Friday, November 30, 2012

#ThursThreads - Week 48 - Winners


Week 48 of #ThursThreads had some great tales! Thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your stories. It was great to have our returning regulars and some new faces. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And great thanks go to J. Whitworth Hazzard for reading the stories. :)

Entries:
  • Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
  • Daniel Swensen | @surlymuse
  • Veronica Jordan | @RevolutionaryVJ
  • Rebecca R Kovar | @RRKovar
  • Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider 
  • Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
  • Susan Hayes | @capricia13
  • Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
  • Michelle Graham | @MichelleGAuthor
  • Susan Saxx | @SusanSaxx
  • Kel Heinen | @Aightball
  • Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
  • Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
  • Stacy Bennett-Hoyt | @Rowanwolf66
First let me give a huge thank you to the lovely and talented Siobhan Muir for asking me to judge this week's contest.#ThursThreads is on my regular flash fiction list and, although I haven't gotten to compete lately, I know how deep the talent pool for this contest runs. Everyone did a great job which made my job as judge that much tougher--and fun.  A quick word on what I look for in a story when I judge flash fiction. Two things make great flash fiction for me, a compelling story that is self-contained, or a story snippet that is so intriguing I instantly want to read more.  This week's offerings delivered plenty of both. As always, win or lose, I'm happy to do a personal critique offline with anyone that submitted a story, just hit me up on twitter or send me email.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions
 
  Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
J. says: Great piece that was romantic, subtly erotic, and filled with conflict and tension. I love reading a piece that asks great philosophical questions as well. Where does true love live? In the body, or in the soul? Would you recognize your soul-mate in another form?

Rebecca R Kovar | @RRKovar
J. says: Wicked nod to another underutilized and misunderstood form of the zombie genre: magical zombies.  Great pacing, descriptions, and left me wanting more.  You get the sense that there is a deep well to explore in the 250 word peek into Rebecca's world.
 
Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
The old switcheroo is usually telegraphed long in advance, but Robin crafted this piece beautifully.  Loved the subtle twisting of the child's fear. Doesn't every kid check that the basement door is locked before bedtime?

Week 48 Winner

Stacy Bennett-Hoyt | @Rowanwolf66


J. says: Beautifully written piece that was both self-contained and incredibly intriguing. This story had conflict, history, love, regret, and the hints of a SciFi treasure trove that made me want to start reading the rest of the story NOW.

The front door jingled, but my eyes never left the swirling coffee in front of me. I wished again that I’d said no. Booted footsteps stopped next to me. Then, he slid into the booth and ordered coffee though I know he never liked it.

“How you been, Jo?” His once-silken voice was tattered, rough.

I didn’t look up until I’d set the spoon down on the red Formica and lifted the cup. “What do you want, Sam?”

“Just wanted to see you.” Graying hair had returned but the chemo had withered him. His U.S. Xenopathogen Eradication Agency jacket hung off his hollow frame. I choked on a surge of nostalgia.

“Fine. You’ve seen me.”

“What, no love left?”

I took a long slow sip of hot bitterness to steel myself. “Guess not.”

His wry half-smile warmed some forgotten piece of me. “They’ve reinstated me.”

A flush of fear stopped my heart. “But you’re —”

“Doesn’t matter, I’m the only one left.”

“The X.E.A. did you boys wrong.” Bile rose as I remembered the vaccines, the missions, and the inevitable cancer.

“I leave tonight.”

“Then why are you here?” Anger covered my vulnerability.

“I just wanted to be sure.”

“About?”

“Us.” He stood up and dropped a $20 bill on the table. “Was nice seeing you.” His finger stroked my hand as he left.

As the door closed with grim finality, longing and regret flooded my eyes spilling onto my cheeks. I knew I’d never see him again.

Thank you everyone for entering, I enjoyed all the work you put in and it was really tough coming up with just four pieces. As a special treat, I'm going to send a copy of my latest serial "Dead Sea Games: Adrift" ( http://amzn.to/WmChuI ) to all of the winners and honorable mention recipients. Please send me or Siobhan your email address to collect your Kindle eBook.

Congratulations Stacy, Cara, Rebecca, and Robin! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Thursday, November 29, 2012

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 48


Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked after your week off. Miss it? Well, it's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 48 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

Here's how it works:
  • The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
  • The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
Rules to the Game:
  • This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
  • Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
  • Post your story in the comments section of this post
  • Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
  • Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
  • The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
  • The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. ;)
How it benefits you:
  • You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
  • You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
  • Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 48:

The author, scientist, geek, and zombie aficionado, J. Whitworth Hazzard.

