The Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked!

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week 11

2012-02-23T07:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Post-Release Day! Was it good for you? It was pure awesomesauce for me and you can always click on the cover and get your own copy! ;) But now that it's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Eleven 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 Eleven:

The Geek-For-Hire, biophysics Doc, and fellow flashfiction fanatic, J. Whitworth Hazzard.

J on Twitter

J on Facebook

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"Let's get this over with."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

RELEASE DAY FOR HER DEVOTED VAMPIRE!

2012-02-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my dear friends and readers, today is the date of Her Devoted Vampire's release from Evernight Publishing!

It's out! It's where ANYONE can read it, not just my friends and family! *hysterical giggle*

I've been squeaking and giggling and shrieking this whole morning. Why? Because I'm published! I'm out there! It's a dream come true, proof that if you never give up, you'll get your stories out there. Think this is a fantasy? I'm looking at my cover right now and I'm telling you, this is the real deal!

So, where can you get this wonderful fantastical story (cause everyone can get it now)?

All Romance Ebooks
Amazon.com
Bookstrand.com
Evernight Publishing

And Cara Michaels, my writing twin sister, has me on her blog for an interview where you can find out more about Her Devoted Vampire (and have a chance to win a copy!) Come comment on the Interview with a Vampire...Author. ;)

There will be more interviews and blog posts, and you can find a list on my website: siobhanmuir.com/coming-soon.

Thank you all for supporting me, cheering me on, tweeting with me on Twitter, commenting on the blog. It all means a lot to me, and I'm grateful for your encouragement and

A Story is Born!

2012-02-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I write a lot of flashfiction. I find it helps me tighten up my writing and makes my longer stories that much more believable and crisp.

It also brings new characters and stories into being. In fact, today I just wrote a third piece about a woman named Detective Cassie Tucker. She came into being from a 100 word flashfiction piece on Stevie McCoy's #TuesdayTales challenge. We had the word "legion" and the following photo to write on.

Cassie stared across the humped white backs of abandoned cars in mute frustration. Scuffed footprints marred the pristine snow covered spaces between them. Only the “road closed” sign hung in stiff silence, frozen solid, undisturbed.

She flicked the safety off her Sig and advanced slowly, holding her breath to hear anything in the winter silence. Snow dragged at her feet, thick enough it would take a legion of snowplows days to clear.

Cassie paused beside a silver Lexus and dropped her shoulders, sighing in defeat. No more footprints, not even tire tracks.

The kidnapper and the little girl had disappeared.

My writing twin asked me which WIP Cassie was from and I said I'd made her up just for the flash. But she'd planted a seed, because for last week's #FridayPictureShow hosted by Jen DeSantis, I added another 100 words for Cassie to the following photo.

It emerged from the golden wheat like a breaching submarine, dragging a wake of sunflowers with its heaving body. Cassie paused at the flower show to stare, a smile curling her lips.

“I’ve seen flower beds with head and foot boards, but never a flower caddy.”

“What are you talking about? Isn’t a caddy what the Brits call a cart?” Pierce quipped, laying one hand at her waist. “That’s just a bigger version.”

She laughed, reveling in his touch and the levity. It had been so long since she’d found joy in anything.

“I’d say it’d win best in show.”

Then today, again on #FridayPictureShow, Cassie made another appearance in 100 words to the next photo.

The mannequin lay in the wooden boat, rocking stiffly on the oily surface. Huge bug-eyed glasses reflected the multihued shimmer and brightly striped tights covered the legs under the torn skirt. The model’s hips and legs lay twisted ninety degrees from its shoulders, giving the body a broken look. The nails on the hands had been painted the color of dried blood.

Uniforms waded through the greasy water to retrieve the boat and its grisly contents.

“Shit.” Detective Cassie Tucker snapped her phone shut. “We got another one.”

Detective Daniels raised his eyebrows. “Another mannequin?”

“That’s not a mannequin, Daniels.”

And Voila! A new story is born. Where will Cassie go? How will she find her Happily-Ever-After (I am a romance writer, after all)? And since I tend to write paranormal, what fantastic creature will she encounter? Don't know yet. Have to see what other flashfiction pulls out of her. :)

Just a quick side note: I was the overall winner for #FridayPictureShow for Cassie's Mannequin story. Woo-hoo! Thanks to the judge and host for that one! :)

#ThursThreads - Week 10 - Winners

2012-02-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

Week Ten 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. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Huge thank you to judge Janie Crouch for reading through all of them.

Entries:

Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
Nichole Wolverton | @nicholewolverton
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Nancy Porter | @ModernBard1024
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Stacy Bennett-Hoyt | @Rowanwolf66
Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Kat Halstead | @KatDVS
Nara Malone | @nara_malone
Jen DeSantis | @JenD_Author
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
Inq | @Inqling-is-lost
Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
Greg Nance | @acenance
Nellie Batz | @solimond
@LupusAnthropos
Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
@Phoenixlavan

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

Janie says: What a great concept about an uncontrollable shadow getting into all sorts of mischief. I hope this is being turned into a full-on story, because I want to read it!

@Phoenixlavan

Janie says: Seriously, what’s not to love about a creature spouting a twisted version of a child’s nursery rhyme while slaughtering humans? Dark. Love it.

Stacy Bennett-Hoyt | @Rowanwolf66

Janie says: HOT! Ménage-a-Thursday! Who came up with the stupid rule about having to stop at 250 words? It was just starting to get really good!! :)

Week Ten Winner

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

Janie says: You fooled me! Set me up with all the “grease stains” and “slaughtering” talk. Expecting another tale of violence and was pleasantly surprised to find a game of Horse between sisters. Delightful dialogue!

“How about we talk first, shoot later?” Carrie asked.

"The time for talking is long gone," Margot said. "They won't even be able to clean the grease stains off the floor when I'm finished with you."

"I really don't understand why you find it necessary to be so violent. Why can't we handle this situation in a friendly polite discussion?"

"You can't stop over analyzing things can you? It's quite simple really. We had some very basic rules for our relationship, but you just have to argue and equivocate."

"Ooh Margot's using big girl words."

"I'm going to enjoy slaughtering you."

"I'm sorry. I can't help the sarcasm, it's an a defensive mechanism. I'm sure you understand."

"Oh I understand alright. Let's get this over with. All it will take is one shot and the issue will be settled once and for all."

Carrie sighed. "Fine, take your shot. I'm tired of trying to reason with you."

"Ha! For a smart girl you don't know the difference between reasoning and arguing." Margot took aim.

"Wait. Let me think for a minute."

"Too late," Margot grinned. The shot from half court was nothing but net.

Carrie ran to get the basketball, stood on the half court line and took her shot.

"Oh a brick, H-O-R-S-E spells horse. You've got dishes for the next TWO weeks!"

"You sharked me; that is so unfair," Carrie pouted.

"That's what you get for assuming you're more athletic than me."

Congratulations Wakefield, David, Phoenix, and Stacy! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

Just the Right Guy #100Words for the #FridayFictioneers

2012-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 100 words of the #FridayFictioneers hosted by Madison Woods. She offered us the following photo as a prompt and here's a little story that came from my imagination for it. Eloise is a secondary character from my forthcoming novel Queen Bitch of Callowwood, out in May 2012 from Siren Publishing. It seems like my Muse thinks she might get her own story after all. :)

Eloise sat down on the stepped rock and put her bare feet in the cool water.

“Oohhhhh,” she moaned. She closed her eyes and dropped her head back, willing her unhappy thoughts to fade away.

Tommy’s not the right male for you. He might be alpha, but he’s not your True Mate, her Sister self remarked.

She’d always had trouble with the idea of “True Mates” in the werewolf communities. Her parents weren’t true mates and they got along just fine.

