I discovered a review of “We Are The Moor” I hadn’t seen until now. Victoria Silverwolf at Tangent Online had some very nice things to say about my story:
“This is a poetic and gently melancholy tale, full of sincere emotion and appreciation for nature.”
Read the whole review here.
You can read the story over at Flash Fiction Online.
—Sylvia
Happy May Day! I have some news. I have joined the ranks of other authors at Curious Fictions. Curious Fictions is a platform that brings together authors and readers of short fiction, all in one place. Authors are vetted, so the quality of the stories remains high.
There are many ways to support authors on the website such as optional tips. All my stories on the site will, at least for now, be available for free. I wouldn’t say no to a comment or a like though! It’s always great to hear when a reader has read something of mine.
My first story on the site is a reprint, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost”. It’s a young adult fantasy flash fiction, about a boy who meets a mysterious girl in the magical Midsummer night. You can expect a few more reprints in the same vein in the spring/summer.
– Sylvia
Would you like to read something I wrote but aren’t sure where to start?
I want to help. For this reason, I have created a new page, Selected Stories, where I have collected some of my favourites stories that I think you will enjoy that are also currently free to read online. It also includes small excerpts as well as reviews where applicable.
For a complete list of my stories, check out Published Short Fiction.
—Sylvia
Another review/recommendation for “We Are The Moor“, this time at Tor.com. Yes, Tor.com! Alex Brown kindly includes my story in her Must-Read Speculative Short Fiction: February 2020 recommendations.
She describes my story as “beautifully sad and remarkably sincere” and also calls me “an author to watch.” Read more here.
I am loving that this story is getting read & reviewed and honestly a bit stunned. I am so grateful for Flash Fiction Online for publishing it, and editor Suzanne Vincent for helping me make the story what it is.
—Sylvia
My story, “We Are The Moor” is featured in Maria Haskins‘ SFFH Short Fiction Roundup for February 2020 at Curious Fictions.
You can also listen to the Roundup on Youtube on her channel.
She says: “The moor itself speaks to us in this lovely, haunting love-and-ghost story … Gorgeous and moving.”
—Sylvia
Charles Payseur reviews my flash fiction story “We Are The Moor” at Quick Sip Reviews. He says: “It’s an evocative and yearning story, a haunting told from the other side, and it’s a great read!”
Read more at Quick Sip Reviews – Flash Fiction Online February 2020
—Sylvia
It’s February, and I have a story in Flash Fiction Online! I am beyond thrilled. I’ve loved the magazine almost as long as I’ve been writing. This is my first story published with them and my 2nd pro sale. I also really love this story. It’s probably one of the best things I’ve written to date.
The theme of the February issue is LOVE. “We Are The Moor” is a story of undying love told from the collective point of view of the moor.
Check out the other great stories in this issue as well:
An Oasis of Amends by Floris Kleijne
Love and Assimilation by Bryce Heckman
A Tobacco Plant by Punch Magazine, Nov 11, 1914
And a new writing column from Jason S. Ridler
The magazine is free to read online, but please consider supporting Flash Fiction Online by purchasing a copy on Amazon. Also, here’s a link to their Patreon.
Read and enjoy!
—Sylvia
Two of my stories have been published in an anthology by The Lit Up Press: “My Mother’s Gingerbread” and “Merry Christmas With A Little Celestial Help.”
The first story, “My Mother’s Gingerbread” features a traditional gingerbread cookie recipe which I can guarantee makes delicious cookies. It’s a quiet story of tradition, family, and longing, set in a kitchen. The second one, “Merry Christmas With A Little Celestial Help” is a sweet and melancholy tale of a heavenly being looking after a little girl and her father on Christmas eve. Her eagerness to bring them happiness and joy, overlooking a few celestial rules in the process, causes all sorts of trouble.
The anthology is called Frozen Adornments: Poetry and Prose of Winter and Wonder, and is available on Amazon (and Amazon UK) as a paperback & for Kindle. It features a collection of wonderful Christmas and winter themed stories and poetry, most of which have previously appeared on Lit Up.
Many thanks to the editors (Diamaya Dawn, A.Maguire, Pat Link, Chris Drew, Annie Caldwell) for putting together this anthology!
—Sylvia
My flash fiction story, “The Bones and Their Girl,” is in the Spring issue of Syntax & Salt that came out today.
Stories featured in this issue:
Outfield by Hal Y. Zhang
Those Fantastic Lives by Bradley Sides
Fallow by Erin K. Wagner
Maid-of-Many-Skins by G.V. Anderson
Objective: Understanding by Alyssa N. Vaughn
The Bones and Their Girl by Sylvia Heike
Goldengrove Unleaving by Dafydd McKimm
He Thinks He Knows Me by Rich Ives
Timelines by L’Erin Ogle
My little story is in great company!
One of the reasons I’m so happy to get published by this magazine is not only the fabulous authors and stories they publish, but also the staff behind the scenes. Always friendly and professional plus supportive on social media. I know my story’s in good hands.
-Sylvia
First a small update:
My website’s redesign is done now, and the site is back up. I also changed hosting companies from Webfaction to Dreamhost. I decided to make this a fresh start which means old posts did not get imported. But not to worry, they were mostly brief news on short story publications, and you can find links to my stories on the Published Short Fiction page.
Speaking of publications, I’ve had a few new stories come out:
“Merry Christmas With A Little Celestial Help” was published in Lit Up in mid-December and “Beneath Her Sweet Roots” came out in The Mad River this month.
You can read both stories on Medium.
What I like about Medium is how much feedback the writer gets from readers. Readers can highlight, comment, and clap on stories. I also see some behind-the-scenes stats: how many times a story has been viewed or read, and how many people have clapped on it.
The numbers themselves don’t matter that much, but it’s nice to know that even older stories still get viewed/read. For example, “Mother?”, which was published as a reprint a year ago, in January 2018, is still getting almost daily views plus regular reads.
-Sylvia