The unseen world beneath our ordinary lives. An doctor facing a cry far beyond medicine. A young nurse in World War II Hungary. A writer fighting a dilemma as old as time. A modern life on hold, chasing shadowy reality. Kari Kilgore's third short fantasy collection explores women facing change. Long-sought dreams coming true. Long-held secrets coming to light. Surprises welcome and frightening. Ranging from near-future Chicago to war-torn Budapest, from high tech Atlanta to a snowy Maine beach, join this trip through the strange lands of Kari's imagination. Includes The Tech Empath, Sensing the Storm, Kati and the Witches in the Hill, An Adventure Well Begun, and A Linchpin Life.

Fantastic Shorts: Volume 3

A Sweet Escape to the Beginning Keith and Josh, new in town and to each other. Dirk and Barbara, striving for new beginnings. April and Michele, digging through lost treasures. Trisha and Bill, adjusting to strange new realities. Craig and Sohpie, in a time of healing and change. Diana and Katie, stranded in snowstorm limbo. Thom and Julie, on the edge of finding their own way. Amy and Tony, enjoying the rewards of hard work. Eight couples finding their way to that first thrilling spark, the joy of discovering a kindred spirit. A heart that beats in time with their own. Join husband and wife team Jason A. Adams and Kari Kilgore on a journey to the promise and joy of discovery. And the beginning of happily ever after. Includes The Sweetest Trouble, Dirk Knight and The Case of the Rustled Ranch, The Real Treasure in Cairo, For the Love of Snarla Jane, The Heart Is the Strongest, Canine Cupid, Happily Ever in KrampusLand, and First Kiss Ah, romance! We all love falling in love. We all enjoy watching those two friends who everyone knows belong together finally get it over with and start dating. Partners in Romance features tales of new friends-with-potential, people thrown together by circumstance, neighbors with spark, and much, much more. Just like in real life, dogs fan romantic sparks into a flame. Mature lovebirds want happiness for the younger generation. Humor plays a vital role, especially when it comes to love's secret recipe.  With people starting out in life or making long-desired changes, hearts recognize each other. Of course, all romance features dream chasing, and a good Happily Ever After. Come along for the adventure as eight couples discover each other, and the promise of the beginning!

Partners in Romance

A Multi-Dimensional CrossoverAndre Telkin loves cat sitting for his best friend Dana. Spoiling them rotten and teaching them his special flair. Enjoying the peace and quiet of the old tree-lined neighborhood. Except when he hears a sound beyond explanation. Too strange and disturbing to ignore. What will Andre discover when he leaves his reality behind?Also available in the collection Facing Down Extraordinary An excerpt from Andre's Extra-Sensational Adventure:Something Truly Strange Lurking in the Night  When he closed the screen door behind him and stepped out into the night, that bizarre churning noise caught Andre's attention once again. It wasn't louder, exactly, and it didn't sound any closer. Partly because he was having trouble pinning down what direction it came from. But it did sound more discordant somehow to his highly sensitive and well-trained ear. Like the noise had turned up the volume, or the speed, only emphasizing whatever was unnatural and out of balance in the first place.

Andre's Extra-Sensational Adventure

The Changes That Redefine Us AllAn Impossible Task Filled with LoveTransitions Revealing More Than We ExpectWhen Family Secrets Turn PoisonousOn Certain Days, the Hurt Feels Brand NewA Truth Too Hard to FaceSometimes Everybody Needs Recovery All the years of life bring change. Beginnings and endings. Differences we welcome or dread. Many unavoidable, no matter how bitter or sweet. Every one bringing an in-between time that sometimes feels endless. And sometimes passes in a flash. Join storyteller Kari Kilgore as she explores the passages a lifetime brings. Includes On Choosing the Perfect Peach Dress, The Worry Trap, An Overdue Truce, At the Heart of It All, What Breaks a Man, and Traditions Worth Keeping A choice too big for a broken heartThe reality of the loss of one of the most important people in his life clenched up Michael's chest and made his throat ache. Revisiting childhood, and so much more."Hang on, Mom, " Marlene said, leaving her memories with her footprints and catching up. "That last step is tricky.""I guess I know how to go into my own house, Marlene. Even if I don't live here anymore." Digging Out the Toxins of the PastSean had quietly wondered why his mother didn't get the house, or any kind of spousal support that anyone knew of. Sean figured then and now he just didn't understand. Brad figured their father had weaseled out of it. The Day All Her Best Defenses FailEven if she spent October in a technology and communication void, she'd know. Some part of Sara knew exactly what day it was. Every single year. How many last chances does one man deserve?The last time Reggie heard Scotty's voice was the day he'd left home a few months short of high school graduation. A last grand screaming match, and his son disappeared from his house and his life. Learning to Trust Again, Especially HerselfThe next breaker rolling in on Lucy's rising guilt tide was how many huge liquor stores were probably still open, and perfectly willing to take her little brother's money. And his fragile new sobriety right along with it.

