#ThursThreads - Tying Tales Together - Week 152

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday today so get your flash ready to celebrate and write a #flashfiction thread! Welcome to Week 152 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. If you're able to join us, we're here. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook. 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 152:

Weekend Writing Warrior, Photographer, and Suspense author, F. C. Etier.

F.C. on Facebook

F.C. on Twitter

F.C. on Goodreads

F.C. on Google Plus 

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"Nothing with a zipper?”

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!

Author Spotlight: Cynthia Vespia, Suspense and Fantasy Author

Good morning. Today I have to opportunity to introduce multipublished author Cynthia Vespia. I met Cynthia at the Las Vegas Romance Writers Jobapalooza when she came to give a talk about writing authentic fight scenes. Not only is she funny and personable, she had some very good and practical advice for writing scenes involving physical violence. No, you can't run the 100-meter dash after you've been gut-punched unless you're a Navy SEAL, and if you've done the punching, you're gonna feel the strain the next day, badly. Which brings me to Cynthia's new release, Lucky Sevens. As it turns out, Luca Lucazi just happens to be a former Navy SEAL and knows all about fighting. Cynthia has generously offered an excerpt for you to enjoy.

But first, the Blurb for Lucky Sevens:

Luca “Lucky” Luchazi is a man who lives for the job, until the job starts to threaten his life. A former Navy Seal, Lucky is ideal as the head of security for Lucky Sevens Casino. But when major names at the casino start falling victim to deadly and suspicious "accidents" Lucky must fight his way through a cast of eccentric characters only Las Vegas could spawn, and his own battle with alcoholism, before his lover Brooklyn - the sweethearted stripper - becomes the next victim. But when Lucky faces off with illusionist Christopher King, endowed with real magic powers, will his luck finally run out?

Excerpt:

Copyright © 2013 Cynthia Vespia

All rights reserved.

Predict, prevent and protect. The same words he’d learned as a Navy SEAL bled over into his job as head of security very well. But as Luca “Lucky” Luchazi stared down at the body of his friend and former mentor Charles Vega he didn’t feel as though he’d honored those words at all.

More than a dozen police vehicles converged on the scene. The black and whites of Las Vegas Metro were scattered everywhere. Their flashing light bars washed everything in red drowning out the mix of neon colors that came from the casinos neighboring Lucky Sevens.

Charles had come to Vegas in its infancy and built his empire from scratch. Even while the others came crashing down to make way for the new mega resorts with their elaborate designs and theme park style attractions, Lucky Sevens remained standing as one of the last legendary casinos on The Strip.

Lucky had always admired the old man for remaining true to his ideals even when the casino was taking a pounding in the pocket book. Now he was nothing more than a sack of meat splattered all over the sidewalk.

Personnel from the county coroner's office had also responded to the scene, but not soon enough. The vision of good old Charlie lying with his robe open exposing his wobbly bits to the world, and lying in a pool of his own blood, would haunt Lucky for the rest of his days. Even now as they draped him in plastic and wrapped him up tight for his last ride all Lucky could see was the blood. He’d witnessed his fair share of death during war but this time it was different. This was Charlie. He’d been like a second father to Lucky ever since he set foot in sin city. So when he overheard two Metro officers disrespecting Charles’ death with their blown out theories Lucky set them straight. 

“Hey ease up,” Lucky said walking in between the two officers. “I never thought you were the type to spread gossip, Mel.”

Lucky had known Mel Harrison for many years. They'd done favors for each other multiple times. Harrison was the only guy on Metro that Lucky held any respect for. He'd always assumed the feeling had been mutual.

“Sorry Lucky, I know how much Charlie meant to you.” Harrison motioned to his partner. “Get the coroner over here to finish up.”

Harrison put a reassuring hand on Lucky's shoulder and the two officers went on about their business. Lucky let them walk. He let them scrape Charles Vega off the sidewalk like road kill. He just stood there as a blast of hot wind rolled in off the desert and struck him like a blow dryer on high speed.

