Merry Christmas Monday

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Silver James

I celebrate Christmas. I have friends who celebrate Hannakuh. Happy Hannakuh, y’all! I have other friends who celebrate the Winter Solstice and Yuletide. Merry-merry to you! I don’t know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa, but if you do, enjoy. This time of year is festive no matter what you believe. And it’s a time of year when we should all get along. I had a Starbucks order taker wish me a merry Christmas when I ordered at the drive-thru. I was…pleasantly shocked. And I wished her a merry Christmas right back–and would have no matter what holiday I celebrate this time of year. We need to be more accepting (and forgiving) of others. Year round, but especially now. Okay, climbing off my soapbox.

Christmas is Wednesday. This is the second day of Hannakuh. Winter Solstice was Saturday/Sunday. Yuletide started yesterday. Kwanzaa starts Thursday. I’m not ready for any of it. And I have a cold. Which sucks. Seems like I’ve been sick every year for the past several. I should just be a Scrooge and hole up in my cave starting on the 1st of December so I’m not exposed to the masses. Oh. Wait. That was the Grinch. Anyway…

There was a week. Stuff happened. Nothing exciting, but stuff. Had some fun Stormageddon time. Picked him up from school on Monday and took him to an appointment, waiting until Baseball Boy could get there after school. Tuesday, Lawyer Guy, Only, and I had the postponed Thanksgiving lunch with Stormy at his school. Sadly, BB was giving finals so he couldn’t come. Friday night, Stormy came for dinner and Big Daddy Time (with LG) while Only and BB attended his faculty Christmas dinner. They did a fun thing–parking in the midtown garage by her new office (to be moved in totally after the first of the year), then catching the streetcar to Charleston’s Restaurant in Bricktown. The Thunder game let out the same time the dinner ended. They had to wait in line to ride the streetcar and then traffic getting out of downtown/midtown was a beast.

I did some book listening. Finished the two books available in Asa Maria Bradley’s Viking Warrior series. They had interesting worldbuilding and I liked the characters. The third one comes out next week. I’ll wait until it’s available to read for free. Then, wanting something in line with the season, I grabbed Margaret Mallory’s THE GIFT. It was short and sweet with a hunky Highlander and spunky Sassanach meeting up during the Yule season in Scotland. I’m currently listening to Heather Webber’s MIDNIGHT IN THE BLACKBIRD CAFE. It’s magical realism and I’m enjoying it a lot! I’ll probably finish it today. Have I mentioned that I love my library, Hoopla (which I get THROUGH my library), and my subscription to Audible Escape? Free books! Well, I pay for the subscription but I usually grab enough reads that they might as well be free because I should couldn’t afford to buy them all!

As for TV viewing, you’d think I’d be watching Christmas movies but not so much. Mostly, it’s been the LIVE PD franchise though I did catch the finals of THE MASKED SINGER. That show is my guilty pleasure, though I very seldom come even close to guessing who’s behind the mask. I watch for the amazing costumes, the crazy clues, and the incredible performances. I actually got two singers right this season! Seal (who can’t figure out his voice) was the Leopard and he played that character divinely! The final two came down to the Rottweiler and the Fox. The Rottie, who was runner-up, has the most pure and amazing voice! When he was revealed as Chris Daughtry, my mind was blown! I love Daughtry and have several of his/their albums! But I knew who the winner was. The multi-talented Wayne Brady was behind the Fox. That man can sing, dance, and act. I hope he puts out an album. I’ll totally save up my money to buy it!

Not much in the sports world right now. We’re two months away from pitcher/catcher and OU and OSU don’t play their bowls games until the end of the week. I’ll update them next Monday.

I did mention that Christmas is Wednesday? Having a holiday in the middle of the week always messes me up. Not quite so much now as it did when I worked outside my writer’s cave, but still!

Guess I’m down to my last topic…writing. I’m on track with FIGHTING FOR ELENA (Feb. 2020 release). It’s been edited, copyedited, and proofed. Now I need to add front and back matter, and write the darn blurb. I HATE writing blurbs. I might hate writing blurbs even more than I hate writing synopses. Ah well. Gotta be done.

I’ll leave you with one last thing: If you read and enjoy a self-published author, give them a gift this holiday season. Share your favorite read of theirs in social media. Give a copy to someone you think will enjoy it. And leave reviews on the book’s page at the on-line retailer and/or on Goodreads. Word of mouth, reviews, and getting a friend to share your love of a series go such a long way to help and support the authors you enjoy.

What’s up in your world?

