Lucky Seven and the MNBH Winner!

Good morning, readers! I want to announce the winner of the Midsummer Night's Blog Hop giveaway.

Rebecca Hamilton

Congratulations, Rebecca! Thanks for coming by and commenting. And thanks to everyone else who commented, too. :)

I also wanted to share that I've been nominated for the Lucky Seven, the meme going around where authors showcase their WIPs. Eep. I've been tagged before, but this time Goran Zidar tapped me on the shoulder and told me to get to it. So here I am.

I'm supposed to post seven lines from an unpublished work of fiction by following these rules:

• Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript (fiction or non-fiction)
• Go to line 7
• Post the next 7 lines or sentences on your blog as they are (no cheating, please!)
• Tag 7 other authors to do the same

I found 7 lines from line 7 on page 77 (because it was more fun than page 7) of my current WIP tentatively entitled The Navy's Ghost, a Navy SEAL M/F/M romance. This scene is of Lt. Christiana Brickman's Teammates on their way to rescue her after she and some of the other SEALs' wives were kidnapped. Lt. "Magic" Hunter and Lt. "Retro" Waters are her lovers, though Retro is resisting the sharing. They haven't heard from her in days and they've just caught a lucky break. :)

“God damn, Ghost. I love you!”

“What?” Retro looked like he was ready to go ten rounds.

“That woman is nothing short of amazing.” Magic punched Retro in the arm with excitement. “She sent us a message. I know where we’re going.” He began to unbuckle his harness. “I gotta go brief the Captain.”

“Where are we going, Hunter?”

“Lilliwaup Dam.”

So, who are the Lucky Seven I'm spotlighting? Bwahahaha! Ahem. :D

1. Emerald
2. Katie Salidas
3. CR Moss
4. Tom Keller
5. Gem Sivad
6. Cara Bristol
7. Cara Michaels

Thanks, Goran for the nomination, and thanks so much for stopping by to read my Lucky Seven. 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. :)

 

#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! :)

#ThursThreads - Week One - Winners

Week One of #ThursThreads was a smashing success! Huge thank you to all who entered. It was great to see all of you. And another huge thank you to judge Cara Michaels for reading through all the stories.

Entries:

• Charles W Jones | @ChuckWesJ
• Ryan Strohman | @rastrohman
• Stevie McCoy | @theglitterlady
• Rafe B | @etcet
• @LupusAnthropos
• Sheilagh Lee | @SweetSheil
• Rik Davnall | @eatthepen
• Antonio Angelo | AntonioAngelo21
• Miranda Gammella | MLGammella
• J. Whitworth Hazzard | @zombiemachanics
• Cara Michaels | @caramichaels
• David A Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
• Wakefield Mahon | @WakefieldMahon
• Maureen Hovermale | @zencherry
• Lisa McCourt Hollar | @jezri1
• Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi
• Robby Hilliard | @redshirt6
• Nellie Batz | @solimond
• Wendy Russo | @wendyrusso
• Tom Keller | @dryadsgarden

Winners Announcement:

Honorable Mentions

Rik Davnall | @eatthepen

Cara says: I love the circular danger of claiming the demon of slapstick as your avatar. The scene played out like a paranormal Three Stooges sketch. Great job.

 Jeffrey Hollar | @Klingorengi

 Cara says: The moral decline of humanity is putting demons out of work?? Perfect. I love the holiday rush corporate-style pep talk and the whole tale. Great story.

 Tom Keller | @dryadsgarden

Cara says:  At first I thought the old man would turn out to be the angel, but you did it better. The angel is the statue, and the old man and the bartender are taking turns punking the unsuspecting. Love it.

Week One Winner

Maureen Hovermale | @zencherry

Cara says: Well-written with an original take on the prompt phrase. Half code, half foreplay, the two characters pop like a spoof spy scene from ‘Top Secret’ or ‘Johnny English.’ Excellent work!

"He sat at the bar letting his fedora slide down his arm in a showy display. Den looked around the smoke-filled room and found what he was looking for quickly.

A green dress accentuated her well-fed curves that God had seen fit to fill in all the right places. The fluidity in her movements only enhanced his inseam and made him almost forget what he had to do. No wonder she had been chosen for this job; her very presence made a person distracted.

