Generous quotes on my work…
“I just read Hate Crime Elegance. Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!”
- Erich Koeller, Portland, Oregon
“The quality of your writing is fantastic. Your writing flows, and I couldn’t stop until the end.”
- Tom97365 on Chapter 1 of Chico Banda
On One Day in the Life of Martina Nikolaevna Karamzin, Seaheart Elan in Waldport, Oregon exclaimed,
“OK, Joe. You really blew my mind. Well-crafted, relevant, outstanding! CouraGEOUS.”
- Seaheart Elan, Waldport, Oregon
“Reading ‘I Just Wanted a Cookie’, I was described right into a living, vivid street fair where the flavor of the huge cookies can only be called ‘loud’, and criminal justice is in ‘the mouths of babes’.”
- Catherine Dee, Portland, Oregon
“You sure can write a good shit story. Kudos to your staff photographer.”
“You suck us in.”
Dan Stein - Yachats, Oregon
“It was an honor to be given the chance to read and critique Lostine. Once they got in the swamp it took off, and I just loved it.”
— Tom Maginnis
Lake Oswego, Oregon
“I loved reading (Lostine). Much as I wish I could go directly to contract on it, I simply can't because Soul Mate is a romance publisher.”
— Samantha McMahon
Editor, Soul Mate Publishing
“I look forward to reading everything you write.”
— Barbara Belmore
Portland, Oregon
“If you're hungry for a good story, be on the watch for an emerging tale-teller - Joe C. Smolen. His "A Real Guy" in Fleas on the Dog #6 is raw, real and heavy with soul. I had the privilege of hearing him read a new story, "Flying Dreams" and it, too goes straight to the nerves and then to heart. If somebody doesn't publish it soon, then the somebody's are crazy. Look for this author's name, Joe C. Smolen. And if you don't find it in the contents of your favorite magazine, ask for it. The stories are punch-in-the-gut and the voice is authentic.”
— Jean Esteve
Waldport, OR
“I've seen a lot of writing, but not like (Lostine)this: stunningly original capture of young minds.”
— Dorothy Blackcrow
Depoe Bay, Oregon
“Lostine will always be my favorite character. Who could resist falling in love with her?”
— Judith Fontanini
Seal Rock, Oregon
“A Real Guy reads like it came from a few generations ago when plots were tight, words meant everything, girls were worth dying for and heroes - even the ugliest and unlikeliest - saved lives. J.C. Smolen’s story about a one-armed, legless beggar finding redemption is a rare breed these days.”
— Zachary Hay, guest editor, Fleas on the Dog
“We just loved (A Mere Slip of a Girl).”
— Madeline Bruessow, Editor in Chief, Cardinal Sins Journal
“Dude. Your “Day in the Life” story is a sizzler.”
- Erich Koeller, Portland, Oregon