The Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked!: Christmas ICE Magic

Showing posts with label Christmas ICE Magic. Show all posts

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Get Busy Livin'

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my Christmas novella, Christmas I.C.E. Magic, a paranormal romance set in the mountains northeast of Las Vegas. It's one of four stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology, and it's only sale for only $0.99. And in a few weeks, the sequel to Christmas ICE Magic is coming out. If you missed last week's snippet, you can read it HERE.

In this snippet, Lily Sinclair is visiting with her dead twin brother Linus and is finding it hard to return to her life. She just told him her heart and her life are emptier now that he's gone. He tells her she has to fill them with something better. We're in Lily's POV but Linus is the first to speak.

“All joking aside, it’s not time for you to give up. You have so much more you need to do and so many others who need your adventurous spirit, got me? So, instead of getting busy dying, you need to get busy living.” Linus glanced past her shoulder, a cheeky grin quirked his lips. “There’s more magic in the world than you know and you have to take a chance. You have to hang in there long enough to discover it.” He met her gaze again. “Promise me you’ll take the chance, Lil.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do it alone.”

“Yes, you can.” He glanced past her again and nodded as if in greeting. “But it looks like you won’t have to. Now promise me.”

Seems the dead guy does know about life. ;) There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb for the Anthology:

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Christmas I.C.E. Magic – By Siobhan Muir
For Lily Sinclair, Christmas means sorrow and loss since the death of her twin brother. The magic is gone and she only wants to see her brother one more time. As an Ice Demon Zachary Snow is used to rescuing people in winter, but he’d never rescued anyone like Lily. Now he must convince her the magic she wants is in life itself.

A Howling Yuletide –By Shannan Albright

Fleur Delecourt knew her Christmas holiday was doomed from the start. Not only did she hate the cold and snow, but also she found herself saddled with a ski instructor, courtesy of a friend’s twisted sense of humor. Werewolf Rory Furr left Scotland to find a life and pack of his own. What he was not prepared for was finding his mate in the form of a petite redhead who tests both his self-control and patience.

Bon Appetite from the Lunar Eclipse Restaurant-By R.M. Sotera
Executive chef vampire Michael Stake loves his job at the Lunar Eclipse Restaurant. Although food critics do not visit often, he welcomes world-renown critic Penelope Rothchild to his establishment. That’s when all hell breaks loose. World-renown food critic Penelope Rothchild looks forward to her new assignment in Las Vegas. Christmas in the West, what could possibly go wrong? Everything. But it’s all in the name of the perfect meal.

Boo Christmas – By Johanna Riley
All Elvira "Elle" Grant wanted for Christmas was to get out from under her famous paranormal investigator parents' shadow. But being a medium she's always haunted by their profession. Thanks to a contest win, she gets the chance to do her own paranormal investigating during Christmas at the beautiful Crescent Moon Lodge near Las Vegas, Nevada. With hunky (albeit dead!) Casper Van Beau’s help. Can Elle get over her own insecurities long enough to open up to the possibilities of eternal love?

Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge is only $0.99 at Amazon, All Romance, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Pick up your copy and get swept away for Christmas. And keep an eye out for Cloudburst Ice Magic coming early August 2014!

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Not Quite Living

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my Christmas novella, Christmas I.C.E. Magic, a paranormal romance set in the mountains northeast of Las Vegas. It's one of four stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology, and it's only sale for only $0.99. And in a few weeks, the sequel to Christmas ICE Magic is coming out. If you missed last week's snippet, you can read it HERE.

In this snippet, Lily Sinclair is dreaming in her tent out in the snow. She gets her wish to see her brother one last time, but the conversation isn't quite going the way she'd expected.

“Bullshit.” Linus pushed her down on a nearby crystal. “You’d wanted to see what Christmas was like in the tropics and you got the opportunity.” He dropped beside her. “No one could’ve known what would happen. You can’t live your life defensively. That’s not living.”

Lily huffed a laugh, swiping at her tears. “Says the dead guy.”

