My story, The Hunter, is at the Yellow Mama Webzine

Tags

child abuse, child molestation, christmas, crime, criminal, disguise, Fiction, Flash Fiction, ghost, grief, holidays, innocence, loss, paedophile, pain, pervert, punishment, retribution, revenge, Santa Claus, sexual abuse, spirit, vengeance, victim

Many thanks to the Editor, Cindy Rosmus for publishing my story, The Hunter, at the Yellow Mama Webzine. The above artwork is by Ann Marie Rhiel, the Assistant Art Director for Yellow Mama Webzine.

Here’s a link to the dark, holiday season story which appears on Issue  #77 of YELLOW MAMA:

The Hunter

http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmamaarchives/id712.html

 

 

Many thanks for reading and Season’s Greetings to All!

 

 

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Happy Birthday, Ripples on the Pond! Recap, December 8th, 2020.

Tags

Amazon, anniversary, anthology, birthday, debut, flashfiction, goodreads, journey, literary magazines, photos, places, publications, Reviews, Ripples on the Pond, short stories, the world, travel

Another year has passed and I still haven’t published my longer fiction… Sorry, I have been distracted for more than a year watching movies, series, human stories I love. Maybe I should attempt to write reviews on these, not as a critic, but as a spectator. Never mind, maybe I will, maybe I won’t, but I know it’s time to concentrate on my longer fiction and stop procrastinating …

Anyway, I’m updating the below post from a year ago, with a few new photos, some reviews, and links to the stories which appeared on online literary magazines, before and after Ripples on the Pond was published.

The below stories were first published at Sick Lit Magazine. Many thanks to the Editor in Chief, Kelly Fitzharris @kellycoody.

My Paper Memories / The Train

King of Hearts

Angel’s Cove

House of Detachment

Zero plus One

First published at Twisted Sister Literary Magazine, many thanks to the Editor in Chief, Liz McAdams.

The Song of Spring

Shards of Glass

First Published at Spelk Fiction, many thanks to the Editors in Chief, Gary Duncan and Cal Marcius:

Cercis Siliquastrum

Virginia Creeper

The Bosphorus Review of Books, many thanks to the Editor in Chief, Luke Frostic:

King of Hearts

Virginia Creeper

The Naked Street Lamp

Selma of Soghut

House of Detachment

Three Drops from the Cauldron Issue 22, many thanks to the Editor in Chief, Kate Garrett.

Angel’s Cove (Page 51)

The Rye Whiskey Review, many thanks to the Editor in Chief, John Patrick Robbins.

Amber Street

Yellow Mama Webzine, many thanks to the Editor in Chief, Cindy Rosmus:

Shards of Glass

Punk Noir Magazine, many thanks to the Editor in Chief, Paul D. Brazill.

The Song of Spring

The X Factor

Hunter’s Moon

Flash Fiction Offensive, many thanks to the Editors, Jim Shaffer, Jessie Heels Rowlings, and Mick Rose. 

A Kind of Love

A few more photos and reviews:

Ripples at Ölüdeniz, Fethiye, Muğla, Turkey.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R13VNBN72FJ9EU/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B077XCK3SD

5.0 out of 5 stars Read between the words…

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 January 2018

Verified Purchase

Ripples in the Pond is a series of short stories based on life’s big question and learning, as well as a tangle of true stories set in a fictional world. The author has descriptive prose that flows like liquid silk across each and every page, leaving the reader mesmerised in every way. Her characters throw up questions in scenarios akin to a dreamlike landscape, the answers given at the end of every story will open your eyes to a more complex way of thinking, woven in empathy and spiritual belief.

Ripples at Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2NDI1OHFTTD54/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B077XCK3SD

“Ripples on the Pond” by Sebmen Sanders

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 June 2019

Verified Purchase

“Ripples on the Pond” by Sebnem Sanders

I loved this collection of short stories: evocative, colourful and brimming with imagination. I wonder where Sanders gets her ideas from, and marvel at the level of detail she manages to cram onto the page. I’ve always loved short stories, and this collection is delicious. Thank you!

