Upcoming release: A Mortal Breaks Aphrodite’s Heart

I'm so thrilled to share that my short story "A Mortal Breaks Aphrodite's Heart" has been accepted in Flame Tree Publishing's book Aphrodite, part of the Myths, Gods & Immortals collection.

Aphrodite is a celebrated figure deeply connected with beauty, sexuality and love in ancient myth – but do we really know who she is and what she stands for? A captivating Greek goddess, who according to popular myth was born from sea foam, she is as fascinating now as she was then to both Gods and mortals. A powerful, multifaceted woman with a story as deep as the ocean from which perhaps she came, she is often erroneously presented as a fertility goddess, but she is certainly sensual, sexual and even maternal. Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Aphrodite, is a wonderful new book in the best tradition of Flame Tree's collectable hardcover editions. (Flame Tree Publishing)

Now comes one of the coolest things I've ever said: you can get your copy in July 2025 wherever excellent books are sold, like Barnes and Noble, Indigo, and Amazon, in addition to the Flame Tree Publishing website.

The journey of finding a home for your story can be an emotional one. I imagine (hope?) that you become hardened to it if you have a lot of stuff out there at any given time, but I'm pretty choosey about where I send my work, so I don't usually have more than 5 or 6 submissions out at once. Sometimes, rejections hurt real bad.

I don't want to suggest that I don't love all my children equally (though I've never cared for Job) ... but, when I sent this piece to Flame Tree Publishing (the 2024 British Fantasy Society’s Best Independent Press winner!), I remember telling a friend that this one meant something more to me. This would be one where rejection hit like a tonne of bricks.

So getting an acceptance for this collection. Unbelievably exciting. See also: screaming, crying, throwing up, and FaceTiming your mom. It's not a long piece, but finding its perfect home means a lot, and I can’t wait to read its companion pieces in the collection.

You can see the full list of accepted work in Aphrodite here.