He grinned. “I should know, shouldn’t I?”

“Heh. Yeah.” She rubbed her nose on her sleeve.

“Here’s the thing. I’ve been with you every step of the way, keeping an eye on you, and you’re starting to freak me out a little, Lil.” He took her hand and met her gaze, his usually dancing eyes serious. “You’re pushing too hard and it’s going to end up killing you.”

Lily pursed her lips and looked away. How could she tell her dead brother she didn’t want to live anymore? “There’s nothing really left for me…here.”

I think her brother needs to teach her about life. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb for the Anthology:

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Rich, Wild, Hot, and Colorful

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my Christmas novella, Christmas I.C.E. Magic, a paranormal romance set in the mountains northeast of Las Vegas. It's one of four stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology, and it's only sale for only $0.99. And in a few weeks, the sequel to Christmas ICE Magic is coming out. If you missed last week's snippet, you can read it HERE.

In this snippet, while Lily Sinclair is struggling to find a place to sleep on the slopes, Zachary Snow, Ice Demon Search and Rescue professional, is on call down at the resort. His family and friends don't understand why Zach hangs out with humans.

Zach turned his attention back to the repairs of the snowmobile’s engine. He loved his friends and family in the Ice Demon realm, but they’d never understand his need of color, flavor, scent, and richness found only among the humans. Ice Demons followed winter, migratory like birds or gypsies. They brought all the winter weather to the world, whether fierce blizzards, like the one they planned tonight, or sweet, silent snowstorms, laying a blanket of calm over everything.

But their world held colors of blue, green, gray, white, and black. Cold and damp, the scents surrounding his people consisted of water in various states of freezing, and flavors just as subtle. Zach yearned for something more, something rich and wild and hot and colorful. The first time he’d had a cup of hot chocolate, he’d held it until it cooled, sipping and sniffing the exotic flavors.

He’d taken the job as an SAR officer for the Crescent Moon Lodge and his nomadic family questioned him every winter they returned. He shook his head as he reached for the snowmobile’s dipstick. Even the oil smelled of life, old life passed, but still life.

Sounds like Zach is looking to expand his horizons. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb for the Anthology:

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Reasons for Staying

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my Christmas novella, Christmas I.C.E. Magic, a paranormal romance set in the mountains northeast of Las Vegas. It's one of four stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology, and it's only sale for only $0.99. And in a few weeks, the sequel to Christmas ICE Magic is coming out. If you missed last week's snippet, you can read it HERE.

In this snippet, while Lily Sinclair is struggling to find a place to sleep on the slopes, Zachary Snow, Ice Demon Search and Rescue professional, is on call down at the resort. His buddy Sleet is trying to get him to come out and party for Christmas with the other Ice Demons.

Zach pushed open the doors to the tunnel to the garage and breathed a sigh of relief. While he fit it for the most part with humans, they often kept their living spaces much warmer than he could stand, at least in the winter. In the summer, they used no heat at all. Sleet stopped melting as he followed Zach through to the equipment garage.

“At least stop by for a few hours.”

“I told you, I have to work.”

“Why do you work here, anyway? It’s just weird. You’re an Ice Demon.” Sleet parked himself near the window where a little draft snuck around the seals, letting the colder air into the space. “Why in the Ninth Hell would you want to hang out with humans?”

Zach sighed as he opened the hood on the snowmobile he had scheduled for service. He’d tried to answer the question for years, but when his family and friends refused to listen, he’d stopped trying to explain.

“Do you really want to know, or are you just gonna tell me to quit and come back home?”

Sleet means well, but just can't grok Zach's motivation. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb for the Anthology:

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Saturday, June 28, 2014

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Surviving the Loss

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. The snippets are from my Christmas novella, Christmas I.C.E. Magic, a paranormal romance set in the mountains northeast of Las Vegas. It's one of four stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology, and it's only sale for only $0.99. And in a few weeks, the sequel to Christmas ICE Magic is coming out. If you missed last week's snippet of Bronco's Rough Ride, you can read it HERE.

