Thursday Thoughts: Universal Relationships

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Silver James

My current manscript is giving me fits. Just when I thought the characters had started to cooperate, the plot took on a life of its own. I shouldn’t be surprised. And I shouldn’t be frustrated. Writing a book–especially a romance novel–is akin to actually being in a relationship. There’s so much give and take, compromise, and down-right frustration when a writer sits at the computer keyboard and marshals all those errant ideas into some semblance of order. It totally is like herding cats. At the same time, there’s always too much room for self-doubt when the characters or the plot or the settings throw a monkey wrench into things. I came across this message from the Universe when searching through my files for today’s bit of musing.

In both relationships and life, Silver, trust begets trust.

Generosity begets generosity.

Love begets love.

Be the spark, especially when it’s dark.

Hubba, hubba –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Same for luxe and lack, Silver; sadness and joy; anger and kindness; Hershey’s and kisses. Especially when it’s dark.

I need to remember that there’s always a flip side–not just when plotting but when dealing with the heart and soul of the story. I need to trust that my Muse/imagination/subconscious knows what’s best. I need to be generous with the ideas–and sometimes the doubts–that pop up seemingly from out of the blue (because I know they are from deep in my subconscious and there’s a reason that stuff is messing with my head. Most of all, I need to remember why I love my characters and the story and keep writing through the frustration and the dark times. Finally, interestingly, there is a line in the WIP–well, it’s more of a note to self that is a line to be used because I haven’t technically built a scene around it. Anyway, the line is: Be the reason the lights flicker when you enter a room. Don’t ask me what it means or how I’ll use it, but I will. It’s one of those lines that lodge in my brain as I lie in the dark, when it’s coming on 4 a.m. and sleep is a phantom hope. So, I’m going to take that as I sign. I’m going to be the spark, especially in the dark. I’ll chase this story even in the dark. And somebody better have some Hersey’s kisses waiting for me when I type THE END. Just sayin’…

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Wednesday Words: Wearin’ o’the Green

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Silver James

Happy St. Paddy’s Day! It doesn’t matter if you’re green with envy or if the green-eyed monster has reared its ugly head. It’s not easy being green even if you have a green thumb. Is Green Day a favorite band? If the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Have you guessed the #1lineWed theme for today? I didn’t pick it but I’ll admit it’s fitting. So…today’s first draft snippet–which means ignore typos and rough usage–happens early in the story. Sade and Sinjen have been apart for awhile and he’s come to Washington DC on a something of a surprise trip, though he did alert her he was coming. He’s picking her up at FBI HQ.
****
Sade stared at the notes she’d made on this case. She’d made phone calls. She’d even emailed a few people. No one knew where Nikos was currently. Oddly, she was able to confirm that Stavros and Xan, the Drakon’s second and third, were at the royal residence outside of Athens. That was a puzzle. Other than the time Stavros had been banned, those two were glued to Nikos’s side. But no one could—or would—account for Nikos’s whereabouts.

Her phone buzzed and she picked it up. “Marquis.”

“Got a visitor down at security, Agent Marquis.”

“Thanks. Tell him I’ll be down in a few.”

She stretched and glanced at the time on her phone. 9:00 p.m. Sinjen had made good time. The flight from Chicago usually took close to two hours and he wouldn’t have been able to leave until sundown. Nervous, she shut down her office. This time, she took the elevator.

When the doors opened down in the lobby, the security guards pretended they weren’t a little intimidated by Mr. Tall, Dark and Fangy. The two males, anyway. The female? She was doing her level best to throw herself at Sinjen, all but forcing her neck to his mouth.

Sinjen, as usual, ignored the woman. His eyes were fixed on the elevator doors as they opened and Sade walked out. She always took his breath away, seeing her like this, striding with such confidence across a floor, coming to him. He remembered, as he always did, the first moment he’d seen her, in the subbasement of the Cook County Detention Facility in Chicago. That magnificent hair. Those bottle-green eyes. The beauty mark near her mouth that punctuated every movement of her lips.

She stopped in front of him. Tall enough her eyes were almost level with his. He breathed her in and watched her eyes soften as they searched his face. He never knew what she was looking for but always knew the moment she’d found it. Her mouth softened, her eyes took on a subtle emerald glow.

