Stories

This is a story about Chet Little, first introduced in Cards on the Table... a popular character, he deserves his own story. This is a companion piece to Cards on the Table, but the story stands alone. Reading COTT first would be helpful, but is not necessary. It begins after chapter 16 of Cards on the Table. Many readers expressed an interest in Chet having his own voice, so here it is. I hope it pleases you.

Predators devour their prey. When the predator becomes prey himself, why should he expect mercy? What follows is the story of what happened when the tables got turned.

You can follow conversation about the story at http://www.gayauthors.org/forums/topic/42145-predator-prey-–-by-parker-owens/?p=641726

Logan's summer as Recreation Assistant with the Forest Service turns into more than just campground maintenance and public relations.

A small wish can lead to big things. For all those that serve our nation, and must be away from us at Christmas.

Or not.

His Personal Shopper is a tale about the importance of family, and the evil of homophobia.

Charlie and the gang return to the realm of the dead to deal with the malicious spirit Lane Tallfield, first encountered in the Halloween tale, I Think This Place is Haunted, Charlie Boone! Their own Christmas spirit has been placed on hold in the hopes that they can corral the ex-lawman and keep him from causing even more trouble for their alien friends. It's not something Charlie would rather be dealing with at Christmas time, but he knows that putting off the next confrontation might be dangerous in more ways than one!

This tale is a follow-up to I Think This Place is Haunted, Charlie Boone! You really should read that one first!

It's 1948. Teens Frank and Joe Dane, sons of nationally famous private detective Ben Dane, are enjoying their summer vacation. But then their dad asks them to come along on a little trip up the coast, to a tourist town where strange things have been happening...and the boys are off on a mysterious case with two friends in tow.

Events take an immediate turn for the worse as it soon becomes obvious that someone is out to stop the investigation...someone willing to use any means at his disposal to win!

An homage to the Hardy Boys adventures that some of us read as kids, except that in this one, the boys are...um, well...you'll see.

Andy and Donnie have been friends since the beginning, growing up in the same neighborhood, sharing the same friends, and now playing football on the same team in middle school. They’ve been inseparable throughout it all; but now a new line has been inserted in the equation that is their lives, one they have to learn to deal with, or face having their friendship perish:

Love.

Boccaccio's Decameron, a story of renewal and recreation in defiance of a decimating pandemic, relates how ten self-isolated Italians pass the time regaling each other with tall tales during the Black Plague. While Covid19 wasn't nearly as decimating, the opportunity for such entertainment did exist. As a takeoff on that idea, this short story might well be a modern version of one of the tales, recounting events of earlier, less stressful times.

Charlie and his boyfriend Kippy are caught up in getting ready for Halloween. The day is almost there and they haven't quite figured out how to handle it. What they want more than anything is to have fun - and it looks like events just might conspire to make that happen!