And just who do you think is my True Mate?

“Hello, Eloise.”

She opened her eyes and stared into the sexy face of Kyle Howler.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you check out the other stories on Madison's site. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week 10

2012-02-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Post-Valentine's Day! Was it good for you? ;) I'm just glad it's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Ten of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rule? 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 Ten:

The writer, runner, general trouble-maker, and fellow flashfiction fanatic, Janie Crouch.

Janie on Twitter

Janie on Facebook

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“How about we talk first, shoot later?”

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Breath of Spring - The Fairy Ring Writing Contest

2012-02-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

I was invited to join the Fairy Ring Writing Contest on Anna Meade's blog, and when I dragged my feet, I was encouraged to get my butt in gear and write a short story.

Here's the rules: To win, write a piece of flash fiction (300 words or less) on your (fictional or not) first-person encounter with a faery, goblin, or fantastical being of your choice. Being a paranormal romance writer, that seemed like a good idea. So here's my entry:

Breath of Spring

I finished my coffee and waved at Iris, before ducking out of the Ironwood Café into the windy day. Spring had come to Three Lakes, MI, but the weather gods hadn’t quite gotten the memo. Snowflakes dusted the sidewalk and the front of my jacket. I struggled with the zipper, wishing I’d remembered to wear gloves.

“Sand bars!”

I was so focused on my coat, I didn’t realize anyone stood in front of me until I collided with her. The scents of warm summer rain and sun-baked rocks filled my nose as my unfortunate victim grunted in surprise.

“Sand bars, I’m sorry!”

I looked down to meet the periwinkle eyes of the most delicate and beautiful female I’ve ever seen. The top of her head barely reached my chest, but the power of her presence hit me like boulder.

“Are you all right?” Her voice made me think of the tinkling cascade of crystals. I stood there gaping until I realized she’d asked a question.

“Oh, yes. Yes, I’m sorry.” I closed my mouth. “Forgive me. I didn’t see you.”

She laughed and pleasure zipped up my spine. “That’s because I didn’t wish to be seen until now.”

Her words didn’t make any sense, but I nodded, dumbly. The sun peaked out of the clouds, bathing us in brilliant sunlight and I swear she sparkled. The snow melted under our feet and a soft spring breeze ruffled the mahogany locks of her hair. I reached out to brush it from her eyes, but she caught my hand and laid a feather-soft kiss on the knuckles.

“Very nice to meet you, Bruce Boulderson.”

She released me and darted away, taking the delicious warmth with her.

“Wait! What’s your name?”
She looked over her shoulder, winked, and disappeared into the swirling snow.

(300 words without title)

I hope you enjoyed my little story and feedback is welcome! If you'd like to read the other stories or join in the contest:

Interview with Morgan Kearns and her Heart Ache

2012-02-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine’s Day (one day late). Hopefully it was a good one for you. But if not, you’re in luck. Today I have the great good fortune to speak with my good friend Morgan Kearns, paranormal romance author of Heart Ache. I met Morgan at Arizona Dreamin’ 2011 and ~~stalked~~ spent time with her at the event. She’d just published her second novel and had a short story on the way. I got the inside scoop on that when I got home. ;)

Morgan Kearns

Welcome, Morgan. I’m so glad to have you here today!

Thanks for having me, Siobhan.

Squeee! Okay, fangirl moment over. :D We should probably start with the questions. What got you started in writing?

*blushes* Ya’ll are going to think I’m completely nuts for this story! I started writing Twilight fanfiction because I needed to “fix” Jacob after Eclipse. After a few stories, characters of my own started talking to me, asking for their stories to be told. And the rest, as they say, is history.

What kinds of stories were your favorites growing up? Which genre?

I didn’t read a whole lot growing up. Weird, I know!

How old were you when you wrote your first story down and what was it about?

The first story I remember writing was in 8^th grade. It was an assignment for my English class. When it came back with a bad grade, lots of red marks, and a basic ‘you suck’ notation from the teacher, my dreams of becoming a writer kinda died. I understand now that that was probably not what the teacher said, but *shrugs* that’s what I heard in my thirteen-year-old mind.

What did your family think of you writing? And now?

My family loves that I write, and now that’s grown from a hobby to a career, they’re really proud of me. My kids tell everyone they know. In fact, they asked to give copies of my books to their teachers for Valentine’s Day. I made sure to have the kids tell the teachers “It’s my mom’s book, and the covers are kinda sexy.” HA!

What were you doing before you started writing? What made you switch to fiction?

Before I started writing, I was into doing crafty things and scrapbooking. Big Time! Something had to give though, and now I … write.

Do foods or music, photos or movies, or even smells inspire you in your writing?

The easy answer? YES! Everything inspires my writing. I’ll hear a song on the radio, see an exchange between a couple on the street (without actually hearing it), the kids will say something, Husband will do something…. Anything and everything has the potential of being an inspiration. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be next. *wink*

Eep! ;) Do you only write only paranormal romance or are there other genres you’re interested in?

I also write contemporary romance. Fade to Black is my debut novel. It takes place in a television newsroom. Lots of ups and downs in this story!

In It To Win It is my second novel. Same newsroom, four years later. Sportscaster Jane Alexander is sent on the road to follow the Rockets on their bid for the World Series. It so happens the guy who broke her heart is their star player. Yeah! Ugh!

I’m so excited about your current release, which came out January 17^th, called Heart Ache. That is an awesomely sexy cover, by the way. Tell us a little about the story.

Thanks, Siobhan! I love Heart Ache, and I have to thank you for your help with it!

In my ‘world’ the male vampire’s heart stops beating when he reaches maturity, at about thirty years or so. When he reaches out and touches his girl for the first time, his heart starts beating again. It took Nikolai four hundred years to find Gabrielle. Turns out that was the easy part!

What inspired you to write this story?

There are a lot of vampire stories out there. I wanted mine to be different. I also wanted a reaction to finding their female that was completely undeniable. They might not want to accept it, but they can’t pretend their heart doesn’t beat every time she’s around.

LOL good way to get rid of the “I’m a guy, I didn’t notice” syndrome! What was the hardest thing about writing this story?

Nikolai. He’s a stubborn male! His father took away his mother’s choice, stealing her away from her bed the night before her wedding to a man she adored. She was human and refused to be changed into a vampire. His father took away her choice there, too. So…not wanting to be like his father, Nikolai refuses to take away Gabby’s choice. And fails to give her one.

What was your favorite character to write in this story? Why?

Gustav. Or maybe Stephon. I’d say it’s a toss-up between those two males. Gustav is Nikolai’s playboy brother and his attitude toward his brother makes me laugh. Stephon is a private investigator hired to figure some things out (yes, I’m being cryptic on purpose *insert evil laugh here*). He’s a great character…literally. His story is next and I can’t wait for him to get his act together!

I know Heart Ache is the first book of a new series. How many more stories are planned?

There are at least three more in the series. Maybe four. I’ve had another character step out of the shadows, but I’m not sure if he’ll get a full novel, or if his story will be interspersed between the other ones. Stephon for sure. His is next, followed by Gustav, then Vincent. Brace yourself, Vincent’s story is a sad one!

What other projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently writing Out of Left Field. Meet Matthias Xavier III. If you’ve read In It To Win It, you met him in the locker room and in the parking lot, being a class-A jerk to Jane. I know why he’s an ass, and it makes me love him even more!

What is one piece of advice you can give aspiring authors/writers?

WRITE! Some days you'll only get a few words in, some days you'll write pages and pages, but it's important to write something everyday.

Where can readers connect with you?

SoI love to connect with my readers! Please, please, please join me on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for my newsletter by stopping by my website http://morgankearns.com.