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Friday Sinema: Stirling Silver Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Silver James

Y’all know I’m a huge Lindsey Stirling fan. Here’s one of her new videos perfect for this time of year, and it includes some of my favorite Christmas songs. Go forth and listen to the music that makes you happy this time of year!Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Gift

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Silver James

Christmas is next week. I mention Christmas because that’s what I celebrate. There are lots of holidays this time of year from lots of different religions and belief systems. We traditionally give gifts this time of year, in celebration of…take your pick. There are a lot of reasons given. There’s a lot of pressure to give gifts this time of year, and that can sap the joy right out of a body. But then the Universe reminded me of this:

Think of every single thing that you “have to” do to get through a day, Silver, as things you “get to” do, before “your turn” is over.

Everything’s a gift,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

You are my sunshine, Silver.

Each time I open my eyes to greet a new day, that’s a gift. Every time I get to say “I love you” to my family and friends, that’s a gift. And yeah, y’all are my sunshine. So thank you for that gift. Merry Christmas.

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Wednesday Words: Seeing Red

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, another set of words, all based on the Twitter #1lineWed theme. This week, it’s all about the red–red letters, red lines, red ink, red light…and that includes tail lights. This scene, from my upcoming Susan Stoker World book, FIGHTING FOR ELENA is fairly self-explanatory. I will say that Elena is a social worker and Joy…well, Joy belongs to Nate and Jacey Conner, from HUNTER’S MOON, though she didn’t arrive in their lives until BLUE MOON. Anyway…here ya go. 🙂
****
Living on the street leaves scars. Joy carried more than a few now. Still, it was better than being held by the Hell Dogs. Her brain told her to phone home but her heart believed what that scary guy had told her over and over. If she contacted her family or had contact with anyone who was a Wolf, her life and theirs would be over “just like that.” He’d snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. He’d kill everyone she loved in a nanosecond. She couldn’t risk it.

A police car drove slowly down the street and she ducked behind a stack of wooden pallets. She shrank lower to the ground as a spotlight swept both sides of the road. She caught the words spray-painted on a concrete barrier in the afterglow.

One day you’ll die.

The message was enough to suck the life right out of her. Shaking, she forced memories away—memories of a concrete and iron cell, of machines and men in white coats, of pain and terror. But then Nate came. Dad. That’s what she called him now. The big Wolf who’d rescued her, gave her a home, him and and his mate, Jacey. Mom. She’d do whatever it took to keep them safe. To keep Gracie safe. And Liam.

Her head insisted she call home, knowing everyone would be worried but her heart only wanted to keep them safe. The red taillights blinked out in the distance. She pushed to her feet and head down, she kept walking.

“Please don’t run again,” a woman’s voice whispered.

Warm fingers gripped her arm and she recognized the face belonging to the woman. She’d approached Joy on the River Walk and Joy had seen Hell Dogs coming. She’d taken off in a panic. She didn’t know this woman and couldn’t give her trust to that lady or anyone.

“Please. Stay and talk to me.” The woman spoke again. “My name is Elena.” Her voice was nice and had a very slight Mexican accent, like she’d grown up about Spanish speakers but spoke English first. “I work for DFPS.”

Joy blinked, her brow crinkling as she tried to work out what the initials stood for. She was from West Virginia. Or was before the Hell Dogs. That’s where her adopted family settled after Louisiana and Virginia. Bad people had been chasing them forever. Uncle Mac and Aunt Hannah, the leaders of their group, finally settled them in a little town in the mountains of West Virginia where the men didn’t have to hide what they were, where everybody knew the secrets and kept them.

As if reading her confusion, Elena explained. “The Department of Family and Protective Services. I work with kids, with runaways like you.”

“I’m not a runaway.” She wasn’t. Those men had scooped her up during a shopping trip to the mall in Raleigh.

“Do you have a home to go to?”

The lady was nice and persistent, but Joy didn’t have time for this. Any of it. She pulled against Elena’s hold. She had to get away. The Hell Dogs, they could sniff her out. That’s when she saw the bruise on the lady’s face.

“They did that to you.” She was positive. Elena had tried to come after her and the Hell Dogs got her. Had they done anything else?

“Those bikers who were chasing you? Yes. One of them punched me and then some real men came to help me. Like I’m coming to help you.”

Joy shook her head and tried to back away. “You don’t understand,” she whispered.

“I promise I can help you.”

