Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

An Eranthis in the Snow: by MC Houle:

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A New Beginning – Chapter 5: by Andrew Q. Gordon:

It had been almost a year since I’d been on a real mission. Even though no one had died and I had no one to avenge, this felt like I was chasing a killer. On the scale of criminals, kidnappers ranked barely below sex offenders and killers.

The small frame house blended in with its neighbors. What was it they said about hiding in plain view? Just one among the many working class homes in a non-descript neighborhood. I imagined they held Detective Griffin in a similar place. Hopefully I’d know more soon.

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Trapped in Time II – Chapter 5: by Julie Lynn Hayes:

I do not know how much time we will have for this lunch respite, so we must not waste any of it. Once we have all been given tin plates loaded with whatever is being served, I beckon to my group to join me and we take ourselves apart from the others, in order to confer. I try to ignore Shaughnessey. He’s looking right at me and his eyes hold an invitation I have no intention of accepting. I hope he gets the message and keeps his distance. Doesn’t he have some actors he needs to take care of? More important things to do than annoy me?

First, I must make amends to Myron for my slightly surly behavior.  All right, very surly behavior. I’ve had some time to think. There is little else to do while bouncing along on a cantering horse while evading the attentions of an overly amorous Irishman and trying not to fall off said horse at the same time.

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Hope: by Chris T. Kat:

Controller: by Jon Keys:

The words I’d screamed into the quiet room seemed to echo forever. If there had been a time I wanted an undo button on my life, this would be that time. In spite of my careful logic, I prepared myself for the reaction I knew was coming. The sound of a ripe melon being thumped sounded in the room, followed by a yelp. I traced the noise to find Michael frowning at someone who was rubbing the back of their head.

“You clumsy dumbass. Plug the fucking thing back in.”

Take Flight: by Cia Nordwell:

The trip through the forest was disturbing. A worrying thought kept circling through Birch’s mind. Actions… reactions… Shit! Birch didn’t know anything about magic.

And that was a problem.

How was he going to figure out how to fix the magic when the only thing he’d done magical was an accident? Sayer had mentioned Birch’s instincts guiding his use of fae magic… but as a human he shouldn’t have been able to use magic at all.

Right?

How was he supposed to know alone? Sayer should be there with him. Birch clenched his fist over the mane he was holding.

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Sealed in Stone #22: by Tali Spencer:

Sovesa did not take Torrey to Cyrrhi’s audience hall. He followed a short distance to the vaulted passage leading to the Queen’s bedchamber. The warriors standing guard at the entrance bowed their heads to let them pass.

Torrey would have preferred the audience chamber. There he was useful. Here… had the time finally come? The thought of Cyrrhi taking him sexually nauseated him—not because she did, but because he could not envision himself performing that act. His knees turned weak when Sovesa led him to one of the pleasure rooms off the main bedchamber.

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Catherine’s Revenge – Ch 6: by Nephylim: