New Release: With Our Bellies Full and the Fire Dying
February 6, 2025
This has been a wonderful week. In fact, I’ve been happy dancing non-stop. Let me give you a hint why I’ve been in such a celebratory mood.
WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING was officially released on February 4 in print and e-book formats. It is a collection of eighteen of my short stories, most of which won prizes or were finalists for the Agatha, Anthony, or Derringer awards. Looking at the cover, you might be wondering why I’m sharing it with you on Booklovers Bench, where we all write cozy mysteries? The answer is because most of the stories are cozy.
When we think about cozy mysteries, we think of tropes that include an amateur sleuth, a confined setting, no sex or blood on the page, and good character development. Although not every story features an amateur sleuth (there is at least one P.I. and one undercover cop), all demonstrate cozy character development. In other words, even the two slightly darker stories may have heavier themes, but they aren’t going to need trigger warnings or come across as particularly hard-boiled.
It was particularly nice to introduce the book ahead of its publication date on February 1 and 2, when I was a panelist at Murder in the Magic City and Murder on the Menu, respectively. These two mystery conferences, which help provide support for libraries, were the first ones I was invited to participate in when 2012 IPPY award winning Maze in Blue was published. I can still remember how thrilling it was for me, as a panelist, to hold up my first book for everyone to see. After the panel concluded, it was even more exhilarating to sign books for eager new readers.
Coming back to these two conferences with WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING was very special. Interestingly, although I have had more than fifty short stories published in the last ten years, many people were only familiar with my seven novels, especially Kensington’s five book Sarah Blair series about a woman who is more frightened of the kitchen than murder. Consequently, it was my pleasure to introduce them to my shorter work.
I want to share my joy with one of you (U.S. only) by gifting you a copy of WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING. Simply leave a comment about whether you read and/or like short stories.
Buy Links:
White City Press (publisher giving a print discount and free shipping)
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Would you like to know more about author Debra H Goldstein? Visit her WEBSITE.
While you’re here, check out our Booklover’s Bench Contest. It runs from Feb. 1-22, so you still have time to enter! This is our Anniversary Celebration, so there are 7 prizes. Click to CONTEST.
Posted in 3-Debra H. Goldstein, with Debra H. Goldstein • Tags: anthology, Debra H Goldstein, Let's Talk, short story, With our Bellies full and the Fire Dying | 37 Comments
I love reading short stories! It is nice to know that I can start and finish in one sitting. Lately I have been really into the holiday cozy anthologies from Kensington cozies. It helped me find a lot of great authors and series.
Kensington’s Holiday books always do a good job introducing three authors via their novellas. I, too, found some I didn’t know.
Best of luck with the new release, Debra!
Thank you, Lois.
Happy Book Birthday! I hope readers appreciate your new collection.
Thank you. I hope they do, too.
I do. They’re nice for when I don’t have a lot of time and need something I can easily pick up and put down. Also a good way to sample different authors and maybe find some new to me that I want to read more of.
I couldn’t agree without you more, Alicia.
What a collection, Debra! Best of luck with it!
Thank you, Gay.
Many congratulations on this release, Debra!!! ❤️🎉❤️
Thank you, Maria.
Debra — congrats on the release. I look forward to reading your stories!. ~Diane
Thank you, Diane. Congrats on your new short story collection, too.
Congratulations Debra!
I love reading short stories. It’s nice to read short stories for a change.🥰
Much as I like reading novels, short stories give us a break when our time is limited. It is a way to relax or at least come up for air for a short period of time.
Congratulations on your new release, Debra!! This collection of short stories sounds really wonderful!
Yes, I enjoy short stories – as a kid and as an adult – Aesop’s Fables was my best companion as a kid! – Emily
Thanks for the congratulations. Short stories are the best way to introduce children to the magic of reading.
I like short stories because they are quick reads without a lot of extra fluff that some authors put in their books to make a specific word count.
Oh dear, you’ve figured out how some authors pad their books to reach their word count 🙂
Congratulations on your new release!!
Thank you.
Congratulations!!!!
Thank you.
Congratulations on the release! I enjoy short stories. It is a great way to get an idea of an author’s writing style. I have discovered some new to me authors that way.
Thank you. It is a good way to get a taste of an author’s style.
Sounds like an interesting collection.
I like to think the variety of the stories makes it an interesting collection.
Congratulations, Debra!
I love reading short stories! I always have a book with me and do a lot of reading while waiting for appointments or waiting to meet up with friends!
I find short stories are a great way to sample an author’s work. You get to see how the writer moves the story along and develops characters.
I love reading short stories! Sometimes, it’s nice to have something that you can finish in one sitting, that gives you something to ruminate on to distract you from your troubles too!
Congratulations on your new release. That is very exciting. Your books sounds intriguing and entertaining and one I would enjoy reading. I really enjoy reading short stories and for me they are the perfect read when you are waiting in the doctor’s office or are busy on the go. Thank you for the chance.
Congratulations on the recent release of WITH OUR BELLIES FULL AND THE FIRE DYING!
I do enjoy reading short stories from time to time. There are times that a short story is all the time available for my love of reading when life gets hectic. Other times, my mind seems to jumbled up to start in on a full length book and trying to remember all the details in order for the story to play out in my mind. As you can see, there are several types of times when a short story fits the bill just right for me.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
Congratulations and happy book birthday!
Also, congrats on the anniversary of Booklover’s Bench!
I enjoy reading all of your wonderful books.. How exciting to try some authors that I haven’t had the chance to read.
I love any kind of stories. Short, long, it doesn’t matter!
What a captivating title.