Short Family

Sometimes the unexpected happens when you least expect it's true, but sometimes something magical comes your way too...

As a graduation present for her daughter, Tammy, Samantha Moon and the gang head down to South America for the vacation of all vacations. Next stop: Easter Island On a beach in Chile, the unimaginable happens. Magical cultists kidnap Tammy and Paxton in a blink of an eye—literally. Sam and Allison spring into action, chasing a barely visible trail... and end up, of all places, on Easter Island, famous for its massive collection of giant stone heads. Turns out, the cultists were dead set on sacrificing Tammy and Paxton to a local god. That was their first mistake. And as all hell breaks ...

Experience is the best teacher. But if we can learn from others’ mistakes, all the better. The world is made more interesting because of the people who live in it. Coming across different beliefs, personalities, goals, and agendas all make for a richer, more profound life. Our differences will test us, break us apart, and even bring us closer together. Best of all, our differences can teach us that we can co-exist and that there is always room for improvement. After all, if we can learn a thing or two on how to act (or how NOT to act) from others, then why not? In “ Surprises From India...

The Boring Barrowman Boys of Bowing Burrow. Seven brothers: Benny, Bobby, Brian, Bradley, Brett, Bruce, and Bartholomew. Add in Ramona and Richard, the mom and the dad, and you've got a pretty big family. Ramona and Richard lived an adventurous life before the children showed up. They traveled the world and did amazing things. And boy-oh-boy, did those children show up! Mom and Dad are determined to be good parents and raise their children carefully and properly, and this takes some serious organization. As childhoods go, the Barrowman boys are living a pretty boring life. When Bartholomew ...

She barely escapes death… He is angry he has been jilted… They must defend themselves against mysterious assailants. Theodosia “Theo” Jordan has lived with the harsh aunt and uncle who are her guardians since her parents’ death eight years ago. In three weeks she will turn twenty-one and inherit the estate now controlled by her uncle. When she overhears her aunt and uncle planning her death, she immediately escapes Atlanta by becoming a proxy bride and heading for a small town in Texas. Houston Kingsley yearns for a happy family like he had before his wife’s death earlier that ...

From drinking and running away from her problems to finding redemption, healing, forgiveness, and independence, Ethel Mae's life takes a dramatic turn in 1950 as she embarks on her last train ride. Facing yet another failed marriage, despite harsh judgment from family and community, she drops her children off at her mama’s small mountain farm one last time because she plans to bring their daddy home. During a train ride from the mountains of North Carolina, bound for New York, she reflects on and shares her miraculous birth, mountain raising, and tumultuous coming of age with fellow ...

After crossing paths with a banshee in Ireland, Samantha Moon and the gang continue their whirlwind European tour... Next stop: Loch Ness. Sam books a two-hour tour of the infamous Loch with her friends and family. And even makes a Gilligan's Island joke or two. However, fun and games end when Allison accidentally sends the boat back in time... Seventy million years back in time, when plesiosaurus ruled the Loch. However, these gentle giants don't quite rule the Loch; indeed, something bigger does. Something nasty, huge and hungry. It's going to take all of the gang's combined skills to not...

A battered woman is the last thing Oliver Chapman expected to see when he was scouting on the range. He knew he had no choice but to take her home to his ranch to allow her to heal. But getting close to Willow is proving more difficult than the horses that run wild on the prairie.

Five tales which range from the jungles of India to the frozen emptiness of the North... In all of them, Kipling's extraordinary powers of description and ability to identify with human aspiration and animal survival are vividly shown. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi must battle with Nag, the cobra, in his territory; Toomai has a unique glimpse of the elephant world, Kotick, the White Seal, searches for sanctuary, while Kotuko has to find food for his starving Eskimo village. Above all, Kipling's love of life in all its variety shines through.

In a romantic comedy, a man and woman player decide to date one another because they are incapable of being faithful and knowing they’ll cheat on each other, won’t hurt one another. But because they are so much in love, they never see other people, which is “cheating” because they’re violating their agreement to continue seeing other people. Falling, deeper and deeper in love their mania grows as each suspecting the other is cheating by not cheating and tries to catch the other “cheating”, while pretending they’re being faithful, by pretending their dating around.

