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Fiction Section
The Art of Tea Making, Part II
The Lesson – In the second installment of the four-part novella, Arlinda continues her story of how she learned the “art of tea making,” and the lessons she must now be brave enough to share.
The Art of Tea Making, Part I
Arlinda has been making tea the way her grandmother taught her for more than forty years, first at the farm where she grew up and now in her shop, The Tea Cozy. This four-part novella begins this month with Part I: There’s Always Something Brewing at the Tea Cozy.
Big Orange Heart
A little girl, her favorite teacher, and a fall bulletin board display create a special moment for both, and a lesson about learning and letting go.
Stacie Claims Her Story
House-sitting for her sister and brother-in-law, Stacie tries on a new life and claims her passion for writing-no matter what the outcome.
Intuition Re-Vox
A woman stumbles and lands face first in a reminder of the faith she lost-not the punitive religion of her childhood, but a loving presence that invites her to grasp the life she may be losing, in this powerful short story by Jan Colvin.
Cottage Nights
A summer home that stood empty for too long finally awakens as Ella and her husband make a trip for a week, recalling sweet times of the past and the possibility of a life meant for two.
Summer of Seventy-Two
In this short story of childhood and remembrance, Rose is caught in the in-between time, wishing she could hurry and grow up and yet remain a child a little longer.
Sailing On
As sweet as a summer day, this short story by Louise Caiola tells of young love that is never quite forgotten—even when time passes and a young woman sails on.
Sweet As a Peach
A warm June day takes Virginia out of the deep groove of her routine, discovering the promise of life, friendship, and companionship.
Had to Be There
The invitation to the wedding on the beach was as over-the-top as his brother, but Craig soon discovers he has to attend for reasons that have nothing to do with obligation.
From Mother to Daughter
For Lydia and Janet, a four-day visit begins with both mother and daughter trying too hard to avoid the emotional fireworks that erupt in their relationship.
The Box
In the midst of a too-busy Saturday, a box arrives that takes Mary Jo back to her childhood to the laughing, adventurous girl she once was.
A Garden Awakens
For Melissa, the first warm day of spring, when her fingers itch to dig in the soil, brings a knowing of all the changes happening within and around her.
Spring Cleaning
There’s more to the annual cleanup than the usual chores, as Jan discovers. Old resentment and long-ago disappointments need airing in this humorous short story of growing older, looking back, and family life.
When the Smoke Clears
A recurring dream of the funeral for her firefighter father awakens Mia at 4:22 am. The meaning is unclear until a chance meeting in an unlikely place, in this short story by Louise Caiola.
Parrot Lane Part III
The time has come for Meg to leave Maui and return to her home in Minneapolis, in this final segment of the three-part novella; but not before having two more adventures that remind her of who she is and how can access the love that never dies.
March Winds
March is a time of drips and puddles and warm winds that unlock winter’s hold. For Rose, Jeff, and Bobby, a backyard adventure on a Saturday long ago captures the time of change and how children grow.
The Plastic Wallet
It is the 1940s in South Georgia. In this emotionally powerful story by Gracie Chandler, innocent play turns edgy, with names called and a chase across a line that eight-year-old Leona knows better than to cross, where African-American children are not welcome and where she endures the first ugly slap of racism.
Parrot Lane Part II
In her second week as guest at her friend’s house on Maui, Meg is in an emotional tug-of-war between disloyalty for enjoying life six months after her husband’s death and the growing realization that in moments of happiness she feels closest to him.
The Color Perfect
A mother, a daughter, and box of crayons yield a beautiful short story by Louise Caiola about the nature of love—messy and imperfect.
Not Exactly a Love Story
Gabriella’s carved-in-stone routine is upset one day by a series of small events that leave her with the realization that her life is filled with more possibilities than she ever imagined.
Parrot Lane I
After the death of her husband, Meg Connolly ponders an invitation from an old nursing school friend who now lives in Maui. In the first installment of this three-part novella, Meg experiences the enduring power of love and the restorative healing of friendship.
