Table 52 - A Second Collection of Short Stories

In the spectrum of emotions, this book has more colours than the rainbow.

The themes in this collection of short stories are varied and surprising. They twist and turn while swinging up and down. That's only to be expected from such an unlikely collection of writers.

They met by chance at a community college. Very different people with only one thing in common - in short - they all had stories to tell.

So get ready, you'll be astonished where they take you.

The tone is as varied as the settings. Comedy is well represented: "Heatwave" is a witty alternative history set in the hardboiled world of the American music business, "Bilk" is a caustic satire on Thai brides, there are Pythonesque flights of fancy and "A Cat in the Dark" is a delicious modern comedy of manners.

Elsewhere, there are three acute glimpses of modern unease. Then, "The Beach" is a haunting tale of middle-aged longing while "Waiting for the King" captures the fervour of boyhood hopes. An encounter in a hospital support group leads to a touching friendship in "The Phone Call". The protagonist in the atmospheric "Silence of Olive Trees" finds that even in an idyllic coastal resort it's hard to dissipate the memories of an oppressive marriage.

Proceeds go to the mental health charity Richmond Mind.

Karen Ali After a long career in publishing and marketing, Karen is happy to stop writing about products and instead write about characters, plots and far away places. Motivated by the enthusiasm of her fellow creative writers, she is now attempting to dust off and make some headway with that near-forgotten bottom-drawer novel.

After a career doing radio, TV and photography, Trevor Aston has finally applied himself to a life-long interest in creative writing. And none too soon, he's no spring chicken. Now his involvement with the Table 52 group is challenging his belief that no one will ever want to read his stories. You might think differently when you read one.