Y’all know I’m a southerner. And y’all know that I find the fine folks at It’s a Southern Thing to be hilarious. Why? Because they are so dead on! Today’s video is all about the things you will never hear one of us say in the summertime….
Also, happy 38 to Lawyer Guy. Here’s to many more years of you having to put up with me. 😉
So…writing hasn’t exactly been easy-peasy for…oh…quite awhile now. Writing was something I always did. If I wasn’t writing, I was thinking about writing because the stories were all there, milling about in my head just waiting for me to jot down the words. Then stuff happened. Not necessarily bad stuff…just stuff. Stuff that got in the way. Stuff that took my mind off the whys and they wheres and the whos and the hows. The last book took me forever. I partially blame Stuff, but I also partially blame the book because it kept taking wild detours. Since THE GHOSTS AND THE ANCIENT STONES released, I’ve been fiddling around with a couple of different projects, all of which need to be written ASAP. Yet the words just aren’t gelling. Except sometimes the are. Then the Universe popped in for a visit…
Believe me, I know all about it. I know the stress. I know the frustration. I know the temptations of time and space. Silver, we worked this out ahead of time. They’re part of the plan. We knew this stuff might happen. Actually, you insisted they be triggered whenever you were ready to begin thinking thoughts you’ve never thought before.
Good on you,
The Universe
©www.tut.comSilver, new thinking is always the answer.
The Big U is right. The project that is sort of whispering in my ear is not my normal way of of doing things. It’s like writing a TV series with an ensemble cast. No one story within the patchwork of the whole is as important as the next character’s. It’s weird. And it’s kind of wonderful in away. I get to control the entire timeline for this group of Wolves. And I have more Wolves than I have heroines at the moment and you know what? That’s okay. Not all of them may find their one. But the ones who are? Yeah, I’m liking herding these cats. And I’m adding words, usually every day, though not always in huge amounts. One sentence at a time, right? Right. Progress is better than procrastination. I’ve been doing enough of that for…like…forever!
So, readers, would you read a book that’s set up like an episodic TV show? And writers, have you ever deviated off your plan and find something that works better for you? Inquiring minds want to know!
It’s August. That means plenty of **SUNSHINE** in this neck of the woods so lots of inspiration for the #1lineWed challenge. I sort of stalled out on the WIP but a very wish author once advised, “If you get stuck, move to the next scene you know is going to happen.” That works great for her because she’s a plotter. 🤣 Still, as a puzzler, I can always move to a different scene, and actually, if not the scene after my sticking point, it is something that happens the same morning. So…win! Anyway, This is sort of riff on last weeks scene with Bowie and Fiona. Shannon is Bowie’s sister and they live together. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
****
Shannon walked into Rosie’s and didn’t bother with going to a table first. She walked straight behind the counter, grabbed a mug, and poured her own coffee. Melba, the Black woman who commanded the counter, raised an eyebrow.
“I’m guessin’ that’ll be a full Irish for you this morning.”
“For sure,” Shannon replied after taking a sip. “And dibs on my own pot of coffee.”
Melba threw back her head and laughed, still chuckling as she yelled through the window separating the front of the diner from the kitchen.
Shannon marched over to a table occupied by two men. One grabbed a chair from another table and pulled it up. She sank into, still guzzling her coffee.
“Well, aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine this fine day,” the other guy said.
“Shut up, Aidan.”
“Where’s Bowie this fine morning?” Brendan, the one who’d grabbed the chair for her, asked.
“He’s at home making cow eyes at the waif he dragged home last night.” She held up her free hand, index finger wagging, as she slugged back another gulp. “I don’t know a thing nor am I curious. I wait tables at Clancy’s. That’s the only O’Hara business I have.”
“How is the girl?” Brendan actually looked concerned.
“Beat to hell but she cleans up nice. She was still sleeping and Boo’s sitting there in the living room like he expects the cops to burst in any minute to raid the apartment.” She finished the coffee and was about to to pour herself another cup when Melba appeared. She poured, tsked, and strolled off, ample hips swaying to the bluesy tune she hummed.
Melba returned in a few minutes with plates balanced on one arm, in that hand, with the coffee pot in her other hand. She passed the plates like a blackjack dealer in Atlantic City and refilled all the coffee cups.
Without a word, Shannon dug into her breakfast—eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, and baked beans. A basket of warm Irish soda bread, along with a tub of butter and a jar of marmalade appeared moments later. She didn’t speak. She ate. The two men watched her, mouths slightly agape.
