A boxer finds himself taking a beating in the early rounds of a prize-fight, but his opponent isn't the only thing he's fighting. ***Please Note: This story also appears in the collection "Indelible and Other Stories".***

“When she first arrived they said nothing to her, they just looked. An ordinary enough woman, halfway through her life perhaps … modest and respectful, but they were shocked at this female on her own… She said her village had been wiped out in a mudslide, she alone had survived… The gods favoured her, then? No, she said, just lucky.” (from Too Much Too Soon) Across twenty bite-size flash-fiction stories of no more than 500 words each, the reader can travel from Pre-Conquest Latin America to Post-Catastrophe Britain; or see inside the mind of Don Quixote’s horse and the mind of an impatient would-be suicide bomber; or meet the mythological character who delights in other people’s dilemmas and the woman who decided not to tell the world about her supernatural experiences. Perhaps you will find the answer to questions you never thought to ask: What was the real effect of The Great Plague? And how did British cities end up with such woeful transport provision? If you get annoyed when others try to tell you what to feel, you’ll sympathise with Jeffery in “Che Bello!” And if some people just leave you exhausted but you don’t understand why, you’ll sympathise with Eddie in “Is This a Law of Thermodynamics?”

A collection of eight short speculative fictions with a Lake District flavour.

A woman leaving town decides to have a farewell drink with her ex-partner.

A handy beginners' guide to invisibility. "First, remove all colour from your wardrobe – especially white; white is eye-catching and stands out in a crowd..."

A collection of twenty five flash fictions. Most of these were written during 2016/17 although a handful date from earlier. The Flash Fiction label is a mixed blessing, not least because it doesn’t seem to have settled down yet into any specific meaning. Discussion centres around that word flash. American originators of the term meant the flash of a single white page being turned. Some writers I know feel the story should have some sort of jolt, or flash, at the end: Ta Dah! All except one of the stories here are less than 500 words. Other than that, they are simply short stories, as varied as any other group of stories I might produce, joined perhaps by the one facet I look for in all short stories, however long or short, that they have a narrator who knows why he, she, or it, is telling the story!

If the public don't have the discipline to watch what they put into their mouths then the state is just going to have to do it for them...

Ten flash fictions of last words, last actions, and last loves.

How do we cope with loss? If we don't cope, can we ever come back? An exploration of grief.

March 2015 marked the opening of the first annual KalliKids Short Story Competition. With help from KalliKids' ambassador and best-selling author, Joanna Rees, we set "Shine" as the theme and gave entrants the freedom to adapt "Shine" to whatever it meant to them, with a limit to each story of 500 words. We received over 500 entries from children throughout the UK, and were delighted to read such a creative mix of short stories with themes ranging from singing competitions to doomsday thrillers. We were captivated from start to finish. The 12 stories included in this book are the winners and runners-up from each age category, a real achievement for these truly talented young authors. Thank you and well done to all the children who took part, and the schools that helped to make this competition so special.

A date from hell; a camping trip with freshly-caught meat on the menu; a Spanish lesson concerning the futility of life; an alcohol-fuelled dream or was it reality?; a secret assignation at a graveyard; the nosy neighbour who found more than he expected; the hair of the dog that wasn't a cure; the effects of the moon on a near-empty beach; exploring an alien landscape - a new collection of nine stories with a theme of horror running through them.

A collection of a dozen stories with a romantic theme - although all is not always as it might first seem. The subject matter covers wedding anniversary surprises, prom night, an anticipated proposal, double-crossing and backstabbing, love overcoming time and mortality, mistaken identity, someone who is not as sweet as appears at first glance and a harsh payback for an innocent misdemeanour of youth.

Ten stories rooted in the world of science fiction - What if Hitler had died of a childhood ailment? Can you really change your destiny? The horrors of more than half a century earlier revisited; childhood games across time and space; the girl who wasn't there; an affair that wasn't what it appeared to be; a cinema visit with a difference; strange beasts on an alien world; a cyclical life; the man in the moon bides his time.

