Three years after the kiss of a lifetime in a public parking lot followed by months of online and in-real-life stalking and misogynistic bullying from tech bro Gabriel Landon’s fan boys, journalist Aria Turner returns home from a year abroad in London just as the world starts to shut down due to Covid-19.

Asian Anthology: New Writing Vol. 1 is a showcase of short stories and place writing by both new and more established prize-winning writers. Some unexpected, a few surreal and others traditional, these are 22 compelling stories of irony, humanity and satire, exploring a range of subject matter to reveal a glimpse of modern Asian society and culture: a funeral in India, a hotel encounter in Japan, a sleepless night in Hong Kong.

Treasure seeking explorers stumble upon an ancient tomb and unwittingly awaken a terrifying monster created long ago. The fate of the beloved Scottish Queen Mary, becomes mysteriously tied to this creature, and her death sets in motion events that will haunt villages along the coast of Ireland for centuries. Fast forward 88 years to 1852 in New York City. Two brothers, living very different lives, travel to Ireland due to their father’s death and discover the existence of the monster.

Newly moneyed Jimmy can’t seem to get a certain girl out of his head. He’s never even spoken to her—the two have merely shared looks and smiles while traveling on an ocean voyage. But when he takes a bet to break into a house, and is caught by the owner of the house, (the chief of police, no less), a series of complicated events is set in motion. The first of which is the unaccountable appearance of his mystery girl. Soon Jimmy must show his true mettle, while demonstrating his singular gift for intrusion.

What could be worse than living in a tiny house in the tiny town of Wisteria with twin brothers who believe they’re superheroes? Answer: the voices in Jett’s head. They buzz with bits of a bad memory, and they’re getting louder every day. A friend recommends a book sure to unscramble her confusion, but it’s disappeared, and nobody wants to talk about it. Enraged, Jett and her friends rally up a team to fight the censorship, even enlisting her clever pet bunny, Felix, one-eared Grey Cat, and the ghosts of a few authors known for shaking things up.

Charley Byrne isn't really living. At age 29, she hunkers down in her apartment above the bookstore she manages, afraid of a 7-year curse. Then quirky activist Xander Wallace lures her out of social exile with the prospect of friendship and romance. Charley joins Xanders circle of friends diverse in their heritage, race, gender and sexual orientation. She thrives, even leaving her comfort zone to join protests in a city struggling with social justice ills.

It’s a muggy summer in the forested suburbs outside of Charleston, West Virginia. Johnny Jepko and Patricia Murgatroyd watch enrapt as the crimes of their runaway next-door neighbor come to light before their eyes.

Hildy Halverson, a genius in math and science, is pushed by her parents to step into a male-dominated field and change the world for women. But Hildy, enamored of the scientific force of the human body, and her own body's ability to create and sustain life, decides to go against contemporary expectations. She marries young and raises a houseful of kids. Hildy wants her children to choose their own life paths. As each child is born, she tells them, "You can be whatever you want to be, and whatever you want to be will be great."

The pregnant widow of a scapegrace cousin—whatever his wishes, duty requires Gareth, Lord Wyckham, to take her into his household. Soon Laura finds her way into his family and his heart. When her adorable baby is born, he has to persuade her it’s not just Priscilla’s Papa he wants to become, but Laura’s loving husband.

Paul, a part-time actor and full-time narcissist, just knows that his wife is having an affair with the dog trainer who lives upstairs in their luxury apartment building. But when he tries to catch them in the act, he finds the neighbor’s corpse instead. And now he can’t find his wife anywhere. With only the building’s alluring front desk person to help him, Paul must find the killer before the cops pin the murder on him.