Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Drake Makes His Move

Welcome back, Sixers! My week has been filled with editing punctuated with moments of furious writing. Got the edits back from Evernight and should have them done this coming week. So excited to get Her Devoted Vampire out in March! Thank you to all of you for coming to read my WIP snippets and for your comments. I really appreciate them. Several other authors participate in Six Sentence Sunday and I always check out Ruthie Knox, Lynne Murray, Zee Monodee, and Karysa Faire.

In this snippet of The Order of the Dragon, Dr. Aliandra Cantora knows Drake MacGregor needs blood, but when he learns she's a dragon, he refuses to feed from her. She taunts him until she gets what she wants.

Drake snarled as he launched himself at Aliandra, slamming into her and pressing her against the medical table. Her inner dragon howled with triumph as he pressed his growing erection between her legs and stapled her hands to the bench behind her.

“If my control wasn’t excellent, Dr. Cantora, I would have sunk my cock into your sweet-scented pussy and my teeth into your neck,” he hissed, his eyes blazing crimson.

“Then do it, Mr. MacGregor.”

He groaned and closed his eyes, but he dropped his lips to her throat once more and licked her, making her shiver. Then his teeth broke her skin and momentary pain exploded into erotic pleasure.

See? Now everyone's much happier...or they will be. ;) Thank you for stopping by and happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week Seven - Winners

Week Seven of #ThursThreads had some fantastic tales! Great thanks to all who entered this week. I'm honored to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Huge thank you to judge Nichole Severn for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

• Kimberly Gould | @Kimmydonn
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• Stevie McCoy | @theglitterlady
• Nancy Porter | @ModernBard1024
• Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• James Bambury | @James Bambury
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
• @LupusAnthropos

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemechanics

Nichole says: It made me laugh and had great imagery.

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

Nichole says: Made me laugh and one word: "Boobalicious" lol.

Week Seven Winner

Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777

Nichole says: First place had a great twist and a dark storyline that I love.

Bending over the prostrate body in the middle of the motel room, Detective Dufus looked at the markings on the woman’s neck. He looked over his shoulder at Commissioner Wellder.

“You’ll have to order a full investigation with this one,” Dufus said.

“As a matter of fact, we are,” Wellder said, turning away to roll his eyes.

“Looks like she’s been strangled.”

“Seems as if.”

“No doubt it’s a murder.”

“Appears so.”

“The person who did this must’ve really hated her.”

“Enough to choke the life out of her.”

“Do we know who she is?”

“You don’t recognize her?”

“No, should I?” Dufus asked, turning to look into the woman’s purple-black swollen face.

“Yes, I imagine you should.”

Dufus squinted his eyes and shook his head.

“Well, I don’t.”

“That’s funny. She’s your wife.”

“What?” Dufus looked at her again, scratching his head. As he brought his hand down, he noticed the marks down his arms. Looking up at the Commissioner, his eyesight grew blurry and he blacked out.

“Damn, Dufus. I knew he was having marital problems. Who knew he’d be such an idiot.” Wellder turned to his sergeant. “Splash some water on him and then book him.”

Wellder waited until the man had gone into the bathroom. He smiled, patted the belt he’d used, and pulled down his jacket.

Congratulations Toni, J. Whitworth, and Wakefield! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :) 

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

 

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Seven

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Seven of #ThursThreads. It's the end of January and there's been a lot of writing going on, but even more editing. Thank goodness for this challenge.

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.

Rules to the Game:

• This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
• 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 (or be excluded from judging)
• Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
• The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific 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, and Google + 

Our Judge for Week Seven:

The sexy, suspenseful, storyteller of twisted tales, Nichole Severn.
 

  Nichole on Twitter

Nichole on Facebook

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt: 

"As a matter of fact, we are."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Aliandra's Offer

Welcome back, Sixers! So nice to see you and have you return. I really appreciate your comments and the time you take to come read my snippets. I realize I'm one of many, but I appreciate your interest in my stories. Speaking of the many, there is a list of folks on Six Sentence Sunday and I have a few favorites I always visit, too. They are Ruthie Knox, Lynne Murray, Zee Monodee, and Karysa Faire.

In this snippet of The Order of the Dragon, after Drake's initial attack and Aliandra tossed his butt across the room for it, they both calm down enough for her to realize he hasn't fed in a while and she's the nearest donor. So she offers him her blood, but she wants to make sure he'll stop. The first line is from Aliandra.

“A mature sanguivore wouldn’t let himself get in this position of being so weak.”

Drake drew himself up to his full height, bringing them eye to eye with him seated, and his expression smoothed out into regal impassiveness. He looked like a king unimpressed with the pleas of his subjects, but she wasn’t the one begging.

