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

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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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Advertisement

The Naked Street Lamp is in the January Issue of the Bosphorus Review of Books

Tags

amreading, amwriting, anthology, debut, Flash Fiction, January 2019 Issue, Newsfeed, publication, Ripples on the Pond, The Bosphorus Review of Books

 

 

The Naked Street Lamp, my flash fiction story from Ripples on the Pond, is in the January 2019 Issue of The Bosphorus Review of Books .

Nice New Year’s present.

Here’s the link:

https://bosphorusreview.com/the-naked-street-lamp

 

Happy New Year! 

 

A Year in the Life of Ripples on the Pond

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Amazon, anniversary, anthology, debut, Flash Fiction, free on Kindle, goodreads, highlights, retrospective, Reviews, Ripples on the Pond, short stories

 

A year in the life of Ripples on the Pond    my debut anthology of flash fiction and short stories, with photos and highlights

 

December 7, 2017 The first copy of Ripples on the Pond arrives home via UPS.

and finds a cozy spot.

 

First copies arrive in London

December, 2017 Highlights from the first reviews on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Goodreads

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

“Tender observations and wisdom – a wonderful collection of stories“

“Well Worth the Ride!“

 

 

“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! ” on Goodreads

“Eternal Ripples”

 

 “Sebnem Sanders creates breathtaking fables that make realistic myths from the human condition.” on Goodreads

“Ripples on the Pond will leave ripples on your heart” 

 

Ripples appears on author and blogger Jessie Cahalin’s Books in My Handbag, December 15, 2017

https://jessiecahalin.com/handbag-gallery/

 

January-April, 2018:

“Read between the words…”

“Generous collection of beautiful stories”

“A delightful collection.”

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

 

April, 2018 : Ripples Receives a Readers’ Award and a review from Chill with a Book, on Amazon, Amazon UK, and Goodreads.

 “A thoroughly entertaining book of short stories. The cancer ward story was particularly poignant.”

 

 “Beautiful Language, Good Ideas“

“Thoughtful collection of short fiction”

 

Spring in Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey

“Such a wonderful collection of short stories!”

“When I finished and there were no more stories, I smiled to myself. This is one of those books I will be re-reading again and again. A must read!“

 “The gamut of human emotion and experience”

 

Swedish Blogger Ray Not Bradbury Reviews Ripples on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2212927603?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1

And I time-travel to Varmdö, the biggest island in the Stockholm archipelago, and cherish memories from my teenage days.

 

Ripples in Datça, Muğla, Turkey, in the Summer.  Photo by a reader,  https://www.instagram.com/nilgun_ozbudak/

 

Ripples on the Beach

“Sublime Power“

 

“ A pleasure that I did not want to end….”

 

December in Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey, as the fire crackles and we taste the pomegranates and oranges from the garden.

 

Not all the stories in Ripples of the Pond have specific locations, but here are a few that do:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sebnem Sanders (@sebnemsanders) on Nov 29, 2018 at 1:21am PST

 

Ripples on the Pond   is free on Kindle between December 6-10th, Thursday-Monday. If you’d like to have a look, here’s the preview and the link:

 

 

 

Thank you very much for reading and visiting. 🙂 

Ripples in Sweden- A Time-travel Story – Part I

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adventure, anthology, debut, Flash Fiction, memories, review, Ripples on the Pond, short stories, Stockholm Archipelago, Summer of 1968, Sweden, teenage, teenage adventure, teenager, time-travel, travel, Varmdö, young adult

 

Recently, Ray Not Bradbury https://raynotbradbury.com posted a review on Ripples on the Pond    https://raynotbradbury.com/2018/06/25/book-review-ripples-on-the-pond-sebnem-e-sanders/ .

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this review which she kindly posted on Goodreads, as well. I loved the photo of the book Ray took, which she used on her blog and on Instagram, and asked her if I might use it for a future post for Ripples.

Scrolling through her blog, I discovered Ran Not Bradbury is a pen name for Victoria Ohlsson who lives in Sweden. So the picture was taken in Sweden by a Swedish reviewer. Well, this brought back some memories from many years ago, to be exact, fifty years ago, from 1968 .

So, I time-travelled to the summer of 1968, when I spent about six weeks in Sweden, and a few days in Copenhagen.

I was one of the Turkish students invited to attend an International Lions Youth Camp in Sweden. It was my first trip abroad and the Sterling Airways flight took me to Copenhagen where I boarded a train to Stockholm after making sure I was in the right car labelled Stockholm.  When we reached the sea, the Stockholm labelled car slipped onboard a ferry. After arriving at the Swedish shores, the car was attached to a Swedish train. It was dark when we reached Stockholm.

I entered the terminal in apprehension. How was the Swedish family I was to spend a week with before the Camp going to find me? Then I heard an announcement in English on the loudspeaker, calling my name and asking me to come to the Information Desk. A very blonde and blue eyed Swedish lady , Mrs  Bernstrand, accompanied by two young boys with corn silk hair, greeted me with a smile. After dropping my small suitcase into the trunk of her car, she drove away to a destination unknown to me.

