If you're a fan of short stories - especially those by writers such as Raymond Carver, Ernest Hemingway, Thom Jones and Tobias Wolff - then I highly recommend the following debut collections by Alan Heathcock and Shann Ray:
Volt: Stories by Alan Heathcock (c2011)
Chronologically set in the ill-fated nowheresville town of Krafton, these stories revolve loosely around a reluctant female sheriff. Dark clouds seem to incessantly hover over her and the rest of the town's inhabitant, but they occasionally break to let in a glimmer of light. Check catalog for availability.
American Masculine: Stories by Shann Ray (c2011)
Set primarily in the modern day American West, these stories of loss carry a heavy weight, but also the hope of redemption. The opener, How We Fall, stuck with me for days. Check catalog for availability.
-submitted by Tom S @ MPL Central
