The stories contained in this book were submitted as entries to the third annual short story contest held by Grateful Steps, a traditional, nonprofit, independent pulisher located in Asheville, North Carolina. They were chosen as finalist entries by our staff. Laura Hope-Gill, Assistant Professor of Writing for Lenoir Rhyne University and Director of The Thomas Wolfe Center for Narrative, judged the finalists. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers and is an NC Arts Fellow for Creative Nonfiction. She selected Grey Wolfe LaJoie's "Bits of Sugar" as the winning entry and Spencer E. Stevens' "Enough to Show" as the runner-up. Grateful Steps is proud to present these stories in this volume. We know you will enjoy reading them.