WHAT MAKES A warrior? This gutsy collection of 15 original short stories compiled by bestselling author Tamora Pierce and anthologist-author Josepha Sherman answers this question with thought, heart, a lot of variety, and an occasional wink. Contributors include some of today’s most-beloved fantasy and sciencefiction authors: Tamora Pierce, Holly Black, Pamela Service, Margaret Mahy, Bruce Holland Rogers, Mike Resnick, Brent Hartinger, and more.

Olivia Blanchard is left homeless and destitute when a sudden fire at her ranch takes everything. Joe Stanton, the town blacksmith, has been under increasing pressure to marry the woman his overbearing mother and aunt have chosen for him. He'd rather find his own wife, and decides that a mail-order bride sounds like a better option. When he sees beautiful Olivia, covered in dirt and soot, and understands her situation, marriage seems like the perfect solution for both of them. His mother however, does not agree, and Olivia can't seem to please her, no matter how hard she tries. Can they find a way to make things work?