Jack Carter, born-again virgin and bestselling romance author, has a problem, and her name is Molly. Foisted upon him by his sister, Molly has just been fired from her high-paying management position for sexually harassing her male assistant. She's also been evicted from her apartment, and has landed-for just a few weeks, she promises-in Jack's Georgetown town house. Worse yet, she decides to take advantage of her new environment and try her hand at writing romances herself, using the pseu...

Cookbook author Jasmine March's life is like a perfectly prepared béchamel-rich, satisfying, and drenched in butter. But even a great béchamel curdles sometimes. Her husband, Daniel, has taken up with one of his Zone-dieting drama students; Careme, her daughter, is bent on starving herself to death; and Jasmine's fellow foodies have had just about enough of her astronomically caloric recipes. To make matters worse, her publisher is threatening to cancel her contract. And then there's the s...

In the tradition of Jodi Picoult, a fresh, smart, and deeply moving novel about the power of faith, love, and familyThirteen-year-old Nic Delano has a lot of questions. Like why does he have a babysitter at his age-and where did she get such long legs? But mostly, what exactly is the meaning of life?His mother, Lucy, an astrophysicist and atheist, has always encouraged Nic to ask questions. But lately she doesn't like the answers he's getting. Nic has been ...

Cross Carl Hiassen with Edith Wharton and you'd end up with Indigos Lily.Maeves husband is the ultimate wannabe. He dreams of becoming a famous film director. Maeve is a simpler kind of gal: she just wants a weed-free garden.Yet once they hit surreal Hollywood, Maeves dream is the more allusive. When she finds herself abandoned and broke in Venice Beach, California, her life begins to unravel. But acerbic, plucky Maeve stands firm with her garden trowel. Will she find her w...

Thirteen-year old Nic Delano has a lot of questions. Like why does he have a babysitter at his age. And where did she get such long legs? Why do people die of stupid things all the time?His mother, an American astrophysicist and atheist, has always encouraged Nic to ask questions. But lately she doesnt like the answers her son is getting. Nic has been sneaking off to Bible class and is starting to embrace a very different view of the heavens. He even volunteers their home to shelte...

The third in a series of annual anthologies, The Best British Short Stories 2013 reprints the cream of short fiction, by British writers, first published in 2012. These stories appeared in magazines from the Edinburgh Review to Granta, in anthologies from various publishers, and in authors' own short story collections. They appeared online at 3:AM Magazine, Fleeting and elsewhere.This new anthology includes stories by: Charles Boyle, Reg...