Bolts of Fiction
Edited by Sam Frost & Daniel Willcocks
LITERATURE, FLASH FICTION, short stories
June 15, 2024
All proceeds from this anthology go to the World Land Trust charity.
28 prompts. 28 days. 77 stories — one incredible collection.
Discover the magic of storytelling distilled into its purest form. “Bolts of Fiction” is a captivating collection of 77 flash fiction stories, each a testament to the creativity and talent of authors challenged to craft compelling narratives within just 24 hours.
In February 2023, the Activated Authors community embarked on an ambitious project: to respond to daily prompts and produce a flash fiction story by the next day. The result was an outpouring of over 500 unique and imaginative pieces, from which the very best have been meticulously curated for this anthology.
From heart-wrenching tales of love and loss to whimsical adventures in fantastical worlds, each story promises to transport you, even if just for a moment, into a different reality. Whether you have a minute or an hour, you’ll find stories that will intrigue, inspire, and leave you yearning for more.
Join us in celebrating the art of flash fiction with this remarkable collection—proof that even the briefest stories can leave a lasting impression.
Contributing Authors
Quenntis Ashby
“The Architect" and more
Quenntis Ashby (Kwen-tis Ash-bee) is from South Africa but calls Taiwan his home. Born in the Year of the Wooden Rabbit, Quenntis loves jumping from page to stage and into your imagination as a body of words. Quenntis is particularly fond of doing split jumps that defy gravity.
Ara Bell
"Desires in the Stars"
A typical Brit who loves her tea, Ara lives in Dorset with her partner. When she’s not writing or reading, she can usually be found browsing AuthorTube, walking the countryside and coast, or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
Ara writes fantasy, sci-fi, and space opera from flash fictions to full novels.
Amy Bulauski
“Faux Pas"
Amy Bulauski is an author and therapist. Her thirst for the arts began when she was ten. Amy graduated in 2007 with a Master’s in Social Work. Her love of studying people drives her creativity. She and her husband live near Chicago with their two children and a poodle they call “Black Jax.”
Tracey Byrnes
“Smokey Portents”
Tracey Byrnes is a voracious reader turned full-time editor with previous publishing credits under this name and a pen name. Her life revolves around stories and her tribe of incredibly supportive family and friends. Occasionally, she emerges from a sea of words and convinces her social side to be… well, social.
S.F. Claymore
“The Dream Tamer"
Writer of the action-packed Champion of Psykoria heroic fantasy series, and also developing an Android game. Born and raised in the UK with a technology-based education, but his passion has always been in creating stories, worlds, characters, and our anything that lets him use his imagination.
Cassi Emerson
“Painted Obsession" and more
Cassi Emerson is an American writer living in Maine. A software engineer by day, she spends her nights translating her imagination onto paper. Her work spans multiple genres, fantasy to horror, sci-fi and more. In her free time, she enjoys being with family, her cat, and crying over Studio Ghibli movies.
Geoff Emberlyn
“The Wraith in the Glass"
Geoff Emberlyn is an author, editor, musician, and filmmaker from the west side of the Mitten State. He is the founder and EIC of Emberletter Press and a Partner at StudioCOR3, one of Michigan’s premier visual and audio production hubs.
B.A. Ferguson
“The DEvil Has A Dayjob"
Bobbie Ann Ferguson is a cozy mystery and romance writer who spends most of her days chasing after three spirited kids. Accountant by day, writer by night, she loves quirky characters, far off places, and asking what if. She lives in South Carolina, USA, surrounded by love, laughter, and lots of books.
Michelle L.M. Gale
“The Earth Cracked” and more
Michelle L.M. Gale is a writer and poet with a passion for history and a degree in Archaeology. Her work can be found on Amazon by searching for “Has the World Gone Mad?” or “Shenanigans.” Currently, she is songwriting, working on her memoir, and developing “Shenanigans2: Tales from the Vault.”
Renée Gallant
“The End”
Renée Gallant, raised in north Texas, spent her childhood immersed in stories and writing Trixie Belden fan fiction. After a twenty-year hiatus, she returned to writing, becoming an advocate for autoimmune sufferers, a grandmother, and a published author, rediscovering her love for words.
Megan L. Garner
“The End” and more
Megan L. Garner (she/they) is a writer of short fiction, poetry, and tabletop games, and is currently writing her first novel. She most often writes fantasy and horror, focusing on themes of the fear of the unknown, loss, love, and coming-of-age. She works out of Orange County, California.
Robert Gelik
“Dream A Little Dream”
Robert Gelik is a retired journalist who now writes fiction as well as indulging in photography, genealogy, cooking, gardening, physical fitness, crossword puzzles, and reading. A Pennsylvania native, he briefly resided in Virginia before returning to the Keystone State.
Debbie Gravett
“In His Shirt” and more
Debbie Gravett lives in Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband, two daughters and black cat. She has had flash fiction published in an anthology and posts a daily poem to her blog. Stream of consciousness writing is a favourite and often pleasantly surprises her with the results.
Karla Hailer
“The Counselling Session” and more
Karla Hailer writes steampunk, paranormal romance, and all kinds of fiction and non-fiction under her name and pen names. Living outside of Boston, MA with her husband and cat, Mr. Odin, she is a recovering journalist and fifth grade teacher. When she isn’t writing, she can be found in her garden.
R.P. Howley
“Tears and Demons” and more
Robyn has three requirements to function; black coffee in the morning, red wine in the evening, and fantasy fiction in between. He lives with his partner in Portsmouth, England, and when he’s not writing books filled with dark magic and monsters, he’s consuming everything related to writing, publishing and entrepreneurship.