‘Sealed With a Kiss’ is a collection of ten crime-based short stories covering topics including a social media reunion that doesn’t end as expected; a chance meeting in a bar with tragic consequences; wife-swapping with a difference; a teapot that delivers a cocktail of death; the heightened senses of a young sergeant sniff out the criminal; somebody at the library has something other than reading on their mind; a volcanic eruption scuppers best-laid plans; a gamble to replace misappropriated funds that doesn’t pay off; an old lady who mistakes people and doesn’t appear to know what she’s doing; and a flash of light for an over-bearing partner.

Paul Marshall appeared out of nowhere. The hazy autumn sky had just started to darken, and I was sitting in the bus-shelter killing time.

A Fan Fic based on The Red Queen from Lewis Carroll's 'Alice In Wonderland'; The Red Queen has forever had a reputation for being heartless, yet is that truly what she is? Does she not perhaps care for the people who have grown to loathe her?

The past isn't necessarily done with.

“LAPIS LAZULI,” HE SAID. “That my name.” He was not of this world, never from Earth. Not with those eyes, no. --------------------- This is a work of collaboration by Eugen Bacon and E. Don Harpe.

“LAPIS LAZULI,” HE SAID. “That my name.” He was not of this world, never from Earth. Not with those eyes, no. --------------------- This is a work of collaboration by Eugen Bacon and E. Don Harpe.

A collection of three disturbingly dark flashes of fiction, Insomnia, In The End and LOL.

A woman finds escape from her tortured life in a mysterious flight of fancy.

A flash fiction - a man is ominously pursued. What is he fleeing from? What is following him? Will he manage to escape?

A flash fiction story - someone is hiding in the maize fields, someone who needs help.

Tasha has just moved into her new house, hoping for friendly neighbours. Instead she is faced with Satanic Snarl.

Poor Keith, nothing was too good for his special valentine.

Taking tea with Marc Bolan in a cafe somewhere in London

A flash fiction set on a porch in Illinois

Ten Flash Fictions, from 449 to 96 words short. Illicit affairs and railroad crashes, murderous spouses and vengeful neighbours.

Jeff had betrayed Sandra in the worst possible way and now he wants to come back!

The mutt from the Dogs' Home becomes a hero.

The statues from the Minster roof come to life one night!

Ruby meets the neighbours including the rabbit.

Stop, Look and Listen is a short collection of flash fiction pieces. It features Escape, a story about a son who wants to keep his parents together for the sake of his father, Mannequin, a creepy tale about a husband and his wife's disappearance, as well as the titular story Stop, Look and Listen, an exploration of life through instructions. The collection also includes other pieces by Akeem Balogun that have appeared in various publications throughout his writing career. Stop, Look and Listen is an enjoyable read that will appeal to all fans of the short story form as well as to any reader who is entertained by writing that is precise, fun and thought-provoking.

An extraordinary personal encounter on the New York subway.

The manically-depressed iceberg has few friends among the polar bears at the North Atlantic Bar.

I walked away alone. Tears sprung quickly but not unexpectedly to my eyes - I realised I was now alone!

Do you believe in fate or that things happen for a reason? No? Well neither did I until one day.....

When global disaster strikes everyone's faith is tested

A one night stand in a seedy hotel leads to an unexpected encounter and stretched boundaries. Would you meet Mr Husband?

The end is coming. Act accordingly.

A flash fiction story about transition

An encounter with someone looking for guidance

A girl takes a shortcut through the woods, but soon feels she is being followed.

Bella takes a bus ride and struggles with her feelings when someone sits beside her.

I am wearing my smartest clothes for my mother’s funeral: grey trousers and white shirt without the tie. She meant to give me cash for shoes...

A story about Derek, Stockhausen, electronic music, and the ducks in Acton Park.