Paul Mark Tag has showcased his knack for storytelling in his two thrillers, "Category 5" and "Prophecy." Before these novels, he honed his skills by writing short stories. Here are fourteen of his favorites. This collection starts with the humorous "The Curious Miss Crabtree," in which two boys receive orders from their mother to deliver Christmas cookies to a scary neighbor. In "Mary's Secret," six-year-old Mary has two girlfriends who visit at night. Are they real or imaginary? In "A Matter of Honor," an immigrant finally accepts the heritage that he has been hiding from. "Double Exposure," a mystery, spotlights the curiosity and resolve of a spunky teenage girl: "As a child-and especially as a teenage girl-I was told I was too smart for my own good. During the summer of 1963, I proved them all wrong." And published in the online magazine "storybytes.com," "The Long Walk Home" is a "short-short," only 128 words long.
Most of these stories will warm your heart; two or three will keep you on the edge of your seat; a few will make you cry. And the last of these, "The Errant Ricochet: Max Raeburn's Legacy," will make you do all three.