Siobhan Muir – Page 20

Recipe for Romance: The Talking Horse

Posted on January 6, 2024January 5, 2024 by Siobhan Muir

Recipe for Romance Two champagne glasses against a purple sparkly background with bells and ribbons at their base

Welcome to Recipe for Romance! Each weekend, I share a snippet of a tale that either takes place in the current month or is coming out in the current month, and a recipe that either goes with the tale or goes with the month. Confused yet? Excellent! lol Let’s get started. I’m sharing a snippet of A WALK IN THE SAND, book 1 in the 4 part Ivory Road serial. The serial came out in January 2015 and finished in the end for 2023 so it took a while to finish. But it’s done and you can read the whole serial now (for those who wanted to wait). Iliana took a solo hiking trip and ended up in a world she doesn’t recognize. But she recognizes the guy who’s calling her by her character’s name in their upcoming film project. She’s NOT impressed. And then her horse talks to her. Available Now: A Walk in the Sand “You’re not going to stop playing, are you, Mr. Crowe?” Iliana shook her head. “Fine. Play your little game, but I’m done. I don’t need this and I’m outta here.” She swung onto the gray horse and settled her weight in the stirrup-less saddle. She turned the animal’s head toward a gap in the trees and urged the horse into a trot. “By all the Gods!” he shouted in frustration at her back. “I told you women were faithless.” Ahmad’s voice made her fury burn brighter, but she’d dealt with trolls in Hollywood. This guy was only a run-of-the-mill heckler. The gray horse lengthened its strides as they passed the edge of the oasis, and she did her best to ignore the corpse, still lying in the glaring sun. If it really is a dead body and not a dummy. She stopped the horse and tried to decide which way to go. All directions looked pretty much the same. Well done, now you’re out here alone with no idea which direction is west. At least she now had a horse. Iliana glanced down to the sand below to try to determine which way their shadow pointed. She frowned. Had she gotten here in the morning or afternoon? “I don’t think he’s accustomed to being spoken to like that.” She froze and looked around. No one stood near her. She sat alone on the horse. The horse huffed an indignant sigh and turned his head to eye her. Iliana swallowed hard. “Did you say something?” “Yes, I said, I don’t think he’s accustomed to being spoken to like that.” The voice echoed in her ears, but the horse’s lips had remained still. That’s it. I’ve gotten sunstroke. “I’m going crazy.” “That remains to be seen, but we’re still having this conversation anyway.” The gray snorted and tossed his head. “Is this some sort of cosmic joke? Horses can’t talk.” She snapped her mouth shut and shook her head. “And now I’m arguing with an animal.” “Only because you can’t seem to accept I can speak, and well enough for you to understand, young lady.” Iliana scrubbed her hands over her face. “No, no, no. This isn’t possible. There is no magic in the world except what Hollywood conjures. I must be dreaming this. I’m on a solo hike in New Mexico, minding my own business. This is just a dream from sun-stroke…” She glanced around uncertainly. “Except the sand is golden and Taggart Crowe has shown up.” Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza https://youtu.be/FcY23PrndGI This is basically a huge shortbread cookie with cream cheese frosting and fruit all over it. Best shared with those you love. Gluten-Free Fruit Pizza Ingredients Shortbread Crust 2 cups 1:1 Gluten-Free all-purpose flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1) 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temp Mix ingredients and spread on a 14 inch pizza pan. Perforate with fork to allow for even baking.Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 15 minutes. Let cool. Pizza Toppings 1 (8 oz) bar of cream cheese, room temp 1/2 cup sugar Mix until smooth and spread over crust like a pizza sauce. 1 package (16 ounces) Driscoll’s Strawberries, about 7-9 strawberries sliced 1 package (6 ounces) Driscoll’s Blackberries, about 14 1 package (6 ounces) Driscoll’s Raspberries, about 36 1 package (6 ounces) Driscoll’s Blueberries, about 49 Building the Pizza Hull the strawberries and cut in ¼ -inch slices to make a total of 21 large slices, set aside. Wash the blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries and let fully drain. Assembly of Toppings if You Want to Post on Pinterest Working from the outside of the crust in: Row 1: Place 1 strawberry slice followed by 1 blackberry. Repeat process until 1st. row of circle is completed. In total, you should have 14 sliced strawberries and 14 blackberries. Row 2: Place 1 raspberry below strawberry from row 1, followed by 5 blueberries. Repeat process until 2nd row of circle is completed. In total, you should have 7 raspberries and 35 blueberries. Row 3: Place 1 raspberry below raspberry from row 2, followed by 1 blueberry. Repeat process until 3rd. row of circle is completed. In total, you should have 14 raspberries and 14 blueberries. Now work from inside of the crust out: Row 4: Jumping to the center of the crust, place 8 raspberries in a concentric circle. Row 5: Begin by placing 1 sliced strawberry with its point touching the double raspberries from row 2 and 3. Continue with the rest of the strawberries in a concentric circle. In total, you should have 7 sliced strawberries. Finish your fruit toppings by placing a raspberry in between each sliced strawberries from row 5. In total, you should have 7 raspberries. Do this if you want to post on Pinterest. Or this way if you just want to enjoy Make any pattern you like with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, making them concentric circles or crossed lines or zigzags or happy face or whatever. It’s gonna taste awesome no matter what design you…

