Siobhan Muir – Page 93

Snippet Sunday – Been There Done That

Posted on September 28, 2019September 28, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and it’s cold Cheyenne. Fall has arrived with wind and rain and while I like the warm clothes, I miss having the windows open. But it’s almost October and you know what that means! The Triple Star Ranch series already has two books, ROPE A FALLING STAR and STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT in it. And STAR SPANGLED BANNER is coming out in October. You not only see the old favorite characters but meet some new ones. In this snippet, Petty Officer Enrique Sanchez is in the VA hospital talking to his doctor about his recovery from his fall. But it’s the wrong doctor. ~~~~~~ “How is your pain level? On a scale of one to ten, where are you sittin’?” “I’m at about a five, sir.” There was no way on God’s green earth he’d admit more than that. He might be wise enough to take pain meds, but he was still a SEAL. Superhuman came with the job description. “Uh-huh. Okay, sounds good. Ninety-six hours. You’ll let us know if that rises, right?” Oh sure, right after I win the Miss America pageant. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” “Heh, I know that isn’t what you wanted to hear, but I have faith in us and our ability to get you back on your feet quickly if you listen to your body, and my recommendations.” The doc’s face crinkled with his smirk. “Yes, sir. I know, sir.” Dr. Lyttle sighed. “And you don’t believe me.” He shook his head. “I didn’t say that, sir.” “You didn’t have to, Petty Officer. I was a corpsman in the Marines. Been there, done that, saw it all. Just try to rest. That will get you better far faster.” He gathered up his papers and headed for the door. “Yes, sir.” Enrique was done negotiating. “Can I ask a question, sir?” “Sure.” The doctor waited. “Who was the doctor who treated me at the arena? Does she work here at the VA?” Dr. Lyttle frowned a moment. “I wasn’t aware there was a doctor at the arena. Are you sure?” “Yes, sir. She identified herself.” Enrique frowned a moment. “Dr. Suzie something. Do you know her, sir?” Dr. Lyttle’s eyebrows went up. “Dr. Suzie Appleton?” “Yes, sir. I think so.” The doc nodded. “Yes, I know her. I didn’t know she was scheduled for Cheyenne Frontier Days.” Relief cascaded through Enrique. Thank all that’s holy I didn’t imagine her. ~~~~~~~ See, miracles do happen. 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 STAR SPANGLED BANNER: Coming Soon! Sometimes a falling star wears a flag… Dr. Suzie Appleton expected a helluva ride in the barrel-racing championships at Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo, but she had no idea she’d have to save a man falling from the sky. When he calls her for a date, she’s hesitant, but there’s something sexy and seductive about the Leap Frog, and she takes a chance. She suggests he come to the Triple Star Ranch for his therapy to have more time with him before he returns to jumping out of airplanes. Petty Officer Enrique Sanchez signed up to serve his country and expected to get shot at, just not during an exhibition jump at a rodeo. But the sexy doctor who saved his life in the arena is willing to sign off on his transfer on one condition: that he’s not her patient. Works for Enrique. He’d much rather play doctor with her than have her white coat get in the way of their personal relationship. While the attraction between them isn’t one-sided, neither are the threats. Someone is trying to complete their attempt on Enrique’s life, and someone else has their sights set on Suzie. Rumors and lies threaten to destroy their relationship. But all’s fair in love and war, and both of them could lose big.

