Unlucky Harold, for whom every day is Friday the 13th, finally has a change of fortune.

After picking up what he believes to be a lucky penny, Little Critter has a week filled with bad luck.

Coming into the possession of a photograph of a smiling woman he has never met, a man experiences a chain of fortuitous events that cause him to regard the photograph as a lucky charm, a belief that prompts a heartfelt search for the woman.

On an island off the coast of Maine, where children ride lobster boats to school, Piper worries that too much good luck can sometimes equal bad luck.

"You like it darker? Fine, so do I," writes Stephen King in the afterword to this magnificent new collection of twelve stories that delve into the darker part of life--both metaphorical and literal. These stories, about fate, mortality, luck, and the folds in reality where anything can happen, are both weighty in theme and a huge pleasure to read. "Two Talented Bastids" explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills....

From the Publisher: Have you ever noticed that you talk about luck every day of your life? Luck is your silent companion, sometimes bringing awesome parking spaces, a chance meeting with a new love interest, or a small windfall. Most of the time you probably don't even pay attention to luck. Chances are, you only really think about luck when you buy a lottery ticket or participate in a contest. Luck is so much more than that. If you take steps to...

Third-grader Nancy tries her hand at fortune-telling but quickly learns it is a bit more complicated than she thought.

"Catalia "Cat" Fisa lives disguised as a soothsayer in a traveling circus. She is perfectly content avoiding the danger and destiny the Gods--and her homicidal mother--have saddled her with. That is, until Griffin, an ambitious warlord from the magic-deprived south, fixes her with his steely gaze and upsets her illusion of safety forever. Griffin knows Cat is the Kingmaker, the woman who divines the truth through lies. He wants her as a powerful weapon...

"The lucky penny in Judy Moody's pocket sure does seem to be working. She can't stop winning-at bowling, spelling, the unbeatable Prize Claw, everything! For sure and absolute positive, she'll ride that wave of good fortune all the way to Washington, D.C..

When Bear's friend Mouse tells him that finding a four-leaf clover means one is lucky, the little bear searches for one, despite the discouraging words of other animals.