The first narrative in the Collective, “Waiting”, in its original form was awarded First Prize for Short Story in the 2012 Arizona Literary Contest."Waiting: a Collective" won Honorable Mention in the 2014 Arizona Literary Contest. Six people who are waiting in a busy doctor’s office take note of each other. They are not aware of their Circles of Influence. Unknowingly, they become a small Collective, joined together by threads of observation, understanding, and action.The reader is allowed to step into the lives of the six people as they struggle with keen issues. Amanda discovers her irrelevance, Marty comes to terms with being alone, Agnes copes with her husband’s dementia, Ann and Matthew face Anne’s looming death, and Rose works through revealing years of abuse.Virginia Sievers succeeds in digging deeply into each character’s personal trauma, developing empathy that builds into intense loyalty. “Waiting” is a one-sitting read that tears at the heartstrings of reality. Read Less