Monday Yawns

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Silver James

The world keeps turning and Monday keeps showing up on the calendar. Amazing how that works, yeah? So, it’s Monday once more and life goes on. A new week. A new chance to move ahead. After enough coffee, yeah?

Coffee. We’ve had some good stuff lately, from Black Rifle Coffee Company. Veteran-owned, veteran supporting. Good stuffs all around.

Words. I got a few written last week, though most writing stuffs had to do with reading, catching up, reorganizing, and figuring out WTH had I been thinking?!? 😆 Turns out there was some magic mixed in with the hot mess. So, Penumbra Papers #5 is my current WIP. A human FBI agent, a vampire, and a dragon walk into a bar… I have every intention of getting down to real work this week, now that the characters and story have decided to straighten up and fly right.

Only and Baseball Boy celebrated their 10th Anniversary over the weekend by staying at their favorite B&B in the area. I picked up Stormy after school on Friday and he spent the weekend with us. Friday night was a Shaun the Sheep marathon. Don’t ask. What has been seen cannot be unseen. Saturday, pancakes at the American Legion Post, postponed from the first weekend due to record snow. Good stuffs. Yay for Expedition Unknown because Josh Gates saved us from the sheep. Stormy and I read at various times. Okay, he read, I listened. He’s half-way through 1st grade and reading like a true bibliophile! Yay! He and his Big Daddy (Lawyer Guy) also built some Marvel superhero model trucks. His parents arrived before noon yesterday. There was a nap in my future.

As most of you know, I was/am a big fan of The Masked Singer. There’s a companion show out now, The Masked Dancer. Yeah…not sure about it yet, except I did get one dancer right and I’m pretty sure I know who a second is. That said, it just doesn’t have the same energy as the original concept. Ah well. That’s about the only new TV stuffs beyond Stormy shows.

I went on a book listening binge last week. I discovered that the first 6 original books in a once-loved series are now available in audio, and I could get them from Hoopla, which I get for free from my local library. The series? The Executioner. The author? Don Pendleton. The protagonist? Mack Bolan. Viet Nam hero, Army sniper, slayer of Mafia dragons. I loved this series hard long ago and far away, and I’m enough of a throw-back to still love them. There was a little weirdness–like stopping at gas stations for pay phones. 🙄 No cell phones back in those days. Anyway, the books are lushly sparse in their narrative, vivid and gritty, and Mr. Pendleton knew how to write extremely excellent pulp fiction. Okay. I’ll stop gushing. This books fit very few people’s tastes in this day and age. Totally not PC, and hey, I. Don’t. Care.

Moving on and  looking back, last week and weekend was mostly…not much. It happens. And yes, I am ignoring the news then and now. So, looking foward, new words on #5, which sort of has a working title of LEATHER AND LACE, and will change in all likelihood because the book it’s turning into is not the book it started out. Which is good. Trust me! 😆

So, that’s it in my world. How’s your world?

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Friday Sinema: The Eyes Have It

Posted on January 8, 2021 by Silver James

There’s a story here. Maybe I’ll tell it one of these days. In the meantime, just enjoy the music, lyrics, and awesome video. Happy Friday. And Happy 10th to Only and Baseball Boy! ❤ ❤ ❤

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal No Regrets

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Silver James

So, stuff happened Tuesday and Wednesday out in the world. Some people are celebrating, some aren’t. It’s pretty crazy, no matter which side you’re on. Me? I’m thinking folks need to be careful what they wish for. Things may not turn out like they expect. Even as I’m thinking these thoughts, the Universe, in all Its infinite wisdom, shows up with this message:

There’s nothing worth regret, Silver.

Absolutely nothing, ever.

Same for fear, worry, and anger.

Let ’em go, rise above, get down, move on –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

They’re normal, Silver, but they’re not worthy of you.

So, I need to just let it go, rise above, get down and move on. Life is what it is and will be what it will be. I’m one person. Not anything I say or do will make one whit of difference in the general scope of thing. But I can look after my little corner of the world. I can take care of family and friends. I can offer support and cheer them on in their endeavors. I can provide a place to hide away from the world in the storys I tell. So, no regrets. Moving on. Time will tell…

What time is it in your world?

