Ghost Week Monday

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Silver James

I ❤ this meme. Sadly, the doggos and humans and one cat all look like this today. The other cat? Well, Loki is named Loki for a reason. He's zooming around 90 to nothing. It's cold and dark out there. And Monday. 😬

Update time. There was a weekend. There was World "Serious" baseball and college football. (…Ahahahha. 🤣 Uopon edit, I'd typed bootball! Very apropos.) I’ll come back to this. There was listening to books, TV viewing, and general laziness. There was no writing, socialness, or anything else that might redeem my general malaise. I love that word. We don’t use it enough, unless one happens to write historical romance, which I don’t. Anyway…

Okay. Sports. The Astros were down 2-0 at home before the Series moved to the Nationals’ home turf. Houston swept Washington 3-0 so the series returns to Houston Tuesday with the ‘Stros up 1 game, with 2 games to go in the best of 7 series. That means they could win it tomorrow night, or it could stretch to 7 games. Against all odds, OSU won and OU lost. Go figure! The Cowboy defense woke up and were instrumental in the 34-27 win over 23-ranked Iowa State. On the other hand, OU’s defense couldn’t seem to get it together and a bad call on a last ditch on-side kick left the #5 Sooners at a 48-41 loss to unranked Kansas State (hence my Bootball Freudian typo). Yeah, that’ll burn as OU drops in the rankings. Ah well. It’s a crazy year in the college ranks. Oh, and the STL Blues beat the Red Wings, not that I’m a huge NHL fan, but I do enjoy the occasional hockey game and the Blues are my team. Moving on…

Daylight Savings time arrives this coming weekend. *FLAIL* I hate DST with eye-stabby, red-hot, drink-vinegar passion.

Cats. We have a new black feral kitten and possible a second charcoal gray one. I’ve only gotten a good look at the black and he was out of sight when I glimpsed the gray under the holly bushes. I’d love to catch them and get them to my vet. He has a lady who loves black cats and would take the whole colony if I could catch them. Sadly, while they are less skittish, I still can’t get close enough to catch and they won’t even use the cat house with the warm bed despite the almost freezing temps. No way I could entice them to a cattrap. Loki has a new/old trick. He used to “spidercat” up the side of the bed under the chenille bedspread. With fall, out came the much heavier microsqede comforter. It confounded him for a time. This week, he’s discovered he can still “hide.” Only he waits until Jake is on the bed getting pets then he sneaks up under the covers. Poor Jake.

Cleaned out some of the DVR stash. We’re doing ghost shows because…Halloween week! I don’t think we’re giving out candy though. It’s going to be cold and we’re old and grumpy. I’ll leave the LED lights that line the porch off and we won’t answer the door. We’ve had fewer and fewer kids each year and 95% of them are from out-of-neighborhood. Plus, Lawyer Guy and I don’t need the temptation.

Speaking of, I hit a weight this weekend that I haven’t seen in at least 10 years. I’ve lost almost 20 pounds in the past year and my knees are thanking me! I’d love to lose another 20 this year. Being old is one thing. Being old and fat totally sucks.

I’m doing a relisten to Kristen Ashley’s Rock Chick series. I swear I get so mad and eye-rolly at the characters and in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, “WHY?!?!?! Why am I reading this!?!?!” But I keep reading because it’s totally guilty-pleasure reading crack. Y’all know what this means, right? Yeah…I’ll probably roll over into her Mystery Man series, followed by Choas, followed by the Honey Club. Unless something new from another favorite series comes out, necessitating a reread of that series. Yeah, I’m weird like that. Reading 250 books a year with a brain that resembles Swiss cheese, I forget plots so its almost like reading a book for the first time.

Okay, the sky is turning gray now. That means the sun is out there somewhere. Time to truly face Monday. Right after another cup of coffee. How was your weekend and how much caffeine will you need to get through today?

