Excerpt from "Saint Theresa" by Andi Caldwell in 'If"

Andi Caldwell, and several other members of the Circle 8 Writers group, have been Facebook friends with me for a few years now. This talented group of writers has put together many anthologies of their collected short stories. Check out an excerpt from the story "Saint Theresa" by Andi.

Book Blurb:

The stories of If:

Amy Browne: "And So It Begins: the Birth of Paisley" Short (Paisley)story: The kingdom rejoices at the birth of a new princess. If only grandma had been more careful, the baby would not have floated up, up and away.

Andi Caldwell: "Saint Theresa" Short Story: Theresa had something in common with her namesake Saint Theresa: seeking terrible vengeance on those closest to her. If only she had known then what she knows now--that the saint was no saint in her young life, either.

Angel Sharum: "As If You Cared" Short story: If Robert hadn’t been so alienated by his wife’s manic depression, maybe the cure wouldn’t have proved so deadly.

"If You’d Only Listened" Short story: Nobody ever listened to Will, not his mother, not even his best friend Dale—NOBODY! If they had, maybe Will wouldn’t have decided it’s time for Judgement Day.

"I’m Sorry" Flash story: Sorry, Charlie.

"I Want You Back" Flash fiction: If only Nathan would’ve washed his own dirty shirts.

LL Darroch: "Artemis Unbound" Short story: A scarlet ribbon always around her neck. Oh, dear, if poor Henry had only known or had guessed why his beloved never took it off.

"The Bracelet" Short story: If Mattie can only conjure up fake spirits, how can one that keeps taunting her with a bracelet prove to be too real.

"UserError" Flash fiction: If you’re going to use a computer to cheat, don’t drink coffee.

“Green Cheese” Flash Fiction: Green Cheese: What if the moon really was made of green cheese?

"Fortress" Poetry: If the past is a dead thing, should a tombstone marks its grave?

Brittany Joy Chadwick "IF" Short story: If Frank could only believe in his Imaginary Friend.

Robert L. Arend "Snow Globe Short story: If only Ralph hadn’t been so ambitious, greedy and selfish, he and his family might not be homeless and struggling to survive the harsh Philadelphia winter. If only he could change their present by changing his past.

"The Andre Peterson Conspiracy" Short Story: If Sirhan Sirhan didn’t kill Robert F. Kennedy, who did? Time will tell.

Read an excerpt of "Saint Theresa"

When the doorbell rang, the last thing Theresa had expected were two policemen looking for her mother. When she told them she wasn’t home, they asked if they could wait. She had called her father and told him to come home. Since he owned the gas station around the corner from the house, he was home in ten minutes. One of the policemen started asking her questions. Still after so many years had come and gone, Theresa shook her head at the memory of how innocent she had been. When her mother had finally come home, the policemen arrested her. It had sounded like a television show.

“Mary Copeland, you are under arrest for having unlawful sexual relations with a minor. You are entitled to an attorney…” he said.

But it hadn’t been a television show. Her father had blustered and argued, but the police took her mother away. When she asked for an explanation, all he would mutter was, “Patrick, she’s been sleeping with Patrick.” Then he had gone to the cupboard and taken out the whiskey bottle.

Buy links: Kindle | Paperback

About Andi Caldwell:


Andi Caldwell has been writing short stories as long as she has been reading them. She is also a freelance writer and a teacher of special education students. She lives with her husband, two daughters and two cats.