He didn’t touch. Didn’t kiss her. No matter how much he wanted to. Instead, he whispered, “Hello, Lady Sade.”
****
There it is. And yeah, I’m a little green with envy because Sinjen has always been one of my favorite heroes. There’s just something about him that gets me right in the feels. 😉 So, writers, have an green words to share? Readers, are you jealous of any characters in the books you read?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Irish Nachos

Posted on March 16, 2021 by Silver James
Need a quick appetizer or a side dish with some kick? Or maybe you’re looking for something different to serve on St. Patrick’s Day. Which is tomorrow. You have time to hit the grocery store and grab the ingredients for this yummy treat. Those of you into March Madness (I don’t do basketball but plenty of folks do), this makes for awesome munching during the games. They also are pretty tasty to eat while watching spring training baseball games. Because I DO do baseball. 😉
Total Time: 40 Min.
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 20 Min.
6 Servings
Try something new, and make these delicious Irish Nachos for your next family gathering. Taking only 20 minutes to prep and 10 minutes to cook, you will be living the life of Riley with these quick and easy Irish Nachos.
1 pkg. (22 oz.) ORE-IDA Waffle Fries
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
6 slices cooked OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crumbled
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup KRAFT Classic Ranch Dressing, divided
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Finely Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese
Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 450°F.
2 – Bake waffle fries as directed on package. Cool slightly.
3 – Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, bacon, onions and 2 Tbsp. dressing.
4 – Spread half the fries onto ovenproof plate; sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layers.
5 – Bake 2 to 4 min. or until cheese is melted.
6 – Top with tomato mixture; drizzle with remaining dressing.
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Top with 1 sliced jalapeño pepper before serving.
Tip 2 – Size Wise: Enjoy eating appetizers at a social occasion, but be mindful of portion size so you don’t overdo it on calories.
My Tip: I leave off the tomatoes–allergies. And I use canned or jarred jalapeños already sliced and “dribble” a couple of tablespoons over the top before putting it back in the oven for the cheese to melt.
To get all the nutritional details, click on over to MY FOOD AND FAMILY. A lot of my “guys” are of Irish/Celtic descent. Some of my gals too. In this case, I turned to Brody Buchanan, the hero of UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON, and his mate, former CIA assassin, Zeta Cordero. He cooks. She doesn’t. There are reasons. 😉 A Wolf and AWOL Delta Force operator, Brody was in Zeta’s crosshairs. If you haven’t already, you should check out their story. It’s an exciting one. Just click on the cover or the title to grab your copy of UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON.
So, who’s celebrating St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow? I’ll be wearin’ a bit o’green, but I won’t be drinking green beer or eating green eggs and ham. Or corned beef. Not a fan. Though, I might be adding a nip of Bailey’s Irish Cream to my coffee. Because…yum!
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Spring Into Monday

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Silver James

PleasepleasepleasePLEASE! Let this be the last time we either have to spring forward or fall back. I have another meme that says, “Daylight has been saved so many times it should have a DNR.” I’m totally on board for that. Let the practice die the death it deserves. I could gritch for paragraphs about why and how and stupid and should. I won’t bore you. Instead, notify your congressional delegation that you want a YES VOTE! It’s a bi-partisan bill in the Senate.

I may beat this darn WIP into submission yet! See, the book started out as a novella that was pretty cut and dried. And then all these scenes started popping up. The plot evolved. Characters balked. I’d about come to the conclusion that I needed to cut those scenes and save them for a rainy day when I needed a free read or a was more in the mood to expand them for that original novella. Except the last two nights, I’ve been awake at like 3 a.m., whicvh was 4 a.m. this morning. I ended up hitting the DVR and watching the premiere of The Masked Singer. One of the songs–and one I’m familiar with and really like–hit me between the eyes. See, The Penumbra Paper books all have a sound track. I don’t do that with my other series. But each book in the Penumbra series has a song for each chapter. Anyway, this song hit me and I jumped up to race to the computer to make note of it and where it needed to go in the timeline. That done, I went back to bed because…butt crack of dawn, d’uh. I got through TMS, the Snail was unmasked. Kermit the Frog. Who woulda guessed? Pretty funny stuff. Anyway, it was still really dark and way before dawn, despite what the clock said. So I lay there and thought about the WIP. I figured it out. Those scenes are back in, it works better to put off what was Chapter 13 until later, and it’s all good. I hope. Hey, LG wants to read it! Anyway, yesterday was a great writing day and I have hopes for today.

