#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 56

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked, and a whole new year of #ThursThreads flash fiction. So let's get started. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 56 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 as written 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 56:

The Steampunk maven, sci-fi fan, and #flashfiction author, Theresa Breaux.

Theresa on Facebook

Theresa on Twitter

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You can get up now.”

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! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - Second Chance Succubus - The Lady's Domain

Happy Six Sentence Sunday again. Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet as Six Sentence Sunday winds down. Today is the last Sunday. :( However, there is a new list starting up in you're interested. Just click on the link. I'll be there. :) That said, 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. You can find last week's six here.

Today, I'm offering a snippet from my work in progress, a cross-over paranormal romantic suspense with BDSM elements, entitled Second Chance Succubus. Here we meet the heroine, Lady Aislynn, the succubus and owner of Eve's Paradise from last week's snippet. While many of you have said you wanted to see the first interaction between Nik and Chayse, I felt it wise to show you Aislynn as SSS closes it's doors. Aislynn is a Fem Domme and a succubus determined not to kill anyone again mostly by cutting men out of her life. Aislynn is the first to speak.

“Beautifully done, Felicia, I’m pleased.”

“Thank you, Mistress.”

Though the club didn’t open for another hour, the sleek oak doors swung wide and two men sauntered in. Aislynn absorbed their energies, inhaling the delicious curls of male, Elder Races, and…twins?

“Oh, that’s not good,” Felicia muttered, her expression hardening. “One of them is a cop.”

Interesting.

Aislynn has no idea what she's in for. ;) There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla Doyle, Sarah Ballance, Silver James, J. M. Blackman, Gem Sivad, and Goran Zidar.

Thank you all for stopping by and accompanying me on this journey. I wish you all the very best and hope to see you on the new list starting at Skye Warren's place. Happy reading! :)

Saturday Souvenirs - Picture Inspiration for Siobhan's Stories

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked! Now that I've started a friendable page on Facebook, I thought I'd try to post a little bit about myself so that folks can get to know the person behind the stories I write.

Today I'm starting simple. I'm posting pretty photos of men (and women for my male readers) to show you some of the characters in my books and my upcoming WIPs.

For Her Devoted Vampire, this is my Bridget Shanahan and Fredrick MacGregor.

For Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack, Julianna Morris and Jeff Lightfoot.

For Not a Dragon's Standard Virgin, Isabelle Andersen and Jonarrion Swiftwind.

For Hell Hound's Fire, Sarah Flanagan and Alex MacLaren.

For The Runaway Vampire, Mischief MacGyver, Quintus MacGyver, and Istvan Sarkany.

For The Beltane Witch, Sabrina Foxglove and Darius Winterbourne.

For the Second Chance Succubus, Lady Aislynn, Nik Wolffe, and Chayse Wolffe.

Here's a towel for the drool. :) Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

#ThursThreads - Week 55 - Winners

Week 55 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Thanks to all who came to write in the New Year. I'm honored to see all of the returning and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And it was also great to see some new 'faces' joining us. Great thanks go to Sean Adams for reading the stories. :)

Entries:

• Jeffrey Hollar | @klingorengi
• L.T. Dalin | @ChessnySilth
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir 
• Doris O'Connor | @mamaD8
• Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
• Sarah Aisling | @SarahAisling
• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Casey Moss | @CaseyMoss_
• Dr. Magoo | @drmagoo
• Meredith Smith-Lane | @squee79
• Michelle Graham | @MichelleGAuthor
• Kayla West | @bookwormattack
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Susan Saxx | @susansaxx

Sean says: Tougher than I imagined, I must have read them 10 times in the last 3

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Sean says: I'm fan of your work even though I tend to avoid most romance writing as it rarely can pull me in like you are able to do with story's like this. Expertly written and flows beautifully. Good stories make you forget you are reading words on a page or a screen. You have that unique gift and it showed in this short.

