My Flash Fiction Story, Elsewhere, is at the Ekphrastic Review

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amreading, amwriting, Annaliese Jakimides, autumn, Ekphrastic Challenge, Ekphrastic Fiction, Ekphrastic Review, Fiction, Flash Fiction, future, hope, loss, love, memories, microfiction, past, portals, present, publication, Time-Molt Tender, time-travel, writerscommunity

Time-Molt, Tender, by Annaliese Jakimides (USA) 2022

I’m honoured to have my flash fiction story, Elsewhere, at the Ekphrastic Review, along with many talented writers and poets. Many thanks to Annaliese Jakimides for her inspiring painting as the ekphrastic challenge and to Lorette C. Luzajic for her wonderful literary magazine.

Here’s the link:

https://www.ekphrastic.net/the-ekphrastic-challenges/ekphrastic-writing-responses-annaliese-jakimides?fbclid=IwAR1OQcHYxWX_WnCLWxjQllMNBLdFeetmSzcBDNYfvqM5OK26jNVA1pdNf4s

Thank you very much for reading. 🙂

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The Second Time

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amreading, amwriting, arts, authority, budgies, cello, control, family, father, Fiction, Flash Fiction, freedom, loss, mahler, Micro Fiction, music, pain, passion, science, support, talent, writerscommunity

My flash fiction story, The Second Time, is in the March Issue of The Bosphorus Review of Books. Many thanks to the Editor-in-Chief, Luke Frostic.

Happy Spring! 🙂

Thank you for reading. 🙂

https://bosphorusreview.com/the-second-time-sebnem

Image: Paul Delvaux (23 September 1897 – 20 July 1994) Winter Evening

Hunter’s Moon by Sebnem E Sanders

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amreading, amwriting, blog post, death, Fiction, ghost, halloween, hunter's moon, kidnapping, publication, Punk Noir Magazine, ransom, Ripples on the Pond, Short Story

I’m honoured to have my story, Hunter’s Moon, at Punk Noir Magazine.
Many thanks to Author, Paul D Brazill, for publishing my story. 😍

Punk Noir Magazine

Hunter’s Moon

A freelance journalist and photographer, Ali had been on the road for six hours. Although he had intended to reach his destination in Izmir that night, he almost dozed off as the head and taillights from the motorway traffic danced before his eyes. Sipping coffee from the thermos no longer kept him alert. He decided to stop for rest and took the next exit marked, Altınkum 50 Km, a seaside resort on the Aegean, famous for its golden sand beach.

The idea of driving another fifty kilometres sounded challenging. In hope of finding some kind of accommodation on the way, Ali followed the country lane that snaked between vast olive groves on either side. His thoughts drifted to the past, long before the motorway to Izmir had been built. The old road meandered through quaint villages and lively small towns, then. Coffee houses full of men sipping…

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The X Factor by Sebnem Sanders

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amreading, amwriting, crime, death, escape, fate, Fiction, loss, love, publication, Punk Noir Magazine, Ripples on the Pond, Short Story, writerscommunity

Many thanks to Author Paul D. Brazil for publishing my story, The X Factor, at Punk Noir Magazine. This story first appeared in Ripples on the Pond.

Punk Noir Magazine

The X Factor

Notting Hill, London

Scarlett gazed at Frank, lying next to her in bed. His tousled hair covered part of his face, eyelids framed by dark curly lashes fluttered in sleep. She stroked his hair. He opened his eyes and looked into hers.

“Good morning,” he said, yawned and stretched, and kissed her on the mouth.

Scarlet sighed and held his hand. “Why do you always disappear?”

“Because I’m a spy.”

“Liar, if you were, you wouldn’t tell me.”

“True, but it could be possible — the X-Factor.”

“There’s something spooky about you. I can’t put my finger on it, but you go away for a long time, never call, then you surface and ask me out.”

“I told you. My job requires me to travel.”

“Why don’t you call when you’re away?”

“What’s the point? I won’t be able to see you.”

“Is that what this is…

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

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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!

