Tuesday Tidbits: Oops

Posted on May 26, 2026 by Silver James

So. Have you ever thought you did something only to discover later that you hadn’t? In the midst of stuff yesterday, I sat down several times to write a post for today. Then I would get distracted. A lot. And often. I knew I wasn’t going to do a recipe for today. My brain just wouldn’t go there. In the meantime, I did start posts for tomorrow and Thusrday. Which reminds me, I need to finish them as both are in draft mode. *makes mental note*

Moving on.

It’s Tuesday. Therefore, there must be tacos. Right?

WordPress has phased out its “classic block.” This makes me sad. I’m not a big fan of their “regular blocks” when it comes to certain posts–like Wedneday Words and Thursday Thoughts. I’m having to use the preformatted block now for the snippets and I don’t like the way it looks. Oh well.

WP has also started giving out “acheivement awards.” I’ve won two–for using the same title twice and then for having a palindromic word count, like 12321. I have no idea which post so no idea what the word count was. Anyway…

I need more coffee. It’s 8:00 and the dogs want out, the squirrel is on the windowsill wanting his sunflower seeds and the crows are waiting for their leftover dog kibble. Later, gators.

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Memorial Monday

Posted on May 25, 2026 by Silver James

Today is Memorial Day. Here in the USofA, it’s the unofficial start to summer. Schools are mostly out, graduations done, weather warms up, pools open. There are BBQs and family events. Big sales. Mattresses. Why do mattresses go on sale for Memorial Day? 🤔I’ve never understood that. Anyway, whilst in the middle of doing whatever you’re doing, take a moment to remember the real reason for today–to honor all the men and women who died in service to this country so that the rest of us have free speech, freedom to choose our religion, and all the other wonderful things that go with living in the USA.

There was lots of softball and baseball this past weekend. Sadly, my Cowgirls–and the Sooners–will be staying home. They were both beaten in the Super Regional rounds. 😟Just not our year. Hoever, Texas Tech did move on to the WCWS so I’ll be rooting for them! Go Big 12! The Cowboys were knocked out of the Big 12 Baseball Champtionship and truthfully, I haven’t yet looked to see where they are in the NCAA bracket. I suppose I should do that.

In book news, I’ve embarked on a marathon relisten to Ilona Andrews’ Innkeeper Chronicles series–the Graphic Audio full-cast versions. These are fun books. There are werewolves and vampires but not the usual kinds. There are sentient inns that cater to very special guests that visit from around the galaxy. The Innkeepers are…part magic, part physicists, part psychologists? Anyway, highl entertaining if you haven’t read or listented to them.

In writing news, I started off last week with great intentions and made some real headway. Then…life happened and I sort of drifted off track. I got back on briefly yesterday so there’s hope.

What got me off track was an emergency trip to the vet’s. LG discovered a weird growth on Jake’s tail. Luckily, our vet had a cancellation so we could get him right in. The thing is about the size of a ping pong ball, is hard-ish, and oozes plasma tingled with blood. He’s scheduled for surgery on June 1st, which was her first available. He doesn’t seem to be in bad pain and doesn’t chew at it. Sadly, if there’s not enough skin to close, she may have to amputate part of his tail. Even though he’s old, his blood work came back indicating he should be okay to go under anesthetic. Luckily, I have a credit card with enough room to put the surgery on it. Prayers and good thoughts for him are most welcome.

Not much else is going on. The weather has returned to mostly normal ranges. We’ve had some rain and a chance for more mid-week. Mother Nature is so confused my honeysuckle bush has put out a second round of blooms. And, we’ve had a mallard duck pair hanging around. Clutch season should be way past but who knows? I’m putting out extra bird seed for them. I should probably put out some water too. *adds a shallow pan to grocery list* They are fun to watch when they show up and honeysuckle is one of my favorite scents so win/win.