Jeffrey Hollar | @klingorengi

Sean says: Your story was one of the most eloquently written pieces of flashfiction I have read in awhile. It's such a hard thing to do to write like that and keep it within the word constraints while still getting your story out, you pulled it off.

Week 55 Winner

Kayla West | @bookwormattack

Sean says: Loved the twist and the lead up. You had me at first feeling dark, then light and amused, and then dark again. Tough thing to do in only 250 words. It's also hard to tell something that can be an entire story on it's own in flash fiction. This story did that while also leaving me wanting more.

"But it isn’t enough for me to rot or repent here where none can see. I have to end this. I have to ease their minds with the fact that another monster has been slain."

Glenn watched in horror as his girlfriend put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. A muffled shot sounded and she slumped to the floor. Blood pooled around her head like a halo. A dark, disturbing halo of ending life.

"And...CUT!"

Director Micheal Westport smiled. "That was great guys. Excellent." He looked at his watch. "I think we should take a short break to prepare for the next scene." A small cheer erupted from the crew and the sound of everyone joking and laughing with eachother filled the studio.

The lead actor David Reese, "Glenn", couldn't help but chuckle at the crew's reaction. It was not often that Micheal Westport gave compliements like that. Not often that he gave breaks either. In fact, this was probably a first.

David turned to walk to his trailer when he remembered that his costar, Emily Davison, had not gotten up off the floor. He turned and called her name.

"Emily."

No response.

He walked back over to her.

"Emily. You can get up now."

Again, no response.

David knew something was wrong. He kneeled down beside her and put his hand on her wrist, checking her pulse.

Nothing.

David's eyes grew wide with fear and he called out.

"Somebody call an ambulance!"

Congratulations Kayla, Cara, and Jeff! 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! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 55

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked, and a whole new year of #ThursThreads flash fiction. So let's get started. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 55 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 as written 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 55:

The UK sports nut and #flashfiction author, Sean Adams.

Sean on Facebook

Sean on Twitter

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“But it isn’t enough for me to rot or repent here where none can see.”

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! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - Second Chance Succubus - Twin Trouble

Happy Six Sentence Sunday again. Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet as Six Sentence Sunday winds down. Only one more Sunday. :( 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. You can find last week's six here.

Today, I'm offering a snippet from a new work in progress, a cross-over paranormal romantic suspense with BDSM elements, entitled Second Chance Succubus. Here we meet the second of the two heroes, Nik Wolffe, older twin to Chayse from last week's snippet. Nik and Chayse are both in law enforcement, but Nik is a Private Investigator, while Chayse is a cop.

Nik parked his Chevy pickup outside of Eve’s Paradise, one of the premier gentleman’s clubs in Vegas and grimaced. The place was crawling with cops, which didn’t bode well for his investigation. Personally, more than professionally. Not only was Eve’s Paradise a legitimate cover for the Underground, a clandestine BDSM club, but if the cops had arrived, most likely so had his twin brother.

Fuck.

They hadn’t spoken since Chayse severed their ties over a woman and walked out on his brother. Nik’s rage had ebbed, but it simmered below the surface, and he didn’t want it erupting during an investigation.

Oooh, it sounds like Chayse has some explaining to do. ;) There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla Doyle, Sarah Ballance, Silver James, J. M. Blackman, Gem Sivad, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 54 - Winners

Week 54 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Thanks to all who came to write in the New Year. I'm honored to see all of the returning and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And it was great to see some new 'faces' joining us. Great thanks go to CR Moss for reading the stories. :)

Entries:

• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Sandra Bunino | @SandraBunino
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir 
• Rebecca Hart | @bexbrennan
• Susan Hayes | @capricia13
• Goran Zidar | @gzidar
• J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
• Sean Adams | @SE_ADAMS_
• Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Sarah Fiete | @SareeseFeet
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Doris O'Connor | @mamaD8
• Veronica Jordan | @RevolutionaryVJ
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Dr. Magoo | @drmagoo

CR says: Thanks for having me back as a judge. I really enjoyed reading all the posts and seeing the different takes on the one phrase. Reminds me of exercises we did in my Creative Writing classes back in high school and college. :) Now on to the fun part!