In other news, Stormy’s B-day party was Saturday. He had a Snapology party–meaning there were Legos and STEM type things to make with the Legos, led by two adults from Snapology. It was pretty cool. Then there were cupcakes. Yum. I think the kiddos all had fun. His official b-day is still a week away but Saturday was the convenient date.

As I’m technically writing this yesterday, I’m hoping for good feral news this morning. When I went out to feed yesterday (Sunday), all the cats were lined up on the bench and a small wood table on the porch. That should have told me something. Turns out Zeus, the Siberian Husky that magically appears in our backyard, was loose. This time, he had his pitbull buddy with him. They took off after the cats, who all scattered. I saw one later in the day. I hope they’ll come back. Stupid dogs. I’m really angry at the owners. Neither dog is neutered, their fence isn’t tall enough, and they are seldom home for us to call and say, “Come get your damn dogs!” 🤬 I love dogs but I’m responsible for mine.

My new keyboard arrived. I’m not used to it yet. It’s slightly smaller than the old one and my fingers end up in weird places. My left pinky finger is particularly fond of hitting the CAPS LOCK key. Frequently. Still, it’s nice to see the letters on the keys. That said, I need to figure out some sort of keyboard cover so those letters stay. My body chemistry eats the paint/printing off.

Reading/listening hit a blank spot. I finished the two new Chaos books by Kristen Ashley. I liked but didn’t love them. Nothing really jumped out at me from my To-Read list so I finally settled on an old Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz book, AFTER DARK (Ghost Hunters #1), a SciFi series set on the planet Harmony and tied in with JAK’s Arcane Society series. It’s been a couple of years so I’ll probably do a slow marathon of the whole series. In the meantime, a library hold dropped, THE ROGUE KING by Abigail Owen. Dragons, fated mates, and this one is a Phoenix so kinda cool but it hasn’t grabbed me and said, “LISTEN TO ME NOW! ALL THE TIME!” I’m also beta reading a friend’s new manuscript. Enjoying it so far.

In sports news, opening day is coming. The Cardinals are doing okay. OU and OSU are still ranked in the Top 10 in softball, OU #1 the last time I checked, and OSU Cowgirls at #5/#8 depending on the poll. Got to watch some of both this weekend. I’m ready for more to be televised. As for the rest of TV, I mentioned The Masked Singer. LG and I did a marathon of Ghost Loop. That was pretty cool. We like their methodology. Not much else holding my attention.

Okay. That pretty much sums up my life for the past week and weekend. Here’s to a new week. I hope it’s filled with possibilities for us all! What’s up in your neck of the woods?

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Friday Sinema: A Lazy Southern Day

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Silver James

I…uhm…just watch. Have a great Friday and an awesome weekend. Just remember, stay lazy, m’friends, stay lazy!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Fiction

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Silver James

I almost feel like I should post the photo I normally use for Wednsday Words since I fell asleep at the keyboard yesterday and posted my usual Universe pic for Wednesday Words. I corrected it after I was up, moving, and was semi-fully caffeinated. Ah well. Nothing like a little *headdesk* moment to start the day. But now it’s Thursday. And time for musing about what the Universe dropped into my inbox. As y’all know, I often correlate those messages with the craft of writing–or at least something to do with writing. Because that’s what I do. Write. Sometimes. This week, it’s been often so I can say that it is, indeed, what I do. Anyway. As many of you also know, I call my Muse Iffy. How her name came about is a long story. We’ll leave at her real name is Greek, her favorite game is “What if?” and she’s somewhat iffy when it comes to actually providing inspiration. Also, she lives on chocolate, coffee, and pictures of hot guys with bare chests. What can I say? So, this week, the Big U had this to say:

It’s not the “unseen” that’s fiction, Silver, but the seen.

And you know how fiction goes?

You get to make stuff up.

Tallyho,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Which, incidentally, Silver, you do rather well…

What’s left to say after that? Fiction writers make stuff up. We take what is “seen” and translate it into words, using the unseen hiding in our heads to glue the story together. We see news stories or people, hear a song, overhear a conversation, and an idea forms. We’ve “seen” and like all good fiction writers, we make stuff up. That’s the best part. The “what if…” and the tale spinning itself out, characters taking on substance and depth, whispering hints of their backstories and how they came to be where they are. The “where are we..” for settings. That whole who, what, when, where, why, and how that nonfiction writers deal with are just as important to us. But luckily, we listen to the Univers so we just make it up as we go along.

