#ThursThreads - Week 110 Sci-Fi Day - Winners

Week 110 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the new (to me) writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming. It was also wonderful to have some of my regulars come for the event. Thanks so much! Great thanks to Cathy Pegau for judging this week. Thank you all for participating in our Month of Love Event. Next week will be the usual #ThursThreads.

Entries:

• Rafe Brox | @etcet
• Sandy Layne | @sandyquill
• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio
• Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
• Kate Richards | @katerichards09
• The Imaginator | @theimaginator20
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Rebecca Brennan | @bexbrennan
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• PT Wyant
• Anasasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky 
• Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM

Cathy says: It was SO hard to pick! All of the entries were creative and interesting. I laughed at a few and felt myself tense up with others. Thanks so much, everyone! So much talent in small bites. Well done! I had a blast.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
Cathy says: Gotta love a good space opera where potential death, if not war, is averted. The acting captain has their hands full!

Kate Richards | @katerichards09

Cathy says: While Angela's reaction to her spouse being attacked is a bit cold, she did warn him. I laughed at this one (hope that was the right reaction, Kate!).

Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir

Cathy says: Another one where I wanted MORE. Who is this guy? How did he get to be this way? And why is he some sort of vigilante? Great atmosphere!

Sandy Layne | @sandyquill
Cathy says: The "test ride" thing had me from the get-go, and the final line is classic. Fun piece.

Week 110 Winner

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Cathy says: Great sci fi atmosphere and tension. I wanted to know what had happened to the MC's ship and what would happen next. I would have kept reading if it was a longer piece.

My parents had loved me.

Once upon a time, wish upon a star, and all that Old Earth fairy tale nonsense. I didn’t remember much—no names or faces—but I’d known love.

I’d crossed a galaxy to find its mark.

They’d left me. Why should I care so much why?

The logic of the heart sucked.

I found the ship in a salvage yard a parsec wide. The field of space litter stretched for light years across a pocket of starless space no one wanted. A shuttle fitted with an Alcubierre warp drive transported me to my destination in time to pound one Messier martini.

Spacer’s courage.

“You sure this is the one?” The shuttle captain gave me a cockeyed look. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, this here model is a classic. But she’s seen the final abyss.”

“The Shadow, right?”

“Ah—” He flicked through screens of ship registries. “Instated as Gaea’s Ark, Echo-Alpha-Five-Five-Victor in the Dark Speed Ages.” Translation: before wormhole travel became the norm. “AI transferred to the Shadow in—”

“That’s my ship.”

He flipped through data. “Registry says she got decommed twenty-two Galactic Standard years ago. You’ll be lucky if you can get the lights on.”

“I’ll call if I need you.”

Ten minutes later, I stepped onto the bridge of the Shadow, my rebreather the only sound.

|Voice print identification.|

A robotic female voice scared me damn near out of my suit.

|Voice print identification.|

“Uh—Bryant.” Please know me. “Raeythe Bryant.”

Congratulations ELEVEN TIME WINNER Cara, Kelly, Kate, and Sandy! Don't forget to 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 - Month of Love Sci-Fi Theme - Week 110

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Month of Love Themed Challenge. It's Thursday today, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what, and writing it to the theme of Science Fiction today. This doesn't necessarily mean sex or romance, but the setting must be science fiction based. Welcome to Week 110 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the usual 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 110:

Wildlife biologist, dream chaser, and F/F sci-fi author, Cathy Pegau.

Cathy on Facebook

Cathy on Twitter

Cathy on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

 

The Prompt:

“Why should I?”

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.

And just because we love them, here is a Judge's Badge for our lovely and talented judges this month.

Snippet Sunday - The Navy's Ghost - The Team is Gone

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked, and Happy Groundhog's Day! Do you think he saw his shadow? Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my latest release, The Navy's Ghost, a military romantic suspense, though I call it my Menage a'SEALs. No paranormal critters in this one, though there's plenty of kick-ass adventure and hot sex. Just to be clear, this is a M/F/M erotic romance. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Chris Brickman has showed up at Magic's house drunk as a skunk and tattooed. Magic is trying to figure out why her back hurts and where she's been. Chris is the first one to speak.

“But you weren’t there, Magic.”

“What?” Todd stopped and glanced down at Chris’s bowed head.

“You weren’t there. Did you know they gave me the Purple Heart and promoted me to lieutenant all in one day?” Despite the great honors heaped on her, her voice filled with heartbroken despair. “No one was there who really mattered. No one who understood. My team is gone.”