#ThursThreads – Week 381 – Winners

Posted on September 27, 2019September 27, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

Week 381 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we start our eighth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc. Entries: Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila Mark A. Morris Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Silver James | @SilverJames_ Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Terry Brewer | @Stories2121 Charlene Mertz | @rrats1231 Eric Martell | @drmag00 Nellie Batz | @solimond Teresa Eccles | @TeresaMEccles David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Jo Hawk | @JoHawktheWriter Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil Cara Michaels | @caramichaels Honorable Mentions Silver James | @SilverJames_ Siobhan says: I loved the initial terror and confusion of the person getting her burner phone number. Then his appearance, which can’t bode well, and then the promise of freedom. Ooooh, delicious chills. Loved it. Mark A. Morris Siobhan says: I’m a huge Indiana Jones fan – must be the paleontologist in me. But the chills at the ending of the tale shivered down my back while sitting comfortably at my desk. Well done. Charlene Mertz | @rrats1231 Siobhan says: I loved that she took the prompt in an unusual direction. And the instructions of how to get to her destination were to find where they were not. Aliens. Awesome. winner announcement Week 381 Winner Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila Siobhan says: I loved the the emotional sweetness of this tale. Death is always portrayed as a cold, impassive being. But this connection (and I’ve seen it develop over several #ThursThreads challenges) shows his growth as a being and as a character. And I’m a sucker for romance, especially with an element of relief. Well done. “Enid!” Though Arius has always been calm and steady – even when he’s upset – the panicked voice is impossible to mistake. And even if it didn’t resonate deep in my chest, the bracelet grows warm. A moment later, it’s tugging me back toward the forest. Trusting my intuition and the bracelet’s magic, I break into a run. I ignore the shimmering beings, block out the screams, and just concentrate on going where the bracelet wants. The heat slowly increases, until it’s a barely bearable burn, like skin on sand in the middle of the summer. Just when I think I can’t take it anymore, and my legs can’t carry me another step, I see him. Arius’ eyes catch mine, and we bolt toward each other. As his arms come around me, a rush of wind forces me to close my eyes and the ground falls away beneath us. When everything finally settles, the first thing I notice is his reluctance to let go. The ground is steady again, the bracelet no longer burns, and when I look up I realize we’re back in the ruins. “I’m sorry – there was no way out, and I couldn’t-” “Are you hurt?” He pulls back, but his hands cup my face, eyes intense. “I’m-I’m okay.” I offer a shaky smile, unsure if he’ll believe me. In an act of unprecedented intimacy (the kiss doesn’t count), he rests his forehead against mine. “I’m so sorry I dragged you into this…” I wasn’t expecting Death to apologize. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Seven Time Winner Katheryn, and Honorable Mentions Silver, Mark, and Charlene! 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!

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 381

Posted on September 26, 2019September 25, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of Weird, Wild, & Wicked Tales. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing. We’ve reached our Seventh year of weekly prompts! This is Week 381 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 381: Scottish Word Slinger, Dauntless romance author, and #ThursThreads host, Siobhan Muir. Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | EdenBooks | And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “There was no way out.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

Tuesday Word Play – Wicked

Posted on September 24, 2019September 24, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

