What will it take to guard her dearest treasure?

Blenwyn Osheen is no stranger to hard work and trouble, but the children's fascination with their father's anxious forebodings is a problem she doesn't know how to solve. And so is the kind surgeon who insists on treating her like an equal instead of a servant.

When a particularly disastrous day rocks their world, is there anything Blenwyn can do to protect the family she loves as her own? Can she somehow stop the children's headlong rush into danger? And when a hand is reached out to help her, will she choose to trust her head or her heart?

A novelette

What will it take to move beyond her mission?

Jaelyn Rolfe has grown up with a singular purpose: to end the reign of a brutal dictator and rid the world of her father's terrible legacy. But victory comes with a price, and she soon finds her role in the plot spawning consequences no one anticipated.

Caught unexpectedly between her training and her heart, will Jaelyn find the strength to chart a new course? Can a girl so skilled at deception ever truly earn trust? And when a sudden blow threatens her hard-won triumph, will everything she's fought for be lost forever?

"Dearest Paul...do tell me what I should do!"

With her adored older brother away in the West, Lucy is hovering on the brink of despair. How can she ever stay cheerful and good without Paul's help and guidance?

Paul knows the answer to his sister's troubles, but convincing her is another matter. When their letters prove too slow to prevent calamity, can he lead her to his own source of help?

A short story

"Oh, what change a day can make!"

Lucy's life has never looked brighter than since her recent engagement, and she pours out her raptures as usual in letters to her older brother. But clouds are gathering beyond her vision, and her commitment is soon to be tested in ways she never expected.

When the storm unleashes its fury, can Paul help her find her way? Or will her chance for happiness be lost forever?

A short story

Benny's coming hadn't changed anything—or had it?

With a new foster kid joining Alex Carson's family, everyone is prepared for changes. So when Benny slips into the tight-knit group with barely a ripple, the family is at once surprised and delighted.

But beneath the surface, deeper waters are stirred as Alex finds herself at odds with Jess over his jokes on the unsuspecting and gullible Benny. Will Jess's teasing and her own insecurities separate Alex from her brother? Or can a surprising source teach them a needed lesson in love?

Ten children. Two families. One chance.

Convincing onlookers that her best friend Mikyah Byrd is truly more like a brother seems like a never-ending task to Jenna Denton. But when calamity strikes the Byrd household, her family's help becomes more crucial than she ever imagined. Will the Dentons' love and commitment be enough to keep their unusual family intact? Or will a perfect storm of troubles separate them forever?

A novelette (approximately 1 hour average read time)

A sinister threat. A shocking betrayal. A single rose.

Jan has poured her grief over her brother's death into finishing his work—crippling the terrible system they'd unknowingly helped to build. But when a strange gift beckons her to seek out Kevin's betrayer, will she find the answers she needs? Or will hate and anger shatter everything she holds dear?

A short story

Semi-finalist Indie E-Con 2018 Writing Contest, with extended and deleted scenes

How'd I ever be the great man Ma wanted if I didn't take time for my lessons?

Everyone knows that Dan is destined for greatness. But when his teacher insists that he put schoolwork above everything else, his heart is torn. Is personal ambition worth the cost to his family? Or does a better lesson await beyond the pages of his schoolbooks?

A short story

True excellence comes with a price...

Eva has never doubted her coach's ability, but a startling conversation leaves her mind racing with questions. Are the girls' suspicions true? Why won't Alexei let her compete? And how can she learn to be her best without a better coach?

When her preoccupation leads her into danger, Alexei steps in, and Eva is forced to make a choice. Will she follow a fleeting dream or embrace the lessons her coach can teach?

A short story

Bryson was finally home and safe—wasn't he?

All Madison wants is to be with her brother, whose recent brush with death has made him more precious to her than ever. But despite repeated assurances that he's fine, an undercurrent of tension leaves her wondering what secrets lie beneath the surface.

Alone with Bryson on her first night home, can Madison find the truth behind the shadows that lurk in her brother's eyes? Or will he succeed in shutting out the help he needs most?

A short story

Was it even possible to fix this mess?

Still reeling from the sudden wreck of her career, the last thing Julie wants to do is visit her brother in juvenile detention. But when Colton’s plight brings her face to face with her own failures, Julie’s well-ordered world is rocked to its core. Is there any way to get her life back on track? And what will she do about Colton?

A short story

How far can a promise reach?

Since aging out of the foster care system, Stephen's life has gone from bad to worse. As he wrestles with a bleak present and a grim future, an unexpected encounter with a girl and her kitten changes everything. But will his improvised rescue end in disaster, or does God have other plans?

A short story

If only I could start the day over...

Kale Greene’s life was never perfect, but his last few days with the Taylor family have been better than most. Or they were until today. Now he’s ruined everything, and for more than just himself. 

When yet another attempt to make things right falls through, will it mean a fitting end or a new beginning? Can anything fix a day that’s gone so completely wrong? 

A short story

In this heartwarming collection, thirteen Christian authors weave tales both historical and contemporary in a variety of imaginative settings. Anything features characters stretched to their limits: a pencil and a crayon who are best friends, a Tea-Dragon with a mischievous and mysterious habit, a terminally ill child with a lovely wish. In these pages, you’ll discover an eccentric gentleman who never stops reading, a foster boy who makes up in appetite what he lacks in conversational skills, and a single mother with a fault-finding mother-in-law and five rambunctious children who haven’t learned respect for a living room.

Watch as a couple sacrificially prays for a lost and dying sister-in-law, a young lady tearfully talks her best friend through a coma, a courageous brother offers to lay down himself for others, a camera-shy teenager faces her greatest fear, and a music camp applicant struggles mightily with writing an interesting bio. Warmth, hope, and encouragement pervade the pages, echoing the theme of “anything” from a refreshing variety of angles both insightful and entertaining, spiritually profound and eternally valuable. These short pieces will delight and encourage the whole family.

Come on an adventure! Within these pages you'll find yourself battling with faeries against evil, waking on an unfamiliar planet, fighting for survival after an apocalypse, having the strangest conversation with aliens half your size, uncovering mysteries, opening doors to other dimensions, and so much more!

Edited & Compiled by YA author Rachael Ritchey, these short stories are a compilation of entries to the ASF Short Story Contest by seasoned and new authors across the globe. While style and culture vary widely across these adventures, one thing will stand out: the resilience of the human spirit.