Tag: Flipped tropes

New Release: MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s Release Day for MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE, a flipped trope contemporary romance previously published in the Flip the Trope: Endless Summer anthology. This was my first billionaire romance and I had a blast writing it. I hope it makes you smile, too. Last year, I was invited to be part of the second Flip the Trope anthology and thought I’d try writing billionaire romance. But this time, the billionaire is a very successful woman, and the struggling single parent is a working-class dad. It has been re-edited and put out under its own cover. Here’s the blurb: Amanda Pendleton is more than just a pretty face. She’s the president of a wildly successful office supply company, a doting single mom, and a billionaire. All great qualities. Too bad they weren’t enough to keep her deceased father from making stipulations in his will. If she wants to retain ownership of her company, she must find a husband before the next board meeting. Easy peasy, right? Mike Everslee is a single dad, the manager at Mr. Fixit Hardware, and a hard-working guy just trying to make ends meet. But none of it affords him the discretionary income to pay the fees at his daughter’s preparatory school. When his daughter’s friend’s mom offers to pay the theatre fees and take them out to dinner, he’s just glad for a rare night out. But Amanda shows up with an astounding proposal—marry her in the next five weeks and stay with her for a year so she can save her company. If he does, she’ll set him up with a new house, a new truck, and pay his daughter’s fees and tuition until high school. Get a ready-made family, a sister for his daughter, and a beautiful successful wife, all for the price of a year-long marriage. What could go wrong? EXCERPT OF MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE Mike Everslee stared at the bills in front of him and sighed. They were never-ending and he just barely made enough to cover the important ones. Like his truck payment, the insurance, the electricity for his rental house, and his cellphone/internet. Thank goodness both he and Sierra were healthy. Goddess only knew what would happen if emergency medical bills dropped on top of everything else. Orthodontia for Sierra would be bad enough. “Aren’t you gonna eat, Daddy? I don’t wanna be late.” Sierra swallowed her mac and cheese, from the box as per her insistence, and fixed him with a gimlet eye. “I’m not hungry, but you eat up. I’ll be ready to go when you finish.” He set the bills aside and waved at her plate. “Aww, do I have to?” Her lips pulled into a pout. “Yup, and you’ll have to wash your hands and your face afterwards. Are you wearing your mac and cheese or eating it?” He wrinkled his nose at the cascade of orange cheese goop everywhere. “I’m eating it, Daddy.” She picked up her fork. “Hmm, coulda fooled me. Here.” He helped her use a napkin to wipe the worst of it off her hands. “Finish up and we’ll go.” “Okay.” Sierra tucked into her food again and he smiled. It didn’t matter how hard things got, Sierra was worth every effort and worry. He rose and grabbed himself a protein bar from the pantry. It wasn’t supper, not really, but it would hold him until Sierra was in bed. When I can start worrying about the bills again. Yeah, stressing over them had given him a new layer of fat on his gut and he’d have to start going to the gym before he officially achieved a dad-bod. He already had Sierra’s coat, shoes, and costume ready to go, so all they needed to do was wash up and get in the truck. He’d learned the hard way to be prepared so nothing was forgotten, and they avoided meltdowns. “I’m done, Daddy. May I be excused?” “Yes, you may, Snowdrop. Take your plate into the dishwasher and wash your hands and face so we don’t get cheesy goop on your costume.” “Cheesy goop? It’s mac and cheese, Daddy!” It’s orange sludge with a vaguely cheesy flavor. But he kept his thoughts to himself as Sierra followed his instructions, and they finally loaded up into the truck. He checked his pockets for his keys, phone, and wallet, before turning on the engine. “Ready?” “Yeah. I’m so excited. Did you know my friend Valentina got the part of Annie’s best friend in the play?” Sierra bounced in her car seat from the back of the truck. “Just like in real life. And did you know she’s almost exactly the same age? She was born the same day, only two months after me. We’re gonna be friends forever.” “That’s amazing, Snowdrop.” This was the first time he’d heard about Valentina, but he was glad Sierra found a friend at the school. They’d been lucky to get her into Rocky Mountain Preparatory Academy. As the manager of the local hardware store in a posh part of town, he made decent money, but he could never afford the tuition. Some of the wealthy parents from the school became friendly with him at the store and recommended Sierra for their scholarship program. She’d just started attending that fall and had impressed her teachers with her work ethic. His daughter was smart and creative, just like her egg-donor, and it didn’t surprise him in the least to see her thrive. He worried her economic status might make her a target of the privileged and entitled rich kids, but there hadn’t been any problems. Sierra continued to chatter about her friend until she stopped mid-sentence and gasped. “Daddy! I saw a bobcat! Stop the truck!” Grab a Copy