Wishes and Stars
Making an impulsive visit to see her older sisters who long ago had been like second mothers to her, Pru learns the balance of separating and connecting.
From Neighbors to Friends
Over the years many people have come and gone from The Courtyard, but for long-time resident Maeve McGeddigan and Eddie Smith the doorman, the newest resident has all the makings of being more than a neighbor.
Christmas Knots and Tangles
Life seems to be one big mess this year for Jake and his family, as complicated as the tangled Christmas lights in the bottom of the box of decorations.
The Sound of Snowflakes
For six-year-old Billy, the world is silent as snowflakes unless his mother’s wish for him somehow comes true, in this enchanting short story by Louise Caiola.
Ode to Joy
Fans of Lucy-Lucy’s Hard Luck Café, (printed in the first issue) will welcome back Lucy, Danny, and Irene, as they get ready for Christmas and for Lucy a nerve-wracking visit from her daughter, Joy.
The Sled
Jeff, a business consultant who travels constantly, practically lives in airports these days, until two youngsters hijack his concentration, taking him back to another time and a story told by his grandfather.
Thanks, Forgiving
As Thanksgiving dinner is prepared, old hurts and resentment boil over into conflicts that have nothing to do with the wrong type of squash or the placement of the table.
Solving Cidney
Nothing is easily explained for Cidney Green not her name, not her convention-phobic mother, not the elderly man in the nursing home who believes she is his long-dead daughter. In this short story by Louise Caiola, Cidney learns some things don’t need to be solved.
A Matter of Trust
For Janet, a single, working mother of two teenage daughters, the world is an unpredictable place where just about anything can go wrong at any moment, until she learns exactly what it means to trust.
As Long As There Is Music
Ellie lives in a house that’s too big for one person, especially a widow in her 80s. But memories fill the house that her husband built, allowing her to slip back to a time of youth, laughter, and music.
The Women at the Well
The Samaritan woman was an outcast, reviled by everyone, except the man who asked her for a drink at the well and made her feel differently about herself. Two thousand years later, a young woman stops at a well of sorts and meets a stranger who helps her see she has other choices.
Benediction in a Coffee Cup
Gracie works the counter like a captain on the bridge, making sure the commuters get their coffee in time to make the train with a little kindness to go.
Woman, Facing the Sea
Sorting through her father’s possessions as her mother prepares to move out of the family home, Mary Margaret learns the secret of one of her father’s paintings and the legacy given to her years after his death.
Sympathetic Vibration
A blood-red perfume vial, a saucy little teacup, a brass candlesnuffer…the items in the vintage and antique store where Angela works evoke images and sensations that ease the painful memories of her austere childhood.
Magdalena’s Book of Life - Part III
In the final segment of this three-part novella, Augusta and Savannah seek more clues about their mother’s life even as they sort through their own.
Letting Go
On a business trip to California, Diane is lured by the ocean and a pure stretch of beach away from routine and responsibility to learn lessons about life and letting go.
Magdalena’s Book of Life - Part II
In the second part of this three-part novella, as Augusta and Savannah deal with the shocking knowledge of their mother’s past, they grieve personal losses and contemplate the ties remain between them.
Socks: The simplest of tasks
folding laundry and putting the socks in pairs becomes an impromptu moment of family connection.
The Tie That Binds
In this short story by Louise Caiola of New York, a daughter gives her father a necktie for his birthday, a present that a blue-collar man wouldn’t have much use for except on the most important occasions.
Magdalena’s Book of Life, Part I
In the first part of a new three-part novella, Augusta and Savannah—daughters of the local legend, Maggie Louise Gates, discover a shocking secret about their mother’s past that challenges their images of her and of themselves.
The Dream
A recurring dream plunges Carol into the past, confronting lost love, broken promises, and shattered illusions.
