Running Wild Novella Anthology, Volume 5

Book excerpt: Other People's Children - Jacob Adelman retired from a high-powered career to his greatest philanthropic effort: the conservation of the great Smoky Mountains. A flyer requesting botany samples introduces him to Lisa, an elementary school BMX rider, who delivers rare plants for his gardens. The joy he finds in mentoring Lisa and her crew is threatened by the sudden arrival of his two grandchildren. The older child's violent eruptions and destructive ways force Adelman to confront his bitter past and, after a death-run down the mountain that Lisa barely survives, Adelman must decide between redemption and peace. Crevices of Frost is a collection of stories about those who live around the Sea of Mortla, a sub-arctic body of water that holds orcas, lost compasses, and the supernatural. Two towns resting on opposite sides of the sea deal with the cold in different ways, rarely interacting with each other except for a postman who doesn't belong and a native radio spokesperson who needs answers. Sharing similar goals, they work together to find a group of whale poachers.Underwater Eyes Will is depressed and moves to Los Angeles to change his life.