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**RELEASE DAY** Flip The Trope: Endless Summer

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s Release Day for FLIP THE TROPE: ENDLESS SUMMER anthology. Woohoo! I’m so pleased this anthology is out in time for the sit-bundled-up-and-read season! 😀 I’ve been waiting a long time for this day and so glad it’s finally here. This is the second flipped trope anthology, but it’s the first time I’ve written a contemporary billionaire romance. But it’s not your typical billionaire romance. She’s the billionaire, he’s the blue collar single dad who needs a rescue. Here’s the blurb: Some of us are feeling the fall vibes, but is it too late to enjoy some vacation fun? Never! Let’s go back to the beach with these eight brand-new romances—and each one flips at least one trope. From sweet contemporary romance to spicy paranormals, with LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC representation, this anthology has a little bit of everything. Each story is marked with genre, heat level, and romantic pairing, so settle down to have your expectations twisted and fall in love with unusual heroes. Excerpt of Mr. Fixit’s Billionaire After Michelle left, Amanda settled herself in her chair and straightened her clothes. “Show time.” “Are you sure you want to mention why you need this meeting short? It will just play into Walter’s biases about single mothers and business.” Zoe settled herself into a chair just to Amanda’s right and crossed her legs. Amanda bit her lip. “I suppose I could say I have a prior engagement that can’t be missed.” “Go with that.” Zoe nodded. “Subterfuge might work better in this instance, at least until you know what game you’re playing.” “Got it.” Amanda took a deep breath. “Here we go.” She pressed the intercom button to alert Michelle she was ready. Thirty seconds later, Walter and his bejeweled and be-gelled son Evan sauntered into the office. Walter kept a polite smile on his face, but Evan smirked like he’d just been given a new Ducati for winning a spelling bee. And that’s pretty much all he’s good at these days. Well, that and spending money on drugs and alcohol. “Thank you for seeing us so promptly, Amanda. You ran out so quickly from the lawyer’s office, I didn’t get a chance to talk to you.” The mild rebuke after his underhanded actions grated over her like nails against a chalkboard. “Yes, well, I had arrangements to make, and they couldn’t wait since pertinent information was knowingly withheld from me.” She didn’t even bother to smile. Walter pretended to be contrite. “Ah, yes, sorry about that. The lawyer wasn’t supposed to wait quite this long, but you’re just so busy, it was hard to get a hearing date.” Oh, hell no, you’re not going to pin this on me. “Amazing that we have so many modes of communication in this century, isn’t it? Email, telephone. I understand texting is now a thing. Have you heard of it?” She picked up her phone and waved it. “You can even carry your phone in your pocket or purse. Amazing.” She dropped the false light note in her voice. “What do you want, Walter?” “So direct.” He tsked like she was an errant child. “If I was a man, you wouldn’t be censorious or dismissive, so cut the crap and get to the point. Why are you here?” He settled an earnest expression on his face. “Ah yes, well, given the new parameters of the company remaining in your hands, I thought I’d make it easy for you and suggest an amicable solution for everyone involved.” “An amicable solution? What would that be?” She didn’t move, resisting the urge to hurl her blown glass paperweight at his head. “The company has always been profitable when run by a single family, and given your need for a husband, and Evan’s need for a wife, it would be easiest if you married him.” Walter smiled as if he’d solved all the riddles of the universe. “I’d be honored to have you as a daughter-in-law.” Amanda immediately bit her tongue to keep from barking out a guffaw. Marry Evan Tisdale? Not in a million years, not for all of China’s gold, not if Evan was the last male on the planet. She’d marry Zoe first, and she didn’t even swing that way. “Thank you for the offer, Walter, but as it happens, I already have a boyfriend. He wouldn’t take kindly to me throwing him over for your son.” Amanda shrugged. “So, there’ll be no need for Evan to sacrifice his freedom to be married to me.” “Oh, I won’t be sacrificing anything—” “Evan, please, let me finish this negotiation.” Walter cut his son off and lost some of his warm smile. “Amanda, be reasonable. Five weeks isn’t a lot of time to get a wedding together that befits a woman of your stature.” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “What are you suggesting?” “Agree to marry Evan and the shares remain in your possession. No harm, no foul.” And Walter gets the company either way. She pretended to consider. “I’ll need some time to think about it. I’ll call you with my answer as soon as I have one.” He narrowed his eyes. “How much time are we talking here? A few days? A week?” She gave him her best winning smile. “As soon as I have an answer for you, I’ll call you. Or email. Maybe even text. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. I have a prior engagement that cannot be missed, and I can’t be late. As you noted, I’m a very busy woman.” She rose and gestured toward the door. “Oh, yes, of course.” Walter rose as well while Evan leisurely climbed to his feet, leering at her. Walter straightened his tie and his shoulders. “Please, take all the time you need to consider all your options. This could be a very lucrative partnership.” Amanda nodded with her smile cemented in place as the two men sauntered out the door. As soon as it closed, she lost her smile…

