Love Brain & Other Minefields
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Love Lives Large
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Literary short stories and poetry exploring intimacy, longing, and consequence.
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Awarded First Place, Fiction - Short Stories and Third Place, Poetry - Collections & Anthologies by The BookFest and named a Finalist in the 28th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in the short stories category.
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Showcases stories honored with awards from Writer’s Digest and the Pacific Sun Writers Competition
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"...Collenette’s characters live on in memories." -Kirkus Reviews
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Paperback $19.88
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Awards
Award-winning and widely recognized, Love Brain and Other Minefields has earned top honors for its achievement in both short fiction and poetry. The collection received First Place for Fiction – Short Stories and Third Place for Poetry – Collections & Anthologies from The BookFest, and was named a 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist in Short Stories / Adult Fiction. It also features stories previously honored by Writer’s Digest and the Pacific Sun Writers Competition, further underscoring the book’s literary range and distinction.
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In the News
Press Release: Alan Collenette Wins First Place at The BookFest® Awards Spring 2026 for “Love Brain & Other Minefields”
Press Release: 'Love Brain and Other Minefields' Named 2025 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
Press Release: Alan Collenette Releases 'Love Brain and Other Minefields', a Bold Exploration of Love, Loss, and Connection
Reviews: Love Brain & Other Minefields
...Collenette’s characters live on in memories. Moments sting with the halting love of a strained relationship that neither side seems able to change, and this—more than differences in gender or absurdities of male misunderstanding—is where the true heart of the collection appears to lie. --Kirkus Reviews
These are stories that sing and sting. The journey takes us to broken marriages, strained relationships, and heartfelt reconciliations. The author captures how memory deepens ordinary moments into something unforgettable. A heartfelt, funny, and richly human read. -- Sophia Kouidou-Giles, author of An Unexpected Ally; Circle of Peace; Sophia's Return
The stories are honest and self-aware and reveal a man who has accumulated plenty of well-earned scar tissue during his encounters with the opposite sex.This is a wonderful collection of real life experiences. Funny as hell, poignant, absurd, joyful and WELL worth reading. In a crowded marketplace, this collection will stand out. -- T.G.S
An insightful read about love, loss, hurdles and hopes. It's a bittersweet comedy of truth. Wow! Love the mix of short stories and poems. -- Christine Noelle, author of A Long Way to the Top, featured in the anthology Human Geography.
Men have love brains, too! We watch his characters twist themselves in knots trying to do the right thing, even without knowing what that thing is. His men revel in their male circle of friends, sharing vulnerabilities and nudging each other to be mensches. I'm impressed with Alan's openness in revealing mistakes and mishaps, but mostly with his depiction of men's desire to evolve. The inclusion of Alan's poetry proves that very point. -- Colleen Dolan, author of The Ghost Ship Fire
What a resonant and memorable collection. Windows into lived experience - snapshots of different times and places that capture the richness, humour, and quiet struggles of human existence; experiences we can all recognize in some part of our own lives. A lyrical, character-driven, and unflinchingly honest collection well worth savoring. -- HBadger.H.
Excerpts from Love Brain & Other Minefields