Motivation Monday: Happy New Year and New Starts

Posted on January 1, 2024December 31, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

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

Good morning and Happy Monday! Seems like an odd greeting, I know, but Monday Motivation is all about starting anew, each week. We get 52 of them this year (every year), and 5 of them in January alone. But Mondays don’t have to suck. It’s a great way to start over, each week, after you’ve played and rested on the weekend (and your Monday might actually be a Wednesday, but it’s still the start of your week). Let’s start with a simple recalibration of our thoughts. Mike Dooley often says, “Thoughts become things: Choose the good ones.” He’s not wrong. What we think about, we bring about. So here’s your Motivation for this Monday: Now’s the time to think new thoughts – about yourself, about your world, about your job(s), about your loved ones. I used to tell my kids, “Focus on the good things.” It’s a new year. What good things can you focus on now? Happy New Year and Happy New Monday!

#ThursThreads – Week 591 – Winners

Posted on December 29, 2023December 31, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Tying Tales Together, #ThursThreads Year 11 Got a tale to tie on?

Week 591 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’ve made it 11 years! Well done and thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. 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 George Varhalmi 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 A. Morris Siobhan Muir Kelex Bill Engleson David A. Ludwig LupusAnthropos Louisa Bacio M.T. Decker Honorable Mentions Louisa Bacio | Website George says: The hunter or the hunted. Add a dash of creepy real estate. Equals a great tale. I love the feeling of dilemma mixed in with the sad emotion of how one event changed a region. Awesome scene, I could feel the tension and even had that glimmer of a scent of the swill of the 40. Nice creepy tale. Mark A. Morris | Website George says: Decisions, decisions. Yeah, Honest Tony screams out like the ultimate con he is and is always looking to pull a fast one over anyone in his way. But his last line was the kicker. He admits to what he is, the lying con artist that he is but the one thing that he hasn’t done is kill someone and lays down the gauntlet on Agatha. Does her decision really result in his death? Wow, what a dilemma. Great story with an amazing knife twist back on to the start of it. winner announcement Week 591 Winner Lupus Anthropos George says: A simple tale of a factory reset, albeit a celestial one. What captured me was the bit of self-doubt on the creator’s end whether they should or should not do it. It gave him or her a level of compassion, humility, and maybe even regret should they choose to go through it. In the end, they remembered that they created both the heavens and the earth, here’s hoping for a better roll. Great tale and a wonderful ending. “Are you SURE you want to perform a factory reset?” Am I sure? Am I sure? I think about how it had been going. Things are really messed up. Is there any other way to make it right? But what if I don’t do it? What if I leave everything as it is? How much worse could it possibly get? Of course, I never imagined it could be as bad as it is right now. What alternatives are there? I wouldn’t be able to get back to the current conditions. No, it’s just too much. I confirm the reset. “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Well, let’s see how it goes THIS time.~~~~~~~ Congratulations Four Time Winner Lupus, and Honorable Mentions Louisa and Mark! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 591

Posted on December 28, 2023December 27, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads. Wow. Year 11. Holy smokes! Y’all kept with me past a decade. I’m astounded. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing, like we have for the past 11 years. I had no idea when I started it would keep going! This is Week 591 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 social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify 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, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 591: Dead Thing Specialist, Mining Geologist, and Original Book Boyfriend, George Varhalmi. Facebook | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “Are you sure you want to?” 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!

