#SpankorTreat: Under Her Spell

SPANK OR TREAT 2014

Spank or Treat 2014 is finally here! Visit GoverningAna for the prize list, sign-up sheet, and full instructions. You can win from a prize pool valued at over $1,000, including a Kindle Fire or Nook HD donated by Blushing Books!

Many authors will also offer a contest on their individual blogs.  Your comment on their blogs enters you in both contests! 

How do you play?

• Visit each blog between Friday, October 24th and Sunday, October 26th to read the stories.
•  Leave a comment on each blog. You must demonstrate that you have read the entire story. Copy-and-paste or inappropriate comments will be disqualified. You will receive one entry per blog for the grand prize drawing. Note: You must have a minimum of five entries in order to win a grand prize. 
• If you have visited all of the blogs, visitAna’s blog to sign up for FIVE bonus entries to the grand prize. 
• Deadline is midnight EST (UTC -5) on Sunday, October 26th!
• If you successfully completed a previous challenge (Sci Spanks 2014, Love Spanks 2014, Spank or Treat 2013, Spankee Doodle 2013, Love Spanks 2013, or Spank or Treat 2012), you may add “VIP” to your comments.  You will earn THREE bonus entries toward the grand prize.  (Yes, we will be doing this again.  Yes, if you successfully complete the Spank or Treat 2014 challenge you can become a VIP for our next activity!) 
• If you are a writer of fiction (any kind), add “W” to your comments to be entered in the special author prize drawings. 
• If you are a Spank or Treat 2014 Ambassador, please add “Amb” to your comments to receive your extra prize drawing. 
• Visit Governing Ana or any of the participating blogs on Friday, October 31st to find out the lucky winners. Will it be you? We will also announce prizes on the Spank or Treat Facebook page.

Like these events? Want to support your favorite authors? Become a Spank or Treat Ambassador! In exchange for promoting this event, you will receive one extra prize entry, AND you are still eligible to participate and win prizes! To find out the details, sign up on the Ambassador page or message Ameliah Faith on Facebook.

For more information, updates, and a list of participating authors, please visit Anastasia Vitsky’s blog.

• Like Spank or Treat on Facebook!
• Tweet #SpankOrTreat on Twitter!
• Join the exclusive chat with Spank or Treat authors! Message Anastasia Vitsky on Facebook or any of the authors to receive an invitation

For more spanking fun, visit Saturday Spankings for additional snippets.

Find links to the rest of the Spank or Treat stories at Governing Ana! The more blogs you visit and comment, the more chance to win prizes!

Okay, now to the good stuff. My story Under Her Spell, will be in the Spank or Treat 2014 Anthology, set to be released in November 2014. Keep your eyes out for that. It will include all the stories from the blog event. In the mean time, you can get your hands on The Beltane Witch, the story that introduces Darius and Phinnius Winterbourne.

Available at Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books

Magic, mayhem, and motherhood… a witch’s work is never done, but Sabrina draws the line at the Fae.

After almost two decades as a practicing witch in Cloudburst, Colorado, Sabrina Foxglove is done with men, magic, and the fertility rituals of High Beltane. She’s dealt with all three before and ended up with a young daughter and no partner. Twice. She’s looking forward to a magic-free May Day, with nothing more exciting than making brownies for a kindergarten class and decorating a May Pole. She definitely doesn’t have time for a handsome, Fae-touched man.

After almost two centuries as the human chamberlain to the Fae’s Summer Court, Darius Winterbourne is a man accustomed to getting his way. So when the Summer Queen tasks him with finding a witch to perform the annual rituals and strengthen the ancient warding magicks, he figures it should be easy. He doesn’t expect Sabrina’s hardheaded refusal, her untrained abilities, or his attraction to her. With less than a week to Beltane, he must gain Sabrina’s trust before he loses his home, his position…and his heart.

To have a chance to win my $10 Amazon Gift Card, please leave a comment with your name and email address or Twitter handle with the answer to this question: If you could have any kind of guardian pet like Kendra's morgira demon, what would you choose? You must be 18 years or older to win, please void where prohibited. Good luck and thanks for playing. Happy reading!

