Random "Author Interview" Questions: 

Q: Why short stories? 

Em: Sometimes short and to the point is all you need. Sometimes the story I see isn't more than 100 pages. Sometimes a short story is so full that it makes you stop and think. Sometimes all you have time for is a short story. I think short stories in addition to novels helps showcase an author's ability. 

 Q: What makes you decide to turn a short story into a novel?

Em: It's when I see the characters beyond the story they were originally in. The final 'longer read' in this short story collection was "One Hell of a Best Seller," which of course spun off into The Allegheny Chronicles: Veil Falls. It wasn't something I planned, it just happened. I know there is one or two more stories within this book that have great potential to become its own novel as well. I'll just have to see where it goes and how it gets there. 

Q: Which short story have you gotten the most feedback from?

Em: Fate Skips a Beat. I've heard all of these stories are good, some cause readers to pause after reading them because they can be deep or heavy and make you empathize. Terrors of the Moor I've heard makes people want more of that story, but Fate Skips a Beat holds a special place in readers minds and hearts. It is a dual reality story of a son who never got to know his parents, get to know his parents through his mother's diary. Parents were once young people too. It's a complex story, a lot happening, but combines so much in less than 100 pages. It hits people in ways they don't expect.

This book includes the following short stories, divided into shorter reads and longer reads.