|
We have published our first short story anthology!
Hawthorn Creek. Charming town. Friendly people. But everyone has a secret. Hawthorn Creek, Missouri is like many other small towns in the Midwest. The citizens are mostly friendly. Everyone knows each other. Gossip is exchanged at the usual gathering places. A local festival is a highlight of the year. However, upon closer examination, this little town has more than its share of secrets. A police chief strives to regain his honor. An elderly man overcomes his hatred of a neighborhood cat. A visiting TV production crew provokes vicious quarrels. An aging couple come to grips with their fading mental prowess. The only stoplight in town malfunctions, triggering unexpected chaos. A delightful collection of short stories, each as unique as its author. Some are touching and sweet. Some are filled with otherworldly surprises. Some involve treachery and danger. But all of them take place in Hawthorn Creek, a small town just like any other. Or is it? Get your Kindle or paperback copy here! |
The challenge: Create a fictional small town located in Missouri, add a few common characters that could appear in any or all of the stories, create a map of the town, with various businesses, and insert a single stoplight that doesn't always work right. Finally, each author will write a short story that takes place in the town and must involve some kind of secret.
The result: Hawthorn Creek: A Collection of Secrets.
The result: Hawthorn Creek: A Collection of Secrets.
|
Charlie Goodyear - Police Chief
Charlie is known for his sense of humor and his lackadaisical attitude toward his job. This little town has, in the past, had relatively little crime, and he has gotten used to having few serious problems to deal with. His wife’s name is Charlene Goodyear. She works at the police station (she does a bit of everything there) In his spare time, Charlie carves figurines out of wood. His figurines are all over town. Charlie took the police chief job at the age of thirty, in 1985. Charlie hopes to retire in two years. |
|
|
Eduardo Sanz - Police Officer
Eduardo is the only police officer other than Charlie. He has lived in this town all his life, and he has never wanted to go anywhere else. He has three older brothers and two older sisters, but they have all moved to other towns. His father has passed away, and his mother still lives in this town. Eduardo loves his job, and he loves talking to all the people. He takes the job very seriously (sometimes to a fault), and he sometimes gets frustrated with Charlie’s laid-back attitude about policing. Eduardo is sure he will become the police chief when Charlie retires. |
|
|
Virginia Moody - Mayor/Owner of Moody’s Bait & Tackle Shop:
Virginia is in her third term as mayor, mainly because no one else volunteered for the job. She owns and runs Moody’s Bait & Tackle, which also happens to be a meeting place where people often gather to visit. Virginia’s husband is named Kevin, but no one knows much about him. She never talked about him, and he never comes into the bait shop, even though the couple lives only three blocks away. No one even knows where he works, although they see him leave the house and drive out of town every morning and return in the evening. When people ask Virginia about him, her standard response is, “I’d tell you all about it, but then I’d have to kill you.” |
|
|
Marcy Oates - Beautician (owner of “Hairway to Heaven” beauty salon):
Marcy has owned Hairway to Heaven for 26 years. It’s been the only beauty salon in town for all those years, and Marcy is the only employee. Marcy loves classic rock music (especially Led Zeppelin), and she always has classic rock playing in her shop. She is unmarried and lives alone (she likes to say that she can hardly keep up with all her customers and would never have time for a bothersome husband and kids) Marcy knows all the latest gossip, and she is notorious for spreading rumors and factual gossip all the time to her customers. She is the go-to person for information about everyone in town, as well as past events. Marcy is often seen riding her pink scooter around town. |
|
|
Rusty Bartleby - Retired School Superintendent
Rusty retired 15 years ago from being Superintendent of the local school district (he was a high school English teacher before being Superintendent). For the last 11 years, Rusty has spent most of his time sitting in the local cafe, sitting at one of the two tables in the corner of the convenience store/gas station, hanging around the post office, and sitting at the table in the local bait shop. Why? Because these are places where he always has people to talk to. Everyone in town knows him, and he knows everyone. He’s a long-time member of the Rusty Zippers club—a loosely organized group of retired men who meet every morning at one of these locations to drink coffee and talk. Lots and lots of talking… that’s what Rusty loves to do. |
|
|
Willard Cuthbert - Postmaster