#ThursThreads - Week 129 - Winners

Week 129 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write and for helping me celebrate these years of flash. Great thanks to Anastasia Vitsky for judging this week. Be sure to check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on FB to keep up with news, etc.

Entries:

• Yusuf Toropov | @LiteraryJihadi
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Toni Morrow Wyatt | @Toni1777
• Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
• Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

 

Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM

Anastasia says: Nice energy that culminates in a chuckle of satisfaction.

Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir

Anastasia says: Siobhan creates a wonderfully sensual longing.

Week 129 Winner

Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio

Anastasia says: Lyrical pacing, stunning details, seamless incorporation of this week's prompt make her entry stand out. I would love to see this as part of a longer work.

Dry leaves crunched beneath Shawna’s feet. She stooped, gathering twigs and pinecones, kindling for the fire. The wind kicked up, swirling with a whistle around her ankles, lifting her black skirt. With her free hand, she held onto her hat before it adventured off.

Returning to the campsite, she placed the wood in the middle of the ring, under her cauldron. With her fingers, she rubbed the curved lip, infusing her aura into the cast iron. The vessel had been handed down via the women in her family, from mother to daughter, until it landed in Shawna’s hands.

With a strike of the match, the pine needles sparked with a blue-orange flame.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dru, her best friend since childhood, settled her scavengings in the pile and took the seat next to her. Long dark hair draped over her shoulders and ran in streams around the swells of her breasts.

Shawna averted her eyes, and tended to the recipe. “I’m tired of being alone. This spell shows my one true love.”

One by one, the ingredients went in, and Shawna chanted. Dru’s leg pressed against hers, causing a physical heat. She concentrated, her voice growing louder.

She opened her eyes, and saw Dru. “No, that didn’t work.”

“Maybe it did.” Dru slipped her hand through Shawna’s hair, knocking off her hat and brushed her lips against the other woman’s.

Warmth infused Shawna’s body. The fire crackled, shooting up a flurry of sparkling embers. Magic.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Louisa, 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 - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 129

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday today, so get your flash ready. Writing a #flashfiction thread! Welcome to Week 129 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? You're welcome to join the FB #ThursThreads group where we'll do events and make announcements. 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 8 PM Mountain 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 129:

Spanking queen, wooden spoon collector, and F/F sweet romance author, Anastasia Vitsky.

Anastasia on Facebook

Anastasia on Google Plus

Anastasia on Twitter

Anastasia on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“No, that didn’t work.”

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!

#ThursThreads - Week 119 - Winners

Week 119 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write and for helping me celebrate these years of flash. It was also wonderful to have some new folks stop by. Welcome! Great thanks to Jeff Tsuruoka for judging this week. Be sure to check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on FB to keep up with news, etc. And next week there will be NO #THURSTHREADS. We'll be back on May 22nd.

Entries:

• Sandi Layne | @sandyquill
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
• Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider
• Olivia Starke | @OliviaStarke
• Josh Peters | @joshbgosh
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
• Hunter Frost | @HunterFrostMM

Mardi says: This was really hard to do. All of the entries were interesting.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Robin Abess | @Angelique_Rider

Jeff says: Beautiful, lyrical prose & strong imagery.

Olivia Starke | @OliviaStarke

Jeff says: Love the whole feel of this piece. Great imagery-- especially the rain & the wetness-- and the ending is just perfect.

MT Decker | @mishmhem

Jeff says: Tight, tense little piece of office nastiness. Very effective use of repetition with the prompt.

Week 119 Winner

Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky

Jeff says: Perfectly captured slice of life. Just enough of the history between the characters is dropped in and it ends with a moment we've all lived through at least once in our lives. Love the clean, clear prose.

Andria slides her hand over my collarbone, slipping the satin pink bra strap over my shoulder. I bat her hand away and adjust my bra.

“Ouch,” she says, withdrawing to her end of the couch. “I took a shower this morning.” She picks up her neon pink coffee mug and takes a sip.

“I love you.” I scan my pile of papers, frantic to finish my report before the deadline. “I’m just…”

“Busy,” Andria offers. She takes another sip, watching me.

“I’ve got to finish before Grandma’s birthday party tonight.”

