Hollywood Actor – Siobhan Muir

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…

1000+ Free Books for One Day Only!

Posted on June 30, 2023June 29, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Yup, you read that right. 1000+ free ebooks to fill up your ereaders (I heard a rumor that it’s actually 1300!) I love doing this event. It happens quarterly and I always find new reads that catch my attention. Are you ready to fill up your ereader? All you have to do is head on over to RomanceBookworms and grab your 1000+ books – including THE IVORY ROAD: A WALK IN THE SAND (under Sci-Fi Romance) – from your favorite retailer. This is a great way to get to know new-to-you authors and fill up your ereaders without spending a dime. I found some great tales by Genevieve Turner, B.A. Tortuga, Minerva Howe, Cat Johnson, Kate Pearce, and Zoe York the last time I checked this out. Now I’m part of the crew doing it and you get to benefit from it as well. Fill your ereader, get your books, and happy reading!

Recipe for Romance: Blue Cornbread

Posted on June 18, 2023June 18, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome to Recipe for Romance! Each weekend, I share a snippet of a tale that either takes place in the current month (in this case, June) 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 THE KAROBIS CALLS, book 4 in the 4 part Ivory Road serial. Iliana and Naomi have recovered Master Nobutake and they are hunting the kidnappers in hopes of recovering the rest of the people taken from the school. Things just went pear-shaped. The Ivory Road: The Karobis Calls Aristotle still insisted on keeping watch, which improved everyone’s health. Though they didn’t speak much except to determine which path to take and whether to go into the closest village for supplies, the pall of sickness had lifted. All that was left was their worry for Brandon and the kids. Aristotle also backed Naomi when it came to tracking the kidnappers and seemed indefatigable. He kept watch each night while the humans slept and traveled all day across any terrain they encountered without collapsing with exhaustion. She did catch him napping when they stopped for meals, but otherwise he remained alert. He did the same thing when we crossed the Karobis the first time. “How long can you go without sleep, Aristotle?” “As long as I need to. I rest when I can…uh-oh.” He stopped and swung his head back and forth. The road they’d been following split into a “Y,” both directions full of footprints. Iliana blinked as Naomi stopped her horse beside them, a frown marring her features. “Give me a moment.” Naomi dismounted and stood on the road, squinting at the dirt. “What’s wrong?” Naomi pointed. “They split up. Some of them took the western path and the rest went south.” She tilted her head. “Looks like three horses and a smaller group went west.” She glanced at Iliana. “What do we do, Master Rory?” “I…I don’t know.” Sweet glory, how the hell was she going to rescue everyone if they’d gone in two different directions? “Perhaps we should follow the smaller group.” Nobutake’s voice fell into the well of silence. “This would give us a better chance to overwhelm the kidnappers and if we free the captured, they can help us win the day so we might pursue the larger group.” Gluten-Free Blue Cornbread This is a traditional cornbread recipe that I modified to be gluten-free and used a different sweetener. It was a delicious treat. Ingredients 1-1/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour 3/4 cup blue cornmeal 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons agave syrup 3/4 cup milk (preferably whole but low-fat works too) 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted and cooled Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. (I prefer to use non-stick cooking spray so the muffins get nice and crisp on the edges.) In a medium bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk. Whisk in the honey, and then the milk. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk mixture and the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Whisk until just blended. Do not overmix; it’s okay if there are a few lumps. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are set and golden. (Note that the muffins will not dome.) Cool the muffins for a few minutes in the pan, then serve warm. Note: If you’d prefer to make this as cornbread rather than muffins, spray an 8-inch square pan with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 F (177 C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: Cornbread muffins taste best when served right out of the oven but can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 for 4 hours on the countertop before serving. To reheat, wrap them in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot. Alternatively, heat muffins in the microwave at 50 percent power for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just hot; do not overheat or muffins will get tough.

