Wednesday Words: Sword Play

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Silver James

How can it be Hump Day already?!? Silly time slips mean it’s time for a new snippet to share. Today’s #1lineWed THEME is ***SWORD**. I had no sword snippets. I considered a character falling on his sword. Nope. None of my Wolves would be down with beating their swords into ploughshares–if they even knew what that meant. (Okay, so I just finished the latest Eve Dallas/In Death book and Eve is notorious for questioning sayings like that!) Then there’s double-edged swords, and crossing swords. I tossed all of those, closed my eyes, and this is what my fingers typed:
****
Ronan leaned a shoulder against the door jamb and stared, bemused, at the big screen TV. A man, all in black, wore a mask that only covered the top half of his face and a black, flat-brimmed hat. The mask looked to be made from a black silk scarf with eye holes cutout. He appeared to be in a barn. Or a stable. Ronan wasn’t sure. He also pranced around and waved a sword at a very pretty dark-haired woman wearing a blue robe. They both held swords and parried back and forth as some Spanish-sounding music teased the scene.

Ha. The woman drew “first blood” by cutting the bloke’s shirt. They backed apart, challenged each other with a glance. The man took off his hat and then the woman stripped out of the robe. He blinked. What the bloody hell was she wearing? Pantaloons? And a camisole or whatever the fuck that thing was that covered some rather luscious breasts was called.
He glanced at the couch. Maura and Shannon both sat on the edge, leaning forward, expressions avid as the battle raged. Ronan couldn’t decide what was more interesting—the women or the movie.

“Wait for it,” Maura ordered, a hint of anticipation in her voice.

He returned his attention the the TV just in time to see the camera focus on the male actor’s face with some flicks of the sword on the peripheral. The guy looked like curiously confused dog as he tilted his head this way and that. Then the camera turned on the woman. She stood there defiantly, facing down the rogue. Until her clothing fell off.

“How have I never seen this movie?” Shannon gasped. “I mean…Antonio Banderas is to die for!”

“I love this scene,” Maura admitted.

Shannon sighed. “That kiss.”

“No, but he was young and vigorous,” Maura said, mimicking the actress’s accent. “He was very vigorous, father.”

The two women burst out laughing and clinked their beer bottles together in a toast before they drank. Ronan glanced over when he realized his brother was also standing in the doorway. He choked back a laugh as Mick, head tilted with that confused dog look on his face, watched the woman.

“What’d I miss?” Mick whispered.

“Evidently, we should watch this movie.” Ronan lifted his ching toward the TV.

“What’s it about?”

“Some Spanish guy with a sword and a way with beautiful women.”

Mick rolled his eyes. “Is sword some sort of euphemism?”

Before Ronan could reply, Maura and Shannon yelled out together, “The Mask of Zorro,” 

“There ya go, Mick. The Mask of Zorro.” Then Ronan added under his breath, “And yeah, I think it might be. A euphemism. “
****
And there ya go. That’s a little spur-of-the-moment writing based on the the prompt. The good news is, it’s a keeper scene, I think. Do you agree? Writers, any sword snippets to share? And readers, do you have a favorite “duel” between the sexes scene?

Plus…bonus! Here’s the clip. (And yes, it IS a favorite of mine!)

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Tuesday Treats and Titles: Caramel Apple Bombs

Posted on September 14, 2021 by Silver James

Is it even possible? Did I hear the long-range forecast correctly? A high in the 70s next week? Dude! I’m soooo ready. It’s also State Fair time and when I first saw this recipe, I’ll admit it reminded me of some of the more sublime state fair food. And apples are always yummy in the fall so there’s that.

Total Time: 1 Hr. 15 Min. (incl. cooling)
Prep Time: 25 Min.
Cook Time: 50 Min.
16 servings

Bite into a delicious taste of autumn with Caramel Apple Bombs! Made with cinnamon, pecans and more, Caramel Apple Bombs are perfect for a fall party.

What You Need
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup water
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
25 KRAFT Caramels
2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350ºF.
2 – Combine 1/4 cup dry pudding mix and spices. Add to apples in medium bowl along with the water; mix lightly.
3 – Unroll crescent dough; separate into 16 triangles. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. apple mixture onto shortest side of each triangle. Fold dough over apple mixture, completely enclosing apple mixture. Pinch edges of dough together to seal.
4 – Place, seam sides down, in 9-inch round pan sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining dry pudding mix. Drizzle with butter.
5 – Bake 33 to 35 min. or until deep golden brown; cool slightly.
6 – Microwave caramels and milk in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 min. or until caramels are completely melted and sauce is well blended, stirring every minute. Drizzle over dessert just before serving. Sprinkle with nuts.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or low-fat frozen yogurt.

