Month: November 2022

**RELEASE DAY** – Broken Chains

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s Release Day for BROKEN CHAINS, the fifth book in the Summit Springs Sapphic Romance series!. Woohoo! I’m so pleased this book is out where you can enjoy it. It was a a delight to write. So I got invited to join in writing with a group of great authors in a new Sapphic romance series and I couldn’t be more delighted. I’ve never written a Sapphic/wlw romance and it as so fun to put some of the themes I’ve seen in m/f romantic suspense to work for these ladies. It practically wrote itself and of course, love always wins. Here’s the blurb: Some inheritances are to die for. Merida Roark was happy, leading an ordinary life as a bike mechanic at Scratchin’ Gravel Bike Shop in Summit Springs, Colorado, far away from her estranged family, and the past she thought long buried. Until the day an envelope arrives with an unexpected inheritance. Tam Grimes was an FBI profiler before a serious work injury ended her career. She moved to Summit Springs for a fresh start in the peace and quiet. Falling in love was not part of her plans, but when a bike chain eats her leg and Merida patches her up, Tam finds herself drawn to the beautiful mechanic. Their fragile relationship is tested when Merida’s home is savagely vandalized. The police have no leads, but it doesn’t take Tam long to realize the threat to her new lover is connected to her hidden past. When things go from disturbing to dangerous, Tam must use all her skills to untangle this web before someone removes Merida from the equation…permanently. Excerpt of BROKEN CHAINS “I’ll be fine, really.” The sharp-eyed woman tried to get up, but Merida held her with one hand on her shoulder. “Sit for just a moment. Do you like tea?” She blinked. “What?” “Do you like tea? I have a special blend that makes everything better. It’s a black tea so there’s a little kick, in terms of caffeine. Better than coffee, I promise.”  The woman snorted in disbelief, but Merida ducked away before she could open her mouth to decline. Merida hurried to the back where she found the tea steeping. Isley must have made it while on the phone. She poured two mugs and left one for Isley before she grabbed the first aid kit. Theirs was a special kit she’d made with some herbal remedies that helped with pain and skin damage. Oh, they had the typical antibiotic ointment and alcohol wipes, but they’d added some topical essential oils that seemed to work like magic. “Okay, let’s take a look at that leg.” “Who are you?” The sharpness of the question surprised Merida, but she waved it off as an indication of just how much pain the woman was in. “My name’s Merida. Take this. It’ll help.” She handed the woman the mug of tea. She narrowed her hazel eyes and took the mug, sniffing cautiously. “What is it?” “Tea. A special blend from Caffeine Ivy’s in town. It tastes like chocolate and love and romance all rolled into one.” She grinned as she knelt at the stranger’s feet and slowly peeled away the blood-soaked bandana. They both hissed at the same time, Merida in sympathy. “Oh glory. That looks so painful. I’ll get it cleaned up quick.” She shook her head as she used some bottled water to wet a washcloth in the kit. “This might sting a bit, but we have to get it clean.” The other woman tightened her jaw and nodded. “Go ahead.” “Okay.” She took a deep breath and gently wiped away the excess blood. “The tea is one of my favorites. I think the owners of the coffee shop made it based on one of their favorite books. The flavor just makes you want to snuggle in warm blankets and read fantasy or fairytales.” She scrubbed the dried blood off the uninjured portions of the woman’s leg. A snort sounded above her. “Seriously?” Merida nodded with a tiny smirk. “Try it if you don’t believe me.” The stranger humphed and brought the tea to her lips as Merida worked. A disbelieving murmur followed, and Merida swallowed her grin. Once she’d gotten the wound cleaned, she patted it dry and inspected it for bits of dirt or grease from the chain. It had looked worse when she unwrapped it and she thought it would heal cleanly. “Okay, I’m going to put a little Frankincense oil on this.” “What?” Again, the sharp tone mixed with a sharp look. “What the hell for?” “Frankincense is a natural antibiotic to kill infections. Works just like a regular antibiotic gel.” She paused and met the woman’s gaze. “Are you okay with that?” Merida waited as the woman’s stare grew intense. She had the weird feeling the woman hadn’t had a lot of kindnesses freely given and responded as if the world lay full of threat. It occurred to her that asking for consent might be the only way to get the woman to trust. What the hell do I need her to trust me for? But she’d listened to her gut in all the most important decisions in her life, and it always paid off. Wait and see what it brings. For her, and for you. The voice of wisdom was old and infrequent, but like her gut, was always right. The woman nodded slowly, and Merida dabbed the oil on, coating the wound. She wiped her hands on a clean washcloth and opened a gauze pad. She taped it around the strong calf muscle, trying not to admire the leg too much. Not all women liked undue feminine attention. Merida nodded. “Okay, I think we got it fixed up. You feel okay?” The intense look remained as the silence stretched. Merida fell into the hazel gaze, wishing she knew the woman’s name so she could brand the memory of the power of her with a title beyond Queen of…