Willard is another person who knows all the gossip and latest news of the town. He is very talkative, and he engages every person who enters the post office in extensive conversation. He always knows when someone has interesting or unusual items in the mail. He knows most people’s anniversaries and birthdays just based on all the cards that they receive. Willard lives with his wife Ida Cuthbert in a house right behind the post office. Ida is an elementary teacher in the only school (K-12) in town. |
|
Get to know the town of Hawthorn Creek
(map created by Stephanie Flint)
(map created by Stephanie Flint)
Meet the Contributing Authors
(in the order their stories appear in the book)
(in the order their stories appear in the book)
|
R. M. KINDER
Story - Secrets on Dewberry Lane R. M. Kinder sees ballads in everyday life, in a bully who tosses a snake away in a sealed jar, a man who steals his neighbor’s hound to save it, and a woman who loves her children more than her pride. Villains and heroes, small braveries, and grand passions. She’s the author of An Absolute Gentleman (serial killer), The Universe Playing Strings (music community), and three award-winning collections of short fiction. Her most recent novel is A Cat for All Seasons, about Zeno, a beloved, beautiful, and neurotic cat. She collects Greek and Roman coins, musical instruments, and—for her work in progress, The Ghost Factor—ghost stories. Website: www.rmkinder.net Blog: www.rmkinder.wordpress.com |
|
|
LINDA K. THOMAS
Story - Behind Closed Doors Linda K. Thomas always envisioned she’d live in a little white house with a picket fence and a rose garden, but her husband had other ideas. As a result, she authored Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir, about her three years in South America, and Grandma’s Letters from Africa, about her first four years in Africa. Her work has also appeared in newspapers, magazines, and anthologies. In addition to speaking, she teaches the craft of writing memoirs to community and church groups and through her blog, Spiritual Memoirs 101. https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com |
|
|
STAN C. SMITH
Story - 418 Benton Street Stan’s secret formula? Create strange worlds filled with even stranger creatures. Drop in unsuspecting characters. Shake vigorously. The results are always fun—unless you’re a character in his worlds. Stan lives with his wife Trish deep in the Ozark Forest of Missouri, where creatures are more docile than those in his novels. His goal is to stimulate your sense of wonder, get your heart pounding, and keep you reading late into the night. His books are for anyone who loves adventure, discovery, and mind-bending surprises. Want a new short story every two weeks? Subscribe to Stan’s newsletter: http://www.stancsmith.com |
|
|
NORA WOLFENBARGER
Story - The Heart of Hawthorn Creek Nora Wolfenbarger is the author of the Blackbird series. She loves to write thrillers and mysteries where lives hang by a thread. Her plot of choice encourages readers to root for the underdog. When not dreaming up new challenges for a main character, she and her husband raise cattle in Missouri. They have a dog named Truman and a cat named Elvis. Her weakness is gooseberry pie, homemade of course. Follow Nora’s latest adventures on Goodreads, Twitter, and LinkedIn. |
|
|
WILLIAM SCHLICHTER
Story - Found in Hawthorn Creek William Schlichter is an award-winning screenwriter and author of science fiction and horror, who enjoys exploring the phantasmagorical world of the undead. Fan favorites include his popular No Room in Hell zombie series, SKA: Serial Killers Anonymous about a serial killer support group, and his fantasy noir Sirgrus Blackmane. His full-length feature script, Incinta, is a 2014 New Orleans Horror Film Festival finalist, while his TV spec script episode of The Walking Dead placed third in the 2013 Broadcast Education Association National Festival of Media Arts. When not writing, William enjoys spending time on the convention circuit, and teaching acting, composition, and creative writing. https://sandmenandzombies.com |
|
|
R. A. WESLEY
Story - Sweetened Secrets R. A. Wesley was first published in 1993, if you count when the local newspaper ran kids’ scary stories during October. She grew up an Air Force brat but spent most of her time in Utah. Rachel has a wandering spirit and traveled to places like Thailand, Spain, England and even worked on a cruise ship. She is now settled in the Midwest with her hilarious husband and two sassy kids. When she isn’t narrating books to her kids, she can be seen with one earbud in, catching up on audiobooks. Tell her what she should read next at https://www.instagram.com/r.a.wesley Or email: [email protected] |
|
|
JASON MEUSCHKE
