Breakfast at Tiffanys by Lynn Lorenz is a stand-alone novella written for the “Blockbusters” series at Amber Quill Press (stories with movie titles) and has nothing to do with the Truman Capote book or the Audrey Hepburn movie. Its strengths include a vivid setting in New Orleans two years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and two appealing young characters, an interracial couple, who are trying to survive the dangers of life on the streets. It’s a simple story about the start of a romance, which builds towards a moment of trust in which Tony confides in Scott about his past. Fortunately, the story isn’t too gritty or depressing, and it maintains a consistent tone of hopefulness and romance.

Scott is a white kid living in a homeless shelter in New Orleans and waiting tables at a diner owned by Tiffany, a sympathetic black woman. He adds each day’s pay to his small savings account, but one night a street thug robs him. Another guy drives off the thug but keeps Scott’s money. It’s Tony, a black kid and survivor of a horrible hurricane ordeal in the Ninth Ward. He lives on the streets and is desperate for money, but guilt forces him to seek out Scott and return Scott’s earnings. The two experience a strong mutual attraction, and cautiously but hopefully embark on a relationship.

Val for AReCafe ( )