A long married couple, Frank and Nina, reflects on the things that led them to enjoy a long-lasting love affair with life and one another.

As an avid gardener, Rosalie has always impressed on her children and grandchildren how much she loves the roses which she grows in her garden. Pink, purple, and red roses grow abundantly, watered with love and Rosalie’s tender hands. When she passes away, her family learns that the roses that she loves more than anything, are the children and grandchildren whom she has raised and nurtured. Grandma’s will reveals a secret about sacrifice and love, which will ensure that her roses are always allowed the space to blossom.

From Scout Media comes A Flash of Words—the fifth volume in an ongoing short story anthology series featuring authors from all over the world, but the first in which the stories are exclusively flash-fiction pieces. In this installation, no limits were set on genre, allowing the authors to lead the reader to destinations unknown; from ghosts on a flight line, to not-so-cuddly poodles, to finding love in the most unexpected of places. Within these moments of retribution and redemption—along with a slightly confused bear—these flash-fiction length stories will warm your heart, send shivers down your spine, and tickle your funny bone. Whether to be enlightened, entertained, or momentarily immersed in another world, these selections convey the true spirit of flash fiction.

When it comes to dating woes and issues, Renz has dealt with more than his share. One-night stands and steamy afternoon trysts have left him feeling vulnerable, used, and lonely. He decides celibacy may be what his life needs. Lauryn walks into his life and his plans go quickly out of the window. She's beautiful, smart, loves baseball, and Renz feels she's the right partner with whom to chase his happy-ever-after. However, all that glitters is not gold, as Renz finds out for himself. With the help of his best friend Mike, tropical drinks, the Caribbean, and a few new acquaintances, he realizes he has been given a delicious escape.

Twelve authors. One prompt. Eighteen short stories. Given only three words-crimes, sins, misdemeanors-a dozen skilled authors have created a tremendous adventure through the dark side of humanity. In these pages, you'll find: a political prisoner in what turns out to be not-so-solitary confinement; a young woman who has finally had enough of being abused by her lowlife husband; two busybody elderly sisters who become convinced that their next-door-neighbor has murdered his wife; a man who fulfills his buddy's dream of owning a very special car; a wild-child teenage girl desperate to find a way to bail her boyfriend out of jail; a rivalry between two farmers that turns deadly; and a lonely, frustrated little boy who discovers a powerful and terrifying new way to channel his anger. And those are just a few of the wonderful tales you'll find in Crimes, Sins, and Misdemeanors. The styles and approaches are as unique as the authors are-there's truly something for everyone's tastes. So fasten your seatbelts, and see where this collection takes you.

Not your typical book of poetry. This is a collection of poetry and short stories that the author uses to fill in the colors of human emotion. Humorous, surprising, and nostalgic.

In a small Southern town, two teenagers find themselves falling into a once-in-a-lifetime love affair, while the people around them watch with hope or despair. Flora Jean is a young Black girl who daydreams of leaving the segregated caste system of Mississippi far behind her. She's being raised by her single mother, Lily, a no-nonsense woman who is willing to do whatever is necessary to raise her daughter to be smart and independent. Bobby Jr. is the oldest son of the richest family in the region. He has learned at an early age that money does not buy happiness, nor does it guarantee love. When he stumbles into a relationship with Flora Jean, he realizes he's found not only the girl of his dreams, but his best friend and soulmate. The story of their lives is told by the two of them, as well as their parents, and a surly young man named Raymond, who is head-over-heels in love with Flora Jean. The only person rooting for the star-crossed lovers is Jasper, the butler who has a special place in his heart for them both. Tragedy and triumph are inevitabilities that lie in wait for Bobby Jr., as he falls under the spell of Flora Jean, a magical creature with the God-given gift of making butterflies dance whenever she sings to them.

Sports, music, movies, culture. We cover every major sport with wit, facts, history, stats, and our varied opinions. It's like dropping in on a hype conversation at a neighborhood barbershop, at your local bar/wings joint, or on the couch with your friends.

Since the beginning of human interaction, there have been storytellers who have spun tales to inspire and capture the imagination. In homage to Golding's Lord of the Flies and the act of flinging a gauntlet before a duel, these two writers, Gordon Bonnet, and Marlon S. Hayes, have shown their multi-genre talents. Two guys in a bar, grandmas, fathers and sons, and myths are a few of the themes in this collection, and the results are noteworthy, entertaining, and soul filling. What if an opportunity arose to have a conversation with one's younger self? Or, what if the pictures on the wall started whispering warnings? Ever imagined how an orc might view humans? What about an epic road trip across America's heartland where anger and grief also ride along? Exactly. It's a duel of well-written short stories, with each writer inspiring the other to continue to ascend with their storytelling skills. It's not a competition, simply an acknowledgement of each other's talents.