Recipe for Romance: Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Posted on June 11, 2023June 11, 2023 by Siobhan Muir

Welcome to Recipe for Romance! Each weekend, I share a snippet of a tale that either takes place in the current month (in this case, June 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 THE KAROBIS CALLS, book 4 in the 4 part Ivory Road serial. Iliana has returned to the school and found it burning. After she found survivors, she takes Naomi and goes after those kidnapped, including Brandon. I think everyone needs a sweet treat after something like that. Available Now: The Karobis Calls When they reached the end of the road to the school, Iliana pulled Aristotle to a stop, allowing Naomi to come alongside them. “Okay, we need to figure out who they are, where they’ve gone, and how many they took with them. You said you could track them?” Iliana dismounted and pulled Aristotle over to the side of the road. Naomi nodded as she slid off her horse. “My father taught me. It was the only way to know where to hunt for the day in my homeland.” Rather than look at the ground, Naomi narrowed her gaze at Iliana. “What do you think we should look for? Too many people have come from the village and obscured the tracks of the slavers.” Iliana held up a hand. “Let’s not make too many assumptions yet. First, you said they were dressed all in black, similar to me, right?” Naomi nodded. “Okay, our first thought would be the Knalish, but it could be the peoples who live east of your homeland, too. The desert folks that my people call the Bedouin.” Naomi shook her head. “I know those people. We call them the Tsornin, but while they dress in black, they have flowing robes rather than the tighter clothes you wear. And all the men who came to the school were dressed like you.” She frowned. “Why do you wear those clothes?” “I lived for a long time in the Karobis Desert, and fitting in without being a part of any particular worven or clan, was the safest. The Knalish saw what they wanted to see without asking questions.” That sounded plausible, right? Naomi’s eyes widened and she nodded slowly. “A disguise to live in peace.” “Exactly.” Thank goodness she agreed. Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie Crust #1 2 puff pastry sheets 2 tbsp melted butter 4 tsp cinnamon 1 egg Brush butter over pastry sheet and add the cinnamon to cover. Roll sheets up into a cinnamon roll, cut the ends off to make even, and cut the roll into several ¾ inch disks. Place the disks on their sides in a pie plate all the way up to the rim. Press to flatten and merge into a crust. Brush with beaten egg. Apples Eight cups of sliced apples ½ cup of sugar 3 tbsp flour 1 tsp cinnamon Combine dry ingredients until well blended. Add 8 cups of sliced apples (we used Pink Lady) and toss with hands until completely covered with cinnamon sugar. Pour apples and cinnamon sugar remnants into brushed egg roll crust and spread out until it fills the pie basin. Crust #2 2 puff pastry sheets 2 tbsp melted butter 4 tsp cinnamon 1 egg Combine like the first crust, roll, and cut into disks. Arrange disks in a circular pattern on parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll out into upper crust with rolling pin (like a regular crust). Remove top layer of parchment paper and lay the newly rolled crust on top of the apples. Trim extra off crust to fit pie plate and press edges together to seal. Brush top of crust with beaten egg and cut heat vents. Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 40 minutes.

