The “Woodcliff Anthology” is a varied collection of short stories introducing you to people who are familiar and a little unusual. Each of the settings are familiar to all of us: busy city streets, a real-estate office, a cabin in the woods, or a courtroom. The stories explore life’s big questions, including the courage to defend innocence, personal freedom, the meaning of justice, life after death, the power of forgiveness, the misuse of gifts, and the interventions of angels. As two reviewers have declared, the anthology is a modern-day Aesop’s Fables; each story will leave you with something to consider.
Grab a cup of coffee, settle into your favorite chair, and tune out the world as you wander through the lives of people facing life-changing decisions and making amazing discoveries about themselves.
Each of us have times when routines lull us into thinking we are not particularly amazing. Commuting to work, washing dishes, mowing the lawn, or cleaning up after the dogs may not seem like the activities of the most complex and exciting life force in the universe; yet, they are and sometimes we need a quick reminder about who we are and that what we do in an ordinary day is extraordinary.
Each story makes a great dinner conversation or a very stimulating discussion for a book club or a classroom.
The Woodcliff Anthology is a collection of metaphysical short stories introducing you to people who are familiar and a little unusual. The stories explore life’s big questions, including the courage to defend innocence, personal freedom, the meaning of justice, life after death, the power of forgiveness, the misuse of gifts, and the interventions of angels. Each story will leave you with something to consider.
In "Wishing for Secrets," a young boy’s desire to know more, drives him on a quest to learn life's secrets. He is tired of conversations stopping when he enters a room and he wants to be treated as a full member of the family. With his birthday just days away, he begins a mystical journey into the realm of answers for some of life’s biggest questions.
In "Jewel’s Unexpected Friends," we meet a girl living in an isolated area; her mom died when she was a small child. Her father, a cruel and bitter man, spends his life drinking. After learning wolves are nearby, Jewel becomes concerned for a stray dog and her newborn puppies. She promises to protect them from the wolves, even if her heartless father beats her. Sometimes unexpected friends make our lives better.
In "Miss Elaine’s Rescue," the Macphersons hire a woman to care for their daughter. The woman is the perfect nanny. She taught school and she has a deep understanding of the challenges of parenting. She accepts the position for very little pay; however, she has a secret reason for caring for this baby. Elaine is special in ways that will surprise her parents. Who will rescue her and insure her promising future?
In "Justice for Patricia," a gang-banger robs and assaults a woman, and threatens to kill her if she reports him. Summoning her courage, she files a report. As the months pass, her fear evolves into an all-consuming rage and all she wants is revenge. The police have done nothing, so when she learns it is possible to make things right, she begins her life-changing quest for revenge by going to a pawnshop to buy a gun.
In "The Last Bet," we meet Chuck Greystone, one of the world's greatest golfers. At the top of his career, he commanded millions of dollars in endorsements. Unfortunately, booze, gambling, and despair destroyed his game and ushered him on his descent to skid row. One evening, an attorney finds him in a street mission and offers him the bet of his life. Will he win the bet or is loosing his best option?
In "The Final Defense," a judge, a jury, and an accused man assemble in a courtroom. His victims describe stalking, beatings, and cruelties that move the jury to tears. The accused man does not recognize his victims. It's a dream a nightmare; yet, he can’t wake up. His attorney begs him to try to remember—he must do something to help in his defense or all will be lost.
What could a psychic do for a politician? Senator and Mrs. LeGrand want the Whitehouse. The "Mystic’s Help" is their story of how they find the woman who can make that dream come true. She looks homeless, just some old lady begging for change; however, she knows their future and her prediction rattles the senator’s skepticism. They hire her to help arrange for the senator’s rise to the pinnacle of US politics.
What is the perfect day? In "The Arrangements," Jeff learns he has only a few more months to live. He has built a successful real estate business and now everything seems meaningless until an older man enters his office claiming there has been a mix-up at the deli and they must have swapped sandwiches. This mistake leads Jeff on a journey of re-evaluating his life and his ideas about the perfect day.
© 2012, Ten Par Inc, All rights reserved
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