Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, relax, and enjoy my short stories!

NOTE:

The links to all of the short stories can be found at the end of this page. A few of the stories will ask that you join my mailing list in order to receive the story free. I promise not to spam you in any way.

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“The True Value of Five Dollars”

Type: Reflective / Human-Interest Short Story

Summary: On the day before Thanksgiving, a family’s casual reactions to a man sitting alone on a street corner are transformed by one quiet act of generosity. A simple five-dollar bill and an empty chair at the holiday table become reminders that kindness is measured not by amount, but by intention and humanity.

Theme: The true measure of generosity

Symbolism: The five-dollar bill represents how even the smallest gift can carry profound meaning when given with compassion.

Tone / Mood: Warm, reflective, quietly emotional

“The ‘Not-So’ Perfect Alibi”

Type: Mystery / Crime Short Story

Summary: A carefully constructed alibi begins to unravel as subtle inconsistencies refuse to stay hidden. What once seemed airtight becomes the very thing that draws suspicion closer, revealing how control falters when truth presses in.

Theme: The inevitability of truth

Symbolism: The flawed alibi symbolizes the fragile illusion of control and the impossibility of perfectly concealing guilt.

Tone / Mood: Tense, sharp, psychologically charged

The Lucky Winner: He Thought His Troubles Were Over. They’d Only Just Begun.

Type: Suspense / Psychological Short Story

Summary: For a man who’s never had anything, winning the lottery feels like the end of all his problems. But for Michael “Mick” Mann, a celebratory announcement in a seedy bar turns his dream-come-true into a living nightmare. As he walks home through the dark, rain-soaked streets, he discovers that his ticket out of poverty has just painted a target on his back, and the city’s shadows are closing in to collect. Will his moment of triumph be his last?

Theme: The danger of misplaced faith in luck

Symbolism: The “winning” moment represents how blind faith in chance can obscure looming consequences.

Tone / Mood: Uneasy, foreboding, quietly suspenseful

“Dead Giveaway”

Type: Mystery / Suspense Short Story

Summary:When her wealthy husband is found dead in his study, Eleanor Cross plays the perfect grieving widow—poised, polished, and utterly convincing. But Detective Hayes has learned that guilt doesn’t always hide in faces—it hides in words. One careless sentence, one slip of the tongue, and Eleanor’s elegant facade begins to unravel. In the end, Richard Cross’s cruelest prediction comes true: she could never keep a secret.

Theme: Guilt cannot remain hidden

Symbolism: The overlooked detail serves as the giveaway, representing how truth often emerges through what people fail to guard.

Tone / Mood: Tense, clever, darkly intriguing

“The Kids-Only Cabinet”

The True Spirit of Giving

The cabinet wasn’t about supplies.

Type: Reflective / Human-Interest Short Story

Summary: In one classroom, a quiet cabinet filled with food and supplies becomes a lifeline for students who need help but don’t know how to ask for it. Created by a teacher who understands dignity as much as need, the kids-only cabinet offers compassion without questions — and reveals how small, intentional acts can make a lasting difference.

Theme: Compassion expressed through quiet dignity

Symbolism: The cabinet represents a safe, judgment-free space where needs are met without shame or exposure.

Tone / Mood: Warm, compassionate, hopeful, quietly powerful

Silent Snow, Hidden Truths

Type: Mystery | Redemption Drama

Summary: When a group of strangers becomes trapped in a snowstorm at Cedar Haven Lodge, long-buried secrets rise with the wind — revealing that truth can be as cold and cleansing as the snow itself.

Theme: Truth melts away silence.

Symbolism: The storm mirrors guilt and redemption; the thaw signifies forgiveness.

Tone / Mood: Suspenseful, haunting, redemptive, atmospheric

The Ornament Thief

Type: Heartfelt Mystery | Reflective

Summary: When a widow’s cherished ornament disappears, suspicion falls on the neighbor boy — until a quiet act of truth and forgiveness uncovers what was really stolen: her sense of hope.

Theme: Forgiveness over judgment.

Symbolism: The red ornament as a symbol of love restored; the cardinal as memory and grace.

Tone / Mood: Poignant, tender, nostalgic, uplifting

A Christmas Promise

Type: Emotional Drama | Hope & Healing

Summary: After losing their grandmother, a grieving family decides to fulfill her last wish — to spend one more Christmas together in her old farmhouse. Between laughter, tears, and rediscovered memories, they realize she’s left them one final surprise that changes how they see love, loss, and each other.

Theme: Promises kept by the heart never truly fade.

Symbolism: It symbolizes the idea that some messages — especially those of love, family, and belonging — transcend time and death..

Tone: Sentimental, hopeful, tear-jerking in the best way.

The Twelve Disasters of Christmas

Type: Comedic Family Drama

Summary: Maggie’s carefully planned Christmas turns into a hilarious whirlwind of mishaps — flaming fruitcakes, power outages, and glitter explosions — teaching her that perfection has nothing on love and laughter.

Theme: Finding joy in imperfection.

Symbolism: Broken ornaments represent how even shattered moments can shine.

Tone / Mood: Humorous, chaotic, heartwarming, relatable

The Christmas That Wasn’t

Type: Reflective | Magical Realism

Summary: A grieving widower wakes on Christmas Eve decades in the past, reliving one last day with his late wife — but every choice he makes threatens to change the life he once knew.
Theme: Finding peace in what was, not what could have been.

Symbolism: The flickering candle and clock symbolize time, memory, and closure.

Tone / Mood: Nostalgic, wistful, gentle, spiritual

Dead Giveaway

Type: Mystery / Suspense Short Story

Summary: What begins as a casual remark at a small gathering turns deadly when a single, overlooked detail exposes a lie no one meant to reveal. As tensions rise and truths unravel, it becomes clear that someone in the room knows far more than they’re letting on.

Theme: Guilt always leaves a trace.

Symbolism: An offhand comment becomes the “giveaway” — proof that truth often reveals itself when least expected.

Tone / Mood: Tense, clever, darkly intriguing, fast-paced

The Not-So Perfect Alibi

Type: Mystery / Crime Short Story

Summary: An airtight alibi begins to crack when timelines don’t quite line up and small inconsistencies refuse to stay hidden. As the story unfolds, what seemed like the perfect cover becomes the very thing that draws suspicion closer.

Theme: Control falters when truth pushes back.

Symbolism: A carefully constructed alibi represents the fragile illusion of certainty — one small flaw can bring everything down.

Tone / Mood: Suspenseful, sharp, psychologically charged, quietly unsettling