My sister author and flash fiction host Ever Addams holds a flash fiction challenge every Tuesday called #EVERyTuesdayWordplay and she puts up a single word prompt to get people writing. You have 300-500 words to create a story based on the one word prompt. This week’s prompt: WICKED Here’s the story my muse spit out. It’s part of an upcoming tale THE CONCRETE ANGEL in the Concrete Angels MC series, and it’s a holiday romance. Rochelle is the narrator and this is an adult scene trending toward sexy. ~~~~~~~~I closed my eyes and sent my senses out to the wards and protective layers I’d laid around my home. I noted the places where the magical energy appeared worn or thin and reinforced it. Looks like someone came by to test the waters. I needed to add a tracker layer so I could tell who’d tried to get in, but I didn’t have time to do that now. “There, all done.” I opened my eyes just as he leaned in and brushed my lips with his. “Oh, that’s lovely.” He growled and it set my libido on high. There was something wicked about the sounds he made and it revved up my heart, making me want to drag him into my bedroom and have my way with him. Fortunately, he didn’t seem inclined to argue. “Bedroom, this way.” I tugged him down the little hall from my kitchen/living room and into the bedroom. I flicked on the lights. The warm, golden glow of the string of holiday lights gave a fairy wonderland look to the room. His hand moved. “Pretty.” “Thank you. I leave the lights all year round but I particularly love them in the winter.” He nodded and stopped me next to the bed. “It matches you.” He trailed one hand along the side of my face, pushing the hair behind my ear. “You’re beauty and light together.” Then he tilted his head and kissed me with banked hunger. I love the rough texture of his tongue as he slid it over mine and each stroke made arousal surge through me. I couldn’t get enough of his taste and I moaned into his kissed as I tried to pull him tighter against my body. The problem was he wore very little clothing and I wore too much. But hell, I didn’t need to be naked to give him a blowjob, and there was something so tantalizing about that thick ridge behind his fly. I let my hands rest on his chest below the leather cut and the heat of his smooth skin seared my hands in delicious ways. I trailed them down his body, bumping over his defined abs until I reached his waist band and belt. I dropped to my knees and looked up at him as I grasped the buckle. Our gazes met, his glowing with arousal and something else. Hunger and need flooded through me and I wasn’t sure if it was my own emotions or his I’d picked up on. I pulled the belt through the buckle and slid it apart before unbuttoning his jeans and opening the fly. Sweet Goddess, he’s gone commando. Oh, this was going to be a damn good night after all. 453 #ConcreteAngelsMC words~~~~~~~~ There you have it. All from one word. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

Snippet Sunday – That’s Doctor to You, Sailor.

Posted on September 21, 2019September 20, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday. It’s the weekend and I’m ready to launch into my Cheyenne Cowboys again. Wyoming cowboys aren’t as common in romance as Montana or Texas. But we have the biggest outdoor rodeo. There are two other books in the series, ROPE A FALLING STAR and STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT and you can meet the cowboys of the Triple Star Ranch. But today I’m showcasing STAR SPANGLED BANNER, book 3, and it comes out at the beginning of October! In this snippet, you meet Dr. Suzie Appleton who is at the rodeo to compete in the barrel-racing championship when the Navy SEALs drop into the arena. But one falls and she’s the first on scene. ~~~~~~ “Sir, my name is Dr. Suzie Appleton, can you hear me?” The man moaned but didn’t open his eyes. Sweet glory, let’s hope he didn’t break his neck. “I’m going to check you over for injuries, sir.” She thanked all the watching deities he’d uncurled onto his back, but she worried he might have broken something internally. One arm lay curled protectively around the bundled American flag. Always ready to protect the flag. The other lay across his body at an odd angle and she suspected he’d used that arm to slow him down when he landed. His ragged breathing made her listen closely. Was that fluid in his lungs just from the sound? She checked his pulse just as the other members of his Leap Frogs team gathered around him. “Miss, you need to get away from him.” A gruff man reached for her, but she shook her head and dipped out of the way. “That’s Doctor to you, sailor, and I’m checking him for injuries. He’s broken his right arm and I suspect he’s broken a rib or two, given the sounds his breath is making. He needs to get to a hospital ASAP to check for internal hemorrhaging and injuries.” “The SEALs take care of their own, doctor.” The gruff man growled and tried to grab her again. “Then have your corpsman get his ass here fast, sailor, so you can save your teammate. You’re gonna need to stabilize his chest if you want him to live.” She didn’t know for sure if that was the case, given she couldn’t see inside his body armor, but she wouldn’t give an inch when her expertise was questioned. No one knew they were SEALs when they wore street clothes. The same pertained to her when she competed in the barrel-racing events. She couldn’t exactly wear a white lab coat. ~~~~~~~ She takes no one’s crap when she has a life on the line. 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 STAR SPANGLED BANNER: Coming Soon to a Retailer near you! Sometimes a falling star wears a flag… Dr. Suzie Appleton expected a helluva ride in the barrel-racing championships at Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo, but she had no idea she’d have to save a man falling from the sky. When he calls her for a date, she’s hesitant, but there’s something sexy and seductive about the Leap Frog, and she takes a chance. She suggests he come to the Triple Star Ranch for his therapy to have more time with him before he returns to jumping out of airplanes. Petty Officer Enrique Sanchez signed up to serve his country and expected to get shot at, just not during an exhibition jump at a rodeo. But the sexy doctor who saved his life in the arena is willing to sign off on his transfer on one condition: that he’s not her patient. Works for Enrique. He’d much rather play doctor with her than have her white coat get in the way of their personal relationship. While the attraction between them isn’t one-sided, neither are the threats. Someone is trying to complete their attempt on Enrique’s life, and someone else has their sights set on Suzie. Rumors and lies threaten to destroy their relationship. But all’s fair in love and war, and both of them could lose big.