“What?” she growled when she looked up. “Have ya never seen a woman eat before?”
They exchanged a look then Aidan spoke. “No wonder your tits and ass are so fucking spectac—” He swallowed the last part of that word as his body slammed forward and his forehead collided with the table.
“Keep a civil tongue in your mouth.”
Two pairs of eyes tracked from Aidan to the tall man standing behind him. Mick O’Connor. Shannon managed to swallow the food in her mouth. Brendan just gulped. Aidan didn’t move but he did mumble an apology.
Mick stared at the woman who drove him crazy. Maybe Ronan was right. But he knew. If he ever let the wolf out to play, little Miss Sunshine would be his. Forever. And he couldn’t afford that. Not now.
****
Ahhhh. I love the tension of unrequited love in the air. What about you readers? Do enjoy it when an author makes two characters work for their HEA? Writers, what about you? And do you have any “sunny” words to share?
While we might have slightly cooler temps at the moment, this IS August and the heat will return. Why not enjoy a cool and light dessert that’s easy to make and lets you pretend to be sipping mojitos on a beach somewhere…
Total Time: 3 Hr. 15 Min.
Prep Time: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 3 Hr.
12 servings
A cool cocktail translated into a refreshingly zesty dessert. This silken treat has mojito flavors but no alcohol, so it’s really more mocktail than cocktail.
What You Need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Lime Flavor Gelatin
1 Tbsp. zest and 1/4 cup juice from 3 limes
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP LITE Whipped Topping, thawed
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1-1/2 cups finely crushed pretzels
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
Let’s Make It
1 – Line 9-inch round pan with large sheet of plastic wrap, with ends of wrap extending over side. Beat Neufchatel and 1/4 cup sugar with mixer until blended. Add dry gelatin mix, lime zest and juice; mix well.
2 – Whisk in COOL WHIP and mint; pour into prepared pan. Combine pretzel crumbs, butter and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dessert. Use ends of plastic wrap to gently press crumb mixture into top of dessert.
3 – Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Invert dessert onto plate; remove pan and plastic wrap. Let dessert stand at room temperature 15 min. to soften slightly before cutting to serve.
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Size Wise: Sweets can be part of a balanced diet but remember to keep tabs on portions.
Tip 2 – Special Extra: Stir 1/2 tsp. rum extract into COOL WHIP mixture before pouring into prepared pan as directed.
Tip 3 – Note: If you can’t get enough juice from the limes, add enough bottled lime juice to get the desired measure of juice needed to prepare the recipe.
My Tip – I noticed that the picture shows garnish on the serving slice. If you want to be fancy, place a thin slice of lime and a mint leaf on each slice as your serve it.
You can check all the pertinent nutritional details at MY FOOD AND FAMILY. Any time I think of summertime drinks, I think of Mother’s, the bar in Key West where the Hard Target team hangs out. Since I just finished rereading DOUBLE TROUBLE, which is a Barefoot Bay/Hard Target crossover, I remembered that Bear, Mother’s bartender has his way in the kitchen too, and now I want to reread DOUBLE CROSS because there’s a crossover with the Wolves, including the Boston Mob Wolbes. 😉 Why did I reread DT? Because Nick, the hero, and his cousin Dom, who’s part of the HT team, go to Boston. And yes, this is me being all sly and stuff. Anyway, at the moment DOUBLE CROSS is mostly a standalone, but the team has a history with the Wolves. You can read DOUBLE CROSS for free with Kindle Unlimited or grab it for a bargain $2.99. Just click on the cover or title to get yours.
What about y’all? Do you like “mocktail” desserts?
It’s August. Summer vacation is coming to a close and school is gearing up to start. Shelves of school supplies entice me when I go to Wallyworld. I’m a sucker for office and school supplies, which is silly because I no longer have a studient in the house and I really don’t use Post-Its, paperclips or stuff like that there. I have white boards and markers for notes. And my big white board is full.
Today IS Monday, right? I’ve been discombobulated all weekend because the usual weekday morning weather guy was on the Saturday/Sunday morning news. I rushed out Saturday morning to get the trash to the curb (since Friday is trash day) and only then realized the trash can was empty. Sunday, I had that same weird feeling of deja vu. I’m not sure what that says about my brain capacity–that I depend on such things to know the day of the week. 🙄
Not much is going on in my neck of the woods. It’s been hot. Way hot. And humid. Which makes it feel even hotter. A small front moved through yesterday, bringing rain and slightly cooler temps though did nothing for the humidity. But it IS August and to be expected.