 

 

Making a Difference ~~ by Sebnem Sanders

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charity, Emmaus, Fiction, homeless, homelessness, inspiration, life, omp, One Milion Project, Short Story

Many thanks to author Kate McGinn for publishing my story, Making a Difference, at the One Million Project (OMP) Blog. Kate is an OMP networker who hosts the OMP Blog.

My contribution to the OMP Thriller Anthology is a story called Mummy’s Torchlight .

 

Thank you very much for reading.  🙂

theonemillionproject

In the wayward, icy wind, blowing the city fumes in all directions, Miss Plenty tucked in the errant locks that had escaped from her wool cap and pulled it tightly over her ears.  Warming her freezing hands, framed in fingerless gloves over the heat of the fire, she scrutinized Mr. Nothing. “I see a pensive look in your eyes. What’s up?”

“Sometimes, my thoughts drift to the past, but what’s done is done.”

“This is our reality. Your memories belong to a life that is no longer yours. Or one you left behind for your own reasons. No point in slipping back into something that’s gone.”

“I know. Still, acceptance or not being acceptable bugs me.”

“Acceptable, hmm,” she said, watching her warm breath turn into white vapour in the cold night air.

“I betcha,” she said, with a smile, “we can make a difference.”

“How so?” Mr. Nothing asked.  “The…

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

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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. 🙂

 

 

Excerpt from The Child of Heaven

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a new dimension, a new planet, aliens, Book Excerpts, constellation of Libra, Fantasy, Fiction, human condition, human experience, learning, Leia, Life on Leia, passage, pink planet, sebnem e.sanders, space travel, The Child of Heaven, The Passage, the universe, transportation

 

 

 

I posted the below excerpt on a prompt #neardeathexperiences , in a writers group on Facebook because the prompt reminded me of this excerpt from The Child of Heaven, my first completed manuscript. I may or may not publish it, soon. I need your opinion. Would you like to hear what happens before and after this excerpt? Tell me, please. I value your opinion. Thank you. 😍😍

(PS. only about 500 words. Like you, I don’t like very long posts, in small print.)

 

The Passage

 

 

Leila opened her eyes to a rosy haze. Stretched out beneath a bizarre blush of dawn, she could hear the echo of gentle waves coming from nearby. Her hands touched the smooth surface that felt like fine sand. She blinked several times and looked in the direction of the rhythmic hum. A vast beach bordering a sea seemed to expand infinitely. The turquoise-coloured sea met with the cerise sky far on the horizon. She sat up and looked behind her. She could make out the soft curves of rose-tinted hills encompassing the beach in the distance. As her eyes adjusted to the surroundings, she became aware that everything within her sight was dipped in a different shade of pink.

“Ton sur ton pink,” she mumbled.

Leila rose unsteadily and felt dizzy.  Trying to regain her balance, she walked a few steps. She stopped and looked around again. Not a single living creature seemed to be in sight; not a single tree, the odd bird or even an insect.

‘Where am I?’ she thought, uneasily. ‘Am I dead and is this heaven?’

Leila walked towards the sea and dipped her hand in the water. It felt cool. She tasted her wet finger. It was salty.  The waves rolled over her feet as she walked along the edge. It felt good.  A bright ball of crimson light in the sky sent  its rays to the sea, forming sparkling, spiral beams on the water.  Everything seemed peaceful and comforting, yet she felt strange and lonely. She knew she was in a different place.   In spite of the great calm surrounding her, uneasiness took over her soul. Leila stepped out of the sea and sat on the pink sand. While trying to debate her circumstances, she could feel the surge of panic rising in her chest.

She saw a figure approaching her from the direction of the hills and awaited in uncertainty. As the figure moved closer, she could make out the stature of a very tall, slim man, clad in a tight-fitting black outfit. The bald headed man with piercing turquoise eyes, stood grandly by Leila and said, “Hi, Leila, I’m Alem, and I am here to welcome you to Leia.”

“Leia, where is Leia? How did I get here? “

“Leia is a planet in the constellation of Libra, rather far  from planet Earth.  It is also called the pink planet because we have a crimson sun.”

“You mean you abducted me here from planet Earth?”

“No, Leila, we did not abduct you. You came here on your own free will. “

“How far is it from Earth?”

