Thursday Thoughts: Universal Angst

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Silver James

When plotting and writing a story–especially romance, there has to be conflict. External conflict. Internal conflict. Hopefully a mostly 50-50 split of the two. External conflict is easy. Those are things that happen mostly outside the Protaganists’ control, stuff that happens TO our hero/heroine or both. Internal conflicts are the emotions that create problems–things that happened in a character’s backstory or something they think or feel in regards to their life. We all carry it–girls who’ve been fat-shamed or tomboys, boys who weren’t “tough enough” according to the authority figure in their life, for example. We all carry baggage. As writers, we need to heap some of this baggage on our characters. The Universe chimed in with this:

There can only be a need for forgiveness, Silver, when first there is blame.

And there can only be blame, when first there is misunderstanding.

Kung fu,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

And often, Silver, misunderstandings arise for one of three reasons: not enough love, not enough sleep, or not enough chocolate.

And then there’s angst. “The Big Misunderstanding.” In most romances, this TBM could be rectified with a simple conversation held between two adults. This is the easy way out and editors and readers are on to writers who us it. I don’t have a problem with a TBM, so long as it gets resolved and there’s a lot of other internal conflict to counterbalance.

Take Sade Marguis, for instance. For those who aren’t familiar, Sade is a “special” FBI agent. She stars in my Penumbra Papers Urban Fantasy series, in which I’m currently writing a new addition. Her godfather is a master vampire and for awhile, her mother had convinced Oberon, king of the high Fae, that Sade was his. She has quite the backstory but her big deep-seated dark fear is that the people she cares about will abandon her. She has reasons for feeling–and worrying–about this and it rears it’s ugly head at the most inopportune times. She struggles with it. And yes, those misunderstandings might just come from not enough love, not enough sleep, or not enough chocolate. Also, in her case, not enough coffee. 😉

So that’s our craft lesson for today. Writers, make sure your characters are conflicted but make them work for it. And readers, how do you feel about The Big Misunderstanding? And how much is enough groveling when one or the other f*ck$ up big time? 😉

Posted in Craft, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wednesday Words: Spring Thaw

Posted on March 3, 2021 by Silver James

So, another Hump Day, another snippet based on a #1lineWed theme. Thanks to that dang groundhog, today’s theme–**SPRING**–might be a little late in coming. And in light of the weather just past, I thought this totally random snippet would work quite nicely. I can tell you the POV is from a Nightrider Wolf. I can’t tell you which one because I don’t have a clue who he is. As for the heroine? What you see is what you get. I hope you enjoy it anyway. 😉
****
“Stop!” she shrieked. “I think you pushed too far.”

“Yeah?” What was her first clue?

She glowered and I barely concealed the twitch of my lips, wanting to grin. Hell, I wanted to bust out laughing. She made a humphf sound. Too freaking cute. Unlike her tiny car. I had no idea the thing was so light so yeah, I’d pushed hard. With my Wolf shifter strength that puppy squirted out of the snowbank and straight onto the frozen pond. The ice hadn’t cracked, a miracle in itself.

“So what are you going to do about it?” Hands on hips, chin jutting, eyes blazing and pink in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the cold.

What was I going to do about it? Kiss her, maybe. My wolf liked that idea. I shrugged. “Wait for the spring thaw?”

“That’s not funny.”

I thought it was, but managed not to crack up at her outraged expression.

“Are you laughing at me?”

“No.” Too bad the word came out strangled as I choked back my laughter. I have the worst poker face in the club.

“You are.” She gave me a squinty-eyed glare. The cute was gonna kill me. “This is all your fault.”

“Uh huh.” I pinched the bridge of my nose hoping to hide my lip twitches. “Babe, you’re the one driving a clown car after a blizzard. And in case you haven’t noticed, it’s cold out here. At least it’s not sinking.”

She opened her mouth and one word came out. “Kittens.”

“Kittens?”

“There’s a box of abandoned kittens in the back seat.”

