Cheryl Skory Suma

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

After a TBI (traumatic brain injury) brought about the decision to leave the Canadian health care company she founded so she could focus on her recovery, Cheryl was able to return full-time to her first love, writing.


While Cheryl enjoys the challenge of crafting a full novel, she also creates poetry, short stories, flash fiction, long fiction and creative nonfiction pieces (and occasionally, photography). Cheryl began submitting her work to journals, magazines and competitions in late 2018.  Her work have been published online and in print in journals across Canada, US, and the UK and she has multiple PushCart Prize nominations. Her work placed in forty-nine competitions across 2019-to date. She has also volunteered at literary journals: Contributing Editor, Flash Creative Nonfiction at Barren Magazine, and  Reader at Reckon Review.

She is currently working on her first screenplay (she enjoys a new challenge!). She also presents as a guest author/speaker on a variety of topics to schools and book clubs in the GTA. 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 garden each summer).


 
  • To learn more about Cheryl, check out her past Blog on her Reflections Page, or her 'virtual coffee chat' contributor interview at BlankSpaces Magazine (note her Blog page is currently on hiatus given other time commitments)
  • Read samples of Cheryl's flash fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry  (links on applicable pages and on the "Read" page)               
  • 2021 & 2023 Pushcart Nominee  (link to pieces on Creative Nonfiction Page )

*RE past life: Cheryl founded the home healthcare rehabilitation services company, "Exceptionalities Inc." Her team of 55+ 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 (Canada). 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/success in providing safe, compassionate, quality care, with superior client & staff satisfaction ratings.

Cheryl launched her writing career by submitting her YA fantasy novel manuscript Habitan, to the 2019 Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Awards,  making the Longlist. Next , it was a quarterfinalist in the 2023 Screencraft Cinematic Book Competition, and  semifinalist,  2023 Launch Pad Prose Writing Competition. Her second novel's manuscript, gods Playground, advanced to the Semifinals of both the 2019 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition and the 2022 Launch Pad Prose Writing Competition.


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

*links to several pieces on Flash Fiction page

*links to several pieces on Creative Nonfiction page

Poetry & Photography

*links to several pieces on Poetry page


Twitter: @CherylSkorySuma

Email:  cheryl.suma@gmail.com 

© Photo Cheryl Suma