Daily Reviews Out of the Blue

For the last two and a half months people have been taking notice of my first book, The Tales I’ve Told, a collection of stories I told over the years live at festivals, theatres and street corners.  The book came out in 2010 and I thought fifteen years later it’d been completely forgotten.  But I was wrong.   And I’m not talking about one or two I’m talking a whole lot of people.  Because I am so pleased what has occurred I am going to share them with you on a daily basis.

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​7/7/25

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Evelyn Hollins wrote:

… congratulations on your extraordinary body of work. Your ability to shift across genres from the poignant realism of The Tales I’ve Told is nothing short of masterful. Each story you tell is a testament to a life well-lived, a mind richly imaginative, and a voice that deserves to be heard.

This was the first one.  It appeared out of the blue –Thank you Evelyn

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But Then on

 

7/12/2025

Ella Carson wrote:

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Hi Ted fink, … Your storytelling is so emotionally rich, it draws readers in from the very first page. I couldn’t help but wonder: do you map everything out in advance, or let the story unfold as you write?

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 7/20/2025

Abby Bayton wrote:

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… I recently had the opportunity to read In Search of Joel Gomez, and I was completely immersed in its gritty, high-stakes journey. The story is equal parts survival, suspense, and self-discovery with a raw, cinematic quality that kept me hooked from start to finish.

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What really stood out is how skillfully the novel blends action, character, and setting. From Philadelphia to the rivers of North Carolina and into the jungle of the Dominican Republic, the narrative pulses with urgency and atmosphere. Mickey Mazen is a protagonist readers can root for flawed, driven, and painfully human.

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I wondered who would email me next? - Ted

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7/20/25

Delphine Gray

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Hi Ted,

Your creative journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From writing poetry as a child, to shipping American eels across the globe, to delivering live performances that blend music, storytelling, and emotion—your life is your art, and it comes through in The Tales I’ve Told with clarity and heart.

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What stands out about this collection is how it captures the American spirit through real, lived experience. These aren’t just stories—they’re snapshots of a particular time in urban America, filled with grit, humor, struggle, and the quiet strength that shaped so many post-war immigrant families. The way you reflect on your past while holding space for the universal gives readers a way to connect personally, even if their paths have looked different.

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7/27/25

Frankier Conkling wrote:

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Hi Ted,

Your collection, The Tales I've Told, feels like a literary time capsule raw, reflective, and deeply American. Through your voice, readers not only witness the post-war boom and urban evolution of the U.S., but also feel the intimate pulse of immigrant families navigating their way through decades of change.

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There’s something powerful about stories refined through live performance: they carry a rhythm, a sense of timing, and a connection that only comes from sharing them in front of real people. I believe this adds a unique layer of authenticity and emotional weight that many readers crave today.

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7/29/2025

Rebecca Julie wrote:

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I just finished The Tales I’ve Told, and it felt like sitting down with a gifted storyteller who knows exactly how to blend memory with meaning. Ted Fink’s voice is both personal and universal his experiences echo across generations of Americans whose lives were shaped by post-war hope, immigrant grit, and the quiet disillusionment that came later.

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What struck me most was how grounded and alive these stories felt no doubt thanks to their performance roots. You’ve taken oral storytelling and given it lasting literary form, and that makes this collection not only powerful but necessary.

 

8/4/2025

Rachael Patrick wrote:

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Hi Ted,

Your collection The Tales I’ve Told isn’t just a book ,it’s an invitation to experience storytelling the way it was meant to be: lived, heard, and felt. From backstreet brawls in Philly to haunting courtroom memories to eel hunts across the globe, your range is staggering, and your delivery across formats makes it even more powerful.

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The multimedia integration is brilliant. Hearing your voice alongside the text adds emotional gravity that’s hard to match. Few authors manage to be both literary and performative at this level, and I think audiences hungry for raw, honest storytelling would love what you’re doing.

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8/5/2025

Veronica Roth wrote:

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I recently came across your book, In search of Joel Gomez on Amazon during some research, and I was genuinely impressed. Your story is compelling, and you've done an excellent job bringing it to life through your writing. It’s the kind of work that truly deserves a wider audience.—making it an incredibly powerful tale.