Thank you so much for being here today, Morgan, and best of luck with your new stories!

If you're interested in grabbing the sexy Nikolai from Heart Ache for yourself, please visit the following links:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Bound-Touch-Novels-ebook/dp/B006ZBKGQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327098577&sr=8-1

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-ache-morgan-kearns/1108324189?ean=2940013679016&itm=1&usri=heart+ache+kearns

Other Ebook: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/116905

Autographed Paperback: http://morgankearns.com/Paranormal_Romance.html

In addition, there's another way to get a copy, free! Morgan is giving away one ecopy of Heart Ache to a lucky commenter who also joins her on Facebook. Please leave a valid email or Twitter handle in your comment so we can contact you if you win. The contest runs from February 15th to February 28th, and the winner will be announced on the 29th (the day that doesn't exist!). So be sure to congratulate Morgan on her recent release and go like her page on Facebook. Now read a little excerpt of Heart Ache. Happy reading! :)

EXCERPT:

THUMP-THUMP.

Thump-thump.

Nikolai rubbed his chest, directly above his beating heart and smiled. He loved the affect Gabrielle Ryan had on him.

He raised his knuckles and rapped on her door. Again. He knew she was in there. As if his heart wasn’t proof enough, he could sense her.

As another few seconds ticked by, he began to worry. If something had happened to her— He could easily enter her apartment, but would leave that for a last resort.

Another set of knocks, verging on the realm of pounds.

He was just about to bust the damned door down when he heard the lock tumble and the soft squeak of the hinge.

“Niko, what are you…? Pl—” Gabby sneezed. “Excuse me, please come in.”

She flung the door wide and Nikolai stepped over the threshold. White tissues dotted the floor around her coffee table and formed a makeshift snowdrift atop it. A pink fluffy blanket had been thrown aside and a pillow still held a head mark at one end of the couch.

She hurried over to the coffee table and yanked another tissue from the box. After an adorable honking she crumpled it into her hand and began tidying her living room.

“Gabby, it’s okay. I’m not here to inspect your housekeeping skills. I only came by to make sure you were okay.”

She smiled, her eyes red and watery. She sneezed again before melting onto the couch. He took a seat in the large leather chair that interestingly enough matched the one in his office. He reached out and handed her a bag with a Styrofoam container of chicken noodle soup.

“I thought you could use something homemade.”

“You cooked?”

He laughed. “Not exactly.”

The bag crinkled as she pulled it open and stuck her face into it. He grinned at the snuffling that accompanied her deep inhale.

“Oh. That smells so good.” She took another breath and her nostrils whistled. Red splashed her cheeks. She held up the bag. “Thank you, this was very kind of you.”

Kind had nothing to do with what brought him to stand on her doorstep, food in hand. Gabby was his female, his to protect, even if it was only from a flu bug.

“How are you feeling? Better?” He stared into her bloodshot eyes, noting her red nose, and wild disarray of curls barely contained by a rubber band.

Did she have any idea how adorable she was?

She coughed, sneezed … and farted. Her blush from earlier was nothing compared to the crimson she sported now.

“Excuse me.” She blew her nose and looked up at him. The misery in her watery eyes made him mental. “I hate being sick.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?” He forced himself to rub his palms against his thighs instead of pulling her to his chest and comforting her for the duration of her illness.

“No, I’m fine. Just sick of being sick.” She pushed a lock of hair out of her face with the back of her hand and sneezed again.

“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll put the soup in a bowl for you.”

“I can—”

“I insist.” Niko held the bright pink blanket while she settled against the pillows. Tucking her in was one of the greatest pleasures of his life. He resisted pressing a kiss to her forehead, but only barely.

In the tiny, tidy kitchen, Nikolai stared at the closed cupboard doors and took a guess which one would house the bowls. He grinned like a fool when he was right.

A bowl, a spoon, and a splash of soup later, Nikolai returned to her side. She’d rolled onto her side, her face pressed into the pillow, her mouth hanging open. The soft snore and whistle combination made his heart ache.

Goddess, he loved her.

He knelt down on the floor and ran his fingers through the tangles of her auburn hair, traced the subtle lines of her face, caressed the freckles so lovingly sprinkled over her pert nose. He would never tire of looking at her, studying her. She smiled in her sleep, taking on the innocence of an angel, and leaned into his touch.

His thoughts drifted to their first touch, to the warming sensation that blossomed in his chest—a flower opening to replace centuries of emptiness with hope, light, love. In that moment, he’d felt something; something strange, something miraculous, something more than a bit scary. Something that meant she was exactly what he needed.

Forever.

#ThursThreads - Week Nine - Winners

2012-02-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Week Nine 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. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Huge thank you to judge Shannan Albright for reading through all of them.

Entries:

@LupusAnthropos
Tina Seeborg | @tinaofborg
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Nancy Porter | @ModernBard1024
Daniel Swensen | @surleymuse
Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Janie Crouch | @JanieCrouch
Maureen | @Emyrldlady
Erika Moran | @ErikaMoranLove
Greg Nance | @acenance

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Janie Crouch | @JanieCrouch

Shannan says: She built the tension and kept me interested very quickly. I thought I had it all figured out in the end when she sprang a twist that had me laughing out loud. I never expected her to be in a Yoga class watching others seeking Nirvana.

Daniel Swensen | @surleymuse

Shannan says: Intriguing idea. Good pacing and I found myself wanting more explanation of what occurred when the fires blew out.

David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig

Shannan says: I was tantalized with the setting and the main character. The pacing was good and your descriptions were well done. You had me wondering what would transpire when the exorcist caught up with Melatha

Week Nine Winner

Nancy Porter | @ModernBard1024

Shannan says: The idea of a sickness laying waste to a whole town, though not a new idea, was paced beautifully. The descriptions were flawless and the tension kept my interest. The last sentence left me hanging and I found myself re-reading this piece over several times. Great Job!
.

Our horses would go no closer, the smell of decay too strong. Sam and I stepped down and proceeded on foot. He handed me a kerchief to mask some of the smell. All around us, corpses lay where they had fallen. No one had moved them; they had all died too swiftly for proper burial. The disease struck with the terrible precision of an expensive timepiece. First, a sniffle here and there, body aches, then dead in twelve hours. No more, no less.

“They expected to find their own personal nirvana,” Sam croaked beside me. Waynesbridge was a new town. Flowers bloomed from painted window baskets. The hitching posts were new. Somewhere was the crisp tang of newly-sawn wood; however, even I couldn’t find it under the fetor. Magic could only enhance the senses so much. These people had come here to realize Waynesbridge’s promise of wealth and a new start. They had not found their earthly paradise. In this town, with its clear, lazy river and tall grass, they had found only death.

I pushed open yet another door to yet another building, expecting to see yet more remains. To my surprise, I found the bore of a filigreed rifle staring me right in the face. At my sides, I opened my hands wide, holding them away from my guns. “How about we talk first, shoot later?” I asked the woman as evenly as I could manage, given the circumstances.

She pulled the trigger.

Congratulations Nancy, Janie, Daniel, 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

The Meeting #100words for #FridayFictioneers

2012-02-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to #100words for the #FridayFictioneers. Last week I introduced you to Nik Wolffe, paranormal PI, and his investigations of a couple in Red Rock Canyon. This week, meet Chayse, CSI with the Las Vegas Metro PD.

Chayse trotted through the underbrush near Mt. Charleston, enjoying the brisk spring air. Gentle sunshine heated the rocks and pines around him, but the shadows remained cool beneath the overhanging bows.

A broken mushroom caught his eye. He paused, dropping his muzzle to the ground to investigate. Once a CSI, always a CSI. Not that this was a crime scene, but he always learned something new by seemingly innocuous artifacts left behind by someone’s actions.