“Aw, hell, Ghost, I’m sorry.” Todd sat down on the couch beside her and gathered her into his arms. Beta Squad hadn’t returned in time for the ceremony. He’d known she’d been awarded the Purple Heart, but her elevation in rank came as a surprise. She deserves it and more. She deserved to be surrounded by the men who knew her best. And we weren’t fuckin’ there. “You know me’n Retro are so damn proud of you, though, right? I’m pretty sure the whole squad is. I wish we could’ve been there.”

“I needed you, Magic, and you weren’t there. I needed you and Retro. I still need you.”

Her abject misery tore at his heart and he kicked himself for not paying closer attention. This is the woman you love? What the hell’s wrong with you?

Sounds like the boys better step up their game. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from The Navy's Ghost, here's the blurb:

A SEAL is strongest with her Team…

Ensign Christiana "Ghost" Brickman is the only female SEAL to survive BUD/S training, a real Navy Jane. But when an ambush ends her career as an active SEAL, she’s free to pursue other interests. Like her two best friends Lt. Jim "Retro" Waters and Chief Warrant Officer Todd "Magic" Hunter. She's wanted them for over a year, but never dared to approach them while in the squad.

Retro has fought his dark desires since high school, certain the need to share a woman unnatural. Magic had never considered sharing before Ghost mentions it, but it solves his dilemma of choosing between his best friend and his woman. But Retro balks at Ghost’s offer to share and retreats from both when she marries Magic.

Everyone feels Retro’s loss, but he ignores the ache of their broken connection in favor of living ‘normal.’ When Ghost and the other wives of Beta Squad are kidnapped, Retro must reevaluate how much both Ghost and Magic mean to him. And he must decide how far he's willing to go to save the woman he loves, before she becomes the Navy's ghost.

It's available now at Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Kobo Books, and Barnes&Noble. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#ThursThreads - Week 109 M/M Theme - Winners

Week 109 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the new (to me) writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming. It was also wonderful to have some of my regulars come for the event. Thanks so much! Great thanks to Liz Borino for judging this week. And next week culminates our month-long Month of Love Themed #ThursThreads Event. Sci-Fi is next week, bring us your out-of-this-world tales.

Entries:

• Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Anasasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky 
• Dianne Hartsock | @DianneHartsock
• PT Wyant
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio
• Charley Descoteaux | @CharleyDescote
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
• Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio
Liz says: Louisa Bacio because of the realism she portrayed. When making a major life decision like proposing, people often do act differently, maybe even withdraw a bit.

Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky

Liz says: Anastasia Vitsky's characters always have a way of touching me and this flash was no different. The love between the son and the father that transended stress of the father's day to day living was incredible.

Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM

Liz says: Hunter Frost because the emotions fear, love, and understanding were so clear, I had tears in my eyes.

Week 109 Winner

Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider

Liz says: We all know the appeal of the bad boy and I loved that she acknowledged the indecision.

Nighttime Stroll

“Trust me.”

I’d heard that one over and over again, and every time I’d fallen for it and every time I’d been sorry. I couldn’t help it though. I was a sucker for a pretty boy with a bad haircut and tight leather pants. I sighed and straightened my tie.

“Why should I?” My voice came out shakier than I meant for it too. He grinned at me, a lock of ebony hair falling over one piercing blue eye.

“Cause I said so.”

I wondered again how old he was. It was hard to tell. His smooth pale skin was unlined but he moved with a grace that came from years of practice. With another sigh, I nodded and let him take my hand, leading me down the street. The sounds of the club receded in the distance and there were more shadows than streetlights the farther we got. I was just getting ready to say I was going back, when he pulled me into the deepest patch of shadow yet, and his cool lips found mine.

I gasped, a soft moan escaping me as he kissed me deeply, then I felt his mouth slide further down to my throat. He was holding me tightly to his trim body.

“Your heart is pounding so hard Paul…” he murmured. “So wonderful.”

I realized that I’d never told him my name and then the sharpness of fangs pierced my jugular.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Robin, Louisa, Anastasia, and Hunter! Don't forget to 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 - Month of Love M/M Day - Week 109

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Month of Love Themed Challenge. It's Thursday today, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what, and writing it to the theme of Male/Male interactions today. This doesn't necessarily mean sex or romance, but the main characters must be male. Welcome to Week 109 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the usual 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 109:

A founding author of Lazy Day Publishing, and LGBT romance author, Liz Borino.

