Wednesday Words: Rock It

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Silver James

Another Hump Day, another writing nudge. I may no longer be associated with #1lineWed over on Twitter, but I still look to the “game” for inspiration. This week’s word is *ROCK.* I wish I could explain this snippet. I can’t. You’ll find out why at the bottom.
****
“Here, let me help you begin.” The man placed the pen between my lifeless fingers and squeezed because there was no way in hell I could hold the damn thing. His smile would have sent shivers through me if I’d had control of my body.

A voice inside my head screamed at me. “NO!”

Well, d’uh. I knew I didn’t want to sign that document.

“Fight, baby.”

Stupid voice. I wasn’t a baby either. My eyes burned and I needed to blink but that wasn’t gonna happen.

“Just sign your name.” The man sounded impatient.

Yeah, easy for him to say. I had no clue what my name was, therefore there was no way in bloody hell I could sign anything. So there. If my mouth worked, I would have stuck my tongue out at the SOB.

“I suppose we’ll need a little practice first.”

I suppose? Who freaking talked like that? He guided my hand over a blank piece of paper. G-L-O-R-I-A. I suddenly wanted to rock out. Gloria, Gloria, think they got your number, Gloria. Are the voices in your head calling, Gloria? I sang in my head in my best rock-chick voice. Too bad I couldn’t do it out loud. If I hadn’t been paralyzed, I’d be head-banging all over the place.

“Glory!” Stupid voice yelling in my head.

“What!” I yelled back.

“Stop dickin’ around.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Gotta rescue yourself, babe.” Like d’uh again, dude.

“Yeah, right. Can’t move, remember? Suggestions?”

Silence. I waited. No pearls of wisdom from the peanut gallery. I was on my own. Just like always.
****
Sometimes, I get random ideas and write random snippets. Sometimes, they fit into the puzzle of a WIP and the words are integrated. Sometimes, they remain just random bits. Glory might develop into a character though this particular scene might not make it due to copyright stuffs. Song lyrics are touchy. But this isn’t for financial gain so I think I’m okay. Is your name part of the lyrics of a song? And do you have any rock-ing words to share?

A nod to Laura Branigan, the artist who sang “Gloria” and to Jonathan King, Giancarlo Bigazzi & Umberto Tozzi, who wrote the song.

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Tuesday Treats: Irish Cocktail Cupcakes

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Silver James

And top o’ the mornin’ to ya. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The pubs are closed, the parades are canceled, but we can still wear a bit o’green, pretend we’re Irish even if we aren’t, and enjoy these yummy cupcakes.

Total Time: Approximately 1 hr.
Prep Time: 15 mins.
Cook Time: 25-30 mins.
Finish Time: 15-20
Makes 18 cupcakes

Ingredients
Cupcakes
1 cup Irish stout beer (such as Guinness®)
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur (such as Baileys®), or more to taste
2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (such as Jameson®), or to taste
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Combine stout beer and butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Heat until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in brown sugar and cocoa

Whisk sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract in a bowl; pour into the saucepan and mix until a smooth batter forms.

Stir flour and baking soda together. Fold into the batter. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make frosting while the cupcakes cool. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in Irish cream and whiskey on low speed. Gradually spoon in confectioners’ sugar, mixing on low speed until frosting is smooth and creamy.

Spread frosting over cupcakes. You can use a pastry bag with a fancy tip to get the ruffled version, or just spread the icing on top.

*Paddy’s Day Tip: Add a few drops of green food coloring or gel to the frosting before mixing.
*Silver’s Tip: Enjoy with a cup of Bailey’s Irish Cream coffee.