“Guess I’m going ice skating.” Or swimming, if the ice didn’t hold.
****
Who knew a bad-ass biker would have a soft spot for a woman driving a clown car with a box of rescued kittens in the back seat? Well…y’all probably because you know my Wolves. 😆 Readers, are you ready for spring? Writers, have any spring words to share?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tuesday Treats & Titles: Bacon Pancake Dippers

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Silver James
When I came across this recipe, I had no clue which heroine eats these when she’s stressed but decided I had to find one, write her book, and include this!!! That’s when Sade walked past, munching one. We had a conversation about it. She educated me. She also told me that if I’d get off my arse and start back on her book, readers wouldn’t have to wait so long to read about her eating this breakfast treat. Then she admitted to having some in the freezer that she throws in the toaster oven because it has all her favorite stress foods and since she’s getting ready to have it out with Sinjen, she plans on devouring quadruple the recipe amount. Well…alrighty then.
 
Total Time: 20 Min.
Prep and Cook Time: 20 Min.
6 Servings
 
Discover a little magic in the morning with Bacon Pancake Dippers with Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sauce. Top 4-inch pancake strips with a slice of bacon and dip them in a creamy peanut butter and chocolate sauce for a sweet-and savory treat. These bacon pancake dippers will fly off the plate.
 
1-1/2 cups complete pancake and waffle mix
1-1/2 cups water
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Thick Cut Bacon, cut crosswise in half
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 pkg. (4 oz.) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken into small pieces
 
Let’s Make It
1 – Whisk pancake mix and water just until blended.
 
2 – Ladle batter onto hot griddle or into hot large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, using 1/4 cup batter for each 4-inch long pancake. Immediately top batter for each pancake with 1 bacon piece, pressing bacon gently into batter to secure. Cook until bubbles form on tops of pancakes, then turn to brown other sides.
 
3 – Meanwhile, microwave peanut butter and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring every 30 sec.
 
4 – Serve pancake dippers with the chocolate-peanut butter sauce.
 
Kitchen Tips
 
Tip 1 – Make Ahead: This fun breakfast recipe can be prepared ahead of time. Refrigerate up to 12 hours before reheating the pancakes and sauce (separately) in the microwave just before serving.
Tip 2 – Serving Suggestion: Serve with a colorful fruit salad.
 
As always, My Food and Family has all the nutritional details so CLICK ON OVER. You can grab any of the books in the Penumbra Papers to read about Sade’s exploits. If you click on the picture, it will take you to the Amazon series page. The books are available at a lot of different etailers so you can click on any of the listed titles to head over to Books2Read to find your favorite store. As for my conversation with Sade…
 
Me: Sade, it’s been well-established in all the books that you don’t cook.
Sade: Don’t and can’t aren’t the same thing.
Caleb: *stifles a laugh in the other room*
Sade: I heard that you…er…gawdblasted fuzzball!
Me: So you can cook?
Sade: I can effing make stuff.
Caleb: *wheezing from laughter*
Sade: That’s it you mangy mongrel. You are dogfood! *Sade runs from room but calls back* And I can too cook!
 
Yeah…okay. Whatever. Anyway, you can grab THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC, SEASON OF THE WITCH, THE DEVIL’S CUT, and/or THE SOUND OF SILENCE if you’d like to catch up with Sade and the Scooby Gang. And I’m totally making these! I mean, seriously! Pancakes, bacon, peanuut butter and CHOCOLATE! What’s not to love?

Posted in Books, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monday’s Gettin’ Old

Posted on March 1, 2021 by Silver James

So. It’s Monday. It’s the first day of March. And I’m a year older. Sucks to be me. 🙄 I’m kidding. I’ve been older than dirt for as long as I can remember. What’s one more day or one more year? It all beats the alternative. We’ll do the family celebration this coming weekend–pancake breakfast, siren test, and Alvarado’s for Mexican! Yay! Something to look forward to. 😀

In other news, it’s a new day, a new week, and a new month. Time to shake off the procrastination frustration and get my arse in gear. I have books to write–more even than I anticipated at the start of the year because a pushy biker wants his story told. Shut up, Rook. I can’t hear you! Lalalalala

There was a week and a weekend. Stuff happened. LG, Only, and Baseball Boy all got their first innoculations. Stormy was exposed but his test came back negative. I’m on a list somewhere for mine. I’m not too worried. I don’t get out much, I’m careful, and other than bein’ older’n dirt, I don’t have any real underlying health issues, unlike others in the family. I’ll get mine eventually. Ugh.

In writing news, I’ve already mentioned Rook. He’s pushy, Sade is stubborn, and the words are dripping like a frozen pipe on a -14 degree day. Well, not quite that slow. I have managed some words. Not many, but some. Progress, right? I gotta get into the “Write or Die” mindset again.