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Snippet Sunday – Wait and See What it Brings

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and we’ve had our first snow of the season. Bring on the hot tea! I have a new release coming THIS WEEK and you can get it right now on pre-order so it shows up on Tuesday. It’s my new Sapphic romantic suspense with a mountain bike mechanic and a retired FBI agent. Both women are in their forties and getting a second chance at life and love. In this snippet, you meet Merida Roark, mountain bike mechanic in the Scratchin’ Gravel Bike Shop, and she’s found a woman she really likes at first look. ~~~~~~ Merida waited as the woman’s stare grew intense. She had the weird feeling the woman hadn’t had a lot of kindnesses freely given and responded as if the world lay full of threat. It occurred to her that asking for consent might be the only way to get the woman to trust. What the hell do I need her to trust me for? But she’d listened to her gut in all the most important decisions in her life, and it always paid off. Wait and see what it brings. For her, and for you. The voice of wisdom was old and infrequent, but like her gut, was always right. The woman nodded slowly, and Merida dabbed the oil on, coating the wound. She wiped her hands on a clean washcloth and opened a gauze pad. She taped it around the strong calf muscle, trying not to admire the leg too much. Not all women liked undue feminine attention. Merida nodded. “Okay, I think we got it fixed up. You feel okay?” The intense look remained as the silence stretched. Merida fell into the hazel gaze, wishing she knew the woman’s name so she could brand the memory of the power of her with a title beyond Queen of Intensity. “Hey, Merida. I talked to—Oh, sorry. What’s going on?” Isley appeared over the Queen’s shoulder, their expression uneasy. “Uh, Miss…” Merida trailed off as she gestured to the seated woman. “Grimes.” The tone remained guarded and stiff as the woman stood. “Ms. Grimes came in with a wound because her chain jumped the sprocket and grabbed her leg. I couldn’t let her bleed, so I taped it up.” Merida got to her feet and cleaned up the first aid kit. “I’m gonna put this away before I take a look at the bike.” ~~~~~~~ At least Merida is listening to her gut. 😉 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, Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Here’s the blurb for BROKEN CHAINS: Available Here Some inheritances are to die for. Merida Roark was happy, leading an ordinary life as a bike mechanic at Scratchin’ Gravel Bike Shop in Summit Springs, Colorado, far away from her estranged family, and the past she thought long buried. Until the day an envelope arrives with an unexpected inheritance. Tam Grimes was an FBI profiler before a serious work injury ended her career. She moved to Summit Springs for a fresh start in the peace and quiet. Falling in love was not part of her plans, but when a bike chain eats her leg and Merida patches her up, Tam finds herself drawn to the beautiful mechanic. Their fragile relationship is tested when Merida’s home is savagely vandalized. The police have no leads, but it doesn’t take Tam long to realize the threat to her new lover is connected to her hidden past. When things go from disturbing to dangerous, Tam must use all her skills to untangle this web before someone removes Merida from the equation…permanently.

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Siobhan Muir’s #ThursThreads Tales from October 2022

