Ceci Giltenan, Tarah Scott, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, Victoria Barbour, Natasha Blackthorne, Ria Cantrell, Stephanie Joyce Cole, Kimberly K. Comeau, Kathryn Lynn Davis, Ted Grosch, Brenda Margriet, Mary McCall, Kate Robbins, John Robin, HD Smith, KyAnn Waters, and Victoria Zak
Genres: Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary, Literary, Fantasy, Time Travel, Historical, Women’s Fiction, Highland Romance, Humor, Erotica
Publisher: Cridhe Works LLC
Date of Publication: July 17, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9909513-2-2
ASIN: B011YLKTWM
Number of pages: 411
Word Count: 163,205
Cover Artist: Zak James Design
Book Description:
A collection of short stories written by bestselling authors, representing an eclectic mix of styles and genres. In a word, this book is a smorgasbord; an opportunity to try a bit of everything.
In the spirit of the smorgasbord, the collection is presented as a menu and authors have shared recipes which accompany each story—some fitting, some funny, some simply old favorites.
Ranging from ultra-short but spine tingling, to meatier tales that are nearly novellas there is a little something for every appetite including comedy, tragedy, fantasy, werewolves, at least one ghost, life, death, and of course love.
Dig in. We hope you find at least one tidbit you enjoy.
Available at Amazon
Appetizers
Savory fare for smaller appetites - short stories from a wide range of styles and genres.
The Motorcycle
by Tarah Scott
Paranormal fiction
3074 words
No man can ever fully master memory. But maybe, just maybe, he can learn to live with it. Even be glad for it. Even if that means reaching across space, time...and the grave.
Ida and the Nor’easter
Contemporary fiction
8014 words
Is there such a thing as a curse? With a storm looming on the horizon, 98-year-old Ida Walsh fears a repeat of the terrible events of her childhood. Will her indomitable wit and resilience be enough to save the day?
Gardens
Literary fiction
4225 words
Anne begins to question the rigid limitations of her new marriage as she spies on a mysterious neighbor.
One Who Waits
by John Robin
Epic Fantasy
6538 words
Contains moderate violence
Al'a will die at his father's hands, unless he can master a forbidden magic.
Al'a Solaris, born into the Sun Priesthood, only wanted to prove his worth to his father when he delved into forbidden magic. Now, he must die at his father's hands, to restore honor to his bloodline. But the blade his father wields is also his final hope -- if only Al’a can discover its secret and master the fire within.
The Hole
by Ted Grosch
Literary fiction
Just exactly why is Bernie digging that hole?
The Spirit Bottle
by Ted Grosch
Literary fiction
A bushman's duty is his legacy for the tribe.
The Summons
by Ria Cantrell
Paranormal romance
5477 words
Contains mildly explicit sexual scenes
A magical journey where love knows no boundaries, the Summons combines romantic and ethereal love in a mystical setting.
Main Courses
Hearty fare to satisfy larger literary appetites.
The Seventh Sister
Paranormal romance
12,439 words
A story of love, legend, and magic
Down-on-her-luck American artist Maggie Gleason returns to Ireland, hoping to put old hurts behind her. Instead, revisiting the fishing village that enchanted her twelve years before only reopens wounds – until the unexpected appearance of roguish pub owner Conall Flanagan proves that the Ancient Isle is a magical place where anything can happen and true love always stands the test of time.
Falling in Time
by Sue-Ellen Welfonder
Time travel romance/11,090 words
When love calls across the ages…
Aspiring writer Lindy Lovejoy knows all about happy endings. But when she travels to Scotland to research Celtic myth and lore, she never expected a chance to live her own storybook romance, until a stop at mystical Smoo Cave whisks her back in time and into the arms of Rogan MacGraith, a Highland hero who’d burn up the pages of the steamiest Scottish romance novel.
Clouds Across the Moon
Historical Women’s Fiction
17,151 words
In the 19th century Scottish Highlands, young Morna struggles with new motherhood, her child’s illness, and her inability to compete with her husband's idealized vision of her. Will she have faith in the magic of her dreams, and thus find the strength to save her child’s life--and her own--as she begins to recognize the truth and depth of the woman she really is?”
The Lady’s Portrait
by Kate Robbins
Contemporary Romance
17,332 words
Contains mild to moderate sexually explicit scenes
When Gillian Beaton meets the captivating Ciaran MacLeod, she’s immediately attracted, but is she ready to trust again? Have her demons followed her to Scotland and can new love grow out of old heartbreak?