She sat beside him at the bar; the stool the object of his envy. He stumbled over his brain and found that words were difficult to form, “An unlikely place for an angel to appear.”

Her lips parted and her chest heaved gloriously the words he had come to hear: "Contrary to popular belief, angels come in all shapes and sizes, with all kinds of wings."

He struggled to remember the confirmation code; her nipples pressing hard against the flimsy material that barely covered them. He ripped his eyes away from the lovely sight and pinched his arm, as he crossed them, to try to regain control, “Then the damned will envy my conversion.”

She put a hand on his leg and the shock of it sent tingles straight to his dick. He placed a hand over hers and the package was delivered; both of them. Her eyes raised to his knowingly and she gave him a sly grin before she stood up and walked away."

Congratulations Maureen, Rik, Jeffrey, and Tom! Claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it! :) 

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

Giving Thanks - a Work of Gratitude

I've been thinking about Thanksgiving, since it's a major U.S. holiday and everyone is madly trying to get enough turkey, yams, and potatoes to feed a small battalion. But I realized what Thanksgiving really means to me is a gratitude for the blessings that have come to me and inundated my life; particularly my writing life.

Mr SM

Writing can be a solitary exercise, but for me I need the interaction with other people the help spur the muse and boost the inspiration. There are several people I have met in the last year who have helped me in ways big and small to improve my writing and my stories and I'd like to share them with you here. I'm so grateful they're in my life and I don't have enough words to tell them everything. This will have to be good enough.

Three people believed in me from the beginning; my husband Mr. SM, my oldest friend E. K. Yenawine, and a graduate school colleague Lanya Ross. Mr. SM encouraged my writing and often helps me when I get stuck in a plot line. Thank you, my handsome love!

E.K. Yenawine

E.K. Yenawine and I have been telling each other stories since junior high, staying up way too late, and saving the worlds we created one mechanical horse at a time. ;) She's now a technical editor and has helped me by going through my stories with a fine-toothed comb until the English is smooth.

Lanya Ross is a great scientist, but she also is a great reader and loves the weird, the wild, and the wicked in her fiction. She has a great sense of continuity and reminded me if my character had such a wonderful relationship with her mother, why didn't she mention her more throughout the story? Uhh . . .

Lanya Ross

When I started writing my blog this year, I met up with Tom Keller, a science fiction writer who lives in the same town as I do. ;) He became a critique partner and a great friend and still continues to help me find the best story in the writing. If you like science-fiction/fantasy, Tom writes some great stuff and you can find him on Facebook, Twitter, and in The Dryad's Garden.

Tom Keller

Tom, in turn, introduced me to Cara Michaels. You know that sense that you might have a twin out there somewhere in the world? Cara is it for me. She and I are writing twin sisters. Not only are we the same height, weight, and blood type, but we write in similar styles, think the same way, and enjoy the same kinds of music. Cara writes science-fiction with romantic elements, although her NaNoWriMo project has some pretty good love scenes in them and I'm in love with Graham and Kelly already. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Defiantly Literate, especially for #MenageMonday flash fiction writing challenge.

Cara Michaels and her Gray Pride.

In the heat of the summer, I attended Arizona Dreamin' a romance reader event held in Tempe, AZ, and the moment I stepped out of the car for the event, I encountered Morgan Kearns and her million watt smile. She was so warm and welcoming I couldn't help but follow her around like a puppy. She didn't seem to mind. Morgan has made me laugh, not only with her writing, but with her anecdotes of day to day life being a parent and a spouse. She helps me keep it real, balancing the life of a writer with a life full of parenting and household responsibilities. Morgan writes sweet romance, both contemporary and paranormal, and all of it is full of humor. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and her webpage.

Morgan Kearns with Siobhan at AZ Dreamin' 2010

Shannan Albright found me, and as I understand it, stalked me at Arizona Dreamin', much like I stalked Morgan Kearns. At the end of the conference she asked me to be her programs coordinator for the Las Vegas RWA and we've been talking and laughing ever since. Shannan makes me laugh and her faith in my ability to write as well as bring in people to speak at the Las Vegas RWA has been a blessing. She hates her photo being taken, so it's a coup that she let me post it here. You can find Shannan on Twitter, Facebook, GoodReads and Romance you can sink your fangs into.

