Short Family

When grandmother Maureen Phelan is surprised in her home by a stranger, she clubs the intruder with a Holy Stone. The consequences of this unplanned murder connect four misfits struggling against their meager circumstances. Ryan is a fifteen-year-old drug dealer desperate not to turn out like his alcoholic father, Tony, whose feud with his next-door neighbor threatens to ruin his family. Georgie is a sex worker who half-heartedly joins a born-again movement to escape her profession and drug habit.

What if they weren't what you prayed for? Do you stay? In the 1st book of The Twisted Lessons Collection, Nellie gets tired of her bible preaching, cheating husband and plots a twisted revenge. Oh, what a twisted lesson she will mend when first she practices to get revenge.

Are generations of Snee-Kinsman women actually cursed, or is it just bad luck? A paranormal family saga beginning in 1860 following one family’s journey of tragedy, resiliency, and triumph. Their stories are told in three short read books. Book 2 – Chasing the Curse – 1943-1990 - picks up where Book 1 left off... * Two spiteful and competitive witches place a curse on each other’s female children. * To punish his wayward daughter, an angry father casts the family curse in stone – an emerald stone. * The ring with the emerald stone is to be worn by the women of the Snee-Kinsman ...

This book is part of a series that provides short and simple explanations of different professions. It focuses on the profession of social work. It examines social work in general, breaks down specific types of social workers, and discusses the education and training required to become a social worker. It uses language and terminology that is understood by the average person, and it is written for easy comprehension at all reader levels

In the captivating stories that make up The Empty Family, Colm Tibn delineates with a tender and unique sensibility, lives of unspoken or unconscious longing, of individuals often willingly cast adrift from their history. From the young Pakistani immigrant who seeks some kind of permanence in a strange town, to the Irish woman reluctantly returning to Dublin and discovering a city that refuses to acknowledge her long absence, each of Tibn's stories manage to contain whole worlds.

In this moving collection of short stories, James Lee Burke elegantly marries his flair for gripping storytelling with his urbane writing style and complex, fascinating character portraits. The backdrop of the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast proves to be a versatile setting for Burke's stories, which cover the scope of the human experience, from love and sex to domestic abuse, to war and death and friendship.

The fifth tale in the cycle of stories about people discovering that life outside their comfort zone is not so bad; if you have the courage to take The Plunge After having faced many testing situations young lesbian, Verina Lamb, is thrown into a loop again when she returns to her home, her sanctuary, to find her step-mother, Cynthia, enjoying a cup of tea in the garden. Cynthia's new boyfriend John is there too and .... they are both bare!

From the author of My Documents and Chilean Poet, a wise, humorous, and captivating literary exploration of the delights and absurdities of childhood, fatherhood, and family life.

Lieutenant Ethan Hendricks’ greatest nightmare just also happens to be his grandfather’s newest business venture. Logan Hendricks is thrilled about his brand new detective agency’s first case, but things weren’t turning out the way they were supposed to, including the attempted murder of one of his brand new employees. But he figures their next case, which involves finding a missing sister, should go a lot smoother. How dangerous could it be? Ethan Hendricks wasn’t quite as confident about his grandfather’s new hobby, or that the supposedly straight-forward case of a missing ...

Complete Series romance collection in one boxed set! Clean and Wholesome Historical Western Romance Short Story. The town’s Christmas cheer is sadly lacking. It’ll take a miracle to bring Red Rock back to life. Fortunately, tis the season for such things! Facing their troubles with courage and the conviction of their faith, Maggie, Isabelle, Laura, and Megan will set the town back on its feet—and along the way, they’ll each find the love of a lifetime. Join them for the holiday ride! This New edition has been completely re-edited, revised, and revamped! Christmas In Red Rock by ...

Eva Gray has a secret. Eight years ago her sister entered the Brothers of Sin Motorcycle Club and never came back. Seven years ago she vowed revenge, even if she had to change everything about her life to do it - her look, her name, her face. Now she's stalking the Brothers and looking for weakness. She's close to achieving her goal, so close she can taste it. But a prominent federal judge is now in ICU, and Eva's the only one who can prove the club hired the hit.

A Grammy-winning lyricist and accomplished poet, Joe Henry turns his immense talent to the novel form in this moving debut. Spencer Davis and his wife Elizabeth have carved out a rewarding existence on the fierce plains of Wyoming, where they raise three sons alongside herds of cattle. But as their oldest son Luke comes of age and begins testing the boundaries of his independence, Spencer fears that their simple way of life may not be enough for Luke.

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 ...

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 ...

John Updike reads six stories he has selected from the 100-odd he has published. Mr. Updike, when asked to described his method of reading aloud, said "I try to picture the things described and to speak the words distinctly, and to let the emotion come through on its own." The method works beautifully.

After graduating from college, Skylar Hobbs couldn’t find a job. When a friend suggested writing erotic stories for cash, she jumped at the chance. Using past experiences and fantasies to come up with stories. Even using her own former stepbrother for inspiration. When Holden Baxter moved back to town he was looking for way to be with his ex-stepsister, Skylar. Too bad Skylar doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. Looking for something, anything to connect with her, he is shocked when he finds Skylar's stories on her laptop. With this new knowledge in hand, Holden decides to make...

Pen/Hemingway finalist Jamil Jan Kochai ​breathes life into his contemporary Afghan characters, moving between modern-day Afghanistan and the Afghan diaspora in America. In these arresting stories verging on both comedy and tragedy, often starring young characters whose bravado is matched by their tenderness, Kochai once again captures “a singular, resonant voice, an American teenager raised by Old World Afghan storytellers.” The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories is a moving exploration of characters grappling with the ghosts of war and displacement.

Book Two in the Series: A must-read for mystery and imagination fans of all ages. New from the San Francisco Bay Area's Broadwayworld nominee director, author, and award-winning artist. Nine new Sherlock Holmes adventure stories are published by John DeGaetano. These new adventures, like his his best-selling Sherlock Holmes 10 Minutes Plays Collection, are adaptable for the stage as well as the books in the story series. The books also include a stunning gallery of full-color images to follow along with as the stories unfold. Based in part on the career writings of Holmes' long-time friend ...

In Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine, Kevin Wilson’s first story collection in nearly a decade, Wilson combines his signature quirkiness with his keen eye for emotional complexity to explore the fraught relationship between parents and children. “Scroll Through the Weapons” is about a couple taking care of their underfed and almost feral nieces and nephews. “Baby, You’re Gonna Be Mine”, the title story, is about a narcissistic rock star who moves back home. These stories all build on each other in strange and remarkable ways, showcasing Wilson’s crackling wit and big heart.

This description is tough to write, because it's the twists and turns in the story that make it such a fun read. If they get spelled out in this description, to help motivate interest, then they will be spoiled when it comes down to reading it. Let's try the following, somewhat cryptic and skimp summary. A father brings his son to spend time at his parents' lighthouse. When they arrive, they discover that the grandparents are missing. A note declaring that they'd "be right back" is contradicted by groceries on the counter that have begun to spoil. Their efforts to find them, and even to ...