Do you remember when almost every magazine devoted a few pages to a short story? Do you remember slow summer days inviting you to spread a quilt upon sun-warmed grass, lean your back against a shady tree, and peel back a slick cover to scan the table of contents for the page marked fiction? If that was before your time, picture a story just long enough to last for the duration of a slow-sipped glass of icy lemonade. Imagine a few fictional friends to keep you company for thirty minutes or so, occupying your mind and heart. Maybe inviting you into a story with a graceful dance lesson by a mountain lake, a yellow dress, and the first unexpected spark of true love.

That’s the bit of grace I’m aiming to make available to you before the last day of May goes by. The story is written. The cover is ready. I’m just busy jumping the last few technical hurdles to make it easy for you to access through your favorite reading machine (though wouldn’t it be fun if I sent you a story you could actually roll up and carry in your back pocket?).

Now, I just need a bit of grace from you as you wait.

I’m clumsily jumping those hurdles, but the finish line is in sight. (I’m pretty sure that’s it up ahead in the distance : )