They kick, they punch, they woo, they soothe, they delight – what are they? Short stories! Why should you read them? Because they matter. Because they are real. Because they show bite-sized glimpsed of life, warts and all. Why use 300 pages when you can use three? Why say it in eight paragraphs when you can sum it up in eight words? Why have a bag of chocolate limes when you can go for a pic ‘n’ mix?

The beauty of an anthology is that it offers something for everyone – diehard crime fans, lovers of love, action and adventure junkies, seeker outers of the quirky. This book presents an eclectic mix of tales from some of the world’s best future and present story tellers. Buy this book and dip in and out of this collection during your coffee breaks, between meetings, in the post office queue or before you fall asleep every night. Each time you do, you will find something to delight.

All of life is here: love, hate, tears, laughter, embarrassment, joy and compost. So what are you waiting for? Grab a cup of coffee, and prepare to laugh, or cry, or perhaps even both.

This anthology is the sixth to be published containing the winning, previously unpublished stories, of the critically acclaimed Henshaw Press Short Story Competition.