Short Family

The story before the story...What happened before A Family Affair began? Best-selling author Mary Campisi answers this question in her new Park Bench series. These short stories make the perfect park-bench listen and are named after her signature park-bench covers.

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: Xibalba—the Mayan Underworld Fresh from a harrowing trip into a very different underworld, Sam is about to discover Xibalba is just as harrowing—only this time, she has Allison, Tammy, and Paxton with her to worry about. It all begins when Sam and the gang arrive on a sightseeing tour in Guatemala. Immediately, Sam senses something is off. In particular, that someone needs help. Sure enough, a young mother runs up to Sam, desperate for help...

They say chocolate is irresistible... this time it's deadly. When Savannah Stanton arrives in Spring Grove to help her cousin Holly run the family bakery, she's looking for a fresh start, not a fresh crime scene. But after a prominent charity board member drops dead at a gala event—right after eating one of Holly's cupcakes—both the bakery's reputation and Holly's freedom are at risk. As suspicions swirl around Sweet Springs Bakery, Savannah finds herself drawn into a web of small-town secrets, suspicious financial dealings, and long-buried scandals. With help from the handsome but ...

Jenny was enjoying herself on the swings when Azula, one of the guardians of the playground came to take her away. Together they journey to a cinder building where Jenny must make a powerful decision. ( A short read)

Every day you spend with those you love is magic, be careful to recognise it before the magic runs out Is Michael a kid who's running wild and skipping school, or just a nice young lad spending time looking after his mother? His aunt has one idea about it, and he, another. But when Mum takes him to see the final Harry Potter film during school hours, the trouble only begins to start.

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.

Having doubted the existence of the others, at the same time, to their shock and terror, a Ghost, a Time Traveler, and an Extraterrestrial appear to a man, who’s not surprised at all.

The unstoppable, irreverent mother-daughter team presents a new collection of funny stories and true confessions that every woman can relate to. From identity theft to the hazards of bicycling to college reunions and eating on the beach, Lisa and Francesca tackle the quirks, absurdities, and wonders of everyday life with wit and warmth.

Nothing but flowers ******************* Late, late at night, when I just couldn’t sleep I heard a noise outside, it sounded like a beep A flying saucer landed, and no, it was no joke: A little man emerged, who looked at me and spoke

Christmas comes but once a year... but will it be different this Christmas? Callie Mae Copeland is the only child of affluent landowner, Sullivan Copeland, and his wife, Faye. Because Callie has been doted on her entire life, she is pampered and outspoken. Although the Civil War is looming and is in its second year, it hasn't affected the Copelands or their neighbors in north Alabama too much ... yet. Once she turns sixteen, Callie realizes the influence she has over boys her age and uses her flirtatious graces to her advantage. She turns her sights on Christmas and is determined to do ...

Thirty years ago, David Leavitt first appeared on the literary scene with a gutsy story collection that stunned readers and reviewers. Just 23, he was hailed as a prodigy of sorts: “remarkably gifted” (The Washington Post), with “a genius for empathy” (The New York Times Book Review), and “a knowledge of others' lives...that a writer twice his age might envy” (USA Today). “Regardless of age,” wrote the New York Times, “few writers so effortlessly achieve the sense of maturity and earned compassion so evident in these pages.”

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!

Trust and love are two things that Leah Brady no longer believes in. The quirky freelance journalist with a reckless streak comes to Copper Canyon to attend her friend’s wedding and to escape her abusive ex. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with the kind, warmhearted town and its citizens. Nor does she anticipate befriending a sick little girl and possibly falling in love with the girl’s father, handsome rancher Carter Orbison. Carter Orbison has just signed the divorce papers that should have been signed years ago. With his daughter Amy in desperate need of a bone marrow transplant...

Anatoly I’m a man set on revenge, even if it stains my soul black. I didn’t count on the sweet girl that got caught in the middle. She’s my new obsession. So beware. No one touches her ever again but me. This lovely Bratva princess is all mine now. Polina I’m no prize, I’m just a pawn. My father’s dirty money and filthy secrets are what I’m really valued for. If I get hurt along the way, there’s no one to care for or protect me. Except him. The fierce warrior unlike any man I ever knew. He’s caught me. And all I want is more of him. I’m willing to surrender everything. I...

A holiday tale of love and forgiveness... and maybe a miracle. Brenan Brown has a terrible secret. One his beautiful wife doesn't know. One that could destroy his happiness and his family. One he thought buried along with his former identity in a dank grave in Ireland. But shady characters -- terrorists really -- from his past come to Bliss, the stately mansion on Albemarle Sound, North Carolina, with blackmail and kidnapping on their minds. And with his family's safety at risk, his future in peril, all Brenan can hope for is ... The Christmas Miracle.

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 1 – Curse of the Emerald Ring – 1860 - 1940 *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 family and passed down from ...

In “The Pleasure of Her Company,” a lonely, single woman befriends the married couple next door, hoping to learn the secret of their happiness. In "Long Distance," a man finds himself relieved of the obligation to continue an affair that is no longer compelling to him, only to be waylaid by the guilt he feels at his easy escape. And in the incandescently wise and moving title novella, a dentist, aware that his wife has fallen in love with someone else, must comfort her when she is spurned....

Cheer on as karma delivers justice to entitled JERKS! It's a sad truth that some people think they deserve special treatment because of their job, appearance or social status. Or just because it's Tuesday. These self-centered jerks act as if the world revolves around them, while pushing down anyone who stands in their way. Demanding sacrifices and obedience from their friends, co-workers and even complete strangers. But what happens when karma catches up to these self proclaimed elites, and delivers them a hefty dose of justice? Deliciously satisfying and humorous results. And the odd ...

Kellen Adams has fought battles, saved lives and earned the respect of her colleagues and the love of her friends. But now can she triumph against the greatest challenge of her life—her family? Families and Other Enemies is a new Kellen Adams short story by New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd, filled with her trademark mystery and humor.

Ocean Ray is a country girl at heart but has no choice but to embrace the city life after losing her father. Moving to New York to live with her auntie was her mother’s best option for herself and her children until her mother passed away from cancer. Now that Ocean has learned the city, she is making new friends. Not being used to befriending people outside of her race, she will soon learn that a person’s color doesn’t determine their values. Even after several traumatizing experiences, Ocean finds herself falling for the one person who will never understand her struggle in life but ...