title: Resilience
author: Miller, Sasha L.
description: All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to the Hispanic Federation to assist with hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. A Faire Encounter by A.M. Valenza-Elena is working the Renaissance Faire with her cousin Luis when she spots the Cutest Girl Ever, a yawning, shivering, chubby little thing dressed up in a dragon onesie. The only problem is getting her attention. She comes up with a plan: impress that adorable dragon girl at all costs. A little magic wouldn't hurt either. Beginnings by Alexa Black-The Finishers are a collective of alien beings that end worlds when "called" to do so. But when they're not ending worlds, they're extremely bored. When the Finishers meet Vana, a strange, small being, they find themselves a bit less bored-and curious about what other beings do when they're not being destroyed. Intrigued, they examine the contents of Vana's mind... and decide they'd like to try humans' version of companionship. Diplomatic Complications by Isobelle Winter-After defeating an alien invasion, Earth has taken its place in the interstellar community. But not all alien species are thrilled to welcome humanity, and it's Benjamin's job to work with those species to prevent wars. The Aradon pose the biggest challenge of his career. Not only is there little information about their history or culture, it seems they don't actually sign treaties, but instead seal alliances through marriages... Silverhands by Megan Derr-Annia was happy being a humble miller alongside her stepbrother-but her stepbrother prefers that Annia agree to be his wife. When she refuses, he brutally cuts off her hands, and Annia flees when he falls asleep. With no one to turn to, and nowhere to go, she leaves the only home she's ever known in hopes a new one might be out there somewhere. Sleepwalking and the Single Girl by Stephanie Rabig-Jessica wants to make a good impression on her new housemates, but what she wants even more is a good night's sleep after a long shift. But the stress of the move sets off her sleepwalking again, and instead of meeting them over a group dinner, one of them trips over Jessica while in search of a late-night snack... Dream by Nicole Field-Mia is a painter starting a fledgling relationship with gallery boy Sebastian when her inspiration comes to life in the form of Morpheus, the god of dreams. She is beautiful and compelling, and Mia finds herself caught between the two and unable to choose... A Night in the Beast's Arms by L.J. Hamlin-Desperate for a cure that might save his father's life, Tom ventures into a mysterious castle and encounters the beautiful, mysterious Benji-who becomes something else entirely when the sun sets. The Potion Maker by Sasha L. Miller-Sarin ran away from the city for a simpler life making potions in the woods. He has good reasons for avoiding people, but when a poisoned Royal Herald falls through his door and literally knocks him over, life gets more complicated than he ever thought he wanted.