Michael Angelo- You Always Have A Choice

I recently made friends with another independent writer and saw promotion for his book on Instagram. He was offering a free download of his book, You Always Have A Choice. I missed out on the free download because once I got around to it, the offer was no longer available However, I hopped on over to Amazon and purchased a paper copy of the book. It was delivered yesterday and I just finished it!

Here are my thoughts-

It was a lot shorter than I expected! This isn't critique at all, I'm actually an avid short story reader and writer so this was most definitely a win for me. It was around twenty-four pages, which would have been a perfect publish here on Vocal. Before the story, there in a six-page introduction where the author, Michael Angelo, discusses his journey in the writing world and makes some valid and quite inspirational points. One being how artists are rejected a lot but this doesn't diminish their worth. I completely agree with that sentiment, as I feel a lot -if not all- here would as well.

He discusses the cover art for his book, which is an edited photo of an actual photograph that he took of his grandma's house, which incidentally is the name of the bed and breakfast in the book. To me, that is something rather special. It always intrigues me when artists take on their full project single handedly. Also, the photo is pretty cryptic looking and definitely drew me in. They say you "eat" with your eyes first; I feel the same way with artwork and books. The initial image is the smell of the food. The literature inside is the actual meal. A good piece of cover art is always a plus in my opinion.

The story itself was an interesting read. It's about a Texas Ranger who is transporting an inmate and gets stuck at a bed and breakfast (Grandma's House) due to a heavy storm and flooding. Michael Angelo's writing style is comparable to Stephen King in my opinion, even taking time to include the Southern accent of the Texas ranger, something I appreciated. Though short, the story delivered some rather creepy and disturbing moments. I will say, it's one of those stories you should read twice, (I did). Knowing what is going to happen makes it easier to follow. It delivers some creepy twists and turns that might seem a little confusing at first, but it all comes together in the end.

The story focuses mainly on two characters- Charlie and Jones. Charlie, the prisoner, is a real piece of work. He is a gross man with a huge ego. He is constantly building himself up within his own thoughts for the heinous crimes he has committed. His character is written so well, and you instantly dislike him. Jones, on the other hand, is quite likeable. The dialogue between the two characters flows effortlessly. All in all the book seems to be a story on test of character and morals. Creepy quick little read. Enjoyable. I can't say too much without giving it away, but if you enjoy short stories like I do, I would suggest picking up your own copy or downloading the kindle version.

You can find it here:

Also, Michael Angelo has recently joined Vocal. As of the time I'm writing this, he doesn't have any published stories. But, if you'd like to check him out and subscribe to whatever he may publish in future, here is his profile link: