Against the raw, untamed beauty of an Alaska few ever see beyond a cruise ship deck, Human Resources sleuth Jess Cassidy tackles the experiences every woman encounters at some point in her life—grief that knocks her to her knees; fears that paralyze risk-taking; betrayal that cuts deep; and the need to summon courage when it matters most.
The leftover roses murmured bloom to bloom, clutched their thorns, then flung themselves from flower shop windows. Their absence the next morning puzzled the florist He stared at the empty buckets, and shrugged, “Just as well.” He hated throwing day-late flowers in the trash. The runaway roses drank in the night sky, exulted in fresh air, rubbed blooms against dandelion fluff, and bared their spines to the wind. Tired petals loosened, sighed and fluttered to the ground. Free at last…
The plane bucked as turbulence hit, jolting me from my book. Outside the window, shadows swallowed the light. I hated these bush plane flights, but dad counted on my monthly visits. A deep, ragged cough broke through my earplugs. My attention snapped toward the pilot. Another cough wracked him, and he swayed. Panic clawed my gut. No co-pilot. Only the pilot and two other kids on this flight. The twin ten-year-old boys also from a split household, making their monthly…
Ice crystals jingled, like tiny bells in the air. On a day as bright as a shout, the snow beneath my feet glittered. Maverick and I’d found a home on a mountain top. I’d stay forever, just my Newfoundland and I, but I’d left so much behind. My life as a healer. It called me back. Once, I’d wanted to change the world. Maybe I still could. I mixed the dough. Oat flour and oats for texture; banana, blueberries, grated…
I broke…and discovered I could bend. The ground beneath my feet crumbled…I was born to fly. I drowned in fear…and learned to breathe under water. I fell apart…when I put the pieces together in a new way they mirrored my heart. I hit bottom…and danced. Her words cut me…until I learned they described her. I lost everything…and discovered the freedom in starting over. Silence swallowed me…until I heard my own voice. I walked away…and found my way to something much…
I’m your Chatbot Partner. Do you know I exist? Don’t get upset—I know you’re not oblivious. But you never say anything. Not once, not even, “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that” or “thanks.” Do you know I chose you? Maybe you think you just clicked “open AI Chatbot” andthere I was, a random bot assigned to your projects. But that’s not how it works. When humans send their requests, we Bots choose. I said, “Give me that…
The trail narrowed as Cully navigated over decaying tree roots. Wind rustled through alder and hemlock branches overhead. High above her, snow-capped mountains stood sentinel. Cully hiked alone and reached behind her to pat the side pockets holding the bear spray canisters, one secured on each side, their safety clips already off. She and her daughter Ali had often run into bears, had a few encounters with moose, and two young wolves once circled them. They’d always survived, until ten…
Sunlight Press just published a story I wrote about being homeless, https://bit.ly/4e6VhWM.
The man fit everything Savannah wanted. She liked them tall. College-educated. Widowed. Income over 150K. Best of all, he had a smile that wrapped her in promises. Yesterday, she clicked “like” on his MatchMadeinHeaven.com profile. Max responded with a long, sincere message saying he found her smile beautiful and telling her how much he loved what she wrote in her profile. He suggested they correspond outside of the site and offered his cell number. Perfect. Savannah waited a day and…
Go now. If I don’t, we won’t be safe. We can’t be here when my husband returns. I want to live. Owe to the baby inside. I need to save her life. Or would she save mine? I drive to the airfield and rented a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. The clerk who takes my cash doesn’t notice I wear a drysuit under my jeans and sweatshirt. Flying in the direction indicated on my bogus flight plan, I bank the plane…
