Rising from the Mire

Special thanks to author Christine Grace for setting up a Goodreads Giveaway, which allowed me to receive a copy of Rising from the Mire!

This collection of short stories caught my attention from the very first one. Leya's Serengeti begins with a woman who walks us through her past. Someone who was completely against having dogs, but after her children's first dog passed away she couldn't imagine life without one. This story leads into the second story, The Neighborhood. A block party where all but one set of neighbors get together with friends, family, and pets to learn more about each other. While those two stories are companions to each other, the others are not. A Sharp Mind, Infinite Compassion, The Indian Affair, and Across the Saraha Desert have a very different feel to them. These short stories made me feel like an outsider, while I was still part of the story I truly imagine myself as a bystander watching the story unfold...However, that may just be in introvert in me. The last story, The Presence, has me dying for more. I want to know Emma's background I want to know what Victoria's thinking. I want to know why Sydney sees what she can see. I want to know so much about these three characters that I need Christine Grace to expand this story and give me more!! If anyone knows where I can find a copy of Sydney's Skeletons, please let me know!