#ThursThreads – Week 380 – Winners

Posted on September 20, 2019September 20, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

Week 380 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we start our eighth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Teresa Eccles 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: Charlene Mertz | @rrats1231 Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Silver James | @SilverJames_ Jo Hawk | @JoHawktheWriter Mark A. Morris Terry Brewer | @Stories2121 Richard Eccles | @recclesMD Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Cara Michaels | @caramichaels M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Teresa says: Competition was tough, as there were a lot of excellent stories submitted. Honorable Mentions Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball Teresa says: This is a beautiful picture of a mother being called home by her daughter. If anyone were to succeed in coaxing me over, it would be my family. Terry Brewer | @Stories2121 Teresa says: Terry tells an interesting story. I got a good feel for the ME’s personality in a few words M. T. Decker | @mishmhem Teresa says: The word-choices in this story convey the despair felt by Eva. I especially like how the author made repeated references to the colors of life. winner announcement Week 380 Winner Mark A. Morris Teresa says: January, though long-lived (immortal?) is a relatable character. Her battle between being alone and seeking companionship is one many people face. The fact that she chose relationships over being alone three times is telling of the true nature of January’s character. January walked away again. She had friends, but she preferred to remain aloof, passing though her lives without a ripple. The man she’d just seen buried had been a lapse, a mistake she’d wandered into, their relationship thriving despite her neglect. She wished she could be colder, more inhumane. She’d done this before: three times, in fact. She’d vowed ‘never again’ the last time and she’d do it again, tearing up her dance card and throwing the pieces away. But her life was a habit she couldn’t give up. There was no way out for her, it seemed. Loneliness was the cruellest of companions, but it was the one she sought. “Ma’am?” The gentleman with the umbrella stepped closer, shielding them both from the weather. The rain hadn’t stopped all day and the footway was wet, water sluicing down it like a millrace. Her feet were cold and she was miserable. She should turn away. She should shake her head and say nothing, denying him an opening into her world. “Ma’am?” He continued to walk alongside her, matching her pace. He was a little taller than her, dark haired and with a swarthy skin that made him look tanned. She shouldn’t look his way, she shouldn’t make eye-contact, she shouldn’t say a word to the stranger. That was the way relationships started. Three hundred years was an eternity when death took everyone else. People would say she was lucky to live so long. But she considered it a curse. ~~~~~~~ Congratulations Fourteen Time Winner Mark, and Honorable Mentions Kel, Terry, and M.T.! 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!

#ThursThreads – Tying Tales Together – Week 380

Posted on September 19, 2019September 18, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome back to the home of Weird, Wild, & Wicked Tales. Today is Thursday and that means it’s time to start flashing. We’ve reached our Seventh year of weekly prompts! This is Week 380 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 380: Writer, adventurer, and perennial student of life, Teresa Eccles. Facebook | Twitter And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together. The Prompt: “She was lucky to live so long.” All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

