Inspired to write a short story every month of the year, Michael Ruiz imagines a wide variety of fiction filled with romance, ambiguity, and humor: a dream for the perfect job; a blind date with the ultimate test; a boyfriend who cheats on his girlfriend; the first thoughts in a kiss; a pirate captain and his wife discovering a cursed ring; a jury deliberation - in space; a final kiss that says it all; an eighteenth birthday celebration for two; a student struggling through summer school; a sibling rivalry set for a week; a restaurant bill that never lies; an Internet video meant for millions; and a hero who must defeat another villain to restore order to the Ninja. The 2013 Short Story Collection includes thirteen stories that were released that year.