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Welcome to the monthly round up of all my #ThursThreads tales. Happy Gratitude Day Month! The autumn weather ran away and now we have snow and really cold temperatures in Cheyenne. Weirdly so. We haven’t hit negatives in Cheyenne since 2014 so it’s gonna be cold this year. It’s still hot tea and cider kind of weather, with a dose of electric blanket and rarely moving, lol. So, on to the ‘Threads. Most of these bits are of upcoming tales, written to prompts from the #ThursThreads #flashfiction challenge I host each Thursday. We’re starting with Week 531 through Week 534 and I’ve collected them in one place. September had four Thursdays, but one of those had a double prompt, so you get two tales from me that day. So, here are four tales along with their dates and prompts. Happy reading! ~~~~~~~~~~ Week 531, October 6, 2022 Prompt: “How does it work again?” Martin woke to find everything silent—the pain, the aches, the fear, and the world around him. It took him a few moments to realize what was different. He’d never felt a lack of pain his whole life, but especially for the time he’d been a SEAL— He blinked under the mask. He remembered being a SEAL. He remembered growing up in Alaska and wanting nothing more than to go into the Navy where he could be near the water and still serve his country. He remembered his squad—Retro, Magic, Deli, Strafe, Padfoot, Keys and Smoke—and the tight camaraderie they’d shared. But he couldn’t remember the last mission or how he got to be where he was. At least I remember something. Had the others gotten injured on the same mission? The probability is high. It was always high when it came to Navy SEALs – hell, when it came to all the SpecOps teams. But he couldn’t remember that. He groaned and shifted in the bed, frustrated with his mind. How does it work again after an injury like this? Another sound intruded into his new-found awareness, and he froze. What the hell was that? Fear crawled up his spine. Someone was near him and he was laid up in the damn bed, immobilized, blind, and injured. He tensed for evasive action when a soft voice penetrated the panic building in his mind. “It’s Corbin, Martin. You’re safe. Do you want me to take off the sleeping mask?” 249 #StainlessSteelSEALs words ~~~~~~~~~~ Week 532, October 13, 2022 Prompt: “I would tell you if I could.” Roxanne pretended not to listen to the men talking. Well, not really men. One’s a centaur, and one’s a horned goblin. But they’re both definitely male. Corlith’s words came back to her on repeat. You’re not hot for her are you? ‘Cause you’re blushing like someone slapped your horse’s ass. She’d tried to go fill the water skins before she heard more, but her feet had stopped just out of sight and their voices still carried to her. It all came back to the kiss they’d shared in the Goddess’s temple. She’d kissed a centaur and she liked it. And Corlith wasn’t wrong. They weren’t even the same species. The logistics of anything more than kissing were beyond her powers of imagination, too. But still, the idea that Ambrose might have feelings for her… Yeah, you’re being an idiot, Bailey. She normally couldn’t care less what men wanted from her. She hadn’t found anyone who lit her fire and she’d been around a lot of men. But there was something about Ambrose that made her heart flutter and her cheeks heat like a teenage girl with her first crush. “Are you all right, Roxanne?” She blinked to find Ambrose peering at her with raised eyebrows. “I, uh, I would tell you if I could, but I’m not sure.” She shook her head. “We need water, right?” “Yup, water. Do you need some help?” “No, why?” He pointed at the water skins. “You going to fill those or just hold them?” 250 #Sirens words ~~~~~~~~~~ Week 533, October 20, 2022 Prompt: “They aren’t real.” Brandon stood up then pulled her close to wrap his arms around her. She was so surprised, she closed her arms around his waist as an automatic reaction. He sighed and warmth flooded through her. “Thank you. I needed this.” She was so stunned she couldn’t even smile as he released her and headed over to help saddle the horses. She stood there a few moments, trying to understand what happened. Was Brandon admitting he missed her? Was he saying he’d forgiven her for disappearing all those months before? They aren’t real unless he says them outright. Don’t jump to conclusions. But she could hope. Shaking herself into the present, she tacked up Aristotle and checked everyone had their things before they moved out. “Are you all right, Iliana?” Aristotle’s voice intruded on her thoughts. “Mm-hm, yup. I’m good.” She didn’t want to voice her thoughts, even to Aristotle. “Are you sure? You’ve been awfully quiet.” “Yeah, just thinking. It’s the desert. It brings out the introspection because, what else am I gonna do out here?” “Try not to get killed?” “Ha ha, so funny. How far is the border with Torhaine?” She shoved her thoughts about Brandon to the back of her mind as she focused on the path ahead. “About three more miles due west, and the next settlement is Quansea on the coast.” She blew out her breath. “Thank goodness. I’m so ready to be done with this desert.” 242 #IvoryRoad words ~~~~~~~~~~ Week 534, October 27, 2022 We had two winners for Week 533, so I wrote two tales each with the different prompts from the winning tales in Week 534. Prompt: “I think we all have them.” “Hey Corbin, good to hear from you. What’s going on?” Avery’s cheery voice soothed some of his concerns. “Not much. I wanted to give you an update on things here in California.” He took a deep…