J on Google Plus
And check out his new Zombie serial, Dead Sea Games: Adrift

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“I just wanted to be sure.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - The Bone Flute - The Best Part of Waking Up


Happy Six Sentence Sunday! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and if you don't celebrate, I hope your weekend is going well. Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet. I really appreciate your time and the comments you leave for me. While my sixes aren't always right after each other, they are in chronological order. If you'd like to read last week's SSS post, it's here.

Today I'm offering another snippet from The Bone Flute, a paranormal romantic suspense. Remember Jozsef? In this snippet, he wakes up to someone fondling his leg. Not bad for being dead for 1400 years.

Now, once again, he awakened from wherever he went between these encounters to the erotic feeling of someone running their fingertips over his leg. Even before he’d fully materialized, he realized the hands belonged to someone feminine and old enough to know what she was doing.
Magical energy crackled and pulsed around him, seductively pulling him into the world. Pleasure built within him as the hands slid over his inner thigh then up to his hip, grazing the sides of his scrotum. Arousal shivered through him, hardening his cock into a pillar of stone between his legs.
Holy God, who is this woman?

I've often been told paleontologists have great hands. ;) There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla DoyleSarah BallanceSilver JamesZee Monodee, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - The Bone Flute - Dead Things

 Happy Six Sentence Sunday! Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet. I really appreciate your time and the comments you leave for me. While my sixes aren't always right after each other, they are in chronological order. If you'd like to read last week's SSS post, it's here.

Today I'm offering another snippet from The Bone Flute, a paranormal romantic suspense. Remember the box? In this snippet, Rain Szep opens the wooden box and finds a rather grisly discovery.

Looking down at the bone flute, Rain suspected her job had contributed to the dubious gift. Her grandmother had known she studied old bones and the flute probably seemed like the ideal gift to give a paleontologist. Unfortunately, the artifact should’ve gone to an archaeologist because Rain didn’t have much to do with human remains.
Even oddly carved human remains.
Closing the lid carefully, she said, “Probably because she’d heard I was a dead thing specialist. This certainly is a dead thing.”

Yes it is, and she has no idea what a 'lucky' girl she is. :D There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla DoyleSarah BallanceSilver JamesZee Monodee, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Friday, November 16, 2012

#ThursThreads - Week 47 - Winners


Week 47 of #ThursThreads had some great tales! Thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your stories. It was great to have our returning regulars. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And great thanks go to Lila Shaw for reading the stories. :)

Entries:
  • Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
  • Susan Hayes | @capricia13
  • Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
  • Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider 
  • Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
  • Charles W. Jones | @ChuckWesJ
  • Kel Heinen | @Aightball
  • Ruth Long | @Bullishink
  • Nellie Batz | @solimond

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions
 
  Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Lila says: Reminiscent of Kathleen Turner and William Hurt Body Heat banter. Clever word choices in this one had me chuckling.

Susan Hayes | @capricia13
Lila says: Loved how it morphed at the end into something far more mundane than it started off as. I'm a sucker for a twist.
 
Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
Lila says: Interesting concept had me thinking about it even after I finished reading.

Week 47 Winner

Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1


Lila says: This one was simply told but compelling nonetheless with its preponderance of dialogue and showing vs. telling. It fit the prompt because with protagonist is now a vampire herself, and therefore her mission of killing her sire is called into question leaving us all wondering what she's going to do--choose her mortal friend and probably her own eventual destruction or the vampire who seduced and tricked her.

The Morning After

Trying to silence the ringing of her phone, Stacy knocked her cell onto the floor. The shrill tone continued to trill at her.

Pulling her head out from under the covers, she squinted in the harsh light. Closing her eyes she reached down, searching blindly for the phone.

“Hello.”

“Stacy, where are you?”
“Home. Where are you?”

“Waiting for you in the park. I thought we’d agreed…Hunter Graystone. Remember? Kill the vampire. I have the stakes, now I just need you.”

“Umm…” Stacy stared at the empty spot in her bed.

“Don’t tell me you changed your mind.”

“Right now, I’m not so sure.”

“Cold feet, I understand.”

“No, you don’t. Morgan, I have to go.”

“Stacy, it has to be done when he sleeps. He’s marked you. If we don’t…”

“I’ll talk to you later, I have to go.”