When outside a man’s home, a bush, inflamed, but not burning says to him, “I am the God of thy father,” knowing nothing good comes when God speaks to you in person, he acts.

Forty-year-old Tanya Baker dreams of starting a new life and making friends when she moves to a block of flats by the River Thames with her thirteen-year-old daughter, Hattie. But as Tanya and Hattie knock on neighbours’ doors in search of a tin opener, it’s clear that the residents of Number One Quayside like to keep to themselves. Everyone, that is, except their next-door neighbours, Italian chef Giacomo Dalamo, and his thirteen-year-old daughter, Frankie. Between a delicious dish of lasagne (Giacomo’s) and a burnt salad (Tanya’s), they hatch a plan to set a library of things in ...

Sisters argue. They also make up. Sometimes one of them gets scared. Sometimes a big sister has to overcome her own fear, and sometimes she has to help a little sister overcome hers.

Wide ranging stories to add wonder and mindfulness to your day...but short stories and poetry? Yes! These are bite-size chunks of fun, weirdness, introspection, and narrative. Sort of like M&Ms, but with more letters. I even have a category of Very Short Stories, for those that want a quick read. The following are extracts from a couple of them—but I have lighter stuff too! The group of newfound friends steadfastly neared the top of the mountain. A shaft of light penetrated the foliage. They felt the yellow warmth on their head and the top of their dry eyes. Looking up, they saw the beam ...

How far will a mother go to turn Christmas joy into back-to-school readiness? And what happens when her solution risks taking away the very thing that makes her child feel special? Kemunto is no stranger to tough decisions. As a hardworking mother in a rural African village, she’s mastered the art of stretching every coin just to get by. But when her son Mogaka’s beloved gray Christmas shoes—his pride, his confidence, his magic—don’t meet the school’s strict uniform rules, Kemunto is faced with a new kind of dilemma. To Mogaka, those shoes help him run faster, dream bigger, and ...

With just one wrong turn, ELITE finds both her life and that of her unborn hanging in the balance. Unbeknownst to her, she’s being hunted by someone willing to risk it all for the only thing that matters in the end: her. Will she make it out alive? Shots have been fired, and Bishop is absolutely the ish as Oz threatens not only his business, but the object of his heart’s obsession. Determined to come out on top, Bishop takes a big risk to silence his enemy forever. Will he succeed or fall victim to his own savagery? Elite is a "must-have" as the men in her life thug it out, but who will...

Mix a woman in sorrow…A man’s longing…Two matchmaking girls’ mischief…Result-mayhem!After the death of her fiancé, Violet Evanston escapes to the furthest teaching job she is offered. She loves the children and the community, but something is missing. As the second son, Clark Abernathy knows he won’t inherit the family business, so he’s happy to move to assist his uncle Abe with his carpentry business. Building for the future is fulfilling, but his personal happiness is incomplete.Adeline McGee and her best friend Nancy adore their teacher. They believe she’s far too kind ...

What Shall We Do Today? Adventures with Aunt Zara Perfect for classroom read-alouds, bedtime stories, and independent reading for ages 6-9! Join curious Imani, enthusiastic Tommy, and knowledgeable Maya as they embark on an unexpected adventure with Imani's fascinating chef aunt. When the three friends meet at their favorite front steps wondering what exciting activities await them, they never imagine the day will combine museums, cooking, and family fun all in one! In this delightful addition to the popular "What Shall We Do Today?" series: Experience the wonder of International Museum Day...

She wants the adventure of a lifetime. He needs to heal old family wounds. If they are going to help each other, they cannot fall in love along the way.

Enjoy the romance, suspense, and humor in this collection of short stories. In award winning “Mabel and the Garage Sale,” Mabel’s house rests in the path of a proposed highway. As Mabel sorts her things to move, she recalls the colorful characters who’ve passed through her life. The story, “Delphine and Rainelle,” poses the question, is a marriage worth saving at all costs? In “Joy Ruth and Minnie Hendrix” the ladies find more than arrangements for a funeral over at Miller’s Funeral home. Newlyweds, “Wally and Bun,” are set for life as they fly off in a hot air balloon...