I’m up to around 13K words on the Irish Mob Wolves. Have no clue of a title yet. It is kinda fun that all the characters and romances are gelling in one story. This is something new for me and I’m enjoying the challenge. I do wish I wouldn’t get distracted by procrastination quite so often. I’d be much further along than I am. Ah, well.
Since my sleep pattern is messed up, I tend to fall asleep in the middle of anything I happen to be watching on TV so nothing of interest there. I did listen to a terrific book, Darynda Jones’s A GOOD DAY FOR CHARDONNAY. It took me two days to decide on the next book to listen to. Darynda is at her snarky best with this new series. It doesn’t have the heavy paranormal/UF vibes of her Charley Davidson series but the characters are just as appealing. Only two books so far, the first one being A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE. I recommend them. I’m currently listening to Ilona Andrews’s The Edge series. It’s been a few years and I’m enjoying them, currently on the 2nd book.
I broke down and did some yard work. The youpan trees in the backyard had some branches that gave into gravity and grew straight down. Not even the dogs could get under them. Then I noticed that the crepe myrtle bushes that came back had buds on them. Yay! After the February Deep Freeze™, I worried about them surviving. It’s late for blooms but hey! I’ll take them. Some of the oldest branches didn’t make it so I cut some of them out, too, to spruce things up a bit. I also weeded half the driveway island. The lights went kaput on Nessie and I’ll restring them after my next Wallyworld run. It was DARK out there this morning before sunrise.
Looking forward, Stormy is coming to play today, and the end of the week while Baseball Boy does his in-service stuff before start of classes. Big Daddy (aka Lawyer Guy) went shopping for models for them to build together. Actually, Stormy builds them and LG watches because Stormy is just that good, even at his age. Crazy that he’ll be a second grader this year. ]
And that’s all the news that’s fit to print. I’m avoiding real world news because I just get depressed. Or mad. Neither is helpful. So, I’m going to drink another cup of coffee, finish checking email and blogs and them I’m going to get lost in the story of my Boston Wolves. Who did cool stuff this weekend? Who’s doing cool stuff this week?
Okay, I want this dude for a friend! How cool is he?!?! Have a great weekend!
I used to dream a lot. Vivid dreams. And I usually remembered them when I awoke the next morning. Often, those dreams became ideas for stories. Then I sort of stopped dreaming. I’m not sure when exactly. It’s just…I woke up one morning and there were no lingering memories of what had transpired on the video screen of my mind. It was rather disheartening. It might have something to do with my bouts of depression. It might be stress. Hell, it might just be due to my being older than dirt. Sadly, when I stopped dreaming so vividly, writing became a chore and like most chores, I put off doing it. This recently popped into my inbox and perhaps the Universe is onto something…
Ask any question, Silver, just before you sleep, and it will be answered.
Actually, you can ask any question, any time you like, and you’ll be answered, but mornings your “hearing” is often best.
Yes, we can hear you now –
The Universe
©www.tut.comWe get a lot done, Silver, in dreamland. Actually, we’re custom engineering your publishing empire right this very moment… with the “Hello Kitty” logo, right?
I have started remembering–vaguely–some dreams. The problem is, they’re totally bizaare and off-the-wall stuff covered in crazysauce. I’m thinking just maybe I should give the Big U’s suggestion a try. Tonight, I’m going to ask a question about the WIP and we’ll see if I dream about it–and can actually remember what I dreamed! I’ll report in at some point. In the meantime, do you remember your dreams?
Caveat: When you go to tut.com and sign up for messages, you have to put in some goals you hope to achieve. A publishing empire seemed…simpler than saying I want to be a best-selling author, though I’m not sure why. 🙄 Either one takes a lot of effort. Oh, and I promise, no “Hello Kitty” anythings!
The #1lineWed theme is **BLEED**. Considering the current plot point in the Mob Wolves WIP, it was a natural and gave me some awesome inspiration. I’m in Chapter 3 and the O’Hara faction is moving to…consolidate, let’s say, the Mob holdings in Boston. There’s a splinter group called the Eastside Rovers, led by Seamus and Jack O’Ferrell, and they aren’t very nice. Ronan, Mick, and some of the boys are paying them a couple of visits, the second time around, this happens… Psst. I will give you a hint here. The girl’s name is Fiona.