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Wednesday Words: Royal Flush

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Silver James

How can it be Hump Day already? The good news is, new year, new week, new #1lineWed prompt and new words! I still haven’t settled on a current WIP but this morning, as I was pouring my first cup of coffee at oh-dark hundred, the first sentence came to me. I immediately stumbled into my office and managed to whip out some words while madly sipping my first cup. Here’s the result. FYI, first draft, I have no idea where it fits in the current story, and I’d mentioned Monday that I’d write when inspiration struck. Yay for magic coffee beans!
****
“The only magic that works on me is right here in this cup of coffee. Disturbing me while I’m drinking it is very risky business.”

The goblin eyed her warily. The magick seated beside him snorted his disdain. The vampire leaned against hostess stand and wondered what Sade would do next. The dragon sidled up to Sinjen.

“Aren’t you going to do something?’

The rivals stared at each other then a slow smile crept across Sinjen’s face—one that even reached his eyes. “You’ll learn.”

At that seeming taunt, Nikos headed for Sade’s table. He loomed up beside her, radiating menace. The two Magicks sneered, wrongly believing the weak human needed rescuing.

With a graceful wave of her hand, Sade jammed her Sig Sauer into the dragon;s balls. “I’m not a damsel in distress.”

Nikos didn’t move, though he did gulp once, soundlessly.

Sinjen remained impassive. He’d learned long ago that Sade was always good for a show.

Sade leveled her gaze on the two men sitting at her table. “It’s early,” she explained. “I came in for a cup of coffee. That’s all. And then you pea brains decide to get all up in my face. As a trained investigator, this makes me wonder what you’ve been up to.”

The first gulped in imitation of the dragon. The second leaned against the back of his chair with a superior air. Fucking fae, Sade thought.

“Do you even know who I am?”

The fae continued to sneer. “A human too stupid to live?”

The goblin tugged on his boss’s sleeve. “Enmoore?”

The fae shrugged him off. “The operative words in that sentence are stupid, human, and live.”

The dragon moved, then flinched as Sade snapped off her pistol’s safety off. Sade settled a sunny smile on the pompous creature. “My name is Sade Marquis.”

Her statement dropped into absolute silence. Then chairs scraped on the floor and people stood, heading for the exit.

“Enmoore!” the goblin hissed, his voice filled with urgency and panic.

“Am I to quake in my boots at your name?”

Enmoore wasn’t the brightest Magick she’d come across in this case. Sade set down her cup and in a conversational tone, said, “All I wanted was a cup of coffee. No conversation. No hassle. No magical idiots to ruin my morning. Yet here you are. I had my patience tested and the test came back negative. Let me explain the facts of life…Enmoore, is it?”

The fae sputtered when she said his name like he was a commoner. “Now you listen—”

Before his next word, she’d leaned across the table, gripped his throat in a choke hold and placed the barrel of her Sig against his temple. “No,” she said softly. “You listen. I’ll reintroduce myself. Special Agent in Charge, FBI MAGIC unit.”

The little goblin flinched. The fae remained frozen. Iron was poison and not even High King Oberon himself could withstand a bullet to the brain. Sade could see the wheels turning in the fae’s head and knew the moment he connected the dots.

“The Child of Mortals,” he whispered. His eyes sparked with fear and magic swirled around him.

Yeah, this guy was so far from Fae royalty that his magic barely registered. The fact that his only minion was a goblin had been Sade’s first clue. Still, she hoped he’d point her in the right direction. She eased her weapon away and settled back into her own chair. She opened her mouth to ask her first question when a small red spot appeared on the fae’s forehead.

Nikos reacted first and took Sade to the floor, covering her with his body. Tumbling out of her chair, she just managed to catch the look of surprise on the fae’s face as a large hole appeared where the dot had been before the fae disappeared from her sight. She shoved at the heavy body pinning her down.

“Gawdammitalltohell, you fucking dragon. Get off me! You have now royally fucked up my case.”
****
And there it is. Have I mentioned that coffee truly IS magic? Just ask Iffy. 😉 Writers, any royal words to share? Writers and readers, what’s magic in your life these days?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Layered Meatball Bake

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Silver James

I’m always on the look-out for easy dinners–fast to make, fast to cook, and with stuff I usually have on hand. Even if I didn’t, I’d add the ingredients to my shopping list. You get all your basic food groups in one helping. What’s better than that?

Total Time: 35 Min.
Prep Time: 10 Min.
Cook Time: 25 Min.
6 servings

Meatballs and peas bake in a casserole topped with savory stuffing and melted cheddar. It’s exactly as crowd-pleasing as it sounds.