Merry Everything and Happy Always!

Posted on December 24, 2023December 24, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

I hope you’re having a very happy holiday season, full of joys and company and good food. I know a lot of people have suffered this year in a lot of ways, and we’re all hoping 2024 will be a lot better than 2023. For myself, I only published 3 books this year, but I still managed to write a whole bunch more that will be coming out in 2024. I also got myself a new tattoo which just made my year a little bit better. It really spoke to me of devotion, connection, and perseverance despite obstacles thrown in my way. There were plenty of things this year that tried to derail my writing and my motivation (and some worked), but this was a good reminder to stick it out because, This is the Way. The way I’m looking at 2023 is as a year of prep-work, sowing seeds of growth, abundance, and a promise for the year(s) to come. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t fun, but I suspect it’ll be fruitful and we’ll see the results in the new year. So I’m wishing all the blessings on you, for the end of this year, and the beginning of the next. This is the Way. Happy Holidays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21dBlN8AiFQ

#ThursThreads – Week 590 – Winners

Posted on December 22, 2023December 22, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Week 590 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’ve made it 11 years! Well done and thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. 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 Louisa Bacio for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Entries: Bill Engleson Siobhan Muir Silver James David A. Ludwig Mark A. Morris Kelly Heinen Louisa says: Week 590 brings a special set of challenges. With such a small set of contributions, all contain elements that stand out and selection of the top proved extra difficult. One would think it’d be easier with a smaller competition field, but no. Elements considered were the use of the prompt, of course, the hook and the idea of flash fiction – how much of a story is told within the allotted word count. Thank you to all who caught some words and shared this week. Honorable Mention Mark A. Morris | Website Louisa says: Morris’ short offers conflict and provides a solution at the closure. It feels a bit like a “Tiny Tim” tale with Emily and her crutch. My favorite part, though, was the dialogue description of the prompt: “‘What is the problem?’” he asked, his voice ghostly and thin. ‘Why aren’t you playing like the others?’” winner announcement Week 578 Winner David A. Ludwig Louisa says: Perhaps it was the time of year and rendering of the “elves.” The piece intrigued and paid off with the individualization of three characters within such a short time. Traditionally, I don’t veer toward fantasy/sci-fi, but Ludwig had me at “demon sword,” “wood witch” and “tigerlings.” The elves had made camp among the roots of an ancient maple tree. Their rescuer was presumably still somewhere overhead. Sora had taken the first watch and now meditated next to his gear. It was Arashiko’s watch but Tenko was having trouble meditating. Perhaps Mana was as well. His pack sat abandoned. Noticing the direction of Tenko’s attention, Arashiko inclined her head toward the other side of the maple. Tenko nodded and quietly tucked her swords through her belt. Tenko’s childhood friend had his easel set up behind the tree. She smiled. Of course he brought it with him. Mana noticed Tenko watching him and patted the tree root next to him. “You seem troubled, Little Sister.” She sat next to him and considered his charcoal painting. “You have a demon sword.” His painting was an elegant abstract. It also had a dark, almost violent, undertone. “I do,” he sighed. “Can it kill the Wood Witch?” Mana stared into his painting. What was he seeing that Tenko couldn’t? “Yes. Are you sure you want to?” “I’m still weighing our options.” Mana nodded and turned firmly to Tenko. “Now, what’s really bothering you?” Tenko averted her eyes. “Isn’t that enough?” “I know you better than that, Little Sister. What is the problem?” Tenko sighed. “Do you think elves and tigerlings can be friends? Maybe, more?” “You’re thinking of our rescuer?” Mana placed a hand on Tenko’s shoulder. “If you want to find out, I’m on your side all the way.”~~~~~~~ Congratulations TWENTY TIME WINNER David, and Honorable Mention Mark! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

