Sad Grief

Having a pet dragon is very fun! He can sit, roll over, and play.... He can candle a birthday cake, light a campfire, or so many other fun things that will make you laugh.... But sometimes, not every story is a happy one.... What if your dragon is suffering from a loss of a loved one? What if he’s sad, angry, and heartbroken because his loved one passed away, and he cries and cries and cries? What should you do? You teach him about grief and loss. You explain death to him and help him get through this difficult time!

Leslie Gray Streeter is not cut out for widowhood. She's not ready for hushed rooms and pitying looks. She is not ready to stand graveside, dabbing her eyes in a classy black hat. If she had her way she'd wear her favorite curve-hugging leopard print dress to Scott's funeral; he loved her in that dress! Looking at widowhood through the prism of race, mixed marriage, and aging, Black Widow redefines the stages of grief, from coffin shopping to day-drinking, to being a grown-ass woman crying for your mommy, to breaking up and making up with God....

Married at eighteen, a child at nineteen, widowed and alone at twenty-one, Mac has lived enough pain for ten lifetimes. A meeting of chance leads Mac to a job as a personal chef for a band on tour. Not exactly her dream job, but it's a paycheck and far away from all the memories that haunt her. Dean has always known the stage and music was his future, and he's determined not to let anything distract him. Much to his frustration, when Mac enters his life, that's exactly what she is. Despite his resistance, the only thing he wants to do if help her put the pieces of her heart back together. ...

OLD PUP. It’s never too late … In a melancholy mood? Spend an hour with the families in these tales, and meet the animals that touch their lives. Abby – Older man, younger wife, and the secret weapon that can rip them apart – or bring them closer together. Old Pup – The story that tells a lie, and the dog who doesn’t want a family. Or does he? Death Be Not a Pussy – A broken man living in darkness, and the plight of a cat named Midnight. Even the longest night can fade into daylight again. Wrong Before – As a shadowed sparrow chirrs a warning, a daughter’s love travels ...

A tale of grim realism, “The Fugu Feast” was originally published in On the Premises magazine (November 2012). This dark short story offers an inside look at a fictional suicide camp.

Jenna Camden knew nothing would be the same again. She felt like a guest in her own home...empty rooms echoed with precious memories, quiet nights filled with shadows of so many cherished yesterdays. Nothing was the same. Not even Christmas.A Christmas love story of hope, courage, and the enduring strength of love… Jenna didn’t have to look around her home with its colorful and shining Christmas decorations, the tall Christmas tree in her front room with the many Christmas ornaments that told in a special way the story of her family, to know that no matter what she did it would never ...

★★★★★ "The last time I felt this way about a couple was Edward and Bella in Twilight. Just like that book at the time, this feels unique and addicting." -T. Jones Mediocracy defines her past. Imminent death defines her future. In between, there’s Easton Green. The world turned its back on Everly Beck. At twenty-two, a matter of months is all she has left. She wants nothing more than time, but what she really needs is a second chance. Follow the tragic tale of a dying girl, and boy with an immortal soul. Together, they make a perfect, genre-bending paradox. Dive into The Tethered...

Real stories and real feedback on what should be said, what should be kept to yourself, and what can be done when trying to support someone you care about as they navigate loss. Breaking Sad helps us start conversations through its personal stories and suggestions from everyday survivors, bringing us all to a place where we can more comfortably offer support and caring to people when they need it most.

Planet Claire is the story of the untimely death of the author's wife and a candid account of the following year of madness and grief. With Claire's death, Jeff Porter tries to imagine life without her but struggles with the bewilderment that follows. There was no gradual transition, no chance to say good-bye or resolve unfinished business. The grief is crushing, her death the psychological equivalent of Pearl Harbor. But as Jeff's life unravels, he analyzes his sadness with growing interest.