The Midnight Zone; Elizabeth Delisi

THE MIDNIGHT ZONE is a collection of short stories I wrote over a period of several years. The first influence I had in writing the short story format was “The Doctor’s Story,” written by my great-grandfather, William Cummings Gegenheimer, circa 1900. Although the language and conventions are a bit different from our modern tales, I think the story holds up remarkably well, and I’ve included it as the first story in my collection.

Another influence from my childhood, and one I still enjoy, was the TV series “The Twilight Zone.” I loved the off-beat tales and quirky endings. They scared me, they made me laugh, and they always made me think.

Author Harlan Ellison takes those unpredictable stories one step further in his many short story collections with science fiction and paranormal elements thrown in. I was able to see him in person once, where he entertained the crowd for hours by reading selections from his most recent collection. That was the final piece to the puzzle that convinced me I’d like to write short stories, too.

It’s hard to choose a favorite among my stories; it’s like trying to choose a favorite among my children. But I have to admit to a special fondness for “The Last Married Couple.” The story of an elderly couple, married and in love in an era of test tube babies and social isolation, still touches a chord with me. Thus, I decided to use it as the final story in my collection.

I hope you’ll have the opportunity to read and enjoy THE MIDNIGHT ZONE. Visit me at www.elizabethdelisi.com and let me know what you think!

Elizabeth Delisi has wanted to be a writer since she was in first grade, and probably would have written in the womb if she could have convinced her mother to swallow a pencil. But life hasn't always gone the way she planned, and on her road to publication she worked as a motel maid, waitress, secretary, administrative aide, substitute teacher, and newspaper reporter.

Bio for Elizabeth Delisi:

Elizabeth's novels include a FATAL FORTUNE, first in the Lottie Baldwin paranormal mystery series; LADY OF THE TWO LANDS, a time-travel romance; and SINCE ALL IS PASSING, a suspense. She's written contemporary and paranormal romance novellas for ONE TOUCH BEYOND; ENCHANTED HOLIDAYS; HOLIDAY HEARTS; HOLIDAY HEARTS 2; and CUPID'S CAPERS, and has also published a short story collection, THE MIDNIGHT ZONE. In addition to her writing, Elizabeth teaches online writing courses for Writer's Digest.

Elizabeth lives in New Hampshire with her husband and noisy parakeet. She enjoys hearing from her readers at elizabeth@elizabethdelisi.com and invites everyone to visit her website at www.elizabethdelisi.com.