A Merry Life

The following story is a guest post by author Amy Wood. Amy is a British writer whose stories have been featured in Opening Line Literary ‘Zine (Sept. & Dec. 2014), Flashdogs: An Anthology (Dec. 2014), Spelk Fiction (22 Jan. 2015), Flashdogs Solstice: Light & Dark (June 2015), Twisted Vine Literary Arts Journal (December 2015), Magnolia…

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The Door in the Cellar

The following is a guest post by Ryan Reid. Ryan is earning an MSW degree in the school of social work at Aurora University. He is an aspiring author working on a young-adult horror novel. “Tell me a scary story, Grandpa Seth,” Jeff Slater told his grandfather. It was a snowy January night. Jeff and his…

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An Alien for Dinner

The following story is by guest contributor Mark Kolody. Mark has been a co-founder of a nationally distributed literary magazine, the vice president of a community theatre troupe, and the principal of a creative agency. He is a writer, traveller, and idealist living in Toronto, Canada. To read more of his work, check out his website…

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Lupe – A Resume

The following piece is by Oliva Nuhn. If you enjoy the piece, you can find more of her writing at her blog: Pillar O’ Blank  Lupe, Labrador Passionate, eager, and hopeful about all food, although can’t and won’t cook for shit. Overcomes obstacles with a stomach of steel: case in point, an entire knotted bag…

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The Hiding of Michael

The follow story is by guest author Casey Callison. If you enjoy this story, find Casey on Twitter at @caseycallison. Michael knew this would happen. In a way, he had been prepared for it. It was not the first time, it would not be the last. The upstairs hallway seemed longer than it normally did. Michael supposed…

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We Did Just Fine

The following story is a guest post by Mitchell Porter. Mitchell is junior at Roger Williams University, minoring in creative writing. Jack felt himself being dragged out of the sweet embrace of slumber when something poked him in the face. “Go way,” he mumbled turning over and snuggling deeper into his blankets, attempting to fortify himself…

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The Yard Sale Bandit

Donald Baker writes under his middle name.  He has had his short fiction published in The Southern Cross Review, The Huffington Post and in Literally Stories.  He is currently hard at work putting finishing touches on his first novel, Bob, P.I. and rewriting several short stories.   He is also an active amateur photographer, an actor in community theater (yes even…

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Boring as Hell

The following is a guest post by William Quincy Belle. William is just a guy. Nobody famous; nobody rich; just some guy who likes to periodically add his two cents worth with the hope, accounting for inflation, that $0.02 is not over-evaluating his contribution. He claims that at the heart of the writing process is some…

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Tough like Armour

The following story is by guest contributor Jessica Seymour. Jessica is an early-career research and freelance writer based in Darwin, Australia. She enjoys writing in all genres, and her creative work can be found in Voiceworks Magazine, Needle In The Hay, and Gloom Cupboard. She loves to travel, sampling strange foods and stranger people, and…

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Remembered and Forgotten

The following story is by guest contributor Maryam Fatta. If you enjoy Maryam’s work, you can find her on twitter at @maryam_fatta. This story was submitted as part of our May Theme week on the topic of memory. Like many people I remember a place that is still vivid in my memory. I visited a village…

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Persephone

The following story is by Susan Tu. Susan is an accountant by day and writer by night, which means she is really fun at parties. She studied creative writing at Cornell University and has been published in About Place Journal and Gravel Magazine. She also runs a daily poetry blog at http://versegram.tumblr.com. As the lights dim…

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Strike

“Dr. Rayner, do you believe in coincidences?” Winnie asked, then blurted, “I saw a dog die.”

The therapist shifted in her armchair, frowning. The girl’s face blossomed pink.

“I was stopped at an intersection and I could see this little dog, like a big Chihuahua, trotting across the crosswalk. No leash in sight. I’m not a dog person, but I loved the way he looked. Like, yeah, I’m a little guy all alone in this world, but I can do this.”

Eve

The following story is by guest contributor Gordon Robertson. Gordon is a writer and filmmaker from Scotland. To date, he has had two short stories published, and a piece of flash fiction. As a filmmaker, he’s directed two short films and a music video. He’s also written half a dozen short films, one of which is…

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The Rarity of Love

The following story is by guest contributor Jennifer Aitken. Jennifer has had two poems previously published: “The Looks of Love,” Twilight Musings by the International Library of Poetry, 2005; “The Beyond,” Mirrors Iliad Press, 1999. I could not help but reminisce about our old times. Sitting at his bedside I still pictured the young, handsome face…

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The Good Mother

As she walked along, she reassured the baby. “You’re going to like having me for a Mamm. I know how to take good care of a baby like you. You’ll see.”

The path led to a small footbridge over a stream at the edge of the meadow, and from there into the woods. As she crossed the bridge, a sudden gust of wind blew her prayer kapp off and into the water. Annie started to chase after it, but stopped short. She remembered the baby. No runnin’, she thought. I have to be extra careful with this baby.