CLICK HERE if you want to see the original recipe over at All Recipes. These are definitely adult cupcakes though technically, the alcohol cooks out leaving only the flavor behind. Some kids might not like them but us big kids? Oh, yeah! Just ask Lochlan O’Toole, former Irish Ranger, Wolf shifter, and Hard Target team member. While Loch doesn’t have his own book–yet–he popped in to wish me a Happy St. Paddy’s Day and mentioned if I wanted to bake him these cupcakes, he’d love me forever. If y’all haven’t read about the Hard Target team, you’ll first meet some of them in the upcoming MOONSTRUCK: BETRAYAL, and their story continues in MOON SHOT and DOUBLE CROSS, and you get the best of two worlds in DOUBLE TROUBLE (a Hard Target story set in Roxanne St. Clair’s Barefoot Bay world). Loch said he asked Mother Goose to make him cupcakes and she threatend him with the business end of a shotgun. 😉 Want to read about this team of super-secret Special Operators? Just click on the book cover or any of the titles!

What about y’all? Are you a little bit Irish today? Sláinte!

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Greening Up Monday

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Silver James

It’s Spring. Sort of. We had rain and temps in the 30s-40s but my daffodils are blooming and the first day of Spring arrives the end of this week. So, there was a week and a weekend. There was also cedar pollen, golden oak pollen, and other such stuffs. So I have a runny nose, post-nasal drip, and a slight cough. You’d think I had the plague! I do not have a fever nor do I have shortness of breath. I just have my typical spring allergies. Fun times. So was going to Wallyworld. People are just…looney tunes over this beer flu stuff. Before you jump, let me explain. I’m older than dirt. I remember polio. I remember measles, mumps, whooping cough, and a whole host of childhood diseases that have been tamed by vaccines. I remember Legionnaire’s Disease, bird flu, swine flu, SARS, and a host of others. There’s always something out there waiting. More people have been sickened, survived, and been killed by this years version of the flu than they have by Corvid-19. WTF are people clearing the shelves of toilet paper and paper towels? This isn’t a huge national disaster where roads are impassible and transportation/manufacturing are at a standstil. It’s a sickness, the majority of those who have contracted it have survived. The media is in a feeding frenzy and people are buying into. For crissakes, the CHEESE SHEVLES were empty. CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!! What the ever-loving fuck?

Okay. Climbing down off my soapbox with this last thought: I’m part of the at-risk demographics. I’m giving people more space and I’m washing my hands before I touch my face. If I were to have actual symptoms or had been in contact with someone who’d actually been exposed, I would self-quarantine. Easy peasy, people!

Moving on to wow moments of the week… I heard a woodpecker last week when we hit 80. I never saw it, but I so enjoy that rata-tat-tat sound. Also, my oldest bestest friend showed up on my doorstep yesterday as a surprise. We live a distance away and she got a wild hair. We sat, drank coffee, and talked. And talked. And talked. And we hugged. Screw social distancing. Anyway, there’s a reason she’s my oldest, bestest friend.

In other news, I’m pissed that sports are canceled. Yes, I understand why but I’m still pissed. I love the Spring for baseball and softball. Thank goodness for LIVE PD and the few other shows I watch. And books. Lots and lots of audio books. I think I’ve embarked on a totaly re-listen to the Eve Dallas/In Death books. There are 51 of them plus novellas. That’ll keep me for awhile. 😉

Speaking of TV, OMGWTFBBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Bear! The Mama Bear! On “The Masked Singer.” Blown. Away! Watch her performance…

Then watch the panel’s guesses (hysterical!), the unmasking and her farewell rap with Nick Cannon. Y’all, this woman is now my hero! And if you don’t already know who it is, prepare for a shock and maybe a change of mind…

I’m going to leave it on that note because it makes me smile and laugh and we need a hellava lot more of this in our lives right now. I’ll be getting some work done this week. I hope. I’ll be missing my baseball but I’ll be catching up on listening, writing, and LIVE PD. Oh, and the next episode of “The Masked Singer.” Y’all have a good week. And our question for the day? How much toilet paper do you have stashed at your house? I happen to have a 10-pack and an 8-pack (acquired TWO WEEKS AGO!) because I bought one and LG bought the other a day later without looking to see if I’d already replenished our supply. 🙄 I wish he’d bought cheese instead! 🤣 Stay well out there!

