Tag Archives: Cia Nordwell

Wednesday Briefs: December 13, 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 #96 (20.5) by Julie Lynn Hayes

“You want to talk to me about your engagement? How sweet.” His eyebrows raised in an affectation of surprise even as he glanced back and forth between us. “So, I take it you’d like some advice? Color schemes? Menu choices? What font to use on your invitations? Ask away. Mayvbe you’d like me to give the bride away?” This was said with a wink at me.

As if.

Ethan’s response was to laugh, a deep, rich sound that showed me he wasn’t in the least intimidated by this lowlife scum sitting before us. I wish I could have said the same.

“If we wanted or needed that

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Wednesday Briefs: November 29, 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 #94 (20.3) by Julie Lynn Hayes

We were shown into a private room off the main hallway. The only furniture in the room was a table and three chairs. And in the single chair across from us, sitting there with the smuggest expression on his smarmy face, was… you know who.

The Florida Mangler himself. The man who’d killed our late partner, Eva June, among others. The man who’s kidnapped me and held me hostage for reasons I still didn’t comprehend. I won’t add injury to insult by referring to him as the alleged Florida Mangler, even though he hadn’t been to trial yet and wasn’t everyone innocent until proven guilty, because we knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was the Mangler. Despite whatever his lawyer might or might not plead when the time came, up to and including insanity. But I didn’t believe for one moment that Chip was crazy, just very evil.

If I’d expected Chip

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Wednesday Briefs: November 15, 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 #93 (20.1) by Julie Lynn Hayes

The Clay County Detention Center/ was a more imposing structure than I had imagined it would be for such a small town. It probably housed inmates from many areas of northern Florida, I surmised. We’d received instructions from Anderson on what was expected of us, and left everything inside the vehicle, including our weapons. Neither Ethan nor I cared for that idea, but we had no choice. The rules applied to law enforcement visitors as well as others. I supposed it would be different if we were dropping off or picking up. But as Chip was already there, and I had no intention of taking him with us (the very thought made me shudder), we followed their instructions before we made our approach to the edifice.

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Wednesday Briefs: November 8, 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 #92 (20.1) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Chip, aka the Florida Mangler, was being held in the Clay County Jail, in Green Cove Springs, Florida. His trial hadn’t happened yet, which was why he wasn’t in prison, and he was being held without bail, so I knew he wasn’t getting out any time soon. Under Florida law, a judge had the right to rule that a particularly violent crime warranted withholding bail, deeming that person to be a threat to society. Considering what Chip was accused of, that decision seemed to be a no-brainer.

Normally, according to what the website for the jail said, visitation had to be scheduled 24 hours in advance. But Anderson was able to get that formality waived for us—don’t ask me how,

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Wednesday Briefs: November 1, 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 #92 (20.1) by Julie Lynn Hayes

Chip, aka the Florida Mangler, was being held in the Clay County Jail, in Green Cove Springs, Florida. His trial hadn’t happened yet, which was why he wasn’t in prison, and he was being held without bail, so I knew he wasn’t getting out any time soon. Under Florida law, a judge had the right to rule that a particularly violent crime warranted withholding bail, deeming that person to be a threat to society. Considering what Chip was accused of, that decision seemed to be a no-brainer.

Normally, according to what the website for the jail said,

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Wednesday Briefs: October 25, 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 #91 (19.3) by Julie Lynn Hayes

 “I’m sorry, baby, I’m sorry,” Ethan murmured in a continuous stream, his breath warm in my ear, his strong arms like a lifeline I could not seem to let go of had I even wanted to, while I continued to sob my heart out. I was angry, and I was frightened, and even a little guilty for yelling at Ethan when I knew everything he did was in my best interest. Our best interest.

“You know I wouldn’t put you through this unless I thought it was absolutely necessary. We can’t go on with this hanging over our heads. It needs to stop. Now.” His hands stroked my back in soothing circles while I worked at evening out my breathing.

Suddenly aware we were

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Wednesday Briefs: October 18, 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 #91 (19.3) by Julie Lynn Hayes

“I’m sorry, baby, I’m sorry,” Ethan murmured in a continuous stream, his breath warm in my ear, his strong arms like a lifeline I could not seem to let go of had I even wanted to, while I continued to sob my heart out. I was angry, and I was frightened, and even a little guilty for yelling at Ethan when I knew everything he did was in my best interest. Our best interest.

“You know I wouldn’t put you through this unless I thought it was absolutely necessary. We can’t go on with this hanging over our heads. It needs to stop. Now.” His hands stroked my back in soothing circles while I worked at evening out my breathing.

Suddenly aware we were not alone, I glanced around us. No one was paying us any particular attention, for which

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Wednesday Briefs: October 11, 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 #90 (19.2) by Julie Lynn Hayes

I admit that there are times when I can be somewhat oblivious to the world around me, especially when I’m with Ethan. But even I couldn’t help but notice that we were not headed in the direction I had assumed we’d be traveling. I shot Ethan a confused glance. “Aren’t we going home?”

Ethan didn’t answer immediately, which sent a chill creeping down my spine. Was something wrong that I was unaware of? What now? Hadn’t we

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Wednesday Briefs: October 4, 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 Twenty-six by Cia Nordwell
 
The one-eyed-winking windbag, as Beckett dubbed him in his mind, looked like a tube that had been unrolled, then inflated partway. Lumpy, with no real defined shape, it still filled the entire archway that appeared to have a set of stairs leading down into a squat stone building. Every time the thing breathed out of holes on either side of its eye, it emitted a cloud of… something foul into the air with a greenish tinge. The mix of cooked broccoli and three week old gym socks made Beckett gag and then have to swallow down a thin stream of
 
 

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Wednesday Briefs: September 20, 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 #87 (18.3) by Julie Lynn Hayes

That night I dreamed about Eva June. Probably the of Chip, not to mention the baby gator, had brought everything to the forefront of my mind in a jumbled cachopany of memories… with a little extra embellishment.  In my dreams, Ethan and I were back where we’d found her lifeless mangled body behind the restaurant where we’d been supposed to meet her. But in my dream, when we threw open the car door, she floated out from the driver’s seat, cackling in a most hideous manner.

“Are you happy now?” she said to me in an accusary tone. “I know you never liked me, did you? You were always so mean to me. Can’t a girl have a little fun without your making fun of her?”

I turned and tried to run,

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