RELEASE DAY THE KAROBIS CALLS

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

It’s Release Day for THE IVORY ROAD: THE KAROBIS CALLS, the exciting conclusion to The Ivory Road serial. This is a 23 year old story that’s been reworked and changed into something new, even for me. I hope you’ve enjoyed Ivory’s journey. When I started this story, I was in the Aleutian Islands, working on my Master’s Thesis in volcanology. But in the evenings after fieldwork was done, my Muse refused to be quiet any longer (I’d ignored her all through college). So this story was born. But it evolved in 2022 and surprised even me. Here’s the blurb: Rushing to her home world to save a friend brought only heartache. Can Iliana now save Brandon? A desperate return to her world has left Iliana shaken, but a gut feeling that something’s wrong in Brandon’s world sends her riding hard for the Ivory School. When she arrives in Los Arboles, the campus is a smoking ruin and bodies litter the grounds. She finds a few survivors and learns Brandon—and others from the school—have been kidnapped…by an enemy everyone thought was dead. The only way to rescue Brandon is to use the skills she honed at his school. But she has no way of knowing if he survived the attack or if he even wants her rescue, and it’s not like she can text or track him with GPS. With the help of the only uninjured student, she heads back to the Karobis Desert, hoping she’s not too late to save everything that matters to her in this—or any—world. The Karobis Calls is the fourth story and dramatic conclusion to the four-part serial recounting Iliana’s journey along the Ivory Road. EXCERPT OF THE KAROBIS CALLS The world was still. Sunshine of early evening burnished the sunflowers in the fields around her and crickets sang in the grasses. Warmth as real as the freezing cold of Australia enveloped her and she took a deep breath of relief. “Do you ever get used to the sharp changes in weather and temperature?” She shook herself to release all the tension in her body from the harrowing ride. “Iliana…” Aristotle’s voice held caution as he trotted ahead. “What?” “Look ahead.” She swung her gaze ahead and all the comfort and heat left her body in a rush. Black smoke billowed in thick oily plumes from the smoldering trees around the main house of the Ivory School of Tactics and Warfare. The breeze painted the sky with streaks of black as fear ran with little cold feet up her spine. “Sweet glory, what the fuck? Run, Aristotle!” The horse launched into a pounding gallop up the road to the school and Iliana tried to come to grips with what she saw. The unfolding ruin made her stomach tighten and she hauled back on the reins as they made it to the smoking yard. Both the house and the stables had been set ablaze and now stood in blackened ruins, studs and beams sticking up like the ribs of huge animals. The fountain in the center was smashed to nothing but fragments, the water dribbling sluggishly from bent pipes. “Oh, my glory.” Iliana dismounted but couldn’t move a step away from Aristotle as her gaze took in everything. The doors to the house were burned away to nothing but the hinges. Inside, blackened rubble was all that remained of the tile floors and the furnishings. The dorms and outbuildings still smoldered sullenly as she turned slowly to look at the estate. Her gaze caught on something lying on the threshold of the burned-out house. Something vaguely familiar. “Aristotle, is that…is that a body?” His head reared back and his nostrils flared in surprise. “Yes.” “Oh sweet glory…” She swallowed hard and took a few steps closer, cataloging every detail like the props manager on a movie set. The body lay belly-down with one hand extended into the house as if the owner had been running inside before being stopped, violently. As she drew closer, she recognized Master Vasily’s Slavic features turned to the side, his eyes still open despite the charred skin. What little she’d eaten that morning came up in a rush and she turned to the side to keep from vomiting on the body. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. If Vasily is dead, then… Her body heaved again, emptying her stomach before she wiped her mouth on her arm, tears running down her face. “We have to check for more bodies, Iliana.” Aristotle’s voice sounded as shaken as she felt. “Survivors. We have to check for survivors.” She gritted her teeth. “There have to be survivors because I can’t accept that I wasn’t here to help Brandon when he needed me.” “The world doesn’t work that way.” “Yes, it damn well does. At least in my world, right now.” She raised her chin and stepped over Vasily’s body, ignoring the dull pain from her knee with each stride. She wiped her eyes on her black silks and focused on finding the residents of the school; anyone who could tell her what had happened. Broken tile and charred wood met each step as she searched the remains of the house. The second floor was completely gone, the smoke filling the air above the ground floor. She picked her way around burned and discarded furniture to discover Brandon’s library was nothing but ash. Her eyes filled with more tears, but she wasn’t sure if it was grief or smoke affecting them. The dining hall had suffered the most damage, both in furniture and in bodies. Iliana blinked back tears as she wrapped her silks around her face. She didn’t recognize every body, but Señora Cruz lay bristling with crossbow bolts surrounded by students missing limbs. “Oh dear sweet glory.” She turned away and heaved again, but nothing came up. Grief roared inside her as she moved through the rest of the house, searching for any survivors. She found Temujin inside a ring of bodies…