Ripples in Ankara, Turkey. The cat wants to read it first! 😀

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/R2R8BMF2GF11RO/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B077XCK3SD

These short stories are indeed like ripples on a pond. They are almost cameos of a life of the character in each story, a ripple that goes outwards to effect either that person or those around, a momentary choice that can change the direction of a life. Ms Saunders is a short-story master; her gift of perfectly portraying just about anything from fantasy to historical, the weird and wonderful to the ordinary, that somehow under her ‘pen’ becomes extraordinary. She has great skill of being able to immediately draw the reader into the story under a short narrative, she understands and portrays all emotions that a human being can experience and you go with it. I’ve even shed a tear or two! This book is a joy; one that can’t be rushed, but treasured and one that can be dipped into and read again and again.

Thank you for reading! Much love and I’ll be back shortly! 🙂

December 8th, 2020, Marmaris, Turkey

The End

Ripples on the Pond  is celebrating its second birthday this week, and she has been travelling to many magical destinations, over the past two years.

From 2019 to 2017, here are some photos with highlights from a few reviews on Amazon and Goodreads :

Ripples on Poros, Greece

“Sublime Power Each of the seventy-one stories creates more than a ripple – it’s a surge that transports the reader to unexpected places, people, and situations existing all over our world and the magical ones beyond. BTW, ‘Weeds’ is a marvel – an environmentalists delight! Ripples on the Pond stays on my nightstand. I will continue to enjoy the abundance of wisdom revealed in such beautiful and powerful stories. Gratefulness to and thanks sent to the author!”

Ripples at Phatrithias, Ithaca

I’m delighted to have tasted the delights of this exceptional flash …

“Rich storytelling guided by intelligence, empathy and keen observation of life. Wisdom cannot be taught, bought or borrowed – yet, it can touch us through words. As I read each story, I wondered, how far willl the Ripples of Wisdom travel, how many lives will be touched? I’m delighted to have tasted the delights of this exceptional flash fiction anthology. Recommended.”

Ripples on Yaya Beach,  Ithaca

Ripples on Yaya Beach, Ithaca

Ripples on the Pond will leave ripples on your heart

“This is a perfect book to leave on the nightstand and read before sleep. Bedtime stories for the soul. These tales invoke emotions spanning from joyful to painful, and at times, feel deeply personal, as if the author has glimpsed inside your life. Ripples on the Pond will be a staple for me to pick up when I need a reminder of what is truly important in life.”

Ripples in Çeşme, Turkey

Sebnem Sanders writes beautifully, often with an anthropmorphic slant that reminds me …

This remarkable compilation of short stories is quite different to anything I have read for a long time. Sebnem Sanders writes beautifully, often with an anthropmorphic slant that reminds me of the stories and plays of Classical Greece, yet with a modern voice. In these vignettes, nature can sometimes take on a life and voice of its own, immersing the reader in a world that is viewed from a different perspective. There is a also a deep sense of reflection in the writing style which I enjoyed and her stories make us think, but in a subtle and contemplative way. I look forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended.

Ripples in Datça, Turkey

a wonderful collection of stories

“This delightful collection of short stories encompasses a span of human emotions, frailties and flaws as well as a wider perspective on what it means to be human. Sebnem Sanders examines loss, love, despair, joy as well as the philosophical picture of our place in the world and our relationship with nature. In ‘Selma of Soghut’ she explores transience and ageing, in ‘Shards of Glass’ the magical realism of another self performing shocking acts, and in ‘King of Hearts’ an unlikely friendship is struck between a dying man and a sick child.”

Ripples in Stockholm, Sweden

fantastic collection!

 

“Great collection of flash fiction stories, all different genres and focused on human experience & existence. Written in beautiful clear language, cool plotting and awesome heroes!”

Ripples in Florida

“Brought a book along, to read, while on the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. From Clearwater to Venice, Sebnem traveled along, telling stories the waves often whisper and the gulls cry out loud. This book is for those who oft think and find beauty in everything or yearn to live mindfully. Each story has you linger a bit longer, while waiting for a sunset… or perhaps you are the person anticipating the sun rise. A real treat! A fantastic beach read!“

Thank you very much for all the wonderful reviews, I’m most grateful. 🙂

Season’s Greetings and much love! 🙂

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36954446-ripples-on-the-pond

Amazon.co.uk

Not all the stories in Ripples on the Pond have specific locations, but these area few that do.  Trailer for Ripples on the Pond.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sebnem Sanders (@sebnemsanders) on Dec 8, 2019 at 12:46am PST

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The Muse by Sebnem E. Sanders

Tags

amreading, amwriting, editing, Flash Fiction, halloween, muse, publication, Punk Noir Magazine, revisit, spirits, visit, writer, writing

I’m honoured to be back at the Punk Noir Magazine with a story for Halloween! Many thanks to author and Editor in Chief, Paul D. Brazill.