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Woops (whups? Uh-oh)! I’ve been so Distracted

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Hey y’all! I’m so sorry I haven’t been here. Between the election (where I ran for the local school board) and Twitter dying (isn’t it just amazing?) and #NaNoWriMo, I’ve been really distracted and I didn’t post anything. So here are some images with what’s been going on. At the end of October, I released THE SAMHAIN SOLDIER, and all the promo that went with it.  If you haven’t gotten a copy, you can find it on all the retailers. https://siobhanmuir.com/the-samhain-soldier So what’s going on now? Other than very early COLD temps in Wyoming – it was -9 F this morning and not fun to be out in – I have another book coming on Tuesday, November 22 2022. That should warm y’all up since it was so friggin freezing today. Tomorrow is at least supposed to be in the 30s. Brr! But the book, right? Right. So I’m part of a group doing Sapphic (Lesbian) romance as a group series and I’m Book #5. BROKEN CHAINS is a romantic suspense set in the little town of Summit Springs, Colorado. There’s a whole series of these books and you can find all the books on my page and pre-order them all. https://siobhanmuir.com/broken-chains Because of the way the series is going, it’s only available on Amazon. Not my choice but the way it is. But you can pre-order it right now and it will show up on your Kindle first thing Tuesday morning. I joined NaNoWriMo this year to get some writing done (as if I’m not writing enough – as of this writing, I’ve written 331,311 words for the year!) and finish a couple of stories. I’m *this* close on the last book in my serial (THE KAROBIS CALLS) and on the second book in my new Sirens, Inc. series. I have a book cover for the first one in the series and the woman for the next one (THE SIREN AND THE SCIENTIST). So there’s lots coming even if I haven’t told you any of it until now, lol Thanks for being patient with me. Feel free to drop me a line (muir.siobhan@gmail.com) or connect with me on any of the social media platforms (with the exception of Twitter since it’s dying), and I hope your holidays will be wonderful. I should have a #ThursThreads post up here soon. Happy Reading! Siobhan

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#ThursThreads – Week 537 – Winners

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Week 537 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re in Year 10 and that’s an accomplishment in itself! Thank you to all y’all for coming back to write for all these years. I couldn’t have done it without you. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to David A. Ludwig for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the new #ThursThreads server on Discord to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Joseph P. Garland | @JPGarlandAuthor Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Silver James | @SilverJames_ Mark A. Morris Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Eric Martell | @drmag00 David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Honorable Mention Silver James | @SilverJames_ David says: Something about the levity of the inconvenienced morning in such a difficult situation just did it for me. In particular, the structure of bookending the flash with the importance of the hot bath was excellent. winner announcement Week 537 Winner Eric Martell | @drmag00 David says: I love that you opened with the prompt, that the story hinged on what it referred to, and ended on it again. I especially love handling such a heavy topic without ever explicitly spelling it out. Something about knowing (suspecting?) what was being discussed without ever stating it felt just right for this story. Well done. “Then explain this to me.” She stood there, stone-faced, the evidence in her hand. I couldn’t explain it away. I couldn’t pretend it wasn’t real. “Explain that this isn’t exactly what I think it is.” I couldn’t, and she knew it. This was what she’d been wondering about for a long time now, what she’d flat-out asked me about, and what I’d bald-faced lied about. She turned away and walked back to what was – or what had been up until this moment – our bedroom. I stood there and waited to see if she was going to throw me out or grab her stuff and leave. Mostly, I was in shock. There’s times where you don’t really think about what you’ve done until you’re forced to, mostly because you don’t want to think about what it said about you. The back door slammed, and I realized that not only was she the one heading out, but she wasn’t even going to return to the living room to yell at me. I moved to the sofa and sat down. She’d dropped the evidence on the coffee table, and I made myself look down at it. The last time I’d seen it, it was hiding in the back of my underwear drawer, but there it was, big as life, no longer a secret. I brought it to my face, hoping to take comfort in the scent that still lingered from that night. But there was nothing. All of it was gone. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY TIME WINNER Eric, and Honorable Mention Silver! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Twitter, Discord, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

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#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 537

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of Paranormal & Dauntless Romance. Wow. Year 10. A whole decade. I’m astounded. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing, like we have for 10 whole years. It’s amazing we’ve gone this long! This is Week 537 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 537: Fantasy Author, and Holder of Several Stories, David Ludwig. Facebook | Twitter And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “Then explain this to me.” 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!

