ONCE UPON NOW – Anthology
Gallery Books
ISBN: 978-1-5011-5525-0
ISNB: 978-1-5011-5595-6
October 2016
Ten Romantic Short Stories

These stories deal with new interpretations, often imaginatively eccentric, of age-old myths and fairytales. Each story has its own tone from humorous to disturbing to sad. Some are mashups of several tales, but readers should be able to identify those tales.

"Why Yes, Bluebeard, I'd Love To" – J. M. Butler
At the remarkable coffee shop owned by Silas, her rich best friend Anna challenges stay-in-her-comfort-zone Emeline to expand her horizons. If Emeline can say yes to any question asked of her for one day, Anna will donate $25 thousand to Emeline's favorite animal shelter. Her ‘yes' soon lands Emeline in trouble.

"Home-School Hair" – Christine Owen
Since Zoe's father died in an Army action ten years ago, her mom has lived in the Chicago Tower and never left the building, doing her job online, having groceries delivered, and homeschooling Zoe. Since her mom butchered cutting her hair before her father left, Zoe has not cut her hair. She now works in the coffee shop on the first floor and has a crush on a young man, Tyler, who comes to the shop for coffee. He surprises her by asking her out, or rather up, to a pool at the top of the building.

"My Love God Went to Hawaii and All I Got Was This Lousy Papaya" – Debra Goelz
A few years ago, Hades betrayed Persephone and had a one-night affair from which a daughter was born. Now, before her twenty-first birthday, when her powers will emerge and she will become a demigod, and Persephone will find out about his affair, Hades wants Cupid to stop his daughter, Phoebe, getting her powers by ensuring she kisses a non-god man before midnight of her birthday. In Hawaii the Fitzgeralds, in order to save their mattress company, have to find a good business woman to marry their son who isn't interested in anything about the business except the wealth.

"Wake" – Jesse Sprague
Rose Brier is dying, but her husband, Crane, will do anything to wake her from this last coma, including inventing a machine to convert energy. He doesn't care about the cost to anyone else. Enter FBI investigator Alex Valera, to determine the strange events in the town of Able's Hollow. His former partner, now mother of his baby daughter, gave up investigating for an office job. In this very emotional story, Alex will learn the meaning of family when Rose determines the value of her life against the cost of getting it back.

"Truth Be Told" – Danielle Banas
Leo has always lied and got away with it, but as a young boy, he hurt a young girl he liked by a snide but true remark. He decided indifference was better than involvement until he and his sister Mia are flung into an alternative reality. While trying to save Mia, he discovers a frog who turns into princess, and wonders if she exists in his home reality.

"Between Earth and Sky" – R. S. Kovach
Teenage Mira Sighansen's six brothers all work at the local oilrig in the Yukon. Mira sees the rig blow up and clouds of smoke that appear to be bodies thrown high into the air. She searches for her brothers, hoping against hope they escaped, and discovers six egrets by the local river. She receives a message to make sure the oilrig is moved to another location, but how can she do that?

“The Friend-Zone Promposal" – Tammy Oja
Molly and Trevor have been best friends, but Trevor doesn't realize how much more Molly wants to be. Molly knows the birthmark on her cheek makes her socially unacceptable, but when Trevor plans to have a ‘promposal' or a public, planned event to ask the new girl to attend the senior prom, she reluctantly helps.

"Of Sirens and Beasts" – Mikaela Bender
Cal is part of the football team in his high school. The coach orders them to learn ballet to improve their ball handling. The team goes to the house where several sisters invite them to dance. When he wakes the next morning, Cal has a headache and doesn't remember much of what went on the night before, but senses something strange is going on. And just how many members are on a football team?

"Hooded" – Shannon Klare
Annie Marie Mayes accidentally hits Rob Hood, her school's bad boy and delinquent, with her father's Mercedes. He isn't hurt, but Annie expects retribution. That's all right, for she is going to write an article for the school paper and expose him for the thief who has been stealing other student's property at school.

"Sleeping Beauty Syndrome" – Ali Novak
Rory has a rare sleep disorder called Kleine-Levin syndrome, also called sleeping beauty syndrome. She has bouts of long periods of sleep. It has ended her plans to become a doctor, leaving her to the care of her mother and sister. But she wakes up to Phil, a nursing student her sister hired to watch Rory when she and her mother must be away. During her sleep, Rory's dreams are nightmarish where she encounters a dragon she must evade.

Robin Lee