In an effort to live a bolder and braver life, Everly Rowan begins following the "10 Easy Steps of the Morris Method of Creative Risk-taking". Over the next few weeks she visits a karaoke bar, a punk hairstylist, a bible-thumping church, and a skydiving drop zone. She breaks off her engagement to her fiance, clobbers a policeman with her shoe, and stands up to her sister in a showdown over fried squid. Just as she is beginning to question the wisdom of her actions, the author of the self-help book, Dr. Lana Morris, comes to town for a 'Dare to be Great' weekend retreat. The events that unfold there give Everly a new understanding of the nature of courage... and love.

A short prose piece. An exercise in descriptive writing. Written in 2009

Maria is about to graduate from high school. Just when she doesn't expect it, her friend Will tells her there's more to their relationship than she knows. Tension lingers in her home after an argument between her father and brother. Even so, a familiar sound penetrates Maria's anxiety and prompts a meaningful dream. A short story I wrote in 2007.