Fall Reading

A newlywed struggles with mental health and job insecurity but finds joy in her artwork and marriage. A teacher faces bigotry in the small town he loves. Swimming laps in a pool makes a young man reflect on his life. Faustian legend receives a satirical update.

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#TheAcornStories

"Read these stories in sequence and somewhere around the fourth one, a quiet click happens."

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"Read these stories in sequence and somewhere around the fourth one, a quiet click happens. The woman behind the café counter turns out to be the same person whose cats run her house two tales later. The boy whispering in a backyard tent shows up years on as a grown face on Main Street. Duane Simolke assembles his fictional town of Acorn, Texas one piece at a time until the separate parts lock into a single shape."

Some towns

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“Some towns measure themselves in skyscrapers. Acorn, Texas measures itself in trees — every single one planted on purpose, by hand, by folks too stubborn to let the West Texas dust have the last word.”

For Your Book Club

• “With its focus on human nature, the book would make a great choice for a book club.” —Lone Star Literary Life
• “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews
• “The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.” –Novels Alive
• “A vivid West Texas story-cycle that blends sharp comedy with hard truths, rewarding readers who like recurring-cast, small-town literary fiction built from interlocking short stories.” –True Voice Review
• “Duane Simolke’s stories invite the reader to linger — to notice the quiet in between the noise. A lovely reminder that depth lives in the details.” –Iwan Ross, author of Keepers of the Lighthouse
• “If you enjoy stories of new beginnings, stories with humor, and realistic characters then this is absolutely the book for you.” –Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews
• “Each story left me delighted and satisfied, yet still yearning for more.” –Robert Karl, author of The Goldies: 50th High School Reunion
• “The central theme is the human condition and the shared experiences, emotions, and challenges of the town's residents, with topics that range from light and funny to dramatic and thought-provoking.” –Tenkara Smart, author of His Name is Junsaku
• “I swung from sad to happy, angry to laughing out loud.” –Tweetables
• “Simolke shares life’s beautiful and humorous moments side by side with the devastating and painful ones, and the contrast is palpable.” –The RedHead Notes
• “For those who are searching for a book which is written so well that you are able to enjoy a respite from reality and enter into a fictional world…this is the book for you!” –Author and book blogger Leonard Tillerman
• “Duane Simolke presents an enthralling collection of slice-of-life stories set in a fictional Texas town.” –Readers' Favorite
• “Duane Simolke is one of our great American writers just ready to be recognized as such. He has the talent and the imagination and the humanity and the perspective to make each of our lives richer. Bravo!” –Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer
• “I found this book to be a perfect vacation companion.” –A. Chandler
• “These highly believable settings and naturally developed characters could be anywhere in the nation.” —TMDGReviews
• “I love the numerous small wins of the characters and the unexpected turns of luck.” –Billy O.
• “You’ll want to read every story to the very end of the book to grasp the concept of the interweaving relationships of these characters that at first glance appear to have no connection.” –RLWood.Rocks Book Reviews
• “Having spent quite a bit of time in Texas, I could see each character matching someone I know or have met in my time there.” –Noel D
• “Amazing and hard to put down.” –Kimmie Sue’s Book Review and More
• “Snapshots of the lives of people and their life-changing encounters that will leave lasting impressions on you.” –Michelle Williams
• “Readers who enjoy immersive first person stories about small town life and the human condition will love this book.” –Purple
• “The author demonstrates a healthy understanding of human nature.” –John H. Mangold
• “A talented, insightful author.” –E. Conley, Betty's Books
• “The town is Acorn, Texas, and it is a representation of all of the tiny places, or wide places in the road that dot America.” –jonboy
• “If you liked WINESBURG, OHIO . . . rejoice.” –Watchword
• “By the time you have finished reading these tales of the people who inhabit the fictitious town of Acorn, Texas, population 21,001, you will have met some endearing as well as irritating characters, from the Mayor to the local would-be gigolo; from the busy-bodies to the business owners; from those who grew up in Acorn and have tried to escape the small town to those who have moved to Acorn to escape from the real world.” –Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Uncle Sean
• “A well-crafted collection of short stories.” –L. L. Lee, author of Taxing Tallula
• “It was a real pleasure to read about the fictional town of Acorn, Texas.” –Mark Kendrick, author of Desert Sons
• “Simolke makes good use of his vivid imagination in creating credible dialogue and satirical images.” –Huda Orfali, author of Blue Fire
• “There are people that you like, some that you can't wait to see if they get theirs.” –Joe Wright, StoneWall Society
• “Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about.” –Amos Lassen, Literary Pride
• “When you finish, when you put the book aside, Acorn will still be with you.” –E. Carter Jones, author of Absence of Faith
• “I highly recommend this book!” –Richard Carlson, author of Jeremy Grabowski's Crazy Summer in Stormville!
• “…reminds us that nobody is perfect and that everyone is just trying to get by in life either it be by hurting others or by trying to change their life for the better.” —The Abstract

The Acorn Stories.

