Week 275 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I'm honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale in our fifth year. Thank you. May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Katheryn Avila for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Community on Google Plus to keep up with news, etc.

Entries:

• Charles W. Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Mark A. Morris
• Tina Glasneck | @TinaGlasneck
• Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
• Silver James | @SilverJames_
• Barbe Crabtree | @ComeOnPeopl
• Rose Sharon | @ssogioka
• Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
• M.T. Decker | @mishmhem
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball
Katheryn says: It's an easy scene to picture, and reading it felt like settling into a familiar, comforting setting. The relationships between the characters and their personalities come across very clearly. They feel natural and real, despite how short the piece is.

Silver James | @SilverJames_
Katheryn says: You can feel Zoe's apprehension and nerves, and it's almost like you're in her shoes. I found myself breathing a sigh of relief when Zoe got Mrs. Tate's approval. A fun piece!

Cate Derham | @Cate_Derham
Katheryn says: I'm a sucker for vampires, and this is a take I haven't seen before. The hints of sci-fi and vampires mingling makes me curious as to where this story could go. Alex, Eve, and Sofia come across as fully fleshed characters and I want to know more about them!

“Sylvie, fetch sheets and towels from upstairs.” Petula glanced at her, then moved her attention to Elise. “Would you like privacy while you undress him?”

Elise shook her head as her trembling fingers unbuttoned her husband’s shirt, finding sweetness in the quick assessment of the woman’s normal gruff exterior.

“If you’re unafraid of seeing mortal wounds and a nude man,” Petula said to Daphne, Minora, and Felicity. “Stay, otherwise…” None moved. “Felicity, fill the pot on the stove from the well.” Fear flickered in the young woman’s eyes; she didn’t blame her for not wanting to go outside alone. “Daphne, help her.” They disappeared from the room. “Minora, his boots.”

Petula’s husband and Dr. Avery burst into the house, then the room where Conrad laid on the table, blood oozing from him.

“What the hell happened?” the doctor asked.

“Bear attack,” Petula answered, confident with the lie. “The girls and I had finished our bible study when we heard a rumble of growls, then screams.”

“Pretty late for that, isn’t it?” Dr. Avery glanced at Elise.

Petula gave him a sharp look, continuing, “They’ve been awful this year.”

Once he’d stitched up Conrad, and told Elise how to care for the wounds, the doctor left the house as the clock struck three.

“Your families must be worried sick,” Elise said.

“We told them we’d be late with Petula at church,” Minora said.

“You’re staying the night?” Elise stared at the woman, the group had serious problems with the truth.

Congratulations Winner Charles, Kel, Silver, and Cate! 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 original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing! And now we’re in our Fifth year! This is Week 275 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Community on Google Plus.

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 (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, etc.

Our Judge for Week 275:

Computer programmer and writer, Katheryn J. Avila.

Katheryn on Facebook
Katheryn on Twitter
Katheryn on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You’re staying the night.”

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!

Welcome back to Weird, Wild, & Wicked Tales for Snippet Sunday. It's July, that means it's almost release day for my upcoming release. I'm getting back to my origins and putting out a paranormal romance, but the twist is they're Hotshots, wildland firefighters.

The snippet is from the beginning of WILDFIRE'S HEART, Book 1 in the Elemental Hearts series, and a crossover novella with Paige Tyler's Dallas Fire & Rescue KindleWorld #DFRKW. This tale is a M/F paranormal romantic suspense. The Hotshots are finishing up a fire and getting ready to head into town. Captain Halmi speaks first, but we're in Saif's POV.

“Bring it in, guys. Let me get your sitreps.” Captain Halmi settled back against the truck, his arms crossed over his chest.

Saif suspected Halmi knew more about the forest’s status than they did, given his abilities as a Zomok, a Hungarian Forest Dragon, but with so much terrain to cover, their leader liked to hear what his crew had to say. Then he’d check the problem spots rather than sift through the chaos of a cooling forest.

Each pair of partners reported on their various segments of the fire. Lt. Sophie Forrest, a weather witch, and her partner Thomas Redfeather, a Native American Thunderbird, reported the high ridges clear. Connor MacLachlan, a Boobrie water elemental shaped like the Loch Ness Monster, reported that his partner Moriah Neill, a Banshee, found a few hotspots in the lowlands near the lake, but they put them out. Saif’s cousin Khalid, another Ifrit, worked with Mason Rockwell, a Stone Giant, to clear the approach to the trucks.

“And the gully, al Nar?”

“All clear, Captain. Xiaoming and I reconned the gully and found all hotspots dying or out.” Saif shot a look at the Salamander and he nodded. “We’re good to go on our end.”

“Good. I’ll write it up. Y’all check your gear one more time, then you’re free to go. See y’all back at the hotel.”

The captain’s Texas accent always amused Saif. For a dragon as old as he was to have acquired a Texas accent that wouldn’t quit seemed odd. On the other hand, maybe he likes it. It certainly impressed the ladies when he came in with his ‘y’alls’ and ‘darlin’s’. He never lacked for feminine companionship. Hellwinds, even some of the gay guys fell for his good ole boy routine. They never grokked his Hungarian origins.

These guys are more than they seem. ;) 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, J.D. Walker, Addison Albright, and Iris Blobel.

Here's the blurb to WILDFIRE'S HEART:

When you wish upon a wildfire…
 
Hot Shot Saif al Nar is a natural when it comes to fighting fires. As an Ifrit—a fire djinn—there’s no one better. But he doesn’t anticipate the local residents being suspicious and afraid of his ethnicity when his crew comes into town from the fire line for some R&R. Add some unexpected backup in the form of a lovely djinn and Saif is ready to set the town on fire.
 
A djinn might get burned…
 
Raihana Nejem retired from being a genie in a lamp centuries ago and now works for the U.S. Forest Service. Fires are devastating her field area, but the sexy firefighter djinn might just be more dangerous. Her people believe Ifrits to be evil demons and Raihana can’t be sure Saif isn’t responsible for the arson fires cropping up in town.
 
Or they could set the night on fire…
 
Is Saif behind the arson or is something darker and more dangerous going on? With hearts and lives on the line, Raihana must decide if she can stand the heat that comes with loving a man like Saif.

This title will be available July 20th 2017!