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

Rebecca Hart | @bexbrennan

CR says: I liked how the sisterly interaction was developed so quick in this short. Plus, it made me chuckle at the end.

Sean Adams | @SE_ADAMS_

CR says: I enjoyed the character's reaction to the standard grieving response the father gave him and his realistic statement at the end.

 Greg Nance | @acenance

CR says: I liked the descriptions and the honesty of the piece.

Dr. Magoo | @drmagoo
CR says: The umbrella! What's the deal with the umbrella? And the man cooking stew... Interested minds want to know, and if this snippet ever becomes a longer story, I want to be informed. That's why I picked this particular gem.

Week 54 Winner

David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

CR says: A wonderful piece. :) Great word usage to convey the setting and character in the short space. It also made me curious about the character, how he became a villain, and why he ended up on the island in the first place.

BIDING TIME

The island sun’s so hot I feel I’m boiling in my own skin. Sea breezes and palm shade help a little, until the humidity settles back in like a wool blanket. My sense of touch has been deadened by scorching sand and my vision obscured by intrusive light. I now find it ironic I had once planned to honeymoon on the next island over.

It took a month for me to shed the robes of civilization, mostly because I knew once I did there would be no further comfort I could provide myself on this island prison. I have committed crimes most heinous, for which banishment was my sentence. Stripped of my power and left to reflect on what I have done, some hope my time in exile will inspire me to repentance, others merely hope to never see me again.

But it isn’t enough; for me to rot or repent here where none can see. It may be months, years, or even decades, but eventually someone will come. They will come to see with their own eyes what has become of the vanquished villain. That is my chance.

That is what gives me hope.

Congratulations two time winner David, Rebecca, Sean, Greg, and Dr. Magoo! 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! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 54

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked and a whole new year of #ThursThreads flash fiction. So let's get started. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 54 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 as written 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 54:

The light, sweet, dark, deadly suspense author, and second time judge, CR Moss.

CR on Facebook

CR on Twitter

CR on Goodreads

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“That is what gives me hope.”

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! :)

Six Sentance Sunday - Second Chance Succubus - A Nose for Crime

Happy Six Sentence Sunday again. Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet as Six Sentence Sunday winds down. 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. You can find last week's six here.

Today, I'm offering a snippet from a new work in progress, a cross-over paranormal romantic suspense with BDSM elements, entitled Second Chance Succubus. Here we meet one of the two heroes, Chayse Wolffe, and his first sight of the body from last week's snippet. Chayse doesn't have much tolerance for inanity.

Las Vegas had the nickname of the Capitol of Second Chances, but this guy wouldn’t get one tonight.

“No doubt it’s a murder.”

CSI Chayse Wolffe looked up from his notes at the owner of the voice and tried to dampen down his disgust. What was your first clue, genius? The uniform grimaced at the dead body and crossed himself.

“We’ll know after we study the forensic evidence.”

Everybody's an expert or a critic. ;) There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla Doyle, Sarah Ballance, Silver James, Laura Kaye, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 53 - Winners

Week 53 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Thanks to all who came to write in the New Year. I'm honored to see all of the returning and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And it was great to see some new 'faces' joining us. Great thanks go to Alison Packard for reading the stories. :)

Entries:

• Sean Adams | @SE_ADAMS_
• Raven McAllen
• Theresa Breaux | @TheresaBreaux
• Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21
• Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
• Veronica Jordan | @RevolutionaryVJ
• Daniel Swensen | @surlymuse
• L.T. Dalin | @ChessnySilth
• Nick Johns | @nickjohns999
• Greg Nance | @acenance
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Jeffrey Hollar | @klingorengi
• Davina Jamison | @davinajamison2
• Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
• Rebecca R. Kovar | @RRKovar
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Alexandra O'Hurley | @alexohurley
• Kel Heinen | @Aightball
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Shyla Colt | @ShylaColt
• Mike
• CR Moss | @CRMoss

Alison says: Wow! I was seriously impressed with every single entry. There’s some major talent going on in the #ThursThreads Challenge! Selecting the winner and honorable mentions was tough. Why can’t everyone win?

