Over the years, Tubby the Tugboat has gotten used to spending his days forgotten in Backwater Bay. But that's changing. One way or another, Tubby is about to become useful once again-and that's why he and his friends are worried. Is Tubby on his way to the scrap yard? Or is there still a place in the world for an undersized tugboat like Tubby? Read the story and find out!Over the years, Tubby the Tugboat has gotten used to spending his days forgotten in Backwater Bay. But that's changing. One way or another, Tubby is about to become useful once again-and that's why he and his friends are worried. Is Tubby on his way to the scrap yard? Or is there still a place in the world for an undersized tugboat like Tubby? Read the story and find out! And don't forget to check out the other stories by Michael Wenberg at smashwords.com.

Nothing was more fascinating to Native Americans than the big Newfoundland dog named Seaman accompanying the Lewis and Clark Expedition. When he disappears, his master, Captain Lewis, immediately fears that their fascination has turned into something much more serious.The Uninvited is a short story taken from a paperback collection of short stories, entitled, “The Little Book of Dark Tales”, which is available from my website at www.wrarmstrong.com. When Tim and Helen Christopher move into their dream home with their young son, Adam, they are visited upon by an elderly woman, who refuses to leave them alone. Adam especially, is targeted. Gradually, Tim and Helen are forced to conclude that their unwanted visitor requires something from them. But what? Could it be their son, or is it something more?

Olympia Octavia Penelope Smith hates her name. Of course, changing it to something else is out of the question, but no one said anything about nicknames. So one morning, Olivia sets out to find a nickname. What she ends up with and who provides it is the most surprising thing of all.Six-year-old Olympia Octavia Penelope Smith hates her name - all three of them. Of course, finding something else would require an okay by her mom and dad, and that's not something they are likely to support. But nothing can stop her from finding a nickname. So one morning, Olivia sets out to find one. Something short, easy-to-remember, and just right for her. Join Olympia as she visits neighborhood friends in her search for the perfect nickname. This is an "Anytime" story for children because it isn't just for reading at bedtime, but it's great for any time.

While making preparations for the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1803, Captain Meriwether Lewis saves a big black Newfoundland dog's life when he buys him from the dog's cruel master. Little does he know that his dog will get a chance to return the favor. If you like this story, you might also be interested in reading the sequel, "Dognapped," another Smashwords ebook.Alaric and Everet have begun their journey across the desolate Oresian plains back to the border, where they'll continue on to the Vasque Capitole to meet with Veld Martiale Hadryan. But issues more personal and pressing than a stalled treaty and the Holds' futures must first be addressed, and as the fury of a coming storm begins to mount, so too do the tension and uncertainty between the pair.

Melba has always wanted to play the trombone, but she's too small. Tired of waiting around until she's big enough, she decides to take matters into her own hands with humorous and unexpected results.Melba has always wanted to play the slide trombone, but she's too small. Her grandmother wants Melba to play a musical instrument more suitable for a girl -- like a flute or violin -- but Melba loves the way a trombone looks and sounds. Tired of waiting around until she's big enough to play a trombone on her own, Melba finally decides to take matters into her own hands with humorous and unexpected results.

The Flaubert's have been clowns for generations. Of course, everyone assumes Henri will follow in the family tradition. No one, however, bothers to find out what Henri wants to do–-and he has something completely different in mind.What is a home? It is a familiar base that protects you, provides for you, while making great demands on you as time goes on. The servant slowly becomes more of a master. Letting go of the past is a frightening thing, which is as it should be. That keeps us from racing into uncertainty with too much risk. But too much reliance upon a past home prevents a new one from having a chance to form. We push our children out of their nest as part of our parental duties. Who, then, will push us out when we are the only one in the nest?

Forced into a neutral Estonian port for repairs during the chaos of the opening days of World War II, the Polish submarine, the “Eagle” and her crew are betrayed by their captain and captured by Nazi sympathizers. The crew, however, isn’t content to sit out the war. With help from unexpected sources—a naval attaché with the British Embassy and a courageous American reporter and her photographer sidekick—they overcome their captors, regain control of the “Eagle,” and escape. The German’s are convinced the “Eagle’s” crew has no stomach for a fight and will seek refuge in Sweden. But the Poles have something else in mind—join up with the British Fleet and continue fighting against their homeland’s Nazi conquerors. They face stiff odds. The “Eagle” has little food and water, few torpedoes, and no sea charts. And before she can rendezvous with the British somewhere in the North Sea, she must traverse the Baltic, which has become little more than a Nazi-controlled lake. This story is inspired by the exploits of the Polish submarine, “Orzel,” during the early weeks of World War II. Winston Churchill called her escape from the Nazis “an epic.”

Forced into a neutral Estonian port for repairs during the chaos of the opening days of World War II, the Polish submarine, the "Eagle" and her crew are betrayed by their captain and captured by Nazi sympathizers. The crew, however, isn’t content to sit out the war. With help from unexpected sources—a naval attaché with the British Embassy and a courageous American reporter and her photographer sidekick—they overcome their captors, regain control of the "Eagle," and escape. The German’s are convinced the "Eagle's" crew has no stomach for a fight and will seek refuge in Sweden. But the Poles have something else in mind—join up with the British Fleet and continue fighting against their homeland's Nazi conquerors. They face stiff odds. The "Eagle" has little food and water, few torpedoes, and no sea charts. And before she can rendezvous with the British somewhere in the North Sea, she must traverse the Baltic, which has become little more than a Nazi-controlled lake.This story is inspired by the exploits of the Polish submarine, "Orzel," during the early weeks of World War II. Winston Churchill called her escape from the Nazis “an epic.”