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Friday the 13th Links of Random LOL

Posted on March 13, 2020 by Silver James

I’ve been collecting these for awhile and since National Procrastination Week just happened, go grab another cup of coffee (or beverage of your choice, then go click on the links to waste some time and see some totally cool stuffs. Besides, it’s Friday the 13th and this is a whole lot better than walking under a ladder. Just sayin’…

Y’all know how I feel about male models. This father/son duo totally deserves their own book! CLICK HERE for the best-named Instagram account evah!

I ❤ dogs. And funny gifs are a favorite procrastination, especially when I CLICK HERE to check out the dog fail gifs.

Wait…WHAT?!?! Yes, you just saw that…or you did if you CLICKED HERE.

I don’t know if I’m a little creeped (or would be if I woke up and/or CLICKED HERE and found one of these staring at me) or I want one!

Every wondered what to do if you get attacked by an animal? Then you need to CLICK ON this funny survival guide.

Horse sense? Or memes? You choose when you CLICK THIS. 

On the artsy side, our final two linky-dinks:

This artist uses flora to make statues of fauna, with amazing results. CLICKTY-CLICK

And the final link today is guaranteed to blow your mind. This Italian artist takes body painting and hands to a whole new level. You know you want to so JUST CLICK IT.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled day. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Procrastination

Posted on March 12, 2020 by Silver James

Last week was National Procrastination Week, but I put it off. As one does. So I’m observing it this week. Also as one does…

What if it was your downtime, your lounging-in-bed-too-long time, your walkabout time, and your blow-Friday-off time that made possible your greatest achievements?

Would they still make you feel guilty, Silver? Or would you allow yourself to enjoy them?

About time –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Even your watching-the-rain time, Silver?

I’m a writer. It’s my job to lounge in bed, go walkabout, blow Friday off, and take advantage of downtime by staring out the window, looking at videos, and otherwise giving my brain food for thought to fire my imagination. That’s my story and I’m sticking to you. And no. I don’t feel guilty. How about you?

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Wednesday Words: Here There Be Dragons

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Silver James

So…the theme of the week is “Mythical Creatures.” Hrmmmm…. Do I have any of those lurking around my books or WIPs? Why, yes. How about that! Since Nikos was featured in yesterday’s Tuesday Treats, I thought I’d share today’s snippet from THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. This is the first meeting between Sade and Nikos, in a restaurant in New Orleans. As a set-up, Sade is there investigating the murder of an important magick. She’s just read a text message from her godfather, the master vampire Mathias, to drop the case. Thes snippet opens with her spoken response to his order…
****
“The hell you say, you fangy sonavabitch.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Sade looked up from her phone. And up some more. The man standing at her table put a crick in her neck. His pale blue eyes flashed silver in the golden lights of the chandelier above her table. That same fixture cast a soft halo around him and she had to squint to get a better look. His close-cropped hair was of indiscriminate color and he wore his expensive suit like a second skin.

She really wished Caleb was with her. He’d sniff out the magick’s flavor in a heartbeat. Or Roman. Roman was older than dirt. Hell, Roman was dirt. Or granite. Same thing.

Emeralds set in a buffed, silver metal—platinum if Sade had to guess—sparked at the magick’s cuffs. A watch that probably cost six-months’ worth of her salary gleamed on his right wrist. Impeccable. If she had to describe him in one word, that would be it. Impeccable. And sexy. Oh, mama, the man was that.

His full lips curled into a knowing smile and his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as he gazed at her. “I hope you were not speaking to me. I am neither fangy nor a son of a bitch.”

Eric appeared with an ice bucket and stand, making a show of setting it beside the table and decanting the champagne. Sade watched with one brow arched before turning a lazy gaze toward the man still standing expectantly.

“What flavor are you?”

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her and a layer of his sophistication slipped slightly. Nikos briefly wondered if he’d made a mistake. Then her emerald green eyes snapped and he knew she was most definitely something beyond normal experience, even for the Drakon of the Kholkikos Clan.

“Nikolas Constantine. May I join you?”

“Sade Marquis. No, you may not.”

Her voice vibrated through him and the small mark at the corner of her mouth beckoned him with each word. Ignoring her denial, he pulled out a chair and sat.