In this snippet, Lily Sinclair is struggling to find peace after the death of her twin brother two years earlier. This Christmas she's going extreme camping, seeking the magic she used to feel when her brother was alive.

A gust of snowflake-laden wind snapped Lily back to the present and she scanned the white world ahead. Though she knew the sun hadn’t set yet, the world lay swaddled in snowy twilight and the determined survivalist in her warned she’d have to build some sort of shelter soon. Her legs told her the ground climbed, but her eyes couldn’t detect features in the winter expanse.

Everything smelled wet, cold, and fresh, and her weather sense warned of a larger, heavier storm approaching. Linus had often teased her about her “weather witchiness,” but he’d always listened to her gut feelings when it came to storms.

Except that one night. Why didn’t you listen to me then, Linus?

Because she hadn’t been there. She’d been hiking in Snowy Mountains of Australia that Christmas with her Wild Women Travel group. Linus had only been going out to pick up groceries for Christmas Eve dinner—something as mundane as butter or eggs. Friends told her the roads had been slick with black ice and the stupid asshole who’d hit him where he waited at a red light had been so drunk, he’d survived the ensuing crash with only broken leg. Linus had died on impact, and Lily struggled to live with the broken heart.

Hindsight is always 20/20. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Charley Descoteaux, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Veronica Scott, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb for the Anthology:

At the Crescent Moon Lodge, anything is possible and Christmas wishes come in the most unusual packages.

Friday, December 13, 2013

A Little Christmas ICE Magic in the Home for the Holidays Blog Hop

Welcome to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked for the Home for the Holidays Blog Hop hosted by MFRW bloghops.

It's that time of year again when the weather turns frightful and the company is (hopefully) delightful. Lights appear on houses and tree, and joy is everywhere. Usually.

At my house, however, it's a mad dash to get things done for the holiday. Schools want you to do all sorts of extras to help them help your kids celebrate in addition to all the White Elephant parties, Christmas Parties, and family get-togethers. I get to the point where I don't care what day we celebrate on as long as it's mellow. Hard to find that kind of peace with kids or family visiting. But with eggnog scones and sparkling apple cider, it's usually a happy time for the Muir family.

Not so much for Lily Sinclair, the heroine of Christmas ICE Magic in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge Anthology. For her, life is dark, bleak, and full of sorrow since the death of her twin brother two years earlier. She doesn't feel like anywhere is home and she's just looking for one last moment of peace before she hits oblivion. Fortunately for her, her brother has a little trick up his sleeve.

EXCERPT of Christmas ICE Magic

“Oh, God, Linus, I’ve missed you so much.” She pressed her nose against his chest and tried to stop the sobs shaking her body. She only succeeded in crying harder.

“Hey, now, Lil, don’t cry. I’ve been here the whole time.” Linus squeezed her gently. “You still felt the connection, right?”

Lily pushed back a little and looked up at him. “No. What connection? You died. You were gone and my heart was empty. I was all alone. How could you do that to your younger sister?”

Linus chuckled. “I’m only older by ten minutes.”

“Still.” She thumped him in the arm with her fist. “You’re not supposed to leave your little sister by herself.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry about that.” He gave her a sad smile. “I didn’t know it was part of the plan or I would’ve given you a heads-up.”

Lily’s lower lip trembled. “I didn’t get to say goodbye, you big knucklehead. I was in Australia.” She shook her head and tears splashed her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have gone.”

Lily huffed a laugh, swiping at her tears. “Says the dead guy.”

He grinned. “I should know, shouldn’t I?”

“Heh. Yeah.” She rubbed her nose on her sleeve.

Lily pursed her lips and looked away. How could she tell her dead brother she didn’t want to live anymore? “There’s nothing really left for me…here.”