Punk Noir Magazine

Sharma’s passion was writing, but she had to toil at a boring job. She devoted any free time to her work in progress, trying to adhere to her daily word count target of 1000. Always scribbling in her notebook, at lunch break and after dinner at home, she immersed herself in stories instead of going out with friends or watching TV. At weekends, she transcribed her work onto the computer and spent her time editing.

On a sunny weekday, she could be found on a bench in a remote area of the park, next to the woods. It was a niche, a pocket, surrounded by trees, with a small opening in the front. Sharma considered this to be her private patch, since visitors preferred to mingle on the wide lawns with the lunchtime crowds. Sharma felt comfortable, undisturbed by the commotion beyond. Sometimes she would close her eyes and listen…

View original post 955 more words

I’m at Center Stage having a chat with author Mick Rose

Tags

anthology, blog post, Books, Center Stage, chat, crime writer, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Interview, Mick Rose, Newsfeed, poetry, short stories

 

 

 

I’m delighted and honoured to be at author Mick Rose s Center Stage. Thank you very much, Mick, for all your hard work. I thoroughly enjoyed our chat. 🙂

Here’s the link :

https://centerstagewithmickrose.weebly.com/home/category/amazon-author-sebnem-e-sanders-ripples-on-the-pond?fbclid=IwAR3C6J0KqV3n8-ImEOAXwHdYX4pq0XPYHWjg_2Z3Xqta2o6_nL6oMhIQmPQ

 

Thank you very much for reading. 🙂

 

 

My story, House of Detachment, is in the September Issue of The Bosphorus Review of Books

Tags

addiction, apathy, attachment, Bosphorus Review of Books, dependence, detachment, elimination, erasure, Flash Fiction, happiness, memories, neutrality, pain, past, publications, remembrance, September Issue, sorrow

 

Many thanks to the Editor, Luke Frostic, for publishing my story, House of Detachment, from  Ripples on the Pond ,in the September Issue of  The Bosphorus Review of Books  .

Here’s the link to the story:

https://bosphorusreview.com/house-of-detachment?fbclid=IwAR22dgYkEM18QfyPjUAhPRDlVGI84csiUWS2ORhpWi5y-1PO9UoU00ActyA

And the link to the contents of the September Issue of  The Bosphorus Review of Books , full of interesting articles and selections of fiction and poetry:

https://bosphorusreview.com/new-page-70

 

Many thanks for reading. 🙂

 

Sebnem

 

Guest Post at author Kathryn Gauci’s Blog

Tags

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar, Asli Erdogan, Ayse Kulin, Booker Prize Longlist, Ece Temelkuran, Elif Batuman, Elif Shafak, English Translations, Nazım Hikmet, Nobel Laurate, Orange Prize Longlist, Orhan Pamuk, Orhan Veli, Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Sabahattin Ali, Turkish Literature, Turkish Poetry, Written in English, Yasar Kemal

I’m honoured to be at author Kathryn Gauci’s Blog where we talk about Turkish Literature at her Literary World series. I apologize in advance for any mishaps as  at the moment I only have my phone and no Internet on my computer.

Here’s the link: https://www.kathryngauci.com/blog-84-23-06-2019-a-literary-world-an-interview-with-sebnem-e-sanders/

A Trip to Remember

Tags

Acropolis, amreading, amwriting, Athens, Greece, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Marmaris, Meeting, Rhodes, Selimiye, Trip, Turkey, Vacation, Writers

The Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Athens, with Acropolis in the background (From left to right, Sebnem, David, Michelle, and Joanne)

 

 

Dear Friends, Fellow Authors, and Followers,

 

Sorry I have been away for a while. It wasn’t intentional. I meant to post a story before I left on holiday, but failed to do so while trying to get organized for the trip. So, here’s a true story about our adventures, meeting with fellow writers at various locations, and how this journey evolved.

David J. Meyers, from Melbourne, Australia, and I, first met at the now defunct Harper Collins writer’s website, Authonomy, in 2013. I had joined Authonomy back in 2012 and posted my manuscript The Child of Heaven which David read and edited while I read many of his books, including The Maia Calendar, Lost in Authonomy, The Gargoyle Chronicles, and To See the Sun. This was before David established himself as an historical fiction writer and his genre was more fantasy orientated. Meanwhile, that year I also met the American author, Joanne J. Kendrick who wrote paranormal fantasy and romance. I read her books, Music of Souls and Chance Inheritance, and her sequel to Music, Eternity’s Opus.