“Seriously? What part of no do you not understand?”

“Your steak is getting cold, Sade.”

“That’s Special Agent Marquis to you.” She put her palm on the table and when she moved her hand, her badge case flipped open to her ID. “FBI.”

If he’d been standing he would have backpedaled a few steps. He’d been so enthralled by her looks the import of her name had blown over him like a cloud playing peek-a-boo with the sun. Even more intrigued now, he leaned forward, holding her gaze.

“What brings the infamous Special Agent Sade Marquis of the FBI to New Orleans?”

Her mouth thinned and her chin raised a fraction. “Official business. And you haven’t answered my question.”

“What question would that be?”

“What are you, Nikolas Constantine?”
****
This is the book that started it all–the first case in the Penumbra Papers. And now I have the urge to go back and reread it, even though I wrote it. What about y’all? Are you tempted? And if you haven’t read this book, you need to. Seriously! Just click on the title and go grab it. It’s available wide. Writers? Any mythical characters to share? Readers, what’s your favorite mythical critter?

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Tuesday Treats: Pastitsio (Greek-Style Lasagna)

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Silver James

Lasagna is a favorite. So is mac and cheese. This tasty Greek version combines those to favs into a delicious mix fit for a dragon enforcer. 😉

Total Time: 1 Hr. 20 Min.
Prep Time: 30 Min.
Cook Time: 50 Min.
6 Servings

Do yourself a favor and try our Pastitsio (Greek-Style Lasagna). With a sprinkle of nutmeg, pastitsio is as easy to make as it is delicious.

What You Need
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 jar (24 oz.) CLASSICO Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce
2 Tbsp. HEINZ Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Let’s Make It
1 – Brown meat with onions in large skillet; drain. Stir in pasta sauce and vinegar; simmer on low heat 15 min., stirring occasionally.
2 – Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. Add milk; bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer on low heat 3 to 5 min. or until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt and nutmeg. Add macaroni; mix lightly.
3 – Heat oven to 350ºF. Spread meat sauce onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with macaroni mixture and cheese.
4 – Bake 45 to 50 min. or until macaroni mixture is heated through and top is lightly browned.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Serving Suggestion: Serve with a bagged green salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Dressing, such as Italian or Ranch.

Tip 2 – Nutrition Bonus: You’d never guess that this low-calorie Greek lasagna can fit into your healthful eating plan. Eating right never tasted so good!

Same drill as always, CLICK HERE to pop over to My Food and Family to get all the details. And since I only have one Greek-ish character y’all need to send Nikolas Constantine, Drakon of Clan Kohlikikos, some love. Being both Greek and a dragon shifter, Nikos does like to eat. This dish is an easy favorite that he doesn’t get all that often. Nikos, being the dragon he is and having an emerald fetish, would love to collect FBI Agent Sade Marquis and add her to his hoard. Lucky for our reading pleasure, our intrepid Special Agent isn’t having any of that. Read how they first met in THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. Set in New Orleans, it’s a rollicking Urban Fantasy. If you haven’t read it, you know you want to…

What about y’all? If you had to pick, would it be lasagna or mac-n-cheese?

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Monday After DST

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Silver James

Falling back isn’t so bad but this whole falling forward BS? Totally sucks. It’s 5 o’clock in my head and my body says, “Just one more hour, Moooommmm.” The clock says it’s 6 o’clock and my brain is all, “The dogs need out, the cats are waiting on the porch, and coffee!” Brain, trust me! There ain’t enough coffee in the world to compensate for the biannual torture that is Daylight Savings Time. I’ve heard the rumor that there might be a bill in the US house to do away with the practice but no one can decide whether to just keep the clocks on DST or switch back to Standard Time and leave. I vote we love Nature alone. The sun knows when to come up and when to set. Trust me! That said, just make it stop! Pick one and leave it alone.

