Thursday Thoughts: Universal Dream vs. Reality

Posted on April 22, 2021 by Silver James

So, apparently the Universe is really big on dreaming these days. It seems a lot of the messages have to do with dreams, imagination, and stuffs like that there. Perfect advice for a writer. This particular note appeared a bit ago, but considering the chapter I wrote yesterday in the current WIP, it’s rather apropos. See, Sade had this dream and…anyway. The Universe has a point to make.

Ever have a dream at night, Silver, when you wondered in the middle of it whether or not you were dreaming?

Knowing that if you were just dreaming, you could rewrite the scary parts and expand the happy parts; run faster, jump higher, laugh your head off; summon guides, travel through time, read minds; levitate, manifest, do the impossible.

But then, you thought to yourself, “No, this just can’t be a dream, it’s way too real.”

Yeah, you’re having one right now.

Gosh you’re good –
The Universe

©www.tut.com
Yeah, Silver, you really are, and yes, you really can.

Not sure I’m actually having one righit this moment, but I am starting to dream more–or at least remember parts of what I dream. Sort of. Most of them are still pretty bizarre and way on the crazy side. Sort of like Sade’s. Her solution was to sing the Macarena song. Mine is to set here at the computer and dream up stuff like Sade singing the Macrena song. Who’s ready to do the Macarena with me? 😉

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Wednesday Words: Treat Yourself

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Silver James

It’s Wednesday. Already. Today’s #1lineWed THEME is a real **TREAT**. I almost used a snippet that starred Sade and Caleb back when they were kids and they’d been dared to do something. Instead, I decided to take the prompt and add it to a snippet I’d previously written using a flash fliction prompt in order to move the current WIP along. To set this up, Sade has returned from Paris. I think you can figure it out from there…
****
Find the wizard, find Sinjen. Concentrate on finding the little turd. It shouldn’t be this fucking hard. The wizard apparently sprang whole cloth into this world. No one knew who he was. Not Interpol. Not the FBI. CIA. DHS. ATF. US Marshals. Interpol. The national police in every European country she’d contacted. Mathias had gone to the Concilium Magicae. None of the human reps knew him. They’d have turned his ass over in a heartbeat because Sade and the vampires weren’t the only ones looking. Not even the dragons could find him.

She’d caught the train from Washington to New York. She had a slim lead that might point either to his identity or his location and planned to spend the day in the Big Apple pursuing it. After hitting a couple of magic shops and talking to the leaders of NYC’s most powerful coven of white witches, Sade was no closer to her prey.

Walking aimlessly, she stopped to grab a slice of pizza when the scents wafting from a tiny pizzeria almost brought her to her knees. New York style pizza. Tomato sauce, pepperoni, cheese. She folded the huge slice, grabbed napkins, and head toward her final destination of the. Considering how frustrating her day had been, she deserved a treat. She continued down 5th Street.

Chewing and swallowing the last bite, Sade gazed up at St. Patrick’s Cathedral from across the street. Gargoyles perched among the spires, soaking up the sun and watching her through unblinking eyes. She wondered how many of the pedestrians around her were aware they were under surveillance by the magicks. She dipped her chin in acknowledgment. The shadow of Atlas, struggling to hold up the heavens, fell across her. She knew how he felt and offered a two-fingered salute as she left the iconic statue. At the corner, she turned right and a block later put her smack dab in the teeming crowd at Rockefeller Center. Sade had never felt so alone. She kept walking, though slowly as she massaged the crick in her neck she developed from constantly scanning her surroundings.

She had decisions to make. Too bad she had no one to talk to. Caleb was back in Washington being all werewolfy with his mate, Adele. Roman and Verity returned to the States and he was busy with his duties as the Legate of New Orleans. Ariel was not the fae to discuss affairs of the heart with. Especially not her heart.

A shadow drifted across the sidewalk. She searched the skies but found nothing. With her luck, that damn dragon had cloaked himself invisible and was stalking her. Nikos was one of the decisions she had to make. Nikos and Sinjen.

