New Release Upcoming

 Keep your eyes open for a new release from yours truly. A blend of SF and detective noir.

Target is a February 28th release.

Love in the Time of Chocolate

Last night at my writers' group, we were given a prompt and ten minutes to respond. As February 14th is Valentine's Day, we were told to write about something or someone sweet. For your flash fiction pleasure, here is what I came up with:

Love in the Time of Chocolate
by Alan Loewen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Have you heard about the Gingerbread Man? How about something sweeter? My good friend Gus Polinski was a world-renowned chocolatier, a master of the sweeter arts. His craftsmanship was par excellence, and his little shop in the backwaters of Harrisburg thrived. His truffles, brownie bites, peanut butter swirl, salted caramel, chocolate-covered strawberries, pretzels, nuts, and mini tarts had pushed many a poor unfortunate into type 2 diabetes, much to the joy of the local endocrinologists.

Less than a week ago, he came and urgently rapped on my front door. “Craig,” he said, blocking my front door. “I need your help. I’m being hunted down by assassins and enforcers from Hershey's and Nestlé's. And the worst are those Mars Bars fanatics. I desperately need a favor!”

“Of course, Gus,” I replied. “Anything for a friend. What do you need?”

He stepped aside and ushered in a confectioner’s dream. “My masterpiece,” he said. It was a lovely and petite woman, but with one unique difference. I could see she was composed completely out of chocolate. She blinked at me and smiled, surprising me. She was a statue of sentient chocolate.

“They want her, and I won’t let them have her. Please hide her for me until I can find a better way to protect her.”

“Of course,” I said. “But what does she eat? What are her needs?”

“She needs nothing,” Gus said. “Just prop her up somewhere and don’t let her get dusty.”

And that is how Nougat came into my life. 

She was a charming, albeit unique, individual. Her IQ was quite high, and needless to say, she had quite a sweet personality.

Now I know what you evil-minded readers are thinking, that I lost self-control and took an occasional nibble. But, no, her ending was far worse. 

One August morning, I left for work, and when I returned, I discovered that my air conditioning had malfunctioned during the day. 

Nougat had melted away into my carpet, leaving the room smelling like a confectionery. 

I called Gus, but he seemed nonplussed. “It’s quite all right,” he said.

“Now I’m working on chocolate pets. Care to take on two Chocolate Labs?”