Possessions
As Sarah packs up the dishes, glasses, mismatched plates, and teacups from her china closet in preparation for a move, she ponders what we accumulate and why.
Resurrection Hope
From giving up candy bars and gum for Lent to the promise of chocolate rabbits and marshmallow chicks, three children contemplate the symbols around them, divining for themselves a deeper meaning of death and resurrection.
In the Garden
Working beside her mother in the garden, a teenaged daughter learns about life and how to think outside the crisp corners of questions with easy answers.
The Legendary Storyteller Sisters Part III
In the third and final part of the story, Kate Conrad comes to the crossroads of her destiny and learns a powerful lesson of how each of us is the fulfillment of another’s story.
Knights of the Forest
A family wedding brings Gillian back to her hometown with her husband and son, rekindling memories of a long-ago summer and a story that remained untold.
The Legendary Storyteller Sisters Part II
The saga of Bess and Lillian, “The Sisters” who have made their living for eighty years telling people the stories of their lives, and their distant cousin, Kate Conrad continues. Emboldened by The Sisters’ vision for her life, Kate takes a leap, for the right reasons and a few of the wrong ones.
Winter Wonderment
A car goes off a country road in a ditch in the midst of a blinding Midwest snowstorm, and a secluded farmhouse becomes a beacon of warmth, safety, and the remembrance of a simpler way of life, in this story by “Fargo Emerson,” the nom de plum of Illinois writer Michael Snowden.
Nobody Called Him Robbie Anymore
Robert Evans may be a success, but images of the skinny, sickly boy—overshadowed by a protective big sister—still nag him.
The Legendary Storyteller Sisters Part I
The publication of Kate Conrad’s first novel brings her to the attention of two eccentric older relatives—The Sisters—who have made their living for the past eighty years by telling people the stories of their lives. In Part I of this three-part story, Kate reluctantly visits them and gets a dose of their uncanny wisdom into the life she’s been avoiding, and the one she might have.
An Imperfect Christmas
No matter now shining and bright past holidays seem, they were not perfect nor will they ever be.
Winter Tracks
After a heavy snowfall, three children on an outdoor adventure get a glimpse of the world that exists without humans.
Why Geese Don’t Fly
When family tragedy uproots Joshua from California to a small Wisconsin town, his grandfather offers wisdom and connection.
Fantasy Life
Jan was only going to the store, but $163.47 in groceries later, thoughts of another life tugged at her heart.
The Feast
When the blank page of her calendar confronts Susan, she decides impulsively to throw a dinner party, which becomes a celebration of just how rich her life can truly become.
Jonah's Hymn
Fearfully aware of the tragedies of life, Jonah learns to hope again in this moving story of emotional darkness and redemption by featured author, Peter Grandbois. (See the interview with Peter Grandbois under Author Interviews)
Youth Revisited
A farm, now abandoned, becomes alive again the memory of a traveler, in this tale by "Fargo Emerson", who muses on the West and the past.
Slipping Through Time
What if we could slip past the rubbery boundaries of time and catch a glimpse of ourselves in the future? In this short story, a "time traveler" says she's done exactly that, which has given her a perspective on now.
The Locket
Not everything that appears to be lost is meant to be found, as Sarah finds out in this mysterious short story of love and sorrow, grief and forgiveness.
Looking for Signs
As Lucy Delvecchio of Lucy's Cafe discovers, when we look for meaning and guidance, or are in need of a little divine intervention, there are signs to guide us--if we are willing to look for them.
Lost Treasures
Stan's job at the library is to fix what's broken and to retrieve what has been returned, but his true calling is finding lost treasures.
Lucy Lucy
Tells the story of a woman whose deep desire is to make her diner – and her life – her own
The Smell of Onions
A tribute to the author’s father, the story captures a precious father-daughter moment that defined a relationship
Saint Whoever
A whimsical story that asks the question, when we pray, who listens—and what gets answered
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