At the silence, I realize my mistake. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you want to go, but it’ll be tapioca pudding and cake with dull conversation.”

Two patches of pink appear on Andria’s cheeks, and she clinks her cup onto the ceramic mosaic coaster. We chose the set together when she first moved in. “You act like you’re ashamed of me.”

I groan. “We’ve gone through this a thousand times. That’s not how my family works.”

“Huh.” Andria stands up and carries her mug to the kitchen sink. “Thought I was part of your family.” She returns to the living room and sits in the chair furthest away from me.

I pound away for five full minutes until I give in. Andria has silent treatment down to a science. I can apologize, but it won’t change anything. “I need some space,” I plead.

“That can be arranged.” She stalks out of the room and slams our bedroom door.

Congratulations Anastasia, Robin, Olivia, and MT! 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 - Week 107 F/F Theme - Winners

Week 107 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 F/F theme and Love Spanks. Thanks so much! Great thanks to Anastasia Vitsky for judging this week. And next week continues our month-long Month of Love Themed #ThursThreads Event. All Kinds of Love next week.

Entries:

• Anastasia Vitsky | @AnastasiaVitsky
• Leigh Ellwood | @LeighEllwood
• Anna Lund | @AnnaLund2011
• Olivia Starke | @OliviaStarke
• Maren Smith
• Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil (poem)
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil (prose)
• Ruth Long | @Bullishink
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• KB Gardener | @KBGardener
• Jessica Subject | @jsubject
• Charley Descoteaux | @CharleyDescote
• PT Wyant
• Doris O'Connor | @mamaD8
• Erzabet Bishop | @ErzabetBishop
• Charley S | @Charley_001
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Sandy Layne | @sandyquill
• Wendy Strain | @WendyStrain
• Penelope Hasler
• Scarlet Chastain | @ScarletChastain
• Courtney Jennings
• Mark Ethridge | @LurchMunster
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Brandon Yusuf Toropov | @BYToropov
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Teresa says: It was an incredibly difficult decision—choosing a winner. I found reasons I could have chosen every entry. What an amazing and talented group of writers! I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every one of these flash fiction morsels. Thank you all for the entertaining reads. And thanks, Siobhan, for hosting such a fun reason to flex our writing muscles every week.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Louisa Bacio | @LouisaBacio

Anastasia says: Gorgeous, well-crafted dialogue and narrative. The ending is a perfect consummation.

Doris O'Connor | @mamaD8

Anastasia says: Exquisite description, evocative emotions, nice pacing, good ending. The “chicken” endearment was especially well chosen.

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Anastasia says: Wonderful interplay of internal and external dialogue, and the tenderness jumps off the page.

Week 107 Winner

Leigh Ellwood | @LeighEllwood

Anastasia says: Taut and precisely crafted, Leigh’s piece won me over with this sentence: "Every morning her sharp-edged husband bolted from their house wearing a suit and a scowl."

“No other way out.”

I shook my head. “There’s always a way.”

She flipped her dark auburn hair from her face, revealing red-rimmed eyes and dried tears shining on her milk-white skin. Her look spoke of desperation and despair, feelings hardly thought out well. I looked down at the razor in her hands and tried not to smile. She’d take it the wrong way and think I chose to make light of her situation. Far from it. I’d come over today to beg off some sweetener for my morning coffee and instead stumbled into a soap opera.

She’d not been in her marriage—one could see that from space. Every morning her sharp-edged husband bolted from their house wearing a suit and a scowl. If I saw her during the day it was merely passing along our grass border as we collected mail or empty trash bins. When she proved absent today, I invented the aforementioned excuse to check up. She answered the door with a pink disposable razor in her hands and implied I had to accept this as her escape plan.

“There’s a better way,” I told her.

“Diane,” she sighed, and looked away, adding more dramatics to the scene than necessary. The husband had obviously done one over on her, convinced her that she’d dissolve once she set foot past their boundaries. She was better than that.

“Let me show you,” I said, and held out my hand.

She hesitated, and thank God she took it.

