Facing fear of your own dreams coming true. Longing to hold on to a beloved best friend. Wishing to repair a life gone off the tracks. A lifelong feeling that you never belong. The secret life of a gorgeous black cat. Functioning as signposts along the rich and often twisted road of Kari Kilgore’s imagination, each story in this collection explores a different area of fantasy fiction. Ranging from Appalachia to Atlanta, from love to loss, they all touch on emotions or experiences readers recognize. The (mostly) women in Fantastic Shorts: Volume 1 may start out in familiar territory. But in the hands of this talented storyteller, readers quickly learn to always expect the strange. Included in this collection: Intentions Angela Garcia builds websites to help make other people’s dreams come true. Now one of her childhood dreams waits, ready to come to life. Sometimes your intentions make all the difference. Reflections A beloved family home, abandoned and broken. A so-called adult life, not much better off. Jessica’s hopes of finding her joy fade as soon as she steps through the door. Can facing her fears, and her memories, make Jessica’s life right at last? The Seeds of Love Virginia Evans and her best friend Maggie grew up together. From shy girl and wriggly puppy to confident woman and gentle old soul. A touching tale of woman’s best friend. Terminalia When you live a double life, you never take anything for granted. Kelly Webb finally feels safe. Until nighttime, when all but Kelly’s name changes. An enchanting tale of the crossroads between science and magic. Wicked Bone Pashmina knows which humans to trust. She shows her trust like all cats. With offerings from her hunts. And like all cats, Pashmina keeps her secrets to herself. Find out what happens when Katie learns Pashmina’s favorite secret.

From Hero Support to Leading Roles Mranes loves life by the Wrynath Sea with her family. But her heart longs for the sky and adventure. Goresi faces one last challenge to reaching her dream. Noise and nonsense in her mind block the path. Tonn loves his difficult training as an airhorse rider. Conflicts with other riders proves the bigger challenge. Dyna experiences change and joy as a newlywed. A voice from the past haunts her mind. Selene Knight fiercely loves and protects her children. Her son Arch’s struggles shatter her own heart. Everyone needs support and friendship. Especially fictional heroes on the journey. But those side characters live fascinating lives of their own, all too often unexplored. What would they tell us if we listened? Join Kari Kilgore as she discovers the larger world of her Misfortune and Magic series. Includes five original Misfortune and Magic stories: Wings of the Heart, Footprints Along the Path, Trusting Their Magic, Lines of Strength and Grace, and The Difficulties Ahead. More from Fantastic Side Trips: When Dreams Find Wings Mranes’s heart and imagination yearn for the sky and adventure. And a glorious airhorse to take her there. What will she learn about herself and the life ahead of her, on one special night when magic and desire collide? Caught in Distraction, When She Needs Peace Goresi faces one last challenge with a mind and heart full of chatter and nonsense. And no time left for practice and patience. Will a visit to her own past help her discover the way? Pure Joy, and Fierce Competition Conflicts with other fledgling airhorse riders prove the biggest challenge for Tonn. Can he learn to overcome difficulties and trust himself? Escaping Her Own Past A mysterious voice from Dyna’s past haunts her mind and threatens her happiness. Will asking for help set her free, or send her deeper into madness? The Heartbreak of Acceptance Watching her son Arch struggle in silence shatters Selene’s own heart. Only trying to get others to help her fight for him hurts worse. Can she convince the ones who matter most to accept the truth and help Arch?

The Successful Launch of a Disaster Billy’s new tech start-up sits on the verge of greatness. A fantastic reward for leaving his rotten old job in the dust. Until a miscalculation lands Billy in a nightmare. And he only sees one way out. Unfortunately Billy’s way out puts him squarely in cybercrime expert Dana Sanderson’s sights. Can Dana stop him before it’s too late? A Dana Sanderson Short Mystery An excerpt from The Fabulous Feats of Billy: The first line you cross is the easiest Billy pulled the power cord out, running it idly through his fingers. The lax security and asset tracking wasn’t all he knew about Gossalor. He knew the yearly, quarterly, and monthly profit numbers for the place. They were nowhere near AllState or State Farm numbers, no. But they were easily a thousand times more profitable than the amount Billy was pulling his hair out over. And twenty-eight thousand wasn’t much, not really. Not compared to the settlements Gossalor paid out every single day. Many times a day. Paying out was part of doing business for them, and they clearly had plenty to spare. Sometimes a gold-plated nest could do without a feather or two. Especially if no one would ever be the wiser.