What You Need
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen fully cooked meatballs
2 cups frozen peas
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 400ºF.
2 – Prepare stuffing as directed on package, using the Light Prep directions.
3 – Mix soup and milk and pour in 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Stir in meatballs and peas; top with cheese and stuffing.
4 – Bake 20 to 25 min. or until heated through.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Make Ahead: Prepare and bake casserole as directed; cool completely. Wrap tightly; freeze up to 1 month. When ready to serve, thaw frozen casserole overnight in refrigerator, then bake (covered) 25 min. or until heated through.

Tip 2 – Variation: Prepare as directed, omitting the milk, using Italian-flavored meatballs, and substituting 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes for the soup and KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese for the cheddar.

Tip 3 – Substitute: Prepare using STOVE TOP Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken.

My Food and Family has all the nutritional details. Just click and go. I’m not the only one who likes easy one-dish dinners. Katherine “Kit” Carson is a firefighter. She’s used to firefighter appetites and cooking on the fly. She loves this recipe and her Wolf mate, DHS investigator Derek Alexander, whole-heartedly agrees that there’s no way this meal will crash and burn. 😉 Derek has a tendancy to pop up in odd places. He’s made several cameos in the Moonstruck and Nightrider series. You can read his and Kit’s story–it’s a doozy–in CRASH & BURN. Just click the title or the cover to head on over to grab your copy, or read free with Kindle Unlimited. What about y’all? Are you a meatball fan?

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First Monday, New Year, Oh My…

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Silver James

Well, it’s Day Four of 2021. Don’t see much change in the world yet. There are 361 days left for that. Keeping my fingers crossed.

There was a week and a weekend to finish out the old and start the new. I basically took off last week and vegged out. I probably shouldn’t have because now I must jump-start my gumption to get back to work. 2021 got the first laugh when we woke up to record-setting snow on January 1. It was pretty and serene and we didn’t have to be anywhere so we could just admire it out the windows. It did cancel Saturday’s plans due to melting snow freezing overnight on the streets and roadways. All plans are moved to the second Saturday, which is fine. I listened to books, I watched some college football (not much because I forgot the bowl games were on but my OSU Cowboys and the OU Sooners both won so big YAY!), I made slow-cooker rump roast au jus for New Year’s Day eating. Yummers!

So now it’s a new week and a new year. I don’t do resolutions. As a rule. This year, my stated resolution is: Write more and read more. I plan to keep it. I also have some plans. Or goals. Call it what you wish. Will I succeed with all of them? Who knows? But by writing them down, I have something of a road map and it settles them in my head. So…here we go.

Marketing: I totally suck at this. Selling “myself” is hard for me and I dislike social media. That said, I hope to revise my newsletter (though I don’t plan on flooding inboxes with it!) and putting something out maybe once a month. Of course, that means having news to report that often. 🙄 I need to Instagram more–both posting and responding. And MeWe. Facebook? Well, I do stay current with my author page but I’m not real good about checking news feeds because I find a lot to depress me there. Twitter is the bane of my existence and the trolls over there give me nightmares. Still…I have to maintain some presence there. Anyway, I’m shooting for more “interaction.” We’ll see.

Writing: Soooo many ideas. So little motivation. Ha! Gotta get over that for sure!!! Here’s what I’m planning, and in no particular order of execution:

Red Dirt Royalty: At least Dillon’s book, and maybe one of the remaining brothers: Boone or Bridger. Hunter’s book is the last in the series.

Nightriders: Not sure who will be next but at least one of the brothers, and/or maybe a one-volume anthology of shorter novellas covering several brothers and events in other books that need their threads snipped off.

Moonstruck Wolves: I’m leaning toward this project first–a duology starring my two Cajun Cop Wolves. The stories will be intertwined so I want them both written and then released within a short time of each other.

Penumbra Papers: I really gotta look at the hot mess that is a Sade/Sinjen/Nikos book. It’s…bad! But there’s a germ of a story there, in the 20-or-so thousand words already written, that I want to salvage. Maybe on my off days when everyone else is pouting.

Moonstruck Genesis: Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal are out there. Time for Retribution. That means rereading and plotting new material in the middle.

Hard Target: I haven’t forgotten them. They’re just all lying low and have been for ages. Hopefully, one of them will pipe up this year.

Moonstruck Mafia: That project is still hanging around too. I can’t decide how to execute it. Each of the three “packs” have stories, but not all of them are “big” enough for a full book for that individual Wolf. I’m still leaning toward the serial format. I’m a long way from this one, but it’s still on the stove.

