Did you ever ponder the events that control our fates?From this collection of short story gems you will understand that our destinies are not ruled by chance but that they are in the hands of someone perhaps even in yours, should you be among the fortunate ones.Meet a genius with a bottle, a juggler with words and spouses traded in their husbands' interest. Strings are pulled in a courtesan's letters, and with the use of manipulated pictures they cause the downfall of a Caribbean dictator.As food for thought: stars are sold for peanuts, a vineyard turns out sour grapes and wild strawberries evoke past passion.A mistake turns a castle in the air into reality. The arrival of death comes as virtual relief from the venomous tongue of a mother-in-law. Curses arrive carried by the winds: one in the shape of a written note and others brought by a black eagle.If you believe our lives are made up of haphazard events, you're in for a surprise. After you've read these twelve tales, your heart will feel a gentle tug to remind you that your destiny, too, comes with strings attached."Ekemar is a prodigious wordsmith, and the collection's descriptive narratives, fully developed characters and scenes, poetry, lively dialogue and wit exhibit his flair for expression and engaging prose while remaining true to the collection's thematic thrust. The anthology's first story, 'Homage to a Man of Letters', honors the literary legacy of the indomitable yet fictional English scholar and 'wizard of words' Zachariah Abercrombie. In 26 essays commemorating Abercrombie's adoration of letters, the equally fictional contributors venerate his influence on their careers, personal lives and intellectualism. The homage is a stellar example of Ekemar's own word wizardry. Eclectic and entertaining, this solid collection satisfies from beginning to end." - BlueInk Review"Told in engaging, balanced prose, this is a collection of frank and unpretentious short fiction." Amazon Editorial Review"Ekemar offers a collection of twelve unique short stories that focus on the concept of control. The author employs a variety of themes, settings, and plots in these tales, which are about lost or exploited control. The variety of stories guarantees that there will be something to everyone's liking. Ekemar's writing and plotting abilities are evident in the stories in historical settings, which display his skill at description. A winning compilation of tales." Kirkus Reviews"While the theme is consistent through every tale, the individual stories vary greatly in subject, and the stories also hopscotch across time and place. Given that the stories cover a wide range of subjects, times, and places, any subconscious and inherent similarities in the writer's voice is not evident. That's well done, considering stories from different places in different time periods risk flatness of voice. The variety of settings and time periods makes the collection appealing. In fact, the twelve stories are distinctive because of nicely accomplished settings. Sure to appeal to those who appreciate literary fiction, Ekemar's 'Destiny Comes with Strings Attached' intriguingly collects twelve short stories on human beings trapped by destiny." - Foreword Clarion Reviews