I was very tired. I hadn’t slept since the early hours of the previous morning when my flight took off from Istanbul. The stress of finding the Copenhagen train station, buying the ticket, and making sure I was in the right car added to the tension. But the good thing was everyone in Copenhagen spoke English, even the dustman who guided me to the ticket booth.  Although I had relaxed a bit on the train, the American sailors who boarded at the next station and tried to chat me up, gave me the creeps. As soon as I told them where I was from, they asked me if I had “Hash”. I was terrified. I clung to my handbag and my suitcase, praying they won’t steal my travel allowance of about 200 dollars in my wallet. I stopped talking to them, and luckily they went away.

So trying to keep my eyes open and answer politely to Mrs Bernstrand’s questions was a hard task. I kept drifting off and waking up, thinking this is very rude. At the end of the journey, sprinkled with polite conversation, we came to a jetty and parked. A very tall and well-built gentleman, Mr Bernstrand, came to the car, and after greeting me, carried my suitcase and guided me to a motor-boat waiting at the jetty.

About ten minutes later, we arrived at another jetty, where he tied the boat and we disembarked. Mrs Bernstrand took me to a wooden cabin and introduced me to a teenager, about my age, saying, “This is your bedroom. Chloe will help you settle and she’ll show you the way to the main house in the morning. “

Chloe was an Au Pair,  taking care of the young boys in the summer. I think she was French, but spoke English. Kindly she offered me the bottom bed of the bunker. I collapsed and fell into deep sleep. I hadn’t slept for twenty-four hours.

The cabin was equipped with a bathroom and shower. After the morning ablutions, it was time for breakfast.

I emerged from the cabin and found myself  in the middle of a pine forest. Birdsong filled the air, and the red house we were heading to was perched upon a hill facing the sea.

We entered the kitchen with a magnificent sea view and sat at the generous breakfast table. Pickled herring  Eww… No, I can’t have that for breakfast. It’s sweet too.  I love the cheese though, and the crackers. And that little instrument that shaves the cheese. Ham, no problem. Coffee or tea, I can’t remember. Probably tea, I wasn’t a coffee addict, then, just acquiring new tastes. I loved the strawberries, though I couldn’t understand why they were pouring milk on them. Later I found out this was cream, not milk, though I still love my strawberries plain.

I was at Varmdö, the biggest island in the Stockholm archipelago, where Swedish families spend their summers. An array of colourful wooden cottages sprinkled inside a pine forest where strawberries and raspberries grow wild, under the shade of the trees. No borders or hedges between the houses, a lifestyle without borders.

I was lucky. The summer of 1968  was one the hottest summers in Sweden in thirty years. So, I took my first dip into the Baltic Sea and had a great time.

 

Photos: The book picture is taken by Ray Not Bradbury

The photos of Varmdö, from Google, exactly as I remember this gorgeous island.

The photo at bottom right, is one of me and friends at Varmdö, after playing croquet

 

To be continued….

 

 

 

 

Book Trailer for Ripples on the Pond

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anthology, around the world, bite-size stories, book trailer, debut, experience, Flash Fiction, human experience, life, Locations, lunchtime stories, ripples, Ripples on the Pond, settings, short stories

I’m unable to share the book trailer I made for Ripples on the Pond on WordPress unless I upgrade my membership and pay a monthly fee. So, I’m going to share the photos in the trailer and a link to my Instagram post where I uploaded the video. I hope it works.

Most stories in Ripples on the Pond don’t have a specific setting. This is deliberate on my part, as a writer, because I want to make them universal. They can happen anywhere in the world. They depict echoes of the human experience, our strengths, weaknesses, failures, achievements, and observations. We are the sum total of everything in our lives, in our search for happiness.

Yet, some stories have specific settings, due to a memory, life experience, a public figure or a work of art that inspired me. So here’s a summary of a few titles from Ripples on the Pond set at various locations around the world.

 

The Southern Aegean and The Mediterranean

Gemiler Adası, St Nicholas Island, Fethiye, Muğla, Turkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Istanbul

 

 

 

A tribute to Florida

 

New York

 

London

 

 

Costa Rica

 

Australia

 

Delhi, India 

 

Bali, Indonesia

 

 

Time to put that book in the bag,

 

and begin to read, anywhere, any time, when you have a moment. Bite-size stories, lunchtime stories …

 

Instagram link:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sebnem Sanders (@sebnemsanders) on Jun 1, 2018 at 5:01am PDT

 

 

Thank you very much for reading. 🙂

Three Drops from a Cauldron: Issue 22 (The Return!)