Her heart hurt at the thought of the enigmatic vampire. “So I walk away,” she murmured. “As soon as I find him.”

“And then what?” the wind whispered.

Good question. Could she leave Sinjen behind? He’d left her and she didn’t give a tinker’s damn what Crevan and Mathias said about extenuating circumstances. He’d left her.

At the next corner, a busker strummed his guitar, watching her intently before launching into a Creedence Clearwater song. Sade listened to the whole song then dropped a twenty into his guitar case. Good advice in the lyrics.

The musician gave her a chin lift. “Stay proud, Mary.”

Mind made up, she strolled away, smiling. “The name’s Sade but close enough.”
****
Yes, readers, there’s trouble in Sade’s world. And it’s about to get crazier. Trust me on that. I hope you got a treat from reading this. 😉 Writers, will you treat us with some words? And readers, what’s your favorite treat to enjoy while reading?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Coffee-Caramel Sauce

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Silver James

Sometimes, you just get a craving. Sometimes, you have the stuff on hand to mix up exactly what will satisfy that craving. This just might do it if you like the taste of caramel and coffee.

Total time, including Prep: 5 Min.
8 servings

Try something new with this Coffee-Caramel Sauce. Caramel topping and brewed coffee are heated together in this scrumptious Coffee-Caramel Sauce.

What You Need
1 cup caramel ice cream topping
1 Tbsp. freshly brewed strong MAXWELL HOUSE Coffee, any variety

Let’s Make It
1 – Cook ingredients in saucepan on low heat 5 min. or until heated through, stirring frequently.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Note: Serve as a dip for sliced apples or drizzled over scoops of ice cream.

My Tip – Serve over anything! Like pound cake. Angel food cake. Short cakes. Add whipped cream. Or ice cream. Also, any coffee will do, but the nice people over at MF&F like their namebrands. 😉

There’s video! Click over to My Food and Family to watch and get all the details. Speaking of cravings, Britt Owens had her share while she was carrying Cooper Tate’s twins. She didn’t know she loved this topping until Katherine Tate shared it over a piece of pound cake. Now Britt keeps a jar in the fridge for ice cream, cake, apples, toast…you name it! Want to discover how a prickly storm chaser and a determined oil executive find their happy ever after? Grab TWICE THE TEMPTATION, book #9 of the Red Dirt Royalty series. Just click on the cover or the title and head on over the Harlequin to grab your copy. The book’s page also lists all the other retailers if you want to snatch it from another retailer. What are you craving today?

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A Monday to Remember

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Silver James
Clary OKC Memorial pool

(c)Clary Carey 2013

Twenty-six years ago, it was a Wednesday. At 9:02 a.m., the very fabric of Oklahoma City changed. I didn’t arrive on scene until 9:35 a.m. and I was the only forensic fire photographer at the time. It was chaos. It was heartbreaking. But it was 26 years ago, even if I can’t forget. Not that I’d want to. No one should forget. The photo is from the Memorial. It’s a peaceful place, I’m told. I’ve only been there once, and that was to take a friend from New York through the grounds and the museum. Anyway…that was then. Life does go on.

And speaking of, last week and this weekend were a bit on the crazy side. I got my second vaccine. I had a few after-effects that lasted about 24 hours. All good after that. Even more exciting, I finally got my new kitchen faucet installed. Y’all have no idea what a huge deal this is to me. I walk past and want to stop and pet it. The old one leaked. Inside and out. I had a bowl under the sink. I had duct tape and sponges around the the base and the sink. We bought the replacement like…six months ago. Lawyer Guy had ever intention of installing it. He opened the box, read the instructions, and said, “Not today.” My awesome BiL got us in line with his awesome plumbers and the guy arrived Thursday. Took him about an hour. I may actually get around to doing the backsplash now, since I cleared off all the junk. See? I procrastinate too. 😉

