Anthologies
Featuring Kristiana Sfirlea's short stories
WARNING: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE
This book may include mysterious thieves, soul-weary assassins, paranormal archivists, reformed vampires, apprentice magicians, and clown armies. You may be transported to a small moon orbiting Neptune, a bridge that erases your past, a store selling re-purposed family members, a dinner party served by fey waiters, a haunted golf course, or an island at the edge of the world where magic finally died—and is reborn. From fantasy tales about magical rebirth to science fiction stories about time loops and second chances, the entire collection celebrates the theme of starting anew.
Kristiana's Story:
Ghost of the Golf Course
A grumpy ghost girl haunts a putt-putt golf course and the four intrepid teens who break in after hours.
FLASH FICTION POWERED BY SONG
From Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra to The Police and Nirvana, the stories in this collection were inspired by the music of the last seventy years—and beyond. Meet a man living in a time loop, argue with a darksoul caught in a mirror, outwit a stalker, and catch Cerberus before the three-headed dog ruins Christmas in Central Park. Find out what it’s like to be a skinthief, to hunt a genie—or become one—and track down a missing Megabot. But with all that excitement, don’t forget to pay attention to the clues and try to figure out which song inspired the story!
Kristiana's Story: Siege of the Dead
Clueless zombies. A dangerous desert. And ... Febreze. A biblical allegory inspired by the best of 90s rock ("Zombie" by The Cranberries).
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A JOURNEY OF THE SENSES
Our five senses shape our entire human understanding of life. But this is fiction, so you can listen to the world through the ears of a dragon. Smell the odor from outer space. Watch ripples form where another dimension touches ours. Could an exotic purple flower invade earth and transform the entire human race? What if you were cursed by a jilted aromancer to smell only coconut and vanilla for the rest of your life? Discover the mess King Midas left behind for his heir. Hear the siren call of the sea as the poisoned melody changes Ariella into one of them. Cheer for the invisible girl as she fights to be seen. Experience the mysterious sixth sense.
Kristiana's Story:
A Ghost's Guide to Haunted Hugs
In the world of The Stormwatch Diaries, a gruesome ghost girl laments her lack of hugs.
A Marriage Counselor Who Has Never Been in Love...
A missing beauty queen with an oversized ego...
A hunter crippled by his own ambition...
A jeweler's obsession...
A gamers' quest with unconventional challenges...
And a castle besieged by ice and basilisks!
What do all these things have in common? They are all variations on the Beauty and the Beast retelling. Fall in love with an old fairy tale in a whole new way as you enter their worlds and find enchantment!
Kristiana's Story: After Happily Ever
A hilarious retelling of the Greek myth Polyphonte including werebears, an evil acupuncturist, love spells gone awry, and the oft-overlooked beauties of friendship and singleness.
LIGHT DAWNS IN DARKNESS
Within these pages, you’ll discover a ghost wandering the woodlands, a young man on an adventure choosing the worst sort of companion, a writer facing her own phantasmic characters, a bickering couple beset by a dubious hitchhiker in the middle of the desert, a woman fighting an ominous monster on the high seas, a Headless Henwoman carrying souls to their afterlife, the god of mischief visiting the underworld, and other tales to stir your spirit. So, keep the light on if you wish, but these stories are sure to shine bright enough on their own.
Kristiana's Story:
The Headless Henwoman and the Kissing Curse
A creepy road in Ireland, a Lady in White ghost who prefers cotton tees and lounge pants to bloodstained dresses, terrifying Irish folklore (the Dullahan, anyone?), a Collector of Souls who drives a carriage pulled by headless chickens, and did someone say a kissing curse?
Kristiana's Poem: Humble Pie
A prideful pumpkin picker learns their lesson.