His Harlot
Historical Erotic Romance
23,018 words
*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*
Late one night, in the midst of a summer’s hot spell, Thomas spies Rosalind in the woods, clad only in her shift, dancing in the moonlight. It’s really more than a man celibate for three years can bear. Thomas is in danger of falling into a sin so powerful it threatens to challenge everything he thinks he knows about himself and life…
Sneak Peek at Highland Legacy: King Arthur Strikes Back
by Mary McCall
Medieval Highland Romance
12,494 word
Michael wed Christina when he was nine and she was three, then promptly went about his life and tried to forget about her. Now the pair must unite to thwart the Beast, return the Power of God that was stolen by their ancestors, and save the world in an epic battle between the forces of good and evil.
*Please note, this is NOT a short story, it is an extended preview of Mary’s next novel, book III in her Sisters by Choice series due for release soon. It is a taste of things to come and while it does not end on a cliff-hanger, it is not a complete story.*
Desserts
Looking for something lighter or perhaps a happy ending? The stories in this section won’t disappoint you. They are shorter and mostly romantic, or funny, or both.
Onyx
by H.D. Smith
Paranormal fiction
7099 words
Contains mild violence and a frustrating lack of S’mores
For those that like it short and sweet
Madison Monroe thinks she has everything in life figured out, until one ill-fated camping trip has her running for her life through the woods being chased by two wolves—both eager to claim her.
The Life She Had Before
Contemporary Romance
5429 words
A woman is torn between bitter revenge and the sweetness of a second chance.
Hi. My Name is Harold
Humor
3778 words
Is there light at the bottom of an empty peanut butter jar?
For Harold, giving up peanuts for medical reasons means the end of life's greatest pleasure…until his wife introduces him to all-natural peanut butter. But his addictive personality isn't satisfied with an occasional indulgence.
The Jewel of Grim Fortress
by Victoria Zac
Paranormal historical romance
7105 words
Eradicating wayward supernaturals has its consequences.
The hereafter may be closer than Carson Kincaid thinks when he is charged to discover what ails Laird Maclean’s mind. Can Kincaid conquer his inner demons while battling the armies of evil?
Paisley Shaw, a powerful druid, has endured her share of hardened times starting the moment Laird Maclean stormed into her life. Now, she must find a way to stop him from taking her powers before it’s too late.
Beautiful Storm,
by KyAnn Waters
Erotic romance
7073 words
*Contains extremely explicit sexual scenes that some readers may find offensive*
Adrian Beck lost everything, including his passion for designing beautiful buildings, after 9/11.
Isabelle Clemet, of Clemet Hotels, is ready to rebuild after Katrina. She wants the Adrian.
Can an erotic late-night encounter on a secluded beach help a lonely architect rediscover his lost passion?
When a Rose Blooms,
by Tarah Scott
Historical romance
4353 words
On the anniversary eve of his wife's death, Nathaniel kneels at her grave asking questions he fears were answered the night she died. Despite cold solitude, desire flares when he learns the woman who now haunts his dreams awaits him in the great hall. By morning’s light, she will meet him on the battlefield he has built around himself, and force him to choose between the living and the dead
Sorry for Your Trouble
Vignette
1913 words
Ceci shares poignant but sometimes funny memories of the first funeral she attended in Ireland.
The Personal Ad
Contemporary sweet romance
4211 words
Always the best friend and never the leading lady, will Nina find love when she answers a quirky, sweet personal ad?
Excerpt from: Tantalizing Tidbits … Short Story: The Summons - Paranormal Romance - By Ria Cantrell
By the time he could return to the comfortable flat he was renting, it would be late in the night, or rather; early in the morning and he would fall blissfully into bed with no energy left for dreams that left him aching and troubled. At least, that was his hope. He had to concentrate and stop his foolish reverie of something that was not real; that would never be reality--only--somehow, despite his rationalization of it, deep down he knew she was as real as he was. He shook his head again as if the movement of it would actually clear it and he thought to himself that he hadn’t even been drinking or for that matter, smoking anything to make the fantasy take on such a life of its own. He had to stop it. He was a grown man. He felt rather silly for putting so much onto a woman that was not even real.