“No one can help!”
****
And there’s the tie-in. Y’all might remember Joy from BLUE MOON, MOON SHOT, and from the little Christmas story I wrote a couple of years ago for “Tipsy Santa.” Joy is the catalyst that brings Elena, the heroine of FIGHTING FOR ELENA, and Pops, her hero, and chief of the Tarpley Texas Volunteer Fire Department. Pops is human with no ties–that he knows of–to the Wolves. Then Joy pops into his life. No pun intended. Much. The book comes out in February 2020 so there will be more hype coming. In the meantime, who else is “seeing red?”

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Tuesday Treats: Fuss-Free Ravioli Casserole

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Silver James

I love traditional holiday food–turkey and dressing, ham and marshmallow sweet potatos, and I get my fill between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. But in my family, we have a Christmas Eve tradition of Italian food. Spaghetti. Lasagna. Ravioli. And I found this quick-to-fix ravioli casserole that will just hit the spot this year.

Total Time: 1 Hr. 5 Min.
Prep Time: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 50 Min.
6 servings

Save yourself some stress with our Fuss-Free Ravioli Casserole Recipe. Our Fuss-Free Ravioli Casserole Recipe is the perfect mix of easy and cheesy.

What You Need
1-1/2 cups OLIVO by CLASSICO Traditional Pasta Sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated cheese ravioli, uncooked
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 375°F.
2 – Combine first 4 ingredients in 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Add ravioli; stir to coat. Cover.
3 – Bake 50 min. or until ravioli is tender.
4 – Top with cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted. Sprinkle with basil.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Size Wise: Enjoy your favorite foods while keeping portion size in mind.

Tip 2 – Note: You can also prepare this easy-to-make recipe using frozen ravioli – no need to thaw first.

Tip 3 – Serving Suggestion: Serve with a side green salad tossed with your favorite KRAFT Lite Dressing.

As always, click over to MY FOOD AND FAMILY for all the nutritional details. I was delighted to discover that mine is not the only family to indulge with Italian goodness during the holidays. Evidently, it’s a thing at the fire stations at DFW airport too. At least according to Kit Carson, the heroine of CRASH & BURN. She’s quite proud of introducing the tradition to the ARFFs of DFW. Good thing her mate, Homeland Security Agent Derek Alexander likes the way she cooks. 😉 If you’d like to read their story, you can grab it for free with Kindle Unlimited or buy it for a whole $2.99. Just click on the cover or the title to head on over to the ‘Zon to get your copy.

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Tis the Season of Mondays

Posted on December 16, 2019 by Silver James

How can December be half over? How can Christmas be TEN days away?!?! *FLAIL* Why am I asking rhetorical questions?

So, it’s Monday once again. There’s been a week since the last Monday. Stuff happened. Just like stuff will happen this week. Looking back, the big news is I FINISHED MY WIP!!!! Facebook peeps are aware. I figuratively typed THE END on Saturday. I let it sit until this morning. Today and tomorrow and maybe Wednesday are edits and then it’s off to my editor. I hope to have the cover art soon. A designer is doing all six covers in the Operation Alpha: Tarpley VFD series, along with a logo. I think the release date is February 18, 2020. I really like Pops and Elena and I have my hero and heroine for the 2021 set of books so yay.

In other news, I did the Jammie carpool gig several times. I enjoy spending time with Stormy and he had dinner with his Big Daddy and me twice. Fun.

I cleared off all the “ghost” shows on the DVR. I’m a sucker for them but I’m also pretty picky about what I watch. I’d DVR’d GHOST HUNTERS and GHOST NATION. It was fun because both groups went to new places. I still have a bunch on there but I’m making headway. And as always, LIVE PD and Real Crime Thursday. Also FIRST 48 is coming with new episodes in the new year. Yay!

I cut my hair. I do that about every 6 weeks. I wish I had the nerve to just get the clippers out and “shave” the back. I don’t. But it’s short from the scissor cut. And yes, I do it myself.

The Toyota commercial of the families asking strangers to help make a yellow ribbon from construction paper squares to welcome home a group of returning soldiers at the airport makes me all sniffly. I’m a sucker for homecoming stories, especially if kids and/or dogs are involved.

