Garnet Smith was an experienced Marine when he was transferred to 48 Commando. His statuesque figure and shock of red hair made him quite obvious in any military parade, so his hair was kept short and hidden under his green marine beret. Otherwise he had performed well when deployed around Britain’s shores. He had picked up a Scottish accent from living in Faslane, and was comfortable protecting nuclear facilities as part of 43 Commando.

“Man! I’m bushed.” Tessa flops down onto the couch of the tour bus they have been traveling around in.

“I know what you mean. Between these state fairs, clubs, and bars we have been playing at are taking a toll on me.” Daisy flops down next to Tessa on the sofa.

Nagisa comes walking in with a slight sunburn. She forgot to cover herself in their hurry to get ready for practice and play. She grabs a cold flavored bottle of water from their cooler and presses it against her forehead.

Myranda Whitmore: a woman in her mid-thirties, forged of unyielding authority and raw strength. She's the ultimate manipulator—the type no one dares refuse. No one, except her son, Eric Whitmore. At 13, he mirrors her commanding gaze and unblinking resolve, yet tempers it with a sympathy and kindness forever beyond her grasp.

The traffic was still awful in London, even with half the population gone. I swore as I tried to change lanes to turn off the dual carriageway. The asshole who shot into the gap from behind put his hand out the window and mimed the wanker sign. Then, when he saw my face and my long blond hair, he almost crashed into the car in front. He gaped at me. Seeing a woman was so rare nowadays, it often had that effect on men.

Uncle Ben Is Coming to Stay
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

“Now you met him last night and he is clearly comfortable around you, so he will be coming to stay with us … he is moving in tomorrow.” The face had a look of determination. Argument was pointless and potentially damaging. “I have told you that there would be changes around here and you will just need to get used to it, son!”

Uncle Ben Is Coming to Stay
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

“Now you met him last night and he is clearly comfortable around you, so he will be coming to stay with us … he is moving in tomorrow.” The face had a look of determination. Argument was pointless and potentially damaging. “I have told you that there would be changes around here and you will just need to get used to it, son!”

Jason stole a glance at the ornate clock perched on the nightstand, its hands ticking steadily away the moments. Vanessa would be gone for at least three hours—ample time to indulge in what he had been yearning for. The house enveloped him in a tranquil hush, the silence wrapping around him like a luxurious cocoon. His heart raced with a blend of excitement and nervousness as he stepped softly across the plush carpet, making his way toward the sanctuary of their bedroom closet.

LISA’S DREAM

By Susan Heywood

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Robert Pemberton answers an advertisement in a contact magazine. The resulting changes to his life are the stuff of dreams.

Chapter One – Tribes

Transgender teen Alexandra Plessy moves to Masons Peak to complete her senior year and escape the growing social climate of discrimination and harassment in her previous school. She keeps her identity secret and has to navigate the challenges of being 'the new kid'. She piques the interest of 'The Karens', three middleclass, self-centered, overly entitled bullies who are determined to put her in her place.

Two lonely high school students walk parallel paths.  One, impoverished and losing hope, yearns desperately to become their authentic self. The other, wealthy and the victim of unfathomable manipulation, resists changing to something they never wanted to be. Can these two, meeting amidst the clatter and chatter of the school cafeteria, find connection? Can they embrace their fractured selves and each other and then become whole? Or will a duplicitous villainess, in the guise of a loving mother, destroy their fragile hope and leave them living a miserable, incomplete existence?