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

 Theresa Breaux | @TheresaBreaux

 Alison says: Theresa, immediately, I was drawn into the story and didn’t want it to end. You hooked me and made me want to know more about Jeb, Sully and Lisa. Great job!

Veronica Jordan | @RevolutionaryVJ

Alison says: Veronica, I really enjoyed your writing. Like Theresa’s story, I wanted more.

 Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21

Alison says: Antonio, I believe yours was one of the best uses of the prompt. Great opening sentence.

Mike
Alison says: Mike, I felt like I was in the mind of a stalker who doesn’t realize he’s a stalker. It was creepy. In a good way.

Week 53 Winner

Sean Adams | @SE_ADAMS_

Alison says: Sean, I loved, loved, loved your submission! It’s beautifully written; I was able to visualize the entire story in my head—like a motion picture…in Technicolor! I also enjoyed how you ended the story with the acceptance that there are things in our world we will never know. There’s something to be said for a little mystery in life…it makes it a lot more interesting.

The first time I met her was in the woods. She was beautiful, flashing between the trees filling the area with a wild energy that hit me like an arrow in the heart. Her voice rose above the wind and bounced off the trees, she thought she was alone.

Her wings spread out full glittering in the early morning sun with the most beautiful colors I had ever seen in my life.

I stayed back, watching, not wanting this sight to end. For so long I had searched, told I was crazy, the Fae were a myth, a legend told to children to keep them in line.

I knew better and I always had but now I could prove it. I lifted my camera slowly, like a hunter sighting in on an unexpectant deer. Just like the deer she stopped, looking around, and our eyes met for one sec.

That one second seemed like an eternity until I realized what I was doing. I quickly raised the camera and punched the button as she disappeared.

I had hurried home to develop the film and when I was done I sat and smiled. The only thing I had caught was my own thumb and the edge of a green tinted foot barely distinguishable from the under growth.

It was then that I realized that it was enough for me to know. I knew that there were indeed things we will never know about our world.

That is what gives me hope.

Congratulations two time winner Sean, Theresa, Veronica, Antonio, and Mike! 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! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 53

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked and a whole new year of #ThursThreads flash fiction. So let's get started. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 53 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 as written 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 53:

Bibliophile, chocoholic, and contemporary romance author, Alison Packard.

Alison on Facebook

Alison on Twitter

Alison Goodreads

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“The first time I met her was in the woods.”

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! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Second Chance Succubus - Waking up Dead

Happy Six Sentence Sunday and Happy New Year to you all! The wedding I attended was awesome and my brother is really happy. Yay! Thank you so much for visiting and taking the time to read this week's snippet as Six Sentence Sunday winds down. 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.

In honor of a new year, I'm offering a snippet from  a new work in progress, a little cross-over paranormal romantic suspense with BDSM elements. The Second Chance Succubus starts with a grisly and curious murder in a swanky gentleman's club in Las Vegas. Here are the opening six sentences.

Drip, drip, drip.

The soft patter of liquid against a hard surface echoed in the silent room. A muted glow from recessed lighting barely touched the growing pool on the floor below the hanging silhouette. A soft hum filtered through the quiet space as the air conditioning units clicked on and the silent form swayed gently, twisting until the light illuminated the face.

Eyes wide and glassy, horror marked the slack features stretched around a ball gag. The arms had been bound behind the back, pressing the torso forward against the bands of the confining cage in which the body hung.