Damn weather had turned on a dime. What were they calling it? El Nino? Something Spanish – go figure. Name somewhat brought to mind hot sand beaches and girls in Brazilian cut thongs.

There would be questions about Charlie's death, inquiries, maybe accusations but then they’d put everything to bed wrapped in a nice little bow. To the police, the papers, and the tourists (who even now posed for pictures in front of a real life Las Vegas crime scene) it would all be dusted off as just another gambling related suicide.

For Lucky the question would gnaw at his insides for eternity.

How could he have let this happen?

If you'd like to read more of Lucky Sevens, you can find it at:
Smashwords
Amazon
B&N

For Cynthia Vespia:

Cynthia Vespia, "The Original Cyn," has a background as a certified personal trainer; licensed private security guard; award winning video editor, and graphic designer. But the creative outlet of novel writing has always remained her first love.

Today Cynthia continues to write character driven suspense and fantasy novels. With a plot pace to stir the adrenaline and keep the pages turning, Cyn likes to refer to her novels as "Real life situations that you could find yourself in but hope to God you never do." In her spare time she enjoys reading, movies that involve a strong plot/characters, and keeping active through various forms of martial arts and fitness.

You can find her here:
http://www.CynthiaVespia.com
On Facebook
On Twitter
On Goodreads

On Amazon

Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Author Spotlight and New Release from Annalise Walker

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked! Today I have the opportunity to spotlight multipublished author J. Annas Walker. Her debut release Spectral Radiance is out and she's offered an excerpt for you to enjoy.

BLURB

Jody and Austin Pressman have been down on their luck, but things are starting to look up. A new job in a new town might just be the fresh start they're looking for, or it could mean their end. The derelict old house came at a reasonable price, but will the shadows give them peace? What binds a soul to the place of death? Is there any hope of breaking free?

STORY EXCERPT

The rain came down as if someone had opened a tap. One second there was nothing. The next, it looked like a picture of monsoon rains in a scientific magazine. More thunder rumbled overhead.

Stepping inside, she found large white sheets draped over the furniture. The lightning made them look like B-movie ghosts hovering just inside the door. Feeling around on the wall, she found the old-fashioned, push button switch. She pressed the bottom button.

The lights came on but flickered a bit. Clearly, the outside wasn’t the only thing neglected about the house. Dusty fixtures lit up the front room. At the far end, a small hearth sat empty, save a small scrap of charred wood. A small office area connected to the wrap-around porch, allowing guests to conduct farm business without entering the family’s living area. Narrow, steep stairs led up to the second floor. Cobwebs covered the simple newel posts. Beside the stairs, a dark hallway led to what Jody assumed was the kitchen.

She ventured farther in, raking her hands along the wall, hoping to find more switches. Lightning flashed, illuminating the entire kitchen. Something dark darted across the open doorway.

Jody’s stomach clenched tight. Living in a haunted house definitely made the bottom of her wish list. She hesitated, reaching her hand around the door jamb just enough to feel for the switch. The button sank with a heavy click, turning on the simple, bare bulb hanging from an insulated wire over a large rectangular table.

If you'd like to find out more about Spectral Radiance, you can find it here:
Amazon
Smashwords

For Annalise Walker:

Annalise Walker grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Here she spent many hours listening to traditional folktales. From this came her love of writing. After attending UNC-Charlotte, Annalise continued writing by night. These days she lives with her husband, two sons, and her very self-important cat.

Annalise's favorite authors include Laurell K. Hamilton, Darynda Jones, Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, and Stephen King.

You can find her here:
Website
On Facebook
On Twitter

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

New Release and Character Interview from Shara Lanel

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked! Today, Shara Lanel stops by on her blog tour for her newest (and First with Ellora's Cave!) release with a character interview and instructions for her giveaway.

I’m so excited about my first release with Ellora’s Cave: A Twisted Magick! Check out the blurb, excerpt and contest below, but first here’s a clip of an interview with Shylah Lewis, the heroine of A Twisted Magick:

Sex Magick, You Say?

