{"product_id":"close-to-a-flame-paperback","title":"Close to a Flame - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eColleen Alles\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNamed one of \u003cem\u003eLiterary Hub\u003c\/em\u003e's 100 Notable Small Press Books 2025\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFINALIST, Literary Fiction, Midwest Book Awards (2026)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFINALIST, Fiction, Society of Midland Authors Awards (2026)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFINALIST, Short Stories, National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA) (2025)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom a dive bar in Big Rapids, Michigan, to nowhere Ohio, and back, the characters in \u003cem\u003eClose to a Flame\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 182\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.42 x 8.5 x 5.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 11, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53595869348147,"sku":"9781960329653","price":26.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/s3xxpj-vy.myshopify.com\/products\/close-to-a-flame-paperback","provider":"The Celestial Starlit Phoenix ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}