“In human terms, it’s more than twenty light-years away, but we don’t measure distances in those terms. Your measurements for distance and time are of no significance to us. We have different abilities to transport ourselves in space.”

“I’m not sure I totally believe you! Why would I want to go through such an ordeal?”

“You are probably much dazed and tired, but you will remember soon. We will try to make you as comfortable as possible. Let me take you to our guest quarters where you can rest and recover from your trip. “

 

The Child of Heaven ©2012 ©Sebnem E. Sanders

Part II Life on Leia

The Passage

 

#OMP #OneMillionProject #Thriller #Fiction and #Fantasy Anthologies are on Amazon

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anthology, Cancer Research, charity, Fantasy, Fiction, homeless, homelessness, International Writers, omp, One Million Project, short stories, Thrilller

 

 

#OMP #OneMillionProject #Thriller , #Fiction , and #Fantasy Anthologies are on Amazon, in Kindle and paperback editions. I have contributed a story, #MummysTorchlight ,  to the Thriller Anthology, along with many other writers from around the world.

All proceeds will go to cancer research and homeless charities..

 

 

 

A gripping short story collection by 40 authors from around the world, who have come together to raise money in the fight against cancer and homelessness.

All OMP proceeds will go to cancer research and to homeless charities.

Help us to raise a little sunshine in the lives of people less fortunate than ourselves through the power of words.

 

 

A fabulous short story collection by 40 authors from around the world, who have come together to raise money in the fight against cancer and homelessness.

All OMP proceeds will go to cancer research and to homeless charities.

Help us to raise a little sunshine in the lives of people less fortunate than ourselves through the power of words.

 

 

 

A fantastic short story collection by 40 authors from around the world, who have come together to raise money in the fight against cancer and homelessness.

All OMP proceeds will go to cancer research and to homeless charities.

Help us to raise a little sunshine in the lives of people less fortunate than ourselves through the power of words.

My Review of My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

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abuse, acceptance, connection, Elizabeth Strout, escape, Fiction, goodreads, integrity, life journey, love, My Name is Lucy Barton, review, siblings, the past, the present, trauma

 

It’s been a couple  of days since I finished reading this book and I have been thinking about it since. What makes this book so gripping, almost haunting? It’s certainly not the plot, but definitely the voice of Lucy Barton that conveys the feelings of loneliness and isolation, and her attachment to her past, her family, her parents, and her present, her marriage and her daughters. Written in sparse language, accentuated with repetition to deliver her state of mind, her stream of consciousness, we get glimpses of Lucy’s life, her relationships or lack of relationships, and read between the lines. What is not said is poignant, as well as what has been said. A childhood deprived of love from her parents, poverty, and isolation from  the main stream of life. Lucy begins to read books to escape into another world and stays at school to do her homework to keep warm, rather than go home to the cold garage where her family lived during most of her childhood. Lucy is a good student and she breaks free from her past after her college education.

From Amgash, Illinois to Manhattan, New York, Lucy’s life changes, but the past remains with her as we gather from her conversations with her mother at the hospital where Lucy stays after an operation that has gone wrong. Lucy’s mother spends five days with her while they talk about the people in her hometown. Lives that have gone wrong, people who did well, yet experienced unhappiness in the end. Lucy hasn’t seen her mother for many years and she doesn’t see her for many years afterwards, until she visits her mother at the hospital where she dies. Lucy loves her mother, but her mother is unable to say “I love you.”

As well as the many characters from Amgash, Illinois, there are two important people in Lucy’s life that shape her career as a writer. Sarah Payne, the writer, and Jeremy, the sophisticated neighbour who dies of AIDS. Lucy loves her daughters and does not divorce her husband until they leave home. Yet, what her daughter, Becka, says afterwards is something that will stay with her all her life.

Her past is what makes Lucy. The fact that she comes from ‘nowhere’ is something her mother does not accept. It is also the reason that isolates Lucy from her new surroundings, and her husband. Jeremy says she needs to be ruthless to be a writer. Sarah Payne says, “You’ll have only one story. You’ll write your one story many ways.” Lucy knows if she doesn’t divorce her husband, she will never write another story. She finds another man who comes from ‘nowhere’ and embraces her life, her traumas, her dark side.

 

 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2294446004