He isn't begging, either.

        “Now is not the time to sit on your high horse, Mr. MacGregor,” she remarked, oddly afraid he’d decline to feed from her. “I’ve taken the Hippocratic Oath and you’re in need of medical attention, even if it’s to prevent starvation.”

Oooh, sounds like she likes gettin' bitten! ;) Thanks for stopping by and have a great week. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - Week Six - Winners

Week Six of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Huge thank you to all who entered this week. It was great to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Another huge thank you to judge LupusAnthropos for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

• Bethany Lopez | @BethanyLopez2
• Kimberly | @Kimmydonn
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• Jen DeSantis | @JenD_Author
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Lenore Diane | @Lenore_Diane
• Kat Halstead | @KatDVS
• Janie Crouch | @JanieCrouch
• Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Tina Seeborg | @tinaofborg
• Corgzilla | @ModernBard1024
• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Margie C McNulty | @charitygirlblog
• @LupusAnthropos
• Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella
• Aurora Lee | @AuroraLee
• Sarah Aisling | @SarahAisling

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Margie C McNulty | @charitygirlblog

Lupus says: Nicely set scene, leaving him with exactly what he deserved and nothing more.

Antonio Angelo | @AntonioAngelo21

Lupus says: Very touching use of the prompt.

Janie Crouch | @JanieCrouch

Lupus says: Dark, creepy, and well developed.

Week Six Winner

Sarah Aisling | @SarahAisling

Lupus says: Great twist. Started out sounding like a wedding, but turned out to be a funeral - and a premeditated one, at that.

“Oh, my sweet, we must get you ready for tonight,” Daniel whispers as he coaxes Janine’s hair into soft curls that frame her perfectly made up face.

Classical music plays in the background, and he closes his eyes during his favorite part, humming along before he continues.

“You’re going to look so perfect.” He straightens the neckline of her purple dress, fastening her most treasured diamond pendent around her neck. It rests against her ivory cream skin, a lovely accompaniment to her decolletage.

The last notes of the song fade out, and the only sound in the room comes from the vents which pump in chilled air.

A light tap on the door draws his attention. “It’s time, Daniel. Are you ready?”

“As a matter of fact, we are.” His eyes return to her beauty. “Jared will escort you in, dear one.”

After spending a few moments alone in the hall, he opens the double doors and enters the room, gazing around pleased. The chairs are lined up in perfect rows, the flowers exquisite.

The priest nods to Daniel, and he walks up the aisle to stand before his beloved. Kneeling, he pats his chest, feeling the comforting thickness of the envelope which holds the life insurance policy. With a tingle of anticipation, he leans forward, fingers caressing the satin liner of the coffin. He brushes his lips against Janine’s cool, hard cheek.

"You look great, and yeah, you’re worth a million bucks."

Congratulations Sarah, Margie, Antonio, and Janie! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :) 

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

 

Silver Lining #100words for #FridayFictioneers

Welcome back to my little corner of the world. Today's photo prompt is all about perception - and a little bit of humor. I hope you enjoy this 100 words for the #FridayFictioneers.

  

Great arches in white soared above Leo’s head and looped like billowing clouds strung on ivory pillars. Sweet, distant music played in the echoing space and diffused light appeared to come from everywhere. A walkway stretched across his field of vision, filled with meandering figures in no apparent hurry. To his left a fountain cascaded down a white marble statue, the water splashing in a harmonious melody in sync with his heart.

“Hey, buddy, are you feeling better?” a familiar voice asked.

“Am I in Heaven?” Leo focused on the speaker.

“Nah, man. You fainted in the Mall of America!”

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit the other authors of the Friday Fictioneers here. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Six

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week Six of #ThursThreads. Half-way through January already and there's been a lot of writing going on. Mostly, right here! ;) Back to the challenge. :D

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.

Rules to the Game:

• This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
• 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 (or be excluded from judging)
• Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
• The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific 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, and Google + 

Our Judge for Week Six:

The lightning bringer of flash fiction and the original wolfman, LupusAnthropos.

 

LupusAnthropos on Twitter

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"You look great, and yeah, you’re worth a million bucks."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Aliandra's Response

Welcome back, Sixers, for Six Sentence Sunday. I appreciate the return visitors. Your comments make my day and now that Blogger allows replies, I can actually answer. :) Welcome also to anyone new who has dropped by. Thanks for visiting. Several other authors participate in Six Sentence Sunday and a few of my favorites are Cara Michaels, Ruthie Knox, JoAnn Ross, and Lynne Murray. Also, check out #flashfiction comrade Wakefield Mahon.