Moving on. There was a week. Stuff happened. My wow moment was looking out my offie window to see a hawk perched on the honeysuckle bush outside, watching me watch it. Saturday was a 5 a.m. start to make sure LG was up and moving to open the American Legion Post at 6 for pancake breakfast. Then we had pancakes, followed by siren test, followed by family lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Jake gets to go and he does pretty well though he was a bit antsy at the post. They are doing some construction repairs and we decided he didn’t like the smells. Plus there were a couple of men with canes and he wanted to hide behind me when they walked by. This is not the first time. I think one or more of his previous owners beat with a stick, cane, or broom. We’re working on his reactions.

Still reading/listening to the Kate Daniels series. I’m down to IRON AND MAGIC, followed by MAGIC TRIUMPHS. That’s the end of the series. Not sure what I’ll pick up after that. I need to check to see what’s releasing in the near future that’s on my wish list. I did listen to (mostly) a book on my library hold list from a favorite author. She changed genres and while the language and narration was beautiful, the pace was so slow I just didn’t care after a bit. I’m in the minority so…

Writing is slow. I am having fun being a beta reader for someone else. Fun times, even though I’m slow there too. I can do about 20-30 pages at a time–NOT because of what I’m reading but because I’m reading. Stupid eyes. They go blurry and part of my beta reader duties is catching typos. Hard to see those if I can’t see. Don’t get old. Totally sucks!

My Cardinals are playing some decent baseball and my Cowgirls are hanging in the Top 15 in softball. Yay!

OH! Another WOW Moment of the Week. Who the heck knew Tom Bergeron can sing?!?! He’s the host of Dancing With the Stars and former host of America’s Funniest Videos. He was the Taco on The Masked Singer and his first appearance was a dead-on rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” That was followed up by Elvis Presley’s “Bossa Nova Baby” and finally, the Four Tops “I Can’t Help Myself.” He nailed them all! Totally impressed and when he revealed his identity, the panel’s collective brain exploded. Fun times.

And…that’s pretty much it in my little corner of the world. What are y’all up to? Good times or no good? 😉 Me? I’m gonna have another DST-sized coffee then start my day.

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Friday Sinema: Say Please

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Silver James

I had a Siberian Husky. Micco, once the light bulb came on, was people. He did things like argue with Only, calling shotgun to sit in the front seat. He always won. Ane he always insisted I buckle him into the shoulcer harness seatbelt. He also talked to me. We carried on long conversation, each knowing exactly what we were saying. When I came across this video, I was reminded of Mic. This is Sherpa. He lives in Portsmouth, England. Total con dog. Have a great weekend. We have pancake breakfast, siren test, Mexican food, and Gentleman Jake gets to go. That makes him a happy dog. Like Sherpa. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Magic

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Silver James

Someone once described writing as an exercise in magic. When you think about it, it sort of is. A writer makes up people and the things that happen to them and then uses words to paint a picture that tells the story we’ve imagined in our heads. I mean, think about it. I heard a song, liked the title, and wrote my first Harlequin Desire: COWGIRLS DON’T CRY. Seems kinda magical to me.

And it’s not just in writing where magic happens. I look back on Only’s childhood–sitting outside for an hour to watch a cicada emerge from it’s beetle stage to the fairy-winged adult, chasing the northern lights and the Perseid meteors, or snuggling in bed and reading stories. Magic is having a daffodil bloom every year on my birthday. It’s looking out my window to see a hawk looking back. It’s watching a brilliant sunrise while the birds sing a welcome to the dawn. It’s a baby’s giggle, the hug of a granchild, the purr of a cat and a dog leaning in for more pets. It’s the little moments and the big ones. It’s…life.

Oh yes, Silver, yes indeed. Today you are going to be enveloped by the magic. It will be in the air you breathe, the sounds you hear, and the sights you see. Play off the moments in-between the moments, look to the unseen, and give thanks.

Feel it, enjoy it, but most important, use it!

It’s already begun,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, inhale it. Close your eyes, count to three, exhale…. Notice how the magic stays with you?

What’s the magic in your life? Let’s all try to keep our magic around so give this a try. *breathes in deeply*…*closes eyes* One. Two. Three. *exhales* Oh, yeah. It’s still there. I can feel it. Have a magical day filled with possibilities!

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