Shannan Albright

Nara Malone has the honor of being the first author I interviewed on my blog for her newest release, Snatch Me. I met Nara on Facebook when told her I'd just finished her book The Dungeon Gourmet and Mr SM wanted to try the recipe given by her character Le Marquis de Bond. The earthquake that shook Virginia in August of this year surprised everyone. She was close to the epicenter.

Nara has been a great source of information on publishing and promotion, and she's just great to talk to. if you saw the interview on this blog a few weeks ago, Nara has constructed a virtual world where you can interact with other players and amazing environments in honor of her recent release, Snatch Me. You can find Nara on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and at her blog in my favorite authors list to the right.

Nara Malone

This Thanksgiving holiday, take time to remember those people who have changed your world for the better. I'm fortunate to have these folks as my friends and I'm lucky to have all of you who come to read and delight in my stories. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Six Sentence Sunday - The Goblin King - Not So Smooth

Welcome back, Sixers! Thank you for returning for the snippets of my WIP The Goblin King. I really appreciate your comments and enjoy sharing the story with you. I hope you'll stop by the other blogs of authors who participate in Six Sentence Sunday. Three folks to definitely check out: Cara Michaels, Sterling Priest, and Tom Keller.

In this snippet, Tricia just tried to pull away and excited Jakran's inner predator. 

          Tricia whimpered so softly he barely heard it over the thunder of his own heart, but it pierced his lust like a lance through a water skin and he slammed back into the present moment. Disgust and chagrin ripped through him when he saw her hunched pose.

            Oh gods, I’m frightening her!

            Releasing her hands, Jakran lurched backwards in an awkward movement and landed hard on one hip. He grunted with pain, but kept moving until he stood beside an upset chair, using the ornate back to hold him steady. The chair shifted under his hands and he yelped, then set it upright, hoping he wouldn’t make any more embarrassing sounds that morning.

So much for being suave and debonair. ;) Thank you for coming by and happy reading! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Goblin King - Calm Before the Storm

Welcome back, Sixers, to the last Sunday in October just in time for Halloween! It's so nice to see you again (or for the first time, be welcome!) and I really appreciate every comment you leave. They make my day. I hope you've been enjoying the snippets about The Goblin King and if you've missed any, please check out the SSS list below my followers in the right sidebar. Be sure to stop by the blogs of the other authors who participate in Six Sentence Sunday. There's a couple of new ones you might want to see: Sterling Priest writes erotica (just so you're prepared) and Tom Keller writes science fiction (taking place in Las Vegas. Yay!)

In this snippet, Tricia has learned she's not as human as she thought and she's not taking it well. Her reflection in the mirror showed long horns, longer canines, and a tail. Not exactly the epitome of beauty where she's from. Worse, her nails are now more like claws and that's just not right. Her fright has unlocked something within her and Jakran must calm her down before she reduces his home to rubble. She comes back to reality in his arms. 

Tricia had leaned forward to inhale his scent when reality crashed into her and she realized she was crouched naked in front of a relative stranger. She raised her hands to push the king away but stopped when she saw blood seeping between her fingers.

What the –?

Agony shrieked across her awareness and she gasped, jerking backwards out of his grip onto her butt as she tried to unclench her fists. They opened with a sickening wet sound and she stared at them in horror as blood poured out of her palms and onto her thighs.

          “Oh my God!” she wailed, her panic igniting the energy to rattle against the valve she’d secured on its metaphorical hatch.

Fire in the hole! The Goblin King had better get her under control or he's going to be road-pizza. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)

Six Sentence Sunday - The Goblin King - Tricia's Heritage

Good morning, Sixers. I know the official site for Six Sentence Sunday is taking a breather this week, but I thought I'd still include a few sentences for you to enjoy, to tide you over until next week, when the official list becomes live again. Cara Michaels and Tom Keller are also posting six sentences this week, so be sure to check out their blogs for their offerings.

In this snippet of The Goblin King, Tricia complained about a massive headache after she wakes up from the attack and Jakran, the Goblin King, used some of his magic to tame the throbbing pain in her head, offering him the opportunity to touch her.

