“Ban”
A young aide in a nursing home believes she can rescue a patient after another aide’s harsh restraint–but she must face her own revulsion and rage in order to offer the compassion she intends.
“Three Women Wishing for a Boy”
The Broken Plate, 2011
Despite different circumstances and opportunities, three women across three generations must deal with the reality of a surprise pregnancy. Federica accepts the weight of tradition; Gianna rebels and rebels again; and Zita finds herself caught in their legacy as well as in the seemingly endless options of 21st-century America.
“Happy Sometimes”
Yellow Medicine Review, Spring 2011
Barbara asks Thomas to leave her house, so he packs and takes his dog to a friend’s mobile home. Thomas assumes he’ll eventually move back in with her–but she doesn’t call. He focuses on training his dog the same way he learned in prison to train service dogs. And comes to the realization that his work with the dogs is more meaningful than his fantasy of the American dream with Barbara.
Being Good About It, Chapter One and Chapter Two
Beth is a tough yet idealistic college student when she returns to her hometown to work in a nursing home for the summer. She plans to make money for college while caring for the elderly, but neither her family nor her elite education have prepared her for the mix of frustration, exhilaration, death, and boredom. Over the next three months, her experiences at Liberty Home—the need to prove herself, the grinding physical work, the fragile friendships—create a portrait of the terrible truths and odd beauty that come with growing older.
Currently seeking an agent or publisher for this literary novel. Request additional pages from aimee.loiselle(at)ymail.com.
“Souvenirs”
American Fiction: The Best Previously Unpublished Short Stories by Emerging Writers, Volume 11, New Rivers Press, 2010
When Lana’s husband returns from Iraq with serious injuries, she becomes the full-time caretaker for him and their two young children. The temptation of Victor’s medication eventually proves too much for her and her struggle with addiction. As the legacies of the war and Lana’s childhood play out inside their family, the drug use forces Lana and Victor into court to fight for custody of their children. Available for order from your local bookstore, Powell’s, or Amazon.
“Three Women Wishing for a Boy” audio
The Drum: A Magazine for Your Ears, Issue 1, May 2010
Despite different circumstances and opportunities, three women across three generations must deal with the reality of a surprise pregnancy. Federica accepts the weight of tradition; Gianna rebels and rebels again; and Zita finds herself caught by their legacy as well as the seemingly endless options of 21st-century America.
“He Used to Say Te Quiero Everyday”
Steam Ticket, Volume XIII, 2010
A simple dinner invitation from her aunt exposes the rifts and dependencies that have seeped up around Marisol and the man she lives with. Their ensuing argument forces her to choose between the relationship with its compromises and the vague aspirations she has for the type of man she really wants to be in love with.
“The Tangle of Stems and Light”
A morbid discovery in her garden leads a married woman into a conversation with her neighbor, a divorced man who lives on her block. She believes she’s asserting her independence when she invites him in for a drink, but also finds herself accepting the ambivalence she feels toward her marriage.
“The Things You Take, The Things You Leave”
Natural Bridge, Number 19, Spring 2008
Eleanor, a woman dealing with alcoholism and transience, decides to return to the house she shared with her husband. Once there, she must face the remains of their marriage and the hard reality of making her own choice.
“Histories”
Hospital Drive, Issue 1, Summer 2007
When Beth learns that another aide has been inflicting a cruel humiliation on one of the patients, the aide justifies it as fair retribution for snotty behavior and shares her own story of arrogance and punishment. Beth explores further and discovers more unseen stories and an aide struggling to hide a violent secret.
“Nina”
Square Lake, Issue 4, 2004
Tania nearly breaks down after losing money in the grimy laundromat across from her motel. Tania’s desperation prompts Nina to share a few words of advice, but the brief exchange ends in a lost opportunity for both women.
“Ultimate Cassandra”
Out of Line, 2003
Cassie warns her hometown about the changes Isabella and Richard West are making to an old farm they bought as a second home. Most people ignore her until they realize the changes have rippled throughout Lone Hill, but Cassie refuses to give up. She decides to rally a group of townspeople to block further damage.