Story - The Tourist Trap Native Missourian and U.S. Air Force veteran, Jason writes thrillers in a variety of sub-genres. His first book, a paranormal mystery, Nine-Mile Bridge, was released in 2018. A Novel Idea came out in 2020 and is a psychological crime story. Jason has been world-building in his first series, which he labels as “retro-eighties sci-fi” called The Bandit Chronicles. Book one, Bandit Rising, was released in 2021 with book two coming soon. Jason also hosts The Sample Chapter Podcast, a weekly show where he interviews authors from around the world. Links for Jason’s books and show are at: https://www.jasonameuschke.com |
|
|
DAN BRIGMAN
Story - The Unification of Iris Wilks Dan has lived in Missouri his entire life and resides near the town of Knob Noster. Fantasy and science fiction are his focus, yet he’s published in the field of history. He loves writing stories which speak to humanity's essential relationship with nature. In his books, Dan uses magic, technology, and intellect to overcome challenges, unite devastated nations, or to restore separated families. When he’s not writing he serves as a park superintendent and teaches martial arts. Find more about Dan at https://www.danbrigman.com, @brigmanauthor on Twitter, or on Facebook. |
|
|
DAVE SWANZ
Story - Breath of Life Dave Swanz writes screenplays and short stories that start off innocent enough but then ask “What if?” He then races down that path to find out. Dave’s latest short story The Breath of Life follows a post-doc archaeology student back in his childhood hometown, who experiments with a drone and LiDAR system, only to find an unexpected evil. Dave grew up in Northeast South Dakota. He and his wife Anna, together with their rambunctious puppies, now live in Missouri. |
|
|
G. A. EDWARDS
Story - Honorable Assignment G. A. Edwards answered the question of how to spend her time after retiring as an English teacher and records clerk at the local police station. Now, she’s all about writing gritty contemporary thrillers with teen heroes navigating small-town living, the usual challenges of high school, and the not-so-usual problems of a killer or two on the loose in her Madison Murders series. A voracious reader of many genres, she loves to spread the joys of literature one word at a time by writing, editing, presenting, and promoting writing groups. |
|
|
SCOTT UMPHREY
Story - Breaking Up is Hard to Do Scott Umphrey, a writer of memoirs and short stories, grew up on Missouri’s rivers, lakes, and streams. He loves sharing his mostly true anecdotes with listeners and readers who relate to his everyday experiences turned into laugh-out-loud stories. He has held many audiences spellbound at open mics and readings. In his spare time, he enjoys boating, playing guitar, and researching the Civil War. He lives with his wife and music performing partner, Kathy, in West Central Missouri where they play local concerts. |
|
|
JACK “MILES” VENTIMIGLIA
Story - The Superintendent Jack “Miles” Ventimiglia, M.A., says reality informs his fantasy and non-fiction writing. During his Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame career, he interviewed murderers and survivors, talked on scene with disaster victims, and made politicians left and right boo-hoo over facts, rather than revel in their own spin. Among other life experiences are high school dropout, carnival game clerk, barge hand, natural gas roughneck, and college journalism instructor. The author of Jesse James in the County of Clay, Ventimiglia lives in Warrensburg, Missouri, with his wife, son, daughter via Messenger, mutt, four computers and hundreds of books. |
|
|
ARIA LANGRIM
Story - Ripples in Time Aria Langrim believes most stories would be better with a few more dragons, and that poetry is an inevitability of human language. Growing up pre-internet, she fell in love with her parents’ fairy tale and poetry books. When not writing, Aria can be found working her it-pays-the-bills day job, reading, making art, or napping. She dreams of one day owning a fiber farm, including animals like silk moths, angora bunnies, and sheep. Aria is a mid-Missouri author living with one of her besties and more books than she has space for. Aria’s Website: https://aria-langrim.weebly.com |
|
|
STEPHANIE FLINT
Story - Red Light, Green Light Stephanie Flint (she/her) loves reading and writing stories about sprawling worlds, uprooting oppressive societies, and awesome LGBTQ+ characters. When not writing, she creates digital 3D art, builds skybridges in Minecraft, and plays table-top games with her husband (who makes sure she doesn't break their story universes with one-too-many shiny new magic systems). Originally from Missouri, she graduated with a degree in photography and creative writing from UCM before moving to the snowy Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Find Stephanie on her blog (stephanieflintbooks.com) and on Twitter (@SBibbPhoto), and subscribe to her newsletter for a free short story (infinitaspublishing.com). |
|
A few fun images of Hawthorn Creek: A Collection of Secrets
(feel free to share in email, website, or social media... we appreciate the support!)
(feel free to share in email, website, or social media... we appreciate the support!)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
