Snippet Sunday – Happy Beltane!

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and it’s Beltane! Blessed Beltane to all y’all. May it be full of blessings and vitality for you. This week I’m posting the two companion tales that happen at Beltane, and they’re on SALE at Eden Books. Today I’m showcasing THE BELTANE WITCH and in this snippet, we’re in Sabrina Foxglove’s POV. She’s just been rescued by a mysterious stranger who insists he’s coming home with her. Heh, right. ~~~~~~ “What makes you think I’ll let you in my car with me?” She snorted. “I don’t even know you. Yeah, you beat off those guys, but it only proves you’re much stronger than me. Why would I trust you?” “I just saved you.” He gestured, palms up, as if his words explained everything. “So? I said thanks. Who are you? And how do you know my name?” He hesitated for a moment, nonplussed. Then he pushed back his hood to reveal his face in the weak light of the bare bulb. Good heavens, he’s beautiful. Long, straight hair parted haphazardly and fell to his shoulders, the front strands pushed behind his ears to keep it out of his eyes. The eyes were some light color, but she couldn’t tell which one in the darkness of the parking lot. They had heavy lids and crow’s feet at their corners, telling of his experience. A goatee framed his elegant lips and deep laugh lines at their edges gave him a humorous expression, though he didn’t smile. He had eloquently arching brows, one higher than the other in amused query. “My name is Darius Winterbourne, Chamberlain of the Summer Court, and I’ve been sent to prepare you for the Court’s arrival.” “Wait. The Summer Court, as in the Sidhe, the Fae peoples of the Goddess?” “Yes.” Sabrina snorted and shook her head. “Is this some sort of joke? Because I follow the old beliefs? Gah! Look, it’s not funny. Thank you for what you did, but I’d like you to leave me alone now.” Darius frowned. “I do not joke, Lady Foxglove. I came to prepare you for their arrival.” “The Summer Court is coming here. To Cloudburst, Colorado.” “Yes.” “Why?” “Beltane is in a week’s time and—” “I know when Beltane is, I honor the old ways. I meant, why would the Summer Court of the Fae come here, to Cloudburst? It’s a flyspeck on the map.” Smaller than that, really. “Wouldn’t it be more fitting for them to celebrate Beltane at, say, Stonehenge, or somewhere more grand? Heck, the Grand Canyon would make more sense if they wanted to come to the US.” ~~~~~~~ I’m with her. Seems like a grand undertaking for a small town. 😉 There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list, the Snippet Sunday Facebook group, and the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. A few of my favorites are, P.T. Wyant, Karen Michelle Nutt, Veronica Scott, Jessica Subject, Kathy Griffith Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Here’s the blurb for THE BELTANE WITCH: On Sale for 50% off! 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 Check out the companion tale CLOUDBURST COFFEE & SPA, also 50% off at Eden Books! Moira Callahan knows a thing or two about fresh starts. Second chances are a different story… As an empath synced into the energies of spaces around her, Moira always understood what people needed, and tried to provide. But after escaping an abusive D/s relationship, she’s ready to make her own rules as the owner of the Cloudburst Coffee & Spa. Life is good. Until her first love shows up in town seeking his second chance. Aiden Westmorland escaped Cloudburst to learn to control his sexual needs, but he left behind the one woman who calmed his statistical empathic abilities. Now he has a chance to rekindle the fire they’d shared as teenagers, with the flavor of BDSM. But earning the trust of an emotionally scarred woman after his long radio silence is easier said than done. When Moira’s past comes to Cloudburst, threatening the life she’s fought to rebuild, Aiden insists she go to the police. But her former Dom has a past of his own, and he isn’t willing to let go so easily this time…. On sale for 50% off!

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#ThursThreads – Week 510 – Winners