Writing was a different story. It was totally off and on. Until Saturday. I wove a couple of short scenes (250 words) together and ended up with a chapter 4000 words long. And I realized as I was making notes of where to start Sunday morning that the chapter didn’t feel…right. All the stuff needed to happen but it just wasn’t…right. So yesterday, I actually printed it out and did some physical cutting and taping. The previous chapter got a scene added and two scenes in the long chapter got moved around and then the end got chopped and became the start of the following chapter. Did you follow that? Don’t worry. It’s all good. I’m back on track. The story is working, even if the characters are being total jerks. My goal was 70K words. I may hit 80K before I’m done because I’m at 67.5K as of this morning.

Reading was slow. Life, you know. And something of a slump. I’m into Kristen Ashley’s Colorado Mountain series. I’ve read/listened to most of the books multiple times. They’ll do until something new catches my attention.

Sports was yay and ugh. My OSU (the REAL OSU as in Oklahoma State) Cowgirls swept Baylor. I got to watch the last game in the series Sunday afternoon. Only and I should roadtrip up to Stillwater one of these weekends before the season is over and catch a game. Too bad we’re both busy. OU is still undefeated. They swept Texas, run ruling them all three games. I watched a rerun of Friday’s game at 2 a.m. on Saturday morning. Yay insomnia. Yesterday, their game followed the OSU game. That’s the yay! The Ugh was my Cards. The Phillies had their number though the Cardinals did win on Saturday. And Yadi is playing awesome.

TV is still mostly “real” if not reality. LOL Things like “To Catch a Smuggler,” “Strange Evidence,” “The Holzer Files,” and the like. I’m still DVRing “The Masked Singer.” Last week, the Orca was unmasked and revealed as singer-songwriter Mark McGrath, front man for the rock band Sugar Ray.

And that was my week and weekend. It’s the little things, right? Y’all excuse me now. I’ve gotta go pet my pretty faucet. What little thing that’s happened to you lately has put a smile on your face?

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Friday Sinema: Fox Tale

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Silver James

I love old British dudes. And this one reminds me of Dennis Mira, a character in the In Death series of books. Dennis is a college professor who doesn’t button his cardigans correctly and gets a little bumfuzzled but is full of wisdom. He’s married to Dr. Charlotte “Charlie” Mira, who is the top criminal profiler in like…the world. Eve Dallas, the MC, adores Mr. Mira. Anyway, I ❤ old British dudes who remind me of Mr. Mira and who rescue baby foxes. Have a smile for your Friday!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Make Believe

Posted on April 15, 2021 by Silver James

The Universe has been keyed into my psyche of late. Well, my writer’s psyche, anyway. It seems that I’m getting a message every day or so with insignts into this whole gig. Writing is a process. Everyone who does this for as a career has their own. One friend writes, edits, edits, writes, rewrites, stews, starts over, an continues in this vein until she finally gets a first draft. Another is a “speed writer.” She sits down and in about six days spits out 50K words. She doesn’t stop. Need a character name? Leave a blank. Need a place? Leave a blank. Don’t know exactly what happens next? Leave a blank and go on to the next thing she knows is going to happen. She gets the main characters and the story out and then in the next round, she adds all the embellishments. Another friend writes in fits and starts and occasionally circles back to fix stuff. Me? I’m sort of all those things. I call myself a Puzzler. I write scenes I know are going to happen. Then I start at the beginning. Like a jigsaw puzzle, those early scenes are blocks of pieces put together before you get the frame done. Once I have those blocks done, I go back, find all the straight edges and put them together and then fill in the blanks. Needless to say, imagination is everything. Another writer friend said something in her blog yesterday that made a lot of sense. Basically, you need to block out the real world and move into the world you’re creating.

That said, the act of actual “creation” is a lot like this:

Silver, what if there was only you, and the rest of the world was “make believe,” imagination? If even the people in your life were drawn there, or faded away, based upon your thoughts.

Would it then be easier for you to grasp the true meaning of limitless? Would you then believe that you alone make your reality?