Happy Thursday. Have good thoughts.

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Wednesday Words: Swirls

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Silver James

The second Wednesday of March. How can that be? Daylight Savings Time hits this weekend. St. Patrick’s Day is a week from today. Spring is in the air but I’m seeing swirls of dead leaves rather than new buds. Anyway. Another Wednesday, another #1lineWed theme. This week, it’s all about the swirls. I suppos you could add some twirls to the mix if you’d like. This is a snippet from the WIP. It’s not part of a chapter yet, though I have a vague idea of where it appears in the timeline. Still, I like this scene. I will only say, as background, that Sade’s life is in something of an upheaval at the moment and yes, it does have something to do with Sinjen. 😉
****
Sade stood on the bridge over the Seine leading to the island where Notre Dame Cathedral stood encased in a steel skeleton, it’s steeple lying where it’d crashed. The fire, while devastating, hadn’t been catastrophic—at least not to the gargoyles. Roman, gargoyle sentinel, stood on her right. Nikos, Drakon of the Kholikikos Dragons stood 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, 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.”

Excited shouting and laughter and what sounded like cannon fire captured their attention. A mob tumbled down the Qual de Conti and cascaded around the corner to dance along the Boulevard Saint-Michel toward the Eiffel Tower. 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.”
****
There it is, for better or worse. I have a few other swirls twirling through some scenes but this is the one that caught my eye. Maybe I’ll play true to my Puzzler claim by starting and finishing out the chapter this scene is a part of. or not. I’ve been writing rather linearly lately and it’s working. New words on the page. So, writers, any twirling swirls to share with us? Readers, what flavors would you swirl in your ice cream?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Chocolate Chunk-Streusel Coffee Cake

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Silver James

So…Chocolate chunks. Streusel. Coffee. Cake. What’s not to love right? Add in a cup of coffee on the side, a good book, a fork, and a little alone time. Works for me. Oh, did I mention quick and easy? This beats anything you can grab on the way. Just sayin’…

Total Time: 45 Min.
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 25 Min.
24 servings

Try Chocolate-Streusel Coffee Cake with chocolate chunks, slivered almonds & freshly brewed coffee. Chocolate-Streusel Coffee Cake is a nice morning treat.

What You Need
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Slivered Almonds
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
brewed strong MAXWELL HOUSE Coffee (any variety), cooled
1-1/2 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate (6 oz.), chopped

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350°F.
2 – Combine flour and sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts.
3 – Prepare cake batter as directed on package, substituting the brewed coffee for the water.
4 – Pour into 15x10x1-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray; sprinkle with half the chocolate. Top with nut mixture and remaining chocolate.
5 – Bake 20 to 25 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Melt 2 oz. additional BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate as directed on package. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake; let stand until chocolate is firm.

My Tip: You can use any semi-sweet chocolate chunks so you don’t have to chop. And in my house, coffee is coffee. Just sayin’.

Regular drill. CLICK HERE for all the nutritional details. As y’all know, some of my heroines don’t really (or can’t) cook. They have a variety of reasons/excuses. That said, my Tate Brothers ALL know their way around the kitchen and not just grilling out back. Katherine Barron Tate taught her sons to be self-sufficient. Which comes in really handy in TWICE THE TEMPTATION. It’s not that Britt can’t cook, it’s that she seldom has time. Good thing Cooper likes to spoil her and while their waiting for the blessed event–at least when she’s not mad and storming (or sneaking) away from him, Coop makes sure she has all the yummies in her tummy. This easy-peasy, whip-it-up-in-no-time recipe is a favorite of them both. Want to know more about them? Just click on the cover or the title and head on over to grab your copy of their story. We’re coming on up spring storm season so Britt is going to be busier than ever! 😉  Speaking of, how’s the weather in your neck of the woods?