Other authors’ worlds: I’d really like to write another book in Elle James’s Brotherhood Protector world. I have a Crow cop character that might work, and I might do something in Susan Stoker’s world. Just depends.

Other projects: I have what I think is a standalone romantic suspence/thriller. I have the protagonist and one scene, working title THE WIDOW. I also have another set of characters who aren’t fully formed yet, though he might be a Wolf. He’s a hit man, she gets in his path.

Anyway, those are the stuffs hanging out there. Will I realistically accomplish all of this? No way. But I do plan on treating at least every other month like it’s NaNoWriMo. 50K words as a goal. Doable. So maybe six projects. We’ll see what happens.

I also need to get more active. Jake loves to walk so I’m going to make time to get out of my chair and stroll with him around the neighborhood. Right now, my exercise consists of zooming through Walmart on grocery days and walking from my office to the bathroom because I drink that much coffee. I gotta get better about getting out and about. I used to do all sorts of stuff athletic-wise. Now, I couldn’t pass a cop’s field sobriety test completely sober! I can claim bad knees, but still! Gotta work on that. Lazy is as lazy does.

Well, all righty then. I think that’s enough for today, class. I have an outline. I have good intentions. Now, to follow through on them. What about y’all? What’s the one thing you really want to accomplish in 2021?

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Friday Sinema: New Year Cool

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Silver James

Happy 2021! I’ve decided that “cool” is the way to go this year so I’m celebrating with this cool song by the cool Jonas Brothers. It’s bright and colorful, uplifting and…cool. It’s my new theme song. Cheers!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Souls

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Silver James

This is it. The last day of 2020. This time of year, lots of people are looking back, doing retrospects, remembering past events. Me? I can’t say I’m sorry to see the old year fade away. I’d like to look forward to 2021 but I’m not sure it’s going to be any better. I’m something of a cockeyed optimist for the most part but I’m not quite sure we’ve hit bottom yet. Something I learned from being an Army wife: Hope for the best but prepare for the worst. I’m always prepared. At the same time, this message from the Universe spoke to the optimist in me. And it’s true.

Young souls, Silver, play hard to get.

Mature souls, play hard.

But old souls, just play…

La, la, la –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Old as in wisdom, Silver, not crunchy old.

But I’m “crunchy” old. 🤣 You should hear the snap, crackle and pops when I crawl out of bed in the morning. Still, I like to think that as an old soul I’ve gained some wisdom along the way and one bit of wisdom I try to remember is this: Smile often, laugh whenever you can, and tell your family and friends that you love them. Bottom line, I love you guys! Thanks for being in my life. Have a safe and sane celebration and I’ll see you next year. Psst I just love that gag! *gigglesnort* I’m going to play today. What about you?

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Wednesday Words: 20/20 Hindsight

Posted on December 30, 2020 by Silver James

Sometimes, an idea arrives out of the blue and if I’m lucky, Iffy takes it and runs. This is 2020 and with year-end looming, folks are looking back. It makes sense that the last #1lineWed prompt for this year would be **HINDSIGHT**. I made a mental note Monday to check my WIPs for something that would fit. Then, as I turned out the lights and settled in for late-night TV and snoozing, a line hit me. I was smart enough to get up, turn on the light, and write it down. The first line of today’s snippet is what I wrote. Yesterday, I typed it out and then, after a few minutes, I started typing. This is what came out. I don’t know who she is. I don’t know who he is. But they have a story and eventually, they’ll introduce themselves to me and I’ll tell it. Let’s hope it’s sooner than later. 😉
****
Looking back, I should have seen what was coming. You know what they say about 20/20 hindsight, right? Yeah, I thought I did too. That’s before I was blindsided. I sipped from the glass of ice water the waitress set in front of me when I first sat down. How could I have been so wrong? How could I have been so stupid?

I wasn’t naive. I’d dated at lot. And my job demanded focus, attention to detail, and a certain amount of ambition. I was good at my job. Or had been. It wasn’t my job anymore. Glancing at my watch, I calculated the time. I’d been fired exactly three hours, twenty-two minutes and thirteen seconds ago. And the man I’d been sleeping with, the man I was in love with and who I thought loved me had engineered the whole debacle. He’d gotten a promotion while security showed me to the door.

“Can I get you a drink, hon?”

