Anna Elin Kristiansen
“As a fiction writer, I have a passion for writing psychological drama, often exploring the thin line between reality and sanity.”
Twitter: @annaelinwrites
‘Natalie’ – published in the Delmarva Review
A mentally fragile woman roams her mansion-like house after ditching her career in corporate law. One day, Natalie – a troubled, anxious-looking mother – appears with her children, and after that she starts dropping them off every day. As the narrator develops her own love for Natalie’s children, another mental setback brings the question lingering in her mind into sharp focus: are the children enough to pull her back to life?
The Delmarva Review picked this story, my first to appear in print, out of thousands of submissions. Find a copy on Amazon or read an online version here.
‘Intersection‘ – published in In Parentheses
A highly successful woman finds herself at a busy crossroad every Wednesday, waiting for her son’s kindergarten bus to arrive. She passes the time doing social charity: chatting with an unfortunate woman who appears slightly insane. As the weeks pass, she discovers something about this woman that throws her life off course. Read the full story in the literary magasine In Parentheses (online or print).
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‘In Her Place‘ – published in The Last Line Journal
Two women have been in love with the same man a lifetime. One is his loyal wife, the other his adventurous childhood friend. For forty years, they’ve spent their summers in their neighbouring beach cabins. As the realisation that their time is drawing to a close fully sinks in, the women come face to face with the haunting choices that shaped their lives. The story is published in the longstanding journal The Last Line – click here to access it.
‘Dorothy‘ – published in Dark Yonder
Dorothy has been slipping away from her husband for some time now, until what remains is just a smudged silhouette of what she once was. One night, her husband comes home after a trying day at work and slaps her over a burnt casserole. As he searches the house afterwards trying to find her, shame creeps up on him. How can she just go up in smoke? Was she ever real to begin with? ‘Dorothy’ is published in the first edition of Dark Yonder, a literary journal in the genre ‘noir’. Copies are sold on Amazon.
‘Dorothy’ was put forward for a Derringer Award in 2024, a US-based award recognising the best short mystery fiction.
‘Stray‘ – published in Straylight Magazine
Rachel has been living her happy ending for years before she breaks down. MBA, career, marriage, children, more career. Now, she’s stuck in no-man’s-land trying to find the clues for why she crashed in the murky waters of her childhood. On a whim, she brings home a stray dog with a horrific backstory to her family, wondering if she has it in her to love this ugly creature. ”Stray’ is published in Straylight Magazine, the literary arts magazine of the University of Wisconsin. You can claim an electronic copy here.
‘Scent‘ – published in BarBar
A woman, raised to prey on the weak, suddenly finds herself the mother of an infant. Her newborn son is helpless and such easy prey it takes all her efforts not to act like the predator she was groomed to be. As she falls further into despair, her young husband tries to save her from a sharp descent.
‘Scent’ is published in the eclectic, refreshing literary journal BarBar and is free to read here.
‘The Arrival‘ – published in Literally Stories
“It’s terrifying, this hoisting yourself onto someone that you’re not really sure is fully into the business of caring for you.“
Iris has felt like half a person her entire life, spinning off like a satellite, only anchored to this planet by that fragile force called gravity. Now, she has travelled half the globe in pursuit of the other half that enabled her existance: her father. As she approaches the arrival hall, her legs won’t move. What kind of answers will she find on the other side of those sliding doors?
Click here to read an online version of ‘The Arrival’ on Literally Stories.
‘The Verdict‘ – published in The Kafka Protocol
Lily Johnson is bred for the task of upholding order in a society where individuals are powerless against the brutal force of institutions. On a daily basis, she separates children from their mothers as a Family and Institutions Judge. Outside the courtroom, scientists claim to have mapped out the maternal gene, passing their own judgement on whether a mother possesses it or not. One day she runs into the stern nurse who raised her and comes face to face with the institutional forces that shaped her into the judge that she is.
‘The Verdict’, my first piece of speculative fiction, is published in The Kafka Protocol by JayHenge Publishing. Buy an e-book or paperback version of the anthology on Amazon.
‘In Her Clothes‘ – published in Floyd County Moonshine
A late-teen pregnancy chained Bettany to a violent man. As their daughter grows up, Bettany’s cage tighens and her silent rage finds an irrational target: Clara, a town newcomer. Soon, Bettany’s obsession with Clara and her shimmering family life leads her down a dangerous alley.
‘In Her Clothes’ is published in Floyd County Moonshine, a bi-annual publication publishing both the dark and the gothic as well as the bright and beautiful. Buy a paperback version of issue 17.2 here.
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