Shifting Sands is a collection of short stories where heroes and heroines shift their destinies like sand shifts in time, grain by grain, often to the surprise of the reader.They try to break away from the conformity of their lives and relationships as they struggle to find themselves. Sometimes, they pass narrowly through the intricate web of vices. They come out transformed, vindicated, victorious or condemned.The 13 stories in the Shifting Sands Short Stories are divided into three circles thematically and chronologically.The first circle draws on the early immigration experience from the old country Czechoslovakia to the New World America. The characters embody the impermanence of their status as they struggle between the old culture, language and the adaptation and assimilation to the new world in North America. This is expressed in Danillo, Honey Azrael and the Temptation of Martin Duggan.The second circle of short stories is about assimilation into the new culture while working at the Midwest retail chain. This is demonstrated in Tonight on Main, Therese's Mind, Boxcutter Amy, Orange Nights and the Death Song.The third circle of stories draws on newspaper and media experience fueled by the growing passion for writing. These stories include Foxy, Iron Horse, In the Shadows, Riddleyville Clowns and Chatamal.Based on the story Riddleyville Clowns, I wrote the screenplay titled Riddleyville Clowns. Both demonstrate the hardiness of hometown characters from Main Street America and beyond.Excerpts from the short stories can be found on EW Emma's Writings and on Edition Emma Publishing blogs.