Tuesday Word Play – Apple

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

My sister author and flash fiction host Ever Addams holds a flash fiction challenge every Tuesday called #EVERyTuesdayWordplay and she puts up a single word prompt to get people writing. You have 300-500 words to create a story based on the one word prompt. This week’s prompt: APPLE Here’s the story my muse spit out. It’s part of an upcoming tale THE CONCRETE ANGEL in the Concrete Angels MC series, and it’s a holiday romance. Flint is the narrator for this piece. ~~~~~~~~We got down to the bottom of the hills and I stopped at the light. I turned and tapped her on the shoulder so she’d look up. “What?” She raised her eyebrows aware that I’d turned for some reason. I blinked. Then raised my hand. “Where going?” Signing with just one hand made the question truncated. “Oh, uh, my shop’s on the corner of north Taft Hill road and Laporte Ave. That way.” She pointed to the right. I nodded and turned the bike to head down the snowy street. It wasn’t far from where we were, which was both bad and good. Good because she needed to get warm. Bad because soon she’d be off my bike and away from my body. And that made want to turn around and haul ass the other way. What the hell is wrong with me? I’d known this woman all of thirty minutes, and I was already thinking kidnapping? I mentally shook my head and headed for her shop. We stopped in front of a stand-alone brick building with a Tudor style wood addition to the second floor. It had a sharp A-shaped gable over the door and a weathered wooden plank sign that read The Herb Cabinette. Cute, a play on herb cabinet. I parked the bike on the curb in front of the shop and paused, reluctant to let her go, but knowing she couldn’t stay outside. She cleared her throat and swung her leg off the bike to stand on the sidewalk. “Thanks so much for the rescue and the ride. I appreciate it.” “You’re welcome.” I dipped my head along with my hand. “Have a good night and be safe.” She nodded and took a few steps toward the alley between her shop and the next building. But she stopped and turned, biting her bottom lip. Hey, that should be my job. I blinked. Where the hell had that thought come from? I didn’t even know this woman’s name or her pseudonym. It wasn’t like she was a prostitute used to meaningless sex meant to scratch an itch. “Um, would you like to come up for a cup of tea?” I didn’t know who was more surprised at her question, her or me, but it felt like she’d just given me the Apple from the Tree of Knowledge. A forbidden fruit that was too good to pass up. I turned off the bike and yanked the key out, swinging my leg over the seat. Hell yeah, I’d like some tea. And maybe a little more of this pretty woman who’d captured my attention. 447 #ConcreteAngelsMC words~~~~~~~~ There you have it. All from one word. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading.

Snippet Sunday – Sunny Side Up

Posted on September 14, 2019September 14, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and it’s starting to cool down in Cheyenne. This is good as I’m ready for fall. Unfortunately, there’s a fire somewhere and the smoke is in the air, coloring the sunlight gold and making my head hurt from the stink. I’m hiding inside. I’m showing off ROPE A FALLING STAR in preparation for STAR SPANGLED BANNER coming out in September. Tom has invited Amber over to his place for dinner but he had to make sure she knew (and he did) that it wasn’t a date. ~~~~~~ “Can I help with anything?” Amber followed him into the kitchen and paused by the little dining table. “Can you fry up a couple of eggs?” “I can. How do you like yours?” She took the carton he handed her and set it beside the stove. “Over easy, sunny-side-up, over medium, smacked?” Tom laughed. “I like mine sunny-side-up, thanks. You?” “For future reference, I prefer mine over medium. I hate snotty whites.” She washed her hands in the sink before cracking the eggs on the edge of the pan. “Duly noted.” Future reference? Hot damn, he’d like to have more future with her. Just keep it friendly now. “I wanted to thank you again for my massage. I don’t think I’d be able to walk, much less cook, without it.” “My pleasure.” She stiffened and bit her bottom lip as the eggs hissed in the pan. “I mean, you’re welcome. Happy to help.” He wished it was her pleasure, but he let the comment go as he headed out to check on the trout. They were almost done and he turned them over, considering ways to get to know Amber better without coming across like a smarmy jackass. He liked her, he’d just never had the time or chance to get to know her other than as one of his father’s employees. But now that his rodeo career had ended, he wanted to know her better. She seemed grounded and steady unlike a lot of the women he’d met on the circuit, and she definitely didn’t strike him as a woman looking for a notch in her bedpost. This isn’t a date, remember? ~~~~~~~ Let’s hope he remembers as the night goes on. 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 ROPE A FALLING STAR: Available Wide Now Only the best stars fall… Three time bronc-riding champion Tom Colton’s dream of a fourth title ends when he draws Wooden Nickel, a mean little bronc with more twists than a maze. With his heart no longer in rodeo, he figures it’s time to go home to the Triple Star Ranch, the PTSD therapy ranch he and his dad founded to help others with trauma in their pasts. Tom just wants a little time to nurse his hurts and consider his next move. Amber Hillcrest started out as a Triple Star client and stayed on as a massage therapist. Her dog Nimbus keeps her PTSD in check, but her heart remains bruised. She knows she’s too old and too broken for love, especially with the son of her boss, but he’s hot enough to fill her fantasies for years to come. Amber tries to keep it professional between them, but Tom proves too irresistible with his big heart and charm. But someone is sabotaging the Triple Star and the neighboring Fantasy Ranch, and an ex-girlfriend keeps coming around, trying to reconnect with Tom. Tom’s hands are full of problems instead of the luscious massage therapist. But when Amber gets kidnapped, Tom will move heaven and earth to get her back and tell her how he truly feels.