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Snippet Sunday – I’m sorry, it’s ironclad

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and it’s summertime. Wyoming got into it with a vengeance. It’s hot out there so I’ve been hiding inside. Which is good for writing. Today I’m showcasing MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE, a contemporary romance where the billionaire is the heroine and the hero is a blue-collar single dad down on his luck. There’s a marriage of convenience and a little bit of Brady Bunch family building, but I rather like how this one turned out. It will be part of the Flip the Trope: Beach Reads anthology and the pre-order link is coming soon. It’s slated to come out June 21st. In this snippet, Amanda Pendleton, billionaire owner and president of Pens2Paper, Inc. and single mom, is talking to her lawyer about her father’s will and the hidden clause she just learned about. If you want to see how this started click HERE. ~~~~~~“I’m sorry, Amanda. It’s ironclad. Your father’s will stipulates you have to get a husband by the next board meeting, or you lose the company.” Zoe Sinclair sat back in her chair with the copy of Edward Pendleton’s will in her hands. “There’s nothing we can do to get you out of it.” “What about the time limit? Is there wiggle room there? After all, Walter Tisdale chose to keep this information from me for a year.” Zoe’s lips tightened. “There’s nothing in the will that stipulates when the clause had to be revealed to the beneficiary. It’s underhanded and shady as fuck that he didn’t allow the lawyer to share the clause at the first reading, but again, that was left to his discretion. And apparently, he told the lawyer to be creepily discreet.” Amanda sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. “Okay, okay. Read the clause again, Zoe. It just said husband, implying marriage, right? Not a wedding, and nothing about giving my husband half my company, like some archaic dowry. Nothing like that?” Zoe shook her head, her golden-ended braids sliding over her shoulder. “No, it simply states that you must have a real and legal husband by the next board meeting or your father’s shares go to his best friend, Walter Tisdale et al., giving him control of Pens2Paper, Inc.” “Fuckin’ A, son of a prick, rat bastard shitbag!” It was probably a good thing soundproofed her office. “Why the fuck would Dad do this to me? It’s my company! I built it from the ground up, and I paid him back the startup monies he loaned me—with interest!” Zoe’s full lips flattened into a line. “I do recall him being concerned because Valentina didn’t have a father.” “Marrying some rando because he has a penis doesn’t mean he’ll be a father.”~~~~~~~ Ain’t that the truth. 😉 There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list, the Snippet Sunday Facebook group, and the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. Here’s the blurb for MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE: COMING SOON Learn More Amanda Pendleton is more than just a pretty face. She’s the president of a wildly successful office supply company, a doting single mom, and a billionaire. All great qualities. Too bad they weren’t enough to keep her deceased father from making stipulations in his will. If she wants to retain ownership of her company, she must find a husband before the next board meeting. Easy peasy, right? Mike Everslee is a single dad, the manager at Mr. Fixit’s Hardware, and a hard-working guy just trying to make ends meet. But none of it affords him the discretionary income to pay the fees at his daughter’s preparatory school. When his daughter’s friend’s mom offers to pay the theatre fees and take them out to dinner, he’s just glad for a rare night out. But Amanda shows up with an astounding proposal—marry her in the next five weeks and stay with her for a year so she can save her company. If he does, she’ll set him up with a new house, a new truck, and pay his daughter’s fees and tuition until high school. Get a ready-made family, a sister for his daughter, and a beautiful successful wife, all for the price of a year-long marriage. What could go wrong?

