I've not yet figured out exactly what, in literary terms, a short story is supposed to accomplish, except to say it should do so with far fewer words than a novel. My collection herein does not attempt to break unbroken ground or to achieve any other high-level goals. They're just stories that happen to be short, some shorter than others. Maybe some are well-written; maybe none of them is. But a book of Homegrown short stories will have a happier ending during a soak in a hot bath than a smartphone accidentally dropped into that hot bath. And, I promise you this: No ads will ever pop up in the middle of any of these stories. So, open these pages, open your minds, suspend disbelief, and enjoy an all-around good read, without the digital distractions.