by Feng Gooi (Author), Tony Martello (Author), Porsha Stennis (Author) I was not originally scheduled to edit the RIZE Short Story Anthology, Volume 1, but sometimes fortune smiles. The opportunity to select and edit this collection, written by authors from underrepresented groups, was one of those professional milestones that ultimately has a way of getting into the psyche and marking my personal map with moments of growth, insights, and cherished value. With an eclectic gathering of voices, these stories add dimensions to leave the readers' perspectives more worldly, experiences widened, and thoughts stretched out of their conditioned molds. This inaugural edition of the RIZE Short Story Anthology represents stories and authors from around the corner and from around the world and, by design, offers a diverse adventure into storytelling that leads to a great adventure of story reading. - Benjamin B. White, Editor of RIZE Short Story Anthology, Volume 1, and author of The Recon Trilogy +1 Author Biography Feng Gooi was born and raised in the sunny tropical island of Penang, Malaysia but is currently in snowy Buffalo, New York. Be careful, he is easily startled. You can find his work in Shoreline of Infinity, Hexagon, and Vincent Brothers Review. Connect with him on Twitter: @FengGooi Tony Martello is a family therapist who grew up surfing the wild waves of Hawaii and California. He is the author of Flat Spell Tales, Under the Curtain, Climbing Currents, and Of Song & Stitches. His poems and short stories can also be found in The Atherton Review, October Hill Magazine, New English Review, Forbidden Peak Press, Rigorous Mag, Short Edition, and route7 review. He currently lives in San Luis Obispo, CA with his wife and two daughters. Porsha Stennis is a twenty-something year old writer, born and raised in Chicago. She graduated with an MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago where she completed two published works: Wading, featured in literary magazine midnight &indigo and The Black American Identity Quiz, featured in The Syndrome Magazine. She hopes to publish her first novel in the near future and to continue to share compelling stories examining the human experience. Derek Weinstock was born in the eye of a sharp needle and they've been watching him ever since. He grew up quick and he grew up mean, his fists got hard and his wits got keen. Weinstock currently attends the University of Life, and is seeking his bachelor's degree in The Real Stuff.