Tag Archives: Cia Nordwell

Wednesday Briefs: July 5, 2023

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.

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #79 (16.3) by Julie Lynn Hayes

“What were you mad about?” Ethan asked cautiously. I didn’t look up, afraid to be seen as staring at Ethan’s brother. I wasn’t even sure he’d want to answer the question. But his comment seemed like a cry for help almost. I don’t think I’d ever seen Joey so…what was the right word? Vulnerable. Human, even.

“A lot of things.” Joey sighed. I noticed he never stopped stroking Benny. Not that our pup was likely to complain. He seemed pretty comfortable right where he was. “You. Sarah. Mom. Dad. Heather.” He paused for a moment, and no one broke the silence. “Maybe me most of all, I dunno.”

Wow, that was candor I never expected

Click here to read the entire Brief:

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: June 28, 2023

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.

Newberg: A Small Town Anthology – Prologue by J Ray Lamb

I decided to chronicle the story of the people who lived in Newberg: the public lives lived and the private lies hidden. Newberg is just like every other amalgamation of people. It has gossip, scandal, and intrigue. I was a resident of Newberg for twenty years – a native son born to outsiders. I would grow up, have my morals shaped and broken, and learn valuable lessons of the duplicity of human existence. When I left, I swore I would never return. Never is a powerful word that often doesn’t mean what it says on the tin. Now, some five decades…

Click here to read the entire Brief:

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: June 21, 2023

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.

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #78 (16.2) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Nothing was said at first, we simply sipped our sweet tea and stared out into the backyard, where the laundry floated gently on the breeze. Benny raced about the yard like a madman. He’d spotted a rabbit and, despite the fact the little fella offered him no harm, insisted on chasing it. But the bunny managed to keep well out of Benny’s grasp, to our amusement. I wasn’t worried that our boy might actually catch and harm the rabbit. I think the fun lay in the sheer physicality of the chase.

“I always wanted to have a dog,” Joey broke the silence. That surprised me. I just couldn’t imagine him being interested in another living creature that wasn’t him. Of course, he’d obviously been married, but I’d never seen him

Click here to read the entire Brief:

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: June 7, 2023

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.

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #76 (15.6) by Julie Lynn Hayes

For that time of year, the temperature was fairly pleasant, being in the mid-fifties. Sunshine radiated down upon us as Ethan gave me a quick lesson in how to hang laundry. Not like it was rocket science or anything, but I wasn’t complaining. Gave me an excuse to have his hand over mine was he explained the intricacies of clothespin placement, punctuated by occasional kisses of approval.

Let’s be honest. Sleeping on the floor in the living room, with Ethan’s uncle, as well as Troy and Brendan, close at hand was not conducive to making love in any way shape or form. I was grateful that we could even snuggle together. But I wasn’t complaining, not really. I knew we’d make up for lost time as soon as we could. Probably after Benny gave his testimony and that was all taken care of.

“Thank you,” he

Click here to read the entire Brief:

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: May 31, 2023

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.

Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Thirteen by Cia Nordwell
 

By the time he was dry, Beckett and Valrinda had a long talk. Valrinda had flown all sorts of places, and he knew of the city that Beckett thought he’d seen, but he’d never been there. “I know the path at least.”  

“Of course you do,” Beckett mumbled. “Wouldn’t make sense for you to be my guide if you didn’t.” This was all too coincidental—too easy—for him to believe it was real. Maybe he was in a coma. He did have a great imagination, one teacher had once said. Too bad real life, and his dad, was trying
 
 

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: May 24, 2023

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.

Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Twelve by Cia Nordwell
 

“What do you know?” Valrinda asked.  

Beckett thought hard. It was only… yesterday? How could it only be yesterday with all that had happened? He’d been in the bathroom with Parallax in his arms, then in a freezing cold forest with that same cat, but somehow, he’d been completely different. “Well, Parallax said he was the embodiment of the Cosmos, not it’s guardian,” he pointed out.  

“And you think that the very fabric of space and time needs a physical being to not protect it?” One of Valrinda’s eye ridges went up.  

“Okay, fair point.” Beckett tried to think back

 

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: May 17, 2023

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.

Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Eleven by Cia Nordwell
 

“How come I know your name?”  

And he wanted to smack himself in the forehead. That was not the first question that Beckett actually wanted to ask. Or thought he should ask. Of course it was the first one that popped out. He tried to think back BTT or as his brain was already labeling it, Before The Touch, capitals all the way. Beckett stepped back. “You never said it, right?” He might as well find out.  

“I’m your guide.” Valrinda shuffled his weight on those huge clawed feet of his and then winced. “Why are you in so much

 
 

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: May 3, 2023

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.

Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Ten by Cia Nordwell

Twin thumps outside rattled his tree, startling Beckett awake in his soft bed where he’d spent the best hours of sleep he’d had in weeks. He bolted up, looking around wildly. Then he collapsed back, groaning. He was still there. He’d slept so hard, dreamless for once, that he’d been sure he’d wake up in his own bed.

Not that this bed wasn’t tons better. His head wasn’t throbbing for once and his stomach wasn’t churning. He wasn’t even hungry. Other than being stuck in this dream, he was overall feeling pretty good.

“Come out, little human,” a voice boomed.

Click her to read the entire Brief:

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: April 26, 2023

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.

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #70 (15.1) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Hours later we were back at Ethan’s parents’ house. The agents were back in position, and all the tires had been taken care of, courtesy of the US government. We’d had a long discussion with Anderson while we waited. He wasn’t entirely convinced the threat was over, but for now it was under control. He told us to lay low for a couple more days, if Ethan’s parents were agreeable, and then take Benny to Atlanta. Once he testified, Anderson had a feeling this nonsense would be over.

To my surprise, the minister was not only amenable to the idea of our staying, but said he hoped we would.  Ethan’s mother was delighted, of course, to spend more time with her brother and her son. Sarah chose to return to Mercy’s house, but they weren’t all that far away, so I suspected we would see them again before we left. I saw

Click here to read the entire Brief:

Continue reading

Wednesday Briefs: April 19, 2023

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.

Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Seven by Cia Nordwell
 

“Hey! Where are we going?” They’d left the other creatures behind quickly, but that didn’t mean the world had gone quiet around us. The spring temperatures rapidly moved toward an early summer feel and the heady mix of treen leaves and flowers filled the air along with the buzz of insects and calls of other… things. Beckett wasn’t sure what they were after what he’d seen so far, and that made him nervous.  

“Your new home.” The tiny dragon’s wings flapped fast, not hummingbird speed or anything, but enough that Beckett was able to walk at a comfortable speed behind

 

Continue reading