A surprised wuff brought Chayse’s head up, his ears flagging forward. A pair of green wolfish eyes met his own. Nik.

Hello, Brother, he growled.

Thank you so much for stopping by and please check out the other stories listed on Madison's homepage.

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Nine

2012-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Nine of #ThursThreads. It also happens to be my daughter's birthday, so cake and ice cream all around! But moving on to the challenge.

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 Nine:

The writer of wizards, werewolves, and wicked-ass women, Shannan Albright.

Shannan on Twitter

Shannan on Facebook

Shannan on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"They expected to find their own personal nirvana."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Her Devoted Vampire - Coming February 22, 2012!

2012-02-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

I got the news today from Evernight Publishing that my novella, Her Devoted Vampire, will be released FEBRUARY 22ND 2012!

WOOHOO!

Here's the blurb:

Bridget doesn't believe in vampires or werewolves, but that doesn't stop one from kidnapping her.

BRIDGET SHANAHAN’S life seems bleak and boring until she gets mugged and abducted from her favorite coffee shop by the sexiest man she’s ever met. Unfortunately, he’s a lunatic who believes he’s some kind of vampire savior surrounded by a security force of werewolves and he’s determined to keep her.

FREDRICK MACGREGOR has been having visions of this woman in danger for the last six months, a woman he must protect because she’s the Avatar of the Goddess. However, when he brings her home, she doesn’t believe he's a vampire or that she is the Avatar, and she definitely doesn't want to stay. But the sense of danger persists and he'll do anything to keep her safe, even if it means risking the loss of the only woman who brings light and color to his endless life.

So mark your calendars, make a note, tie a string around your finger. Heck, text yourself a reminder. Come get Her Devoted Vampire by Siobhan Muir on February 22nd!

It will definitely be available from Evernight Publishing, but I suspect you'll be able to find it on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and All Romance Ebooks, too.

Thank you to all who helped me get this story ready and I hope all you fans enjoy it. I wish you very happy reading! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Revelations

2012-02-05T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Sixers! Thank you so much for your comments and your returns to read my WIP snippets. I truly appreciate your time and responses. Unfortunately, this is going to be my last SSS post for a while. All those WIPs I shared with you earlier now need to be edited and three of them are coming due. This is good news for all of you - you'll be able to read them in their entireties. Thank you all for coming back to my blog and I will continue to visit the authors on the Six Sentence Sunday list. I have my favorites: Zee Monodee, Suzie Quint, Stacey Kennedy, and Lynne Murray.

In this final snippet, Dr. Aliandra has gotten what she wanted from Drake, but she got more than she bargained for.

The pleasure from her orgasm drained away in the face of her revelation and bewildered chagrin happily took its place. She held still, trying to catch her breath and resisting the continued urge to bite the man resting between her legs.

I can’t True-Mate a vampire.

The swipe of Drake’s tongue on her skin made Aliandra jump and he raised his head to look at her, his expression full of satisfaction and health. But it immediately faded as he took in her face.

“Oh, dear Goddess, I’m sorry, Doctor,” he whispered.

Uh-oh. Too good to be true? Thank you all again for stopping by and I hope to see you around the list. Happy reading! :)

Camping #100words for #FridayFictioneers

2012-02-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to a little #flashfiction Friday with the #FridayFictioneers. I wrote this one from the perspective of one of my MC's in a WIP that has been percolating for a couple of years now. Nik is a PI of the paranormal sort. Enjoy. ;)

Nik lifted his muzzle and sniffed the wind. Campers in Red Rock at this time of year? That seemed strange after the latest snowstorm had dropped a good two feet. He bounded toward the source of the scent, enjoying the white powder spraying around him.

An unearthly glow showed over the next ridge. Gotta love the lights of Vegas. So why aren’t the campers enjoying them?

Rhythmic grunts alerted him long before he reached the campsite. The scent of sex hit his nose. He yipped in apology and padded away, grinning.

The tent stilled and someone whispered, “Did you hear that?”

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the other stories found at Madison Woods' site. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week Eight - Winners

2012-02-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Week Eight 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. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Huge thank you to judge Zee Monodee for reading through all of them.

Entries:

Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Nancy Porter | @ModernBard1024
Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
@LupusAnthropos
Greg Nance | @acenance
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Margaret McNulty | @charitygirlblog
Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
Richard C. Hale | @Richard_C_Hale
Robert Mahone | @Computilizer
Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Tom Keller | @dryadsgarden
Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
Erin Ashby | @spoonflipper

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Zee says: Struck with me mostly for the effective world-building and atmosphere. The excerpt delves right into the action, without any fluff or padding, and the reader is roped in and involved without realizing. Also received the mention for the effective use of dialogue, especially for as a characterization tool. And that last line is a definite hook: "We've got three weapons, two people, and a prayer. We can't lose".

Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella

Zee says: Especially loved the building of the pace, from slow and shallow to fast and deep within a short span of words. There's time and opportunity to get into the storyline, get acquainted with the characters, but at the same time, the impending doom is rising crescendo as the intrigue, danger, and especially the prompt, are neatly and skilfully woven in.

Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee

Zee says: The last line is intriguing; it takes the story in a different direction from the actual murder, so while it uses the prompt, it strays from the beaten path to immerse the reader into the heroine's POV and make the reader care about the heroine's future.

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

Zee says: Special mention for making effective use of the prompt away from the literal meaning. While others have used this angle in their snippets, here the prompt and information are quietly and easily woven in, and the fresh and vibrant characterization, through the dialogue, takes the excerpt to an entertaining level.

Week Eight Winner

Nellie Batz | @solimond

Zee says: excerpt was interesting with a very good and unique paranormal twist. The short piece also conveyed the dark atmosphere and world succinctly, and the author managed to infuse humour, information reveal, and the plot without wasting time and/or words to place us in the gist of the storyline, not just the murder scene. The characterization of both Percy and her paranormal handler are also spot-on, creating a vivid picture already in the reader's mind.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves as Percy perched above them on the building, tapping one booted foot against the stone. She would have tried to get down there but there were too many people. She lost her chance and now she had to go lurk in the morgue.

Her nose wrinkled a bit. She hated going to the morgue.

“I don’t know why you dislike it so much. It isn’t like death should bother you.” The smooth voice intoned next to her as the suited man sat down, platinum blonde hair smoothed back from an impassive face. Ice blue eyes glanced down at the crowd. “You deal with the dead all the time.”

“I’m used to just going to the place where they live. There, it’s like a gathering. And the last time I went to a morgue, there were three of them and they kept arguing with each other until I threatened to send them on another path. You try dealing with a Jewish mother and an extreme Catholic. They expected to find their own personal nirvana.” Percy snorted, pushing hot pink bangs out of her face. “Anyway, down there, it’s going to be a while. No doubt, it’s a murder.”

“Hmm…no doubt. You still have a job to do and I want your reports sent in before the end of the week or I’ll have to speak to Management about it again.”

She stuck out her tongue as he faded away to air. “Yeah, yeah.”

Congratulations Nellie, Cara, Miranda, Aurora, and Wakefield! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Eight

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog's Day! And it's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Eight of #ThursThreads. It's the beginning of February, the month of love, and there's been a lot of editing going on. Thank goodness for this challenge.

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 Eight:

The tropical-island girl author of edgy romance and Six Sentence Sunday siren, Zee Monodee.

Zee on Twitter

Zee on Facebook

Zee on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“No doubt it’s a murder.”

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Drake Makes His Move

2012-01-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Sixers! My week has been filled with editing punctuated with moments of furious writing. Got the edits back from Evernight and should have them done this coming week. So excited to get Her Devoted Vampire out in March! Thank you to all of you for coming to read my WIP snippets and for your comments. I really appreciate them. Several other authors participate in Six Sentence Sunday and I always check out Ruthie Knox, Lynne Murray, Zee Monodee, and Karysa Faire.

