James W. White Books

A bitter husband blames his impotency on his wife for having deceived him under layers of petticoats, bustles, corsets, and camisoles. A young man dreams of being a sailor and nearly kills his friend while acting out his dream. An old surfer clings to his past by pursuing a short-tempered young woman with a penchant for violence.These are just a sampling of the intriguing characters and situations to be found in author James W. White’s collection of short stories.

Helen Steves, a young woman of 19, slouched in her favorite chair, leaned back and kicked off her shoes. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly on a warm, Texas afternoon in August, 1936. Helen enjoyed her quiet moments, but those moments were numbered. Soon, Helen would be pulled out of her chair and sent to far off Los Angeles, California in the company of people the likes of which she couldn't even imagine back in her comfortably dull Texas home. Helen told her mother, "Everybody gets a chance to grab the golden ring. Some take that chance, some don't. It's there for the taking, but every time that ring comes in my direction, I'm paying attention to things that don't matter. Know what I mean?" Unfortunately, Helen's chance for the ring don't go as planned. Turns out, the world has a different plan for her, and after an inauspicious start, Helen finds out taking chances, even well intended chances, can be risky.