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Snippet Sunday – Read the Last Clause Again

Posted on by Siobhan Muir

It’s time for Snippet Sunday and I now I’ve been missing for weeks. 2022 has been interesting for setting goals and making changes. Snippet Sunday fell by the wayside because I’m busy writing new tales but didn’t have any finished for a long time. But that changes as of now. To I’m showcasing MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE, a contemporary romance where the billionaire is the heroine and the hero is a blue-collar single dad down on his luck. There’s a marriage of convenience and a little bit of Brady Bunch family building, but I rather like how this one turned out. It will be part of the Flip the Trope: Beach Reads anthology and the pre-order link is coming soon. It’s slated to come out June 21st. In this snippet, you meet Amanda Pendleton, billionaire owner and president of Pens2Paper, Inc. and single mom. She’s learning some unwanted news. It’s a little longer than usual, but I’ve been gone for a while. ~~~~~~ Something caught her attention, and she raised a hand. “Stop. I didn’t hear that correctly. Read the last clause again.” Amanda’s voice cracked like a whip in the room and startled everyone. Good, I want these bastards to sweat. “If, at such a time as my daughter, Amanda Lynn Pendleton, is not married by the first board meeting after the first anniversary of my death, my shares in Pens2Paper, Inc. shall revert to Walter Tisdale, Jonathon Cartwright, and Albert Montgomery, or their beneficiaries. For Amanda Lynn Pendleton to remain as CEO and majority owner of Pens2Paper, Inc., she must have a real and legal husband by the next board meeting following the anniversary of my death.” You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me! Again, she screamed the words in her head but kept her lips together. Sorting her words carefully, she met the lawyer’s gaze. “Why was I not told the stipulation when his will was originally read a year ago?” She’d thought everything had been taken care of and sorted out. The lawyer’s gaze shot to Walter’s. He pulled out his pocket hankie to dab away the sweat on his forehead before meeting her eyes once more. “Uh, well, it was a hidden clause. Per the conditions of the will, it was meant to be read at a specific time, Ms. Pendleton.” She narrowed her eyes. In other words, it was only hidden because Walter wanted it to be. If she’d had the full year plus to find herself a suitable husband, Walter would lose out on any leverage he had to force her to fail, thereby gaining the company he’d been salivating over. Only because it’s hugely successful. And it’s only hugely successful because of me. “When was the stipulated date for the hidden clause to be revealed?” Again, the lawyer glanced at Walter and mopped his forehead. “Uh, well, there wasn’t a date written in the will.” “So, the hidden nature of the clause was only stipulated by the executor of the estate, not my father?” “Uh…” The guilty look he threw at Walter set her nerves on fire. “Yes, Ms. Pendleton.” ~~~~~~~ Uh oh, something hinky is going on. 😉 There are several great authors on the Weekend Writer Warriors list, the Snippet Sunday Facebook group, and the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. Here’s the blurb for MR. FIXIT’S BILLIONAIRE: COMING SOON Learn More Amanda Pendleton is more than just a pretty face. She’s the president of a wildly successful office supply company, a doting single mom, and a billionaire. All great qualities. Too bad they weren’t enough to keep her deceased father from making stipulations in his will. If she wants to retain ownership of her company, she must find a husband before the next board meeting. Easy peasy, right? Mike Everslee is a single dad, the manager at Mr. Fixit’s Hardware, and a hard-working guy just trying to make ends meet. But none of it affords him the discretionary income to pay the fees at his daughter’s preparatory school. When his daughter’s friend’s mom offers to pay the theatre fees and take them out to dinner, he’s just glad for a rare night out. But Amanda shows up with an astounding proposal—marry her in the next five weeks and stay with her for a year so she can save her company. If he does, she’ll set him up with a new house, a new truck, and pay his daughter’s fees and tuition until high school. Get a ready-made family, a sister for his daughter, and a beautiful successful wife, all for the price of a year-long marriage. What could go wrong?

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