Enjoyable and unpretentious. A simple retelling that makes this ancient masterwork entirely accessible to the modern reader. Bravo!
  • Tess and All Kinds on Oct. 02, 2011
    star star star star star
    A slightly enigmatic little work, both pleasant and troubling. There are some beautiful sentences here, subtly symbolic. "It was windy now, and the breeze wandered behind her head and down the back of her neck." Soon the imagery expands to include a shell "rolled in a paper towel. She unwrapped it gently, looking at how the folds of the shell turned around on each other." A gift from her missing mother's boyfriend, it has "sleek lines and soft colors" and maybe "if she held it to her ears, she could hear the ocean." Finally, a pink barette (matching neither her shirts or single dress) subtly recalls not only the shell but the wind in her hair and the unheard sound of the ocean. Such language, rife with meaning and memory, defies easy explication. But it's entirely in keeping with the mood of this story and very gratifying to read.
  • The Stoat on Feb. 08, 2012
    star star star star star
    Excellent story, but then the first place fiction award might have been the tip-off. (Except that I downloaded this selection some time ago and forgot all about the above description, until coming back here just now to put in a few good words of my own.) The Stoat of the title refers to the brown (imperfect) phase of the ermine weasil, as well perhaps to the protagonist; as such it serves as a clue to the reader. Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but the last line did seem to subtly emphasize the point--that purity, if not perfection, remains an elusive goal. Well done.
  • Nut Weevil Screw on Feb. 29, 2012
    star star star star star
    A gem of a story, quirky and wrenching. Jeffra Hays certainly knows how to tell a substantial yet fast-paced tale that holds the reader's attention.
  • Coming Home on March 07, 2012
    star star star star star
    A well-constructed, unpredictable story that will have you hooked within the very first page. The writing is at once wry, nimble, and to-the point, and makes for an agreeable reading experience, reminiscent of Evelyn Waugh. Professional editing might have eliminated the few typos and the occasional sudden change in tense - moving from the present to the past, in one instance, over the course of a single short sentence - but this is a mere quibble, compared to the otherwise abounding excellence displayed. Well done, Chris Gallagher!