Month: January 2021

Snippet Sunday – One of My Many Talents

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and it’s Martin Luther King Jr’s weekend. Given the recent events in the US, it’s a good time to reflect on where we are, where we’ve come from, and what all is ahead of us. Systemic racism didn’t stop with the sixties (though it fell out of sight-out of mind for the white population) and now it’s being exposed again. We have so much work ahead, but it’ll be worth it.Take some time this weekend to reflect and see what small changes you can make in your own corner of the world. But today I’m showcasing THE CONCRETE ANGEL, a cocky bikers holiday tale, and a welcome fantasy and escape from the problems of our own world. In this snippet, we’re in Rochelle’s POV (all in first person) and she’s gotten home in time to see firefighters trying to stop her place from burning to the ground. Flint rides up on his bike and is the first to speak. ~~~~~~ “What the hell happened?” His sign language was short and angry. I grimaced. “Arsonist took out my shop and home because I’m a witch.” “Arsonist.” He repeated the word and his eyes narrowed. “Do you know who?” I shrugged. “Can’t be sure until I check the magical archives saved to the cloud, but I’m pretty sure it was Earl Creighton’s goons.” “Who’s Earl Creighton?” I grimaced. “Local city councilman. The bastards who were trying to throw me off the cliff mentioned him.” He nodded and a small smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “You can save magic to an archival cloud?” I couldn’t help the smirk. “Yup. One of my many talents.” “That’s fuckin’ cool.” Flint turned his head to watch the firefighters battling the blaze consuming my home. “So this Creighton tried to take you out?” I shrugged. “Yup. Twice now.” His expression turned to granite. “Then he’ll pay.” I nodded, but I was too tired to do anything about it that night. “It’s getting close to Yule.” He blinked. “Yule?” He spelled the word out in letters. “Yeah, you know, ‘deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa-la-la-la-la’?” I gave him a sardonic smirk. “Any of that ringin’ a bell?” To my surprise, he shrugged. “You don’t celebrate Yule?” He shrugged again. “Not for a long time.” His response totally derailed my misery and sorrow. “Well, we gotta change that. But first we have to find a place that’s warm, dry, and has good food.” He smiled and nodded to his bike. “I know a place like that.” ~~~~~~~ It’s always good to have backup and a warm place to go. 😉 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, Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Here’s the blurb for THE CONCRETE ANGEL: Now Available! The weather outside is frightful, and so are the goons trying to toss me off a snowy cliff… Rochelle Stone, Earth Witch Speaking out against a local bigwig who’s terrified of witches when you actually are a witch attracts trouble. Only the timely intervention of a big, hot biker dude saves me from a modern-day execution. He says he’s security for the Concrete Angels Motorcycle Club, but I know he’s more than that. I’ve always had an affinity for stones, and my affinity for Flint is through the roof. He’s hard as a rock and my hands tingle when I touch him. He doesn’t speak aloud, but his talented hands tell me plenty… Now if I can just get the jackass trying to kill me off my back, it’ll be a golden holiday for sure. Humans. They’re either gloriously happy or dismally miserable. Flint, Concrete Angels’ Security With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve been looking for a quiet place to collect my thoughts. But that’s when Earl Creighton’s goons try to throw a woman off my local cliff. I normally don’t get involved with human troubles, but something about this woman captivates me beyond reason. We share a one-night stand and I know she’s meant to be mine. But Rochelle is no one’s property and she might not sign Loki’s contract. If she refuses, I’ll have to let her go and that will crack the foundation of my soul. No pressure, right? Havoc, hexes, and holidays: It’s the most wonderful time of year…

Read More

#ThursThreads – Week 446 – Winners

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Week 446 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we head toward the end of our ninth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for sticking with us. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to David Ludwig for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Silver James | @SilverJames_ Karen Carr | @KileAuthor Kelly Heinen | @Aightball David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Louisa Bacio | @Lousiabacio David says: There was a lot of great dialogue and immersive scenes making this week a joy to read, and definitely something I needed to see. Tremendous thanks to everyone who participated, and to our generous host. Honorable Mention Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio David says: The characters really made this one for me, from the impressively unimpressive guard to the resourceful Natalie. And I particularly loved the line “Her patience stretched as thin as his hairline.” winner announcement Week 446 Winner Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea David says: Distinct compelling voice is a major strength I’ve observed in your writing. This week particularly blew me away with the tight artistry of your execution, like the clever wordplay of Mona weeping Waters’ name. Strong imagery throughout riveted my attention as well, including Mona shriveling “like a piece of burnt plastic”. There still seem to be plenty more twists and excitement coming in this compelling detective story! Answering Death’s Door The pounding on the Penthouse’s door didn’t let up. And there was no escape hatch. And I didn’t have a gun. “I’ll get that,” I said. Chivalry, or stupidity, wasn’t dead. “No, don’t,” she screamed. “Do you know who it is?” I asked quickly. “Waters,” she wept. I froze for a second, my hand on the doorknob. “We will bring him up to speed, whatever that is,” I tossed out in my panic, her panic. “He’ll only run us over,” she spat out. “That’s the only speed he cares about.” Suddenly, my hand jerked the lever and opened Mona’s door. A smiling Wick Waters filled the open frame. “Well, Peeper. How cozy. “ Waters didn’t wait to be asked in. He barged pass me yelling, “Mona, my condolences.” I glanced at Mona on the sofa. She’d shrivelled up like a piece of burnt plastic. But not before she retrieved a small pistol from under the sofa cushion and fired three times. Waters fell to the floor like an overweight bridge suicide, blood gushing all over the white carpet. Mona’s hand clung to the weapon like a bathtub safety bar. Me, I froze once again. I then stepped out of the potential line of fire. As I did, the pistol followed me. I had no idea what was percolating in her murderous brain. All I was thinking was…keep the mask on, safely distance, don’t get shot, and…it’s definitely the right time to maybe write up my bucket list. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY-EIGHT TIME WINNER Bill, and Honorable Mentions Louisa! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