One final thought for today. I try not to get political here but I’m going to leave y’all with this thought: If you AREN’T proud to be an American, if you think this country sucks, then pack up your stuff and move to a country you like better. Don’t try to change this country because guess what… We enjoy our freedoms and we’re willing to make the sacrifices necessary to keep them. Have a safe and sane holiday.

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Friday Sinema: Just Beat It

Posted on May 22, 2026 by Silver James

It’s Super Regionals! And I do love me some softball. Today’s video is short but powerful. And yeah, I’ve seen Only make some of those moves from behind the plate. I’ll be watching both the NCAA Softball and the Big 12 Baseball Championships this weekend. Sounds like a plan to me. What’s on your agenda? And yeah, the dude who put this video together is a doofus with no clue that while women have, can, and do play baseball, this is College SOFTBALL at some of it’s finest! 🥎🔥🥎

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Thursday Thoughts: Unexpectations

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Silver James

I read a lot of books. Usually. I have to admit that I’m in a bit of a slump at the moment but that’s neither here nor there. Most of my books contain some form of mystery or suspense because that’s what I like to read. I also like the paranormal so I combine the two. But I’m not talking about my books at the moment. I’m talking about books I’ve read, the ones that have mystery or suspense or some form of surpise. I love it when I suddenly stop in the middle of listening (now–used to when reading), and think, I didn’t see that coming! Sadly, I’m often right on top of any twists or turns an author might present. That’s me. Lots of people are always surprised. The Universe popped in with this message:

When suddenly the unexpected happens, Silver, it’s always me…

Just getting everything ready for the time of your life.

Love you, mean it –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Either that, Silver, or I lost my balance doing cartwheels behind the curtains of time and space.

So here’s my advice to writers today: Give your readers the unexpected! Surprise them. Make them think. Do a few cartwheels. And readers, find a book you can fall into and have the time of your life reading it.

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Wednesday Words: Love Sucks

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Silver James

Hello Wednesday readers. Who had tacos yesterday? We had tamales. MmmMmm good. So, I have words. The good news is, I won last week’s Thursday Threads. The bad news is, I have absolutely no clue where this snippet fits–if it fitss at all–in Ariel’s book. So, for now, just treat this as a bonus snippet that will appear in a book sooner or later. The prompt is: *“Love sucks when you get old and tired.”* Last week’s judge was the the blog host’s old child, who I think is graduating from high school this spring. Anyway, this is what she had to say: This story really resonated with me. I could identify with her exhaustion and downtroddenment. The last line hit me the hardest. Excellent job. Hope you enjoy the scene.

****
Sade ran her finger round the rim of her beer mug. Without looking up, she announced without preamble, “Love sucks when you get old and tired.”

The fae sitting across the table from her rolled his eyes dramatically. “You aren’t old.”

“I feel old, Ariel.” Sade waved a negligent hand. “Probably comes from hanging around all you ancients.”

Caleb flashed her a mock snarl. “Speak for yourself. I’m only a year older than you.”

“And you’ll live well into your hundreds.” She sighed and met his gaze. “Doesn’t it bother you? Adele is human and you’ll outlive her by decades.”

The werewolf cut his eyes toward the vampire sitting next to Sade. Sinjen remained silent.  He focused back on Sade. “When did you get all maudlin, Debbie Downer?”

She inhaled deeply and slowly blew out her breath. “I’m tired, Caleb. Tired of all the BS. Tired of all the crap I wade through. That we wade through. I’m tired of the bad guys winning.”

Sinjen covered her hand with his. She tried to pull away but he tightened his grip. “Evil doesn’t always win, Lady Sade. This is especially true when you are on the job.”

“Somebody needs a vaca—” Ariel cut off his gibe when Caleb kicked him in the shin under the table.

Pushing her chair back, Sade stood, staring at Sinjen until he 
released her hand. She left without another word.

“You need to fix it, Sinjen,” Caleb said.