As always, MY FOOD AND FAMILY is the place to find all details. It’s cooler (a little) up north so I immediately thought of MONTANA MOON, a stand-alone Moonstruck Wolf crossover novel. Since finding her mate in Tait “Shooter” McCord, Lauren Reilly is adapting to life in the wilds of Montana. She sure doesn’t miss life at the Pentagon–especially not since someone tried to kill her. She likes nothing better than to whip up these yummy treats and curl up with a good book while eating one. Tait is slow to admit his sweet tooth but the Wolf doesn’t apologize for taking two at a time. 😉 If you’d like to read their story, just click on the cover pic, or the title. You can read it for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Tough question today… Would you rather eat one with ice cream or plain?

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Monday the 13th

Posted on September 13, 2021 by Silver James

Question. Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky and Monday the 13th isn’t? Asking for a friend.

Jake got a bath yesterday. Nothing like the smell of wet dog permeating the air. He’s all fluffy today and has sort of forgiven me. I’ll take him to Wallyworld here in a little bit and get him a puppucino on the way home. That’ll make him happy.

I did no writing this weekend. I meant to. I opened the MS. I stared at it and then I purposefully got distracted. The 3-hour nap I took on Saturday was also a contributing factor. I did get new words last week so i’m hanging in. Barely. I have no timeline for the publicvation of this book and maybe I should make one. I can’t decide if I work better under deadline or not.

Sports were interesting. OSU won 28-23. Other than a 95 yard kick-off return, there wasn’t much to write home about.. OU really won (76-0), and I can’t even accuse them of running up the score because they took out their starting quarterback at half-time and it was the freshman QB who added 30+ more points. On a happy note, the other OSU got beat and dropped in the polls. Oh darn. In baseball news, Stormy had a decent game Thursday night. He hit a single and a double and scored some RBIs. He’s also getting a little better behind the plate. He blocked more balls, made good throws back, and seemed a bit more comfortable back there. It takes time and practice. And speaking of baseball, my Cardinals took 2 of 3 from the Reds so they are moving closer to “winning” the 2nd NL team spot in the Wild Card race. They still have a ways to go but the Reds were ahead of them. Now the Reds, and Padres all need to start losing. LOLOL The Dodgers pretty much have the first slot sewn up so I’m rooting for the second spot!

In “housekeeping” news, I think I’ve finally figured out how to reconfigure my office.  Now all I have to do is sort through 20+ years of junk accumulated by both me and Only, as this was her bedroom before she got married and moved out. I claimed it for mine once that occurred. Sadly, she still have stuff here. It’s only been 10 years or so. 🙄 Anyway, next comes the logistics. My desk will be easy, I’m simply moving it from one wall around the corner to the intersecting wall. But, I have to move a file cabinet and 3 bookcases before I can do that. And before I can move them, I have to clear out a drafting table that is stacked beneath and on top with loads of stuff. Then I have to move the armoir that holds the TV and some storage to that wall so I can have the wall where the armoir currently resides free for the bookcases. See my dilemma? Sadly, I’m not desperate enough in my writing frustration to actually start sorting crap. Imma gonna need a bunch of boxes, tubs, and trash bags. I should take before and after pictures. Or maybe just after. The before is pretty darn ugly.

As y’all know, my sleep pattern have been mostly f*cked for awhile now. When we hit the time change, does that mean I’ll be wide awake at 3 or 4 instead of 4 or 5? In the a.m. Ugh! Also, Aloof Cat™ (aka Loki) has been caught napping on the bed. As long as I ignore him, he stays curled up at the far corner at the foot of the bed. If I notice? He’s gone. I miss kitty snuggles. Ah well.

In reading news, I little irked at a well-known author. In back-to-back books, she’s taken shots at my home state and I wondering why she has such a hard-on for us that she feels the need to villify us. And she only makes one major religion the villain when there’s been far more evil perpetrated by another. It’s a long-running series, and a fave of my but I’m getting really sick of political agendas in fiction. You want to blame one group, fine. But be fair and blame others in the next book. There’s enough blame to go around. Getting off my soap box now.

Time for one last cup of coffee and then errands. If Jake and I go early, we get to see our favorite associates there and get in and out before the crowds hit. Also, before it gets hot. I have no plan for this week other than Stormy’s baseball game on Thursday evening. Maybe new words. Maybe sorting. I got the laundry done yesterday. I might should do some ironing. Or maybe I’ll actually cook something “fancy” for dinner one night. Or not. LOL What are your plans for the week?

