Spark: A Creative Anthology, Volume VII

Prefer to order on Amazon? This book qualifies for free two-day shipping with Amazon Prime. Go to Amazon > Cover Art by Tatiana Marlee Foreword by Jen Greyson From the foreword by Jen Greyson: Change. It occurs everywhere we look—from the seasons, to our relationships, to ourselves. Change is truly the only constant in our lives, trite as the saying may be. Change bears opportunity for growth, though oftentimes we reject the chance to embrace the newness out of fear, whether fear of the unknown, or fear of rejection, or fear of who we’ll become on the other side of the change. Characters are no different. A good story can immerse us in the progression of change through a character’s eyes. Whether they choose to accept the challenge or refuse it, both decisions carry consequences. Refusal of a growth opportunity can mean more challenges for our favorite characters until they finally relent, while immediate acceptance can bring dark nights and lonely journeys. Growth isn’t easy and easy doesn’t make for good stories that stick with us after we read them. We want to see our characters make the tough decisions and ponder what we’d do in the same situation. [220 more words] Contributors: Lillian Li Jackson Gloria Keeley Garage Sale Eliyanna Kaiser Virgil’s Cave BD Wilson Perfect Peace George Wells Below My Window Lucia Cherciu Bacșiș Marie Bacigalupo Mother’s Day Anita Marquez Dining with the Dead Miriam Zeitz IV Sarah Pinsker Still the Caves Kacey Vanderkarr Distraction Carie Juettner Teardrops and Watermelon Seeds Alexis A. Hunter Emerson’s Shadow Karen Paul Holmes In a Year Frank Scozzari Two Men and a Gun Camille Guillot Ghazal for a New Decade K.C. Norton Rue d’Zoi Iain Ishbel Privacy Poems Levi Jacobs Snow in Thailand Michael Garrett Ashby II Oh Solomon B.C. Matthews For the Price of a Memory Corey Pentoney The Wordeater S. Babin Bottles J. J. Green Dream Spinner Gabor Kiraly A Man’s Face Michael Haynes Living in the Whitespace Miranda Hellinger Lessons Seth Marlin The Archivist Travis Daniel Bow Those Who Remember M.V. Montgomery Retracing my Steps