In this snippet of The Order of the Dragon, Dr. Aliandra Cantora knows Drake MacGregor needs blood, but when he learns she's a dragon, he refuses to feed from her. She taunts him until she gets what she wants.

Drake snarled as he launched himself at Aliandra, slamming into her and pressing her against the medical table. Her inner dragon howled with triumph as he pressed his growing erection between her legs and stapled her hands to the bench behind her.

“If my control wasn’t excellent, Dr. Cantora, I would have sunk my cock into your sweet-scented pussy and my teeth into your neck,” he hissed, his eyes blazing crimson.

“Then do it, Mr. MacGregor.”

He groaned and closed his eyes, but he dropped his lips to her throat once more and licked her, making her shiver. Then his teeth broke her skin and momentary pain exploded into erotic pleasure.

See? Now everyone's much happier...or they will be. ;) Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week Seven - Winners

2012-01-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

Week Seven of #ThursThreads had some fantastic tales! Great thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Huge thank you to judge Nichole Severn for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Stevie McCoy | @theglitterlady
Nancy Porter | @ModernBard1024
Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
James Bambury | @James Bambury
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
@LupusAnthropos

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics

Nichole says: It made me laugh and had great imagery.

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

Nichole says: Made me laugh and one word: "Boobalicious" lol.

Week Seven Winner

Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777

Nichole says: First place had a great twist and a dark storyline that I love.

Bending over the prostrate body in the middle of the motel room, Detective Dufus looked at the markings on the woman’s neck. He looked over his shoulder at Commissioner Wellder.

“You’ll have to order a full investigation with this one,” Dufus said.

“As a matter of fact, we are,” Wellder said, turning away to roll his eyes.

“Looks like she’s been strangled.”

“Seems as if.”

“No doubt it’s a murder.”

“Appears so.”

“The person who did this must’ve really hated her.”

“Enough to choke the life out of her.”

“Do we know who she is?”

“You don’t recognize her?”

“No, should I?” Dufus asked, turning to look into the woman’s purple-black swollen face.

“Yes, I imagine you should.”

Dufus squinted his eyes and shook his head.

“Well, I don’t.”

“That’s funny. She’s your wife.”

“What?” Dufus looked at her again, scratching his head. As he brought his hand down, he noticed the marks down his arms. Looking up at the Commissioner, his eyesight grew blurry and he blacked out.

“Damn, Dufus. I knew he was having marital problems. Who knew he’d be such an idiot.” Wellder turned to his sergeant. “Splash some water on him and then book him.”

Wellder waited until the man had gone into the bathroom. He smiled, patted the belt he’d used, and pulled down his jacket.

Congratulations Toni, J. Whitworth, and Wakefield! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Seven

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Seven of #ThursThreads. It's the end of January and there's been a lot of writing going on, but even more editing. Thank goodness for this challenge.

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 +

Our Judge for Week Seven:

The sexy, suspenseful, storyteller of twisted tales, Nichole Severn.

Nichole on Twitter

Nichole on Facebook

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"As a matter of fact, we are."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Aliandra's Offer

2012-01-22T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Sixers! So nice to see you and have you return. I really appreciate your comments and the time you take to come read my snippets. I realize I'm one of many, but I appreciate your interest in my stories. Speaking of the many, there is a list of folks on Six Sentence Sunday and I have a few favorites I always visit, too. They are Ruthie Knox, Lynne Murray, Zee Monodee, and Karysa Faire.

In this snippet of The Order of the Dragon, after Drake's initial attack and Aliandra tossed his butt across the room for it, they both calm down enough for her to realize he hasn't fed in a while and she's the nearest donor. So she offers him her blood, but she wants to make sure he'll stop. The first line is from Aliandra.

“A mature sanguivore wouldn’t let himself get in this position of being so weak.”

Drake drew himself up to his full height, bringing them eye to eye with him seated, and his expression smoothed out into regal impassiveness. He looked like a king unimpressed with the pleas of his subjects, but she wasn’t the one begging.

He isn't begging, either.

“Now is not the time to sit on your high horse, Mr. MacGregor,” she remarked, oddly afraid he’d decline to feed from her. “I’ve taken the Hippocratic Oath and you’re in need of medical attention, even if it’s to prevent starvation.”

Oooh, sounds like she likes gettin' bitten! ;) Thanks for stopping by and have a great week. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week Six - Winners

2012-01-20T07:51:00.000-08:00

Week Six of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Huge thank you to all who entered this week. It was great to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Another huge thank you to judge LupusAnthropos for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

Bethany Lopez | @BethanyLopez2
Kimberly | @Kimmydonn
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Jen DeSantis | @JenD_Author
Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Lenore Diane | @Lenore_Diane
Kat Halstead | @KatDVS
Janie Crouch | @JanieCrouch
Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Tina Seeborg | @tinaofborg
Corgzilla | @ModernBard1024
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
Margie C McNulty | @charitygirlblog
@LupusAnthropos
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella
Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
Sarah Aisling | @SarahAisling

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Margie C McNulty | @charitygirlblog

Lupus says: Nicely set scene, leaving him with exactly what he deserved and nothing more.

Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21

Lupus says: Very touching use of the prompt.

Janie Crouch | @JanieCrouch

Lupus says: Dark, creepy, and well developed.

Week Six Winner

Sarah Aisling | @SarahAisling

Lupus says: Great twist. Started out sounding like a wedding, but turned out to be a funeral - and a premeditated one, at that.

“Oh, my sweet, we must get you ready for tonight,” Daniel whispers as he coaxes Janine’s hair into soft curls that frame her perfectly made up face.

Classical music plays in the background, and he closes his eyes during his favorite part, humming along before he continues.

“You’re going to look so perfect.” He straightens the neckline of her purple dress, fastening her most treasured diamond pendent around her neck. It rests against her ivory cream skin, a lovely accompaniment to her decolletage.

The last notes of the song fade out, and the only sound in the room comes from the vents which pump in chilled air.

A light tap on the door draws his attention. “It’s time, Daniel. Are you ready?”

“As a matter of fact, we are.” His eyes return to her beauty. “Jared will escort you in, dear one.”

After spending a few moments alone in the hall, he opens the double doors and enters the room, gazing around pleased. The chairs are lined up in perfect rows, the flowers exquisite.

The priest nods to Daniel, and he walks up the aisle to stand before his beloved. Kneeling, he pats his chest, feeling the comforting thickness of the envelope which holds the life insurance policy. With a tingle of anticipation, he leans forward, fingers caressing the satin liner of the coffin. He brushes his lips against Janine’s cool, hard cheek.

"You look great, and yeah, you’re worth a million bucks."

Congratulations Sarah, Margie, Antonio, and Janie! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

Silver Lining #100words for #FridayFictioneers

2012-01-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to my little corner of the world. Today's photo prompt is all about perception - and a little bit of humor. I hope you enjoy this 100 words for the #FridayFictioneers.

Great arches in white soared above Leo’s head and looped like billowing clouds strung on ivory pillars. Sweet, distant music played in the echoing space and diffused light appeared to come from everywhere. A walkway stretched across his field of vision, filled with meandering figures in no apparent hurry. To his left a fountain cascaded down a white marble statue, the water splashing in a harmonious melody in sync with his heart.

“Hey, buddy, are you feeling better?” a familiar voice asked.

“Am I in Heaven?” Leo focused on the speaker.

“Nah, man. You fainted in the Mall of America!”