“She doesn’t need fixing, she needs to be loved.”
****

There you go, folks. Writers, do your thing. Readers, do you know the feeling? Not so much about love, but about feeling old and tired. Yeah, me, too. Who wants an afternoon nap? 🙋🏼‍♀️

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Chicken Stuffed Crescent Moons

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Silver James

I hope everyone survived Monday. It was an okay day for me. I didn’t get as much done as I’d hoped, but any progress is a good thing. Whenever I’m working to get deep into a book, I’m always on the lookout for easy dinners. I mean, fast food is fine once in awhile but we can go broke and get fat living on pizza and burgers. Now don’t get me wrong, this dish isn’t exactly lo-cal but it is rich, tasty, and satisfying.

Easy Chicken Stuffed Crescent Roll-Ups
Yield: 8  rolls
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Bake time: 16 Minutes
Total time: 26 min

Ingredients
1 tube crescent rolls
2 cup shredded chicken pre-cooked
8 oz cream cheese softened*
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried dill
For topping:
2 tbsp butter melted
fresh parsley chopped

Instructions
1 - Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2 - In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, and spices. Stir well to combine.
3 - Add chicken to the cream cheese mixture. Stir well.
4 - Unroll the crescent roll dough and add a large spoonful of the chicken mixture to the wide end of each crescent roll. Roll up the crescent dough and fold in the sides of the individual triangles.
5 - Arrange the crescent roll-ups on the casserole dish you set aside earlier.
6 - Brush the top of the crescent roll-ups with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
7 - Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Tips
1 - I used whipped cream cheese—about 3/4 cup. It made mixing very easy (I could use my hand mixer on low).
2 - If you use regular cream cheese, beat it until it is soft before added the other ingredients.

Geneva Pruitt is a woman who enjoys her food and as such, all her corporate colleagues leaned on here whenever there was a company pot luck or a ladies luncheon. After meeting outlaw biker Jack “Wizard” Dimond, the demands on her time shifted, though the other mates always look forward to whatever she brings to their get-togethers. She’ll tell you that two “moons” are a perfect helping size. That said, when she fixes this for dinnre, she gets two and Wiz scarfs down the other six. Hey, he’s just a growing Wolf, right? If you’re interesting in finding out more about how Gen and Wiz came to be, their story is told in NIGHT WISH. Just click on one of the pics or the title to zip over to Books2Read to find a copy from your favorite on-line book seller. Psst. Their meeting is one of my favorites and there is sooo much PINK! Also, theirs is not an easy journey to an HEA. Yeah, this one has ALL the feels!

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Mundane Monday

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Silver James

Once again, I was asleep at the wheel. I thought I’d set this to live at 6:00 AM. Nope. I didn’t click on the AM so it wasn’t going go out until evening. *headdesk* ANyway, better late than never, right? And yes, it HAS been a Monday. 😮‍💨

So, we’ve arrived at a new week. It’s Monday. It’s just past mid-May but it feels way more like mid-summer! Yes, the AC in running. With luck, I can turn it off tonight for a few days. The front coming in is supposed to bring temps in the 60s and70s instead of the 80s and 90s. Of course, it brings the chance of severe weather with it. Oh joy.

Speaking of the weather, it was HOT this weekend. Stormy did have his last soccer game of the season on Sunday. His eam one 2-0. Yay! Now the boys are practicing for league team tryouts coming up in early June. The league is switching the way they “line up” the teams. Up until this next round, the kids were grouped according to the year they were born. Now they’re going to an age bracket: 13U, 14U, etc. and it’s based on when your birthday falls in the year. Stormy will be moving up becasue he’s born in the first half of the year. This also opens up possibilities for the really talented kids to play up to their skill level instead of just their age. Softball has always been that way, but in two-year increments: 12U, 14U, etc. She played one year of 12U then moved up to 14U, played one year, moved upt to 16U, played one year and then played the rest of her career at 18U/18Gold (starting at age 15) until she granduated high school and went to college.

