Letter from the Editor

In May 2019, Adrienne, Craig, and I embarked on a new adventure — a charity anthology. But not just for any cause. It was for one my near and dear to my heart. We wanted to put together an anthology that would honor those who have served and are still serving in the armed forces. At first, it was geared towards the U.S. Army Forces. But as submissions came in, we noticed several coming in from overseas and so we quickly expanded our criteria.

We received more submissions than I thought we would. It was surprising, exciting, a wee bit overwhelming, and incredibly humbling. Unfortunately, while we were going through submissions and beginning to get all of our ducks in a row, what occurred next could only be described as a series of unfortunate events — a beloved family member passed away, COVID-19 made its appearance on the world stage, and then there was even more loss and heartbreak.

As a result, the anthology was left behind as I struggled to cope with…well, everything. I was riddled with guilt that I wasn’t moving forward with the anthology. It was hanging in limbo, but I didn’t even have the energy to do something as simple as emailing everyone to let them know what was going on, though part of the problem was that I myself didn’t know what I was going to do. Was the anthology still going to happen? Should I cancel it?

I considered my options for what seemed like forever, though was closer to a couple months. In the end, I decided to cancel the anthology, and I offered the writers and artists the option to have their work posted on the website instead. I felt as though I had failed them, fallen short of the generous gift of their trust, and told them as much. I love Twist in Time and try so very hard to treat my writers and artists with the respect they are due.

The response I received to my cancellation announcement and the Special Issue offer left me floored and in tears. I was reminded of how incredibly wonderful the writing community can be, how kind, understanding, and uplifting everyone can be.

So I say, ‘Thank you’ to my writers, readers, and especially those who have served and are still serving in the armed forces. This Special Issue would not exist without any of you.

Warmly,