I glanced up at the waitress. She rocked back on her heels, turned and headed to the bar. I took another sip of the water. I felt lopsided, the weight in my right pocket dragging me off kilter. Moments later, a shot glass landed on the table with a loud thud, along with a bottle, a salt shaker, and a plate of lime wedges.

“On the house.” The voice was dark and deep and compelled me to raise my head. I couldn’t breathe until he ordered me to do so. “Take a breath, babe.”

He pulled out a chair, sat, and poured tequila into the shot glass. My hand reached out of its own accord, and before I knew what I was doing, I’d tossed it down. I coughed after swallowing, choking, my eyes watering. The man offered me the salt shaker and the limes. I ignored them as I kept coughing. He poured another shot.

“That’s not going to help,” I finally managed to say, as I reached for the ice water. I managed to drink about half the glass though it didn’t do much to quench the burn in my throat.

“Bad day?” the man asked.

“You could say that,” I mumbled, refusing to meet his gaze. I wondered what he’d see in my eyes, if he would know what I planned. When I continued to ignore the shot, he reached for it and knocked it back, swallowing it down like it was water.

Neither of us spoke for almost an hour. He was patient. I was…numb. I finally pushed back from the table and fumbled in my purse for my wallet. The waitress had been kind and I’d occupied a table on a busy night. I pulled out a twenty for a tip and left it on the table. Without speaking, I headed toward the exit. I made it about four steps before I slammed into something hot and hard. Before I could react, he’d removed the pistol from my jacket pocket and shoved it into his belt.

“That’s not the way, babe,” he murmured.

I glowered up at him. “Give it back.”

“Not happenin’.”

“Then I’ll find another way to kill him.”

The man smiled at me. “Good to know.”
****
And there it is, the last prompt of 2020. What about you writers? Have any to share in hindsight? And readers, hard question–looking back at 2020, what would you do different? Here’s hoping for a much better 2021!

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Mini Loaded Tater Tots Appetizers

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Silver James

Looking for something to snack on while celebrating New Year’s Eve virtually? These little yummers are easy-peasy and yeah…yummy! 😉

Total time: 40 Min.
Prep time: 15 Min.
Cook time: 25 Min.
Start the party with a tasty TATER TOTS recipe that yields Mini Loaded TATER TOTS® Appetizers! Prep time for this TATER TOTS recipe is just 15 minutes.

What You Need
48 (about 1/2 of 32-oz. pkg.) ORE-IDA TATER TOTS
3/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 green onions, sliced

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 450ºF.
2 – Place 2 TATER TOTS in each of 24 mini muffin pan cups sprayed with cooking spray; place on bottom oven rack. Bake 10 min.
3 – Spray bottom of shot glass with cooking spray. Use (in twisting motion) to press TATER TOTS in each muffin cup to make potato cup. Return to oven; bake additional 15 min. or until deep golden brown.
4 – Add cheese to potato cups; bake 1 min. or until melted. Transfer to platter; fill with remaining ingredients.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Spoon sour cream into small resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag. Use to pipe sour cream into potato cups before topping with bacon and green onions.

Tip 2 – Note: If you don’t have a shot glass, you can instead use the back of a large metal spoon to press the partially baked TATER TOTS in muffin pan to form potato cups.

Y’all know the routine–get all the details over on My Food and Family by just CLICKING HERE. Warning, these are so good, you’ll probably want to double (or triple!) the recipe! Since my free Christmas story was set up in Montana with that chapter of the Nightriders, I thought I’d check in with the characters in MONTANA MOON, where some of the Montana Wolves were first introduced. Lauren isn’t much of a cook but she saw the video that’s on this recipe’s page and decided she could make it. It’s a favorite with her Wolf, Tait “Shooter” McCord. Lauren even got brave enough to make a HUGE batch for the big party they were invited to at the Nightriders compound. And yes, she definitely “pipes” the sour cream. Luckily, Tait had a shot glass at the cabin. If he hadn’t, Lauren would have gone to the nearest bar to beg, borrow, or steal one. MONTANA MOON is free to read on Kindle Unlimited or $3.99 to buy for your keeper shelf. All you have to do is click on the cover or the title to zip on over to Amazon.

Who has New Year’s Eve plans? 🙋🏼‍♀️ (Mine includes curling up under the covers and listening to a book until I have to save the fuzzy children from the fireworks noise.) Who’s ready for 2020 to end? 🙋🏼‍♀️

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