Speaking of, I can’t mention Walmart outloud anymore. Whenever I do, Jake gets all excited and runs into the Florida room and sits beside the hook holding his service dog vest. I made that mistake yesterday. I just needed to run in to get dogfood and I asked LG if he needed anything. I went to grab my purse and there was Jake. So…being the dog mom I am (and a totaly sucker for his Emmett Kelly face), I put him in his vest and we went to get a bag of dogfood. Then we stopped at Starbucks for a puppacino. I also order one for a big dog. The gal at the window asked how big. I rolled down the back windo and said, “About 100 pounds.” Instead of the usual tall cup of whipped cream, they brought out a giant “glass”–even bigger than my venit frappucino glass. We took some home to share with Boone. 😂

Listened to a fun little Christmas novella by Vi Kreeland and Penelope Ward, THE CHRISTMAS PACT. It was free with my Audible subscription. Great “meet cute” premise–two people in the same company with almost the same name: hers is Riley Kennedy, his is Kennedy Riley. The authors are new to me and I enjoyed the story. The JR Ward audio book WHERE WINTER FINDS YOU dropped. It was awesome! I also found a new-to-me paranormal series, Asa Maria Bradleys’ Viking Warriors. Interesting take on Norse mythology with nanotech and super soldiers.

I’ve done something to my left shoulder. It hurts like a mudder unless I constantly move it around. I can’t tell if it’s ligaments and cartilege or if I’ve popped it partially out of socket. I hope it fixes itself soon. The good news is, I can still type.

Navy beat Army. 😟 Bowl games start fairly soon though I only care about the OSU/Texas A&M and OU/LSU, which both happen after Christmas.

I keep thinking I’ve forgotten something I meant ot mention, but I can’t remember. I obviously need more coffee. It IS Monday afterall. What’s going on in your world?

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Friday Sinema: That Christmas Mood

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Silver James

It’s Friday the 13th. It’s also two weeks (or waaay less) until Christmas and I’m more Grinch than Rudolph. Which is bad luck for me. As a result, I went in search of a Christmas commercial to help put me in the mood. I got lucky instead and found a compilation of some of this year’s best foreign Christmas commercials. It starts with a dragon and ends with Oscar the Grouch. Take twenty or so minutes, sit back under a ladder with a favorite hot beverage and your favorite black cat (and a hanky), and enjoy. I’m totally smiling through my sniffles. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Futures

Posted on December 12, 2019 by Silver James

I’m staying away from social media. Which makes me sad, but rather that than so angry or hurt that I taste blood as I bite my tongue or fall further into depression because…why bother. What a person says and does matters. Sticks and stones–and bullets–break bones and dammit, words hurt just as much. This Note from the Universe dropped into my inbox recently. I can only control myself so for this Christmas season and beyond, I plan to do my level best to keep this in the back of my mind and act on it.

If you knew for absolute certain, Silver, that every little thing you did today would later be scrutinized, literally moment by moment, by a future you, and future friends, as well as anyone else interested, and you’d all be looking for a number of qualities, especially patience, kindness, and love, during this game of games and test of tests called life, how might you treat the very next person you see after reading this Note?

Yeah,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®
Popcorn, anyone? Twizzlers, Silver? Ooh, watch… Ahhhhh…!

I normally try to tie the message imparted by the Big U into writing. Today, however, I want the message to impact real life, not the made-up lives of characters in books. Though, I’ve always maintained that there’s a lot to be learned from reading romances–for both sides of the aisle. Now I need to make a grocery run. I’m low on popcorn, Twizzlers, and dog treats. Oh. And coffee. I’m definitely going to need coffee if I’m going to find my patience, kindness, and love.

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Wednesday Words: Feeling Blue

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, another #1lineWed prompt. Whether your between the devil and deep blue sea, or once in a blue moon, or…in the case of this snippet, cussing a blue streak, there are blue words to be had. I may have posted part of this snippet but it’s been edited some. It’s toward the beginning of NIGHT WISH, which is Jen and Wizard’s story, and is the lead-in to their first meeting.
****
Gathering my full skirt, I managed to get out of my Tornado Red VW Beetle convertible. He had all the bells and whistles except for the iconic vase attached to the dash. I’d wanted that totally adorable accessory but when I bought him, that option was no longer available. All but brand new, my boy was cute. And sporty. And had been my first step toward the new me. At least the new me I hoped I’d become. Except…yeah. One month after I bought him, VW announced they’d no longer be manufacturing the Beetle.

Best laid plans and all that horse pucky. Head high, I headed inside. A line of people waited at the check-out where a kid who looked like he might be in high school worked the cash register. I headed toward the back of the store and the door marked RESTROOMS. I had to wait on the handicap stall to have room enough to wrestle my stupid skirt.

Once done, I perused the shelves, gathering up snacks as I passed until I, at last, stared at the glass door of the cooler. Did I want a Monster Sunrise or a Java Monster Vanilla Light? Neither really went with the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos I clutched in my hand. Maybe I’d get that giant Diet Coke. But I was getting ice cream too. The Java Monster went with ice cream. But so did the Coke.

