Merry Everything and Happy Always!

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

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No #ThursThreads this Week

Thank you all for coming back to my blog week after week to write for #ThursThreads. Today is the US holiday of “Thanksgiving” which we call Gratitude Day in my family. I’m grateful for all y’all and for the years you’ve been writing on this blog. Thanks for coming back, sharing the links, and writing and judging. I appreciate it so much. If you’re a reader as well as a writer, there’s a Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale going on at Smashwords. All my military romantic suspense books are on sale for $1.99 each. All you need is the code SQ39V at checkout and you can get the series for only $2 a piece. And don’t forget to grab DARWIN’S EVOLUTION, a spinoff novella connected to the Bad Boys. Find the BBoBS series HERE Happy Reading and Happy Gratitude Day!

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Recipe for Romance: Star Bread

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

Welcome to Recipe for Romance! So, originally, RfR was a way to give people ideas that would help them spice up their romantic relationships. I would write up some easy and common ways to make a few moments on your weekend or date night fun and sexy (whether REALLY SEXY or more of the sweet variety). I think if you search “recipe” or “recipe for romance” you might find some of these old posts. The posts that showed up in 2020 were more about sharing actual recipes, goodies to be shared with loved ones. But it’s now 2023 and things are changing again. I still want to share recipes, and romance, and snippets of my stories because I am, after all, a romance author. So I thought I’d do it this way. Each weekend, I’ll share a snippet of a tale that either takes place in the current month (in this case, February) 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 DANCE BETWEEN WORLDS, book 3 in the 4 part Ivory Road serial, coming on Feb. 20 2023. Ivory is a Hollywood Star, so I thought Cinnamon Star Bread would be the perfect compliment. Coming Feb 20 2023: A Dance Between Worlds “Remind me. How long has it been since I left, Aristotle?” “Near as I can tell, about ten months, give or take.” Iliana sighed. “Sweet glory! That’s a long time. Brandon’s going to be furious.” Aristotle wisely said nothing and they rode into the courtyard of the estate. The large manor house appeared to be similar to a Spanish villa with the terra cotta tiled roof and stucco walls. A fountain stood in the center, spraying water a few feet up to splash in the basin. Several other buildings fanned out around the courtyard. A barn made from wood stood closest to the fields and a few horses stood under the sodden skies. Another building beyond looked like a barracks. Must be the dorm for the students. She swung out of the saddle and led Aristotle under the portico, but stopped before knocking on the door. Her gut clenched and her breath hitched. Damn, he’s going to be furious with me. She didn’t want to face it, but he’d be angrier the longer she waited. Hopefully not too mad to hear what I have to tell him. “Are you going to go in so I can get out of this rain?” Aristotle shook his head as if clearing his ears of water. “You are out of the rain.” “But I’m not in a nice warm stable with a bin full of succulent hay.” Iliana laughed, but her mirth died quick. “How many people am I likely to encounter in the house?” Aristotle rubbed his muzzle against a foreleg in consideration. “There were a total of ten students and two other teachers when I left. One instructor is an archer and the other is a master of mounted warfare.” “So Brandon’s working with others.” She nodded and clenched her fists around the reins. “I’m glad he doesn’t have to do it all.” “Knock on the door, Iliana.” Aristotle’s voice held none of the snarky bite and she shot him a surprised look. “He deserves to know you’re here.” Cinnamon almond Star Bread This is a lot like a sweet roll or cinnamon rolls, but it comes out in such a beautiful shape. Definitely a crowd pleaser. Siobhan Muir’s Cinnamon Almond Star Bread Ingredients 2 ½ cups (9 ounces) All-Purpose Flour 1/4 cup Almond flour  1/4 cup Almond milk 3/4 cup to 1 cup lukewarm water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons instant yeast 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon salt First, measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine (I used the bread machine) — to make a soft, smooth dough. If you use the bread machine, set it to the dough option. If you don’t use the bread machine, place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 60 minutes, until it’s nearly doubled in bulk. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover the balls, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, gather your filling ingredients: 1 large egg, beaten 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cinnamon On a lightly greased or floured work surface (or piece of parchment paper), roll one piece of dough into a 10″ circle. Don’t worry about making the circle exactly 10″ wide, or even totally round. Just do your best; rising and baking will cover any shaping faux pas. If you’ve rolled on your countertop, place the circle on a piece of parchment. Brush a thin coat of beaten egg on the surface. Evenly sprinkle with one-third of the cinnamon-sugar (a 3 scant tablespoons), leaving 1/4″ of bare dough around the perimeter. Roll out a second circle the same size as the first, and place it on top of the filling-covered circle. Brush it with egg, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Repeat the layering process — egg, cinnamon-sugar, dough circle — leaving the top circle bare. Reserve a bit of the beaten egg to brush over the star once it’s shaped. Place a 2 1/2″ to 3″ round cutter, pint jar lid, or drinking glass in the center of the dough circle as a guide. Press the round cutter in the middle down just enough to leave an imprint and remove it. Then take a pair of scissors and cut from the outside edge of the dough to the center, stopping at the line left by the cutter. It helps to first cut the dough into four quadrants;…

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800+ Free Romance Ebooks! Yes, really!

