Dennis Winkleblack gives us Never Work for Someone Who's Not as Smart as You, a hilarious chronicle of one young man's perception of himself and his life. A Worthy Spine by Pam Parker is an irreverent look at the relationship between two sisters, Annie and Cora Matthews, who have lived together since the death of their husbands. Cora narrates this story from her death sentence diagnosis of breast cancer to the surprise ending. Martha Worcester's story, Softening Sorrow is a tale that doesn't wallow in sorrow, it deals with the relationship between an elderly woman and her young next door neighbor in a magnificent and enlightened way. Trial by Water is a modern witch tale about a vigilante-type heroine who exacts justice for an elderly lady after she's exhausted all the other avenues. The author, Laura Boldin-Fournier, crafts an exquisite story. Emotions run high in, Guardian Angels Came Late by Marilyn V. Davidson. In the 1980's, the horrors of domestic violence was still an often hidden social issue. In this harrowing first person account, a dedicated counselor and a mysterious bit of unexpected advice help an abused woman. Ron L. Dowell's Longest Journey is a delightful, lighthearted look at an elderly woman and her physical fitness obsessed son who does everything in his power to get her away from the television and out of her car. Hocus Pocus, a wonderful story, full of insight and family relationships that are so well defined they could be any family. Written by Jean Ende, this is a chronicle of an immigrant Jewish family who bond together to care for a sick mother and watch over her two children. Dub's Secret by Rick Forbess is a completely believable and well-written account of a legend that has become reality for two men who work together at a brick manufacturing plant. In Monterey Papa, Debbie Fowler, tells us about a journalist who makes a chance sighting of a familiar face in the crowd as she writes a story about the Monterey Pop Festivals from the 1960's. Geraldine Hawley's story, Whistle in the Fog, has Victorian overtones but is set in post-war London. Worthy of Poe or Dickens, a London Constable, new to the job, is confronted with an impossible situation. Ernesto Marcos gives us, The One That Got Away. This is a love story, in a way, but an unusual one and we aren't exactly certain what happens at the end. But that is part of the joy of this story. Susan McLane's An American Story takes us from immigrants in the hold of a 1740's sailing vessel bound for Pennsylvania to new parents in a South Carolina hospital in 1960. This chronicle of the intertwined lives of ordinary people is a fascinating study of how we become who we are. Spying on the Gestapo, by Robert L. Nelis is one of those short stories that you can put down and when finished want to ask, 'is this true?' Juliette is recruited to spy on the Germans in occupied France. Ana Thorne's entry, Miss Mimi's Charm School, is a delightful story of a young girl, a bit out of her element, who handles the challenge with grace and wit. She and her father face the community prejudices when Inez attends a department store charm school. 1200 Rupees by Nancy Zupanec does more than describe a camel trek into the Indian desert. The author takes us on a journey into a world of unknowns, physical and emotional, that she and her fellow travelers experience.