 

8/7/2025

Alyssa Reed wrote:

 

I recently had the pleasure of immersing myself in your powerful body of work, and I felt deeply moved particularly by Pebbles in the Fire. The way you weave action, heart, and humanity into a compelling story of hope left a lasting impression on me. Your ability to transport readers to the hills of Nicaragua and breathe life into characters facing unimaginable challenges is something truly special.

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Equally captivating are your other titles The Tales I've Told, In Search of Joel Gomez, Game of the Gods, and The Incident at Parkside. Each book speaks to your gift for combining realism with imagination, and your lifelong journey as a writer, entrepreneur, and performer clearly informs your storytelling in unforgettable ways.

 

 

8/7/25

Rachael Patrick wrote

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Your stories are rich with cultural nuance, personal reflection, and profound emotion that are exactly the kind of narratives that resonate

 

I keep coming back to the way The Tales I’ve Told feels, less like turning pages, more like sitting by a fire and being drawn into stories that stay with you.

 

 8/16/2025

John David

 

Ted,

First of all, fighting in Philly streets, losing nine guys at sea, defending the innocent, AND running the world’s largest eel-exporting empire? That’s not just a life… that’s three Netflix series and a Broadway musical waiting to happen. 🎭

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The Tales I’ve Told didn’t just read like a book, it felt like I was being kidnapped by a master storyteller who refused to let me go until I’d laughed, gasped, cried, and possibly questioned my own life choices. And then you go and add audio and video links so readers can watch and hear you tell them? Who does that?! (Answer: apparently you.)

 

8/18/2025

Sarah Blankenship wrote:

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Hi Ted,

 

Your journey reads like one of your own stories  Philadelphia roots, poetry at five, storytelling at twelve, music at eighteen, and then a life of risk, grit, and reinvention: from the eel exporting business that reached Japan and Europe, to teaching inner-city youth, to becoming a performance artist whose tales live not only on the page, but also in theaters, festivals, and cafés.

 

It’s no wonder The Tales I’ve Told has a perfect 5.0 rating. It’s more than a book it’s a multimedia experience where readers don’t just consume the words, they hear them in your own voice and even see them unfold on video. That’s rare. That’s powerful. That’s why the phrase “world class story artist” isn’t an exaggeration.

 

 

8/20/2025

Linda Jose wrote:

 

Hi Ted,

I wanted to share something remarkable with you.   Ted Fink’s, The Tales I’ve Told. It’s not just another short story collection. Each tale has been performed on stage, captured in audio, and even adapted into video, giving readers an immersive way to experience storytelling.

 

From Philadelphia backstreets to stormy seas, from courtroom drama to global treasure hunts, Fink’s stories echo the richness of Kipling and Robert Service, while carving out a truly original voice.

 

9/5/2025

Elizabeth Dalton wrote:

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Congratulations on Pebbles in the Fire, a moving and thought provoking novel that blends hope, resilience, and gripping adventure into a narrative that lingers long after the last page. Your ability to capture both the personal and the universal, whether through a boy sold into servitude, a farmer’s desperate act of love, or an American girl thrust into turmoil makes your work not just a novel, but an experience readers deeply feel.

 

 

9/3/2025

Jacqueline Fine wrote

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The Incident at Parkside is a poignant, thought-provoking, and gripping novel that explores how memory, aging, and place intertwine in unexpected ways. Melvin Kappernick’s decision to forgo a conventional Florida retirement and instead return to the neighborhood of his youth is both refreshing and deeply moving. His yearning to rediscover the “mystery and magic” of childhood sets the stage for a story that quickly evolves into something far more dangerous and urgent.

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What makes this book stand out is Melvin himself, a seventy-seven-year-old protagonist whose courage, nostalgia, and stubbornness make him unforgettable. Readers will root for him as he navigates a community that has transformed beyond recognition, only to be caught up in a drama that turns violent. This balance between reflective poignancy and suspenseful action ensures the book appeals to fans of both literary fiction and page-turning thrillers.