This surreal fable, set in America's Old West, features a cast of notorious characters: the Crying Gun, who breaks into tears at the sight of his opponent; the Priest, who goes into gunfights giving his adversaries the last rites; and the Nihilistic Kid himself, Kim Carsons, a homosexual gunslinger who, with a succession of beautiful sidekicks, sets out to challenge the morality of small-town America and fight for intergalactic freedom.

On the surface, all appears serene as the third generation of Kades in pioneer Utah grow up to take their parents’ place in the vast, rugged regions of the West. But fate - or is it divine providence? - suddenly steps in. Jessica Scott of Illinois finds herself waylaid among the Latter-day Saints in 1870s Utah while on a railroad trip to California. Alone and seeking assistance from her relatives, whose religious beliefs she scorns, 19-year-old Jessica meets her cousin of the same age, Ethan Kade, who is home for a few days from the cattle ranch where he is employed.

In 1942, Kay Summersby's life is changed forever when she is conscripted to drive General Eisenhower on his fact-finding visit to wartime London. Despite Eisenhower's marriage to Mamie, the pair takes an immediate liking to each other, and he buys Kay a rare wartime luxury: a box of chocolates. So begins a tumultuous relationship that, against all military regulation, sees Kay traveling with Eisenhower on missions to far-flung places before the final assault on Nazi Germany.

Sam and Holly Foster seem to enjoy near-perfect lives. Each claim a successful career and a legacy of goals set and achieved. Held above their possessions and accomplishments is their only child James. He is the son they promised to raise together and the reason they come home each night.

Walter Samson is a successful book editor in post–World War II New York. He has money, an interesting wife, two smart children, and reason to believe he’s leading the good American life - until a chance meeting with Barry Rogers. Barry is blue-collar, handsome, single, and poor. Walter is instantly drawn to Barry and, despite the considerable risks, installs him in the Samson’s three-story house on the Upper East Side, where the two men try to keep their amorous relationship secret.

The only thing Benji lacks more than ambition is luck. And his new job has to be the lowest of the low. But something is stirring in the zero-footprint economy of New St. Louis. And Benji’s about to find himself chin deep in the muck! This story was originally published in the Hugo Award-nominated METAtropolis.

It all starts when Marisa picks up the wrong cell phone. When she returns it to Rene, she feels curiously drawn to him. But Marisa and Rene aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. For one thing, Marisa is a chola; she’s a lot of girl, and she’s not ashamed of it. Skinny Rene gangles like a sackful of elbows and wears a calculator on his belt. In other words, he’s a geek. So why can’t Marisa stay away from him?

Stella was born to sing. Someday Broadway. But everything changes when a tragic accident renders her deaf; she cannot hear, much less sing. Trapped in a strange new world of total silence, she must face not only the loss of her friends, her hopes, and her voice but also the loss of her identity and her life's purpose. Who is she if she's not a singer? Hayden is a quiet loner, an outcast, and the only person Stella can communicate with; his profound stutter makes him speak so slowly, she is able to easily read his lips.

When Carolina and Trevor meet on their first day of school, something draws them to each other. They gradually share first kisses, first touches, first everythings. When they're together, nothing else matters. But one of them will make a choice, and the other a mistake, that will break what they thought was unbreakable. Both will wish they could fall in love again for the first time - but first love, by definition, can't happen twice.

Shunned from the Amish life she once knew, Katherine Mayfield finds solace in her volunteer work and the delights of the modern world. Unknown to Katherine, her long-lost love, Daniel Fisher, is desperate to locate his "sweetheart girl", only to be frustrated at nearly every turn. Once again, Katherine is compelled to face the heritage of her past and recognize that God's love is always present.