Four carefully selected short stories from C. Y. Stewart with the author's first-hand recount of how each of the stories were developed, providing you with a behind-the-scenes peek into the author's creative process as well as her personal life.

Have You Seen Jeffrey?

It has been a month since it happened. At first, Steve and I talked about it every day. In the mornings, while sitting on our balcony, drinking coffee and looking down at the lush green valley below, our thoughts and discussion would manage to drift back to the mystery of what happened to Jeffrey. I checked the news every day. Among the media coverage of all the craziness happening in the world, I searched and searched, seizing onto the hope that I’d see a small, obscure, local article somewhere providing an update, or at least a clue, about Jeffrey. But no, nothing. As days went by, I feared that at some point, I would start doubting if it had happened at all, or if it was all in my imagination.

Imagination or not, Jeffrey is gone. I have no idea where he is. Here, please let me tell you what I still remember. Maybe you can make sense of this…

Before we start, please allow me to ask you to please keep an open mind. There’s no other way to approach this story.

Nest

Do you like hiking? Do you love nature? This story will make you think twice the next time you consider going on a hike. "They" can be anywhere. You never know.

A hearsay campfire story that will chill you to your bones.

Who Are You?

I came home from work only to find a young woman cooking dinner in my kitchen. She claimed to be my wife. The problem is: I’m single…

Mandy

Like many of us, Larry shops online. He receives the package. Life moves on. What starts as an innocent prank sets off a string of sinister events. What did Larry order, you wonder? And what has Larry received, for God's sake? As reality begins to unravel for Larry and Michelle, will they be able to save themselves?

About the author:

Corporate dweller by day and fiction writer by night, C. Y. Stewart is a multi-cultural storyteller whose work has been published in multiple languages.

Born and raised in Asia, C. Y. Stewart endured a humble childhood, naturally immersed in Asian culture through her formative years. In college, she studied Literature and obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Arts from Peking University. In 2014, she moved to the United States in pursuit of her dreams. She continues her passion for writing, and now is one of a few in the literature field who writes and publishes in a second language.

In some of her works, you can often glimpse a hint of oriental myth narration, which lends her writing a unique perspective and style. In her well-acclaimed Carrie and Steve Series, she employs a combination of western humor and adrenaline-pumping suspense, while exploring the possibilities of supernatural myth, modern day science, and the unpredictable facets of humanity.

She currently resides in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband, Steve, and their dog, Yulo.