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Snippet Sunday – You’ve Had Worse

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and the days are getting darker as the season shifts toward winter. I’m not looking forward to the cold, but I do like hot apple cider and tea. I have a new release coming, and you can get it right now on pre-order. It’s my new sapphic romantic suspense with a mountain bike mechanic and a retired FBI agent. Both women are in their forties and getting a second chance at life and love. In this snippet, you meet Tam Grimes, retired FBI agent, experiencing a bad day getting worse. ~~~~~~ “Shit! Fuck! Mudfucker!” Tamera Grimes, retired FBI agent and amateur mountain biker, swore a blue streak to keep from breaking into tears and took a moment to regain her composure as pain sang through her. Agents don’t cry. Except it had been an especially trying day, what with the internet being down for a region-wide outage, the dishwasher just stopping in the middle of a wash cycle with water everywhere, and her favorite tea mug shattered on the floor. And now her bike chain decided to derail off the sprocket and eat her leg, making her crash to the graveled shoulder of the road. It’s not fair! The whiny voice echoed through her mind, and she bent her head to hide her tears even as the blood flowed from the nasty gash on her calf. You’ve had worse. Hell, worse got you medically retired. Get a grip. She took a deep breath and took stock of herself. The bleeding chain mark on her calf wasn’t the only injury. She also had road rash on her other leg from where she hit the dirt. Gravel, and I’ll be picking it out of my skin for days. She dragged herself out from under the bike and pulled her phone out of her backpack. She set a timer to give herself five minutes to whimper and whine about everything before she picked herself up and continued her path to town. She’d learned the timer trick while in rehab after a gunshot wound damn near ended her life, and her mobility. Her physical therapist—physical terrorist is more like it—recommended a five-minute sympathy period before she got back into her workouts. ~~~~~~~ At least she gave herself the time to whine. 😉 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, Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Here’s the blurb for BROKEN CHAINS: Available Here Some inheritances are to die for. Merida Roark was happy, leading an ordinary life as a bike mechanic at Scratchin’ Gravel Bike Shop in Summit Springs, Colorado, far away from her estranged family, and the past she thought long buried. Until the day an envelope arrives with an unexpected inheritance. Tam Grimes was an FBI profiler before a serious work injury ended her career. She moved to Summit Springs for a fresh start in the peace and quiet. Falling in love was not part of her plans, but when a bike chain eats her leg and Merida patches her up, Tam finds herself drawn to the beautiful mechanic. Their fragile relationship is tested when Merida’s home is savagely vandalized. The police have no leads, but it doesn’t take Tam long to realize the threat to her new lover is connected to her hidden past. When things go from disturbing to dangerous, Tam must use all her skills to untangle this web before someone removes Merida from the equation…permanently.

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#ThursThreads – Week 536 – Winners

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Week 536 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’re in Year 10 and that’s an accomplishment in itself! Thank you to all y’all for coming back to write for all these years. I couldn’t have done it without you. If you’ve just found us, welcome to the crew! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Muirlette #1 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: Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Silver James | @SilverJames_ Mark A. Morris Chase David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Stacy Bennett | @SBennettWrites Kelly Heinen | Aightball Honorable Mentions Stacy Bennett | @SBennettWrites Muirlette says: I liked the adventure and the twist. I would love to read more of this story. Well done. David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Muirlette says: I enjoyed reading this piece. I like the chemistry between Lupita and her abuela. Would love to read more. Chase Muirlette says: I liked the twist at the end and would like to see where it goes. And what causes it. Great job. winner announcement Week 536 Winner Mark Ethridge | @mysoulstears Muirlette says: I loved the humor and satire in this story. It was an absolute blast to read this. I laughed so loud my mom came to check on me. Excellently done. “Before I destroy the fabric of your reality, let me say this. You can send backup anytime now. You’re going to need it.” I didn’t wait for a response, and instead leaped straight into my destructive work. “How much is 100%?” “What?” “How much is 100% of something? Or anything? Can you have more than 100% pure gold?” “No, you can’t get more than 100% of anything! Every idiot knows that!” I looked at the chart on the wall, and pointed at it. “Then explain this to me.” The chart showed survey results from asking 2382 white Christians a set of questions about the population of the United States. What I found hilarious was the makeup of the population, per the chart. White people – 40% of the population. Black people – 30% of the population. Asian people – 40% of the population. Hispanic/Latino people – 40% of the population. If you added it all up, it was 150% of the population of the country. “How can white Christians think there are more people in this country than are in this country?” I was greeted by silence. Apparently the idiot knew that the numbers made no sense at all. “How can white Christians add 40, 40, 40, and 30 together, and get 100? Do they not know how to add?” I stared at him. “Or, perhaps, they’re just terrified of things, of people who are not white Christians like them?” You can’t really argue with numbers like that. The guy shut up. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Sixteen Time Winner Mark, and Honorable Mentions Stacy, David, and Chase. 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! 🙂