Liz on Facebook

Liz on Twitter

Liz on Google Plus

Liz on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

 

The Prompt:

“Trust me.”

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.

And just because we love them, here is a Judge's Badge for our lovely and talented judges this month.

Snippet Sunday - The Navy's Ghost - Life Changes

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked, and Happy Groundhog's Day! Do you think he saw his shadow? Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my latest release, The Navy's Ghost, a military romantic suspense, though I call it my Menage a'SEALs. No paranormal critters in this one, though there's plenty of kick-ass adventure and hot sex. Just to be clear, this is a M/F/M erotic romance. You can read last week's snippet HERE.

Chris Brickman has been promoted to lieutenant junior grade after healing from her injury. She's mourning not only the loss of her functioning body, but also the camaraderie of her squad. In particular the connection to Magic and Retro.

Music from a famous grunge band rattled onto the sidewalk from the open doorway and Chris swayed to its thumping beat mirroring her heartbeat. SEALs weren’t allowed to have tattoos. Distinguishing marks of any kind endangered their lives.

But I’m not an active SEAL anymore, am I?

The urge to wear permanent art grabbed Chris by the throat and she staggered into the tattoo shop, her mind already decorating her skin.

“Hi, welcome to Think Ink Tattoos.” The young man behind the counter had more jewelry in various parts of his face than most jewelry boxes could hold, but his friendly smile beckoned her own. “What can I do you for?"

Chris snorted. “I want a tattoo.”

He nodded. “Did you have something in mind? We have some nice ones on the wall here.”

Chris scanned the cartoony looking stars, fairies, hearts and butterflies on the wall behind him, but she shook her head. “No, I want a Celtic knot. A triad of three rings. And I want it about this big.” She held up her hands softball-width apart.

Ghost is definitely making changes in her life and the image to the left is what she chose. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from The Navy's Ghost, here's the blurb:

A SEAL is strongest with her Team…

Ensign Christiana "Ghost" Brickman is the only female SEAL to survive BUD/S training, a real Navy Jane. But when an ambush ends her career as an active SEAL, she’s free to pursue other interests. Like her two best friends Lt. Jim "Retro" Waters and Chief Warrant Officer Todd "Magic" Hunter. She's wanted them for over a year, but never dared to approach them while in the squad.

Retro has fought his dark desires since high school, certain the need to share a woman unnatural. Magic had never considered sharing before Ghost mentions it, but it solves his dilemma of choosing between his best friend and his woman. But Retro balks at Ghost’s offer to share and retreats from both when she marries Magic.

Everyone feels Retro’s loss, but he ignores the ache of their broken connection in favor of living ‘normal.’ When Ghost and the other wives of Beta Squad are kidnapped, Retro must reevaluate how much both Ghost and Magic mean to him. And he must decide how far he's willing to go to save the woman he loves, before she becomes the Navy's ghost.

It's available now at Smashwords, Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Kobo Books, and Barnes&Noble. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#ThursThreads - Week 108 All Forms of Love Theme - Winners

Week 108 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales and an amazing turnout. I'm honored to see all of the new (to me) writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming. It was also wonderful to have some of my regulars come for the event. Thanks so much! Great thanks to Kate Richards for judging this week. And next week continues our month-long Month of Love Themed #ThursThreads Event. Male/Male interactions are next week.

Entries:

• PT Wyant
• Doris O'Connor | @mamaD8
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil (poem)
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil (prose)
• Olivia Starke | @OliviaStarke
• Leigh Ellwood | @LeighEllwood 
• Lizzie Koch | @Lizzie_Koch
• Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Jessica P West | @West1Jess
• Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
• Simon Abernathy
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
• Anne Odom | @AFOdom
• Ruth Long | @Bullishink
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball

Kate says: First of all, what struck me was the level of writing ability displayed by everyone who participated. Usually when a group gathers like this I don't see everyone consistently...so good! The effort displayed to present a clean, nicely self-edited piece alone made my editor's heart sing.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Anne Odom | @AFOdom
Kate says: For her very realistic portrayal of a man who really does know how to please a woman. The male POV is not always so well done!

Olivia Starke | @OliviaStarke

Kate says: I found myself close to tears with her elegant prose as she shared a woman's life-changing decision

Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky

Kate says: Her easy style for this piece,  was appealing on a whole other level. Made me feel as if I found a whole new Anastasia to read, one I like as well, but in a different way, than her usual carefully crafted words.