“Bullshit again.” Linus shook his head and gave her a dry look. “You have Fleur, Penny, and Elle back at the Lodge. You have Mom and Pop, who worry about all the risks you take now. All those people love you and don’t want to lose you. Hell, you have four hundred and twenty Facebook friends, right? I bet they’d notice if you were gone.”

Lily didn’t laugh. “They don’t understand. No one does. The magic is gone. You’re gone.”

“Jeez, there are days you’re dumber than a bag of hammers.”

“What?” She blinked up at him as he stood over her with his arms crossed on his chest.

“Lily, I still have a connection to you. You feel it every time you get the thrill of hang gliding or standing at the edge of Niagara Falls. That’s the magic you and I share, even now.”

“But it fades and leaves me more empty than before.”

Linus crouched before her and took her hands. “That’s because you’re trying to hold on to the past too tightly. The past is empty, there’s nothing there. You have to make new memories and experience the magic of the present. What did the old tortoise say?” Linus scrunched up his nose, narrowed his eyes, and made his voice sound old. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Take the gift and unwrap the magic, Lily. It’s there for you, you just have to reach for it.”

The tears scalded her cheeks in burning trails. “But it’s not the same without you, Linus. My heart is empty now that you’re gone.”

“Then you’re going to have to fill it with something better, right? Take the gift, Lily. It’s Christmas, after all.” He gave her one more squeeze and stood up again. “All joking aside, it’s not time for you to give up. You have so much more you need to do and so many others who need your adventurous spirit, got me? So, instead of getting busy dying, you need to get busy living.” Linus glanced past her shoulder, a cheeky grin quirked his lips. “There’s more magic in the world than you know and you have to take a chance. You have to hang in there long enough to discover it.” He met her gaze again. “Promise me you’ll take the chance, Lil.”

She shook her head. “I can’t do it alone.”

“Yes, you can.” He glanced past her again and nodded as if in greeting. “But it looks like you won’t have to. Now promise me.”

“But—”

“Promise.” Linus crossed his arms over his chest.

“I promise.”

“Good. I’m going to hold you to that, you know.” A warm smile filled his features. “I love you, Lil. Remember you promised. I think I know someone who can help you keep it.”

“What? Who?” Lily looked over her shoulder, but she didn’t see anything beyond a bright, flickering light. When she turned back, Linus had retreated and jogged away from her through the crystals. “Linus, wait!”

She jumped up to follow him, but he only increased his pace, a loving smile on his face.

“Get busy living, Lil. And go play in the snow. It’s Christmas!”

So let's get busy living and play in the snow. There are four holiday stories in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge anthology and each one should bring a smile to your face. You can find a copy of it on:
Amazon
Smashwords

In the meantime, I'm offering a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter who answers this question: Where is home for you during the holidays? For me, it's anywhere with my immediate family, my husband and kids. Please leave a valid email address or Twitter handle so I can contact you if you win. The givaway is open from 12:01 am Pacific time on Dec 13 2013 until 11:59 pm Pacific time on Dec. 15 2013, and is open internationally. You must be 18 years or older to win and please void where prohibited.

Thanks for stopping by, good luck on the hop, and happy reading! :)

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Don't Live Defensively

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. Today I'm introducing my Christmas novella in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge anthology, Christmas ICE Magic. It was came out last Sunday. You can read last week's snippet here.

Lily just wants to find her brother again, find the solace that she had when he was alive. In this snippet, she gets one more chance to talk to him.

Lily’s lower lip trembled. “I didn’t get to say goodbye, you big knucklehead. I was in Australia.” She shook her head and tears splashed her cheeks. “I shouldn’t have gone.”

Lily huffed a laugh, swiping at her tears. “Says the dead guy.”

He grinned. “I should know, shouldn’t I?”

“Heh. Yeah.” She rubbed her nose on her sleeve.

Lily pursed her lips and looked away. How could she tell her dead brother she didn’t want to live anymore? “There’s nothing really left for me…here.”