****
“And what do we have here?” Micky asked, peering into the closet. The other men all paused to look at him.
Bowie’s nose twitched and his eyes narrowed. “That scent. It’s all over the bed.” He stepped closer to the man currently kneeling on the floor, a growl rumbling in his chest. He sniffed again. “And all over Seamus.”
Ronan stared at his brother. “Haul her out here.”
Mick did. And got an armful of hissing wild cat. The girl was a little thing but she was kicking and biting and hitting. Being a smart man, Mick swung her away. She dropped onto the narrow bed covered in sheets so foul he almost felt sorry that’s where he’d deposited her. The girl bounced and came up in a crouch, facing them all.
“I’ll not go down easy,” she hissed at them.
Bowie was the first to see the bruises that covered her and his growl rumbled out. He swung a booted foot at Seamus’s head, sending the man onto his side. “He do that to you?”
The girl’s eyes riveted on Bowie. “Aye. He did. Him an’ his filthy cronies.”
Her Irish was thick and the O’Hara men all took a moment to assess her. Her hair was dirty and tangled but it didn’t hide the vivid black eye nor the purple bruise and swelling that ran from her cheekbone to her jaw. More bruises marched up her arms and legs, along with ligature marks around her wrists, ankles, and neck.
Bowie stripped off his shirt before anyone else moved because the girl wore nothing but a ripped wife-beater. She scuttled across the bed as he approached. “Here, cailín.” He gently tossed his shirt to her. It landed on the bed in front of her but she didn’t reach for it. “None of us will touch ya,” he vowed. Only then did she grab it and yank it over her head.
Ronan favored Bowie with a knowing look before he landed a kick straight to Seamus’s gut. The man had been foolish enough to think he might get away. He returned his attention to the girl. “Are you Seamus’s then?”
Green fire lit in her eyes. “Feckin’ hell, no!”
“What were ya doin’ in the closet?”
“He shut me in there, trussed up like a lamb to slaughter. I got free and was ready to make a break when I heard the ruckus. I figured best to stay put until it was over.”
“What’s your name, girl?”
Her eyes narrowed as wariness crept through her. “That twould be me own business.”
Ronan almost smiled. The girl has spirit, despite the beating. “Bowie. Get her out of here.”
The girl froze. “No. I’ll be walkin’ out of here on me own, free.”
“Do you have a passport?” Mick, ever practical, butted in.
She paled even more if that was possible, and freckles stood out against her pasty skin.
“Ya shouldn’t be here for what’s comin’ next,” Bowie said quietly. “Come with me. I’ll take ya to my sister.”
Some new expression crossed her face. “O’Hara.” She blinked. “Heard them talkin’, I did. You’re from the O’Hara.”
Bowie groaned. The damn girl had just signed her own death warrant but the next words out of her mouth eased his worry.
“I’d damn well hug an’ kiss ya all but I’m a bit skanky at the moment. But I’d see the bastard bleed. And I’ll put the final bullet in his head if you’ll let me.”
****
And there you have it. There are times I have no clue who will show up and what will happen when I sit down to write. In this case, I had a note from where I’d left off that said: (There’s one woman left upstairs. Shit hits the fan.) Building on where I ended with today’s prompt, the above is what rattled out. I hope you enjoyed.
Writers, if you have a rift on the theme, drop a snippet here. Readers, how do you feel about blood-thirsty characters?
When it’s too hot to cook, it’s time to go to Plan B–grilling! This tasty salad combines a lot of flavor with easy prep, cook, and clean-up. What more could you want on a summer evening after a hard day at work or play?
Total Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 20 Min.
4 servings
Get tips on buying and prepping produce for this BBQ Chicken with Grilled Apples recipe with this how-to video. Requiring just seven ingredients and 20 minutes of prep time, this BBQ Chicken Salad with Grilled Apples is a Healthy Living recipe you’ll want to keep on hand!
What You Need
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb.)
2 Granny Smith apples, each cut into 4 wedges
1 large red onion, cut into 4 wedges
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
6 cups loosely packed torn mixed salad greens
1/2 cup KRAFT Classic Ranch Dressing
Let’s Make It
1 – Heat grill to medium-high heat.
2 – Brush chicken, apples and onions with Italian dressing. Grill 10 min. or until chicken is done (165°F) and apples and onions are tender, turning occasionally and brushing chicken with barbecue sauce the last few minutes.
3 – Slice chicken. Toss with salad greens, apples and onions.
4 – Serve topped with ranch dressing.