Heartache. Betrayal. Family. Suzanne and Paul arrive to settle a loved one's estate. The final, bittersweet step of saying goodbye. But an unpleasant surprise from an all-too-expected source awaits, leaving them both reeling. And angry. Will Suzanne take her chance to settle the score, no matter the cost to herself? An excerpt from The Last Twist in the Game: The Worst Possible Time for a Bad Surprise Suzanne nodded along with Paul, then stood and managed to smile and shake hands. She couldn't pretend she wasn't angry, and more worried than she wanted to admit. More about her husband than his thieving cousin. \Paul might put on a good face with a horrible situation like this, for a while. And he would get through to the other side. But after more than twenty years of marriage, she knew what kind of dark places he'd have to fight through to get there. Sure, moving forward sounded encouraging. Hopeful, even. Inspiring. It was the days, weeks, and possibly months before then that would test both of them to their limits.

Pure Joy and Fierce Competition Tonn thrills at the sight of airhorses, even after tough months as a rider-in-training. Knowing every day brings him closer to a pairing of his own. And the ultimate freedom of taking to the skies. But conflicts with other riders prove the bigger challenge. Can Tonn learn to overcome difficulties and trust himself? Also available in the collection Fantastic Side Trips: Side Characters Take Center Stage An excerpt from Trusting Their Magic: The Match That Defines a Lifetime Tonn jumped at Master Adur's sharp voice. "How did the airhorses learn the flight pattern we're observing right now? Tonn?" He was certain he knew the answer, but a rush of nerves sent his belly twisting anyway. "Same way landhorses do, or fish or fowl or anything else, Master. They're playing. Or at least that's how it starts out." "Exactly so." Master Adur's warm smile balanced out her sometimes harsh tones and fierce expressions. "The wild colony of airhorses not far from here does much the same every morning when the weather's fair. Have any of you had a chance to observe them in their own play?" Every hand shot up. Tonn took every chance he got to take the long walk out past Maestar's towering city wall, cutting through the low, wide passage out to the rocky cliffs overlooking the sea. He wasn't the only one who made the trip by the faintest light of dawn, hoping to catch a display even more breathtaking than the one over their heads.

An Impossible Task Filled with Love Michael faces an empty house full of countless memories close to his heart. Struggling to find the perfect touch for his beloved Auntie Ellen's farewell. How will he choose the best way to send her off in style, and with love? Also available in the collection Passages in the Real World: Six Stories of Life's Transitions An excerpt from On Choosing the Perfect Peach Dress: A choice too big for a broken heart "Peach, peach," he said under his breath, not sure why he was worried about the empty house hearing his shaky voice. "Peeeeeeeach. A simple peach dress." Maybe if he said it enough he'd find a way around the giant roadblock in his mind, in his heart. The one that kept reminding him that no matter which dress he chose, it would be the last one she ever wore. He was perilously close to fifty himself, and felt stable and sane most days. He didn't exactly need his auntie to wipe his little boy tears when he escaped from his stern parents, all too often confused by their overly sensitive youngest son. Or from the school and church that were determined to shove him into the correct social and career box, no matter badly his misfit edges pinched and scraped. But the reality of the loss of one of the most important people in his life still clenched up his chest and made his throat ache.

The Wondrous Variety of Cats A sleek black cat with a gift for finding hearts in need of one another. A community of cats bringing comfort and peace in a world closing down. A fluffy black cat with a secret life she only shares with the ones she loves most. Two oversized housecats in a post-disaster world, helping their person take a chance on survival. A sassy tabby cat who rules her world, doing her best to bring two heartsore people together. Cats come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and personalities. From sweet lap cats to gorgeous big cat predators, mischievous tricksters to fierce and mighty hunters. And their irresistible charms inspire their human companions to spin yarns almost as varied and wonderful. Join cat-owned human Kari Kilgore on a journey through the genres and joys of cats and their stories. Includes The Inn, the Black Cat, and Two Halves of the Same Heart, In Service to a Superior Species, Wicked Bone, Survivors of the Malance, and The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa ...imagine turning a kaleidoscope that gives you a different sort of cat (and cat story) with every view... The Inn, the Black Cat, and Two Halves of the Same Heart Sometimes a Change in Perspective Makes All the Difference Survivors of the Malance A Chance for Survival, or the End of Everything Wicked Bone A Greatly Misunderstood Gift In Service to a Superior Species Offering Comfort in the Best Way Possible The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa Exit to the Best Holiday Gift of All