Why yes, but for the most part Shylah Lewis has put all that behind her. Things got really dark with her old coven, she says, especially with high priest Alain. Then there was the murder investigation.

“It was just time to leave,” Shylah explains. “And I don’t want anyone to know about my past.”

“What about this occult murder here in Virginia? You can’t ignore the similarities.”

“Proximity to the murders does not make me guilty.”

Trying a new tact. “Tell me about Gabriel Niguel.”

“What’s to say? He’s a PI from California sent here to be the bane of my existence.”

“He’s more than that, admit it.”

Shylah declines to say more, though she does get this look on her face whenever Gabe is mentioned. Since she was fired from Smith Creek school district, she can be found in Charlottesville, VA reading tarot, another fact she hopes to hide from the folk of small town Smith Creek.

BLURB for A Twisted Magick by Shara Lanel:

Shylah, a small-town teacher, has put her arcane history behind her, until two students are murdered occult style. Her Wiccan religion is outed. She loses her job and deals daily with ridicule. The obvious thing would be to leave town, but she refuses—she’s innocent.

Gabriel is a PI from California dealing with his aunt’s cold shoulder. She wants him to fly to Virginia to solve his cousin’s murder, but he doesn’t have the money or the time until he breaks a big case he’s been working on. Now his cousin’s case is three months cold with one hot witchy suspect and no proof. As soon as he sees Shylah, he wants her, for a lot more than just questioning.

Gabe has the power to make Shylah’s insides melt and her judgment fade. She knows he can bring her down if he discovers the twisted magick of her past, but every time he touches her, she can’t say no. She needs to get him to see past prejudice and help her find the real killer. Together, they make magic in more ways than one.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave Twilight line.

BUY LINK: http://www.ellorascave.com/a-twisted-magick.html

A Twisted Magick Blog Tour needs a fab prize at the end, don’t you think? How about a $20 Amazon gift cert! Comment on any of my blog posts during the tour, then refer to the contest page (http://sharalanel.com/2013/09/05/enter-to-win-amazon-gift-card/) on my Shara blog to get yourself entered to win! I’ll draw the winner on Nov. 1^st.

My links: http://sharalanel.com/

https://twitter.com/sharalanel

https://www.facebook.com/SharaLanelFans

http://pinterest.com/sharalanel/boards/

Author Bio:

Shara Lanel’s novels are always full of suspense and hot romance, whether set on the moon or in a Mexican jungle. She resides in Richmond, VA with a clingy dog, an action-oriented son, and a handsome hubby. Don’t put her in the kitchen, unless you want to burn it down, and her green-thumb is hit-or-miss, but she excels as a bibliophile, hoping she never has to pack up and move, since her hubby might see just how many volumes she really has.

EXCERPT from A Twisted Magick:

“I’d like my fortune read, please.”

Shylah startled, both from the sound of a voice where there hadn’t been one for several minutes, and also at the familiarity. The deep, velvety voice flipped a switch in her body, from off to on. But what was Gabe doing here? How had he even found out about her new business? She slowly looked up, mentally squaring her shoulders. What new tact would he try today?

He gazed at her herbs and candles. “Got any pot in there?”

She sighed. “Why are you here? I thought we were done talking.”

“Like I said, I want my fortune told.”

“How did you even find me?”

He grinned as he pulled out the chair opposite her. “My hotel had the Richmond and Charlottesville papers, so I saw your ad.”

“My name’s not in my ad.”

“I have my ways.”

That worried her, since she didn’t want other Smith Creek residents finding out about her side business.

She looked up again and found him staring at her intensely. Disconcerted, she gestured for him to sit and slid her drawings off the table and into the bag underneath. “What sort of divination are you interested in?”

“What do you usually do?”

“Well, I have a crystal ball if you want the total ambience. I have the tarot or runes, which are the most popular, or I can scry into a mirror. Do you have a specific question in mind?”

He turned the chair around backward and sat down. Why did men do that? “Yes, it concerns the truth about guilt or innocence.”

