Long Story Short

Your life tells a story. From beginning to end, your life creates a unique narrative, shaped by the wider stories you find yourself in. For many in the West, the stories that dominate our experience are those of happiness (‘just do what makes you happy’), safety (‘it’s not worth the risk’) and significance (‘I want to be remembered’). But what if these stories are too small to really matter? Exploring the importance such stories play in our lives, Andy Frost, Director of Share Jesus International, presents an alternative narrative – the God Story. Long Story Short invites readers to find their place in the only story big enough to live for. ‘This book is invaluable for discovering, or finding again, your story.’ Tim Hughes ‘Andy encourages us to discover a greater narrative that ultimately helps us to find the real meaning for our existence.’ Lou Fellingham About the author: Andy Frost is Director of Share Jesus International and is responsible for kick-starting a variety of projects that help the Church to communicate the story of Jesus. He is a popular speaker and the author of a number of books, and has presented Jesus. The Series. He is married to Jo and they have two daughters. Currently living in London, Andy loves travelling the world, surfing good waves, pushing himself in physical challenges and eating Mexican food. Follow him on Twitter @andythefrosty

Long Story Short could never have come into print if it were not for the friends, family, and loves who became insightful creations for writing about and becoming part of my time, my place, and myself. Written observations have been woven into poetry and stories throughout my life. As such, there are those who may not recognize themselves within the framework presented, but they are very, very real. I am grateful for the support and energy supplied by Anna S., who pushed, propelled, prodded, and dragged me kicking and screaming while walking this journey with me. Without her confidence in me and constant friendship, I could not have pulled myself up by my bootstraps to tackle what seemed an impossible goal and reach the dream of becoming a published author. My gratitude and humility is immense in completing the task at hand and giving readers, hopefully, words and images to relate to by seeing something of themselves or others through my eyes and writings.

God has written a grand story—His Story. And He wants you to discover your own story in His. Pastor John Kitchen takes you on a unique journey from Genesis to Revelation, unfolding God’s overarching plan so your life can contribute to and move with God’s great, eternal Story.

Brevity is the soul of wit. It is definitely the soul of these four and twenty pieces written as flash fiction, short story and a few that are prose-poems. In most of these pieces the idea is to attempt a sketch, to flash an image, to evoke a quick ‘Ah!’ rather than to tell an elaborate story. It is hoped that these tiny literary experiences lead to larger thoughts, memories and images in the reader's mind. The abused child, the undermined mother, the naughty old man, the bewildered artist, the lost transgender – they all find themselves captured in these pages. The revenge of a battered wife, the disgust of a domestic pet, the dreams of a struggling mother, the state of sexual politics a hundred years from now, the horror of war, the reality of a writer’s vocation and many more aspects of life as we see it – and don’t – are portrayed in these vignettes.

Now in print for the very first time, this unmissable collection brings together seven short stories from the internationally bestselling Chronicles of St Mary's series, and one special guest tale from somewhere completely different. **Includes brand-new St Mary's short story When Did You Last See Your Father? and original introductions from the author** From riotous misbehaviour in Victorian London to ingenious feats of scientific invention (powdered water - just add water!), and from a chaotic Nativity play starring a vengeful Angel Gabriel to an illegal expedition to Mars, Jodi Taylor knows how to spin a good yarn. --- Christmas Past The Farrells are together at last for their first St Mary's Christmas, a time of riotous misbehaviour and the traditional illegal Christmas jump - this time to Victorian London. Battersea Barricades A glimpse into the past of some of your St Mary's favourites characters in the throes of Civil Uprisings. The Steam-Pump Jump St Mary's Max is injured and tied to Sick Bay but obviously a good historian would never let that get in her way. Step forward, Mr Markham... And Now For Something Completely Different Who would the St Mary's team be to turn down a little Christmas expedition to Mars? An illegal Christmas jump is traditional, after all. When Did You Last See Your Father? Have you ever wondered how things would go if Max's husband met Max's father? This is the story of what can happen if St Mary's doesn't like someone... Desiccated Water Professor Rapson breaks astonishing new ground with his latest feat of scientific invention. Markham and the Anal Probing When Markham disappears in the middle of nowhere, Max jumps to the logical conclusion - alien abduction. Little Donkey A chaotic Nativity play like no other, starring a donkey intent on eating the baby Jesus and a vengeful Angel Gabriel.

“Like the best of the Bard himself, Long Story Short combines dazzling repartee with iconic, nuanced characters and the kind of charged, perfectly paced romance fit for the world stage...a sparkling Shakespearean homage and a wonderful debut.” —Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours In Serena Kaylor's sparkling debut, a homeschooled math genius finds herself out of her element at a theater summer camp and learns that life—and love—can’t be lived by the (text)book. Growing up homeschooled in Berkeley, California, Beatrice Quinn has always dreamed of discovering new mathematical challenges at Oxford University. She always thought the hardest part would be getting in, not convincing her parents to let her go. But while math has always made sense to Beatrice, making friends is a problem she hasn’t been able to solve. Before her parents will send her halfway across the world, she has to prove she won’t spend the next four years hiding in the library. The compromise: the Connecticut Shakespearean Summer Academy and a detailed list of teenage milestones to check off. If Beatrice wants to live out her Oxford dream, she has to survive six weeks in the role of “normal teenager” first. Unfortunately, hearts and hormones don't follow any equations. When she's adopted by a group of eclectic theater kids, and immediately makes an enemy of the popular—and annoyingly gorgeous—British son of the camp’s founders, Beatrice quickly learns that relationships are trickier than calculus. With her future on the line, this girl genius stumbles through illicit parties, double dog dares, and more than her fair share of Shakespeare. But before the final curtain falls, will Beatrice realize there’s more to life than what she can find in the pages of a book?