I am happy to report there has been progress made on ARIEL’S DAMN BOOK! Not huge gains, but gains. I spent last week printing and sorting all the weird little scenes, snippets, partial chapters and notes. Then I sorted them, then sorted the sorted piles, using sticking notes so I could just quickly glance at a sheet and know where it might belong. Then I did something I normally don’t do. I went back to the beginning. I’m rereading and giving a first edit to all the completed chapters because lo and behold, ther’s stuff I need to add in to make thing make sense. So, I’m adding words, rearranging words, and cleaning stuff up as I go. Like I said, progress! Also, I’d been stuck in that “This is crap” stage that all writers go through. While I’m not back to that first blush of “Brillian idea, I can’t wait to write this!” stage, I am currently coasting along at the “You know what, this book isn’t half bad.” That’s an okay place to be.

Returning to the topic of sports, this is one of my favorite times of the year–the Road to the Women’s College World Series. Both OSU and OU hosted regionals. OSU won their bracket and will head north to Nebraska to take on the Huskers for a chance at the WCWS. OU also won their bracket and will host a Super Regional next week but at the time of typing this (Sunday evening) and their possible opponent is play on the West Coast so that game’s outcome will be determined later.

I’m still behind on my reading challenge by about 8 books. I decided to leave Larissa Ione’s Demonica World for a bit. Graphic Audio released Ilona Andrews’ DIAMOND FIRE in a multi-cast edition. It’s a “bridge” novella in their Hidden Legacy world. Three sisters, three interlocking stories of three books each. DF fills in between the first trilogy (Nevada) and the second (Catalina). I’ll be happy when Catalina’s three books get the GA treatment. I’d also love for the Andrews to write Arabella’s story. There are reasons they haven’t, though I only sort of get why. But, their world, their timetable and rules. I then picked up Tanya Huff’s SUMMON THE KEEPER. It’s a cozy and it’s cute and okay but…I may tuck it back and find something else. I wish my reader self would figure out what she wants! I miss having a story to get lost in while I’m doing stuff like cooking, driving, laundry…

Okay. I’ve likely bored y’all long enough. How’s your weather? Reading? Writing? Life?

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Friday Sinema: Sound of Silence

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Silver James

I’m a kid of the 60s and 70s. Three of my favorite songs were “Scarborough Fair,” “I Am a Rock,” and the iconic “The Sounds of Silence.” When I was writing Roman’s book for the Penumbra Papers, I came across Disturbed’s version and it became my new favorite–so much so that it’s tone helped shape the book, SOUND OF SILENCE. Well, I think I have a new favorite cover and yes, this version will appear in the soundtrack of ARIEL’S DAMN BOOK, no matter what the title is. I hope you enjoy it. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Bumps

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Silver James

Once again, the Universal has presented me with a message that applies not only to Real Life but also to writing. At least to me. A compelling story always contains conflict. There are two kinds: exteranl and internal. External occurs when other people and/or events (or other things) affect the character(s). Internal are those “demons” an individual deals with during their journey (character arc) from the start of the story to the end. In romance, this gets tricky because it is really easy to get lazy. Example: The Great Misunderstanding!™️(That could be immediately solved if the characters just talked to each other.) This one drives a lot of romance readers–me included–nuts. I’ve DNF’d a few books because I was tempted to through the book (or my Kindle) at the wall. As a writer, don’t get lazy. Do NOT succomb to the temptation. That’s not to say the characters can’t have a misunderstanding. That’s good and can lead to growth in a character’s arc. The problem comes when they hide their feelings and resentment for the entire book and this is the entire sum of the conflict.

Anyway, here’s what the Universe passed along:

Adversity, challenges, and bumps in the road, Silver, are often the first signs that a great healing has begun.

Thinking of you,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Especially when one seeks to understand them, Silver.