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Friday Sinema: God Bless America

Posted on September 10, 2021 by Silver James

Tomorrow marks 20 years. I thought this “flash mob” was fitting. And no, I didn’t have dry eyes when while I watched. I love this country and it stands for. ‘Nuff said.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Voices

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Silver James

I actually worry about this, more than occasionally. I also find myself “being” that voice where other writers are concerned because I’m impatient to get the next installment of their work. When I do, the guilt hits me because I know how slowly I’ve been working for the past long while now. This message from the Universe comes at a good time. It’s one I need to hear and accept.

Should you ever hear that voice inside exclaim that you’re working too slow, are too easily distracted, or that you should take life more seriously, please rest assured, dearest Silver, that it is absolutely, positively not me.

I’m the one saying, “You totally rock! I love you like crazy! Let’s have some fun!” –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

We’re still trying to figure out how you get dressed so quickly in the morning, Silver.

Okay, that last one’s easy! I wear my PJs to work. 😉 And yes, there are days when I stay in cotton pants and a tank all day. If I’m not getting out, why dirty up another set of clothes? It’s like making my bed. Why? I’m just gonna get back in the thing in about 12 hours. Am I right? Anyway, I’ll keep my voices to myself and y’all can rest assured that I’m aware of things and working on it. And authors, I know you are too so just ignore me sitting over here biting my tongue. 😂

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Wednesday Words: Isolation

Posted on September 8, 2021 by Silver James

I don’t understand why the sun keeps rising and setting and the days keep racing by! The good news is, I’ve been isolated in my writing cave and I have new words to show for it. This week’s #1lineWed THEME is **ISOLATION** and while I put Kathleen in an isolated house, that particular snippet is just short of…explanatory. This one (and it’s a rough first draft so ignore typos, etc!) takes a bit of a deeper dive into her psyche. It’s a scene in the aftermath of a bad encounter so warning for those who might be sensitive. That said, I figure you read me stuff, you know that I’m pretty…out there and get rather blunt with things. Anyway, new words!
****
Kathleen showered in the dark. She couldn’t face herself in the mirror. All the tears she’d held back would overwhelm her if she saw the damage. She’d already cataloged each ache and pain, every tender spot. She licked her bottom lip out of habit and winced. Hot water sluiced over her body and she tried not to think. Her brain refused to cooperate.

How had she come to this? She’d gone to college, had been working toward her degree in graphic arts. She had plans. Graduate. Go to work for one of the top advertising agencies. Live a full life as a smart, single woman in Boston. Then she’d agreed to go out with Tommy.

Tommy was older. He’d already graduated by the time she was a freshman in high school. He was the golden boy and everyone still talked about him. He started at UMASS on a football scholarship. And got hurt. Not on the football field but in a bar fight. The legend said that he waded into the fight to save someone and ended up stabbed. He didn’t go back to school. He joined the Boston Police Department. And he came back to the old neighborhood. And found a skinny kid with braces and fingers stained with ink and paint.

She’d never understood his attraction to her but he pursued her hard. Her dad, rest his soul, ran Tommy off for years but after she started classes at Williams College, Tommy kept showing up. He was tall and handsome with a smile that lit up the room. Her friends adored him. And so did she. Growing into her long legs, filling out with curves, and losing the braces made his infatuation with her more understandable. He complimented her. Groomed her. And convinced her that a cop’s wife didn’t need to work outside the home. He had a house. He paid the bills. He’d take care of everything.

Then her father died. Lost and confused, she dropped out of Williams and accepted Tommy’s proposal. Her friends were thrilled. So was her mom.

Kathleen closed her eyes. Tommy started in on her their wedding night. She was so stupid in love with him. Slowly. Insidiously. He trained her. Shaped her. And she let him. Her friends weren’t good enough. Her mother was manipulative. Isolation was both her refuge and her nightmare. When she was left alone, she didn’t have to explain that she was clumsy, that the black eye and the bruises came from falling down the stairs. No one could help her. Tommy was a hero cop. She was clumsy. Blaming him would get her nowhere. So she remained silent, isolated from what few friends she had left.

She pulled on a nightgown, swallowed a few of pain pills and cursed herself for being too much a coward to take the whole bottle and just be done with it all. Not yet. She wasn’t there yet. Crawling into bed, she prayed to a God she was pretty sure had abandoned her that her husband wouldn’t come home.

