In these stories of love, loss, and pleasure, a cat wreaks havoc on a marriage, a woman loses her tooth and her partner, and a child searches for the perfect pet. Imaginative, humorous, and a bit disturbing, the stories in Eyes Shut affirm the pain and joy that holds true at the core of all life.

In "Dead to Me," a woman struggles to forget the life she had with her lover until she receives a phone call that changes the course of her grief. Struck with the thought there is something missing, a woman searches for what is lacking in her relationship in "Where You Will Find It." In the title story, a desperate mother tries to ease her son's pain before it is too late.

Danielle Epting's first collection of short stories, Eyes Shut, is an open window into an experience of human emotions through humor, imaginative images, and honest characters.