The beginning of David’s Maia Calendar takes place at the Sultanahmet Square, the Hippodrome, in the old town of Istanbul. In the summer of 2013, David and Michelle decided to visit Istanbul. At that time, I was no longer living in Istanbul, my hometown, but in Marmaris, on the Southern Aegean coast.  So, I made sure I was in Istanbul during their short stay and the virtual friendship became real when I met David and his lovely wife, Michelle, in person, at their hotel in the Sultanahmet area and we had lunch at the historical Sultanahmet Köftecisi.

Joanne had a life change a couple of years ago, and was working and living on her own. She wanted to travel to places she had never been, and had never flown across the Atlantic. I invited her to stay with me in Marmaris, and said we can also go to the Greek islands from here. Last year it didn’t happen, for one reason or another. This year in early January, Joanne asked if we could plan a trip together from Turkey to Greece. This coincided with the time I was diagnosed with hernia in my lower back and was having treatments. I thought, why not, life is too short, and perhaps, I might not be able to do this in the future. Who knows? Not that I can afford to pay anything in Euros with the state of the Turkish economy these days, but what’s money for if you can’t enjoy it in good health. I said, “Let’s do it,” and we began to plan our journey.

Meanwhile, David and Michelle were celebrating their 25^th year together and he wanted to do something special for her. Once David heard our plans, he discussed it with Michelle and they decided to fly to Santorini for a romantic break before meeting us in Athens on the 21st of May. For four nights and three days we stayed in a flat with 3 bedrooms and bathrooms, in the Plaka district, which Joanne found from Airbnb.

It was the first time David, Michelle and I met Joanne in person. She turned out to be exactly as I imagined her. Then, thinking perhaps my Facebook friend, the lovely American painter and writer, Pamela Jane Rogers, who has lived in Poros for the last 30 years, could join us for lunch during our stay, I messaged her, and she kindly agreed. So we all  met for lunch in Athens, 4 writers, two from the US, one from Oz, and one from Turkey, together with Michelle Meyers and Francis Broun, a professor of History of Art from Princeton, and Pamela’s husband.

 

Lunch in Athens, from left to right, Joanne, Francis, Pamela, Sebnem, David and Michelle

 

David was the tour leader in Athens as we covered all the historical sites, from Hadrians’s Library, The Athenian Agora, Roman Agora, The Temple of The Winds, The Acropolis, The Temple of the Olympian Zeus, to the Acropolis Museum. Although it was a challenging task for my back, I did manage to climb to the Acropolis, with help from my friends, while trying to cope with the treacherous spiral Greek steps and stairs, and hills that were an inescapable feature of our daily excursions.

 

Hadrian’s Library, Athens

The Athenian Agora, Athens

The Roman Agora, Athens (Sebnem, David and Joanne)

The Temple of the Winds, Athens

Acropolis, Athens (Joanne and Michelle)

Acropolis, Athens (The statues here are reproductions. The originals are at the Acropolis Museum, as seen in the below photo)

Acropolis Museum, Athens (The original statues from the Acropolis have been restored and now kept at the museum.)

Joanne, David and Michelle at the Acropolis Museum, Athens

Acropolis Museum, Athens

 

Joanne and I parted with David and Michelle on the 25^th of May. They left for Australia as we boarded a propeller plane to Kefalonia from Athens. We took a ferry to Ithaca, Penelope’s Island, where we stayed with a very good friend of mine. Our week in Ithaca was pure serenity as we marvelled at the unspoiled nature and exquisite  beauty of Ulysses’ Kingdom.  A population of 2000 and full of Greeks born is Oz with Aussie accents, who have returned home to claim their heritage from their ancestors. It seems back in the early 50’s there was a devastating earthquake in the Peloponnese Islands and most of the inhabitants of Kefalonia, Ithaca and other islands immigrated to Australia, South Africa, the UK, and the US to begin new lives.

 

View from Exoghi, Ithaca

View from Exoghi, Ithaca

Vathy, Ithaca

Lunch at Kioni, Ithaca with our host, Michele Neale, and Joanne.

