An anthology from members of Northern California Publishers & Authors, the book delivers bold, imaginative short stories alongside true tales, travelogues and sentimental free verse. You'll experience a riot of emotions. Both entertaining and humorous, this book is a must read for a plane ride, a summer vacation or a stint on the beach. For example, Margo King Lenson explores the unfulfilled promise of a literary spell in her story "Sexing the Professor," set at Dominican College in Marin County. Then the book takes readers to Peru, where Kimberly A. Edwards tells about an awkward train ride in her story "Redeemed in the Sacred Valley of the Incas." would be a generous feeling for Jeff Parsons, who reveals what it is like to be nearly naked in a hotel lobby. Learn to be wary of sleepwalkers by laughing through his account of a stay at a Pennsylvania Hilton. He writes "Ain't Nothing Gonna Break My Stride." Award-winning writer Frances Kakugawa shares advice for authors in her essay "Junkyard for Writers," which culminates with a beautiful poem that likens poetry to a fragile shopping bag. Astrologer Joyce Mason uses "Cruel Embroidery" to expose the dangers of bigotry and portray a life that has been derailed by self-image gone off track. A husband takes the adept skills of his wife for granted in Norma Jean Thornton's story of "The Challenge." April Edsberg shares her world travel experience in "Circumnavigating Fiji's Mana Island" with beautiful descriptions and fleeting anxiety about sharks. Sacramento writer Doreen Beyer debuts her work with "Sayonara Yorozu," a heartfelt, sentimental verse about a Japanese store whose owner has died and whose glass doors have shut. Catherine Byron takes readers to Montana where genealogical research and a hidden diary reveal a 100-year-old crime in "Rape Coulee." Laurie Hoirup, who has lived her life with a significant disability, chronicles the difficult work required of a caregiver and pays tribute to her best friend in "My Husband, a Caregiver." Tom Kando describes disturbing psychological phenomena in his short story "Absolution," exposing his sympathetic protagonist to love, loneliness, guilt, and paranoia. In "Legacy," long-time psychologist Linda Menicucci explores the relationships of three sisters and finds love has no boundaries. Matthias Mendezona turns his attention to poetry for this anthology, writing "Music Blends," a surprising encounter with gypsy rhythms that echo Marvin Gaye. Vicki Ward takes readers back to the San Francisco Bay Area where she recounts six-grade memories in "My New White Bucks," a life-defining experience. Tony Marcolongo offers a varsity tale in "The Halls of Radcliffe College," explaining how an 11-year-old became legendary when his older pals fanned out for a panty raid. Winner of the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, Kiyo Sato winds readers through her journey in a "white world," her internment in a World War II camp, and the lessons learned in "Kodomo-No-Tameni, For the Sake of the Children." Denise Lee Branco, author of horse stories, goes back to the ranch to record the humor and devotion she witnessed in the eyes of an orphaned red heifer in "Princess of Purpose." Novelist Dennis Potter introduces his new character Jake Burns, a 10-year-old who is wise beyond his years and starts out hating his neighbors because they have displaced his "Best Friend." Editor and publisher Terry Burke Maxwell reflects on her San Francisco roots in "Values and Valuables." Set in the rubble of the historic 1906 earthquake, the story exposes the character of grandparents she never knew. Mocking modern celebrity culture, publisher Ted Witt plays biographer for Dee Dee in the story, "World's Most Famous Chicken." A hen who follows a five-step formula is guaranteed more than her allotted 15-minutes of fame.