Cynthia Varady
Bio
Award-winning writer and creator of the Pandemonium Mystery series. Lover of fairy tales and mythology. Short stories; book chapters; true crime. She/Her.
Stories (43)
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Ruth Ellis
A little over 60 years ago, Ruth Ellis became the last woman hanged for murder in the UK. Since then, she’s become the subject of television and radio dramas, movies, plays, and books. Why should we bother telling a story of a woman executed over six decades ago?
By Cynthia Varady5 years ago in Criminal
The Disappearance and Murder of Dorothy Jane Scott
An Unexpected Find On August 6, 1984, a partially charred adult human skeleton was discovered half a mile east of Eucalyptus Drive in northeast Anaheim, California. Jesse Loza, a Macco Construction Company foreman, stumbled upon the remains at around 7:15 a.m. as he and his crew readied to lay pipe for Pac Bell telephone lines. Loza discovered the bones minutes after joking with his crew to “watch out for dead bodies.”
By Cynthia Varady5 years ago in Criminal
Fair Trade
Margot sat on a park bench and rubbed the bridge of her nose. Pain radiated through her eyes and into her head. How could she have gotten laid off? She needed that crappy, low-paying job. Her family needed that job. She imagined her dad’s disappointment. The worry lines eroding his once handsome face. Margot groaned and pushed the heel of her palm into her eyes, trying to slow her racing thoughts. A dull thump on the bench yanked Margot from her thoughts.
By Cynthia Varady5 years ago in Fiction
8 Picture Books That Build Visual Literacy
Visual literacy may be a term many haven’t heard. It’s the piecing together of a story from images and data in graphic form. What are the images telling the reader? Who are the characters? Their emotions? What are they experiencing? Pictures books help develop a child’s visual literacy skills by offering a story they tell themselves through images on the page. The skill of visual literacy lends itself to a myriad of applications beyond picture books.
By Cynthia Varady5 years ago in Education
Mental Health in Literature
Perpetuating the stigma of mental illness The stigma shrouding mental illness is a prevailing one. This stigma breeds distrust of mental health professionals, reducing them to the term "shrink." People in therapy are seen as weak. People who can’t handle their emotions. This stigma is especially detrimental for men and people of color.
By Cynthia Varady5 years ago in Psyche
Below the Surface
Saka sat cross-legged atop Boadicea’s scratched and dented hull, double-checking her gear. The ship rocked in the gently rolling waves, the soft splash against the hull was the only sound to be heard. Before Saka could go over her equipment a third time, a sure sign she was stalling, she sighed and suited up.
By Cynthia Varady5 years ago in Fiction