Vathy, Ithaca

Ulysses Statue, Vathy, Ithaca

Homer Statue, Vathy, Ithaca

Ripples on Yaya Beach, Ithaca

Ferry from Ithaca to Kefalonia

After our magical stay in Ithaca, we flew to Rhodes via Kefalonia and Athens on the 2nd of June. Another 4 days of explorations on the lovely island and a ferry ride to Marmaris on the 6th of June brought me back home with Joanne. Jo stayed with me for 5 nights and 4 days and had a brief tour of  Marmaris and the surrounding villages. When she left Marmaris and flew back to the US via Dalaman and Istanbul, on the 11th of June, we had been together for 21 days.

 

Rhodes Old Town Gates

Joanne by the Fountain, Rhodes Old Town

Anthony Quinn Bay, Rhodes

Stegna Beach, Rhodes

Acropolis at Lindos, Rhodes

Waiting for Jo to climb to the top of Lindos in Rhodes before she got lost in the maze of shops on the way down.

Marmaris Marina and the Fortress

View of Marmaris from the Fortress

Frozen Lavender Lemonade, Marmaris

Piano Bar, Selimiye, Marmaris

Kızkumu, Orhaniye, Marmaris

Marmaris Bay

 

It was definitely a trip to remember, with great company and wonderful memories. I hope we’ll have the chance get together again, in the near future.

And there’s a story brewing, in my head. It starts with, “Penelope sat on the pebble beach in Ithaca and combed her hair …” and I don’t know where she’ll take me …

Sebnem xxx

Amazon Author pages:

Joanne J Kendrick

David J. Meyers

Pamela Jane Rogers

Sebnem E. Sanders

Selma of Soghut from Ripples on the Pond is in the March Edition of The Bosphorus Review of Books

Tags

anthology, Bosphorus Review of Books, death, fishing village, Flash Fiction, grief, loss, love, March Edition, octopus, publication, Ripples on the Pond, Söğüt, Sea, separation, short stories, sleeping partner, Soghut, Southern Aegean, Widow

:

My story, Selma of Soghut, from Ripples on the Pond , is in the March Edition of The Bosphorus Review of Books. 

Many thanks to the Editor Luke Frostick. 😍

Here’s the link:

https://bosphorusreview.com/selma-of-soghut?fbclid=IwAR2oSDslYHeTNtczCvY8LQ8bcHw7WFGRcR49-JHL3BhY3DDzbl4dKgTJ_HU

 

Thank you for reading. 🙂

 

 

 

Shards of Glass, from Ripples on the Pond, is up at Yellow Mama Webzine’s Valentine’s Day Issue #72

Tags

amreading, amwriting, anger, anthology, dark, doppelganger, eternal love, Flash Fiction, love, publication, revenge, Ripples on the Pond, Shards of Glass, short stories, Valentine's Day Issue, Yellow Mama Webzine

Painting by the talented artist Ann Marie Rhiel

 

My story, Shards of Glass, from Ripples on the Pond, is in the Valentine’s Day Issue #72 of Yellow Mama Webzine, with a lovely illustration from the talented artist, Ann Marie Rhiel. Many thanks to the Editor, Cindy Rosmus. 😍

Here’s the link:
http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmama/id1975.html

 

Here’s also the link to the homepage of this issue where you’ll find some familiar names and great stories:
http://blackpetalsks.tripod.com/yellowmama/

 

Thank you very much for reading. 🙂

 

Bibliophile, Word-Lover & iPhone photographer Douglas Cronk

Tags

amreading, amwriting, art-lover, Bibliophile, blog post, Center Stage by Mick Rose, Facebook, Flash Fiction, Interview, Literature, photographer, poetry, Read or Die, Word-lover

 

Below is the link to an entertaining Blog Post by fellow author, Mick Rose at Center Stage where he has interviewed Douglas Cronk, whose shares on Facebook bring writers, poets, and readers together on his profile page and at his literary group, Read or Die

Not only does Douglas Cronk share the written word from all over the world, but he also posts amazing shots of Florida sunrises and artworks which brighten up his pages.

Blessings and cheers to Douglas Cronk, the Patron Saint of Literature and Arts.

Thanks for reading. 🙂

The link:

https://centerstagewithmickrose.weebly.com/home/bibliophile-word-lover-iphone-photographer-douglas-cronk

 

            

Florida Sunrise by Douglas Cronk