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Friday Sinema: Meet First

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Silver James

I get more confused this time of year than usual. Y’all know I hate time changes, expecially when it’s dark and rainy. Two days in a row, I’m up at 8 instead of 6. Crazy. Anyway, I alwso forget to set up the blog yesterday so here. Have a bit of country inspiration and a little early “shirts off Saturday” to boot. I’ve never heard this singer but he’s going on my list for sure. Have a good weekend. And yes, there’s a book in this idea. Eventually. 😏

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Footprints

Posted on October 24, 2019 by Silver James

Sometimes, I get an idea for a book, one that is straight. Straight mystery. Straight thriller. Straight science fiction. Straight fantasy. I’ve even had ideas for westerns, historical fiction, and horror. But when I start to write something “straight,” I always get sidetracked. Maybe, this message from the Universer is why…

Do you know why, Silver, it’s so easy for us in the unseen to quickly pinpoint your whereabouts?

You leave behind footprints of love.

Aw-w-w-w,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

“The expedition’s last confirmed sighting was in Oklahoma, the legend of BIGFOOT continues.”

Even Louis L’Armour wrote romance into his books. As did Ian Fleming. Tony Hillerman. Andre Norton. Those are the authors I read as a kid/young adult. So…yeah. The Universe is right. I guess I do leave footprints of love with each book I write. Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing at all. And no, I will NOT write a Bigfoot romance. Unless y’all want one… 😏

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Wednesday Words: Gone Hunting

Posted on October 23, 2019 by Silver James

It’s that time of year on #1lineWed on Twitter. Witch HUNT. Man HUNT. HUNTer’s moon. Scavenger HUNT. Treasure HUNT. HUNT down. HUNT and peck. HUNT club. The WILD Hunt. Good Will HUNTing. HUNT for Red October. In case you haven’t figured it out, the THEME for the day is **HUNT**. This is a snippet about an unnamed character who will likely make an appearance in a Moonstruck Wolf book. All I know is that he’s a bounty hunter. And he has a thing for cute. 😊
****
“Puck!”

I halted. Had I heard right?

“Puck, come!”

A teenager trotted through the park, yelling the word I’d misunderstood. Her hoodie fell back. She wasn’t a youngster after all, just short. Even in the boots she wore, she’d barely come to my chest.

A bark floated on the breeze. The woman whirled, listening. Figuring out the general direction, she jogged off. I followed, way too curious for my own good. I was here on business. Still, I couldn’t resist.

“Where are you, Puck?” she yelled and then muttered, “Stupid dog.” If I hadn’t been a Wolf, I’d never have heard that last bit.

Standing downwind, I caught the scent of a burning match—acrid and sulfurous. She was frustrated. Hands on hips, she surveyed the area. She stiffened, as if sensing my presence, then turned to face me. I stood loose, hands at my side, totally nonthreatening—well as nonthreatening as a 6’4” bounty hunter could look.

“Puck?” I didn’t hide my grin.

“My dog. He got loose.” She wasn’t intimidated. That boded well for future interactions and now that I got a decent look at her, there would be plenty of those.

“I can help you hunt for him.” I’d barely made the offer when a heat-seeking missile hit me from the side. I went down like an NFL lineman had targeted me—and got a face full of black fur, tongue and drool. I griped the sides of his face and pushed.

“Get off!”

Was she yelling at me or the damn dog? And why did everything that came out of her mouth make me think of sex?
“Puck this,” I growled, showing my wolf. The dog growled back.

“Don’t hurt him!”

I didn’t take my eyes off the slobberbeast. Evidently, he was too dumb to be afraid of a predator. “You talking to him or me?”

That got me a giggle and I glanced up at her and I got my first close-up look. Her heart-shaped face was the perfect frame for a little turned-up nose, the full lips of her mouth, and blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. Fuck me but she was cute.

“Since you’re acting like my dog is going for your throat, you.”

“Me?” I fought back a grin. “He’s the one with teeth and eying my throat.”

“You outweigh him by a hundred pounds, are twice his size, and he’s a Newfie. They don’t do throats. They beat people to death wagging their tails.”

