The image of panhandlers is a common sight in many cities, but one that Rowan has avoided looking at any closer. Her brother's special request leads professional photographer, Rowan O'Donnell, to begin a photo essay on the men living on the streets of Denver. While she is aiming her camera lens at the homeless, someone else is taking aim at their lives. Rowan discovers that the recent violent deaths are the act of one person, and her work with them has drawn his attention, putting her own ...

These are a mix of stories about childhood reverie, gentle crime, and winter weather - but all are centered around the Christmas holiday.Winter can be a wonderful season, but I think these stories are best read inside, next to a warm fire or candles, with a warm drink of tea or cocoa beside you.

When a blind psychic warns of a dark fate awaiting seven homeless teens, PI Cam Sharp and her flamboyant partner, Juju, infiltrate a high-society fundraiser called the "Night of Misrule." They soon discover the party is a cover for a sinister magical ritual. To save the kids and stop the chaos, they must snatch a powerful enchanted artifact from a newly crowned king before everyone becomes a permanent pawn in a terrifying game.

A Heartwarming Holiday Short Story Collection About Home, Kindness, and Second ChancesStep into the quiet magic of the holiday season with this beautifully written collection of short stories that celebrate the moments that matter most.Set against snowy nights, glowing windows, and familiar winter rituals, these stories explore the many ways the holidays shape our lives. Within these pages, you’ll meet characters facing reconciliation after years apart, chi...

Viktor, a tracker, is called in to a grisly scene in a Minnesota state forest. An illegal poacher has been murdered and the hope is that Viktor can track the murderer through the woods so that the dangerous and possibly deranged villain can be apprehended.The tracker searches, but the trail comes to an end when it intersects with the road. Will Viktor be able to find his quarry?

In this short story, Jim wakes up one morning into a day of silence. The hustle and bustle of the city is gone - and so are the electricity and motor vehicles that run the world.How does he respond? How will the world react when everything has to be done by hand and in-person? Does it have to be a dystopia? Jim's first days in this new reality could set the tone for years to come.

This short story is a reverie about winter snow, the night skies, the mountains. And it is about loneliness and longing.This was first published on the Author's website as a Christmas gift for her readers and family. Now it is available here for all to read.

Samantha, a young traveler is on her first trip to Spain and her first vacation outside of her home in the United States. The strangeness of her surroundings begins to wear on her and she looks forward to going back home. Her friend and traveling companion is fully enjoying herself and is immersed in the experience, but are Samantha's feelings of dread unfounded?

This short story first appeared in the collection Her West. A woman decides to leave her home in the middle of the night with no destination. Just aimlessly driving until her car runs out of gas and she finds herself alone and isolated in the dessert.Trigger warning: This story ending can be interpreted as a suicide.

An artist lost to time in the jungles of India, a missing, security guard, and a damaged painting. Le Tigre is a short story about a painting come to life, in a most horrible way.

The art of making perfumes has long fascinated writers and the public. Just the very act of smelling another person can be intimate and profound.Scientists have long said that our sense of smell can trigger intense memories long after the scent is first encountered. It is a primal force that can trigger fear, desire, longing, hunger, or even a sense of safety. Being able to manipulate this force has long been the goal of perfume makers.In this story, the perfume maker has ano...

An arts dealer specializing in Western art and sculpture and artifacts, has stopped selling his wares. As a consequence, he also stopped paying his bills and property taxes.What happens to those who can't make their payments? What happens to their property? These were questions that came to mind as I started to weave this short story.There's a place near where I work that sells items like this shop. Only it's never open. And while I'd love to see the items inside - get a clos...