Cheryl Skory Suma

Cheryl has a MHSc, Speech-Language Pathology and a HBSc, Psychology. Over her twenty-five year career as a child-teen SLP therapist and then as a CEO/entrepreneur*, Cheryl always enjoyed bringing creativity and story-telling into her daily work and interactions.

After selling the Canadian health care company she founded, Cheryl was able to return full-time to her first love, writing. Cheryl launched her writing career with a YA fantasy novel, Habitan, which made the Longlist of the 2019 Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards. Her second novel, gods Playground, advanced to the Semifinals of the 2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition.

While she enjoys the challenge of crafting a full novel, she also creates poetry, short fiction, flash and creative nonfiction pieces. She began submitting her work to journals, magazines and competitions in 2018. Her short stories, flash and creative nonfiction work have been published and/or placed in contests hosted by journals in Canada, the US, and UK, with publication online and in print. Her poetry has placed in competitions and appeared in both online and print publications in the US and UK.

She is currently working on a short story collection (update March 2021-done!), a creative nonfiction collection, and her first screenplay. She also presents as a guest author/speaker on a variety of topics to schools and book clubs (currently online due to Covid). In her spare time, Cheryl is a passionate chef who enjoys experimenting and discovering new recipes, as well as a horrible gardener (although she still loves cooking with fresh herbs from her struggling veggie garden each summer). If you watch her blog (reflections), sometimes when too busy to ruminate on writing, out of guilt she'll share a good recipe instead.


*Cheryl founded the home healthcare rehabilitation services company, "Exceptionalities Inc." Her team of 45+ therapists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and speech-language pathologists) serviced clients in homes, schools, and long-term care settings across York Region, South Simcoe and parts of Toronto. She acted as CEO, Manager & Supervisor, as well as interviewed and personally selected all staff for seven years, before selling the business in 2013. Exceptionalities held the Ontario record for its entire existence for the highest ratings and success in providing safe, compassionate, quality care, and superior client & staff satisfaction.
  • To learn more about Cheryl, check out her Blog on her Reflections Page, or her recent 'virtual coffee chat' contributor interview at BlankSpaces Magazine.
  • Read Cheryl's flash fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry (links on applicable pages)
  • Competition wins/placements listed below
  • 2020 Pushcart Nominee (link to piece on Creative Nonfiction Page)

Book/Novel Competition Placements (see Novels page for novel reviews, synopsis) & Publications in other collections

*see Novels page for reviews & judges comments on both novels

  1. Longlist, 2019 Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards (for her novel, Habitan).

  2. Semifinalist, 2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition (for her novel, gods Playground).

  3. Contributor, Blank Spaces Just Words Anthology, 2020 (Flash FIction piece)

Short Story & Flash Fiction Competition Placements & Publications

*links to several pieces on Flash Fiction page

  1. Gold Medal Winner & print Publication, March 2020 Blank Spaces Flash Fiction Contest-Write Prompt Challenge (Quarterly)

  2. Longlist, Pulp Literature, 2020 Hummingbird Flash Fiction Prize

  3. Honorable Mention & online Publication, Spider Road Press 2020 Spider Web Flash Fiction Prize

  4. Finalist, Exposition Review, Flash 405 (April) 2020

  5. Silver Medal Winner & online Publication, Nov 2020, Blank Spaces Flash Fiction Contest-Write Prompt Challenge (Quarterly)

  6. Longlist, Pulp Literature, 2020 Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest

  7. Shortlist, Fall 2019 Blank Spaces Flash Fiction Contest-Write Prompt Challenge (Quarterly)

  8. Shortlist, Spring 2019 Blank Spaces Flash Fiction Contest-Write Prompt Challenge (Quarterly)

  9. Publication (online) Flash Flood Journal/National Flash Fiction Day 2021 (10th anniversary, June 26, 2021)

  10. Publication (online) - Second Chance Lit Issue 3-July, 2021

  11. Publication (online) - The Ekphrastic Review - June 2021

  12. Publication (online)- Fatal Flaw Literary Magazine - June 2021

  13. Semi-finalist, 2021 River Styx Micro-fiction Contest

  14. Publication (print) - Blank Spaces Magazine- Vol 6 Issue 1-Sept 2021

  15. Short list (winner still tba), 2021 Five South Short Fiction Prize

Creative Nonfiction Competition Placements & Publications

*links to several pieces on Creative Nonfiction page

  1. Quarterfinalist, Ruminate Magazine -2021 William Van Dyke Short Story Prize

  2. Finalist & Publication online, Longridge Review Barnhill Prize for Creative Nonfiction - 2020 *2020 Pushcart Nomination

  3. Semifinalist, Ruminate Magazine - 2019 Vandermey Nonfiction Prize

  4. Shortlist, Hippocampus Magazine- 2019 'Remember in November' Contest for Creative Nonfiction

  5. Publication (online & print) - Nightingale & Sparrow Literary Magazine (Woodland Issue VIII)- Nov, 2020

  6. Publication (print) - Blank Spaces (Vol 6, Issue 1) - Sept, 2021

Poetry Competition Placements & Publications

*links to several pieces on Poetry page

  1. Finalist & publication (print), Public Poetry, Enough Anthology 2019 Poetry Contest

  2. Shortlist, 2019 Erbacce Prize for Poetry

  3. Publication-online- La Piccioletta Barca (Issue 12 & Issue 16)-2019, 2020

  4. Publication pending- will post once permitted

Twitter: @CherylSkorySuma

Email: cheryl.suma@gmail.com

© Photo Cheryl Suma