Now that guy had a bad night in Vegas. There are several great authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list and a few of my favorites are Karla Doyle, Sarah Ballance, Silver James, Laura Kaye, and Goran Zidar. Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 52 - Winners

 

Week 52 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Thanks to all who entered on our first anniversary. I'm honored to see all of you returning and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And great thanks go to Emily Drew for reading the stories. :)

Entries:

• Rafe B. | @etcet
• Jeffrey Hollar | @klingorengi
• @LupusAnthropos
• Charles W. Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21
• Michelle Graham | @MichelleGAuthor
• Rebecca R. Kovar | @RRKovar
• Susan Hayes | @capricia13
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir 
• Miranda Kate | @PurpleQueenNL
• Megan E. Clark | @TheWriterMegan
• Kel Heinen | @Aightball
• Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Jalisa Blackman | @J_M_Blackman

Emily says: What a tough batch of stories to choose from! I was thoroughly entertained by them all, and had seven tied for my favorite. I loved the crisp, stand-alone shorts as much as the intriguing scenes that make me want to read more. Plenty of clever uses of the key phrase, too!

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

 Michelle Graham | @MichelleGAuthor

Emily says: This understated short was one that stayed with me for a while after I read it. The first paragraph is nicely crafted. . .in a few short words you know who the character is, the quietness of the evening as she watches the spider on the wall, and have an immediate sense of both external (don’t wake the hubby) and internal (why is she pretending to sleep?) conflict. The following paragraphs continue to build on her internal struggles with what she should do, what’s expected, and what she just might want. I also liked how the sentences keep a nice rhythm that seems consistent with slow, late-night musings, then they tighten up towards the end to indicate clear, crisp end and resolution to the story.

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Emily says: This short added the key phrase with a very clever twist that felt natural and central to the story. I like that in the first few sentences, you have a good sense of place and know you’re in a therapist’s office without being told directly. There are very few setting details, but they are vivid and successfully me feel like I’m in the scene, such as the musty smells of the chair and the sound of a scratching of pen on paper. The narration transfers smoothly from external dialogue to internal and back again. During this dialogue, I learned a lot about this character’s troubled life, and am very intrigued by his imaginary (or not?) mystery lady. A very crisp, well-charged story that stayed with me after reading it.

 David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

Emily says: Again, I’m pulled in by a good fairy tale with a twist. A first line that makes me chuckle always gets me too. David’s amusing narrator had a vivid voice that intrigued me immediately. Within the first paragraph, I knew that the narrator was a bad guy but great fun to listen to, and I knew there would be conflict (“get the job done? what job?”). The story was a nice mix of amusing dialogue and an entertaining villain’s musings. It was a silly story, but nicely started and ended, and the silly place names were amusing because the author made fun of them by how they were used in dialog, etc. “Vrog, why do you not have the Orb of Sunlight?” had me giggling. And the image of an apologetic troll describing his fear of a little girl just killed me.

Week 52 Winner

@LupusAnthropos

Emily says: I can’t help it. . .I’m a sucker for a well-written fairy tale with a twist. Right away I knew it was a red-riding hood tale (thus you know there will be conflict!), but I was also immediately intrigued by whether the narrator was the wolf (my suspicions added to the subtle suspense). When he munches the lumberjack I laughed out loud at the surprise at the delightful phrasing, and was intrigued at the werewolf twist. The ear-scratching detail made me imagine a great image of wolf/man and lady curled by the fire content in their relationship. I liked that this short told a complete story, had a fun twist, had consistent pacing and voice, and had a distinct, vivid narrator. Thoroughly entertaining.

There's this girl, you see. The first time I met her was in the woods. She caught my eye not only because she wore a red cap and cape, but also because her beauty outshone anything I had ever seen before. She had a basket in which she was taking some food to her ailing grandmother and she walked along without a care in the world.

We hit it off right away, exchanging blushes as I accompanied her along the forest path to her grandmother's house.

Not wanting to interfere with her visit, I suggested we could meet, again, some other time and she coquettishly agreed.

By then, I was quite hungry so, upon encountering a lumberjack farther down the path, I transformed and made a quick meal of him, leaving very little of his carcass.

Red knows my dual nature, now, but we're still together. Her grandmother never did get better and now Red is living off her inheritance.