Passages in the Real World: Six Stories of Life's Transitions

Even Superheroes Hate RenovationsJenna accepts a job that takes confidentiality to the extreme: a major remodel on a minor superhero's lair. The only real secret? How Earth Worm can afford to buy everyone's silence, plus labor, materials, and lodging. Trouble builds on the horizon before the job gets started. Will a minor villain trying to break into the big time undermine them all? An excerpt from Jenna and the Lightning Beast:Staying Grounded in a Strange Situation  Kevin laughed. "Nothing usual about being whisked away to a secret location on a secret project, is there? Everyone in the city knows more about what's going on than we do."The others gathered and introduced themselves, adding a Georgia highway department engineer, a plumber, and a home security expert to go with the inspector and insurance agent. And between the eight of them, still no real idea what they were there for."I know we're not supposed to know, " Kim said, "but I'm pretty sure this particular homeowner has to get the whole thing started. I don't see a doorbell we can ring."Jenna leaned forward, trying to peek inside the tinted passenger window of the van that hadn't moved since the motor stopped."Unless she drove us up here."Everyone jumped at a rich, sultry voice from behind them."She didn't drive you. Nobody did."

Jenna and the Lightning Beast: A Minor Superhero Adventure

When Holidays Turn Out Anything But OrdinaryNot all holidays start out standard-issue. Some celebrate different days or traditions. Others take a hit of the unexpected. Sometimes the cast of characters defies all expectations, but turns out better than anyone imagined in the end. These holiday stories from Jason A. Adams and Kari Kilgore throw away the usual blueprint. From righting wrongs to finding recovery, from redefining family to discovering the place you belong. Take a break from typical holiday fare and enjoy a new perspective on winter celebrations. Includes Ballerinas and SuperCats, Pungent Justice, The Twelve Steps of Christmas, Finding Sanctuary, A True Family Holiday, Virginia's Last Old Christmas Eve, A Convenience Store Christmas, and The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa A Wintertime Journey with a Different Kind of Holiday Boxing Day at Wentworth Manor brings joy and celebration. But a cruel crime threatens to ruin the partyA heartless theft nearly breaks the spirit of Jennifer's family. So she and her best friend set out to make things right. The Christmas season hits hard for some people. Yet it sometimes also brings hope for recovery and renewal. June and Ryan share a ritual of grief and letting go. Will their instant spark light the way to new possibilities?Carrie faces Christmas in a new city. Then she finds a true family to join for the celebration. Virginia lived a long, joyful life. Full of family and love. But her most cherished story remains untold. Stuart's Stop 'N Shop, always open, even for Christmas. Then the holiday spirit surprises Stuart, Bobby, and Pete. Henry and Steve get caught by a Christmas Eve blizzard. Will they grab their chance for happily ever after?

Uncommon Holidays: A Different Side of the Season

An Invisible Countdown to DeathA cookie-cutter suburban house. A strange aroma. A dead body, and a suspect refusing to talk. Sometimes a stumped investigation needs a non-standard mind. A perfect case for Dana and her best friend Andre to work their magic. Can they solve the crime before the next victim's time runs out?A Dana Sanderson Short MysteryAn excerpt from Melting Point:Mira took a long drink of her coffee, staring out over the trees outside before she focused on Dana again."We've got the suspect, sure. Sitting in lockup, smug as hell, and not saying a word. What we need from you, Dana, is how on earth she did it."Dana drew back, blinking. "Me? I'm just an insurance investigator. This is your field. Surely the GBI has people on this." "They do. And they're coming up empty so far. Some of these cases are months old. They're afraid  this woman had a longer list of people she was paid to knock off."Mira took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds."They'll probably find it, " she said, "but I can't stop wondering what would have happened if someone totally innocent had walked into that bedroom instead. Like maybe her niece or nephew."

Melting Point - Dana Sanderson Short Mysteries, #4

The Race for a Snowy RescueWalt Colley loves nothing more than watching a good snowstorm settle in. Except for the chance to help people as best he knows how. Then one of the kids he takes under his wing goes missing at the worst time, sending Walt out into the night. Can he bring everyone home safe and keep himself out of trouble at the same time? A Storms of Future Past StoryAlso available in the collection Facing Down Extraordinary An excerpt from The Best Kind of Teacher:A Bad Night for a Friend to Go Missing Harry breathed in deep, then blew out loud enough that Walt held the phone away from his ear."You be careful out there, Walt. This snow might not be as bad as they predicted just yet, but with all the rain lately there's likely to be black ice. We don't want two of you skidding out." "I got my own four-wheel drive, and chains if I need 'em. Do me a favor and hold off on sending any more plows out for a bit if you can. I'd hate for them to cover over the very tracks we might need if he did go off the road. I'm heading out right now."Silly as Jimmy could be, Walt had never known him to be a careless driver in any kind of weather. But like anyone just barely nineteen, he didn't hardly have enough behind-the-wheel experience to tell for sure.

Fantastic Shorts: Volume 3

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