She had a point. Bending only slightly—she was short and the dog was big, she clipped a leash to his collar and hauled him off me. I shoved off the ground and brushed away the dried grass and leaves that my jeans had collected when I hit the ground.

“I apologize,” she said. “What can I do to make up for Puck’s bad behavior?”

Mesmerized by her mouth, I said what was rattling around in my head. “Kiss me.”

I wasn’t sure who was more surprised when she did.
****
So that’s my hunting story. Do you have any hunt words to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Bite-Size Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Silver James

Salted caramel is a favorite flavor, especially this time of year. These seem like they’re complicated to make but in actuality, it’s a fairly easy receipe. I betcha can’t eat just one! 😊

Total Time: 3 Hr. 5 Min.
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 2 Hr. 45 Min.
24 servings
Prepare these Bite-Size Salted Caramel Cheesecakes for some teeny, tiny and tasty treats. Find out more about these delicious cheesecake bites today!

What You Need
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1-1/2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (12 oz.), softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
12 KRAFT Caramels
1 Tbsp. milk

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 325°F.
2 = Combine graham crumbs, brown sugar, 1/4 tsp. salt and butter; press onto bottoms of 24 paper-lined mini muffin cups.
3 – Beat cream cheese and granulated sugar in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Add egg; beat just until blended. Spoon into muffin cups, adding about 1 Tbsp. cream cheese batter to each.
4 – Bake 15 min. or until centers of cheesecakes are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 1 hour.
5 = Place caramels in small heatproof bowl. Add milk and 1/4 tsp. of the remaining salt. Place over pan of boiling water, making sure boiling water does not touch bottom of bowl. Cook until caramels are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.
6 – Drizzle about 1 tsp. caramel sauce over each cheesecake; sprinkle with remaining salt. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Size Wise: Balance out your food choices throughout the day so you can enjoy a taste of cheesecake in one of these portion-controlled desserts.

Tip 2 – Note: These creamy cheesecakes can be refrigerated up to 24 hours before drizzling with caramel sauce and sprinkling with remaining salt. Refrigerate 1 hour as directed.

Tip 3 – How to Customize the Caramel Sauce: Spicy Caramel Sauce: Stir 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne) into the prepared sauce before drizzling over cheesecakes. Pumpkin Spice Caramel Sauce: Stir 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice into the prepared sauce before drizzling over cheesecakes. Smoky Sweet Caramel Sauce: Stir 1/4 tsp. smoked chili powder into the prepared sauce before drizzling over cheesecakes. Chocolate-Caramel Sauce: Add 2 Tbsp. milk chocolate chips to the caramels and milk before microwaving as directed. White Chocolate-Caramel Sauce: Add 2 Tbsp. white chocolate chips to the caramels and milk before microwaving as directed.

Tip 4 – Substitute: Prepare using coarse sea salt. (I’m all about the sea salt! Just sayin’…)

Y’all know the drill. CLICK HERE for all the nutrional details over at My Food & Family. Amy Rouse-Harjo is a good friend, a herder of cats (and alpha men), lover of cheese cake–AND salted caramel. She makes these treats whenever there’s a boys’ night out and the Moonstruck wives get together for RomCom movies and gabbing. Married to Colonel Joshua Harjo, she’s still something of a den mother. First introduced in HUNTER’S MOON, you can read Amy and Harjo’s love story in BRIDE’S MOON. Just click on the title or the cover to head over to Amazon. You can read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

What about y’all? Are you a fan of salted caramel? Cheesecake? This time of year? My Moonstruck books? 😉

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Falling into Monday

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Silver James

There was a weekend. The problem with ignoring the weekend is that when I wake up Monday morning feeling guilty about all the stuff I needed to do and didn’t, I feel quilty. Which sort of negates the whole “take the weekend off” thing. Anyway, there was a weekend. I ignored things–mostly–and now I’m getting a late start on Monday. I do have reasons though.

