Prudence in Hollywood: And Other Stories

by Ralph Cissne

Overview

From Prudence in Hollywood to Laughing Stock and Alpha Girl, this story collection chronicles a quirky cast of characters pursuing love with humorous consequences: a long-term romance ends; the love junkie meets his match; an Elvis impersonator crashes his class reunion; a stand-up comedian faces her fears; a blended family heals emotional wounds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780999853740
Publisher:	Morgan Road
Publication date:	06/01/2019
Pages:	166
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Ralph Cissne's first novel Angel City Singles was published in 2018. An award-winning poet, his short stories have appeared in publications such as American Way and Playboy. The poetry collection Don't Be Shy was published in 2015.

A native Californian, Ralph Cissne grew up in Oklahoma in a military family filled with storytellers who encouraged his early interest in creative writing. After graduation from The University of Oklahoma School of Journalism he worked in the advertising agency business for several years, launched his creative strategist consultancy and moved to Southern California where he marketed many leading health and fitness brands including StairMaster Sports/Medical Products.

In Los Angeles Cissne hosted poetry and performance art venues, studied stand-up comedy with Greg Dean, improvisation with the ACME Comedy Theatre and writing through UCLA Extension.

An avid golfer and lifelong yoga advocate, Cissne authored Will of Golf, Mastering the Mind-Body Connection in 2001. He has edited and published the work of his mentor Frank Natale including the books Results, Relationships for Life and The Wisdom of Midlife.

Cissne lives in Oklahoma where he writes and volunteers as a creative life skills mentor.

Table of Contents

Fourteen Short Stories: Farewell True Love, The Myth of the California Girl, Prudence in Hollywood, Kind of Blue, Lover Boy, Eating Alone, Vulnerable, Devil’s Food, Reunion of Last Resort, End of the Bar, Laughing Stock, Turn Around, Claim to Fame, Alpha Girl

Editorial Reviews

“The stories in Ralph Cissne’s collection are funny, poignant, and perfectly wistful about the search for love. Like your favorite song, their musical language resonates long after you’ve done reading.”

– Diana Wagman, author of Life #6

“I adore these stories. Ralph Cissne's Prudence in Hollywood offers a rare glimpse into Hollywood at the end of the twentieth century––before Instagram and the Kardashians––a time of innocence and true love and longing. They made me feel glad to be alive and hopeful for our future. What a delicious and delightful read!”

– Jamie Cat Callan, author of Parisian Charm School

“Every vignette in this collection of fourteen short stories can be compared to characters in a play who make their humble or extravagant entrances, engage in brief excerpts from life, and, with a surprise ending, exit stage left. The genius of the author’s plots is the twists and turns that precipitously balance over the line between melancholy and inspirational. Another specialty of Cissne is tossing shrewd insights into the mix at the least expected moment. The finesse employed in setting the romantic and sexual scenes is a credit to any author, and his stage settings are as carefully arranged as if drawn by an artist. As the characters begin to interact, this quickly fades until we see only the colorful world of real life and hear the clink of ice melting in glasses.”

– US Review of Books

From the Publisher