Book Trailer: Comedy and Drama with a Texas Twist

Book Trailer: Morgana La Fey

Book Trailer: Revised Video of Flip, Turn

Book Trailer: Small-Town Humor. Big-Time Drama

Book Trailer: Be Careful

BookTok: Currently Reading

Book Trailer: Texas

The Acorn Stories in The Lone Star Literary Life Magazine

✨ I’m featured in the March issue of The Lone Star Literary Life Magazine! This month’s theme is HOPE. Read it here: https://lonestar-lit.com/march-2026/ @LoneStarLit

#TexasAuthors #AuthorLife #BookCommunity #LoneStarLiteraryLife

From their review of The Acorn Stories:

“People weave into and out of each other’s stories, connected in ways you might not expect.”

“At its core, this book is about emotions.”

“With its focus on human nature, the book would make a great choice for a book club.”

“Simolke’s writing… is conversational, gentle, like people would genuinely think or speak.”

“The dialogue and the descriptions carry you along just quickly enough, like a moving sidewalk passing by Acorn’s residents, giving you time to take a peek into their lives.”

“You may find that you feel you’re waving goodbye to friends and neighbors when you turn the final page.”

Texas Tales

“A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews

“The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.” –Novels Alive

“A vivid West Texas story-cycle that blends sharp comedy with hard truths, rewarding readers who like recurring-cast, small-town literary fiction built from interlocking short stories.” –True Voice Review

Book Review at Novels Alive

Amy at the book blog Novels Alive book blog just posted a review of The Acorn Stories, saying “The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.”

That Jacobs Boy #badboystexas #smalltownlife #smalltownstories #smalltownproblems

"In Acorn, Texas, every hidden story wrestles with humor and heart."

In Acorn, Texas, every hidden story wrestles with humour and heart.https://t.co/8K70gN75Oi@DuaneSimolke #booktwitter #bookstoread #booktwt #bookreader #booksbooksbooks #fortheloveofbooks #booklove #kindlebooks #kindle pic.twitter.com/9QrPKNgSR2

— PromoCorner - Find your next Book. (@PromoCornerX) April 7, 2025

Indie Film Review: Accidental Texan

Though mostly shot in or near Austin, Accidental Texan takes place in New Orleans and Abilene, Texas, but mostly in Buffalo Gap, Texas. I was born in New Orleans and spent a lot of time there, lived in Abilene for two years, and visited Buffalo Gap several times. All of that caught my interest in this indie film, which I came across on Hulu. It also didn’t hurt that the cast includes Rudy Pankow (Outer Banks), Thomas Haden Church (Wings), Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix), Maz Dugan (the NBC version of Friday Night Lights), and Bruce Dern (Nebraska).

Erwin (Rudy Pankow) sabotages his acting career with a careless error that shuts down an action movie set in New Orleans. During Erwin’s attempt to drive home, his car later breaks down in Buffalo Gap, where he meets Merle, who initially comes across as possibly unhinged, a conman, or both. However, Merle and some of the other quirky characters in Buffalo Gap soon turn out to be much more complicated and emotionally engaging than Erwin might expect.

The story takes some surprising and not-so-surprising twists, resulting in a charming small-town tale. I hope to see Rudy Pankow in more lead roles and look forward to seeing where his career takes him. Hopefully, it turns out better than his character’s acting career at the beginning of Accidental Texan. Also, he’ll hopefully keep surrounding himself with talented co-stars like in Outer Banks and in this movie.

Austin’s Mark Bristol produced and directed Accidental Texan. Besides directing the horror/comedy The Monster Hunter, Bristol worked as a a storyboard artist for directors Christopher Nolan, David Fincher, Spike Jonze, Terrence Malick, and Christopher McQuarrie. Julie B. Denny cowrote Accidental Texan’s screenplay with Bristol, adapting it from Chocolate Lizards, the debut novel of West Texas author Cole Thompson.

Read more about Mark Bristol’s work via IMBD or SquareSpace.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Readers' Favorite: Short Story Collection

“Duane Simolke presents an enthralling collection of slice-of-life stories set in a fictional Texas town.” —Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite. Read the review on Bookstagram/Instagram.

The Acorn Stories is a LitNuts Book of the Day

LitNuts, a site that calls itself “crazy about books,” has announced the Texas fiction collection The Acorn Stories as a “LitNuts Book of the Day.” The Acorn Stories is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.

According to the site, “LitNuts LLC is a woman-owned, family-run business founded by Kathleen Meyer and her father, Mike O'Mary, who share a love of literature. Kathleen is an avid reader with 11 years of marketing experience, including with Dream of Things, a small press founded by Mike in 2009. From 2009 - 2016, Dream of Things published three New York Times Bestsellers, three winners of the Hoffer Award, and one book that was optioned for a film.”