Week 510 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Muirlette #1 for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Miya Kressin | @miya_kressin Silver James | @SilverJames_ Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Catherine Verdier | @CatherineVrdr Mark A. Morris Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mentions Mark A. Morris Muirlette #1 says: I liked how it started off in the real world with a very real problem and then gradually gained a fantastical element. I also liked the form of a poem this story took. It was an absolute joy to read. Catherine Verdier | @CatherineVrDr Muirlette #1 says: I liked the action, urgency, and humor of this story. I loved that the leading characters were very capable, smart, funny women. This was a pleasure to read. winner announcement Week 510 Winner M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Muirlette #1 says: I loved the humor and sarcasm put in this story. It brought life and personality to it for me. I would honestly very much love to read more of this story. Very well done. Trouble on the Rise “Something’s wrong.” “Ya think?” Iggie asked as he pushed himself off the floor. “What was your first clue?” “Well, there’s the fact that we’re laying on the floor.” “Oh, good. I’d hate to think I’d missed a clue or something,” Iggie added as he offered his friend a hand up. Together they surveyed the damaged lab. “This is not good.” “Boss,” Iggie sighed as he shook his head and poured them both a drink. “You are either the master of understatement or really good at overstating the obvious. I can’t decide, but if the next words out of your mouth are ‘We have to find him,’ I’m going to have to hit you.” “Iggie, if you try I will knock you into next week.” “I think our friend the good doctor already did that.” Iggie looked out the tower window, realizing for the first time that there was no longer a window, but rather a gaping hole where the window used to be— and from it he could see torches approaching the castle. “We’re too late, Frankie— I think someone found him…” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-ONE TIME WINNER Mary, and Honorable Mentions Mark and Catherine! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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Writing Progress for 2022 so far…

*Fist Pump* Hit 120,000 words for the year, 30,000 words for the month, and 1414 words for the day. #AmWriting #AmTired lol Thought y’all would like to know that not only am I getting writing done, the story I’m working on right now (a super sekrit project in a new subgenre for me) is getting very close to being done. Romantic suspense for sure. More soon!

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#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 510

Welcome back to the home of Paranormal & Dauntless Romance. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing. We’re nearing the end of our ninth year of weekly prompts. It’s amazing we’ve gone this long! This is Week 510 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. 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. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. 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 in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your Twitter handle or email in the post (so we don’t have to look for 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, MeWe, and Google Plus, etc. Our Judge for Week 510: Cat wrangler, master violinist, and Tea connoisseur, Muirlette #1. And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “Something’s wrong.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

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Snippet Sunday – He’s Done This to You Before?

It’s time for Snippet Sunday. A TIMELESS HEART is the second story in the ELEMENTAL HEARTS series, is now out and available for an older heroine’s second chance at love. Just check out that beautiful cover!  A TIMELESS HEART is Captain Śandor Halmi’s story and he’s the captain of the Cloudburst Hot Shots, the local wildland firefighters in Cloudburst, Colorado. In this snippet, we’re in Bianca’s POV, and she’s talking with Śandor about her ex after their date and the phone call with her kid. ~~~~~~ “His controlling ways were one of the reasons I divorced him, but it mellowed after we split.” She let Śandor open the passenger door of his truck and climbed in. Then she waited for him to open the driver’s door as she chewed her lip. “He never threatened me or tried to control me after that. Yes, he called every week for a while and he often drove by to see the kids, but he never made me feel like he was keeping tabs on me.” That was a lie. Denton spent the first three years after the divorce coming by more often than to see the kids. Some days, he would park across the street from their old house and watch the front door. He never came in or approached her, and if she left while he was there, he didn’t follow her, but sometimes he’d sit for at least a half an hour and watch the house. It unnerved her. The last few years, he’d stopped doing that, but she sometimes thought she saw one of his interns on their street and she knew those kids didn’t live anywhere near her house. Śandor’s nose twitched like he smelled something foul. “Are you sure? You don’t sound like you believe your own words.” She sighed. “Look, I appreciate your concern and I realize you’re just trying to help, but I barely know you. This isn’t the time to dump the family dirt on you. I just wanted to have a nice lunch, but yet again, my ex is getting into my business.” Śandor raised his eyebrows as he pulled into traffic. “He’s done this to you before? Made things harder for you?” Reluctantly, she nodded. “Yeah, he didn’t like seeing me with other men, not even friends I made before and during our marriage.” ~~~~~~~ The ex sounds rather invasive. 😉 There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list, the Snippet Sunday Facebook group, and the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. A few of my favorites are, P.T. Wyant, Karen Michelle Nutt, Veronica Scott, Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Available Now A Timeless Heart Blurb for A TIMELESS HEART: When Bianca Pearce left Cloudburst, Colorado at eighteen, she swore she’d never come back. She moved to L.A., got married, and created a successful antique and modern clock repair business. But time mellowed the hurts of the past, and with a divorce and two kids in college under her belt, Bianca is ready to move back to the small town to have a quiet life in a familiar place. At her age, she knows who she is and what she wants, and figures love is better left to the young. Captain Śandor Halmi is the commander of the local Hot Shots squad—and a Zomok, a Hungarian Forest spirit that most often takes the shape of a dragon. His main goal is to take the whole weekend off to relax, ignore his phone as much as possible, and generally disappear now that the Colorado fire season has ended. Love is not on the agenda…until he sees Bianca at the local farmer’s market. He’s struck dumb by her beauty, bearing, and experience, and now he can’t get her out of his mind. Despite growing up in Cloudburst, Bianca doesn’t believe the stories about the town having non-human residents, and she definitely doesn’t believe in love at first sight. But something about the silver fox firefighter sets her desire ablaze, and she can’t seem to stop thinking about him. Not even when he shows her his true form.

