On the evening of December 3rd, 1957, seven year old Maria Ridulph and her eight year old friend, Kathy Sigman, were playing in the new fallen snow on a street corner in the sleepy town of Sycamore, Illinois. A stranger approached the girls, introduced himself as "Johnny" and offered them piggyback rides. When Kathy Sigman ran home to get her mittens, she left Maria and Johnny behind on the street corner. Little did she know that she would be the last person to see Maria Ridulph alive. The FBI was called in and the search for Maria and her kidnapper caught the nation's attention. President...

Embrace the Rebellion Robyn Swift is in over her head. The little swallow may have made a rash decision when she delivered a deadly royal decree to Lord Alfred Owl instead of the commander of Green Dell Forest's military barracks. The decree sparks a rebellion in the Kingdom of Aviara and Robyn is appointed as a special envoy to recruit allies for the outmatched rebels. Now she must embark on a quest she feels ill equipped to undertake. Now Robyn finds herself an outlaw hunted by a cruel prince and his pet assassin, asked to carry out a mission that requires her to cross a vast poisonous...

Do you like stories with a twist? Stories that run just a little different? Odd Tales is full of little twists and unusual stories. Fans of the supernatural and the weird will find this anthology to be just what they are looking for. Ghosts, skeletons, fey creatures, haunted guitars, and even time travel have their places in this collection of short stories from the wonderfully warped mind of Jeffrey Dean Doty.

An insightful little handbook for writers who are true students of the craft of fiction. Author Jeffrey Dean Doty shares simple and direct thoughts on everything from the art of description to mythic structure. Doty brings to each page his experience as a journalist, editor, published author, and over fifteen years as a writing mentor and teacher of writers' workshops. Learn about the all-important Dream State, and how to evoke it in your readers. Discover the importance of using all five senses in your writing. Gain an understanding of making each story uniquely your own. More than just...

Within the short stories of this powerful anthology, author Jeffrey Dean Doty explores the beautiful and tragic moments that flow through lives of ordinary people. The result is anything but ordinary. "What I love most about a Jeffery Dean Doty story is the way he brings you to the point of feeling his emotions within the words, but then draws back and allows the reader to make their own conclusions. Doty has a wonderful mastery of the short story, humble yet concise." - Nance Bulow-Morgan, author of Legend Destiny. "Doty masterfully uses lean dialogue to develop character and plot." - James...