The bell on the Gas-N-Go’s door dinged but I didn’t turn around.

“Gimme all the money!”

I froze. Turning slowly, I peeked around the end of the aisle. The teenage clerk was ghost pale. Two men stood at the checkout counter. They both held guns. That’s when I realized the clerk and I were the only ones in the place. I must have been staring too hard because one of the men saw me and yelled, “Get over here.”

I got over there. That was a freaking big pistol in his hand.

“What the fuck?” the other guy said, getting a load of my pink bridesmaid dress. My sentiments exactly. I’d never used that word but I sure thought it hard the first time I’d tried on this thing.

“Just do what they say,” I said softly, my eyes on the scared clerk. “It’s going to be fine.”

Except it wasn’t. I recognized the moment they saw the video cameras. And they realized they weren’t wearing masks. One leaped up on the counter, fisted his hands in the clerk’s shirt and slammed his pistol into the kid’s face. Over and over. Blood spurted and the boy cried out.

“Stop it!’ I yelled at the man and lunged, totally ignoring the one holding his gun on me. He grabbed me around the waist and slammed me into a display stand. I grabbed his wrist and sank my teeth in, all the while clawing at his eyes and face. He cussed a blue streak and let go of my waist. I raised a leg and tried to kick him but my feet tangled in my stupid dress and I went down hard instead. A gun went off and something hot whizzed past my cheek. I saw stars and couldn’t hear for the ringing in my ears. I blinked until my vision cleared enough to see a guy in leather burst through the door and all hell broke loose.

Both men turned to face the new threat, raising their guns. A spray of blood splattered my face and I couldn’t see again. That’s what happens when you squeeze your eyes shut. And though I couldn’t see, I could hear. Screams. Growls. Cloth ripping. Gunshots. So many gunshots.

Then it was over.

My ears, still ringing from that first gunshot, registered no sound, the silence as scary as the previous noise. Something brushed across my face. Fingers. Then something raspy like napkins. I opened one eye and could see so I opened the other. A man squatted in front of me. And not just any man. A man who took my breath away. Dark hair, chiseled features. A male model of a man only…rugged. Rough. Real. I had to be dreaming.

“Time to go, Pink.”

Who was I to argue with a man wearing wolf eyes?
****
Anyone have blue words to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Warm Winter Lemon Cake

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Silver James

Easy to put together, warm and yummy with a hint of summer lemon to be savored on a cold, winter day. Also a good addition to holiday get-togethers and/or potlucks.

Time: 1 Hr 35 Min
Prep: 15 Min
Cook: 1 Hr 20 Min

Warm up even the chilliest of evenings with our Warm Winter Lemon Cake. Warm Winter Lemon Cake is a citrusy burst of delight that will get you all cozy.

What You Need
1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups cold milk
1-1/4 cups water
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350ºF.
2 – Prepare cake batter as directed on package; pour into 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
3 – Beat dry pudding mixes, granulated sugar, milk and water with whisk 2 minutes; pour over batter in dish. Place baking dish on rimmed baking sheet. (Baking sheet will catch any sauce that might bubble over sides of dish as dessert bakes.)
4 – Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. (Sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.) Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: For stronger lemon flavor, add the zest and juice from 1 lemon to pudding mixture before pouring over batter in baking dish.

Tip 2 – Special Extra: Serve topped with fresh raspberries.

Tip 3 – Substitute: Prepare using JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding.

Tip 4 – How to Store
Refrigerate any leftover cake.

For all the nutritional stuffs, CLICK HERE. This recipe doesn’t come from any of the heroines today. Nope. It comes from a woman who’s birthed more babies than most, who’s even older than the dirt I come from, and who takes no guff from anyone. She’s also one of my favorite characters. Granny Mae is the wise woman of Blaidd’s Gap, West Virginia, where the Wolves of the 69th seek refuge. She knows the value of a tried and true dessert to enjoy on a chilly winter’s eve and serves up this warm winter lemon cake with a taste of summer to keep a body cozy. Add a cup of coffee and it’s definitely yummers. You can read all about Granny Mae and a final chapter of the Wolves and their families in MOON SHOT. I’d suggest reading all the Moonstruck books first so you know who the players are and why they end up where they end up. But if you just can’t wait to meet Granny Mae, just click on the cover or the title. Free to read with Kindle Unlimited or buy it for your keeper shelf for $2.99 from Amazon.

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