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#ThursThreads – Week 509 – Winners

Week 509 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Almost 10 years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Silver James | @SilverJames_ Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Mark A. Morris Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Catherine Verdier | @CatherineVrdr M.T. Decker | @mishmhem David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Honorable Mentions M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Siobhan says: Oh ho ho. Not what I was expecting. The twist at the end, and how the energy shifted to make the captors afraid. I cackled along with Cal, especially with his remarks about being a toothpick. Terrific tale. Silver James | @SilverJames_ Siobhan says: I really liked Meg’s internal thoughts and how she wouldn’t give up questioning the big, bad military guys. And I want to know her response to his arrogant assertion that she’s his. I could see her raising an eloquent eyebrow. Fun tale. winner announcement Week 509 Winner Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Siobhan says: What I liked was the magic of Rose, how when she commanded things to stop, they did. It’s like a metaphor for withdrawing deep enough to hear and see all things, and on some level, an acknowledgment that if we just stop and listen, we can help the world. Great tale. Through that morning, into the afternoon, Rose continued her journey to the ocean. But, as the sun approached the western horizon, Rose whispered, “Stop.” Everything stopped. She turned her head, side to side, and listened. “Something’s wrong.” The rabbit in her lap looked up at her, and twitched its nose. “What do you think?” The rabbit didn’t answer. The wolves closed ranks to protect Rose, and her rabbit and bird friends. She looked up at a hawk that circled above, “I hear someone. I think you should go find them.” The hawk flew toward the north. Rose stood up on her crescent moon shaped bolder, and whispered, “Hear.” At first, there was no sound, then faint sounds of twigs breaking, and the swish of small brush being moved. The sound grew until it was obviously the sound of someone running. Rose whispered, “Heart?” The sound of a furiously beating heart faintly echoed around her. She whispered, “Running?” She heard the hawk scream from the north, and knew. Someone was lost in the forest. Lost, and running, and scared. But who? How did they get so far from anywhere? She flicked her wings, and took to the air. Tiny Rose flew toward the sound, faster than any hawk could fly. She flew through the trees, without touching them, between branches, between trunks, in a torturous course only a master of flight could have matched. She found a woman running through the forest. A woman who was lost, and desperately afraid. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Eleven Time Winner Mark, and Honorable Mentions Mary and Silver! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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Siobhan Muir’s #ThursThreads Tales from Mar 2022

