#QueerLitLoft

Each year a highlight of the calendar pages turning is the latest release of SapphFic Eclectic. Now into its fifth year, this free anthology gifted by authors and editors Robyn Nyx and Brey Willows – (wife and wife team over at Butterworth Books), continues to push the boundaries of both quality story telling and variety of transfixing morsels to delight any and all readers.

Before jumping into a selection of the twenty or so short stories on offer, I want to pay a little high five to the front cover of this fabulous melting pot of words. Interesting, vivid, detailed, and intricate without feeling overwhelming, this is a front cover that compels a second glance and rewardingly imparts a hint of the type of Sapphic temptation to be found within.

And on that note, here’s a few of my favourites to pique your interest:

1. It’s All About Me by Valden Bush – A poignant tale of growing old, the changes it may or may not bring, and a gentle reminder that not everything is all about you.
2. Bomb Cyclone by Leigh Alder – Wintery Christmas vibes abound, with a twist that will make your heart simultaneously sink and soar. Featuring both sadness and yet touching eternal ‘returning home’ feels.
3. Check Her Out by Suzi Vilkman – When a crazy impulsive decision leads to quite possibly the best mistake of your life. The beginnings of an age gap romance in the least likeliest of places.
4. Not This Life by Yvonne Heidt – I’m always surprised when I enjoy a story that leans into the paranormal. This is a romance which spans literal lifetimes, and probably the story I would most wish to see brought to its entirety from this edition!
5. The Day by Lindsey Roy – This stands out from the crowd; a very different concept which explores the breakdown of a relationship, parenting, and loss in more than one form.
6. and 7. A Love Letter to My Creations by Brey Willows and A Letter to Her by Robyn Nyx – These two snippets of work compliment each other, particularly with their back to back placement in the anthology. One details a writers love and continued intrigue as to her existing creations, whilst the other explores both the hate and love that is imposed on an author by the very character that they brought to life on the pages.