LGBT Monday: THIRDS Beyond the Books Vol. 1

Author: Charlie Cochet
Series: THIRDS
Released: June 8th 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner
Length: 164 pages
Source: Bought
Buy: Amazon
         Dreamspinner Press

Join us as we celebrate the THIRDS universe with this collection of flash fiction stories written to prompts submitted by fans. Sometimes we want to know more about our favorite characters. Where they came from, how they became who they are, their families, friendships, and past heartaches. These snippets of moments in time offer an inside look at the lives of our favorite THIRDS characters. Whether it’s first shifts, the forging of unbreakable bonds, or a night full of shenanigans, these stories are sure to enrich your THIRDS reading experience.

** All royalties earned from THIRDS Beyond the Books are being donated to Big Cat Rescue. 

Thursday has been a day of worship for all THIRDS fans ever since Charlie thought of and started the (in)famous THIRDS Thursdays. THIRDS Thursdays include free flash fiction based on readers’ prompts, but also character interviews, various quizzes and lots of other things. The most popular, of course, is the actual flash fiction for which the readers constantly send their wishes and prompts. It can be anything, as long as it respects the timeline and doesn’t spoil the storylines that have yet to be published.


THIRDS Thursdays are something for which the fans (especially members of the THIRDS Nerds group on Facebook) are eternally grateful. They make waiting for the next book much easier and, because Charlie is who she is, they tend to make us roar with laughter. If you’re a latecomer or entirely new to the series, it can be a challenge to dig up older Thursday posts and follow the proper timeline, so when Charlie and Dreamspinner decided to publish all of her flash fiction in two volumes, I applauded the idea wholeheartedly. THIRDS Thursdays tend to jump back and forth on the timeline, ranging from Dex’s childhood to something that happens right after the newly released book. In Beyond the Books, the flash fiction is in chronological order, which helps with knowing when to stop if you haven’t read all the books.

In this first volume, among other things, we see Dex and Cael as they come to live with their adoptive father. We follow Cael on his first date and witness the embarrassment of Tony’s special sex ed. Charlie writes about Dex’s first days as an HPF officer, the first meeting of Calvin and Hobbs, as well as Cael and Ash’s first encounter. We also get a much needed insight into Seb and Hudson’s tragic relationship and above all, we get to enjoy several amazing moments with Sloane and Dex.

There aren’t many authors who are this good to their fans, and Charlie deserves all our support for doing what she does with such joy and grace. After this comes Smoke & Mirrors, which goes back to Sloane and Dex after two books focused on other couples. We were left with a giant cliffhanger in Catch a Tiger, which means that we’re all pretty desperate to get our greedy little hands on our copies. I already have mine, and if you don’t, you really should catch up and pre-order yours.

THIRDS Nerds FTW!