“On Fridays” to be published in Thema (USA)

As I wrote in a recent blog, every few years I get this urge to rewrite the 17 stories from Lovers and Strangers Revisit­ed.  The first story, “On Fridays” has just been accepted by Thema as a reprint in their A New Routine issue (summer 2025).

After submitting another story, I thought, why not try “On Fridays” as a reprint since it fit the theme?  I didn’t know if they accepted reprints—it was previously published in The Literary Review in 2003, which I acknowledged in the cover letter.  Figured I had nothing to lose.

When I received an email from Thema, the subject line stated, “Acceptance,” so I knew that it contained good news.  I forgot which story I had sent them.  I was even more surprised when it was “On Fridays.”  I had completely forgotten I had sent it as a reprint.  I double checked to make sure that I had in­formed them.  As a reprint, the story will earn less than it would have as an original story, but I’m not com­plaining.

So now the stories from Lovers and Strangers Revisit­ed have been (or will be) published 83 times in 12 coun­tries (12 stories in USA and UK).  Not bad, which is exactly why I get this urge every few years to rewrite these stories, because you just never know when another one will be published.

This is also the reason I spent two years rewriting six novels (and two collections of stories and a play), because you just never know.  You must trust the writing process and keep submitting your work and keep your fingers crossed that an agent or an editor will say, hey, this is not bad…in fact, it is quite suitable for our present needs…

            —Borneo Expat Writer