My mom recently shared this quote with me about the importance of maintaining friendships. Here at the Fictional Café, we like to pass these lessons learned on to our readers. Whether you’re a literary community like ours or an individual in the creative arts, connecting with others opens so many doors and opportunities. Life is all about relationships, and we hope you will enjoy yours with us and encourage others to join us!
This month, a good friend introduced us to a new community. We’d like to welcome our readers and members from GrubStreet, a Boston-based non-profit that provides resources to writers of all levels, including workshops, seminars and networking events. Please check them out.
In the spirit of the quotation above, we will be featuring work from both new members and long-time members this month.
Before we leave you to your morning brew, we’d like to share one more relationship-themed event. Be on the lookout for some exciting barista news later this month, as well an invitation to The Fictional Café’s Fourth Anniversary Online Celebration!
So please send Happy Anniversary greetings to all of us, and thank you for being a member of ‘FC” as we call ourselves. And Happy Networking!
April Submissions
Fiction
Our first Featured Fiction for April comes from long-time Fictional Café member and Featured Writer from 2014, Jenny Cokeley. Please welcome Jenny back to the Café and check out her new story, “In Love With A Ghost.” You won’t want to miss this ending!
Our second fiction submission is a three-part excerpt from a new novel by Dory Fiamingo, who has graced our pages on several earlier occasions as well. She now brings to us Requiem for a Caged Bird, a contemporary fantasy work. Sebastian is an almost-immortal private eye able to leap from one world to another. Maggie, the love of his life, had walked out on him thirty years earlier. She shows up at his cosmic bookstore and introduces Bastian to Aderyn, her granddaughter. That night the eight-year-old girl, who possesses magical powers, is kidnapped. Bastian must, of course, give pursuit.
Poetry
This month’s Featured Poet is Lorie Adair. Her poem, “Fractured,” is a thinker, a slow burner that will keep your mind and your emotions busy while your coffee cools.
Art
Please join us in welcoming Gary Marchesano to the Fictional Café. He’s our Featured Artist for April and is also joining us as a Barista! You’ll learn more about Gary and his art on Friday.
Podcast
Jack will be presenting three single novella podcasts this month, complete stories easily listened to in an hour or so. His podcasts appear on Saturday mornings, like when you were a kid and tuned in cartoon shows on TV…or, if you’re a bit older, when you sat down in front of the radio with a big bowl of your favorite sugary cereal to listen to “Big Jon and Sparky” or “Speed Gibson.”
— Your Baristas
