These ten adventures take you to places you have never been.

Marguerite Martin Gray’s “A Promise Shared” sends you back to before the American Revolution. You get a glimpse of sixteen-year-old Tom Engle, a character in her bestselling Revolutionary Faith series, dealing with loss and duty to family and God.

C.D. Sutherland’s “Nowhere Near Heaven” transports you to West Virginia during World War II. There, you’ll experience young Marion Dunrobin’s challenge to fit in a broken family struggling against poverty and conflict.

Judy Burford’s “Step In” will plunge you into the hard life in a wagon train with young Jake Johnson’s family, seeking a better life in Oregon.

Wanda Bush’s “Once Rock” will put you behind the eyes of a twelve-year-old boy coming to grips with how to respond to life’s tragedies.

Beverly Flanders’ “The Assignment” puts you with Brian Jennings, facing his first day as a freshman as a new kid in town. Next,

Donna M. Copeland’s “Intentions” will place you with Jordie and Bronlynn in their multi-generational lesson on choices and consequences.

Carole Lehr Johnson’s “Defiant Devotion” puts you with Hodge as he responds to the conflicting calls of country, family, and self, all pulling him in different directions.

Susan Hiers Foster’s “Tougher” puts you in the circumstances of a jail ministry volunteer, learning the depth of her role in the welfare of the people she works with.

Tammy Kirby’s “His Grace Forsaken” sends you back to the beginning of Viscount Greyson Brennen’s character-building adventure. Discover what molded him into the man you’ve probably read about in her best-selling novel of the same title in her Haven House series.

Finally, the talented and prolific author Mary Lou Cheatham uses Rhoda to teleport you back to the first century Promised Land as seen through the eyes of a young girl.

When you return from these adventures, chances are some will have left you wanting for more. If so, then check out that story’s author page in the back of the book.

The nine short stories contained in “Second Chances” are as diverse in technique and theme as the previous years’ anthologies; nevertheless, they are united in the fact that a second chance event is a common element.

Marguerite Martin Gray’s “Loyalties Severed” examines George Elliott’s tough choices dealing with a young man’s wavering devotions regarding love, family, and loyalty.

C.D. Sutherland’s “Pop, Death, & the Devil“ chronicles the adventures of a retired bomber pilot turned novelist named Chandler Stud after he is brushed by death.

Judy Burford’s “The Journey“ will put you in Jenny Sue Cutter’s struggle to survive the perils of a nineteenth-century wagon train to Oregon and then her challenge to carry-on after others don’t survive.

Eileen K. Copeland’s “The Fisher” will show you a precious moment shared by Josie Grace and her grandfather, and then reveal how it provides comfort and the hope of greater things to come.

Beverly Flanders’ “The Promise“ brings back a mother’s memories of a promise she made to God that would assure her of His presence through good times and sad times.

Carole Lehr Johnson’s “A Chance in Time” explains how Bertha Carrick, a character in the novel A Place in Time, came to be at Dunbar Park as she sought peace to salve the sorrow of loss from London’s seventeenth-century plague.

Susan Hiers Foster’s “Goodbye Mrs. Kravitz” is a sweet story of neighbors Sally and Jim who come close to missing out on a friendship that will enrich their lives.

Tammy Kirby’s “Second Chance Daddy“ tells a tale of love interrupted and God’s perfect timing.

Finally, the talented and prolific author Mary Lou Cheatham uses Deborah to retell the story of the Old Testament prophetess and judge who led her nation to know peace without fear.

When you return from these experiences, chances are some will have left you wanting for more. If so, then check out that story’s author page in the back of the book.

This publication is a testimony of the sixth year a group of authors assembled their collective muse to create an anthology celebrating the short story. This year, ten authors have collaborated to produce the outstanding collection of diverse short stories.

The ten short stories in Our Abiding Heritage are as diverse in technique and theme as our previous years’ writings; nevertheless, they are united in the fact that a heritage element is common. We invite you to take notice of the techniques used by this array of talented authors to weave those heritage-related appearances into their stories.

Marguerite Martin Gray’s The Thread Uncovered examines a tendril through Sophie Lucy Marteen’s life, revealing how family relationships do not always require blood ties.

C.D. Sutherland’s Enough takes you to Golgotha and the crucifixion of Christ as witnessed through the eyes of Stephanus Longinus, a young Roman soldier.

Priscilla Adams’ debut short story, Generational Curse, drops you into the chaos of a fast-paced love affair, where the soon-to-be bride discovers her fiancé’s family curse.

Jann Franklin’s The Backup Beauty Queen pulls you into small-town Louisiana festival culture, where family, enthusiasm, and talent collide with laughter.

Carole Lehr Johnson’s Heritage of Hope takes you to seventeenth-century England to show how Melior Olford, a character in her 2022 release, The Burning Sands, came to be married to Radigan Atwood.

Beverly Flanders’ Katherine’s Table plunges you into a mystery as a family heirloom reveals its secrets to Katie and her cousin Laura.

Tina Ann Middleton’s Lord of Time places you on a time-traveling adventure where a good-intentioned man named Chad strives to rescue Jesus from the cross. Should he succeed, what would be the ramifications of that?

Calvin Hubbard’s debut fiction, The Handoff, takes you on Tom’s nostalgic journey where he realizes specific events from key players in his life gave him precisely what he needed to run the race set before him.

Mary Lou Cheatham’s Crossing Cohay Branch ventures into the recesses of a childhood memory, generating as many questions as it answers.

Finally, Susan Hiers Foster’s Out of the Dark follows an author’s quest for inspiration in Maine, where she meets a famous author who needs something from her.

When you return from these experiences, chances are some will have left you wanting more. If so, check out that story’s author page at the back of the book. They might have something else you’ll like. We believe you’ll be glad you did.

The 2024 Louisiana Posse presents its first two-volume anthology of diverse short stories. This year, fifteen authors collaborated to produce the outstanding collection of seventeen diverse short stories you’re now viewing, Time Passages. Volume I has eight stories you should also explore. Volume II has nine stories from seven authors.

The seventeen short stories in Time Passages are as diverse in technique and theme as our previous years’ writings; nevertheless, they are united in that a time element is expected. We invite you to take notice of the techniques used by this array of talented authors to weave those time-related appearances into their stories. These seventeen adventures will bring you to places you have never been. 

Marguerite Martin Gray’s Perhaps It’s Time recounts Raymond Wilson’s great challenge after many years of warring against tyranny. It’s all he’s known as an adult, but now he’s expected to return to a normal he’d never known.