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit the other authors of the Friday Fictioneers here. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Six

2012-01-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Six of #ThursThreads. Half-way through January already and there's been a lot of writing going on. Mostly, right here! ;) Back to the challenge. :D

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 +

Our Judge for Week Six:

The lightning bringer of flash fiction and the original wolfman, LupusAnthropos.

LupusAnthropos on Twitter

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"You look great, and yeah, you’re worth a million bucks."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Aliandra's Response

2012-01-15T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Sixers, for Six Sentence Sunday. I appreciate the return visitors. Your comments make my day and now that Blogger allows replies, I can actually answer. :) Welcome also to anyone new who has dropped by. Thanks for visiting. Several other authors participate in Six Sentence Sunday and a few of my favorites are Cara Michaels, Ruthie Knox, JoAnn Ross, and Lynne Murray. Also, check out #flashfiction comrade Wakefield Mahon.

In this snippet from WIP The Order of the Dragon, Drake MacGregor has lost control of his vampiric hunger and bitten Dr. Aliandra Cantora. This is from his perspective.

Two things registered to his hunger-fogged brain. The first was the unbelievable richness of her blood, richer than any blood he’d ever tasted. It filled his mouth like the legendary elixir of life and warmed his body from the inside out.

The second thing was a terrible snarl echoing through the room just before Dr. Cantora flung him bodily over the medical bench to crash into the metal shelves filled with lead aprons.

Drake opened his eyes to stare up at the woman towering over him, her eyes blazing with iridescent green fire as she held her neck with one taloned hand.

“What in the name of all that’s holy do you think you’re doing?!”

Hell hath no fury like a dragon bitten... ;) Thank you for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#ThursThreads - Week Five - Winners

2012-01-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Week Five of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Huge thank you to all who entered this week. It was great to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Another huge thank you to judge Tom Keller for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
Bethany Lopez | @BethanyLopez2
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Rafe B | @etcet
Corgzilla
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6
Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
Richard C Hale | @Richard_C_Hale
@LupusAnthropos
Daniel Swensen | @surlymuse
Lenore Diane | @Lenore_Diane
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Stevie McCoy | @theglitterlady
Rik Davnall | @eatthepen
Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella
Lisa McCourt Hollar | @Jezri

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

@LupusAnthropos

Tom says: I could see a lot of Sam in my own dog, lol.

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

Tom says: I gotta give Wakefield an Honorable Mention for his use of the prompt. It was a fun, sexy story.

Richard C Hale | @Richard_C_Hale

Tom says: I really liked Richard C Hale's story. That damn elevator scared the crap out of me as well.

Corgzilla

Tom says: "Business first then we'd talk romance. I wanted my guns back." I liked the fighting cyborg-mage idea. Spitting out a tooth was also a nice touch.

Week Five Winner

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman

Tom says: I really liked @rastrohman's story. That one moved me and I could really feel for the character.

“Here you are, in all your glory. Tie just right. Shirt fitting perfectly, outlining those muscles. You’re tall and handsome, and you have a winning smile. You look great, and yeah, you’re worth a million bucks. You know that? You can tackle anything. And you want to know something else? You will take the bull by the horns and come out of here grinning with the thought of knowing you did it. People may say you lack character or charisma, that you maybe aren’t brave enough to do something like this, but sure you are, tough guy. You are a born winner, and you can accomplish anything.”

“Hey buddy, quit talking to yourself and move it. You’re holding up the line.”

He turned and glared back at the sour old man, then took a step forward. Time to shine.

“Hi, can I help you?” she asked, smiling cheerfully.

“Yes, my name is Reggie, and I have severe agoraphobia. I’m trying new medication though, and this is my first time out of my house in seven years. Ahem. I’d like a hamburger and a small Coke please.”

As she smiled awkwardly and called out the order, he whispered to himself, “You did it, Reggie. You did it!”

Congratulations Ryan, Lupus, Wakefield, Richard, and Corgzilla! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

The Acorn #100words for #FridayFictioneers

2012-01-13T07:27:00.000-08:00

Good morning. Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a little Friday #flashfiction. This morning, in honor of #WIP500 and #FridayFictioneers, I wrote 100 words on a little WIP slowly developing one flash piece at a time. Madison Woods hosts the group and you can find all the other authors' links on her blog. She provides the photo prompt.

The following story is a special military team has been brought in to search for a missing Senator's daughter. You can read an earlier snippet here and here. Captain Mack has just found the woman's horse, but no woman.

A horse whickered through the autumn trees. Mack signaled his team to move forward toward the archaeological site, trying to avoid marring the tracks. The path opened up in front of them to show flagging the scientists had left as well as a large chestnut Quarterhorse tied to one of the oaks outside of the site.

“Bryant, take a team and search the perimeter for more tracks.”

Something cracked under Mack’s foot as he moved and he bent, picking up a sprouting acorn with a frown.

“What are you doing here, buddy? It’s the wrong time of year for that.”

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Five

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Week Five of #ThursThreads!

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! And I've got the challenge for you. Not only is this wonderful challenge going on, but stop by Shannan Albright's blog today for her Author's Spotlight series featuring ME! :) Everything you've ever wanted to know about Siobhan Muir. Hehehe okay, back to the challenge. :D

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 +

Our Judge for Week Five:

The slick, smart, dryly sarcastic, Sci-fi author and Cyber cop, Tom Keller.

Tom Keller on Twitter

Tom Keller on FB

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"Sure you are, tough guy."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

New Year's Resolutions, #WIP500, and Cover Art

2012-01-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

I hope your holidays were wonderful and that the light is returning to your part of the world. I already notice the sun stays longer in the sky before it sinks behind the mountains to the west.

New Year's came so quickly with all that was going on at the end of 2011 that it was upon me before I could blink (and I even manged to stay up until Midnight to watch the fireworks from the Strip). I realized I hadn't made any New Year's Resolutions. It occurred to me that maybe I didn't need them this year.

A friend said "New Year's Resolutions are like donuts. They taste good at the beginning, but weigh you down over time."

I laughed and agreed. It's hard to keep the motivation going to fulfill the resolutions all year long. However, I think Resolutions are important as benchmarks to reach for and that they are doable if the goals are realistic.

This year I only had one resolution: #WIP500. I'd write 500 words a day on a Work In Progress, every day, for the whole year. So far so good. I think my smallest word count thus far is 674 words. 500 words isn't that much, about 1 single spaced 8.5 x 11 page, but it seems to flow out of me when I sit down to really do it. In fact, I can write about 100 coherent words in 5 minutes, so ideally, I should be able to do it in a half an hour. Think of what I could do in my daily 3 hrs of writing time!

I had wonderful New Year's, especially when Evernight Publishing picked up my vampire novella Her Devoted Vampire and gave me a tentative release date in March of 2012. Yesterday, I received the cover art for my story and I my jaw dropped.

I think the best part about it is the name printed across the bottom: Siobhan Muir. That made my heart pound more than the hot guy on the front. My name! My book! My cover! Woohoo! It made my day and I haven't touched the ground since.

In celebration of this upcoming release, fellow Evernight author Shannan Albright is having me on her blog tomorrow in her Author's Spotlight series. You're welcome to come on over and comment on the interview. You can learn all sorts of interesting things about me that I'd never reveal otherwise. Yeah, okay, probably not, but do stop by and let me know someone's listening. :)

Also tomorrow is the weekly #ThursThreads Challenge here on my blog where you tie your tale to the prompt. Stop by and enjoy the writing abilities of several great #flashfiction writers and try your own hand at writing up to 250 words for the prompt. It's a fun time. You can even use it toward your #WIP500 daily quota.