Welcome to the monthly round up of all my #ThursThreads tales. I know, I’m really late, and April has been so busy. The school year is winding down and writing has been happening. Plus taxes etc. So yeah, I’m glad it’s almost May. As usual, most of these bits are of upcoming tales, written to prompts from the #ThursThreads #flashfiction challenge I host each Thursday. We’re starting with Week 503 through Week 506 and I’ve collected them in one place. February had five Thursdays, but we also had some technical difficulties for TWO of the weeks and one whole TT post was lost. So, here are the three tales along with their dates and prompts. Happy reading! ~~~~~~~~~ Week 503, March 3, 2022 Prompt: “I cannot see her.” We’d almost reached the airport when Anubis revved his engine and swerved around us, damn near clipping the front of our vehicle. “Sonuvaprick!” Trigger jerked the wheel and slowed down as Anubis rocked back and forth as if trying to get someone’s attention. “What the fuck is he doin’?” I swallowed my heart back down into my chest and cleared my throat. “Keep driving at the speed limit and watch.” Anubis continued his antics then cranked the throttle and surged ahead of us like a bat outta hell. He pulled some serious Gs going around a corner, damn near laying his big bike on the ground. A police cruiser and an unmarked car shot past us and sped after him, wheels squealing as they took the corner fast. Trigger’s jaw dropped and I shook my head as Anubis led them on a merry chase away from us. We kept going past their turn as if we had nothing to do with them, just ordinary people doing our thing. “Fuck, Neo wasn’t kiddin’ that they were keepin’ an eye on you.” I nodded slowly. “Yeah, or it was that nosy cashier at the hardware store. She kept looking at me like I was familiar even if I’d never seen her before. Maybe she was the one who passed along my face and name to the cops and Backlog.” Trigger frowned. “I cannot see her doin’ that, but then, lots o’ people around here ain’t what they say they are, right?” 249 #ConcreteAngelsMC words ~~~~~~~~~~ Week 505, March 24, 2022 Prompt: “It’s all uphill from here.” The pain still echoed in Tam’s memory as loudly as the blast that had knocked her across the victim’s body. “Oh my glory, Tam.” Merida’s voice shook. “All the questions I have sound stupid in my head. Were you okay? Evidently because you’re here. Was it bad? Well duh, the scar on your back. Did it hurt? Again, duh. I’m just so sorry.” Tam forced a laugh. “I don’t know if they’re dumb questions. I don’t really remember the pain when he hit me in the back. It was so sudden and shocking that I blacked out. My partner loaded him up and he died of lead poisoning, so I’m told. I don’t remember much until I woke up at the hospital after reconstructive surgery.” “Oh, honey, I’m so sorry.” Merida’s words soothed some of the hurt, even though it had been two years before. “The investigation into some of the other team’s actions showed negligence. Because I’d nearly been killed and my shoulder blade completely destroyed, causing damage to my lung, I was given a very large settlement and medical retirement.” That was the quick and dirty explanation and the only one she’d offer. “So, I had time to look around and find a new place to live doing what I wanted to do. And it’s all uphill from here.” “Does that mean things are looking up or becoming a slog?” Tam leaned down and kissed Merida’s forehead. “Looking up. Definitely looking up.” 244 #WIP500 words ~~~~~~~~~~ Week 506, March 31, 2022 Prompt: “How tough would that be?” *Possibly NSFW reading* Corlith, Prince of the Goblins, winced as he stopped, reaching down to adjust his package which seemed engorged even though he’d just finished jacking off. “Are you all right?” Roxanne felt sorry for the guy if the Goddess was to be believed. Perpetual Blue Balls would suck. He shrugged, a faint smile curling his lips. “No, and won’t be for another sixty years or so, but thanks for asking.” “Sixty years?” Ambrose’s expression crumbled into sympathy. “How did you come to be in this predicament?” “Coming was the problem.” Corlith grimaced. “I was cursed by a demoness to have Perpetual Blue Balls for a century or more because she wasn’t my best lay.” He scowled. “So much for being honest.” “And jacking off doesn’t help?” Roxanne winced. Corlith shook his head. “Briefly, but then the strain comes back two-fold for a couple of days.” “So what you just did actually makes you feel worse for a few days?” Empathy surged in Roxanne’s chest. Oh my glory, how tough would that be to live with that? Shit-oh-dear, that’d be agony. “Yeah, it’s not a picnic.” The Goblin prince shook his head. “Want to know the best part? There’s a way to break the curse.” She frowned. “Why do I sense ‘best’ is in quotes?” Corlith shot her a dark smile. “I can break the curse if I find a gryphon, a mythical beast that is more rare than humans, and find my true love.” 241 #Sirens words

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#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 509

Welcome back to the home of Paranormal & Dauntless Romance. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing. We’re nearing the end of our ninth year of weekly prompts. It’s amazing we’ve gone this long! This is Week 509 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. 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. The prompt must be used as is. It can be split, but no intervening words can be inserted or tenses changed. Rules to the Game: This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250. The story must be new writing, not a snippet from something published elsewhere with the prompt added. 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 in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your Twitter handle or email in the post (so we don’t have to look for 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, MeWe, and Google Plus, etc. Our Judge for Week 509: Scottish Word Slinger, Dauntless romance author, and #ThursThreads host, Siobhan Muir. Facebook | Twitter | Patreon | EdenBooks | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “What do you think?”  All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

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Snippet Sunday – Do You Keep in Close Contact?