In this snippet from WIP The Order of the Dragon, Drake MacGregor has lost control of his vampiric hunger and bitten Dr. Aliandra Cantora. This is from his perspective.

Two things registered to his hunger-fogged brain. The first was the unbelievable richness of her blood, richer than any blood he’d ever tasted. It filled his mouth like the legendary elixir of life and warmed his body from the inside out.

The second thing was a terrible snarl echoing through the room just before Dr. Cantora flung him bodily over the medical bench to crash into the metal shelves filled with lead aprons.

Drake opened his eyes to stare up at the woman towering over him, her eyes blazing with iridescent green fire as she held her neck with one taloned hand.

“What in the name of all that’s holy do you think you’re doing?!”

Hell hath no fury like a dragon bitten... ;) Thank you for stopping by and happy reading. :)

#ThursThreads - Week Five - Winners

Week Five of #ThursThreads had some terrific tales! Huge thank you to all who entered this week. It was great to see all of you and read your tales. And it was great to have some new "faces" join us. Another huge thank you to judge Tom Keller for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Toni Wyatt | @Toni1777
• Bethany Lopez | @BethanyLopez2
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
• Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
• Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
• Rafe B | @etcet
• Corgzilla
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Richard C Hale | @Richard_C_Hale
• @LupusAnthropos
• Daniel Swensen | @surlymuse
• Lenore Diane | @Lenore_Diane
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Stevie McCoy | @theglitterlady
• Rik Davnall | @eatthepen
• Miranda Gammella | @MLGammella
• Lisa McCourt Hollar | @Jezri

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

@LupusAnthropos

Tom says: I could see a lot of Sam in my own dog, lol.

Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon

Tom says: I gotta give Wakefield an Honorable Mention for his use of the prompt. It was a fun, sexy story.

Richard C Hale | @Richard_C_Hale

Tom says: I really liked Richard C Hale's story. That damn elevator scared the crap out of me as well.

Corgzilla

Tom says: "Business first then we'd talk romance. I wanted my guns back." I liked the fighting cyborg-mage idea. Spitting out a tooth was also a nice touch.

Week Five Winner

Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman

Tom says: I really liked @rastrohman's story. That one moved me and I could really feel for the character.

“Here you are, in all your glory. Tie just right. Shirt fitting perfectly, outlining those muscles. You’re tall and handsome, and you have a winning smile. You look great, and yeah, you’re worth a million bucks. You know that? You can tackle anything. And you want to know something else? You will take the bull by the horns and come out of here grinning with the thought of knowing you did it. People may say you lack character or charisma, that you maybe aren’t brave enough to do something like this, but sure you are, tough guy. You are a born winner, and you can accomplish anything.”

“Hey buddy, quit talking to yourself and move it. You’re holding up the line.”

He turned and glared back at the sour old man, then took a step forward. Time to shine.

“Hi, can I help you?” she asked, smiling cheerfully.

“Yes, my name is Reggie, and I have severe agoraphobia. I’m trying new medication though, and this is my first time out of my house in seven years. Ahem. I’d like a hamburger and a small Coke please.”

As she smiled awkwardly and called out the order, he whispered to himself, “You did it, Reggie. You did it!”

Congratulations Ryan, Lupus, Wakefield, Richard, and Corgzilla! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :) 

Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the stories here and I hope to see you all back next week for #ThursThreads. :)

 

The Acorn #100words for #FridayFictioneers

Good morning. Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for a little Friday #flashfiction. This morning, in honor of #WIP500 and #FridayFictioneers, I wrote 100 words on a little WIP slowly developing one flash piece at a time. Madison Woods hosts the group and you can find all the other authors' links on her blog. She provides the photo prompt.

The following story is a special military team has been brought in to search for a missing Senator's daughter. You can read an earlier snippet here and here. Captain Mack has just found the woman's horse, but no woman.

A horse whickered through the autumn trees. Mack signaled his team to move forward toward the archaeological site, trying to avoid marring the tracks. The path opened up in front of them to show flagging the scientists had left as well as a large chestnut Quarterhorse tied to one of the oaks outside of the site.

“Bryant, take a team and search the perimeter for more tracks.”

Something cracked under Mack’s foot as he moved and he bent, picking up a sprouting acorn with a frown.

“What are you doing here, buddy? It’s the wrong time of year for that.”

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend. Happy reading! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge that Ties Tales Together - Week Five

 

Welcome to Week Five of #ThursThreads!

It's Thursday, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! And I've got the challenge for you. Not only is this wonderful challenge going on, but stop by Shannan Albright's blog today for her Author's Spotlight series featuring ME! :) Everything you've ever wanted to know about Siobhan Muir. Hehehe okay, back to the challenge. :D

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.