~*~
She had seen him again. She did not know what it meant, but she knew that somehow, he was seeking her, too. He was not of her time; that she was certain, although the way he wore his hair was similar to the men she knew in her village. He was tall and handsome, but his eyes held a deep emptiness that she, herself understood all too well. The time for her to have been mated to a man had long passed as she had been called to care for her dying father. There was no room for courting in her world where her responsibilities pressed upon her like the weight of the standing stones.
Character Name: Ida Walsh, Aunt Ida to most who know me, whether we’re related or not.
Character Bio: Ida Walsh was born in the Newfoundland fishing village of Heart’s Ease in 1916. Never married (at least to most people’s recollection), she’s the matriarch of the town. Her wit and wisdom has brought many a couple through their foolishness and on to a happily ever after.
Describe yourself what is your worst and best quality?
Well now, I’m nearly a hundred, so I’m not going to be turning many heads, let me tell you that much. But I take good care of myself. I get a good perm every seven weeks, and I make sure to use a good blue shampoo at least a couple of times a month. Avon has a good one that I like. I’m not in bad shape for my age. Have to use a cane now, but it could be worse. I’m not rail thin, thanks be to God, but I also can eat whatever I want and not have it all stick to my ribs. I wish I were taller. But then again, I have many wishes after all these years.
What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?
Oh my sweetheart, after all these years if there’s something people don’t know about me, it’s because I’ve made sure to keep it to myself. I suppose though people might be surprised to find out that I hate it when people call me when I’m trying to watch my story. Is it too hard a thing to ask that no one call or drop by for a cuppa tea during the Young and the Restless?
What is your biggest secret something no one knows about?
There’s no flies on you, now is there. You’re a sly one. I like that in a young woman. But I’m not going to spill my guts to you, when I haven’t said a peep to anyone about it. Just be content to know that this old spinster hasn’t led a sheltered life. There’s a reason why I’m a grand matchmaker when I sets me mind to it.
What are you most afraid of?
At this point, dying. I want to make it to 100. We’ve a grand do in the works.
What do you want more than anything?
Let’s see, now. I went to Scotland last year. That was high on my list. I’ve met three of People Magazine’s most beautiful men. So there’s not a lot left that I want. No, the only thing left for me is to see a few of my nieces and nephews settled down. My nephew Will should be home soon. And I have a plan for him. Just you wait and see.
What is your relationship status?
Are you trying to kill me with these questions? Relationship status? What nonsense. I’ve no need of a relationship at this age. Men are too much trouble. Any man I’d find now would just want someone to wash their back and sweeten their tea. No my dear. If I were going to shack up with someone, it would have happened long before now.
How would you describe your sense of fashion?
If it doesn’t come from Sears, I’m not going to wear it. Long before the internet and shopping on TV, there was the Sears catalogue. It’s served me well most of my life. Far better than my childhood when we had to make our dresses.
How much of a rebel are you?
I’m not a rebel at all, no matter what Elsie or Jack or Ted might tell you. I’m strong willed. I have an opinion. But I’m not a rebel. And don’t you go fishing around about my past again. Because what I may have done in the 1930s or 40s, or 60s, or 80s is none of your concern.
What do you considered to be your greatest achievement?
Keeping myself happy and content all these years. And perfecting my bread recipe. There’s no one in this harbor that can bake a batch of bread as good as me. And don’t let old Dr. Nolan try and tell you otherwise.
What is your idea of happiness?
A good feed of fish and potatoes for supper, some warm bread and fresh butter, and the table filled with the people I love. Can’t get much better than that.
What is your current state of mind?
*Gasps for air* You’re a funny one. I’ve not got the dementia yet.
What is your most treasured possession?
My photo albums. And some old letters. Oh, and this patchwork cushion. I’ve been adding on to it since I was a girl.
What is your greatest regret?
You win points for persistence. Fine. I’ll tell you. Letting Harry get away. It was foolish of me. But it was another time and I was young and stupid. That’s all I’m saying. When I die, Elsie can tell the story. But until then, it’s mine to share. And I’ve said enough.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
I’ve always had a weakness for strong men. Not big and muscular, mind you. Just strong. He can be five foot four (still taller than me!) or six feet tall, I don’t care. But a man who works with his hands and is also strong in character has always left me a little breathless.
What is your motto?
Eat what you want. Go where you want. Love who you want.
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