Jordan-Heintz releases collection of short stories, book talk set for Saturday at library
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Former T-R staff writer and current contributing writer Sara Jordan-Heintz has just released a collection of short stories, perfect for Halloween season. She will hold a book talk and signing Saturday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marshalltown Public Library in Meeting Room AB. It will follow the latest meeting of her group The Write Club, from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the Brucklacher Conference Room of the library.
The book, entitled "In The Blink Of An Eye: Short Stories To Keep You Up At Night," contains 30 of her micro, flash and short fiction stories, many of which originally appeared in magazines, ezines, anthologies and blogs, beginning in 2020. Almost all of the stories are speculative, which encompasses science fiction, fantasy and horror.
"I felt it was time to collect them into one book, sort of a one-stop read as it were," she said. "For those in Marshalltown who know me from my journalism work, I'm excited to share the spooky side of my writing."
Her friend, fellow author Ann O'Mara Heyward, wrote the book's foreword.
"I met Ann through my editing work for Inkd Publishing and felt she was the ideal person to write this for me," Jordan-Heintz said. "Earlier this year she released her collection of short stories called 'No One Heard Her Screams' and we're completely on the same wavelength when it comes to penning horror."
A handful of stories near the end of the book debut in this collection.
Her piece "A Dream Come True" was originally written for a high school writing class and sat unpublished for years before it was picked up by Inkd Publishing for its book "Hidden Villains: Criminals" released in February 2025.
"Inkd nominated me for the 2026 Pushcart Prize and 2026 Washington Science Fiction Association Small Press Award for that story," Jordan-Heintz said. "Inkd has been great to work with, having published five of my stories -- all reprinted in my new book -- and I've edited three books for its Behind the Shadows series."
Her short story "Sardines" is included in the book. It was nominated for the 2022 Pushcart Prize for Best Small Fictions and the Best Microfiction by The Mambo Academy of Kitty Wang where it appeared.
She said her book's cover was designed with the goal in mind to evoke dread and foreboding.
Jordan-Heintz wrote a novella called "A Day Saved is a Day Earned" which is available as an ebook. It was also included in Rod Serling Books' inaugural anthology "Submitted For Your Approval," edited by Anne Serling, back in 2015.
Her prior books include "Going Hollywood: Midwesterners in Moveland" which spotlights 12 classic film stars, including a chapter on Jean Seberg. She continues to appear on podcasts and interviews for her book "The Incredible Life & Mysterious Death of Dorothy Kilgallen."
Jordan-Heintz writes a monthly column called Memory Lane Musings for the Kansas City-based magazine Discover Vintage America. She also edits book manuscripts on a freelance basis. She was on staff at the T-R from March 2025 to September 2019 before returning as a contributing writer, beginning in March 2023. She first started as a correspondent for the T-R back in December 2014.
During the book talk, she will read a handful of stories from her new book, plus allow time for questions at the end. Books are $10 apiece with her previously published books also available for purchase.
To learn more, she may be reached at: sara.jordan909@gmail.com. Her books are also available on Amazon and at pageturnerbooks.biz.