Hanging up the phone, Stacy forced her eyes open and crossed the room. Her neck ached. God, she hoped it was just a hickey. Staring into the mirror she inspected the two puncture wounds. Putting her fingers against the carotid artery, she felt for a pulse. Nothing.

“But I can see my reflection…”

“That’s a myth.” Hunter stood behind her with a plastic cup. He held it out to her. “Also sunlight… not that bad.”

“You seduced me.”

“You came looking.”

“I just… I wanted to be sure.”

“Now you are.” He handed her the cup. A suspicious red liquid sloshed over the side. “Drink up, while it’s still warm.”

Congratulations Lisa, Jeffrey, Susan, and Theresa! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)
 
There will be no #ThursThreads next week because of the Thanksgiving Holiday. See you in two weeks. :)
 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 47


Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 47 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

Here's how it works:
  • The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
  • The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
Rules to the Game:
  • This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
  • Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
  • Post your story in the comments section of this post
  • Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
  • Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
  • The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
  • The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. ;)
How it benefits you:
  • You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
  • You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
  • Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 47:


The schizophrenic, humorous erotic author and wife of a Silverback, Lila Shaw.


And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“Right now, I’m not so sure.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - The Bone Flute - Inheritance


Happy Six Sentence Sunday and Happy Veteran's Day! Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet. I really appreciate your time and the comments you leave for me. Sorry the link didn't work last week. I checked it and found myself reading in Spanish. What the? If you'd like to read last week's SSS post, it's here.

Today I'm offering another snippet from The Bone Flute, a paranormal romantic suspense. In this snippet, Rain Szep is the paleontologist from the Bureau of Land Management in Las Vegas in 2012, and she's just found out her grandmother has died, leaving her a few things.

“Three weeks ago,” Mr. Stienmeyer replied without elaborating. “At the reading of her will, it was stipulated that her three grandchildren from her first son Reginald Szép each receive a small trust fund of fifty thousand–”
Rain choked. “Dollars?”
“Yes, dollars, only to be awarded after the occasion of legitimate marriage,” he went on with a little frown at her interruption. “In addition to your monetary inheritance, your grandmother also handed down this antique wooden box and its contents to you because, and I quote, ‘She’ll know what to do with the damn thing and she’s into that sort of stuff.’”

Oooh, what's in the box? Can you hear the voice saying "open the box"? :D There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla DoyleSarah BallanceSilver JamesZee Monodee, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Men & Women of the Military Giveaway Hop

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Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Men & Women of the Military Giveaway Hop celebrating Veteran's Day! It is such an honor to be part of this hop and my first romantic suspense with SEALs will be out in 2013. So rather than talk about how my family is involved with the military (which it isn't), I thought I'd give you an excerpt of my upcoming military menage, The Navy's Ghost.

The Navy's Ghost Excerpt:

Lieutenant Junior Grade Todd “Magic” Hunter lengthened his strides down the hallway of Bethesda Medical Center, searching for the nurses’ station to find out where they’d moved Ghost. His gut clenched at the thought she may not have made it after all their efforts to save her. Dammit, if the stupid doctors lost her after he managed to clamp her artery shut, he’d tear this place apart.
Beside him, silent and deadly, Lieutenant Jim “Retro” Waters looked quiet enough, but Magic knew the bigger man was going out of his mind with worry. Waters was 6’4”, 230 pounds of badass SEAL with black hair and deep brown eyes. His face was chiseled and squared-jawed, like Robert Redford, complete with the cleft in his chin, and his eyes could bore a hole through concrete when he stared. He could be alternately scary or mysterious, projecting the Bad Boy image perfectly, and women melted at his feet, much to the other SEALs’ disgust.
“Where are the fucking nurses?” Retro growled.
“Doesn’t matter. Read the white board,” Magic remarked, pointing to the Nurse Rotation board behind the desk. They found Brickman listed with a nurse’s name.
“Room 15.”
They shifted direction like a school of fish, quick and coordinated in their movements without awkwardness. Magic felt some of his tension fade as he approached the room. Ghost was no longer in the ICU. That had to be a good thing.
But when they reached the door, they both paused and looked at each other, suddenly nervous.
Pussy. Just open the damn door and look in on her. She’s not dead.
He hoped. He watched Retro take a deep breath, then depress the door handle and push the door slowly open.
The room was dark and empty of ornamentation, only the bed and the medical equipment filled the small space. Magic’s anger kindled when he realized there were no flowers or balloons to liven the somber atmosphere and he vowed to remedy that immediately. He heard Retro suck his breath in a little fast and he swung his gaze finally to the occupant in the bed.
She was asleep, her head turned toward the shaded window as if seeking the light. She looked so small and fragile, though he knew she was anything but, and his chest tightened with anguish at her condition.
Dear God, why her? Of all of us, why her?
“Open the shades, Retro,” Magic whispered as he retreated to the door to snag the chart in the holder outside. “Let her see the light when she wakes up.”
Retro glided across the floor in silence and twisted the rod hanging from the top of the window. The last light of the setting sun painted orange stripes on the wall and the foot of the bed as Magic looked over the chart, too afraid to take in the details of Ghost’s body beneath the covers. He was barely aware of Retro snagging a chair and planting himself in it beside the bed. He did notice when his best friend took Ghost’s hand and held it, his broad shoulders slumping in dismay.
“What’s it say, Magic?” Retro rumbled without looking up. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s doing good,” Magic replied absently as he read. “They’ve got her on 10 cc’s of Dilaudid.”
Retro whistled softly. “That should take the edge off.”
“Yeah. Captain said it was ugly, her leg.” Magic grimaced as he remembered slicing through her thigh muscles with his field knife to get to her artery. He’d butchered her and her blood had been everywhere, but he’d somehow found the artery and staunched the flow before it took her soul with it. “They stitched her up and the CT scans show the artery’s strong, but her leg looks like the victim of a shark attack. Fuck, Retro, I carved her up like a Thanksgiving turkey!”
“Yeah, but it saved her life. I don’t think she’d begrudge that. Have they given her anything for bone and muscle replacement?”
“They’ve increased her calcium intake for bone replacement and protein for muscle and soft tissue development. Progress is ‘satisfactory’.”
Retro snorted. “Not satisfactory for me…or Ghost, I’d bet.”
Magic heard the anguish in Retro’s quiet words and wondered for the hundredth time when the larger SEAL was going to admit he’d fallen for their female comrade.
Probably never now that he knows I love her, too.
Magic was still kicking himself over revealing to his best buddy that he loved Lt. Christiana “Ghost” Brickman, realizing it only when she lay dying under his hands on that grimy warehouse floor. He’d never been so focused in his life and he’d thanked every god out there for it each day since. At least they’d gotten the bastard who lured her into an ambush and the homegrown terrorists paying him. A small victory in the face of the tragedy that lay in the bed in front of him.
Setting the chart aside, Magic approached the bed and stared down at the woman sleeping there.
Sleeping beauty. He felt a half grin slide over his face. Yeah, but don’t kiss her to wake her up. He’d find himself on his back with a knife at his throat and a rabid weasel on his chest.
God, he loved her. He’d loved her ever since she’d gotten those hostages out through the drainage pipe no wider than a meter in diameter right under the noses of the Afghani guards. She’d been magnificent and lethal, and his cock had hardened at the thought of having her not only by his side, but in his bed. She had him hooked when she told them about the guard who opened his fly and pissed on the wall right next to her, never seeing her.
That had been their first real op right after graduating from BUD/S training and his love had only grown from there. He’d said nothing to her, of course, not willing to trash the amazing friendship and trust they’d developed over the last four and a half years in Team 4, Squad Beta.
Now she lay in a bed, recovering from the worst wound he’d ever seen in the field and his heart broke for her.
“No, probably not satisfactory to her at all,” he agreed, noting the IV bag hung nearly empty. The nurse would be in to change it soon. “She’ll never be back with the Squad, you know.”
“What?” Retro looked startled.
Magic nodded, his chest tightening. “Perforated artery and fractured femur. It’s a done deal. She’s beached.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s she going to do now? The SEALs was all she ever wanted.”
“I don’t know.”
Magic studied the fading sunlight on Retro’s face and knew the other man’s heart was breaking as much as his own. They knew Ghost best, her hopes and fears, her strengths and weaknesses. Hell, they even knew she hated Tequila and cilantro, loved Dutch chocolate wine and Indian food, and hoped to visit Machu Pichu whenever they got more than a few days leave at a time.
You’ll get to go now, Ghost. He doubted she’d be very pleased with her opportunity.
“This is gonna kill her, Magic,” Retro murmured, his voice hollow with despair.
“No, it’s not. She’s tougher than this. She’s tougher than any of us. Hasn’t she taught us that enough times over the last four years?”
Retro laughed without humor. “Yeah, she has.” He kept rubbing the back of her hand in gentle circles with his thumb. “I hope she wakes up soon. I want her to know we’re here.”
“Yeah, me too.”