COVER REVEAL – CRETACEOUS CRUSHES

Posted on December 21, 2023December 20, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Yay! I have a cover reveal – because I have a new book coming out in March 2024. This book is going to be part of an anthology and you can get it on pre-order now! The anthology is called CRETACEOUS CRUSHES: A [GATECRASHING] CHARITY LGBTQIA ROMANCE ANTHOLOGY and it’s full of some great tales by some of your favorite authors, including me. My book is entitled FOSSIL BEDS BED & BREAKFAST and it’s a Sapphic PNR Dinosaur Shifter tale with some suspense elements. *shivers happily* Here’s the blurb: Maya Sorvino loves her life in Deadman, Wyoming. She has two great kids, a successful bed & breakfast, and enough room to freely roam as her dino self. Everything is perfect. Until a rich developer comes to town, trying to undermine her business and seize the town’s open land. Not on her watch. Persia Walker has been guarding the fossil rich lands since she almost became one, but she won’t let a billionaire destroy sacred paleo sites for vanity. She organizes a group to take on the developer at the public meeting in hopes of preserving her territory. Then she sees Maya. Finding another dinosaur shifter in Deadman is a dream for both Maya and Persia, but the developer has something up his sleeve. What’s a better first date than going Mezosoic on a bunch of drunk vandals-for-hire? It’s a match made in Prehistory! ~~~~~~~~~~ There you have it. I have the individual cover image for this, but it won’t be a standalone tale for a little bit. I’ll share it then. In the meantime, I hope you love this tale. Happy reading! Pre-Order here

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 590

Posted on December 21, 2023December 19, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads. Wow. Year 11. Holy smokes! Y’all kept with me past a decade. I’m astounded. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing, like we have for the past 11 years. I had no idea when I started it would keep going! This is Week 590 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 social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify 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, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 590: College professor, equality enthusiast, and romance author, Louisa Bacio. Facebook | Bluesky | Instagram | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “What is the problem?” 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!

#ThursThreads – Week 589 – Winners

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Week 589 of #ThursThreads, and y’all never disappoint. We’ve made it 11 years! Well done and thank you to everyone who writes each week. You made this happen. 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 Miranda Kate 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 Sheilagh Lee Mark A. Morris Lexikon David A. Ludwig Kelly Heinen Cara Michaels M.T. Decker Honorable Mentions Cara Michaels | Website Miranda says: An intense little piece, and compelling, making me want to read further and know more about Mars! Sheilagh Lee | Website Miranda says: I found this an interesting concept, and it left me wanting to know more about the story. winner announcement Week 589 Winner Lexikon Miranda says: This developed fast and delivered everything needed to make a complete short story. I loved the concept too. It’s a great opening to something longer. I let my forehead slump down onto my desk as I connected the next call. ‘Hello, which service do you need?’ I was five hours in to my shift and I swear time was starting to slow down. ‘Hello, is there anyone on the line?’ ‘Er, yes.’ The voice was male, mid-thirties and very uncertain. I pulled over a notepad just in case. ‘I well, I was told to ask for…’ He paused and cursed under his breath. ‘The special service?’ ‘Prank calls are an offence.’ I rolled my eyes. ‘No, no, it’s not a prank. Sorry, I can’t remember what he said. It all happened so fast but he said to ask for the, sudden? No…’ I sat up a little straighter and adjusted my headset. ‘Subter, that was it, subter service.’ I froze for a second, remembering the protocol. I keyed commands into my computer and waited for the call to go onto the separate server system, alerting the top bosses immediately. ‘What is the nature of your request?’ ‘You know it? You can help?’ ‘Sir, what is the problem.’ ‘We were attacked, this guy helped but my friend was hurt and the other guy told me to call you if things got…weird.’ ‘Your friend was hurt how?’ ‘He was bitten!’ My fingers flew across the keyboard as I traced the call. ‘Sir, I need you to get into a different room from your friend, quickly as possible. And if you can, you’re going to need a crucifix.’~~~~~~~ Congratulations Winner Lexikon, and Honorable Mentions Cara and Sheilagh! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! Pass on the great news on Facebook, MeWe, Bluesky, Mastodon, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 589

Posted on December 14, 2023December 13, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of #ThursThreads. Wow. Year 11. Holy smokes! Y’all kept with me past a decade. I’m astounded. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing, like we have for the past 11 years. I had no idea when I started it would keep going! This is Week 588 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 social media handle or email in the post (so we easily notify 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, Bluesky, MeWe, and Mastodon, etc. Our Judge for Week 588: Cat afficionado, Editor, and Mid Week Flash host, Miranda Kate. Facebook | BlueSky | Goodreads | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “Which service do you need?” 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!