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Substitute: Substitute KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing for the Italian dressing.
Tip 2 – Nutrition Bonus: Grilled apples, onions and tangy barbecue chicken make the perfect toppings for this flavorful low-calorie main-dish salad.
My Tips: Tip one works for me while LG prefers the original Ranch dressing. Either is tasty. Also, I’ve substituted fresh spinach (hence the vinegarette dressing) and it was yummy too! And, I serve the salad dry so folks can put the amount of dressing they want on their own serving.
Can you guess where I found the original for this recipe? You got it! My Food and Family is a great source so go check them out. I reached back into the archives for this book. Why? Because Peni, Nick, and their nemesis, Theodore Vasile are linked to the Irish Wolves. If you haven’t read DOUBLE TROUBLE, Peni is on the run with her new-born twins. Vasile has put a million-dollar bounty on her head. For…reasons. Nick is called in to help by an old friend from BlackOps days. Anyway, it’s an exciting book set at Roxanne St. Clair’s Barefoot Bay resort. Nick informed me that he’s become quite the grill master and while he might throw on a side of steak with this salad, Peni thinks it’s perfect and the twins love the grilled apples. This story has ties to other stories but it’s stand-alone so you can enjoy it without havig read any of my other books. Just click on the cover or the title to head over to Books2Read since this book is available from a wide variety of etailers.
What about y’all? Do you want out of the kitchen in the summer but still want good food? And do you like to read while you eat? Provided you’re eating alone, of course… 😁
Baby, I WISH it was cold out there. It’s not. It’s hot, Hot, HOT! Overnight low was close to 80 and with humidity in the upper 80s range? Ugh. Just…ugh! I don’t like to sweat. Saunas and steam baths are soooo not my thing. Even when I was an athlete, I didn’t enjoy being all hot and sweaty. Anyway, it’s hot and gonna be that way all week with highs in the mid-to-high 90s. I shouldn’t complain, though. We’ve actually gotten off pretty easy so far this year.
So, in other news, there was a week and a weekend. I did some writing. A new character introduced herself and asked me to pick out a hero for her. A character I already knew about also popped up and demanded I write her not-so-cute first meeting with her hero. Yeah, I’m thinking the Mob books are all going to be sort of episodic in one long “season” rather than each guy get his own book. That’s working for me at the moment.
On the home front, Lawyer Guy and I have been bitten by some sort of strange anit-hoarder bug. He spent many days out in the garage. I cleared out space in my dish cabinets. We have coffee mugs that we’ve never used. We kept the sentimental ones and the ones we use almost daily. The rest headed to our local thrift store. Lots of stuff from the garage headed there too. LG wanted a big baker’s rack that was in my previous office space for file boxes out in the garage so we emptied it and then I started on my old desk. Hopefully, we’ll have the “Florida” room for doing projects soon. It used to be a covered patio but the first (and only owners besides us), built a wall across it and turned it into an indoor space. The entrance to the storm cellar is also out there so floor space is rather at a minimum. Anyway, progress. Even if we wore ourselves out.
LG is having minor surgery today. Out-patient but Jake and I get to sit in the waiting room at VA for however long it takes. Yippee. Not. He’s been in pain and waiting for the procedure for a couple of months so yeah, it is sorta a yippee.
The Kids are back from vacay. They had a blast. I’m happy to have Drover home safe and sound. (FYI, Drover is my Highlander.) Jake is happy to have him back, too. Drover’s backseat is more dog friendly than the Jeeps.
Let’s not talk about sports.
“Reading” was good last week. I’ll finish up LAST GUARD today, which is the new Nalini Singh release in her Psy-Changeling series. It’ll get 5 stars. Next up is a reread of the first book in Darynda Jones’ Sunshine Vicram series. The second book hits my Audible account tonight. My buddy B.E. Sanderson has two of suspense books on sale: Accidental Death and Natural Causes are 99¢ each through Saturday Night. Grab them on Amazon. They’re page-turners for sure!
If I don’t stop waking up between 5 and 5:30 every morning, I’m going to fire myself. It’s getting ridiculous. Of course, I need to be up that early since LG has an early slot for surgery.
Not much else going on around here. I figure there will be naps for all involved later today and a light dinner with very little work. Not a bad way to start the week–the Monday afternoon nap, I mean. Not the reason for it. Anyway, that’s my world. What’s up in yours?
NEW RELEASE
NEW RELEASE
NOW AVAILABLE
Silver James 