Silver, the rest of the world is “make believe,” imagination. And all the people in your life are there or fade away based upon your thoughts.

Wow… that was easy.

Tallyho limitless,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

The dream of here and now, dear Silver, is no different than the dreams you dream each night… you decide everything.

This is what the writer does. We dream up places and people. We “make believe” and write down what our imagination reels out for us. We write words that turns the dream into a reality. And yeah, it sounds easy. And it can be limitless. Mainly, though, it’s what we do.

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Wednesday Words: Good Egg

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Silver James

Welpers, apparently, I’ve violated Facebooks so-called “Community Standards.” I’m locked out of my personal page AND my author page. I’m so sick of social media. I’d just retreat to my writer’s cave but then how could I keep up with my friends and readers and them with me? Oh, and because of Covid and being short of staff FB may or may NOT REVIEW MY APPEAL but they’re sure sorry for any inconvenience. 🤬

Angry? Who me? Damn straight I am!!! Anyway. It’s Wednesday. That means Words. Today’s THEME is **EGG**. Here’s a snippet from the WIP. Sade has one nerve left and folks are about to step on it. Not gonna say where in the timeline. That way, it’s not a spoiler. Though it isn’t much of one anyway.
****
To say Interpol had egg on their face was an understatement. Jean-Louis was nowhere to be found and his bosses were staying mum on the situation. Sade didn’t want to bother the ancient vampire she’d grown up calling Aunt Polly. Dame Apolline was some high muckity muck in the Vampyre Conclave. Instead, she contacted Mathias. To say she wasn’t worried about the former Interpol agent rearing his handsome head again was an understatement. Too bad all her vampire problems weren’t so easily solved.

Nikos was back. He’d had no more luck tracking down the rogue dragon than she’d had finding Mr. Wizard. She wanted to go home. Not that there was anything waiting for her there. Not anymore. But it was familiar. And routine. Too bad this case was still a priority.

After a night of tossing and turning, therefore little sleep, she’d dragged out of bed to find the cat MIA, a note under her door from Caleb saying he’d be at Interpol at least until noon. She’d showered, dressed, and stopped in for coffee and croissants at the bakery on the corner.

Currently, she stood on the Pont au Double, one of bridges over the Seine leading to the island where Notre Dame Cathedral stood still encased in a steel skeleton. She noticed, for the first time, that the iconic steeple was lying where it had crashed. The fire, while devastating, hadn’t been catastrophic—at least not to the gargoyles. Roman stood on her right, Nikos, on her left. One gave off the chill of carved granite, the other the heat of a volcano.

“Magic is a fragile thing,” Roman said. “Like a human life.”

“But Magicks aren’t.” Bitterness shaded Sade’s voice.

Nikos glanced her way. “You are formed by the fires of your desires and longings, Sade.”

“Bullshit.”

“You aren’t exactly human.”

She opened her mouth to scald him, but Roman’s soft admonition stopped her, “He’s right, Lady Sade. Because you were marked by Fae and vampire both, you carry a touch of magic.” She scowled at him but he continued unfazed. “As to the rest, you are driven by your viewpoint, by perceived injustices. You ingest it, push it deep, and then, when nothing makes sense and you are going under, drowning in the swirling brew of emotions, you explode.”

“Do not,” she muttered, knowing damn good and well that Roman was right.

Excited shouting and laughter and what sounded like cannon fire captured their attention. A mob tumbled up the Qual de Montebello headed toward the Square René Viviani. They weren’t the first group to dance by headed ultimately to the Eiffel Tower. This was some sort of jubilant celebration or a crazy marathon. Sade didn’t know. As the crowd passed the green space of the squard, a cannon fired again, the shell exploding above the crowd, raining pink powder down on them.

“Yes.” Nikos pointed to the throng. “You look just like them when you detonate, all pretty in pink.”

“You take that back!”