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Angel's Cove, anthology, debut, Flash Fiction, Issue 22, Ripples on the Pond, short stories, Three Drops from the Cauldron

Angel’s Cove, a story from Ripples on the Pond, is on p.51. 🙂

 

Three Drops from a Cauldron

Hello there readers, writers, cauldron stirrers (in the nicest possible way), and assorted magical beings. We’re back with our first new web journal issue in 6 months! (Yes, I had a lovely maternity leave, thank you! – Kate)

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Ripples on the Pond Review by N.N. Light’s Book Heaven

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anthology, debut, Flash Fiction, human experience, review, Ripples on the Pond, short stories

A wonderful review of Ripples on the Pond by N.N. Light’s Book Heaven:

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven 

Book Reviews

Ripples on the Pond by @sebnemsanders Echoes Emotions of the Human Experience! #mustread #bookreview #shortstory #anthology

May 24, 2018

Title: Ripples on the Pond

Author: Sebnem E. Sanders

Genre: short stories, flash fiction, women’s fiction, fantasy

Book Blurb:

A man infatuated with ivy. A woman pining for lost love. In a Turkish square, ancient buildings lament a devastating explosion. An unlikely friendship struck up with a homeless person. A journey to a magical place that once visited can never be found again. The camaraderie between the patients in a cancer ward. A writer who has lost his muse. A tragedy that leads to dementia.

These are just a few of seventy individual tales set in locations straddling continents, which portray war, love, hate, hope, greed, revenge, despair, humour, mystical happenings, fantasy, and so much more. Like ripples expanding on the surface of a pond to reach its banks, they converge in this anthology of flash fiction and short stories by Sebnem E. Sanders in her debut release.

My Review:

Ripples on the Pond is a fantastic collection of over seventy flash fiction and short stories ranging in genre but all dealing with the human experience. From friendship to love to loss to tragedy, these stories are beautifully written. While reading, I found my heart yearning to travel to the places described and wanting to experience what the world has to offer. Like the title implies, each story is a ripple on the pond of life, extending its reach and revealing truth.

Normally, I shy away from short story collections because I’m a novel reader but once I started reading Ripples on the Pond, I couldn’t stop. The writing is superb with its concise storytelling, yet I didn’t feel cheated by the length. Characters are fleshed out and given their moment to shine. When I finished and there were no more stories, I smiled to myself. This is one of those books I will be re-reading again and again. A must read!

My Rating: 5 stars

 

 

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/single-post/2018/05/24/Ripples-on-the-Pond-by-sebnemsanders-Echoes-Emotions-of-the-Human-Experience-mustread-bookreview-shortstory-anthology

RC Quarterly Spring-Summer Issue 52

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2018, ACG, Alma Mater, anthology, Arnavutkoy, debut, Flash Fiction, Istanbul, Quarterly Alumni Magazine, RC, Ripples on the Pond, Robert College, short stories, Spring-Summer Issue 52, The American College for Girls, Turkey

 

 

It’s wonderful to be mentioned in the Quartely Alumni Magazine of my Alma Mater, then ACG, The American College for Girls, now RC, Robert College, in Istanbul, Turkey. 

 

 

 

Here’s the link to to the PDF version of the magazine:

RC Quarterly Alumni Magazine Spring-Summer Issue 2018

 

 

 

 

Ripples on the Pond

Ripples on the Pond by Sebnem E. Sanders

Tags

anthology, debut, Facebook, Flash Fiction, review, Review Group, Ripples on the Pond, short stories, The Review

Many thanks to author Paul Bennet from The Review Group on Facebook for this wonderful review. 🙂

Historical Fiction reviews

First, a confession, I cannot remember the last time I read a collection of short stories, Golden Apples of the Sun by Ray Bradbury somehow sticks in my mind, and while I have enjoyed Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe and the like; I am, and probably will remain, for the most part, a novel reader. It was mere curiosity that found me asking to review this anthology.  Now, having said that I must also confess that Ripples on the Pond just might have me looking at the genre a bit more closely.  What I found, my peeps and fellow travelers, in Ripples on the Pond is a compelling collection of well crafted stories. Stories that evoke the gamut of human emotions and experiences; glimpses of love, joy, loss, and hope permeate the pages and like a pebble dropped into water, the stories leave ripples of humanity seeking truth and fulfillment. A…

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Ripples on the Pond has received a #ChillWithABookReadersAward

Tags

anthology, Chill Awards, Chill With A Book Readers Award, debut, Flash Fiction, Ripples on the Pond, short stories

I’m thrilled to share with you some exciting news. Ripples on the Pond has received a Chill With A Book Readers Award. 🙂

 

A man infatuated with ivy. A woman pining for lost love. In a Turkish square, ancient buildings lament a devastating explosion. An unlikely friendship struck up with a homeless person. A journey to a magical place that once visited can never be found again. The camaraderie between the patients in a cancer ward. A writer who has lost his muse. A tragedy that leads to dementia.

These are just a few of seventy individual tales set in locations straddling continents, which portray war, love, hate, hope, greed, revenge, despair, humour, mystical happenings, fantasy, and so much more. Like ripples expanding on the surface of a pond to reach its banks, they converge in this anthology of flash fiction and short stories by Sebnem E. Sanders in her debut release.

Genre:  Short Stories
Approx pages:  247

Ripples on the Pond was read and evaluated by Chill’s readers against the following…

Were the characters strong and engaging?
Was the book well written?
Did the story / plot have you turning the page to find out what happened next?
Was the ending satisfying?

Would you recommend to someone who reads this kind of story?

 

http://www.chillwithabook.com/2018/04/ripples-on-pond-by-sebnem-e-sanders.html