Heard in Silence Anthology | The Making of “Invisible”

To the soul who hides behind curtains and masks.

Someone wants to know you.

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Today is release day for Heard in Silence.

TODAY IS RELEASE DAY FOR HEARD IN SILENCE!

*squeals and jumps up and down*

It has been a looong time in coming, and that anticipation only makes today all the more thrilling. It’s my second time being published, which makes me feel a bit more official, though I’ve yet to have an independent work published on its own. (I guess I’ll feel extra official then. :P)

So let’s celebrate, because all my lovely, talented co-authors of this anthology have put so much work and time into getting this into your hands – and let’s especially give a round of applause to Kaytlin Phillips, who curated Heard in Silence and headed off the whole project!

👏👏👏👏👏

*passes out bowls of cherry-topped ice cream*

NOTE: I happen to be going on vacation (again) today, so I may not get to your comments until Monday! XD

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Release Date: Sept. 8th, 2023

Genre: Anthology/Fantasy/Contemporary/Historical/Poetry

Authors: Saraina Whitney, Alison Stadt, K.R. Mattson, Marisa Phillips, Kylie Beevers, Riley G. Stanch, Jaiden Phillips, Lorelei Angelino, Lillian Keith, Grace A. Johnson, Kaytlin Phillips, Autumn Nicole, and Wilder W.

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About Heard in Silence

Some voices can only be heard in silence.

Thirteen young authors invite you to journey deep into a silent world so often overlooked. Within these pages, you’ll find bittersweet contemporary YA, spellbinding fantasy, tender romance, and so much more, each centering on a deaf character.

Curated by author Kaytlin Phillips, this short story collection offers you a peek inside a life without sound, a fresh perspective on a world you may never have experienced. For a moment in time, hush the noise around you and absorb the quiet heartbeat of these diverse stories. Let yourself be swept away in these characters’ struggles, heartaches, and victories.

Heard in Silence features work from Saraina Whitney, Alison Stadt, K.R. Mattson, Marisa Phillips, Kylie Beevers, Riley G. Stanch, Jaiden Phillips, Lorelei Angelino, Lillian Keith, Grace A. Johnson, Kaytlin Phillips, Autumn Nicole, and Wilder W.! This unique, richly imagined short story collection will stretch your mind and hold your heart captive.

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Find the Book!

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Invisible Blurb

Though deaf since childhood, Elizabeth Thatch has an inexplicable love for music. When she sneaks into an orchestral concert of high society, she gets recognized by an old childhood friend who completely disrupts both her night and her resolve to stay hidden in the shadows.

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The Making of “Invisible”

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the idea for my short story “Invisible” came to my mind several days away from the deadline. It was the end of a long day, but an electrifying rush of inspiration took hold of me. The kind that makes you wish you could type faster. The kind that makes you want to skip dinner in favor of finishing the story.

Spoiler alert: I didn’t skip dinner that night. 🤣

As someone who can take months to write a single story of just 10k words, I shocked myself with how fast I wrote Invisible. Yes, I’ll admit it, I’m a slow writer. I never thought I had it in me to start AND FINISH a story in just two or so days.

But now that I look back on it, I realize that it had only been a matter of time before I wrote a story like “Invisible.”

Why?

Well, because I am Elizabeth Thatch. In a sense. (Okay, that sounded a little creepy. 😆 It wasn’t supposed to.)

I have a tendency to hide behind curtains and masquerade masks of my own.

There’s a quote from The Monster in the Hollows (by Andrew Peterson) that struck a chord deep in my heart the moment I read it: “He wanted to be alone, and he wanted to be found.”

I’ve always felt this conflicting pull. An overwhelming desire to hide from the eyes of the world, and to be seen by them. To be invisible, and to be known. To be ignored, and to be wanted.

I think everyone feels this conflict, in their own way. We think of all our pain and darkness and flaws, those strange quirks of ours, those countless mistakes…everything that we think makes us unlovable.

And we want to hide.

They won’t understand. They won’t believe me. They won’t accept me.

I mean, aren’t the risks endless?

But that desire to be found runs even deeper in the heart of every human. It was placed there by God in whom it finds its finds its truest fulfillment in God.

He is El Roi, the God who sees.

And even when, like Jonah, we want to run and hide from his sight…He sees. He hears. He knows.

“God saw the people of Israel — and God knew.” (Exodus 2:25)

IS THAT NOT ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND VERSES EVER?

We’ll never be invisible to Him. And in spite of all our futile attempts to hide from His eyes, He still wants us.

I know more than anyone how terrifying it is to step out from behind the curtain and be honest.

But I also know that those masks are heavier than they look. And the freedom once they’re thrown over the cliff…it’s worth it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

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Fun Extras

Grace A. Johnson, one of the co-authors, hosted me on her lovely blog for an interview, which you can read here! (You will fall in love with her darling story, The Girl in the Pages. 😭 I know this post was all about Invisible…but that’s just because I wrote it. There are so many beautiful stories in this anthology you won’t want to miss out on!)

And Writers’ Vision hosted a mini interview with each of the authors! You can read that here!!

Follow the Blog Tour!

Monday, Sept. 4th

Sisters Three – Blog Tour Launch Announcement 

Tasha Van Kesteren – Author Interview

Tuesday, Sept. 5th

Writers’ Vision – Author Interviews

Wednesday, Sept. 6th

Grace A. Johnson – IG Spotlight & Author Interview on Blog

Kristina Hall – Review

Katherine Barnard – Review & Spotlight

Thursday, Sept. 7th

Lorelei Angelino – Review and Spotlight

Old Fashioned Book Love – Review and Spotlight

Friday, Sept. 8th

Autumn Nicole – IG Spotlight

Saraina Whitney – Spotlight

The Introspective Introvert – Spotlight and BTS Collab Post

M. C. Kennedy – Review

Riley G. – Spotlight

Lucy Peterson – Spotlight

Vanessa Hall – Spotlight

Sisters Three – End Tour

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Does the quote from The Monster in the Hollows resonate with you too? What themes do you find yourself writing about often? What’s the best way to celebrate a release day? Do you have a favorite anthology?

Possess Thy very own Copy of “heard in Silence”