Jacqueline James
“Amelie"
Jacqueline James after working for many years as a GP, is now retired and living in Menton in the South of France. a love of books and reading led her to writing. Since 2021 she has published three novels: Rude Awakening, Let’s Escape, and Journey’s End, forming The Barwell Trilogy.
Claire Ladds
“A Flaw in the Hourglass” & more
Claire Ladds is an author of suspense novels and other dark-edged fiction. Much of her work explores the grey area between guilt and innocence, characters with ominous obsessions, and often includes darkly emotional twists. When Claire isn’t writing, you’ll find her with a cuppa, an Agatha Christie book and chocolate.
Arin Laney
“The Boardroom”
Arin Laney is a cyber security professional who loves reading and writing in her spare time. Her literary tastes include fantasy, dystopia, and feminist fiction, and she aspires to publish her own works in these genres. Located in the Midlands, she enjoys hiking and martial arts.
Mark Leslie
“Dream Cacher” and more
Mark Leslie is the author of more than twenty-five books that include true paranormal explorations (Haunted Hospitals, Tomes of Terror), horror (I, Death), and urban fantasy (A Canadian Werewolf in New York). He lives in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and loves to haunt bookstores, libraries, and craft beer establishments.
Daisy Lythe
“The Blood Artist”
Daisy Lythe is an Australian writer, actor, and special effects artist who has worked in film and on stage across the globe. Her fiction has been adapted to audio and featured on Hawk & Cleaver’s The Other Stories podcast. When not working, you can find her befriending the local crows. Daisy currently lives in Scotland with her partner and their two cats.
S.W. Millar
“The Replacement”
S. W. Millar the author of the Myth & Magic urban fantasy thriller series. He’s also a podcaster, author of the Write Better Fiction Craft guides (writing as Shane Millar), and a developmental editor.
Shane holds a BA in journalism and is a member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). He lives in Buckinghamshire, England.
Kiz V.J. Moncrieff
“Inner Mayem” and more
Kiz V. J. Moncrieff (they/them) is an Animal Behaviourist, proofreader, and author. A self-proclaimed genre-hopper and description fanatic, their works delve into themes of mental health, LGBTQ+ experiences, and advocate for diverse representation. Beyond words, Kiz loves wildlife photography and gaming, and currently resides in Kent, England.
Andrew Murray
“Deal" and more
Andrew Murray is an illustrator and writer from Ireland. Originally from Dublin, he received his degree in sequential illustration from Bath University in the UK before moving to the midlands of Ireland. Many of his ghost stories are inspired by his ancient Celtic surroundings. He has previously published two short graphic novels and is the creator of the web comic Mondays with Margo. He is currently editing his first novel.
Laura Nettles
“Where Nightmares Trod”
Laura Nettles is a California girl living in Canada. She lights special effects for film and television by day, and pens terror by night. Snuggles with her soft loving dog Roy, and warm cups of rooibos tea sustain her.
Kymba Nijuck
“Cleaning Lady”
Kymba Nijuck is a visual artist, filmmaker, author, and tarot creator. She’s dedicated almost five decades to exploring the connection between art and the occult. A certified creativity coach, she works with people on the spectrum who believe in Magick, i.e. people like her.
Carolyn O'Brien
“Incapacitated” and more
Carolyn O’Brien lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in the USA. She has a physical disability, and she cannot hold the pencil, yet she manages to write horror, dark fantasy, and speculative fiction for your enjoyment.
Leila Murton Poole
“Fifty Tears”
Leila is a writer/director who loves to travel and so can often be found writing in unusual places. She recently completed a round-the-world trip without flying, during which she developed an addiction to writing competitions. She is the first person to win four NYC Midnight competitions.
Karin Redclift
“@instagoldi: Lost in the #effingwoods”
Karin Redclift is a German native creative writer, translator, and literary tutor with a passion for flash fiction and Children’s books. When she’s not playing with words and languages (German and English), she is reading, drawing, gardening, hiking California trails with her family, or chasing her little rescue dog Charlie.
C.M. Simpson
“Unbinding the Past”
Growing up in Australia, in a landscape that inspires the imagination and towns that sparked dreams of worlds beyond, C.M. Simpson started writing early and never stopped. Now, she loves getting lost in stories, whether writing their own or reading someone else’s.
K.T. Tate
“Fur is Murder" and more
K.T. Tate is an English author of speculative fiction. A lover of horror films and all things eldritch, she uses that to fuel her creativity. Her stories usually explore themes of folklore, witchcraft, body horror and transformation. Otherwise, K.T. enjoys table-top gaming, creating art and being menaced by her cats.
Karen Wicks
“Born Again”
Karen Wicks is a freelance editor currently residing in Texas in the United States with her husband and two teenagers. She also writes genre fiction under a handful of pseudonyms.
REVIEWS
“If you are a fan of horror stories, this is one of the most well-written ones I have ever read.”
“This story absolutely blew me away.”
“Daniel Willcocks creates a world you don’t want to leave!”
“the prose is so beautiful, the tension masterfully woven throughout. It’s fast-paced, character-driven, breathtakingly gripping and always leaves you wanting more.”
“When you hear non-stop page turner, after awhile you’re like okay, blah blah blah. But DAMN! This was AWESOME!”
“a refreshing reimagining of evil which sets this apart from many other apocalyptic stories.”
“I was on the edge of my seat. I read this in one sitting.”
“Fun, explosive and full of malevolent mystery.”
“Fast-paced, suspenseful, gory.”
“A dark and brooding atmosphere with dangers around every corner keeps you on the edge of your seat.”