My OSU Cowgirls had a good weekend at a tournament down in Louisiana. They swept LSU, won against the Univerity at Buffalo (NY), and finished by splitting against University of Louisiana Lafayette. The Cowgirls are ranked #8 nationally. ULL is #7. It was a good tournament for them. I didn’t check on OU softball. If they played, they probably won. In other sporting news…BASEBALL!!!! MLB is back. Watched the Cardinals/Nationals spring training game. Spring training is fun. LOTS of players get to play and while the score is sorta important, it’s not really. It’s more like playing baseball for fun. Of course, that’s one thing I’ve always liked about St. Louis. The players always play like they’re having fun. Oh, and the final score was 4-4. In my book, that’s a win for the opening day of Spring Training games.

In TV news, I finally got around to watching the finale of The Masked Dancer. I’m still not sure how I feel about that show. In fun news, one of my favorite professional dancers from Dancing With The Stars made it to the finals, placing 2nd. He was dressed as The Sloth (Google it–LOLOL) and I loved him. He was my favorite and I suspected who might be behind the costume. Turns out I was right–Maksim Chmerkovskiy. He was hysterically funny and so very talented. Olympian Gabby Douglas took home the trophy.

Did a bunch of reading and listening last week. I zoomed through the whole Tarpley VFD series, including a reread of my own FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE. It was fun to see the various mutual scenes through different lenses. Also listened to a couple of favorites in preparation for listening to two new releases in the series–Kristen Ashley’s Chaos MC. I didn’t do a marathon of all the previous Chaos books. I listened to the first, MOTORCYCLE MAN, then skipped ahead to WILD LIKE THE WIND (which always wrecks me! All the freaking feels!!!) to refresh my memory on Dutch and Jagger, Chaos legacies who join the club in their mom and stepdad’s book. I’m currently on FREE, which leads to the next generation moving into positions of power in the club. After FREE comes WILD FIRE, which is Dutch Black’s story, followed by WILD WIND, Jagger’s story, which releases tomorrow. I’m a happy fan girl for a few days at least.

That’s pretty much it for me. Oh! I have discovered that the crows like leftover beef stew that’s been strained of the soupy part. They sucked up that meat, potatoes, and veggies like it was caviar. Boy, will they be disappointed when they get leftover dog food and bread next time. On that note, time to do something. Not sure what, but something. That’s better than nothing, right? Right! How’s life in your corner of the world?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Friday Sinema: Southern Weather Part 2

Posted on February 26, 2021 by Silver James

Ah, spring is almost in the air. Along with storm sirens. Winter might not be quite ready to let go but spring is in the wings waiting for us. That time of year is coming and my heroine, Britt Owens, from TWICE THE TEMPTATION is ready to hit the road. While she’s out storm chasing, the rest of us are doing all this stuff… Oh, by the way, have a great weekend!

Posted in Books, Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Universal Good Morning

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Silver James

I’m not a morning person. At least, I didn’t used to be. Now? I’m usually awake around 6 a.m. and greet the sunrise on the front porch handing out kibble to the feral cats. Sometimes, I even grab a photo. But I’m not a morning person. My brain is sluggish and demands its caffeine fix. I tend to sit at my desk, sipping coffee and staring out the window as it grows lighter. Sometimes, I’ll check email and blogs. Or not. I certainly don’t start writing. Usually. That said, when I opened this email from the Universe, I understood the message, and how vital it is during these times.

I so love mornings. All of earth’s energies are zipping, zapping and crackling in alignment. The stars have been tucked in bed. The nightingales begin dreaming their dreams. And the sugar plum fairies try hard not to be seen.

But best of all, Silver, I love mornings because it’s when the “Giants” return to earth — stretching, yawning, squinting and rolling — remembering without quite remembering, sometimes for just the flickering of a second, that all is right in the world and that their greatness has never needed to be proven.

Like you, “Big Foot” –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

Now, Silver, to work on remembering this for the rest of the day…

FYI, that’s a photo I took one morning from the front porch. I don’t have a date on it but we often get spectacular sunrises. And sunsets. It’s all in day’s time, right? And we do need to remember the peace and the quiet, and that yes, for just a flickering moment in time, all is right in the world. Big Foot here, asking what’s right in your neck of the world?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wednesday Words: I’ll Be Missing You

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Silver James

So, Wednesday. The sun in shining, the snow has melted, and the temps remain above freezing. Yay. It’s also time for #1lineWed with the intriguing theme of **MISSING** which just happens to fit right in with the ol’ WIP. The Scooby gang is all together now in Paris. Verity is there because Roman isn’t about to leave her in New Orleans with him gone. Things are happening. Strange things. Ari is being Ari, and surprisingly, it’s Caleb who is acting as the voice of reason…for now at least.
****
“Because I’m the one casting it, that’s why!”