Sometimes, as she scratches behind my ears - regardless of which form I'm in - my thoughts go back to that first day when I decided she was much too good to become my lunch but made her my bride, instead.

Congratulations Lupus, Michelle, Cara, and David! 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! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 52!

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. Can you believe we've been doing this challenge for a whole year? That's right, I started this thing back in December 2011 and now we've officially hit the 52nd week. *Jaw drop*

So let's get started. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 52 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 as written 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 52:

Fellow fiction writer, editor extraordinaire, and the original bird nerd, Emily Drew.

So now your Year Old #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“There’s this girl you see.”

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! :)

Next Big Thing Blog Hop - Losing the Cherry

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked, where the women are kick-ass and the men are intrigued. :D I'm sure you've experienced the Next Big Thing Blog Hop on several other authors' blogs, but I think I've dropped the ball. I was out of town for the day my "tagger" Alison Packard posted her Blog Hop post and didn't promote her. :( Then I didn't tag 5 more authors who I think you all should check out. Sigh.

So to make up for my obvious short-comings, I'm going to do something a little different. I'm going to promote Alison now and you can check out her Next Big Thing Blog Hop Post. She really is a wonderful writer and storyteller, so I highly recommend her writing. Her first book is already out from Carina Press.

I'm also going to mention five authors I think you should check out. They are some of my favorites and they're writing is worth the reading. I was an avid reader before I became a writer and these folks have made my "auto-buy" list. But first, the questions I'm supposed to answer. ;)

What is the title of your next book?

Not a Dragon's Standard Virgin

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It actually had a working title of Double Standard because I'd been thinking about the "walk of shame/fame" issue that comes up when men or women come home from spending the night somewhere. The men get kudos, the women get ridicule and derision. So I started to think about what would happen if a woman set out to lose her virginity? And what's so valuable about virginity anyway? That gave me Isabelle Andersen, tavern keeper's daughter who'd rather not be fed to the dragon.

What genre does your book fall under?

I think you could say it's paranormal historical romance because there's a dragon shifter and it's set in 1547 Scotland.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I don't like this question because I very rarely base my characters on actors alive today and I'm not a big TV person (which means I don't see the actors much). So I'd have to say the actor who might wear a face similar to Jonarrion (the dragon shifter hero) would be Colin Farrell. Jonarrion is Irish and tall, athletic with a darkness riding him.

As for Isabelle, the heroine, the actress most similar would be Scarlett Johansson. Isabelle has a fire and a strength to take care of business despite the obstacles and Scarlett brings that to her characters.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Sacrificial virgins are so sixteenth century, but unless Isabelle finds a man to take her innocence, she may be next.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

It will be represented by a publisher.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I think all told it took me about five months, but I rarely write one story consecutively. I'm usually writing several all at once and when I get stuck on one I move to another, but then I return once the obstacle has percolated in my mind for a while and I see a way through to the ending.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

My writing is sexy, action-packed, and full of humor, which might be compared to the stories of Gena Showalter and Larissa Ione within the genre, but also can be compared to the stories of Karla Doyle, Gem Sivad, and Cara Michaels, who don't necessarily write paranormal, but their action and humor are first class.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

I really try to write stories that appeal to both men and woman, regardless of the romance genre. There are male readers out there who love action adventure and sex just as much as women do, and so I try to write stories to entice them all. You can check out Her Devoted Vampire and Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack right now, and Not a Dragon's Standard Virgin should be out in early 2013.

One last question: If you had to choose between being fed to a dragon or losing your virginity, consequences be damned, which would you choose?

And now the authors you should definitely check out:

Karla Doyle - Contemporary Erotic Romance
TJ Michaels - Paranormal Romance
Goran Zidar - Science Fiction/Adventure
Kris Norris - Action/Adventure Romance
Deborah Coonts - Murder/Mystery with Romantic Elements

Thank you so much for stopping by. Happy New Year and happy reading! :)