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Living Springs Publishers has the honor of presenting Stories Through The Ages Baby Boomers Plus 2024, a collection of eighteen outstanding stories by authors who were born in 1966 or earlier. We are incredibly fortunate to have many gifted and talented authors among the winners published in this, the eighth installment of Baby Boomers Plus.
Protector: First Place: A wonderful story
set in the Middle Ages. Author Michael Jefferson has created a marvelous
fantasy that is both a love story and adventure. Will the hero and heroine find
love or immortality, or are they destined for something much worse? The Lady of the Lake is irreverent, funny, and determined and she demands that you read
this story.
Unknown Caller: Second Place: By Samuel George Tooma. A couple
learns that the wife has contracted a rare and deadly disease and that she has
less than a year to live. Her only hope is if she can be accepted into an
unsanctioned, clinical trial of a high-risk expensive drug. With little hope of
being accepted into the program and with no way to pay its cost, all hope seems
lost. Then, a mysterious woman resolves all the issues, and the wife is
accepted into the trial with all expenses paid. Who is this woman? What are her motives? The husband soon finds out to beware of strangers bearing gifts.
Just This Once? Third Place: The author, Brian Kelly, provides a splendid glimpse into cultural differences in Ireland during the 1960’s. Humorous at times, yet distressing in the cruelty practiced against those considered to be ‘different’. Our hero finds himself the victim of childhood taunting and ridicule but realizes that others face far worse. We can only hope that in the end he will ‘do the right thing.’
Night Song: By Jacqueline Bassan. A third-year medical student, still glowing with the idealism of her youth, is faced with the stark realities of life on the children’s ward of a hospital. Where expectations of coughs and colds are blunted by cancer and other life-threatening diseases she must face close-up as a professional, while pushing emotion aside. All the while, the pop music of that era is a part of the story.
Mother of Two: By Luanne Castle. Jeannie, a young mother of two children, goes about her life with a loving husband and a bright future. Suddenly, disaster strikes in a most unfortunate way. Who is at fault? What are the horrible consequences? A must read to find the answers.
How I’ll Miss Paris: By J Craig Dix. For a change of pace, we find an exciting mystery, set in Paris in the early 1950’s. Henri Gaspard is a special operative whose task is to ‘confront’ those deemed unwanted by “The Directors”. Ready to retire he’s convinced to take one more assignment. This well-written story isn’t what it seems in the beginning and the ending is both surprising, yet inevitable.
Lean Away from the Night: By Deac Etherington. A wonderfully crafted story about a young would-be writer who finds love, then loses it only to cross a continent to try and find it again. The characters are well defined and true to their personalities, which may or may not be a good thing. Our hero doesn’t necessarily find what he was looking for, but he’s probably better off with what he gets. Don’t miss reading this one.
Almost Intact: By Cat Funk. The laws of the land were handed down over centuries dictating how one behaved in the circle of life. All of that changed as the new creatures moved into the forest. Creatures on two legs. Would they honor the code or not? Regardless, life goes on and we adapt, or we don’t survive. An excellent story with an emotional ending.
The Shadow Girl: By Amy Lauer Goldin. Set in the 1960’s, this story is about a little girl and her mother who set off on an adventure, but she doesn’t know what it could be. It isn’t her birthday or Christmas, but something is in the air. What is it? Suddenly a pleasant outing turns sinister, and her world is threatened by something she doesn’t understand. A must read.
He Called It a What?: The author, Geoffrey K. Graves, has created a humorous reflection on what 1960’s life was like in the Biology Lab of his high school in California. The students participate in the standard dissections of lowly earthworms and frogs while anticipating the inevitable charts of human anatomy. What ensues is a funny tale about how one biology teacher pronounces certain body parts during his lecture.
The Hindenbug: Author Kevin L. Hostbjor’s story of an ant colony at war with various enemies in their territory is surprisingly touching. The hero and heroine find love in a most unlikely way and together vanquish their foes against overwhelming odds. We discover, that while love triumphs, the forces of nature prevail, as they must to preserve the colony.
It’s Called SPAM: A large family moves from the big city to a farm, or ranch, leading to many unfamiliar adventures on a plot of land the mother names ‘Windrift Acres’. Author CM Kelly recounts the many problems associated with guiding a large family through everyday challenges, with little money to ease the burdens. The title will be misleading to those born after a certain age. Read the story to discover why.
Best Beloved: This story is set in England where our heroine suffers at the hands of her abusive husband and his family. The author, Bridgett Kendall, weaves a bittersweet story of the narrator losing her baby with no one to share her misery and no prospects for the future. The characters are all victims of the times they live in. The ending will surprise you as we discover the strength and wisdom that she eventually exhibits to resolve the matter.
Some Things Cannot Be Fixed: By Neil McKinnon. Noburo is a young Japanese boy whose family lived in western Canada. He learned respect from his father and grandfather, played in the creek and learned about birds. Then the bombs fell on Pearl Harbor. The family is forced to move to Alberta and work on a farm there. Read the story to find out how it ends.
Special Delivery: By T. Dan Nelson Two mischievous young boys unknowingly, or should we say innocently, wreak havoc on their rural neighbors by pretending to be mailmen. The special delivery packages they leave are most unwanted causing the neighborhood to organize vigilantes to catch the culprits. The surprise ending is humorous and lucky for the boys.
Lesson in Pie: This excellent story by J.R Reynolds creates the mystery of what is a ‘BetterBilt Pie’? Dwight is curious to find out more about his grandfather. In the search he comes across a riddle that seems impossible to solve, but through luck and perseverance he solves the mystery and finds much more. Read the story to see for yourself.
Balance: Ken Sutherland has gifted us a marvelous story. Michael a young Irish lad who, along with his father and brother, immigrate during the Irish Potato famine. They look for work in Canada then, finding none and facing starvation, they choose to cross the frozen Detroit River to try and find work in the USA. This is a story of the struggle for survival by people with indomitable spirit but little in the way of material comforts.
Love & Apples: By Elaine Thomas. A young girl is left in the care of her grandmother and aunt while her parents are on a business trip. Grace tries her best to be ‘good’ but temptation is too much to bear and she comically succumbs. She fears the consequences only to find that the adults aren’t as bad as she anticipated. This is a fun story.
Swampin’ in ‘63: By Bill Weatherford. The son of the owner works alongside the migrant workers picking fruit in California’s San Joaquin Valley. Leo, the true hero of the story, is a laborer, or trajabador, yes, but he is also a philosopher, mentor and professor to the young boy who is trying to find his way in the world. Excellently written and full of lasting memories, this is a must read.
Winter Squall: By Scott Winkler. In this story, the father, Eugene, can only be described as a despicable narcissist who horribly mistreats his wife and daughter, bringing serious illness upon the former and chasing the latter away from the family home in fear and disgust. He presents himself to the outside world as a virtuous philanthropist but in the end, karma wins out. He perishes in a morbid comeuppance that many will find satisfying.
Stories Through The Ages Baby Boomers Plus - Books from our Baby Boomers short story contest
