Final Note

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Thank you so much for reading “Miss Otis Regrets”! If you made it to the end, you must have enjoyed something you found here, and I thank you for staying with me.

While writing this novella I was reminded how much the modern-day reader likes definitive answers and the information spelled out for them. This realization was a little discouraging for me, as I personally prefer ambiguous stories built on nuance and symbolism, in which the most important aspects are left up to reader interpretation.

However, I can understand the appeal of a paint-by-numbers mystery, therefore I altered my original plans for the ending of this book. I borrowed a tactic Agatha Christie utilized in my favorite of her novels, “And Then There Were None.” In that story, no definitive answers were given at the end of the last chapter, therefore she used the epilogue to explain the motives and plot of her killer. I'll never be a Ms. Christie, and this is certainly not one of my best works, but I hope I paid proper homage to her masterpiece!

If you like my writing style and are looking for something else to read, here are a few recommendations:

If you enjoy gangsters, strong yet flawed characters, enemies-to-lovers stories, crime family drama, sexual tension, the 1920s, colorful language, the quintessential “Bad Boy,” and/or stories of rivalry and revenge, you may like my best novel, “The Countess and the Racketeer.” Warning: this novel is not for anyone who likes a “Golden Retriever” male lead. My character Liam Mercer is a ruthless, gaslighting, promiscuous son of a bitch. (But I guarantee you'll love him anyway.)

If you enjoy strong, witty female leads, you may enjoy my 2021 ONC novella “Vengeful Creations.” The protagonist, Cristina Castillo, is an author (based on me, only she's cooler) who is thrust into the world of her own incomplete stories, and the very angry characters who reside in her imagination. Perfect for anyone who likes multiple genres!

If you enjoy vampires and other classic literature/mythical characters, you may like my 2022 Watty winner “Carpe Noctem” (which is historical fiction/paranormal), or my 2022 ONC novella “Chartreuse” (which is sci-fi — very Philip K Dick). Therein, you'll find famous characters such as Mina Harker, Dorian Gray, Oliver Twist, the Wicked Witch of the West, and many references to George Orwell's “1984,” my favorite novel.

If a literary fiction, character-based story is more to your taste, you may enjoy my 2023 ONC novella “A Bartender's Guide to Paying it Forward,” which depicts the life and thoughts of an autistic bartender as he navigates a series of unusual social situations that ultimately lead him on a journey inward.

If you'd prefer something short and sweet, try my short stories “The Haunting of Elsinore Manor,” “Gatsby, the Great and Powerful,” or “Jane Error.”

Again, thank you so much for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you! Until next time, all my love. ♡

~ Mar

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𝙼𝚒𝚜𝚜 𝙾𝚝𝚒𝚜 𝚁𝚎𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜 | ONC 2024Where stories live. Discover now