Read More

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 446

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of Paranormal & Dauntless Romance. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing. We’re in the middle of our ninth year of weekly prompts. It’s amazing we’ve gone this long! This is Week 446 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Want to keep up each week? Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook and the Group on MeWe. 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 in the post (or be excluded from judging) Include your Twitter handle or email in the post (so we don’t have to look for 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, MeWe, and Google Plus, etc. Our Judge for Week 446: Fantasy Author, and Holder of Several Stories, David Ludwig. Facebook | Twitter And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “We will bring him up to speed.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Comments do not represent the views of the host and the host reserves the right to remove any content. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

Read More

Tattoo & Teddy Bear Tuesday: Pete Towers

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Good morning! It’s the new year and a time to get our ducks in a row – if you have ducks or even some sort of line to follow. I don’t but I’m trying. Mostly have dogs from the movie UP, where they see something and immediately go, “SQUIRREL!” So I think we need a true distraction and something to keep us focused, right? This week, the hot Tattooed Hero is all tattoo and very little teddy bear, but he’s here to warm up your fantasies. At that point you won’t need ducks or a row. We’re only 12 days into the new year and it’s already shaping up to be eventful. What’s that Chinese curse? “May your life always be exciting.” Yeah, okay, I’m good with some downtime, thanks. Maybe with this hot tattooed man. Meet Pete Towers. He’s a model for FURIOUS FOTOG and he makes a great bad boy. Pete is available for romance cover images. You can get this tattooed hot man in all sorts of settings. Check him out. There’s always enough bad boy to go around. Thanks to Golden Czermak of Furious Fotog for the permission to share this image with all y’all. Happy Tattoo & Teddy Bear Tuesday!

Read More

Monday Motivation – Persistence

Posted on by Siobhan Muir
Great Horned Owl taking flight from Prickly Pear cactus pads. Text: Monday Motivation: Jumpstart your week! https://siobhanmuir.com

Good morning! How’s your new year going so far? Okay, okay, don’t laugh. It’s going to be fine, eventually, and we’ll all get into the swing of things here soon. Like getting this post up on time and writing. So, you ready? Good! Have you ever started a project, either exercising, or eating right, or a research project or even a novel, and just felt that no matter what you do, nothing is happening? No progress is being made? This is the way with most projects. They take a lot of work to get moving, often because you’re on a learning curve and trying something new. It’s like pushing a boulder. It takes a lot of effort to get it moving but once it is, the going gets easier. It’s the same with any project or endeavor. It takes a lot of start-up effort. Take working out to release weight and get your body healthier. At first, you don’t see much change except you’re more tired and there are muscle aches. Your clothes are still tight and the scale is givin’ you the stink-eye. But, gradually, it gets easier to get on the treadmill or the elliptical or the rower or the stationary bike, pick up those free weights, do those leg lifts and squats and crunches and lunges, and over time your body changes. It becomes stronger and the efforts become easier. Your clothes either loosen up or fit better and you can see the changes in the mirror. Once when I was whining about not releasing weight, a friend reminded me that the fat has to come off the internal organs before it comes off the surface. I had to burn that fat first before I could see the changes on the outside. Which totally sucks and helps sabotage our efforts when we see nothing. Here’s the thing. The ocean beats on the shorelines, many made up of hard rock geology, and slowly, the rock is worn away. It’s not fast. It’s not large bits at a time. Change is incremental. But the ocean never gives up and is persistent, and eventually the ground gives way. Whatever you’re struggling with right now – no matter what changes don’t seem to be happening – keep at it. Don’t give up even if you don’t “see” the changes, they are happening. Your focus, drive, and determination really do matter and do make a difference. Focus on your goal and don’t listen to the naysayers, even your own “eyes”, and keep going. You’re stronger than your doubts, you’re stronger than your fears, and you will achieve your goals. You got this. Be the ocean. What tricks have you learned that work for you to keep your determination alive?

