‘We Need a Heart Transplant, Not a Facelift’ to be published by Black Market Re-View!

My flash fiction ‘We Need a Heart Transplant, Not a Facelift’ will be published in the second issue of  Black Market Re-View, an online magazine edited by undergraduate and postgraduate students from Edge Hill University in the UK.

I’m so happy that this story has found a home; it was fun to write, and I hope have fun reading it! ‘We Need a Heart Transplant, Not a Facelift’ is about a man who reads in the newspaper that Mary Portas is coming to town to fix up their high street.

Interested? You won’t have to wait long! The second issue of Black Market Re-View is scheduled to be published this weekend. I’ll post a link once it’s up!

I’m a new First Reader / Marketing Coordinator for Vestal Review!

I’m thrilled to be able to share that I have become a part of the team behind Vestal Review, a very well-established flash fiction magazine. The below is quoted from the Vestal Review ‘About Me’ page because I feel this really sums up what Vestal Review is all about:

Launched in March of 2000, Vestal Review is the world’s oldest magazine dedicated exclusively to flash fiction.

We are firmly established as an exciting venue for exceptional flash by both emerging and well-known authors. Our stories have been reprinted in numerous anthologies such as Best of the Net, Sudden Flash Youth and You have Time for This. Vestal Review is an eclectic magazine, open to all genres except children’s stories and hard science fiction. Our past contributors include Steve Almond, Katharine Weber, Aimee Bender, Sam Lipsyte, Judith Cofer, Bruce Boston, Robert Boswell, Bruce Holland Rogers, Michelle Richmond, Stuart Dybek, Robert Olen Butler, Pamela Painter, Sara Banse, Claire Tristram and others.

Vestal Review is one the best flash fiction magazines in the world. It originated so many things–so many great stories have been between its covers. And no doubt, with Vestal, more of the best is to come. May it thrive. -Robert Shapard.

Vestal Review is an awesome literary journal, one that does the work of angels when it comes to short short fiction. A national treasure. Find it. Read it. Now. -Steve Almond

I’m really excited to be a part of the team. I’m looking forward to reading all of your submissions, and to do what I can to uphold the reputation of Vestal Review as one of the best places for quality flash fiction.

‘On Returning Home’ Published by Speculative 66!

My flash fiction, ‘On Returning Home’, has been published by Speculative 66, and is now available to read in their very first issue. Speculative 66 is an online magazine dedicated to flash fiction of exactly 66 words, and they accept all types of fiction, so I encourage you all to submit something for their second issue.

‘On Returning Home’ is a little science-fiction tale, which isn’t something I normally write, but I was inspired by a thought one day: what if we weren’t the original inhabitants of Earth? You can read ‘On Returning Home’ and other 66-word stories in their first issue by following this link here: Issue 1 of Speculative 66.

‘Full Circle’ to be Published by And Other Poems in September!

I can announce, with great excitement, that my prose poem ‘Full Circle’ has been accepted for publication by And Other Poems. It will be published on Tuesday 6th September. I can’t wait to share it with you all! Do check out  And Other Poems as they publish striking poetry, and you’ll definitely recognise a few of the names they’ve published before, such as: Carrie Etter, Tania Hershman, Angela Readman, Jonathan Pinnock, Andrew McMillan, and Hilda Sheehan, to name a few!

‘Lovelorn’ Published in Issue 10 of Unbroken Journal

My prose poem ‘Lovelorn’ has now been published by Unbroken Journal in their tenth issue and is available to read by following this link here: ‘Lovelorn’.

I love this journal so much. You should definitely read the other pieces they publish and consider submitting your own.

My Debut Collection ‘Dots, and other flashes of perception’ to be Published by The Nottingham Review Press in September!

I usually say “I’m thrilled”, but to say I’m thrilled to share this news is a HUGE understatement. I know many of you will already be aware of this news, but I’ve yet to post an update about it! And if you haven’t, well…

My debut flash fiction collection Dots, and other flashes of perception will be published in September 2016 by The Nottingham Review Press in print and electronic format.

I really cannot wait to be able to share these stories with everyone. There’s a mixture of stories that have already been published, but there are many which are unpublished.

The collection is about perceptions and feelings of disconnect; the way we perceive the world doesn’t always match up to reality, and I believe these make interesting, and sometimes delicate, stories.

There will be more information to follow as it is announced. See this link for further details: The Nottingham Review Press.

‘Mother Knows Best’ Published by FlashFlood for National Flash Fiction Day!

My flash fiction ‘Mother Knows Best’ was published as a part of FlashFlood for National Flash Fiction Day!

I love FlashFlood. The idea is that, for one day, the journal publishes a flash fiction every ten minutes, meaning you get a deluge of brilliant fiction. There are over 140 flashes in total, so plenty for you to read and enjoy!

If you’d like to read ‘Mother Knows Best’ you can do so by following this link here: FlashFlood.

A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed: 2016 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology is OUT NOW!

The 2016 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology, A Box of Stars Beneath the Bed, is out NOW!

This collection already has a special place in my heart, as it was the first anthology where I have been involved with as an Editor, supporting Calum Kerr and Nuala Ní Chonchúir with a lot of the behind-the-scenes activities.

The anthology features my story ‘Ten Things that Happened After My Funeral’. The story is about a man who finds himself in limbo, and the rest is, from the title, pretty self-explanatory.

There are so many extremely talented authors in this anthology, and all of the stories are wonderful. Some of the authors include the likes of: Meg Pokrass, Paul McVeigh, Claire Fuller, Sarah Hilary, Angela Readman, Calum Kerr, Nuala Ní Chonchúir, Diane Simmons, Nik Perring, Kevlin Henney, Tim Stevenson, Michelle Elvy, Debbie Young, Ashley Chantler,  Jane Roberts, Jonathan Pinnock, K.M. Elkes, Chris Stanley, and so many more!

To purchase the paperback edition of the anthology, please follow this link here: BUY! The Kindle edition will be available very soon!

Three Upcoming Publications

I’m sure I’m not the only one this happens to: Nothing, and then, everything! I hope to provide a number of blog updates over the next few days and weeks, but for now here’s details about three upcoming publications I’ve had confirmed.

The first will be very soon. My flash fiction, ‘Buffet’, will be published by the brilliant 101 Words. All of their stories are (you guessed it) 101 words in length, and I enjoy reading the diverse range of stories they publish. They’ve previous published my flash fiction, ‘High Street’, which you can read by following this link here. You’ll have to read this one to find out what it’s about – I’ll post again once it’s been published.

The second is another flash fiction called ‘Handball’, which will be published at the end of July by Cafe Aphra. This is another great home for flash fiction of all kinds. This story is about football, but something isn’t right – you’ll see…

Finally, my prose poem ‘Lovelorn’ has been accepted for publication by Unbroken Literary Journal. Those of you who have read previous posts of mine will know how much I love this journal, and this will be my eighth prose poem published by Unbroken. It will appear in their July/August issue, and you’re interested in finding out more about prose poetry, you can read my thoughts about it when I was interviewed by the editor, R. L. Black, by following this link here.

A lot to look forward to, and there’s more, I promise you, but for now there’s only so much I can say…

‘Between the Notes’ Published in Issue One of Ink In Thirds

My short piece, ‘Between the Notes’, has been published in the inaugural issue of Ink In Thirds and is now available to read by following this link here.

I hope you enjoy reading it, as well as the other brilliant poetry and prose published in this issue, and maybe consider submitting your own writing to the journal for their second issue!