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About Brad Oates

Brad Oates is the author of ‘Edgar’s Worst Sunday’ and ‘Meaning Less’. Growing up in the small town of Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada, Brad developed a passion for literature at an early age. Many of his first memories involve being curled up on the couch with his parents and siblings as they read ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’. Brad now lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with his dog, Bogney. He is a senior member of the Edmonton Writer’s Group, and enjoys writing at the the local Whyte Ave bars when he finds the time. On his blog, www.BradOHInc.com , he enjoys writing in a wide variety of genres, and covers numerous topics. In general, he finds himself leaning towards a darkly comedic, literary approach, and often dwells on the themes of human virtue, and self-deception.

A Christmas Gift from Brad OH Inc.

Under the Green Desk Lamp…

Green Desklamp

Here at Brad OH Inc., we’re always happy to celebrate the Christmas season, and never more so than this year! With 2012 being the first year Brad OH Inc. is open for Christmas, we thought it only appropriate to celebrate the occasion with a special gift.

Now, you all know the dedication Brad OH Inc. feels for each and every one of our readers, so of course we knew this present—our first Christmas gift ever—had to be especially memorable. Too often, gifts are chosen for the ease of the purchaser—accomplishing all their shopping in one fell swoop simply to have it over with. But we didn’t just want something accessible. No, that would never do for the adoring fans of Brad OH Inc.

Brad OH Inc. takes real pride in knowing our fans, and in understanding their wants and needs. As such, this occasion called for something especially considerate. It was no easy task…

The first thing to consider was the ages of our readers. Children are certainly easy enough to shop for—constantly straining their sticky fingers for whatever flashing doohickey is within their sight. But the mature, discerning patrons of Brad OH Inc. are not quite so easily placated.

As we age, it becomes more and more challenging to settle on what we want; most of us have our essentials covered, and it can be difficult picking out frivolous material goods. But the more significant stress is trying to figure out what to get everyone else—most of whom are enduring the same trials as we are.

In especially close relationships, a preferred solution to this conundrum is the gift card. They are convenient to purchase, and allow a degree of choice for the recipient. Amongst like-minded friends, the gift cards exchanged may even be for the same retailer.  However, the stress then becomes a matter of what amount to trade; if two friends exchange gift cards for the same store, but one is given a larger amount, it’s a pretty unfortunate trade-off.

It’s clear then that the ideal in this scenario is to exchange gift cards to the same place, and of the same amount. Now, it’s not a stretch to wonder whether this is a futile exercise, or if there is at least some significance to essentially sectioning off some of our money towards a store we might enjoy—in proportion to the number of friends we have.

Sadly, another important consideration arises. As people continue to mature—eventually coming to raise a family—even the choice of store may change. An example would be a friend who once wished for a gift card to an electronics store growing to prefer one they could use to provide for their children. The ideal gift for these priority-driven folk may be one grounded moreover in flexibility. The most eloquent course then would be a simple exchange of cash—once again in equal amounts of course.

With this approach there is really no practical exchange of anything whatsoever—everyone can just keep their own money and use it to celebrate the season however they see fit. That might entail sharing a few holiday spirits with those same friends they are no longer burdened with shopping for, saving it for harder times, buying diapers, giving some to charities—whatever makes them happy.

Therefore, this year, after long thought and careful consideration, Brad OH Inc. is thrilled to have found the ideal gift for our readers… the perfect acknowledgement not only of their fervent dedication to our site, but also of their own unique considerations and concerns. So without further ado, everyone at Brad OH Inc. is happy to present its fans with their 2012 Christmas gift—nothing.

No one deserves it more than you!

-Brad OH Inc.

Congratulations Natasha Deen

We here at Brad OH Inc. are thrilled to send our congratulations to our friend Natasha Deen, who was recently announced as one of the Metro Library Federation’s  Writers in Residence for 2013! The official announcement can be found here.

Natasha is an extremely talented local author who’s published several novels, including True Grime 2: Angel Maker. Natasha’s supportive nature and incredible proficiency in all things related to writing will make her an indispensible source of help for the many writers out there, and we have no doubts she will exceed all expectations.

Congratulations Natasha Deen, from everyone here at Brad OH Inc.

New Cover Art

Here at Brad OH Inc. we strive for eternal vigilance in monitoring and responding to the needs of our fans. Now, we know you all love our short stories, and feel a certain indescribable thrill whenever the opportunity to read a new one arises, and for that we are thankful! But with fans like ours, we know that we cannot rest on our laurels.

You need more- more material, more insight… more art. Who wants to read a book without a cover? So here at Brad OH Inc. we’ve assembled a crack group of in house artists to put together beautiful, hand-crafted covers for our submissions. The first one- ‘As It Happened’, is ready now. You can find the cover in this post, on the ‘Single Serving Stories’ page under ‘As It Happened’, or attached free to any copy downloaded from Smashwords.

As It Happened Cover

Sincere regards,

-Brad OH Inc.

Welcome to Brad OH Inc.

Today is an exciting day for everyone here at Brad OH Inc. The launch of this blog represents a pivotal step forward for our endeavor, and it’s difficult to express the pride we feel. Of course every beginning comes from an ending, and it’s important as we celebrate to keep a reflective eye on the road we’ve taken. This blog will be used for the dissemination of stories–long and short–as well as an easy communication forum between Brad OH Inc. and our fans.
We want to take this time to offer a gift to those brave readers who’ve found their way to our little oasis of contemplation, and so we present to you the first Brad OH Inc. short story available for public access: ‘As It Happened’.
‘As It Happened’ is a story about change, so we thought it would be fitting for the occasion. It tells the tale of a couple experiencing and struggling to navigate some key changes in the world around them, and we hope you’ll enjoy reading it.
Find attached a free PDF for your reading pleasure, or if you’re an avid e-reader, follow the link to Smashwords.com to get your free e-copy!
Thanks again for visiting Brad OH Inc. and we look forward to a long and prosperous (Legal Disclaimer: and strictly platonic) relationship.

As It Happened CoverAs It Happened- Smashwords

PDF- As It Happened

-Brad OH Inc.