"A masterful story, highly recommended." - Chris Coward

What happens when a teenaged girl discovers that her quirky passion is, in fact, a superpower? In The Metamorphosis of Marna Love by Tom McEachin, Marna, a middling student and loner, is haunted by hints of a forgotten childhood drama. She’s also threatened by a bully. But Marna has a passion for philosophy, particularly literary existentialism, and encouraged by her teacher-mentor, she digs ever deeper into life’s meaningful questions. This unusual pursuit awakens her own insight, wisdom, and resilience, equipping her to uncover the mystery of her past and disarm her tormentor. A Masterful story, highly recommended. 

--Chris Coward, author of the award-winning, five-star Perpendicular Women: Adventures in the Multiverse

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 In The Metamorphosis of Marna Love, Tom McEachin realistically portrays the typical challenges teens face in finding one’s identity. The main character’s inner turmoil includes buried memories, bittersweet relationships, and unexpected turns. McEachin shows how, despite her complicated world, Marna finds her own coping mechanism through philosophical musing. This book is full of insights that are applicable for any teenager. 

--Diane C. Jerome, author of Spirals of Stardust 

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The Metamorphosis of Marna Love tells the story of a sixteen-year-old haunted by dreams of a past she doesn’t remember. Fuzzy images of a bearded man plague her. When her mother reveals scattered details, Marna fixates on unravelling the mystery. Deftly woven into the narrative is Marna’s fascination with existential writers, the likes of Sartre and Kafka, and the teacher who lights a spark in her. McEachin’s novel beautifully captures the angst and turmoil of adolescence while drawing the reader into Marna’s obsessive search for the guardian angel who saved her twelve years earlier. 

--Cathy Schieffelin, author of The Call and soon to be released, Snakeroot and Cohosh

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A battle between dreams and reality highlight a journey of discovery, while maneuvering through the morals and ethics of a changing world. 

--Joel Bernard, author of Déjà Vu: Choices, Consequences, and Second Chances 

Published in South Dakota Review 

"I live in Clear Springs, Utah, which sits on the very northern tip of a state governed by idiots. I don't mean that as political commentary but rather by-God constitutional law."

Published in The Dos Passos Review

"They never mentioned Kenny that final day. Harold had stopped talking altogether by then, and Ruth spent the remaining hours with whatever warm memories she cold summon, filtering out the darker chapters as she sifted through the years.’"

 Published in Limestone

"We do this garage band, Skitch, T-Bird and me, only non of us have a garage so we go out to the old Kradd Mine and play."

 Published in The Madison Review

Dear Sir,

I found your editorial attacking the tradition of tipping (July 2, 1960) tedious and dull, but worse, your entire premise was flawed. “Tips” could not possibly be, as you argued, an acronym for “To Insure Prompt Service.” Unless you find an underwriter who issues policies protecting one from shoddy waitressing, the proper word would be “ensure.” Are we to assume, then, it is “teps” you oppose?

Click here  and scroll to page 34

 Published in El Portal

"I arrived at my cubicle this morning to find a security guard sitting back in my chair, feet propped up on my desk."

 Read El Portal volume 78 no. 2 here! 

Click here and scroll to page 90

 Published in Flash Fiction Magazine

"I'm not sure exactly when I died. The decay was so gradual I never felt my own mortality slipping away. Bit by bit my Chimera devoured me. I wilted for so long that the transition into death wasn’t all that dramatic."

https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2024/01/02/i-wanted-to-believe-so-i-believed/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Flash%20Fiction%20Magazine%20Weekly%20for%20%20TODAY&utm_campaign=FFM%20RSS%20Weekly%20Campaign&vgo_ee=b2XPhNBnKcTa9HK3jmKFnNZl9z%2FhYpgiUCf6IFupu7Xh%3A9JCl6fkyVLShktVIiUlAaADiHYkPf13S&fbclid=IwAR1eAD8H4WAllIkUf_8oqPEgIENo-F88tlg5WUCvvzqRLwPGGB0IareCi70 

Published in Wallstrait

I'D HATE FOR THIS to get out, but I fear my writing is devouring me. Once upon a time, I made a name for myself in the world of short stories. I worked without limits in those days, writing everything from cultured to kitschy. 

Click the link below

https://www.wallstrait.com/fiction/id-hate-for-this-to-get-out-by-tom-mceachin

Published in Flash Fiction Magazine

Mama said stay in the backyard to play because of the bad man around the corner. I had the red ball I got for my birthday but no one to play with, so I kicked the ball against the side of the garage. When it bounced back to me, I’d kick it again and again. 

Read here

https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2024/07/16/bad-man-around-the-corner-3/