The following four (4) short stories are the last of my “LongTALES for ShortTAILS” collection of seven (7) stories involving stories concocted from family members and personal characters I experienced in my growth experience while moving into adulthood and marriage. I am so proud to say I grew up in Compton, California and had one of the richest childhoods one could ever imagine. My greatest asset was to remember in my mind many childhood experiences; expand and explore these experiences; lock them in the back of my memory; and, finally, to expose them to the rest of the world. Following is the exposing. I just hope you like my stories – but more importantly – can relate to them. This fourth and final addition of my “LongTALES for ShortTAILS” short-story collection is dedicated to my first grandson, Lance Giovanni Filer. “Lil Gio” could easily be many of the kid characters mentioned in the following stories. Enjoy!

Square Squire and the Journey to DreamState, my 394-page, 96,729-word novel, is a semiautobiographical story of growing up geeky in the last innocent time when all the basketball players had hopes and none of the gangs had guns. Squire Brooks is a precocious nerd whose only awareness of the transitions in his neighborhood of Compton, California, in the 60s is the opportunity to chuck stones at the increasing number of For Sale signs in the yards of his white neighbors. His fathers deepening involvement in civil rights creates increasing chaos in his home, where Squire writes his short stories and daydreams. Adolescence brings peer-driven lessons about girls, puberty, girls, bullies, and girls as he navigates the temptations during his elementary, junior high, and high school years. Squires daydreaming has developed into an imaginative mechanism that frees his mind from all the chaos and allows him to escape to a dream state whenever he writes. After graduating from high school and on a road trip with his dog, Julius, Squire meets Octavia Steves, who teaches him that his dream state is actually a form of meditation that could help him become the writer of his dreams.

Alphaherpesviruses are a fascinating group of DNA viruses that includes important human pathogens such as herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV): the causative agents of cold sores, genital ulcerous disease, and chickenpox/shingles, respectively. A key attribute of these viruses is their ability to establish lifelong latent infection in the peripheral nervous system of the host. Such persistence requires subversion of the host's immune system and intrinsic antiviral defense mechanisms. Understanding the mechanisms of the immune evasion and what triggers viral reactivation is a major challenge for today's researchers. This has prompted enormous research efforts into understanding the molecular and cellular biology of these viruses. This up-to-date and comprehensive volume aims to distill the most important research in this area providing a timely overview of the field. Topics covered include: transcriptional regulation, DNA replication, translational control, virus entry and capsid assembly, the role of microRNAs in infection and oncolytic vectors for cancer therapy. In addition there is coverage of virus-host interactions, including apoptosis, subversion of host protein quality control and DNA damage response pathways, autophagy, establishment and reactivation from latency, interferon responses, immunity and vaccine development. Essential reading for everyone working with alphaherpesviruses and of interest to all virologists working on latent infections.

Police officer Kellan Howard is rumoured to have spent too much time in sub-zero temperatures, leaving him with a block of ice for a heart and women lining up to help thaw it. Mountain climbing is his only love, leaving no time for a relationship, and although meaningless sex satisfies his physical need, it's empty. When he attends a fatal traffic accident, he didn't expect his entire life to change. Along with a final message, Kellan is offered something else from the dying man: the chance to fall in love. Kellan's never considered being with a man, but when he meets Valentino, he's instantly drawn to him. Suffering from crippling agoraphobia, talented Italian artist Valentino has a solitary existence, only experiencing life outside the house through his partner Stuart. When their relationship comes to an abrupt end, Kellan helps ease his suffering. A deep bond binds the two men together, and the sexual tension can't be denied, but Valentino questions if the distance between their very different lives is too much, and if they can bridge the gap by themselves. Ballet dancer Blue has a vibrant personality which demands attention, but his humour and courageous attitude are a shield. Blue's good at making others believe in themselves, but what he needs is someone to believe in him. He could be the bridge both men are looking for, but Blue's never allowed anyone to get too close, and when Kellan and Valentino enter his life, he desperately tries to protect his heart and his secrets. When all three meet, the chemistry is undeniable, but each have fears about moving forwards. Together, they learn love comes in many forms. It can't be restrained or labelled, and it doesn't always appear in the way you first imagined.

The year is 2050. The space shuttle to the moon has been a reality since 2030. There have been scientists, explorers, politicians, entertainers, and celebrities. Just about every type of scientific type person has been or has plans to go to the moon, but no ordinary people have been included. Black, white, brown, or yellow, no regular ordinary people have been to the moon. Finally, in 2050, the USA government has decided it is time to send some regular folks to the moon. A contest was held to pick three lucky souls to be sent to the moon. Each person selected could also bring a friend. And the best part is that the government claims once the lucky winners get to the moon, there would be a surprise waiting for them. Young Duncan (Dunk) Sylers, eleven years old and from the city of Compton, California, enters the contest. You guessed it. Dunk wins and decides to take his younger cousin Drew on the exploration of a lifetime. Follow along as Duncan, Drew, and the other winners (including a wannabe hippie who brings his parrot as his guest as well as an aging actress and her equally washed up boyfriend) travel toward the moon. Do they succeed? Youll have to read the book.

Who out there doesnt remember their first pet? Bishops first dog turns out to be the beautiful diva Missy. Plus, Missy soon has a surprise for the family. Ms. Missy: Bishops First Dog is a true story concerning my familys first petMs. Missy the diva dog! Follow along as Bishop, oldest child of the Morrow household, learns the ins and outs of owning and taking care of a dog. Bishop has daily duties of feeding and caring for Ms. Missy, bathing her in the Morrow backyard with younger siblings, Maxine and Kelvin, and training Missy in the ways of the pet and human world. Time passes as both Missy and the Morrow family grows with additional kids. One day, Missy disappears, and young Bishop feels it is his fault because he scolded Missy too hard. Bishop feels terrible and fears she has run away for good. When Missy is finally found, she has a surprise of a lifetime for the Morrow family! Ms. Missy: Bishops First Dog is Duanes second childrens storybook from his upcoming seven-story LongTALES for shortTAILS collection, following his recently published Fastjack Robinson. Duane self-published his first book, Square Squire and the Journey to Dreamstate, in 2012; he published his second book, The Baby Boomers First-Hand/First-Year Guide to Retirement: 365 Days of Bliss in 2014. Duane also just completed a teens and young adult version of his first book entitled Square Squire and the Journey to Dreamstate: Squared Version 2.0 for Teens and Young Adults. Duane can be contacted at [email protected], at his website (http://duanelancefiler.wix.com/duanelancefiler), or at Facebook or LinkedIn.