The Tunnel Of Infidelity

We always assume it can never happen to us. Not to you, not to your great marriage, which is the envy of all your friends, or so it seems by the statements that have come from their mouths. Later you will find out their true feelings, the ones that they Read more

Deanna Keller

Growing up under the hot Kansas sun, Deanna Keller spent many hours sitting under the apricot tree with her nose either in a book or writing in her scruffy notebooks, carefully composing stereotypically bad teenage poetry with a number two pencil. Exploring writing as an adult, she found her voice blogging about her observations and musings surrounding life under the pen name, Avie Layne, which she has done for the past five years. Additionally, she has been blogging for The Journey Seeker and has been a guest blogger for OMighty Crisis. Creative Writing classes at college opened her eyes to the idea of short stories for young adults and ignited new writing passion--many based on the stories of her parent’s poor childhood growing up in the Ozarks of Arkansas in the late 40s early 50s, while others have been based on her own crazy life. Deanna completed her undergraduate at The College of St. Scholastica in English I 2017. Taking a 1-year break, she will continue on to a Master’s in English then on to an MA-TESOL at Arizona State. She plans to pass along the love of reading and writing to future students and assist young writers in finding their own writing voice. Currently, she provides free community writing workshops geared towards journal and personal story writing. Deanna’s motto is, “Never let anyone prevent you from reaching for your dreams. The only failure is in not trying.”

47 Trips Around the Sun

One of the signs of passing youth is the birth of a sense of fellowship with other human beings as we take our place among them. -Virginia Woolf On January 16th, I will be celebrating another trip around the sun. I never dreamed I would pass over onto the other Read more

Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson is the Creator and Publisher of Feminine Collective. Julie was inspired to create this safe place for women to share their secrets, desires, triumphs and pain as the antithesis of what mainstream media offers women today. In her column Pursuit of Perfection, she explores the importance of rectifying the balance of inner and outer beauty through essays, poems and articles on self-esteem, shame, family, and self- acceptance.

Hey Now, Girl

Hey now, girl Don’t clench your fists when you walk down the street Please, just don’t Don’t look down and hide your pretty face Smile at a stranger with your arms open wide Hey now, girl Don’t be naïve Not everyone sees your sweet, innocent intentions Or notices your inquisitive Read more

Jacqueline Cioffa

A retired, international model, and celebrity makeup artist. Co-Author of Model Citi Zen, the guide. Founder of http://modelcitizenmakeup.blogspot.com/. Author of numerous prose pieces in various literary magazines. Most recently published in Little Episodes Brainstorms the anthology, among esteemed artists Sadie Frost, Melvin Burgess and Todd Swift.

Being True to Myself the Artistic Way

For as long as I can remember I always felt compelled to unleash my talents to the world. My Grandmother nurtured my artistic talents by being both my adviser and biggest fan. She would collect fashion magazines and teach me how to braid my hair. She and I were so Read more

Stephanie Ortez

Stephanie is a highly caffeinated mother of two wonderful boys. She is hopelessly addicted to non-fiction books and literature that moves her to tears. She is an admissions advisor for George Washington University online where she assists homeschooled students internationally. Stephanie lives with Bipolar Disorder, PTSD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. She is a passionate mental health advocate, member of Stigma Fighters. Her writing has been featured on The Elephant Journal, The Mighty, The Organic Coffee Haphazardly and Feminine Collective.

How to Lose All of Your Friends in 5 Minutes

So how does one lose all their friends in 5 minutes? Well, it’s not that hard actually. Just tell them the truth, that’s it.But please don’t be fooled, this is easier said than done and it will, of course, have its consequences. I myself have yet to do this, but Read more

Richard DeFino

Ricky De Fino grew up in New York City and currently resides in Buffalo NY. When he isn’t writing about his anxiety and his crazy Bronx upbringing, he enjoys watching countless hours of television with his wife Andrea, cat Bebe and dog Zeke. Two years sober, good coffee and veganism keeps him sane. His work can be found in Two Cities Review, tNY Press, Purple Pig Lit, Dialougal and Cycatrix Press.

Being a Transgender Woman in the Real World

Transgender women can exist in peace as long as they stay within the confines of a computer, hidden in the hard drive of horny men who see us as a fantasy, a fetish, an object, a broken human being. When transgender women leave the confines of societal shame and dare Read more

Natalie Yeh

Liminal Spaces with Natalie Yeh -- aerospace engineer with a penchant for the spiritual, artistic, and cerebral -- is an attempt where she tries to accept her own messy humanity in exploring the gifts in her everyday stories and milestones with compassion, gratitude, and mindfulness. Gifts she believes we can all share and learn from when we choose to see our continuous threads of connection in our common humanity rather than uphold paper walls of illusions of separation that some treat as real. When she has free time, she loves to cook, shoot landscape photography, practice martial arts, write and dance. Her Chinese American background, bilingual upbringing, and transgender history all lend to her experiences in exploring the liminal spaces where her history, her present and her future are at odds and of a piece, creating herself and her writing as unique, cross cultural art.

Me

I’ve always been different and I’ll tell you why. I’m not afraid of the truth. I’m not afraid of being honest and raw and downright brutal with how I choose to hammer words out of my mouth. I’m not afraid to show myself without a designer label, without any coat Read more

Stephanie Bennett-Henry

Stephanie Bennett-Henry is the creator of Raging Rhetoric, the hugely popular Facebook page, IG profile, and website. With a social media following in the hundreds of thousands, Stephanie is regarded as one of today's most highly respected poets. Her writing is raw, unfiltered, and unforgettable. Born and raised in Texas, Stephanie is a southern girl through and through, sharp as a blade and as sweet as candy. You can find Stephanie's exquisite words on her Facebook Writer page, website, IG, and Raging Rhetoric Column on The Lithium Chronicles. From somewhere in Texas, Stephanie is working on her first book of poetry. Look for her pieces in home decor and gift shops all over North America very soon.

Phenomenal Beauty: Burned and Thriving

I was 9-months-old when my life turned upside down. It was  a couple of days before Christmas when a fire started on the first floor of the apartment building my family and I lived in. My mother was pregnant again and worried for our safety. She decided to go thru Read more

Yadira Carranza

Yadira G Carranza was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. The middle daughter of a blended family, she was 9 months of age when she suffered major burns to her body. Despite this, she was able to thrive. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in El Sereno, California. She was in the Academic Decathlon from 1992-1994, Student Body Vice President in 1993 and Historian in 1994. In 1996, she had her first son Gabriel. In 2000, she relocated to Zacatecas, Mexico where she studied Business Management. In 2004, she married Marco Méndez. In 2006, she graduated from April Love Makeup Academy. In 2014, she became a Notary Public. In 2015, she became a GlossiGirl model.