Are you haunted by how one mistake in life might lead to a cascade of troubles that never end? Or how what looks like a minor gesture-from a person or from fate-can be the source of personal redemption? Or how existence can be out-and-out inexplicable, weird, or the source of the gut-busting humor? These stories are doorways into unforgettable characters and situations, and will resonate in your memory.

Flowering is a collection of stories built around the themes of loss, social disruption, mistaken judgment and stumbling redemption. From a shoplifting sociopathic genius to a card-dealing witch offering a mystical experience at the blackjack tables to a harsh drunk who turns out to be a malignant-yet chillingly accurate-soothsayer, the story's lead characters are complex and not always charming, but their colors are memorably bright.

Location also figures significantly in other stories: settings in lush-but-lost suburban Seattle, a bleak Arizona desert town and a tiny, mysterious cottage in New Orleans all draw deeply on the native textures of their territories. From flash fiction to richly woven tales, Flowering invites you into distinct worlds, all built on story.