As soon as he’d touched her with his small healing magic, he realized she wasn’t as human has he had first assumed. His magic blended with hers too well, and he sensed the goblin-half of her heritage in the deep well of magic writhing untapped within her; more magic than any of his people born in the last thousand years. Who was this woman and how had a half-goblin child managed to be born outside of the Goblin world? He held no answers to the questions and he feared Tricia wouldn’t know them either if he asked. He suspected she was ignorant of her magic or how to use it, which meant she was powerful and untrained, a lethal combination in the Goblin world. He’d unwittingly brought her into grave danger by rescuing her and now he'd have to protect her from her own people.

So that's where she got her horns! I hope you enjoyed our unofficial Six Sentence Sunday snippets and we'll see you next week. Happy reading! :)

Story Fodder from Life

And now back to our regular programming . . .

I've been asked by a few people where I get my story ideas. In my last post, I talked about the heroes who show up in dreams; and they do. They're quite insistent that way. However, there are plenty of other ways I get story ideas.

Jeff Foxworthy, the You Might Be a Redneck comedian, was asked the same question: where did he come up with his stuff? His answer: He just looked around and watched life. Life is pretty darn funny if you pay attention. Stories are there to be told just from things you see and hear around you.

For example: My friend E. K. Yenawine has met some pretty entertaining characters in her daily life. One time, she had this guy come up to her in a bar and hit on her. After about an hour of talking, he says to her, "So . . . have you figured out my special talent yet?" Ooookeeeey. What kind of story could you write about this guy? You could go for the superhero side. His special talent? Perhaps he can burn through solid steel with laser vision, or maybe he can tell how many nails were used to build the bar counter. Special talent.

Another guy came up to E.K. while she was shopping for new hiking boots in an REI. He asked her to lunch, but she kindly declined. He then followed her around the store and when she removed her shoes to try on a pair of new boots, he scooped up one shoe, held it to his face, and took a deep breath in. E.K. just stared at him flabbergasted. Why was he sniffing her shoes? When he let out his breath, he said in a dreamy voice, "The foot is the sexiest part of the body because it's the closest to Mother Earth." Hooo-boy, can you say foot fetishist? Or maybe he's a stalker of women who like to hike because knows that someday they'll be out in the woods, all alone, and he'll be waiting . . . [insert evil laugh here]

My favorite quote I heard in passing while leaving campus at college one day. It went: "I was just getting out my tinfoil so I wouldn't have to walk home alone." Uh, really? Maybe this person had little fairies, wrapped in tinfoil to keep the sun's harmful rays from cooking them to death. Maybe the fairies needed greater warmth than western Washington in the spring could provide. Maybe this person was using the tinfoil as a mirror to keep herself company. Maybe she used it to contact her alien friends in the Mothership hovering just beyond the cloud cover. I dunno, it was just an odd thing to say. But think of the stories you could come up with for it!

The point is, stories are out there everywhere. TV shows, movies, even other books can spark ideas. I once got an entire story out of a music album by Nicholas Gunn. It was called Windwalker's Song (as yet unpublished and unedited) and it was about the Native Americans (Havasupai) living in the Grand Canyon. I got another story idea from C. J. Cherryh's Chanur Saga called Starhawk's Kin (unedited too). Story ideas have been haunting me for years and I got them from everyday occurrences. Some are good, some are okay, but eventually, the great ones came together in a coherent stream of events.

Look around you. If you want to write about something but don't know what, look for those funny quotes; people-watch; heck, go grocery shopping. Story ideas are everywhere!

I'll leave you with these thoughts that I got from my friend Tom Keller: It's early in the year and Congress is arguing over the budget; not all of it, just the piddly little 2% that affects social programs. In the meantime, there's an alien threat looming on the horizon of the Universe. A planetary scientist, Maxwell Sharpe, who has studied extraterrestrial life as a side project to his work with NASA, has a degree in ancient languages and works at the Large Array in New Mexico. What kind of story would you write with those few things?

Science fiction thriller? Paranormal suspense? Or maybe just a tragic comedy? Yeah, sometimes I wonder how our government makes it through each day. Like I said, story ideas are everywhere!