If you're interested in joining #WIP500, hosted by Cara Michaels, you can sign up on her blog and join the forum, where other authors encourage you in your goals. It has been a great help and motivator. Good luck in your own New Year's Resolutions and in your writing. Happy reading! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Drake's Fall

2012-01-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back, Sixers. So great to see you all here again, and thank you for your comments on this WIP snippet. They really make my day. In fact, all the authors who participate in Six Sentence Sunday really appreciate your comments, so I hope you will visit those on this list. I have a few favorites I visit regularly and highly recommend: Cara Michaels, JoAnn Ross, Lynne Murray, and Ruthie Knox.

This year I've participated in #WIP500, five hundred words a day on any WIP, and my Muse has been completely enamored of The Order of the Dragon, a paranormal romance between a vampire and a dragon. Drake MacGregor is the Historian at the Library in Three Lakes, MI, and he's been rather distracted by the local doctor, Aliandra Cantora del Viento. So distracted, he hasn't fed in two days and he's shaky and weak. He falls and breaks his leg, but he blames Aliandra for his weakness and she's the last person he wants to see. Unfortunately, she's the one on call. ;)

“Trying some extra acrobatics, Mr. MacGregor?” Dr. Cantora asked as she crouched beside him.

Her sultry voice hardened him even more and he could barely grunt in acknowledgement of her remark, losing his manners completely. Her spicy scent flooded over him and his canines elongated in his mouth, itching to sink into her delicious flesh.

“May I push your pants up to examine your leg?”

She could push his pants all the way off and he’d cheer her on, or at least his cock would. But Drake tightened his lips over his fangs and nodded stiffly.

Doesn't he know he shouldn't bite a dragon? Thanks for stopping by and have a great week. See you next Sunday. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week Four - Winners

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Week Four of #ThursThreads brought some awesome stories! Huge thank you to all who entered in the first week of the New Year. It was great to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Another huge thank you to judge Morgan Kearns for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Rafe B | @etcet
Bethany Lopez | @BethanyLopez2
Craig Smith | @CraigWFSmith
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Lisa McCourt Hollar | @Jezri
Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
Richard C Hale | @Richard_C_Hale
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Kat Halstead | @KatDVS
Greg Nance | @acenance
Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
Jen DeSantis | @JenD_Author
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Lenore Diane | @Lenore_Diane
Wendy Russo | @wendysrusso
@LupusAnthropos

Morgan says: I'd like to thank Siobhan for this opportunity. I had so much fun reading the creativity you all put into your stories. It was really, I mean REALLY!, hard to choose a winner. Alas, Siobhan insisted I could only pick one winner. So, here goes...

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman

Morgan says: I loved that the guy he was looking for used Milo as a disguise. I lol'd when he offered to send money!

Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi

Morgan says: I felt an instant connection with the character. I'm gonna ask the question, just to be a smarta$$ ... What was the cause of death? LOL! ;)

Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6

Morgan says: "Sounds like first breakfast." Bwahaha!

Week Four Winner

J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics

Morgan says: I loved the interaction, the ying and yang, between Milo and Raphael. For the record, I agree with Raph, Milo's not all bad. When this is a full-length story let me know. I will be first in line!

Well done!

TITLE: Best Friends FOREVER

“His name was Milo Scaggins,” said Milo Scaggins.

“Milo, are you seriously going to start with that nonsense again?” Raphael huffed over his venti mocha-soy-latte.

“I just… I want to hear it out loud how my story sounds. Ya’ know?” Milo stretched out his unnaturally long legs into the aisle of the coffee shop. His size-17 clod-hoppers disguised the cloven hooves underneath. He flicked a red-tinged fingernail at the barista and gave the young woman uterine cancer.

“Who is going to write a story about the least evil Arch-Devil of all time?” Raphael waved his hand and healed the redhead in Milo’s gaze. “And you should really talk to your father about changing your name. I mean… bloody awful.”

“He says it’s part of the ‘anger-building’ program. That’s why he’s always yelling at me too. Says I need to tap into my inner rage to really get EVIL. I think it just makes me more depressed, honestly.” Milo put two fingers together over his green tea and a fire magically started in the dumpster out back.

“You know, for a Devil, you’re really not a bad guy. If I wasn’t assigned to you, I’d hang out with you anyway.” A tiny tear ran from Raphael’s left eye and it began to rain outside. A compliment from a real live Angel. His father would be pissed.

“I’m evil Raph.”

“Sure you are, tough guy. Sure you are.” Raphael winked.

Milo smiled despite himself.

Congratulations J. Whitworth, Ryan, Jeffrey, and Robby! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Four

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Week Four of #ThursThreads!

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! And I've got the challenge for you. This is the first Thursday of 2012 and the new year has charged off to a great start. My big news? Evernight Publishing has picked up my novella, Her Devoted Vampire, and it has a tentative release date of March 2012. I'm so excited I can barely sit still to write up this blog post!

Ahem, so back to the challenge. :D

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 +

Our Judge for Week Four:

The bold, beautiful, brilliant, baseball bard with the million-watt smile, Morgan Kearns.

Morgan Kearns on Twitter

Morgan Kearns on Facebook

Morgan Kearns on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"His name was Milo Scaggins."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - How to Rescue a Pirate - Aftermath

2012-01-01T03:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Sixers! Welcome to 2012 and Six Sentence Sunday. It's great to see you again in this new year and if you're new to my blog, be welcome! I truly appreciate your comments when you visit and I look forward to seeing familiar names again and again. Several other authors participate in Six Sentence Sunday and some of my favorites are Cara Michaels, JoAnn Ross, Zee Monodee and Lynne Murray.

In this snippet of WIP How to Rescue a Pirate Marcus Blackheart has just made love to Samantha Abbott after she told him why she'd come to rescue him. He's not expecting her reactionary tears and fears he has hurt her.

Marcus suddenly remembered how he’d found Samantha more than a decade earlier and dread threw his heart into his feet. Her husband had been a sociopathic bastard, all charming and proper on the outside, but twisted and cruel on the inside. He’d tied Samantha down, beaten and bruised her, then raped her any way he could, sometimes allowing his officers to partake in a gang rape of his wife. Sex to her had been a torture and an endurance test.

And here ye are thinking with yer cock instead of yer head! he snarled at himself, feeling smaller than a barnacle. Jest like ye did at the Gates of the Deeps.

Just a little backstory to pique your interest. I hope your first day of the New Year is going well and I wish you happiness and prosperity all year long. Happy reading!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year's Eve, dear readers!

I hope 2011 has been a great year for you. It certainly has for me. I started this blog in January and it has expanded into a place where authors come to talk, writers write in the #ThursThreads flash fiction challenge, and snippets are posted for Six Sentence Sunday. I've learned so much from my dear friends Cara Michaels, Tom Keller, Shannan Albright, Morgan Kearns, Nichole Severn, and Nara Malone, and have met new friends Wakefield Mahon, Shoshanna Evers, JoAnn Ross, Robby Hilliard, @LupusAnthropos, and Madison Woods.

The greatest thing that happened to me just yesterday was...I submitted my vampire tale to Evernight Publishing and they accepted it for publication. It has a tentative release date of March 2012 and you shall see Siobhan Muir in digital splendor! Well, my story, at least. ;)

It has been a remarkable year for me and this is a dream come true. This is only the first of many stories coming from me and you will see vampires, werewolves, dragons, goblins, ghosts, and SEALs from me next year.