LitNuts Book of the Day: The Acorn Stories. #BookTwitter #BookRecommendation 🍁📙 #CrazyAboutBookshttps://t.co/fu8mCLUrL8

— BookTWT and SciFi Geek (@DuaneSimolke) May 9, 2023

“A poignant look into small towns and the people that make each small town unique.”

From a new book review of The Acorn Stories:

“This collection is a poignant look into small towns and the people that make each small town unique. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories. Take my advice and grab your copy today. Escape to the small-town life.”

Read the full review at N. N. Light's Book Heaven.

Texas Comedy/Drama Trailer at N. N. Light's Book Heaven

Comedy and Drama With A Texas Twist

Discussion Questions for Reading Groups/Book Clubs

Was your home town anything like Acorn? If so, how?

How would setting The Acorn Stories some place other than West Texas change it? What about setting it in the 2020s, instead of the late twentieth century?

How would changing the nonlinear structure of stories like “Knock” and “Mae” affect the stories?

Which characters did you like most in The Acorn Stories? Why? Did any of them remind you of yourself or anyone you know? Are the characters you enjoyed most necessarily ones that you would want to meet in real life?

The stories “Echoes” and “Come With Me” both take their names from paintings, while “Survival” takes its name from a student essay. How do the themes and imagery from those internal, creative works affect the overall stories? Is creativity a theme in any of the other stories?

Why do some of the characters in The Acorn Stories seem to care so much about names, and variances of names?

Does The Acorn Stories glamorize or criticize small-town life?

The Acorn Stories is a story collection, but does it resemble a novel?

Many characters reoccur in this collection. Are there any who seem important to the overall book, rather than just to one or two particular stories?

Texas contains many oddly named towns. Some of those names appear in The Acorn Stories and its spin-off, The Acorn Gathering. Did you catch any?

How do acorns work as a metaphor in The Acorn Stories? Are there other metaphors in the book?

Does The Acorn Stories reflect the diversity of Texans? Americans?

The Acorn Stories is mostly set during the 1990s. If it became a movie, which 1990s songs would work best for the soundtrack?

If you’ve seen the Del Shores play or movie Sordid Lives, how would you relate it to The Acorn Stories?

Which books, plays, or movies would you suggest for people who like The Acorn Stories?

Discuss The Acorn Stories at GoodReads and BookBub.

Read the reviews at Kirkus Reviews, Amazon.Com, bn.com, and Goodreads.

Excerpts from The Acorn Stories

The Individual Stories

Historical Acorn, Texas

The Acorn Gathering, a Spin-off from The Acorn Stories

One of the Most-Read Interviews in Tweetables Book Blog’s First Year

Please visit the award-winning book blog Tweetables. My author interview there ranked as one of the top-five most viewed of the blog’s first year. That top five also includes Jane’s discussions with authors Lisa Thomas, Liz Treacher, Shane Scott, and Martin Featherston.

“I swung from sad to happy, angry to laughing out loud,” Jane wrote in a review of my short story collection The Acorn Stories at Tweetables. The review appears just below the interview.

Please follow jane @ tweetables on Twitter.

Keywords: book blog, bookblogger, reviewed, reviewers, review, short stories, writer resources, awards.

Happy Anniversary

Happy 25th anniversary to my Texas fiction collection, The Acorn Stories, and 100th anniversary to my alma mater, Texas Tech University.

Tweetables: The Acorn Stories Review and Interview

The book blog Tweetables now features a book review and author interview about my book The Acorn Stories. That collection of short stories celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023.

“I swung from sad to happy, angry to laughing out loud” –from the review at Tweetables.

Jane writes the Tweetables blog, Twitter account, and Facebook page. The Tweetables “About” page includes the following background.

“The #writing community on twitter has opened my eyes to new writers too. There are so many talented people, but how do these wonderful authors get their message out? I find myself wanting to help and I'm hoping to find other people like me, who want to learn about new titles whilst meeting the brilliant authors who penned them.”

Please visit the Tweetables blog to read Jane’s review and interview about The Acorn Stories. Please also read some of the other entries there and visit again to read more.

“Morgana Le Fay” Cat Video

“Morgana Le Fay”: A widow finds her new romance disrupted by her Siamese cat's strange behavior. #TheAcornStories #Humor #catsoftiktok #LOL #BookTok

@duanesimolke “Morgana Le Fay”: A widow finds her new romance disrupted by her Siamese cat's strange behavior. #TheAcornStories #Humor #catsoftiktok #LOL #BookTok ♬ original sound - BookTok and SciFi Geek 🌈

Small-Town Problems

@duanesimolke The Acorn Stories. #smalltown #humor. Big-time drama. #booktok #bookclub #shortstories #quickreads #quickread #smalltownproblems #Texas #texastowns @duanesimolke ♬ Made You Look - Meghan Trainor

The Acorn Stories. #smalltown #humor . Big-time drama. #booktok #bookclub #shortstories #quickreads #quickread #smalltownproblems #Texas #texastowns @duanesimolke Music: Made You Look - Meghan Trainor.