It’s time for Snippet Sunday. A TIMELESS HEART is the second story in the ELEMENTAL HEARTS series, is now out and available for an older heroine’s second chance at love. Just check out that beautiful cover!  A TIMELESS HEART is Captain Śandor Halmi’s story and he’s the captain of the Cloudburst Hot Shots, the local wildland firefighters in Cloudburst, Colorado. In this snippet, we’re in Bianca’s POV, and her eldest kid calls while she’s on a date with Śandor, warning her about their dad. ~~~~~~ Trey sounded so worried she forced lightness into her voice. “I love you, too, honey. Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll be fine. If I see your dad, I’ll let him know you’re trying to reach him.” “Okay. Bye, Mom.” “Bye, Trey.” She ended the call and dropped her phone in her purse, trying to shove aside the unease slithering through her. It’s going to be fine. Denton has no reason to come looking for me. I have nothing of us, not even his kids. He doesn’t need to track me down. It’ll be fine. “Hey, is everything okay?” She thought Śandor’s eyes glowed green for a moment but when she blinked, the color was gone. “Oh, yes. Just a call from my kid-adult telling me they haven’t seen their dad and wondered if I’d heard from him.” “Your ex? Do you keep in close contact?” Śandor frowned. “No, not at all. But he’s been acting odd lately, and now he’s not at home or at work, which is strange for him. Trey’s worried.” He’ll come here after me. She didn’t say the last bit because it wasn’t a real likelihood. At least that was what she told herself. “You sound worried, too.” Śandor pushed open the café’s door and waited for her to walk through. “Is he a danger to you now that you’ve moved?” She frowned as he stepped in beside her, his gaze swinging around the town. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, we’ve been divorced for six years and he never had any problem with me living away from him. There’s no reason to come after me now.” She took a deep breath. “Really, there’s no reason. I don’t have anything that belongs to him.” “Does he feel you belong to him?” ~~~~~~~ That’s the question, isn’t it? 😉 There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list, the Snippet Sunday Facebook group, and the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. A few of my favorites are, P.T. Wyant, Karen Michelle Nutt, Veronica Scott, Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Available Now A Timeless Heart Blurb for A TIMELESS HEART: When Bianca Pearce left Cloudburst, Colorado at eighteen, she swore she’d never come back. She moved to L.A., got married, and created a successful antique and modern clock repair business. But time mellowed the hurts of the past, and with a divorce and two kids in college under her belt, Bianca is ready to move back to the small town to have a quiet life in a familiar place. At her age, she knows who she is and what she wants, and figures love is better left to the young. Captain Śandor Halmi is the commander of the local Hot Shots squad—and a Zomok, a Hungarian Forest spirit that most often takes the shape of a dragon. His main goal is to take the whole weekend off to relax, ignore his phone as much as possible, and generally disappear now that the Colorado fire season has ended. Love is not on the agenda…until he sees Bianca at the local farmer’s market. He’s struck dumb by her beauty, bearing, and experience, and now he can’t get her out of his mind. Despite growing up in Cloudburst, Bianca doesn’t believe the stories about the town having non-human residents, and she definitely doesn’t believe in love at first sight. But something about the silver fox firefighter sets her desire ablaze, and she can’t seem to stop thinking about him. Not even when he shows her his true form.

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#ThursThreads – Week 508 – Winners

Week 508 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Nine years! If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Daniel Swensen for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Silver James | @SilverJames_ Mark A. Morris David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio Kelly Heinen | @Aightball Daniel says: As always, I enjoyed reading all the entries, and I’m grateful to both everyone who took the time to contribute a story, and to Siobhan for asking me to judge. Honorable Mention Kelly Heinen | @Aightball Daniel says: the story of the body transportation crew. Witty, a little morbid, some camaraderie at the end. I really liked it. winner announcement Week 508 Winner Mark A. Morris Daniel says: Mark’s story of the crow and the shade. Not only is this extremely up my alley, but the prose is sharp and funny. Crow sat on the scarecrow’s shoulder and studied the man’s carcass. It would take time to be seasoned enough to be at its best. In a few days, it would be tender, its flesh sinking in on itself so its clothes would peel away easily, its eyeballs fogged and a pure milky white. On the other hand, there were other predators at large; working up from bugs and blow-flies there would soon be hundreds of species wanting to take bites from it, but it would be its larger competitors with the sharper beaks and claws that would steal its prize. “What do you think?” Crow mused, addressing the body’s former resident. “Were you a carnivore while you were alive?” The shade shuddered, sitting below the bird’s perch. “I never touched that poison. At least, not since I was a child. Everyone knows a vegetarian diet is healthier.” Crow stropped his beak on the iron nail securing the scarecrow’s hat. It made a zinging noise like loose change in a pocket. The dead man might have noticed him wink if he had been watching. “How’d that work out for you?” he asked. “Did it help?” The dead man sighed, his body relaxing. It could have been a release of stomach gases or a flow of thickened blood to its extremities. Crow dropped down from the manikin and settled heavily on its brow. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that,” he said. “I find it hard to pay proper attention when I’m hungry.” ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER Mark, and Honorable Mention Kelly! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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