Congratulations Winner Leigh, Louisa, Doris, and Cara! 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 Event F/F Day - Week 107

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 F/F, for the Love Spanks community event. This doesn't necessarily mean romance or sex, but it does mean the main characters within the tales need to be female. Welcome to Week 107 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 107:

Spanking queen, bread baker, and F/F romance author, Anastasia Vitsky.

Ana on Facebook

Ana on Twitter

Ana on Google Plus

Ana on Goodreads

 And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“No other way out.”

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.

#ThursThreads - Week 100 - Winners

Week 100 of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales. I'm honored to see all of the returning writers and read your stories. Thank you for coming back again and again to write. And it was wonderful to have some new folks stop by. Welcome! Great thanks to Anastasia Vitsky for judging this week. :)

Entries:

• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Kelly Heinen | @Aightball
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
• Charley Descoteaux | @CharleyDescote
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Charles Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Cynthia Hudson Keane | @AuthorCAKeane
• Jeremy Milburn
• Rebecca R Kovar | @RRKovar

Wow, what an honor and pleasure to read the entries this week! I am new to Siobhan's Threads, but I will make a point to visit when I can. I read all of the entries once, without taking notes. I thought about each entry--Sheilagh's poetry with its lyricism, Siobhan's clean lines, Aightball's sensory details, Cara's energy, Cate's startling last line, Charley's emotion, and Silver's crystalline details. When I came back, I found new entries. Cynthia's mother love, and Jeremy's agony of parents split by their daughter's murder. I read each one several times, as a group and one by one. Thank you to everyone for your amazing writing, and thank you to Siobhan for asking me to judge this week. I hope to see you as a participant in the near future.

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Silver James | @SilverJames_

Anastasia says: Silver's beginning and ending encapsulated the story with its lovely touches. The "frigid, ice-capped waves" and the radiating dark aura captured my attention from the beginning, and the twist at the end made me laugh. Silver made me care, as Sinjen cares, about Sade who faces her loneliness.

Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil

Anastasia says: Sheilagh's promise of a mother's love that can vanquish all, including distance. I loved her simple, understated love of a mother longing to follow her child.

Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Anastasia says: Taut and fraught with emotion, Cara's characters' chemistry is electrifying. I don't know what loss they have experienced, but Cara made me hope they figure it out.

Week 100 Winner

Cynthia Hudson Keane | @AuthorCAKeane

Anastasia says: Cynthia's Red Sox baseball cap along with her impeccable observations of motherhood told a complete story in 249 words. The line about Daniel being "still young enough to allow me the privilege of cuddling him" was spot on. The combination of everyday motherhood with unthinkable sacrifice made me reflect on this story after reading it.

I shook my head as if trying to change what I was hearing through the headset, his words resounding in my ears. Only time for one.

Of course. The gods required a sacrifice, I should've known.

"Roger, that."

I stared as the tiny cave collapsed around us, burying our new found artifacts beneath rock and black dust.

I pulled my son closer onto my lap. He was small for a five year old and still young enough to allow me the privilege of cuddling him. I tried not to look at the hands that were already reaching through the small opening for the one who would be going up. Even now I could feel the need for fresh oxygen burning inside my lungs.

Cold tears streamed down the length of my cheeks and landed on the rim of his dusty and well-worn Red Sox ball cap. I could feel his gentle breathing against my chest as I said a silent prayer that he would be okay.

"I love you, Daniel. Always remember that."

"Mommy?"

"I can’t go with you, Daniel. It's my job to stay here."

His voice cracked. "Your job?" My heart broke.

"My job as your Mom."

My throat constricted so tightly that I couldn't say anything more even if I wanted to as I lifted him up to the safety of the surface.

His tiny hand slipped from mine as he disappeared into the light above. I whispered goodbye, then darkness took back its own.

Congratulations Two Time Winner Cynthia, Silver, Sheilagh, and Cara! 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 - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 100

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. Are you ready for the holidays yet? I'm not, but that's what makes it entertaining. And even better, it's Thursday today, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 100 (*GASP*) 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 100:

Spanking queen, F/F romance author, and naughtiest elf of them all, Anastasia Vitsky.

Anastasia on Twitter

Anastasia on Facebook

Anastasia on Google Plus

Anastasia on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“I can’t go with you.”

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!