Sunday Morning

Today’s short story comes to us from guest author Louise Timothy. Louise is currently an unpublished writer, so this will be her first publication. based on the quality, we are sure it is the first of many. &&&&&&&&&& He woke to the sound of her voice creeping into his consciousness; she was reading poetry in…

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Goodnight Neverland

Today’s story comes to us from guest author Shannon Clark. Shannon is a graduate of the Fairfield University’s MFA program, specializing in Fiction and Publishing. While in school, she received the Fairfield Literary Fellowship for strong fiction concepts, believable dialogue, and unique writing style. She was also the publishing manager of Fairfield’s Mason’s Road Literary Magazine, and the managing editor…

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A Bar on the Other Side of Town

Today’s short story comes to us from guest author Frank Martinicchio. Frank  is a Melbourne-based writer. He has developed his craft while studying an Associate Degree of Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University. He has also had a short story published in the Tincture Journal. &&&&&&&&&& The bar is becoming crowded; people are seeking shelter and…

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Welcome to Fairfax

Today’s short story comes to us from guest author Thomas DeJosia. Thomas is a poet, fiction writer, and filmmaker from Long Island, New York.  He graduated from The New School in Manhattan with a B.A. in creative writing as a Riggio Honors Fellow.  He is also a graduate of The New York Film Academy.  His poetry chapbook, REEL LIFE (Silenced Press, 2009),…

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As Luck Would Have It

This is our third post for March Theme Week, coming from guest author, Rebecca Field. Rebecca lives in Derbyshire and juggles trying to find time to write with caring for two young children and working in healthcare. Her blog can be found at: https://rebeccafieldwriting.wordpress.com/ *********************************************************************** David took hold of his Mother’s elbow and manoeuvred her out…

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Holding All Calls

Today’s story comes to us from Christina Consolino. She is coauthor of Historic Photos of University of Michigan (Turner Publishing, 2007) and won honorable mention in the 2013 Dayton Daily News/Antioch Writers’ Workshop Short Story Contest. She has been published in Flights: The Literary Journal of Sinclair Community College, The Huffington Post, and Literary Mama, where she currently serves…

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Cowboy Therapist

The following story is by Guest Contributor John McCloskey.  John is a writer and digital artist living in Indiana. He can be found on Twitter by his pen name JS Green.   Now that I am dead I can tell you about the cowboy therapist. I would be the victim of recrimination if I were still alive, detested…

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The Pledge

Today’s story comes to us from guest author Embe Charpentier. Last year, his first book, a paranormal horror novella called Beloved Dead, was published by Kellan. Eighteen of his short works were also published in 2015, in e-mags and print as diverse as LitroNY, Poydras Review, and Romance Flash. &&&&&&&&&& Alpha Zeta Tau, AZT, the go-to house for getting ahead. Why send a soccer-playing, physics major…

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Biggie Moments

This is the first post of our March Theme Week, with a theme of Luck (who gets it? who doesn’t? why?). This story is written by Guest Contributor, Lawrence Frank,  who fills a psychotherapist’s chair by day, wading through the mire and inhaling some of life’s darkest moments. In the silence of night, he locks the door, switches seats,…

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The Trestle

Today’s story comes from guest author Kenneth Margolin. Kenneth is a practicing attorney, father of two daughters, and lives with wife, Judith, in Newton, Massachusetts. He has published articles in professional journals, monographs, a book chapter on Facilitated Communication, and a journalistic essay in Sport Literate Magazine. &&&&&&&&&& When Mark had stood on the crumbling road beside the trestle for…

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Funeral

Today’s story comes from guest author Kristen Abbey. Kristen  is originally from a small Amish town in Indiana, and currently lives in upstate New York. She attended the American Musical and Dramatic Academy for musical theatre, and writes as well as pursues a singing career. &&&&&&&&&& They found her in her bathtub, head under the blood and water mixture and a gun…

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In Memory of Flight by Bethany Gotschall

We are pleased to bring you the winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest.  Bethany Corriveau Gotschall is a museum educator at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she coordinates public programs that include everything from lectures to fashion shows. She has written several articles for the museum’s magazine Cleveland Art and contributed the chapter…

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The Master Tailor by Leigh Dolinger

We are pleased to bring you the 2nd place winner in the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest. In 1977, Leigh (Leah) Dolinger moved to Israel from Cleveland, Ohio, where she became active in children’s education and literature. Along with raising her family and teaching, Leigh wrote for Olomeinu (“Our World”), a monthly Jewish school publication where she was…

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One with the Water by Leanne Howard

We are excited to bring you the 3rd place winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest. For a long time she sat on the river bank and waited. A pale-grey moon crept up, growing full against the dark sky. Willow trees stood silhouetted on the far bank of the river with their arms stretched out…

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Birdsong by Neil Rockford

It is our pleasure to give you the 4th place winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest. Neil Rochford is a writer from Ireland and has lived in various places around the world. He loves fiction where bad things happen, and is trying to feed himself with his words. You can find more writing on his…

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