Merton G. Yahn explores the world of short stories by introducing his readers to various story lines and taking them on a rollercoaster ride of emotions without insulting the intelligence with graphic vulgarity or explicit sex. No two stories are alike and the individual endings may be more of a surprise than one might expect. All of his short stories were written in the here and now with completely believable characters that may cause his readers, both young and old, to reflect on memories of their own past. Included are the dreams of some, the judgments of others, the disoriented life after the death of loved ones, and so much more.

Once she was a princess who smelled of roses and pure delight. Her parents named their new treasure Maysam, in order to reflect all of life's beautiful virtues. With her rich brown eyes, she came to know the world as shapes and sounds. In her mother's sweet voice, she heard only love-and the secret of bliss: "Smile, sweetheart. Smile always and bring happiness to nice people's hearts." Her young life is one without trouble or fear-until things turn upside down as her country is rattled by financial crisis, forcing young Maysam and her family to move in with her grandmother. In that angry household, the young girl learns some of life's more unpleasant lessons. Years pass, and poor Maysam grows into a young, unsociable, and forgotten lady. She struggles to reconnect with the joyful and optimistic child she once was, as the burden of finding her own way in a culture that cannot see the beauty within her wears her down. Lonely, sad, and depressed, she is lost in her own troubles. To protect herself, she builds internal walls around her pain, resigning herself to a fate in which she merely exists, instead of lives. But the joyful child inside refuses to accept this new self-imposed destiny. She vows to find a way to harness the happiness she sees around her. Can Maysam recapture the dreams of her innocent childhood in time to save her life and self-esteem?

Pulp Graffiti is a fresh and humorous combination of karma, the butterfly effect, and chaos theory that will compel you to ask, Would the dancing virgin have jumped off the bridge if Roger hadn't farted. Better yet, what would have been the consequences of Cherry Sue Brown keeping her panties on instead of ending up wearing Cheryl Thompson's panties with the three-girl, four-boy, multipartner DNA collection on them? This comic tragedy of Cherry Sue's fall combines with the tragic comedy of Billy Gale's less-than-immaculate conception to explain why bad things happen to good people. Billy Gale just wants to know who his father is. His innocent search and consequential visit with Michael Bell, jolts this old flame of his late mother into a sudden midlife crisis that leads to a memory lane expose of the me generation and an old-world quest for the missing something more Michael later wishes he had less of. of others, is the common thread in fifteen connected vignettes of Pulp Graffiti that examine the intertwined lives of a dozen abnormally socially maladjusted young people living in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

In this sparkling collection, award-winning writer Rishi Reddi weaves a multigenerational tapestry of interconnected lives, depicting members of an Indian American community struggling to balance the demands of tradition with the allure of Western life.

In "Lord Krishna," a teenager is offended when his evangelical history teacher likens the Hindu deity to Satan, but ultimately forgives the teacher against his father's wishes. In the title story, "Karma," an unemployed professor rescues birds in downtown Boston after his wealthy brother kicks him out of his home. In "Justice Shiva Ram Murthy," which appeared in The Best American Short Stories 2005, an irascible retired judge reconnects with a childhood friend while adjusting to a new life with his daughter and her American husband. In "Devadasi," a beautiful young woman raised in the United States travels back to India and challenges the sexual confines of her culture. And in "Bangles," a widow decides to return to her native village to flee her son's off-putting American ways.

Set mostly in the Boston area, with side trips to an isolated immigrant community in Wichita, Kansas, and the characters' hometown of Hyderabad, India, Karma and Other Stories introduces a luminous new voice.

From the moral dilemmas of an ordinary soldier to a man's infatuation with a past love, "Tales for Sale," a collection of fifteen thought-provoking short stories, will touch your deepest emotions.

""No Honor Killing"" tells of a conflicted soldier who thinks hard about what he hears from his colonel: that there is honor in the executions that his men carry out as long as they dress in full uniform. But when the men are asked to kill their own drummer, they must decide whether to follow orders.

In ""Stations"," a man still enthralled by the scent of a past lover must decide whether to take her back when he hears from her for the first time in seven years.

""Possibly Cursed Mirror"" tells the story of a new homeowner who is desperate to give away a mirror that someone left at his home. The previous owner put it in a corner where no one could ever possibly stand directly in front of it. But the mirror has been moved.

Matthew O'Malley delivers a compelling collection that runs the gamut of emotions from funny and sad to scary and light-hearted. Get ready for the unusual!