The two men made soothing motions with their hands while backing away from Verity. Steam all but shot from the little witch’s ears. A third man cast a baleful glare toward the gargoyle. “She’s your mate, Roman. Can’t you do something?”

Leathery wings exploded from Roman’s back. “And you, Ariel Daoine, are sometimes too stupid to remain living. As you carry the title of the King’s Seducer, I would have thought Oberon would choose a fae with more brains.”

A nimbus of glitter glistened around Ariel but Caleb stepped between the two magicks. “You do remember that Sade is missing? And if we don’t get her back before Sinjen gets here…” He deliberately trailed off the sentence, leaving the consequences up to gargoyle and fae imaginations.

Ari puffed up but stopped glowing. “I am not afraid of the vampire.”

Werewolf and gargoyle exchanged a look that easily translated to “typical fae arrogance.”

Roman pointed a finger at Ari. “But you should take heed of the werewolf’s words.”

Caleb snarled, punctuating the gargoyle’s advice.

“Why not just ask the infernal dragon?” Ari argued.

Making a slow survey of the room, Caleb growled, “Do you see the bloody dragon standing here?”

“Obviously not. Why not go find him?”

Roman closed his eyes, struggling for patience. “What do you think we are doing?”

Ari looked perplexed. “Verity is casting a seeking spell to find Sade.”

“I am,” she snapped. “Plus locate Nikos and then I have to conjure a returning spell to get Sade back.”

Ari surrendered. “Shutting up now.”

“Where is Sade?”

The three-word question, asked in a calm, collected and almost mild voice, all but exploded in the small room, especially given the silence that followed.

All eyes turned to the dark, dangerous, and very pissed off vampire standing in the doorway.

Oh. Shit. Sinjen was in the building.
****
Yeah, none of them want to deal with Sinjen. He might only come out to play at night, but he knows where they all sleep. *bwahaha* I’m making a bit of progress this week. I still haven’t figured out the damn cat–Sade’s words not mine. Question of the day: who or what are you missing?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tuesday Treats & Titles: Bacon-wrapped Jalapenos

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Silver James
If you like the spicy, this appetizer is for you! If you like a little spicy, there are ways noted in the tips on turning down the heat. Me? I love these things but then I grew up on Tex-Mex and jalapeno poppers are a staple. Yes, you can buy frozen ones that are pre-made and heat them up, but this is just about as quick and totally fresh! These are awesome appetizers or snacks will watching a movie or sporting event. You know, once we get sports back. And hey! Pitchers and catchers have reported with position players not far beind now! Just color me baseball! 😉
Total Time: 35 Min.
Prep Tme: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 20 Min.
12 Servings
Treat your guests right with Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Peppers. Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Peppers are (in our humble opinion) creamy, crispy, spicy and yummy.
What You Need
1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Spicy Jalapeño Cream Cheese Spread
1/4 cup KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
6 large fresh jalapeño peppers, halved, seeded
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon
Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 425ºF.
2 – Combine cheeses; spoon into pepper halves. Wrap with bacon, overlapping edges as necessary.
3 – Place, filled sides up, in shallow foil-lined pan.
4 – Bake 17 to 20 min. or until bacon is done. Cool slightly before removing from pan to serve.
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Note: For best results, tuck ends of bacon under peppers when placing in prepared pan to prevent bacon from unwrapping as it cooks or use toothpicks to secure.
Tip 2 – Variation: Prepare using PHILADELPHIA Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Spread. Or, prepare using PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese and KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese.
Tip 3 – Food Facts: When handling fresh jalapeño peppers, never touch your eyes, nose or mouth, additionally you may wear rubber or disposable plastic gloves when seeding them.
Tip 4 – (from me) Not a fan of the spicy jalapeño? Try the milder poblano for just a little bite or drop all the way down to a banana pepper for almost no bite at all.
As always, CLICK OVER to My Food and Family for the details and a nifty video. You can guess who makes these every time there’s a party! Can you guess who makes these? Nope, not Pops, though he cooks. And not Elena, even though she can and does, but she bows to the expert, Justice. Justice stays rather low-key with her culinary skills. Raised in foster care, then the army, and now on her own though looking after injured wildlife, fighting fires, and raising her orphaned neice, she learned early on to fend for herself. Jack is a big fan of these so Justice usually doubles or triples the recipe when he’s around or if any of the Tarpley VFD guys and gals are coming. You can read her story in the newly-released FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read it for free, or you can grab it for your keeper shelf by buying it. Just click on the title or the very pretty cover over there. Psst. Don’t tell but Jack is a big fav. That might have something to do with the fact that he’s kinda sorta based on Sam Elliott. So, big question of the day: Spicy or no?
Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Monday Sunshine

Posted on February 22, 2021 by Silver James

Well. Last week was something…speshul. Not! I think the only record we didn’t break around here was the total continuous hours of below freezing temperatures. The frigid ice box of storm kept us there sor 293 hours. The old record of 360+ (I don’t remember the exact number) was set in 1983. That’s the year LG and I got married, and it was our first winter together. You’d think I’d remember but I don’t. The weather. Not LG. 🙄 The sun has been out and temperatures above freezing since Saturday so the snow is mostly gone. That makes me a little sad because it was pretty to look at. We can through in good shape–no loss of heat, electricity, or water, with only a very small blip of a frozen intake line on one toilet which resolved with the help of a hairdryer.

In other news, I totally sucked at this whole writing gig last week. I got maybe 1000 words done. The story is there. The characters–old and new–are waiting on me and Iffy to get our arses in gear. I just can’t get my head wrapped around getting it done. Maybe I’ll have better luck this week since I’m not glued to the news and I’m feeling a bit guilty about not writing.

I didn’t get much reading/listening done either. I finished the two Jayne Ann Krentz books from the library–#1 and #2 in her Fogg Lake series. Lots a familier names and action if you’ve read her Arcane series. I also finished up BLOOD HEIR by Ilona Andrews. Lots of stuff I didn’t see coming and lots of stuff I’d like to see come but there’s no word from the authors about any new books in any of the series. I’m currently working my way throuhg Season 2 of the Tarpley VFD series. I finished FIGHTING FOR AMANDA by TL Reeve and FIGHTING FOR MARCH by MJ Nightingale. Up next is FIGHTING FOR BREE by Haven Rose, FIGHTING FOR LORNA by Deanndra Hall, and finally, FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE by yours truly. I’m also listening to Kristen Ashely’s STILL STANDING.

I don’t think there were any sports happening this past week. At least none I care about becaues Snowageddon. I’m sure there was some somewhere, but none I heard about. LOL I should check the TV listings to see if any spring training games are scheduled for telecast, along with college softball and baseball. Oh, the softball polls have OU at either #2 or #3 and OSU at either #8 or #11.

TV? Yeah. Wall-to-wall weather coverage. I’m a big of a junky so it was ok. I think there were some other shows on that I watched while falling asleep but I don’t remember. I’ve slept since then. 😉

I gave blood yesterday. The blood bank put out an emergency call because they were literally down to like zip in reserve. A local car dealership donated a 2021 Subaru Outlander and other companies offered enough money for a daily drawing of all the blood donors on that day, winner getting a $2K Visa gift card. I’d already signed up before I realized the incentives. Still, I wouldn’t turn either one down. Already know what I’d do with the $2K and the SUV? It’d go to Only to replace her ‘Stang. I love Drover, my Highlander, and for a 12 year-old car, he barely has 50K miles on him. He’s good to go for probably as long as I’ll be driving. Anyway, visualization and manifestation, baby! Ohm-nom-nom-nom.

That’s pretty much it for my week. We survived. The sun is shining most of this week. I get even older a week from today. Yippee. Okay. Maybe no yippee, but it sure beats the alternative! How was your week? Any survival tactics to share? Are you thawing out?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Friday Sinema: Southern Weather

Posted on February 19, 2021 by Silver James

Yes, the weather was miserable this week. But we Southerners are resilient if nothing else. Also, we’ve learned to laugh and roll with the punches. Now we’re just waiting for the snow mountains to melt and the temps to return to normal. Predicting 60 for a high on Wednesday. Have a great weekend, y’all, and stay weather aware! 😉

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments