Night Cruiser (Dale)

Night Cruiser: Short Stories about Creepy, Amusing or Spiritual Encounters with the Shadow
Veronica Dale, 2014
Nika Press
98 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780692344613


Summary
Ten different people come face to face with the dark side. Will they run from it in horror, challenge it with humor, or deal with it in hope? And what exactly is "the shadow" they encounter?
 
For lonely Isabel, it's the whisper from the basement that invites her to come on down. For second-grader Emma, it's the tortured spirit that has haunted her family for generations. For the grieving Deacon William, it's the damaged android that frightens visitors in the retreat house halls.
 
Psychologist Carl Jung maintained that everyone has a shadow—the dark side of ourselves we don't want to look at, the faults and foibles that we keep hidden, or the challenges we think we can't cope with. If left to fester, all these can get projected into our nightmares, our monster movies, and even onto other people and groups. His experience told him, however, that those who meet the shadow's challenge can find an inner light.
 
Discover how this works out for Brent, who consults his psychologist friend about a weird marital problem. Or for the practical young woman who must get rid of the wizard who somehow stumbled into her apartment. Or for Miles, who desperately seeks a reason not to take his own life. If you're intrigued by clever and imaginative writing, crave fascinating stories that pack a lot in a short space, and appreciate an author who never lets religion get in the way of her highly spiritual and deeply psychological message, take a wild ride on the Night Cruiser. It will be fun, spooky, and strange.

Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Detroit, Michigan, USA
• Education—M.S., WAyne State University; M.A., Marygrove College
• Currently—lives in southeast Michigan


Veronica Dale is a former librarian with twenty-six years of experience in pastoral ministry. Her fiction has received recognition from Writer's Digest, Writers of the Future, the National League of American Pen Women, and five stars from readers. She released her short story collection Night Cruiser in December 2014 and plans to launch Blood Seed, the first volume of her epic fantasy-romance series Coin of Rulve, in the fall of 2015.
 
Many of her themes have roots in Carl Jung's concept of the shadow, insights of traditional and modern-day theologians, and J.R.R. Tolkien's idea of the "eucatastrophe," the belief that even the worst catastrophe can be redeemed. She's an enthusiastic member of a book discussion group held at her church. Even though Veronica has a ministerial background, romance writer Cynthia Harrison says she "never lectures or lets religion get in the way of her highly spiritual and deeply psychological message."
 
Dale is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and Detroit Working Writers. (From the author.)

Visit the author's website.
Follow Veronica on Facebook.

Book Reviews
I enjoyed each of the stories especially the way the author was able to capture the different moods. I won't write about all of them, but wanted to give kudos to a few of my favorites.... "One Level Down".... "Within Five Feet".... "Dried Beans".... "End of Story".... Keep up the great work! Five stars.
Martha. Amazon review
 

[A]spects of the monster under the bed and one.... Advent is an exceptional piece of writing which is worth buying this collection for just to read it.... Interestingly, this is one of the few stories which the author doesn't appear to have entered in to any competition which is a shame, if so, as it is fabulous. Four stars.
Bodicia. A Woman's Wisdom-The Book Blog for Lovers of the Written Word
 

Concise, clever, imaginative writing. Fun, spooky and the strange. Ms. Dale has her writing act together. A joy to read. Five stars.
Stanley D. Williams, Ph.D. Amazon review
 

The last story, about a creative writing class, was so rich in real detail (I have taught creative writing) that the twist, when it came, flipped me from reality to fantasy and horror and even humor with a few skillful shakes.... Dale shows signs in this slim volume of capturing the world wide web zeitgeist with the zeal and terror of Kafka. Five stars.
Cynthia Harrison. Amazon review
 
 
Veronica Dale's compilation of short and sometimes spooky stories covers a lot of ground - from outright sci-fi to dealing with our fears in the dark. I particularly applaud "Dried Beans."... Be sure to read this one to your children, and help them understand. Five of five stars.
Linda. Goodreads review


I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the stories and can understand why several of them won writing contests. My favorite is One Level Down...kept me awake for so long after reading it. So realistic, you'll feel you're right there in the story. Five stars.
Sid Frost. Amazon review
 

Each story held my interest and I look forward to reading more from Veronica Dale. Five stars.
Matthew Murphy. Amazon review
 

I was fascinated, disturbed, haunted by "Within Five Feet," the story of Brent who is convinced his wife is weaving a deadly web around him.... What courage it takes to seek peace! Thank you Ms. Dale for your insight. Five stars.
Marie Van De Putte. Amazon review.
 

Amusing and soul searching. Five stars.
Geri Filar. Amazon review

Discussion Questions
1. Which is your favorite story in Night Cruiser? Why?

2. Psychologist Carl Jung defines the shadow as "everything the subject refuses to acknowledge about himself." These can be inferior character traits, unmet challenges, or our own dark side. Of the ten stories, which ones would you say shine a spiritual or insightful light on how the different characters deal with their shadow?

3. Which story did you find most creepy? How might it relate to your own fears?

4. Julian of Norwich, a 14th century mystic, famously wrote that "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."  Which story seems best to echo her belief?

5. Individuals must deal with their shadow, but so must larger communities. Which story do you think focuses on a shadow that haunts today's society the most?

6. In "Persons of Marred Appearance," what is the shadow that Deirdre faces? That Deacon William faces? How is Chris a wounded healer?

7. The stories in Night Cruiser, the author said in an interview, are really more about hope than horror. What do you think?

8. Taking all the stories into consideration, how many examples can you point to in which something bad got redeemed? Are there any instances in which a character refuses redemption?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)

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