The Errant Ricochet

Paul Mark Tag has showcased his knack for storytelling in his two thrillers <I>Category 5</I> and <I>Prophecy</I>. Before these novels he honed his skills by writing short stories. Here are fourteen of his favorites.<P>This collection starts with the humorous The Curious Miss Crabtree in which two boys receive orders from their mother to deliver Christmas cookies to a scary neighbor. In Mary's Secret six-year-old Mary has two girlfriends who visit at night. Are they real or imaginary? In A Matter of Honor an immigrant finally accepts the heritage that he has been hiding from. Double Exposure a mystery spotlights the curiosity and resolve of a spunky teenage girl: As a child-and especially as a teenage girl-I was told I was too smart for my own good. During the summer of 1963 I proved them all wrong. And published in the online magazine <I>storybytes.com</I> The Long Walk Home is a short-short only 128 words long.<P>Most of these stories will warm your heart; two or three will keep you on the edge of your seat; a few will make you cry. And the last of these The Errant Ricochet: Max Raeburn's Legacy will make you do all three.