Close to a Flame

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(83 90 98 1)>Named one of <em>Literary Hub</em>'s 100 Notable Small Press Books 2025</strong></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(83 90 98 1)>Finalist National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA)</strong></p><p></p><p>From a dive bar in Big Rapids Michigan to nowhere Ohio and back the characters in <em>Close to a Flame</em> are broken in the ways all people are. On a cross-country road trip Robin can't stop thinking about her ex-boyfriend. Carol has grown increasingly unhappy in her long marriage to Gerald. On a summer Saturday Christine comes through for Dalia in an important way. Pat takes his girlfriend Katie to San Francisco for what he hopes will be a romantic proposal. Beth's son Jonah gets called to the principal's office; and Jamie gets a scare from her elderly mother. With her radiant stories Colleen Alles wants to tell you it's often the case that deep connections to other people-sometimes friends sometimes sweethearts sometimes spouses-help restore what's broken.</p>