Think about the great stories and characters. Frodo comes to mind. Harry Potter. Eve Dallas (see I’m not always about the magical…). For a character to grow, they need to face adveristy, be challenged, and stumble over those bumps in the road. THAT’S their story. How they react, how they move forward, that’s the story. In a good story, a character starts out flawed at the beginning and due to all the stuff–bad and good–that happens, they come out healed at the end.

And, to be honest, all these things go into writing a good story. Authors, ammi right? *nodnodnods* We face adversity–finding time to write. Wrestling with characters and plots. Making up words that make sense. It’s a challenge to find a new story to tell or to tell an old story in a new way. And the bumps in the road to publication often leaves bruises. I won’t speak for other writers–though I suspect they mostly feel the same–when I finally type THE END and even knowing that I’m only half-way through the writing process, there’s a great sense of accomplishment. And relief. All the trials and tribulations suddenly become worth it. We get our HEA just like our characters. And I use HEA in a broader sense than the romance ending of “And they lived happily ever after.” Think about it. Every main character gets an HEA. The detective solves the mystery. The soldier wins the battle. The seeker finds the meaning of life.

So cheers to all of us–writers, readers, and characters. We’ll face what comes our way and come out better for it on the other side. Right? Right!

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Wednesday Words: Wishing and Hoping

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Silver James

Here we are at midweek once again. Truthfully, I have no idea where time is going. I mean, it was just the first of May and like two days later, it’s a mid-month Wednesday. Luckily, I do have some new words to share. I’m also pleased to announce that those words got me the Honorable Mention in last week’s Thursday Threads. The judge had this to say: I love the chemistry between these characters and the quiet introspection of Carla just being with Aisling. Bonus points for Carla being a witch. And the magic prompt for today is: *”Wish he was still here.”* Again, not quite certain where this fits exactly, but it’s more toward the beginning than the end.

****
Aisling followed Carla’s suit and plopped her sock-covered feet on the coffee table. She sipped the chocolaty liquid in the mug she held and sighed happily. “What did you call this again?”

“Loco cocoa.”

“Well, it tastes magical.”

Carla let out a gigglesnort. “I may be a witch, Aisling, but magic potions are not my forte. It’s the peppermint schnapps.”

“Ah, that explains the loco part.” Aisling sipped again. “I’m okay, you know.”

“I know.”

Aisling’s sips turned into gulps. Carla wisely headed to the kitchen and returned bearing a thermal carafe. She refilled the other woman’s cup.

“I really am,” Aisling insisted.

“I know.”

Aisling sighed, the sound unhappy now. “Still…”

“Yeah, still.”

“Wish he was still here.”

“First love is like that.”

Aisling bolted upright, her feet hitting the floor and the cocoa sloshing over her hand. She quickly licked the spill off her skin before confronting Carla. “I didn’t love him.”

“Uh huh.”

“Still don’t.”

“Uh huh.”

Settling back down on the overstuffed couch, Aisling placed her feet 
back on the coffee table, once more mimicking her friend’s posture. “Why did he leave?”

“Don’t know.” Carla sipped her own drink. “But I get the feeling he didn’t want to go.”

“Do you think he’ll come back?”

“Don’t know.” Carla lifted her shoulders in a negligent shrug.

“You don’t care.”

“I care about you, Aisling. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m not hurt.” A silvery tear trailed down Aisling’s cheek. “I’ll be okay.” She gulped more of her drink. “I am, after all, a librarian.”

“Of course, you will.” Carla held her mug up for a toast. “To librarians!”

Aisling clicked mugs. “Damn straight.”
****

I will note that Thursday Threads is only 250 words. Today’s entry got a bit of revision done on it before posting, so there are 278 words. Yeah, yeah, nit-picky. Anyway, Carla is turning out to be a bit more important than originally anticipated. She is also lobbying for her own book. Or at a novella. I have the feeling a couple of the characters are brewing up trouble behind my back. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed today’s snippet. Writers, take the prompt and wish it into your writing. Readers, what fictional character would you like to meet?

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