So here's to you, dear readers and writers, and remember: Never give up. Never surrender! Happy reading and Happy New Year. :)

#ThursThreads - Week Three - Winners

2011-12-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

Week Three of #ThursThreads brought some awesome stories! Huge thank you to all who entered in the last week of the year. It was great to see all of you and read your tales. And another huge thank you to judge Rafe B. for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

Nicole Wolverton | @nicolewolverton
Gordon Bonnet | @TalesofWhoa
Rafe B | @etcet
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Robert Mahone | @Computilizer
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Wendy Russo | @wendysrusso
Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
AJ Aalto | @AJAalto
Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Michael Kozlowski | @MAKozlowski
Clare Stubbs | @ClareStubbs2
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Tom Keller | @dryadsgarden
@LupusAnthropos

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Michael Kozlowski | @MAKozlowski

Rafe says: I am a sucker for a good Devil's Contract riff, and the fact that Satan's profanity-spewing in his irritation charmed me. It's how I'd play the role, after all...

Nellie Batz | @solimond

Rafe says: With so many stories about ritual sacrifice, this was my favorite twist on the theme.

AJ Aalto | @AJAalto

Rafe says: I'd simply link Prodigy's "Firestarter" as a soundtrack, but this scene felt like it carried more substance and heft than its length would suggest.

Week Three Winner

Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6

Rafe says: I can't offer any praise higher than, "I want to see what else Gramps would mash up into what he's going to tell those kids."

“It had been so for centuries, but it had not always been so,” he said, as the four children sat listening. “Long ago, in galaxy far, far away, there was a—“

“Hey,” the oldest boy said, “that’s ‘Star Wars’, Grandpa.”

The two girls, one the same age as the older boy and the other a few years younger, remained silent. The youngest boy sat absently tugging on the footies of his pajamas.

“What? No,” the old man said. “It may sounds like it, but it isn’t.”

The oldest boy looked doubtful, his mouth twisting to one side as he shrugged his shoulders in reply.

“Okay then,” the old man continued. “Long ago in a galaxy far, far, far away,” he emphasized the final ‘far’, “there was a quaint little place filled with peaceful, rolling farm lands and little people and one of the little people was having a birthday party! His name was Milo Scaggins.”

“Grandpa,” said the oldest girl.

“Huh? What?”

“That’s ‘The Hobbit’, Grandpa.”

“Can we go watch T.V., Grandpa?” the oldest boy asked.

“Fine,” the old man said. “Go watch T.V.” The two oldest children were gone in a flash.

The old man looked, crestfallen, at the two remaining.

“Stowy, Gwampa. Stowy,” the little boy said. The little girl smiled and nodded her head.

The old man smiled. “Alright then. Well, it just so happens that Milo Scaggins was turning, oh I don’t know, eleventy-three, when suddenly a house fell on the wicked witch of the…”

Congratulations Robby, Michael, Nellie, and AJ! 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 and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads in the New Year 2012! Happy Holidays. :)

Gardening #100Words for the #FridayFictioneers

2011-12-30T07:06:00.000-08:00

On this last Friday of 2011 I'm offering #100words for the #FridayFictioneers. Just a little story to send us careening into 2012. We had the following photo as a prompt and my little story is entitled, "Gardening".

She reclined in a garden of glittering light, warm scents of hibiscus and gardenia perfuming the air. Each leaf and petal seemed to sparkle as the breeze shifted them, drawing a soft fluttering sound. Theresa shook her head. The petals weren’t fluttering, something else made the sound.

“Faeries!”

Tiny flickers of light burst into the garden like stars, darting through the foliage. The garden magically transformed from shaggy wilderness to cultivated beauty. Theresa delighted in their antics until one of them crashed into her drink and sparked with a soft pop!

“Darnit, Ray! Stop using the nanos for your chores.”

That's the way of the world. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a delightful New Year! Happy reading. :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Three

2011-12-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Week Three of #ThursThreads!

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! And I've got the challenge for you. This is the last Thursday of 2011 and the new year looms brightly on the horizon. Take the challenge and run with it!

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 +

Our Judge for Week Three:

The thing that goes clank in the night, and cheesey, possibly sexy, word and weight wrangler, Rafe B.

Rafe on Twitter

Rafe's Website

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"It had been so for centuries, but it had not always been so."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Happy Holidays for your Six Sentence Sunday!

2011-12-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, I have six sentences for you to enjoy on this very Merry Christmas day. Six Sentence Sunday is officially closed today in observance of the holiday, but I thought I'd offer you these holiday six for your enjoyment (in case you need some time away from family) ;)

These six are from my WIP The Bone Flute and came from a short snippet I wrote for #MenageMonday and for which I won Most Romantic Story. Jozsef, a cursed ghost, is admiring the Christmas decorations with Rain Szep, a scientist he's certain will break the curse.

“Jozsef, would you, um…” Rain trailed off, her expression uncertain. “Would you hold my hand while we walk?”

“I’d be honored, my lady.”

She held out her hand, but he took her arm and tucked it against his side, her presence making him solid once more. Pleasure filled him and he smiled. She wanted to hold his hand, but he wanted to hold her heart, forever.

I hope your holidays are wonderful and if you celebrate Christmas, have a very merry one this year. I'll leave you with a few photos that might make you blush, but certainly make me smile each time I see them. Happy holidays and happy reading! :)

Siobhan

#ThursThreads - Week Two - Winners

2011-12-23T06:04:00.000-08:00

Week Two of #ThursThreads was full of great stories! Huge thank you to all who entered during such a busy time of year. It was great to see all of you. And another huge thank you to judge Wakefield Mahon for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
Nicole Wolverton | @nicolewolverton
Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
Michael Kozlowski | @MAKozlowski
David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
Jen DeSantis | @JenD_Author
Rafe B | @etcet
Nellie Batz | @solimond
Maureen Hovermale | @zencherry
Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
Greg Nance | @acenance
Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
@LupusAnthropos

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Michael Kozlowski | @MAKozlowski

Wakefield says: "Letting the Converted envy my damnation." This story made excellent use of the prompt. The emotions of the narrator are palpable if disturbing. A very well written story.

Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi

Title: Hunting For The Holiday Spirit

Wakefield says: Here is a wonderfully wicked story richly told blending the prompt naturally without affectation, again the arrogance of the main character and the darkness of his worldview is clearly and beautifully expressed.

Maureen Hovermale | @zencherry

Wakefield says: "Angel of Death" I loved the courtroom scene and the integration of the sci-fi and supernatural elements.

Week Two Winner

Jen DeSantis | @JenD_Author

Wakefield says: This story told from the demon’s point of view took an unexpected turn. In this anti-redemption story, the MC starts out good and becomes evil and somehow we are still cheering for them because we can understand their motivation. All of the stories this week were great but this one stood out.

In the hierarchy of the undead, I ranked below them all. I fed from the bottom rung of humanity, existing only by the grace and good humor of my more powerful brethren. It had been so for centuries, but it had not always been so.

My sin was pity. My brothers had set before us a feast of souls, all delectably rich and succulent. When my turn came and before me stood an innocent – a child – I could not. I would not. And so, cast down from my seat on high, I walked among the bedraggled masses. I was made to blend in, to pretend to be less than what I was. Meals were thrown to me from scraps left over from my stronger brothers, and only then when they remembered I existed. And I wasted away waiting for my redemption.

My sin—my weakness—haunted me, as did the child’s eyes as they took her away. I began conserving my energy, gathering strength so that I might one day be worthy to challenge the brothers who cast me out.

Then the damned would envy my conversion. Bottom-feeder no more, I would rule them all with inequity. They would feel the centuries of betrayal they had heaped upon me when I took my rightful place. Vengeance would be mine finally.

I would beat down the sin of pity within me. And her eyes would haunt me no more.

Congratulations Jen, Michael, Jeffrey, and Maureen! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Two

2011-12-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Week Two of #ThursThreads!

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! And I've got the challenge for you.

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 +

Our Judge for Week Two:

The musically inclined, Texas expatriate Wakefield Mahon.

@WakefieldMahon

Wakefield Mahon on FB

Host of #MotivationMonday

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"Then the damned will envy my conversion."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)