Born of Dirt & Dust ... Prepare to immerse yourself in this collection of twenty-three captivating stories, artfully blending speculative flash & short fiction doused in literary themes, escapism, sci-fi, and horror.

Sami understood that proper behavior translated into extra bonus points. Especially during substitute-teacher days. And, with enough good check marks next to her name, she would earn the privilege of selecting a special prize posted on the classroom bulletin board, right next to her teacher’s big desk. Right in front of everyone. With a sparkle in her smile, the ambitious second grader focused on the dangling ticket to win a googly-eyed goldfish – FREE! From Mermaid Katy’s A

Currently---before our recent discussion about Cronenberg with my book-club friends, I've been finessing a 1,600-word short story about a boy's relationship with his father, in particular his admiration for father's working-man hands.

One of my top-tier favorite pastimes is attending OC Library's hosted literary events featuring best-selling authors. A few days ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Kaira Rouda, an award-winning USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Yeah! Bring it on, Kaira!! "Let's talk murder. The fictional kind, of course." That's her tagline. And I love it.