Oh, she's hurting and gotten all mixed up. Guess she's going to need some special magic to pull her out. ;) If you'd like to see the inspiration for the hero Zach, click HERE. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb:

For Lily Sinclair, Christmas means sorrow and loss since the death of her twin brother. The magic is gone and she only wants to see her brother one more time. As an Ice Demon Zachary Snow is used to rescuing people in winter, but he’d never rescued anyone like Lily. Now he must convince her the magic she wants is in life itself.

It's available now at Smashwords and Amazon. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Why the Humans

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. Today I'm introducing my Christmas novella in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge anthology, Christmas ICE Magic. It was came out last Sunday. You can read last week's snippet here.

Zach Snow is an Ice Demon and a Search & Rescue professional. His best friend is trying to get him to come out and play for Christmas. But he also wants to know why an Ice Demon prefers the company of humans.

Sleet sobered. “But yeah, I really want to know why you’re still working here.”

Zach gathered his thoughts as he poked around the snowmobile’s engine. “I like the color and smells and tastes of humans.”

Sleet wrinkled his nose. “You don’t eat them, do you?”

“No, jackass, I don’t eat them.” Zach threw an oil rag at him. “I’m talking about the foods and art they produce. Have you ever tasted hot chocolate? Or hot fudge swirled over cinnamon ice cream? Holy Freya, there’s nothing like that in the Ice Demon Demesne. And it’s a rich brown with hints of red. They have color in everything.”

Puzzlement filled Sleet’s expression and Zach sighed again. “Forget it. The point is, I like it and I’m sticking with it. I gotta work tonight. It’s Christmas and the rest of the guys are home with family. But when my shift ends, I’m only on call so I could probably swing by for a short time and hang out. All right?”

Zach has a great appreciation for human ingenuity. If you'd like to see the inspiration for Zach, click HERE. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb:

For Lily Sinclair, Christmas means sorrow and loss since the death of her twin brother. The magic is gone and she only wants to see her brother one more time. As an Ice Demon Zachary Snow is used to rescuing people in winter, but he’d never rescued anyone like Lily. Now he must convince her the magic she wants is in life itself.

It's available now at Smashwords. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Snippet Sunday - Christmas ICE Magic - Seeking the Light

Welcome to the Snippet Sunday on the Weird, the Wild, and the Wicked. Thank you so much for visiting. If you choose to comment today, I really appreciate it. Today I'm introducing my Christmas novella in the Happy Holidays from the Crescent Moon Lodge anthology, Christmas ICE Magic. It was just released today, November 24th! Squeee!

Lily Sinclair hates Christmas because it only reminds her of her twin brother's death. She's determined to see him one last time, even at the expense of her own life.

Lily Sinclair shouldered her overnight pack and settled her goggles over her face as she resumed her trek into the gently falling snow. Extreme camping at Christmas on Mt. Charleston hadn’t seemed like such a bad idea in October, but the weather proved to be more challenging than she’d expected in December. Too late to turn back now.

She’d already been hiking for four hours on Christmas Eve and the sky grew darker with each step up the slopes. Her crampons crunched in the crusty snow and icy wind chapped her face below the goggles. She had a funny feeling she’d be seeing her brother soon, and no matter what her reason told her, she couldn’t shake the certainty. Linus has been dead for two years. You won’t see him tonight no matter what extremes you go to. But the certainty wouldn’t leave.

Sounds like she's hurting pretty bad. There are several great authors on the Weekend Writing Warrior list and in the Snippet Sunday Facebook group. A few of my favorites are Anastasia Vitsky, SJ Maylee, Gem Sivad, Goran Zidar, Zee Monodee, and Karla Doyle.

If you're interested in more from Christmas ICE Magic, here's the blurb:

For Lily Sinclair, Christmas means sorrow and loss since the death of her twin brother. The magic is gone and she only wants to see her brother one more time. As an Ice Demon Zachary Snow is used to rescuing people in winter, but he’d never rescued anyone like Lily. Now he must convince her the magic she wants is in life itself.

It's available now at Smashwords. Thanks so much for stopping by and happy reading. :)