A young boy is in love with the game of golf, but he doesn’t understand why. He has a natural talent and an enviable swing but playing the game well is not enough. There’s something missing. When Jimmy, the homeless man who spends his days cheering on golfers from his usual sitting spot just off the 5th green at Old Elm Municipal Golf course goes missing, the young boy becomes curious. His quest uncovers Jimmy’s mysterious link to the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland and reveals a life ...

A man, his dog, and a long walk can lead to unexpected discoveries. In the tradition of many literary walkers, David W. Berner sets out on foot hoping to reexamine his life, look back and forward, and most importantly, through the help of his young dog, Sam, try to find harmony in new beginnings and the uncertainties of the present. In a series of chapters, each dedicated to one walk during a summer of hiking, the author finds that it is his beloved pet that allows him to awaken to a new s...

In the vinyl era, David W. Berner played rock ‘n’ roll in a neighborhood garage band. Decades later at the age of 57 he enters a national songwriting contest and quite unexpectedly is named a finalist. But there's more. He's called on to perform the song live at a storied venue for Americana music. Grabbing his old guitar and the love of his life, David hits the road, hoping to live out a musical fantasy he thought had been buried long ago. October Song is a powerful examination of the pas...

When we are young, we think little about growing old. But time soon catches up with us: the first gray hair, a buckling knee, the purchase of reading glasses, or when a heart attack at the age of 56 rattles your world and reminds you that none of us gets out of here alive. In this meditative and intimate personal narrative on the act of aging, David W. Berner discovers how to accept and revel in the present, when the days that remain are fewer than those that have passed, and offers a path...

In the best tradition of the great American memoir, "Any Road Will Take You There" is honest, unflinching, and tender. A middle-age father embarks on a a five-thousand-mile road trip -- the trip he always wished he'd taken as a young man. Recently divorced and uncertain of the future, he rereads the iconic road story -- Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" -- and along with his two sons and his best friend, heads for the highway to rekindle his spirit. However, a family secret turns the cross-coun...

A book of essays by award-winning author and journalist David W. Berner is the next best thing to storytelling around a bonfire. In "There's a Hamster in the Dashboard," Berner shares stories of "a life in pets"—from a collie that herds Berner home when the author goes "streaking" through the neighborhood as a two-year-old, to a father crying in front of his son for the only time in his life while burying the family dog on the Fourth of July. And from the ant farm that seems like a great l...

WRITER SHED STORIES Vol. 2 LOVE & SACRIFICE is a collection of short fiction, memoir, poetry, and creative nonfiction from authors all over the world. The aim of Writer Shed Press is to offer stories that leave lasting impressions, words that linger long after you've read them. WRITER SHED STORIES is published annually by Writer Shed Press and edited by award-winning author David W. Berner.Writers in this ...

WRITER SHED STORIES, Vol. 1 is a collection of short fiction, memoir, and creative nonfiction from authors all over the world. The aim of Writer Shed Press is to offer stories that leave lasting impressions, words that linger long after you've read them. WRITER SHED STORIES is published annually by Writer Shed Press and edited by award-winning author David W. Berner. Contributing writers: Floyd Sullivan, Maria L. Berg, Nick Young, Laura Young, Andrew Cairns, Ilian...

Is there hope for us all?Emily Dickinson's poem, "Hope," described it as "a thing with feathers." Third Flatiron Anthologies' latest collection of short speculative fiction, fantasy, and horror stories touches on the theme of hope, whether it's about taking flight filled with optimism for the future, venturing outside one's comfort zone, taking outsize risks in order to succeed, or finding it dashed on the rocks. Twenty-four authors give their entertaining takes on the subject, inc...

Our dogs make us smile every day, but some days they really outdo themselves! This book is full of those hilarious and heartwarming stories about the many ways our canine companions surprise us, make us laugh, and touch our hearts.Chicken Soup for the Soul: I Can’t Believe My Dog Did That! will have readers saying the same thing as they read these 101 humorous and heartwarming stories about these lovable, goofy, and comical canines. Whether funny or seriou...

Wilderness survival is the name of the game as the line blurs between reality TV and reality itself in this fast-paced novel of suspense in the vein of Yellowjackets.“Taut, tense, and at times almost unbearably real.”—Ruth Ware, author of One by OneShe wanted an adventure. She never imagined it would go this far.It begins with a reality TV show. Twelve contestants ...

These poems topics range from hate crimes to playgrounds, from international conflict to hometowns, from falling in love to the desperation of loneliness. Gibsons work seizes us by the collar and hauls us inside some of her darkest moments, then releases us out the other side.