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil

Kate says: For her poem which was touching, with a note of wistfulness throughout. Made me want to read more of her work..

Week 108 Winner

Simon Abernathy

Kate says: The tale of a grandfather in the hospital, waiting to die, and the granddaughter who knows a better way. I had a very hard time selecting just one story to win, but the pacing of this piece pushed it over the top. It's difficult to establish such a complete scene, show so many facets of a person's life, and make the reader care so much about both of the main characters in such a short piece.

TALE WAS REMOVED FOR PERSONAL REASONS

Congratulations SIX TIME WINNER Simon, Anna, Olivia, Anastasia, and Sheilagh! Don't forget to 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 - Month of Love All Forms of Love Day - Week 108

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Month of Love Themed Challenge. It's Thursday today, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what, and writing it to the theme of All Forms of Love (M/M, F/F, multiple partners, BDSM, etc). This doesn't necessarily mean sex, but it does need to show love in some form. Welcome to Week 108 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the usual 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 108:

Pet rescuer, travel enthusiast, and erotic romance author, Kate Richards.

Kate on Facebook

Kate on Twitter

Kate on Google Plus

Kate on Goodreads

 And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

 

The Prompt:

“There’s a better way.”

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.

And just because we love them, here is a Judge's Badge for our lovely and talented judges this month.

Mid Week Tease - The Navy's Ghost - The Better Man

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a new year of Mid Week Tease hosted by Sandra Bunino.

Authors: this is a great opportunity to spotlight a few lines or even a paragraph or two from a new release or backlisted title. Readers: you get to sample some delicious snippets! We’ll do our best to tease, titillate and tantalize you into the weekend.

My Mid Week Tease is from my newest release The Navy's Ghost. With Ensign Christiana Brickman in the hospital, both Magic and Retro visited her, but they both can see how being released from the Teams is eating her up. Unfortunately, Retro has his own demons chasing his tail. The snippet is in Retro's POV.

“It’s killing her,” Retro said as soon as they hit the hallway.

“Yeah, I know.” Magic shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I’m not talking about the pain. I’m talking about being discharged from the Teams. It’s killing her.”

“She’s tougher than she looks, Retro. She’ll pull though.” Despite his words, Magic didn’t sound convinced. “Besides, she has torturing the new recruits to look forward to. Man, I’d give just about anything to be a fly on the wall when she does SERE to those boys.”

“Fuck.” Retro laughed. “They’ll be blindsided, and it won’t be with her fist. It’ll be her ass and those tank tops she wears when it gets hot. Woowee, they were torture enough for me.”

He pictured sitting tied to a chair while Ensign Chris Brickman took off her camo shirt and poured water over her head because of the heat. Man oh man, he’d spill his secrets for the opportunity to see her completely naked and seated on his lap. His body reacted and his jeans tightened below the belt. Damn, the one woman he wanted more than anyone before and she didn’t go for the bad boys. But around her, he didn’t have to be one. He could be himself and she liked him better for it.

If his feelings had remained safely in “admiration and respect,” things would’ve been fine. But they hadn’t, and now it was too late.

Magic loved her, too. He’d stood there looking like a lost little boy and whispered how much he loved Brickman. Todd had meant more than just the deep bond between SEAL swim buddies. Retro understood he’d lost his chance.

Ghost and Magic communicated in ways most people, man to man or even man to woman, couldn’t in the civilian world. Retro’s jealousy had roared to the fore, but he’d kept it to himself after he’d considered everything. When most honest with himself, like at oh-dark-thirty when he couldn’t sleep, he admitted Magic was the better man for Ghost. Honorable, strong, and psychologically stable, Magic had it all.

And Retro? I’m a hot fucking mess, only good at being a SEAL. Dad made sure of it.

Sergeant James H. Waters beat everyone into submission if they didn’t follow his rules, his beliefs. He’d beaten his wife and daughter when they defied him in the smallest of infractions. Mom left with his little sister when Jim started his senior year of high school. They just disappeared, leaving him with the man who warned him to stay on the straight and narrow despite his “sexual perversions.”

Retro shied away from the old thoughts like a man avoiding shrapnel. The past remained past, nothing he could do about it now.

The Navy's Ghost is available:

All Romance | Amazon | B&N | Kobo Books | Smashwords

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