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.

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 July 20th 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.

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 July 20th 2014!

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. :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 83

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. Wow, where did half the year go? It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 83 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

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 Plus

Our Judge for Week 83:

Typo Sniper, heroic fantasy writer, and Hot Mojave Knights Featured Author, Cara Michaels.

Cara on Facebook

Cara on Twitter

Cara on Google Plus

Cara on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

 

The Prompt:

“In and out with a quick swipe of alcohol.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck!

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 72

 

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked and the second year of #ThursThreads flash fiction. So let's get started. It's Thursday again, and what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 72 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

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 as written 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 Plus

Our Judge for Week 72:

Cover model, IT guru, and Hot Mojave Knight, Scott Nova.

Scott Nova by Linda Greene

Scott on Facebook

Scott on Twitter

Scott on Google Plus
Scott on Hot Mojave Knights

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You’re just jealous.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 69

 

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked, and #ThursThreads, the Challenge that Ties Tales Together. Let's get started because it's Week 69, Dude! And it's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #flashfiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 69 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

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 as written 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 Plus

Our Judge for Week 69:

Firefighter, Dinosaur Museum board member, and Hot Mojave Knight, Scott Roahrig.

Scott on Twitter

So now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“You have got to be kidding me.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)

#ThursThreads - The Challenge That Ties Tales Together - Week 43

Welcome back to the Weird, the Wild, & the Wicked. It's Thursday again, so what should you be doing? Writing #FlashFiction, that's what! Welcome to Week 43 of #ThursThreads, the challenge that ties tales together. Need the rules? Read on!

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 Plus

Our Judge for Week 43:

The intrepid mountain biker, drummer, and erotic cowboy romance author, Randi Alexander. She will also be a Featured Author at Hot Mojave Knights Romance Reader Event in Vegas 2013.

Randi on Twitter

Randi on Facebook

Randi on Goodreads

And now your #ThursThreads Challenge, tying tales together.

The Prompt:

“But it’s not enough.”

All stories written herein are the property (both intellectual and physical) of the authors. Now, away with you, Flash Fiction Fanatics, and show us your #ThursThreads. Good luck! :)