Shylah grimaced. “I think we’ll use the cards, which will give you something tangible to look at.” She slipped the deck out of the silk bag again and handed the oversized cards to him. “Shuffle them slowly while concentrating on your question. But you can’t expect me to give you a reading admitting to my supposed guilt. That would be counterproductive on my part, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t say it was your guilt or innocence I was thinking about.”

“No?” She lit an incense cone in a tiny brass censer. “Pull the curtain closed a bit, okay?”

“Not all the way?”

“I like potential customers to know I’m in here, even if I’m giving a reading.” She took the cards from him, grazing his fingers and wondering at the tingle she felt. It was a schoolgirl tingle, the kind you get when you’re working with the boy you have a crush on. She hadn’t felt that tingle since high school.

The table was covered with a black shawl with Chinese calligraphy on it. She spread the cards out in the classic Celtic Cross formation, and the first thing she noticed was the death card in the future position. The death card usually meant extreme change, not literal death, but as Shylah peered at the cards and took in their vibrations, she realized that this card might mean literal death. Her face froze. Who? Was Gabe going to die? She looked up into his strong face, masculine jaw and cheekbones, kissable mouth, mahogany eyes. Once she got past her immediate attraction—again—she thought she saw an unnatural shadow across his face. She let her eyes un-focus so she could see it better.

It was a skull.

“What’s the matter? This card with the grim reaper isn’t good, is it?”

“Someone’s going to die.”

BUY LINK: http://www.ellorascave.com/a-twisted-magick.html

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Fill Your Day with Suspense - Author Nichole Severn

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Today I have the honor of hosting suspense author Nichole Severn with her recent release, Let Me Out. Nichole and I met at the Las Vegas Romance Writers meeting and she gave me the best grin.

Welcome, Nichole. Thank you for being with me today.

Thanks so much for having me! I’ve been looking forward to it.

What started you on the path to becoming an author and why did you pick suspense?

Nobody believes me when I tell them this story, but it’s true…sadly.

I read Twilight. Stephenie Meyer made writing look so easy, I prayed to have a revelation about a plot I could write like she did. Her Twilight Saga all started with a single dream. I constantly thought about and hoped for characters I’d fall in love with, a plot line to keep readers interested and just an all-around idea for a book.

I got my wish.

On June 30, 2008, I had a dream about Nicholas Cage from Con Air. He came to my apartment and asked for quarters for the communal washer and dryer. That was it. That was my dream. I wrote it down, played with some ideas and suddenly came up with Daniel Banvard, an ex-con just looking to start over in life. I have that scene in my very first novel (which will never see the light of day) and my love grew from there.

The first novel was contemporary romance, in which my heroine died at the end. Needless to say, I couldn’t sell the book as romance and I was so sick of it by the time I stopped trying, that I never wanted to look at it again. First novels do that to you.

So I wrote a second book and it starred Daniel Banvard’s daughter, Adelaide Banvard, my protagonist of Let Me Out. The book originally started out as a romance because I’m so attracted to the idea of “opposites attract”. She was a criminal and she’d fall in love with a cop. It didn’t turn out that way. Because of everything this woman has been through in her past, she can’t have normal relationships. Therefore, suspense was born.

Nicely done. It's hard to switch gears in the middle. Congratulations on your recent release Let Me Out. Introduce us more to the main characters and premise of your story.

Thank you! It’s been a tough ride. All right, so my characters:

Adelaide Banvard is a sociopath. Kidnapped at the age of 7, she was taken to Mexico and forced to fight children her age in illegal underground fighting. At first, she hated it. She just wanted to go home, but the more she won, the more she killed and was tortured, the more she got a taste for it. (Yep, this is my protagonist).  Because of the dual issues, fighting against the urges and loving them at the same time, she had a break down. As in, another-person-resides-in-her-head breakdown. She wants to get rid of “her monster” as she calls it because it constantly urges her to spill blood, but it takes over just that much more of her mind when she does kill. Adelaide is afraid of losing herself and wants to live a normal life.