Ah, I love the SEALs. I'm only as awesome as they are in my mind. :) Now for the giveaway portion of my post. I'm giving away a signed copy of Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack, a Siobhan Muir mug, and a Siobhan Muir tote bag to three lucky commenters, because this is a menage. ;) All you have to do is tell me what's your favorite branch of the military and why, and leave a valid email address or Twitter handle so I can contact you if you win. Following my blog is optional. My giveaway is open to US/CAN residents, although you must be at least 18 years old to win, and please void where prohibited. The hop runs until November 15th and the winner will be announced here on the blog on Friday, November 16th. And don't forget to visit all the other blogs on the following list. There are many prizes to be won. So thanks for stopping by, good luck in the giveaway, and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 46 - Winners


Week 46 of #ThursThreads had some great tales! Thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your stories. It was great to have our returning regulars. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And great thanks go to Sarah Ballance for reading the stories. :)

Entries:
  • Rafe B | @etcet
  • Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
  • Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider 
  • Jeff Xilon | @JXilon
  • Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
  • Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
  • Susan Hayes | @capricia13
  • J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemachanics
  • Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
  • Rose Anderson | @RoseAnderson_
  • Kel Heinen | @Aightball
  • Nellie Batz | @solimond
  • @LupusAnthropos
  • Rebecca Grace Allen | @RGraceAllen

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions
 
  Theresa Breaux | @theresabreaux
Sarah says: This story was surprisingly moving, and not only did it touch me, but I enjoyed the gradual way the author leads the reader into the unexpected twist with a beautifully poetic ending.

Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
Sarah says: I love how this one built a crescendo of details, all the while leaving the reader in the dark until the finale with those two fantastic revelations. I dare say a lot of authors would find this more truth than fiction, LOL.
 
Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
Sarah says: This poignant piece catches so much emotion and struggle. Though I've never experienced anything like this, I feel the author did an exceptional job of putting me through it, and to do so in such a short space is impressive.

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Sarah says: I'm a big fan of suspense, so I can really appreciate this succinctly woven tale. It has everything: the plan, the foil, plan B, and a delicious surprise at the end. This isn't easy to do in such a short space, and I greatly admire how well it's done here.

Week 46 Winner

@LupusAnthropos


Sarah says: Oh, wow. What a tough job, but I didn't have to choose a winner. One jumped up, ran around the room naked a time or two, and chose me . I actually laughed out loud, (um, a lot) which woke up my husband. I then shared with him the story, and through that "why am I awake?" squint-and-glare thing he was doing, I think he might have smiled a little. All that said, the prize goes to @LupusAnthropos for a flawlessly FUNNY merger of fiction and current events, all with a very clever use of the prompt.

The man looked sheepish and defeated as he waited in line at the unemployment office. Things moved slowly, but he finally reached the front.

“Hello,” he said, handing his application to the woman behind the desk.

“Hello,” replied the interviewer, “please take a seat and tell me about the kind of job you’re looking for.”

“Right now, I’m not so sure,” he hesitated. “I didn’t do very well with my last job application.”

“What kind of job was that?”

“Well, it came with a phenomenal office, provided nearly unlimited world travel, would have allowed me to take time off to play golf at least twenty times a year and paid a $400,000 salary.”

“Mr. Romney,” said the interviewer, “I’m sorry, that job’s taken.”

Congratulations Two Time Winner Lupus, Theresa, Robin, Lisa, and Ryan! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 46


Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 46 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

Here's how it works:
  • The prompt is a line from the previous week's winning tale.
  • The prompt can appear ANYWHERE in your story and is included in your word count.
Rules to the Game:
  • This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
  • Incorporate the prompt anywhere into your story (included in your word count).
  • Post your story in the comments section of this post
  • Include your word count (or be excluded from judging)
  • Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
  • The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific Time
  • The winner will be announced on Friday, depending on how early the judge gets up. ;)
How it benefits you:
  • You get a nifty cool badge to display on your blog or site (because we're all about promotion - you know you are!)
  • You get instant recognition of your writing prowess on this blog!
  • Your writing colleagues shall announce and proclaim your greatness on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus

Our Judge for Week 46:


The lean, mean, queen of romantic suspense and Six Sentence Sunday, Sarah Ballance.


And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“Sorry, that job’s taken.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)