Rules to the Game:

• This is a Flash Fiction challenge, which means your story must be a minimum of 100 words, maximum of 250.
• 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 (or be excluded from judging)
• Include your Twitter handle or email (so we know how to find you)
• The challenge is open 7 AM to 7 PM Pacific 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, and Google + 

Our Judge for Week Five:

The slick, smart, dryly sarcastic, Sci-fi author and Cyber cop, Tom Keller.

 

 

Tom Keller on Twitter

Tom Keller on FB

 

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

"Sure you are, tough guy."

Away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThread. Good luck! :)

New Year's Resolutions, #WIP500, and Cover Art

I hope your holidays were wonderful and that the light is returning to your part of the world. I already notice the sun stays longer in the sky before it sinks behind the mountains to the west.

New Year's came so quickly with all that was going on at the end of 2011 that it was upon me before I could blink (and I even manged to stay up until Midnight to watch the fireworks from the Strip). I realized I hadn't made any New Year's Resolutions. It occurred to me that maybe I didn't need them this year.

A friend said "New Year's Resolutions are like donuts. They taste good at the beginning, but weigh you down over time."

I laughed and agreed. It's hard to keep the motivation going to fulfill the resolutions all year long. However, I think Resolutions are important as benchmarks to reach for and that they are doable if the goals are realistic.

This year I only had one resolution: #WIP500. I'd write 500 words a day on a Work In Progress, every day, for the whole year. So far so good. I think my smallest word count thus far is 674 words. 500 words isn't that much, about 1 single spaced 8.5 x 11 page, but it seems to flow out of me when I sit down to really do it. In fact, I can write about 100 coherent words in 5 minutes, so ideally, I should be able to do it in a half an hour. Think of what I could do in my daily 3 hrs of writing time!

I had wonderful New Year's, especially when Evernight Publishing picked up my vampire novella Her Devoted Vampire and gave me a tentative release date in March of 2012. Yesterday, I received the cover art for my story and I my jaw dropped.

I think the best part about it is the name printed across the bottom: Siobhan Muir. That made my heart pound more than the hot guy on the front. My name! My book! My cover! Woohoo! It made my day and I haven't touched the ground since.

In celebration of this upcoming release, fellow Evernight author Shannan Albright is having me on her blog tomorrow in her Author's Spotlight series. You're welcome to come on over and comment on the interview. You can learn all sorts of interesting things about me that I'd never reveal otherwise. Yeah, okay, probably not, but do stop by and let me know someone's listening. :)

Also tomorrow is the weekly #ThursThreads Challenge here on my blog where you tie your tale to the prompt. Stop by and enjoy the writing abilities of several great #flashfiction writers and try your own hand at writing up to 250 words for the prompt. It's a fun time. You can even use it toward your #WIP500 daily quota.

If you're interested in joining #WIP500, hosted by Cara Michaels, you can sign up on her blog and join the forum, where other authors encourage you in your goals. It has been a great help and motivator. Good luck in your own New Year's Resolutions and in your writing. Happy reading! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Order of the Dragon - Drake's Fall

Welcome back, Sixers. So great to see you all here again, and thank you for your comments on this WIP snippet. They really make my day. In fact, all the authors who participate in Six Sentence Sunday really appreciate your comments, so I hope you will visit those on this list. I have a few favorites I visit regularly and highly recommend: Cara Michaels, JoAnn Ross, Lynne Murray, and Ruthie Knox.

This year I've participated in #WIP500, five hundred words a day on any WIP, and my Muse has been completely enamored of The Order of the Dragon, a paranormal romance between a vampire and a dragon. Drake MacGregor is the Historian at the Library in Three Lakes, MI, and he's been rather distracted by the local doctor, Aliandra Cantora del Viento. So distracted, he hasn't fed in two days and he's shaky and weak. He falls and breaks his leg, but he blames Aliandra for his weakness and she's the last person he wants to see. Unfortunately, she's the one on call. ;)

“Trying some extra acrobatics, Mr. MacGregor?” Dr. Cantora asked as she crouched beside him.

Her sultry voice hardened him even more and he could barely grunt in acknowledgement of her remark, losing his manners completely. Her spicy scent flooded over him and his canines elongated in his mouth, itching to sink into her delicious flesh.

“May I push your pants up to examine your leg?”

        She could push his pants all the way off and he’d cheer her on, or at least his cock would. But Drake tightened his lips over his fangs and nodded stiffly.

Doesn't he know he shouldn't bite a dragon? Thanks for stopping by and have a great week. See you next Sunday. Happy reading! :)