A Slice of Life
A Short Story Collection
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Kris Kumar awoke in a panic. He furiously squinted until the blurry display of the glowing digital numbers came into focus.
6:24 a.m.
A gasp of delight escaped his lips. He clamped his hand over his mouth, afraid that he had made too much noise.
He listened for sound, but heard nothing. The house was absolutely silent. The frosted bedroom window was dark. Unlike the past several pre-dawn winter mornings, there was no bone chilling, howling wind. It was as if the world was a vacuum, devoid of sound.
Kris threw off his Harry Potter blanket, put on his round glasses, and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Move, Kris, move, he urged himself. Time is short.
He got out of bed too quickly and winced as his mattress creaked with protest.
He froze, his bare-feet cold against the wooden floor. He listened for any small movement or disturbance.
Silence.
Kris grabbed his towel and turned the doorknob of his bedroom door. The rusting hinges had caused several heartbreaking losses in the past. To avoid making the same critical mistake, Kris had oiled the hinges the previous night.
The door opened with fluid silence. Although pleased by his own cunning, he resisted smiling. He was afraid he would jinx his advantage.
Craning his neck, Kris looked down the hallway at the coveted bathroom. The door was open, the entrance a black rectangle.
Kris crept stealthily towards the bathroom, tiptoeing with painstaking care to ensure none of the solid oak floorboards betrayed his presence.
As he approached a closed bedroom door on his right, Kris glanced at the portrait of his parents hanging outside the bathroom wall; their benevolent smiles filled with pride for his imminent victory.
This time, Kris could not resist returning their smile. The euphoria of triumph never felt so delicious.
Kris yelped with surprise and pain as he stepped on a piece of Lego. Like a field of landmines, hundreds of pieces had been scattered on the floor.
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About the Book
A faithless priest stumbles into the home of an authoritarian Soviet General in the frozen city of Poznan…
A cantankerous old man takes an autorickshaw ride in New Delhi that will restore his hope in humanity…
A young mother establishes an everlasting bond of love for her unborn child during a difficult labor…
Incapacitated, an embittered cancer-strewn man is forced to confront his failed legacy…
Two young brothers’ innocence and support for one another mask the tumultuous, broken household they live in…
reminds us that in spite of our geographical, racial, and cultural diversities, it is our emotions that collectively bind us. We all feel fear, apathy, and despair as well as courage, passion, and love. We all search for a meaningful purpose in our quest for fulfillment. From hardship to triumph, we all ride this roller coaster called life.
About the Author
Shaun spent a year in India living the experiences that are captured in his first novel, Divya’s Dharma. The novel depicts the physical and spiritual journey of Divya—a young Indian woman born and raised in Canada—who travels to Southern India for the first time as an exchange student. There, she is overwhelmed by the country’s beauty and hypocrisy. When Divya confronts her family’s past and the horrors of caste oppression, a series of events are triggered that shape and change her life forever.
A Slice of Life is Shaun’s second book. The first short story in the book, Amal, has been adapted to a feature length film by Richie Mehta. Amal was filmed on the streets of New Delhi to capture the integrity of the story. It premiered in the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and has won dozens of awards around the world. To learn more about this film, please go to: www.poormansproductions.com.
Shaun is completing his third novel, Unbroken, which is part a Medieval Fantasy and part a contemporary Suspense Thriller. He is also currently working on a series of children’s stories.
Shaun has an International MBA, an Honors Bachelors of Business Administration, and a Bachelors of Education. He writes and teaches in Toronto.
To learn more about Shaun and his work, please go to: www.shaunmehta.com.