Collections
The Art of Martinis
More Stories from the Central Valley
Award-winning author Bill VanPatten delivers another collection of short stories that plumbs small town living in Central California. A young man in a dead-end job with no plans for the future meets a stranger who changes his life in a profound way. A successful stand-up comic struggles with haunting memories while performing in front of a sold-out crowd. A casino worker watches a man collapse at her poker table, triggering the memory of an event in her life she can never reveal. These and other stories linger in the mind of the reader long after the final page is turned.
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In the sunny Central Valley of California, secrets hide in the shadows. A look at small town California like you've never imagined.
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Multiple award-winning collection.
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There Go I
A Collection of Short Stories
Dust Storm
Stories from Lubbock
Inspired by Bill's four-year stint teaching at Texas Tech, this collection of short stories peels back the façade of a conservative West Texas town to explore the secrets behind closed doors.
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The Whisper of Clouds
Stories from the Windy City
Bill's eight years in Chicago inspired this collection of stories exploring the diversity of the Windy City in both past and present.
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Other Publications
Bill has published short stories in a variety of venues and anthologies. Check them out below.
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"Penguins," published in the Wingless Dreamer 2023 anthology, The Petal Pages.
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"Henry," published in the September 2023 issue of The Write Launch.
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"Coffee with Half-and-half," published in November 2023 issue of Sad Girl Diaries.
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"Christmas Eve," published in the San Joaquin Valley Writers 2023 anthology, Great Valley Stories.
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"Repository" and "Walk/Don't Walk," published in the Redwood Writers 2023 anthology, One Universe to the Left.
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"Applause" published in the Coverstory Books anthology, Pebbles on the Strand in February 2024.
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"Piano Lessons/s," published in the June 2024 issue of The Write Launch.
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