#ThursThreads – Week 379 – Winners

Posted on September 13, 2019September 13, 2019 by Siobhan Muir

Week 379 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. I’m honored to see all the writers come to tie a tale as we start our eighth year. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you. If you’ve just found us, welcome! May you come back again and write more great flash. Thousand thanks to Mark Ethridge 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: Charlene Mertz | @rrats1231 Joseph T. Ganzer | @J_Thomas_Ganzer Cara Michaels | @caramichaels Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea Terry Brewer | @Stories2121 Jo Hawk | @JoHawktheWriter Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon Silver James | @SilverJames_ Mark A. Morris David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig Daelyn Morgana | @DaelynMorgana Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil M.T. Decker | @mishmhem Honorable Mentions Charlene Mertz | @rrats1231 Mark says: Because. Malcolm made the noise stop. Jo Hawk | @JoHawkTheWriter Mark says: Because. A Lotus. Richard Gibney | @ragtaggiggagon Mark says: Jungle Justice is ruthless, isn’t it. winner announcement Week 379 Winner Kel J. Heinen | @Aightball Mark says: A very different spin on a reaper of death. I like it. June 1818 My horse lands outside of a small cottage in Illinois. A bunch of new states have popped up and it’s my job to keep their dead moving. Swinging my scythe, I bring a forty-year-old woman over. She was lucky to live so long. Her family wails and I sigh, giving her a gentle push into the waiting arms of her mother. I crossover two other women and then reach the end of my list. I do so hate bringing children over. Not even a year old and dying of starvation, given the poor home and bare cupboards. I can fix this before the family wakes up. Hurrying home, I raid our pantry and stock the family’s cupboards. Then I stuff an envelope with some of my earnings and leave it on the table. The baby whimpers and his stomach rumbles. Waving my scythe, his tummy fills a little and the hour glasses, the life-sands of everyone, refill for the family. I return home to my parents. “That was kind.” Mom takes my robes. “Too kind,” Dad says, frowning. “You’re meant to bring them over, not save them.” Mom puts a hand on Dad’s shoulder “His world suddenly made sense, didn’t it, Horace?” “Yes. I’m meant to help people, not hurt them.” I go to my room and close the door, smiling, hoping that family has a long lineage. There was something about that baby that makes me think I’ll see him again in a few hundred years.~~~~~~~ Congratulations Nine Time Winner Kel, and Honorable Mentions Charlene, Jo, and Richard! 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!