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Monday Comin’ Down

Posted on March 8, 2021 by Silver James

This is only the second Monday in March. Why does it seem like we should be halfway to St. Patrick’s Day by now? Oh. Wait. We ARE almost halfway there. Yeah, I probably need more coffee. It’s Monday. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

At least I made a list of things to remember to include. Things like I have an appointment for the vaccine this coming Friday. The rest of the family got their first shots for various and sundry reasons and I’m glad! Me? I wasn’t too worried, knowing I’d get in line sooner or later. Since I’m older than dirt, I’ve been eligible since the stuff first came out but again, I’m such a hermit, I wasn’t worried. Now I’ll get mine and we’ll all be covered. Also, I used some of my Christmas money to order a new keyboard. I’ve been looking for one local but the one I want is out of stock so I got reacquainted with Tiger Direct. My new Microsoft Ergonomic should be here later in the week. My body chemistry is hell on keys. The letters disappear quickly. Also, this one has stopped some of the usual functions like Page Up, Page Down. Which I use. A lot. Plus, it’s like 7 or 8 years old. Anyway, it was time. I’m also in need of a new mouse but I want to go hands on (no pun intended) for that. I think I want an ergo there too, but I want to try them out to see how they fit.

Busy weekend centered around food. First Saturday Pancake Breakfast. Jake got a pancake. Shhh. Don’t tell. The Kids were there, food was good. LG was doing Post officer stuff so Jake and I went home instead of waiting for siren test. I finished writing a chapter before leaving for lunch. The whole gang gathered at Alvarado’s, our fave Mexican restaurant. Was good to see the BiL and SiL. She’s making great strides on her stroke recovery. It’s been a long, hard road to recovery but she’s getting so much closer now. Food was awesome, company great. We aren’t a huge family, but we’re close.

In sports news, I’m enjoying Spring Training. We’re watching baseball on TV. I’m also listening to my OSU Cowgirls play softball, thanks to a Stillwater radio station. I even got to watch the Cowboys play baseball yesterday, live streaming. One of the plays made it onto the MLB newsletter I get. It was an amazing matrix-esque slide at home to avoid the tag and score a run. Anyway, the Cowboys are #15 and undefeated. The Cowgirls are either #8 or #10, depending on the poll. OU softball is #1. MLB is spring training games. I’m not worried about scores and such. It’s just fun to watch them play.

In other TV news, MEN IN KILTS: A ROADTRIP WITH SAM AND GRAHAM. Starz. And it’s hysterical. Their riff on “hunting the haggis” had me spitting Diet Coke out of my nose. It’s Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish of “Outlander” fame. They’re traveling around Scotland in a camper van highlighting the wonders of Scotland and generally being two guys. Watching them trying to dance? Any sport (rugby, cabor toss, hammer throw)? The food and drink episode was pretty cool. Anyway, it’s on Starz and On Demand if you have cable/satalitte/Starz app. FYI, they are both easy to look at and I much prefer Graham, the silver fox that he is. 😉

Reading. I did some listening. Wasn’t a stellar week for…reasons. I’m currently listening to WILD FIRE, #6.5 in Kristen Ashley’s Chaos series. The next book, WILD WIND, releases around midnight tonight. These two books are “2nd gen” of the Chaos family. Once I’m done with them, not sure what’s on tap. I’ll see what grabs my attention later in the week.

Writing was a little less frustrating last week and I’m hoping it’ll be even better this week. I’m such a puzzler. I have all these scenes that I know are in the story but figuring out where they fit in the time line. I wrote some totally new chapters, added to some of those scenes, did a little rearranging, and I seem to be more or less on track. Yay.

And speaking of writing, in the “I need to make note of this because…plot/story line”: This case was called the State Fair Murders. Two sisters went to the state fair and never made it home. Their bodies were found in shallow graves a month later. Their mother died (on my birthday) 30 years after the murders. No one has ever been tried or convicted. Here’s the link to the story from KWTV. If I wrote straight crime novels, I’d totally use  this. Who knows, though. Maybe someday I’ll add another genre to my repetoire. Or figure out a way to use it in one of my series.

Time for more coffee and the rest of the day. Monday waits for no one, right? I have words to go before the sun sets, now that it’s up. How’s your world going?

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Friday Sinema: Dr. Doolittle Edition

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Silver James

Okay. This made me smile. Critters. An intrepid “reporter.” Six minutes of pure procrastination on a Friday. What’s not to enjoy? Tomorrow is “First Saturday.” That means pancakes at the Post, siren test, and family lunch at Alvarado’s with the whole family to celebrate me being older’n dirt. 😀 S’all gravy. Anybody got plans for the weekend? Also, TGIF!

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