Short Family

A cynical Hollywood moviemaker confronts his dead wife’s lover and abruptly realizes the depth of his own passion. As his parents’ marriage disintegrates, a precocious fifth-grader distracts himself with meditations on baseball, spaghetti, and his place in the universe. And in the title story, an elderly nun enters a college creative writing class and plays havoc with its tidy notions of fact and fiction. The Whore’s Child is further proof that Russo is one of the finest writers we have.

Livia Andersen was a woman who held her family together with a quiet smile and an iron will. It’s been months since her death and her children and grandchildren she leaves behind continue to grapple with the shifting changes in their lives now that she’s gone. For some of them it is about far more than adjusting to her absence in their lives. Trisha Andersen doesn’t do anything without careful deliberation. She can’t remember the last time she made plans involving a man that had her questioning her own judgment. Maybe it’s the simple fact that she’s never made plans with a man ...

In this heart-warming short story, meet wife and mother Eugeena Patterson. Eugeena has always been the glue keeping her fragmented family together. When her teenage daughter is rushed to the hospital, Eugeena’s usual attempts to maintain peace in her family reach a breaking point. Will her troubled teenage daughter rip the family apart?

Livia Andersen was a woman who held her family together with a quiet smile and an iron will. It’s only been months since her death and the four children she leaves behind continue to grapple with the shifting changes in their lives now that she’s gone especially her youngest daughter, Claire. Claire Andersen Slavik came to her lakeside cabin shortly after her mother’s death. She needed the refuge it offered her at a time when little else did. She’s had several visitors over the last several months including Scott Patterson, a close friend of her brother and the rest of the Andersen ...

After years of emotional abuse, Patricia has learned to accept herself and live her life the way she wants. Her sister Linda is not happy about that, relentlessly pointing out her faults and mistakes. Patricia could have shut her up by revealing a secret she’s been keeping for many years, one that would put a big question mark on Linda’s perfect marriage… But the secret is too devastating. Less Than Perfect is a part of the Mothers, Sisters, Husbands, Secrets series of short stories. The stories are unrelated and can be read out of order.

Alien invaders take one of America’s most contentious issues, Gun Control, and use it for their interest.

Miriam was raised in a society without children. To offset the devastation of climate change, state-of-the-art birth control has made daycares and playgrounds things of the past. As tempting as the government inducements are to remain child-free, Miriam’s curiosity about the people who “drop out” of society to become parents grows. When she finds a like-minded partner, she must choose between the rewarding comforts she knows and the unknowable mysteries of being a mother.

Judging by the popularity of her home-makeover show, Katie has it all: a sweet-natured husband, Damian, as her cohost; adorable tween daughters; a designer mansion; and a just-folks appeal that has made the happy couple home-renovation royalty. Out of the spotlight, it’s a different story. Katie’s marriage is disintegrating, her spoiled daughters despise her, and her money can’t do anything to repair her personal problems - or her professional ones.

A trip to the library prompts one woman to question her fate in this galvanizing short story. For a woman like Hadley, deemed not acceptable to procreate, there’s only one recourse. Unlicensed for motherhood, she can alleviate her grief and frustration at a “baby library,” where a curiously endless supply of infants is available for a two-week loan. But the borrowed life that serves as a temporary balm leads to a journey of self-discovery that will forever change the direction of Hadley’s future.

Henry “Digger” Diller has never been anyone’s MVP - he’s the guy who gets called up from jayvee soccer when the star player gets hurt and who volunteers to take his crush’s best friend to the prom. But Digger is pretty happy with life in the middle of Warfield High’s pecking order. Then, he strikes up a friendship with Carlos, a new student from Honduras, who faces his own set of difficulties beyond the drama of adolescent life.

Motherhood isn’t always what’s expected. One woman may delight in navigating the unknowable, while another may look to the past to chart the course ahead. Still another may have the urge to redefine the relationship between mother and child. For each, the journey can be heartwarming and heartbreaking, ever changing and challenging. In these provocative stories, acclaimed authors probe the growing pains that can change the lives of both mother and child in ways they never imagined.

