EMPTY ROOMS LONELY COUNTRIES collects a decade’s worth of short stories, wandering through two continents, five countries and multiple universes to explore love, loss and redemption in the 21st century. This collection brings together for the first time many of my previously published stories, including “Mad Dogs” and “Counting Nuns” from GUD Magazine, as well as some never before seen pieces.

REVIEWS OF EMPTY ROOMS LONELY COUNTRIES:

Nick Pendleton, author of WHAT TREES HAVE DONE AND OTHER STORIES:

“[EMPTY ROOMS LONELY COUNTRIES is] gorgeous. Everything from the sequencing of the stories to the book design and photography is top notch . . . I knew [Dumais] was the real thing – a writer with a voice and a world view . . . This collection of stories makes me hungry for more.”

Lisa Scherer, FANGRRL:

“One of the best literary treats of my year.”

Radio Wroclove:

“It’s a treasure . . . fantastic!”

REVIEWS OF SELECT STORIES:

THE FIX:

“[Counting Nuns] is quite engaging . . . you’re bound to appreciate the humor and true-to-life inner dialogue Dumais presents.”

THE FUTURE FIRE:

“Christian A. Dumais’s “Counting Nuns” . . . contains a richness of language and imagery that many fictional stories lack. A perfect example of the editors taking a risk publishing an unusual piece that pays off.”

WHISPERS:

“”Mad Dogs” by Christian A. Dumais . . . chronicles his night out drinking with some visiting Secret Service and Air Force Two staff, a night which ends with him sitting in the apartment of two Polish lesbians. You’ll have to read the essay to find out how he gets there; but what’s great about this piece is that it makes real life seem just as strange as the fictional realities depicted in the rest of the magazine.”