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Living Springs Publishers has the honor of presenting Stories Through The Ages Baby Boomers Plus 2023, 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 seventh installment of Baby Boomers Plus.
Autumn Leaves Falling: First place in this year’s Baby Boomers Plus goes to J. R. Reynolds. His poignant story of two brothers with a very special bond will melt the coldest of hearts. “Pete was special; he didn’t have to grow up.” This beautiful thought sets the stage for what follows. Pete and Jerry experience life to the fullest and make many wonderful friends along the way. This story will make your day.
Heading Home—A Prisoner of War at Christmas: This story won second place in this year’s contest. A well-written account of a Vietnam veteran returning from that unpopular war to find protesters in the airport on his arrival. Again, a story that needs to be told for those who don’t know. The ending is a touching surprise that ties the whole narrative together. Don’t miss this one written by Robert Robeson.
Drawknife: The third-place winner in this year’s contest is a beautifully written story about a boy’s relationship with his grandfather. Oh, how wonderful it would be if we all could have an adult in our life like, Fredrick Haarm Telkamp. This is a fast paced, well-crafted story that keeps our attention throughout. A must read from Bill Weatherford.
The Faller by Brad Bennett: A horrible event in World War II has unforeseen repercussions for many people through the years, long after the war itself. Our narrator, Brad, nick-named Sonny, leads a difficult life moving from one place to the next and not realizing until he is well into adulthood the reasons for the hardships. An excellent story of human frailty and strength.
The Good Things Consignment Shop: Lynn and Joe Miller own a consignment shop in a small town. Jeannette M. Bond has written a wonderfully entertaining tale about old and new clients who often get a lot more than they bargained for as Lynn looks for opportunities to ply her matchmaking skills. A fun and charming story, well worth your time to read.
The Reunion: A short story written in second person narration about a man who has avoided going to a high school reunion for decades. He chooses this particular reunion to attend and discovers what he has missed, both good and bad. But it’s really a story about grief, and existential angst, and how people deal with each of these emotions differently. Raymond Brunt, has crafted a unique and witty story about a subject we face at one time or another…growing old.
Beholden to the Sea: Two men are winding down a fishing trip in the open waters of the Pacific, 22 miles from shore. Suddenly the boat is destroyed as it crashes into an unseen obstacle. Only one man survives. His extraordinary story of perseverance and luck is described with spine-tingling accuracy by author, JD Clapp. This is a must read.
Drums of War and of Memory Eighty years on from World War II: Sarah Elizabeth Das Gupta gives us a personal memoir of a childhood in the Surrey countryside in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Ironically a war-scarred landscape becomes the playground of the local gang of ‘war-babies’. They roam the woods armed with gas masks and bottles of Tizer, meet in underground war shelters and interpret secret codes in the whispering pine woods. This is a story waiting eighty years to be told which endorses the spirit of survival.
The Password: The setting is World War II…Germany. Our heroes, a young boy, and his grandfather, are part of the underground, the resistance. The risks they take and the things they do are justified because the information they possess is of vital importance to the Allied cause. This is an exciting story full of suspense and intrigue by Edward E. Douglas. Don’t miss it.
The Men in the Dunes by Ellen Herbert: It’s 1967 and our heroine, Ellen, has received reluctant permission from her father to join a military family on a beach excursion near Camp LeJeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina. The Vietnam War is raging but the Sergeant, his family and Ellen are staying in a cottage on the beach. Just one problem -don’t leave the cottage after dark. Read the story to find out why.
Blank Page: Bill Morris receives a letter that contains a blank sheet of paper. A mystery that only one person can unravel. The journey to the surprise ending is full of suspense and anticipation. Author, George Koyl, does a wonderful job of maintaining the pace and keeping our interest until the very end. Is it a happy ending? You have to judge for yourself.
Lunch at the Sad Cafeteria:The setting for this story is a second-grade classroom three days before Christmas vacation, 1955. Michael, the narrator, is battling his arch-enemy, a fellow classmate named Margaret. Despite their hatred for each other, the two share a common hatred for their teacher, Miss Cronin. They also share a hunger for love and simple sustenance. The two are forced to band together against their classmates who seek revenge for the culinary assault on their lunches that takes place in the cloakroom. You need to read this entertaining tale by Michail Mulvey.
Hamburger Girl: Author Patti Ann Pecina has crafted a heart-warming story about an episode revolving around drive-in movie night. It is 1967, and despite the title the story really hinges on a fish sandwich gone horribly wrong. This story will make you laugh, but at the same time, the ending is a wonderful example of a family coming together in crisis.
Dirge: Author, Susan M. Pomerantz has crafted a marvelous story of a tragedy seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl. Our heroine, Kendra, is both a realist and a romantic who reads more than her mother thinks proper. She is forced to help her father with the other children as her mother’s health deteriorates. The ending is heart wrenching yet full of promise. This is a beautifully written, touching story. Don’t miss it.
Killer at Kozy Kove Kampground: A mystery unfolds as the family leaves for a vacation across the southeastern United States. Thom Schilling has written a wonderful story of intrigue and misadventure that leaves you laughing and shaking your head at the same time. Who is the shadowy stranger in the foreboding campground far from the beaten path? Find out for yourself.
The Way it Had to Be: It is 1962. Danny is a new reporter at his hometown newspaper when a black man is shot by a policeman one night in the town stockyards. The policeman’s story is thin, and Danny tries to rally the paper with the few who are seeking justice. The prevailing winds are blowing in a different direction. Bill Smoot has given us a timely and well-written account of dealing with an issue charged with emotions of all kinds. Read it!
Grace: This is a wonderful story about a strong-willed woman narrated through the eyes of her granddaughter. “Grace Adams Macaluso was a wildcat…” we learn early in the tale. Living poor but happy in “one of the more respectable parts of Brooklyn, New York.” The author, Elizabeth Taylor-Mead, keeps us interested throughout the story. An uplifting story that you don’t want to miss.
The Last Word: The siblings gather as the last few hours of their father’s life unfolds. Many stories are shared…some funny, some poignant and some surprising. Author, Cheryl Velasquez, has written a beautifully crafted ode to the emotions we, as humans, feel upon the changes in our lives and how it’s not always important to have the last word.
Stories Through The Ages Baby Boomers Plus - Books from our Baby Boomers short story contest