In this singular and imaginative story collection, Cecelia Ahern explores the endless ways in which women blaze through adversity with wit, resourcefulness, and compassion. Ahern takes the familiar aspects of women's lives—the routines, the embarrassments, the desires—and elevates these moments to the outlandish and hilarious with her astute blend of magical realism and social insight.

A man sees a girl living alone in a vacant home, presuming she’s a runaway or abandoned, he attempts an intervention and discovers she’s a ghost, then continues his intervention by solving the puzzle of her.

In this book, the impact of wildfire, a wayward priest, or a mysterious disappearance ricochet across communities, threading through stories. Here, ordinary actions such as ice skating or going to church reveal hidden truths. One choice threatens a lifelong friendship. Siblings save each other. Rescue and second chances are possible, and so is revenge. On the surface, it seems that nothing ever happens in these towns. But Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock shows that underneath that surface, teenagers' lives blaze with fury, with secrets, and with love so strong it burns a path to the future.

One woman’s quest to discover her past could unravel the Diamante Dynasty in this billionaire family saga from USA Today Bestselling Author Lucy McConnell. When Evelyn finds an old charm and a letter from a man who could be her biological father, she runs to her best friend, Bryce. He’s the one she can always count on; but, he has a secret of his own—he’s in love with her. Evelyn fears losing Bryce’s friendship if they try and fail at a romantic relationship; but she can’t deny that there’s always been an attraction between them. She’s vulnerable while finding her place in ...

Jason Mckinney never expected to find a zombie on the downstairs toilet, but apparently, everything eventually runs out of toilet paper at the worst possible time. Enter the *Federated Alliance of Rare Things, specifically created for those embarrassing bathroom moments, and the McKinney family, recruited as the latest Saviour of the Bog Roll. The paycheque is out of this world. Jason has kids, a house that needs some desperate upkeep, and a chupacabra falling in love with him. Life as a saviour is interesting, sometimes terrifying, and frequently lavender scented.

What happens when there’s a new member to the Wilkes family? Little Aurora is asking that very same question as she’s faced with the impending arrival of a new baby between her mother and her stepfather. Will she be replaced? Will they love her as much? *** This is a short story set in the Healing Hearts Sweet Romance series and does not stand alone. It should be read after Remember Love and is a little bit of emotional tenderness dealing with relationships, childbirth, and that precious time that follows for the Wilkes family.

Can this mail-order bride convince her husband he needs a ready-made family? With the help of the Westward Home and Hearts Matrimonial Agency, Piper Paulson finds herself on a train to meet and marry her future husband, a kind-hearted teacher in Montgomery, Colorado. Together, they make the perfect pair until, suddenly, Piper finds herself at odds with her husband. She doesn’t know how to get what she wants and save their marriage at the same time. August Harrison falls in love with his mail-order bride right from the start. He believes he and the quiet woman who grew up in an orphanage ...

Staying in Silver Springs, Colorado, just may take more courage than she has within her. Christmas time in Silver Springs, Colorado, has always been Margaret Harden’s favorite season. Miracles abound at Christmas, and who’s to say it isn’t her turn to experience one? And a miracle it would certainly be! As the owner of Quaint Quilts, Margaret has almost everything she’s ever wanted. Except the love of a good man. She’s only let one man have claim to her heart, but he’s completely blind when it comes to love. Margaret doesn’t know if she can handle the pain of watching him ...

Free on Kindle Unlimited KDP for KIDS★★★★★5 STAR REVIEWS★★★★★ "I enjoyed reading stories of real children with my child. The actual family photos were an extra special touch. It made the stories so personal."This book covers family relations and provides young children insight to what's right and wrong. It is a learning tool that is fun to read.This book is a collection of real life adventures of two brothers as they were growing up. For ages 3-10 years old.