Nikos never saw her fist. Through a busted lip, he said, “I rest my case.”
****
Don’t ever accuse Sade of being a girlie girl. 😉 Iffy and I keep creeping toward The End. I see a dim glow at the end of the tunnel and no sound of a train whistle. Writers, any egg words? Readers, how do you want your eggs cooked? I like mine sunny side up.

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Tuesday Treats: Chicken Cordon Bleu Crescent Rolls

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Silver James

Okay, I’ll admit, I’m not sure that gravy goes with this dish but some people might. Still, easy peasy and tasty. I just need to remember to add the ingredients to my grocery list. In fact, I’m going to do that right now because I’ll be in Wallyworld tomorrow so I’ll grab some groceries while I’m there.

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Monday the 12th of Never

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Silver James

Sunrise. Sunset. Day. Night. This old world just keeps spinning along and time passes. Totally beats the altermative, I’m thinking. I do wish Mother Nature would stop drinking though. Yesteray? 80+ degrees, blue skies, gorgeous, so long as you were out of the wind. However, this is Oklahoma and the wind does come sweeping down the plain. Today? A high of 60, cloudy, and a chance of rain, with that sweeping wind from the north. Brrr.

Last week was mostly a bust when it came to writing but I have a few gangbuster days, including yesterday. Several things happened–the timeline got itself sorted, as did the bad guys. A plot thread that had been dangling got nicely woven into some semblance of sense. Also, quite a few words written and scenes rearranged into good order. This book continues to surprise me.

Reading/listening was okay. I finished off the Jayne Castle marathon. I procrastinated a lot on Saturday after I finished ORCHID, book 3 in the St. Helen’s trilogy. I went through my Audible library. Then I went through my Want to Read list on Goodreads. The same with Hoopla. I went back to Audible and did some searches on the Plus catalog. Nothing jumped out at me so I gave up and tried to write. Got a little bit done. I finally settled on a Kristen Ashley reread of one of the books in her Colorado Mountain series, SWEET DREAMS.

Got caught up on some of the DVR’d shows last week–my usual paranormal, strange evidence, and SciFi fare. And The Masked Singer. The unmasked singer wasn’t a big surprise. Nick Cannon, the usual host, has been out this season with Covid. Niecy Nash filled in for him. This season, they’ve been tossing in a Wild Card contestant during each group’s finals. In last week’s show, Niecy preempted the vote and she decided who would be unmasked. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the WC was Nick Cannon and he’ll be back to hosting next week. Anyway…the contestants can really sing this season and as usualy, I have no clue (from either the clues or the voices) of who they are.

My Cards are winning more than losing. That’s good. Injuries are starting to pop up and that’s concerning. Still, baseball feels more like baseball this year and I hope that means we’re getting closer to a new-old normal. #1 OU is still undefeated in softball and my Cowgirls had an awesome weekend. They’re currently at #12. I personally think they are playing better and deserved to be in the Top 10 but whatever. Regionals, Super-regionals, and the Women’s College World Series will tell the tale.

Loki reappeared. He was being a jerk and hiding in the garage. He eventually made his presence known and darted back into the house about 3 a.m. on Tuesday. Cat. Stormy was here on Monday and it was fun having him here. We played catch for a bit and he watched cartoons while I did a little work. Hard to believe he’s 7 now. *flail* Time is moving waaay to fast.

And speaking of time, this darn book ain’t gonna write itself. Time to get off the itnrawebz and get some words typed out. 🤞 today is as productive as yesterday was. I promise I can see The End just over the horizon. That’s my plan for the day. What’s yours? Did you have a good weekend? Anything exciting happen to you last week? Looking forward to anything this week?

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Friday Sinema: Muddy Waters

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Silver James

Since I mentioned it earlier in the week, I’ve been thinking about the movie. Beside two of my favorite actors, it also has some of the greatest movies lines and probably my favorite “comic” fight scene. Prepare to get muddy as we peek at a video from McLintock. Happy Friday. Have a great weekend. Watch a good movie.

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