Woohoo! It’s time to fill — and I do mean FILL– your ereaders! 800+ Free romance books are available for today only. Talk about a great way to start the new year. All you have to do is head on over to https://www.romancebookworms.com and just pick your favorite retailer and favorite genres, and you’re good to go. Which book do I have in the lot? The weather outside is frightful, and so are the thugs trying to toss me off a snowy cliff… Speaking out against a local bigwig who’s terrified of witches when you actually are a witch attracts trouble. Only the timely intervention of a big, hot biker dude saves me from a modern-day execution. He says he’s security for the Concrete Angels Motorcycle Club, but I know he’s more than that. Humans. They’re either gloriously happy or dismally miserable. Flint, Concrete Angels’ Security With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve been looking for a quiet place to collect my thoughts. But that’s when Earl Creighton’s goons try to throw a woman off my local cliff. Havoc, hexes, and holidays: It’s the most wonderful time of year… Happy Holidays and happy reading to all y’all!

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Annual Hot Teddy Bear Hero Giveaway Basket – 2021

It’s that time of year again, and you gotta love the fallout from 2020. In an attempt to make things better, the Annual Hot Teddy Bear Hero Giveaway Basket is ready to go and it’s all about comfort. Glory knows we all need it. So, what’s in the basket? Hot Teddy Bear Hero Flip the Trope Anthology in paperback, signed The Concrete Angel in paperback, signed The Sorceress of Song and Flame in paperback, signed Siobhan Muir mug Siobhan Muir stickers Concrete Angels MC bracelet and earrings Homemade Lip Balm Handmade Fleece Throw blanket Here’s what you have to do to win the basket giveaway: Buy or Wishlist for THE SORCERESS OF SONG AND FLAME, Greylea Spell #1 on Amazon or Goodreads. Buy or Wishlist FLIP THE TROPE ANTHOLOGY on Amazon or Goodreads. Tweet about the giveaway with this sample tweet: “It’s time for the Annual Hot Teddy Bear Hero Giveaway Basket! Drop by @SiobhanMuir’s blog and sign up for her #HotTeddyBearHero #Giveaway. Get a lot of #romance, some swag, and several #bookboyfriends all in one. Stop by and RT today! https://siobhanmuir.com/?p=6031” Promote THE SORCERESS OF SONG AND FLAME on Twitter with this sample Tweet: “Dragons and Goddesses and magic, oh my! Fantasy and PNR collide in the new fantasy romance by @SiobhanMuir. Grab a copy today! #fantasy #romance #dragonshifter https://siobhanmuir.com/the-sorceress-of-song-and-flame” Promote THE SORCERESS OF SONG AND FLAME on FB and MeWe with this sample post: “Dragons and Goddesses and magic, oh my! Matsuko’s definitely not in the US anymore in the new fantasy romance from Siobhan Muir. Join the adventure with a hot dragon shifter. Fantasy and PNR collide in an RPG setting! Grab a copy today. #Fantasy #romance #dragonshifter https://siobhanmuir.com/the-sorceress-of-song-and-flame” Promote FLIP THE TROPE ANTHOLOGY on Twitter with this sample Tweet: “What happens when she doesn’t need rescuing? Bianca returned to her small town because she wanted to, and met the dragon of her dreams in a new #firefighter #PNR by @SiobhanMuir. Grab a copy today! #olderheroine #flipthetrope https://siobhanmuir.com/flip-the-trope-anthology” Promote FLIP THE TROPE ANTHOLOGY on FB and MeWe with this sample post: “Bianca doesn’t need rescuing. She returned to her small town because she wanted to, and met the dragon of her dreams in a new firefighter PNR from SiobhanMuir. Grab a copy today for a second chance at love! #olderheroine #flipthetrope Grab a copy today. https://siobhanmuir.com/flip-the-trope-anthology” Join Siobhan Muir’s newsletter: newsletter Leave a comment on this blog with where and how you promoted either book and what’s the best thing that’s happened to you this year. Now the Nitty Gritty: The giveaway will go from Tuesday December 7 2021 to Tuesday December 28 2021, 11:59 PM Mountain Time US. You must be 18 years or older to participate. Please void where prohibited. You will have 48 hours from the winner’s announcement to claim your prize. If not claimed, a new winner will be chosen. Don’t forget to leave your comment here on the blog of where and how you promoted, and the best thing that’s happened to you this year. Good luck, happy holidays, and happy reading!

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Wednesday Randomness: Halloween

Good morning! This weekend is Halloween and it’s also the time of Samhain (pronounced Sav-en in Scotland), All Saints Day, and Dia de Los Muertos. I’ve been doing some research on the proper ways to celebrate these holidays for an upcoming book, but I was struck at how much in common these holidays had. For example: During Samhain, the practitioners make altars to honor deceased ancestors and loved ones and they leave special bread and offerings to the spirits outside. This is similar to Dia de Los Muertos where they bake bread and goodies and sugary treats to leave at the graves of their loved ones, and they decorate altars to deceased family with marigolds and brightly colored paper stencils. A white 7-day candle is lit in a western-facing window to guide the dead home to their rest three days before and three days after. I really liked that one. What a lovely way to help those who’ve gone before us. Dressing up in costumes is something done for the children while Samhain proper is more of a spiritual celebration, a time of self-reflection and introspection. It’s a good time to think of how you’ve grown, the accomplishments and challenges you’ve faced this year, and things you’ve learned. This year, we won’t be trick-or-treating as the pandemic’s numbers continue to go up in our state and it looks like it’s going to be relatively cold outside this year. But we’ll be dressing up in costumes because that has been fun for years. How do you celebrate the turning of the year at harvest time?

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