Read More

Snippet Sunday – Don’t Be Fooled

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday. Happy New Year 2021! We made it to the turning of the calendar and all the possibilities for improvement are ahead of us. That’s something to be thankful for. I’m showcasing THE CONCRETE ANGEL, a cocky bikers holiday tale. And the cover is up at AllAuthor for Cover of the Month. Will you vote for it? In this snippet, we’re in Rochelle’s POV (all in first person) and she’s reading a letter her best friend found in her shop from her mother. ~~~~~~Recently, there’s been an election of the new city council for Fort Collins. Most of the candidates are pretty good people and seem to have good heads on their shoulders. They want to see the city progress toward inclusiveness, understanding, and wellness. But there’s this one guy, Earl Creighton, who has some destructive energy to him. I always feel uneasy when I’m around him and he appears to be rather fanatically fundamentalist in his approach to things. He doesn’t like me or our shop at all. I grimaced as I recalled Joslyn’s remarks about Councilman Creighton’s statements in the meeting. His views apparently hadn’t changed in the last three years. A few weeks ago, I received a Goddess Message. You were out with your friends doing the LGBTQ fundraiser and I’d closed the shop for lunch. The vision showed me I’m going to die, murdered by a goon trying to rob the shop. It’ll be presented as a robbery and the cops will see what they want to see and let it go at that. They won’t find who ordered the hit, but it’s meant to look like an unfortunate result of someone desperate for money. Don’t be fooled, Rochelle. It’s not that. The Goddess told me Earl Creighton is behind it and he will continue to erode all the good the new city council will try to build. He’s poison and decay for something so plain as money and perceived power. You need to be careful of him because he’ll come after you once he’s gotten rid of me. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand as my tears flowed. Sweet Goddess, Earl Creighton had killed my mother! And she knew it was going to happen. Why, dammit? Why didn’t she do anything to stop it if she knew it would happen beforehand?~~~~~~~ That’s a horrible question and an awful choice. 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, Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. And please Vote for the THE CONCRETE ANGEL in the Cover of the Month contest Here’s the blurb for THE CONCRETE ANGEL: Coming Soon! The weather outside is frightful, and so are the goons trying to toss me off a snowy cliff… Rochelle Stone, Earth Witch Speaking out against a local bigwig who’s terrified of witches when you actually are a witch attracts trouble. Only the timely intervention of a big, hot biker dude saves me from a modern-day execution. He says he’s security for the Concrete Angels Motorcycle Club, but I know he’s more than that. I’ve always had an affinity for stones, and my affinity for Flint is through the roof. He’s hard as a rock and my hands tingle when I touch him. He doesn’t speak aloud, but his talented hands tell me plenty… Now if I can just get the jackass trying to kill me off my back, it’ll be a golden holiday for sure. Humans. They’re either gloriously happy or dismally miserable. Flint, Concrete Angels’ Security With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve been looking for a quiet place to collect my thoughts. But that’s when Earl Creighton’s goons try to throw a woman off my local cliff. I normally don’t get involved with human troubles, but something about this woman captivates me beyond reason. We share a one-night stand and I know she’s meant to be mine. But Rochelle is no one’s property and she might not sign Loki’s contract. If she refuses, I’ll have to let her go and that will crack the foundation of my soul. No pressure, right? Havoc, hexes, and holidays: It’s the most wonderful time of year…

Read More

#ThursThreads – New Year Edition – Winners

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

New Year Editiong (Week 445) of #ThursThreads had several fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale during the holiday. I hope you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Mark Ethridge for judging at the end of the old year. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Mark A. Morris Silver James | @SilverJames_ David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mention Louisa Bacio | @Louisabacio Mark says: Those three deadly words. Impossible to fight those words. winner announcement Week 445 Winner M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Mark says: She gets the win because: Latin curses gone all wrong. 🙂 Last Call The corporate lawyers flooded into the board room, quoting Latin legal phrases about due process. They were just a series of fractured phrases crashing together in my head. Habeas Corpus Delicti, Ex Parte, post facto, quid pro quo It sounded like a conjuring in a bad ‘made for television’ movie but even as they spoke I couldn’t help but think, ‘He should be here.’ “To Negotiate this settlement we can proceed without Daniels being present,” the chief lawyer stated. “How?” “How what?” he asked, and I could tell from the expression on his face he was trying to find out who had invited me and fire them. “How can you ‘settle’ a complaint that has no grounds, against a man who’s not here and give away the company he created?” I asked. “You do know that he’s your boss, right?” “And as such, we have the right, no the duty to keep the company solvent in his absence,” he chief lawyer said, to a course of what sounded like Latin agreement. “He should be here,” I sighed “Should doesn’t stop the clock. If and when he returns, we will bring him up to speed.” “If and when?” I asked. “He went to the bathroom. He’s been gone three minutes.” In the background under their breaths, I heard the final portion of their incantation. “Ipso facto, quod erat demonstrandum.” I’m not sure what was proven, but in the morning I was there and they weren’t. Perhaps they mispronounced ‘demonstrandum.’ ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Fifteen Time Winner M.T., and Honorable Mention Louisa! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

Read More