Insert her solution: ATF Agent Marcus Grant. He’s out for revenge for the death of his partner and Adelaide’s employer is at fault. His voice just happens to keep her monster at bay, but you’ll see just how much the monster wants let out and how willing it is to kill everyone to do it.

Given the trickiness of your main character, did anything in particular inspire this story?

Bellatrix LeStrange. That bitch is crazy and gave me the perfect inspiration for Adelaide’s monster.

Are there other genres in which you write and what is your favorite?

I write suspense and romance (paranormal, contemporary, and suspenseful) I LOVE writing suspense because of the action and fast-paced plotlines, but romance gives me the opportunity to get to know my characters better. With romantic suspense, I get the best of both worlds, making it my favorite.

What other projects are on the horizon for you that we’re likely to see?

[Contains spoilers from Let Me Out]

Ha! Got room for another three pages of stuff? My brain never shuts off, especially when I’m focusing on just one project. This year, you’ll be seeing my first novella, White Trash Beautiful from Evernight Publishing, in which a hooker and a cop overcome their differences. :)

The sequel, but stand-alone title to Let Me Out, Bleed For Me switches gears into Daniel Banvard’s other child, Taigen Banvard – Adelaide’s twin – and his determination to save his sister. And my first paranormal romance series is starting off with Mortal Eclipse, focusing on the war between angels, demons and mortals. I have several (about 7) stories in the works presently, but most of them you won’t see until next year. I don’t even want to look at them until next year. :)

Thank you for joining me today, Nichole, and we look forward to all your upcoming releases!
Be sure to pick up a copy Let Me Out at the following vendors:

            Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/137658

            Amazon, Trade Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Let-Me-Out-Nichole-Severn/dp/1469958961/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330625206&sr=8-1

            Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/let-me-out-nichole-severn/1109212873?ean=2940013931275&itm=1&usri=let+me+out

            CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3778748

            Autographed Copies available at www.nicholesevern.com

You can find Nichole at: Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/TheLVWriter)

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Nichole-Severn-Author/143542389049887), and www.nicholesevern.com

Nichole is very generously giving away a signed Trade Paperback copy of Let Me Out to one lucky commenter (all you have to do is say hi to me or Nichole). Please leave a valid email address or Twitter handle in your comment so we can contact you if you win. The contest will run until 5:00 pm PDT and the winner will be announced here in Thursday.

Thanks for stopping by and happy (or in this case, suspenseful) reading! :)

Border's is Closing - Help out Authors and Go buy Some Books!

Border's Books is closing for good. Have you heard?

This weekend my husband and I took the kids to Border's here in town and went through the shelves to pick out a few books. We found many good books discounted (Romance is selling for 30% off!) and I stocked up on some of the ones on my wish list. The store was full of people and most were walking around with piles of books in their hands rather than in a basket (me included). The line was all the way to the back of the store and even with four cashiers, it took a while to get up front.

In the past my husband has forbidden me to buy any more books. Why would he do this and why would I agree to it? Because my TBR pile is 50 books strong and that doesn't even count what's unread on my Kindle at the moment. But in this instance, he made an exception for a couple of reasons.

First, he knows how much I love to read and unlike ground meat or milk, books will never go bad. They have a shelf-life of however long it takes paper to degrade in decent conditions like A/C. So having more books around is never a bad thing. Bonus: it makes his wife happy and there is nothing better for him than that! ;)

Second, this really helps the writing community, particularly the published authors. And I'm not talking about their royalties here. I'm talking about what happens to all those unsold paper (paperback and hardbound) books. Their covers are torn off and sent back to the publisher, and the BOOKS ARE THROWN AWAY INTO THE TRASH! They throw the books away and the author loses money on them through lost royalties, lost publicity, and lost readers. The book publishers won't allow the book sellers to even send them to libraries. Everybody loses out.

So this week, do the writing community and some lucky authors a favor. Go buy some of Border's inventory; get yourself some new books to enjoy and help make this loss a little less in the long run! Happy reading!