A figure watched from the shadows blanketing the upstairs hallway. He’d seen her ravaged body and the damage done to her face. His wolf howled soundlessly while the man plotted a very long and very gruesome death. He wasn’t a hero but he would free her from the bastard who’d done this. As her quiet breathing indicated she’d slipped into sleep, he made a vow. Then he turned and left before he did something truly stupid. Like scooping her up and running away with her.
****
So, here’s another peek into Kathleen Gallagher’s life. I promise, she’ll get her HEA. And Devlin’s stalking…er…courting of her is turning out to be rather sweet, despite the bad stuff she has to endure first. Anyway. Writers, any of your characters in isolation? Readers, if you had to be isolated (like in quarantine or something), what would you do to entertain yourself?

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Tuesday Treats and Titles: Lasagna Roll-ups

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Silver James

Fall is in the air. Well…sort of. We are getting closer and after a summer of cooking cool, I’m ready for something a little heartier, but still light enough for a warm day. They don’t take long to put together and while they’re baking, you have time to relax and read (or reread) a good book before it’s time to chow down!

Total Time: 1 Hr. 5 Mins.
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 45 Min.
9 servings

Build lasagna in a new way with these Lasagna Roll-Ups! With ricotta, ground beef and mozzarella cheese, Lasagna Roll-Ups are a fun way to eat this dish!

What You Need
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 jar (24 oz.) CLASSICO Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup A.1. Original Sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 cup POLLY-O Natural Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
2 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350°F.
2 – Brown meat in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat; drain. Return meat to skillet.
3 – Combine pasta sauce and A.1. Add half the pasta sauce mixture to meat; stir. Reserve remaining pasta sauce mixture for later use.
4 – Spray 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Mix egg, ricotta and 1/4 cup Parmesan until blended. Spread about 2 Tbsp. ricotta mixture onto each noodle; top with about 1/4 cup meat mixture and 2 heaping Tbsp. mozzarella. Roll up, starting at one short end of each noodle. Place, seam sides down, in prepared baking dish.
5 – Top with reserved pasta sauce mixture and remaining cheeses; cover.
6 – Bake 45 min. or until hot and bubbly.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Serving Suggestion: Serve with a crisp mixed green salad, whole wheat roll and fresh fruit for dessert.

Tip 2 – Substitute: Prepare using ground chicken or turkey.

Tip 3 – Special Extra: Top with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

My Tips: Prep time might be a little longer, depending on how long it takes the water for the lasagna to boil. Also, I’m a hungry hippo so I like at least two to a serving and if you are serving Wolves, you might as well double the recipe. 😉 Psst. Also, since I borrowed this recipe, I left their brand names in but y’all know how to “modify,”right?

For all the details, head on over to MY FOOD AND FAMILY. Somebody else who really likes Italian–cooking and eating–is Gen Pruitt, the heroine of NIGHT WISH. Her mate, Nightrider Wolf shifter Wizard Dimond is always happy when she feeds him. Theirs is a rocky story full of family angst, betrayal, and hurt feelings but being a romance, you can always count on the HEA. NIGHT WISH is available in wide distribution so just click on either cover pic or the title and head on over to Books2Read to find your favorite retailer. What about y’all? Are you ready for heartier fare? Do you like Italian? Do you read while you eat? Inquiring minds want to know!

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Labor Day Monday

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Silver James

Okay. Tomorrow is actually Tuesday but for everyone who works for a living, it will feel like Monday. Right? Happy Labor Day to those of us here in the States. In “jetting” around this past weekend, I discovered that several of our favorite restaurants are closed today in celebration so their employees can have a day off. Luckily, one is open and the James Gang is headed over there for a semi-late lunch to celebrate LG’s and Uncle Fix-It’s birthdays. Speaking of food, LG and I had Saturday lunch at our fave Mexican restaurant after siren test. Baseball Boy and Stormy joined us. Only was off photographing a wedding. We missed her but yay that she’s getting paid to use her talent.

Saturday was also the start of college football. The real OSU hung on by their fingernails to win, and OU had their hands full with Tulane, but they also managed to hang on. The wins are awsome but not exactly a auspitious start to the season. My Cards were a mixed bag. They REALLY need to find some reliable closing pitching. They had the game won yesterday but the late inning pitchers cratered. I’m not predicting a post season run for them which gives me a sad.

Closer to home, Stormy started his first game at catcher. He did okay. First game. First time at the position. Etc. We had to laugh–in a frustrated way–over his early obsession with moving the bat out of the way, irregardless of the play happening on the field. Somebody (the umpire? his coach?) told him to get the bat out of the way. So, when the opposiing batter got a hit and dropped the bat, Stormy dutiful went over, picked it up, and walked to their dugout. 🤦🏼‍♀️ His momma finally went to the dugout to adjust his shin guards and explain how that whole bat thing works. He stopped doing it after that–at least until the play was stopped. First game. It was the first game! LOL

Yesterday was actually a decent writing day. Surprise, surprise. I’m at approximately 25K words. It’s progress and the story structure is coming together. That’s the good news. And in other news, there really isn’t any bad news, but for how slow I’m getting words down. Ah well. 