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#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 536

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of Paranormal & Dauntless Romance. Wow. Year 10. A whole decade. I’m astounded. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing, like we have for 10 whole years. It’s amazing we’ve gone this long! This is Week 536 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 536: Cat wrangler, master violinist, and Tea connoisseur, Muirlette #1. If you’re concerned, she is just shy of 18 yrs, so she can read adult themes. And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “You can send backup anytime now.” 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!

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Snippet Sunday – Something Was Coming

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday, and the end of Daylight Savings Time. Yay? Yeah, not as thrilled with that, but at least there are books to read. I’m showcasing THE SAMHAIN SOLDIER, Book 7 in the Cloudburst Colorado series, AND a sequel to book 2, THE BELTANE WITCH.  In this snippet, Kendra MacGillivray, earth witch, wakes up in a little shack in the Fae realm and not everything is as it seems. ~~~~~~ Kendra woke to unnatural silence. She shot a look at the fire in the fireplace and found the flames still licking the last log she placed, but they made no sound. She sat up and glanced at Phinn. He slept hard, but his breathing was better, less labored. Marbles hadn’t returned from her expedition, but Kendra didn’t expect her for a while. Hopefully the tracker demon would hide the sword in a place no one, not even the conniving Fae, would think to look. Still, the thick silence gave her the heebie-jeebies. She rolled to her feet and slipped back into her jacket. Something was coming and she wanted to be ready for it. She settled on the floor beside Phinn and shoved her feet into her boots, zipping them up. Then she reached for his to make sure he was as ready to travel as he could be. Not that I can carry him if we have to get away. The fire still burned, but a chill entered the shack. Kendra listened hard, but the unnatural silence continued. Awareness shot up her back and made her shiver. Kendra sent the Goddess a note of thanks for what time She’d kept them hidden. The Fae were coming and would discover them soon, and she was grateful Marbles had the time to take the sword nowhere near them. Kendra set about gathering up their meager gear and making sure Phinn was ready to move without much fuss. The threat loomed in the dark silence, and she tried to quell her racing heart as she waited for the ax to fall. They hadn’t been hiding, exactly, but she wondered if one of Marbles’ abilities was to disguise herself from detection, at least from the Fae. And since she’s gone… It didn’t take long for Kendra to hear the footsteps of several beings moving through the woods outside the shack. ~~~~~~~ Oh dear, something wicked this way comes. 😉 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, Kathy Griffith Karysa Faire, and Iris Blobel. Here’s the blurb for THE SAMHAIN SOLDIER: Coming Oct 17 2022 It’s all fun and games until a tracker demon comes for you… Phinnius Winterbourne, a soldier in the Summer Court of the Sidhe, has inherited his maternal grandfather’s sword. But the Winter Court of the Sidhe now wants it and him. Seeking help from his older brother seems like a good idea, until he runs into a witch. And the tracker demon sent to fetch Phinn. Not a great day. Kendra MacGillivray is preparing her altar for Samhain when she runs head-on into Phinnius and his problems. She doesn’t have time for the arrogant fool who has irritated the Fae. When her healing spell clashes with that of the tracker demon, they end up in the Sidhe realm with no way home and a tracker demon familiar. Every witch needs one. Trapped in the Fae realm, they must work together to keep the sword out of the Winter Court’s reach and get back home again before Samhain, when the veils close for the year. Nothing is as it seems and Phinn’s family secrets may break everything—him included. If they don’t protect the sword, they could lose more than a family heirloom—they could destroy the world. No pressure.

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