I finished up the marathon re-listen of the Kate Daniels world series(es). Yes, series is one of those weird words where the plural is spelled the same as the singular but in this instance I want to make note that there are actually 4 series invovled, though currently three of those series only have one book each. Anyway, I’m a huge fan. Renée Raudman, who narrates the original series, does an amazing job. She’s a fave narrator. The 3 spin-off books have different narrators. Jeffrey Kafer (Magic Stars: Kate Daniels, #8.5, Grey Wolf, #1) does a good job with Derek’s character, even though his style is a bit Jack Webb/Joe Friday Dragnet, but it fits. Steve West (Iron and Magic: The Iron Covenant, #1; Kate Daniels, #9.5) nails Hugh D’Ambray. However, he slaughters Ascanio, Rafael, and Andrea–all well-established characters. It’s disconcerting but their roles aren’t huge in this book so it’s sorta okay. At least the accent he give’s Hugh is similar to the one Renée gave him in the Kate books. My real gripe is with Suzanne Elise Freeman, who narrates the first book in spin-off/continuiation of Kate’s world. Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder, #1, Kate Daniels 10.5), and those who edited/produced the audio book. The narrator made everyone sound Southern. EVERYONE. She misprounced (BIG TIME) the names of two major characters. I don’t know if she just decided to take this book totally off the rails of her own accord, if she decided not to listen to previous books in the series, or what. Barabas is procounced BAH-rah-bus. It is NOT pronounced Bar-BAH-rus. He plays a fairly large role in this book. Saimin is SAY-mon NOT Simon. Mahon is MAY-han NOT Main. Really!?!?! Hugh sounds like a good ol’ Kenucky boy, Roland and Ara sound like normal people, not near-immortals who built Babylon and the Tower of Babel. I will give the narrator this, she did a very good job with Julie/Aurelia and Derek. I find the discrepancies discouraging and wonder if the authors had ANY input into the finished versions. Dear Publishers, pay frickin’ attention! And not, I’m not the only fan who’s ranted about this. I can only hope if/when the next book comes out that steps have been taken. These are NYT best-selling authors. There is no reason to wreck their words in the audio version. 😡

Okay. Moving on. See, I’m ranting about books because I don’t want to talk about how disgusted I am with the world. I will mention that next up on my to-listen list is Shelly Laurenston’s BREAKING BADGER. The honey badgers return and I’m hoping it makes me laugh as much as the previous books did.

Let’s see… Nope. Empty brain. Nothing else of import to report. Oh, it did rain Saturday night, the dew point is lower so the humidity is down which means the high 80s of the next few days don’t feel like the high 90s. Okay. Now I’m done. How was your weekend? Are you celebrating the holiday? Any plans for the upcoming week? Have a good one!

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Friday Sinema: Hi Ho, Silver!

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Silver James

Okay. I couldn’t resist. And I almost forgot that today is Friday and I need a video to post. So here. Have some rather zany silliness and enjoy. Happy Labor Day Weekend.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Winks

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Silver James

So. Y’all know that I have a really weird writing process. I call myself a Puzzler (as opposed to a Plotter and/or a Pantser). I work a jigsaw puzzle by putting all the straight-edged pieces togethr to form the  framework. Then I fit other pieces together into “block” and figure out where they belong within the framework. I write the same way. I have my world, my main characters, and a semblance of a plot–or at least a trope that is the base for the story. Then I write scenes as inspiration or prompts hit me. Yes, I also start at the beginning and write chapter by chapter too, but I always have dangling scenes hanging out there and most of them find a place within the story. My brain knows what it is doing, even if I’m pretty much clueless. This popped up from the Universe awhile back and it fits…

Sometimes, Silver, when a tiny series of the most unpredictable events occur that otherwise make no sense at all… it’s just my way of winking and hinting that something big is about to happen.

Hibiscus,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Sh-h-h-h-h… Silver.

So that’s how it works. Unpredictable events occur at random, my Muse (or perhaps the Universe) winks and wham! Something big happens. Like a book coming together into a whole story. I don’t know why I fight it. It always works out in its own sweet time. So, I’m writing random stuff, waiting for a wink. Shhh. Don’t tell. 😉 What about y’all? What are you waiting for?

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