Friday afternoon, Stormageddon arrived. We hit baseballs. We watched cartoons. We hit baseballs. We had dinner. We watched cartoons (Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego). Only and Baseball Boy got caught up in the stuff they were doing and Only didn’t arrive until almost 11:00 p.m. Lawyer Guy had to be up early Saturday for a day trip for the American Legion. I had OKRWA.

My RWA chapter meeting was Saturday. After a bit of a SNAFU at the Legion Post where we normally meet (it got double-booked with a wedding and the wedding party needed the whole place for two days), we ended up meeting in a nearby church fellowship hall. We held our annual monster story contest, which I managed to enter this year. I didn’t win but I thought it was a cute story, it might evolve into at least a novella, and it meant I actually wrote something. That was followed by our program–appropriately on haunted places and legends in Oklahoma. It was fun.

Then I met Only halfway between her house and ours because BB was still doing his tourguide thing with a group of Catholic educators (he teaches at a private Catholic high school) and Only had her girl posse birthday party planned. I’d been notified that LG was back early and he’d relieved her of Stormy duty. Which was probably a good thing. The kid was on a tear. I got home. We hit baseballs to give Big Daddy a rest. Then we read for 35 minutes. He has to read X number of hours a week. Even in kindergarden. I think this is awesome! Then we decided on a dinner, and we watched baseball until time for bed. He was up and dressed by 7:30 on Sunday morning. He dug a fire pit in the back yard and lined it with old brick so the fire couldn’t get out. Then he used a stick and a pit of clay pot as his iron and flint to “start” the fire. The kid definitely has an imagination. His parents finally arrived around 11:30, admired the fire pit, listened to the funny stories, and skedaddled. LG and I napped. All that excitement wore us out! 🤣

iPhone updated. It now has “Memojis”–emojis that can be customized to look like “me.” I did that because…procrastination. I’ve since discovered that I can use my memoji as an emoji. Me with my head exploding is a favorite!!!!

NaNoWriMo is about 2 weeks away. I have the book I’m going to write–HAVE to write–more or less ready to start. It releases in February as part of a six-book miniseries set in one of Susan Stoker’s worlds. It HAS to get written no, ifs, ands or buts because it’s the first book in the series. Yikes! My brain has to get in gear. Speaking of, that’s a big mental push this week. To get unstuck.

I’m not talking about my OSU Cowboys. It’s too sad. OU is doin’ good though so there’s that. Scary moment, though, when the Sooner Schooner overturned on the field after a touchdown! Ponies and people are all fine. I will watch the World Series. Nationals and Astros. While I’m a National League girl, I gotta root for the Astros.

I finished my re-listen of Kristen Ashley’s Colorado Mountain series. KA is one of my catnip authors. I think I’ll jump ino her Rock Chicks next.

And that’s my life. Time for more coffee. A whole pot of it! What’s up in your life?

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Friday Sinema: Bell, Book & Candle

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Silver James

Halloween is coming. And Lawyer Guy noticed that one of my all-time favorite movies was on so he DVRd it for me. When I was searching for something to post today, I decided to plug the title into Youtube search bar and this is one of the videos that popped up. Not only are these some great scenes, but they’re set to a favorite Sinatra song, and the title of the first book in my Penumbra Papers series. So settle in for some of THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC and enjoy. Do you have a favorite classic movie? Share! And have a great weekend.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Release

Posted on October 17, 2019 by Silver James

Waaaay back in the day, we used to put inspirational posters up on our walls. Or posters of a hot rock star (looking at you Mark Lindsey of Paul Revere and the Raiders). Farrah Fawcett in that tank suit…(the guys anyway…) In college, the one I remember had a butterfly perched on a femimine hand and this message: If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. If it doesn’t, it never was. Lord but that poser got the lot of us through a bunch of break ups. When I read today’s message from the Universe, that’s the first thing I thought of.

Honor them, love them, help them, heal them, but above all else, Silver, free them.

Everyone, of course –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

They’ll return, Silver, one day, somewhere, over the rainbow or in times without space. And then they’ll show you all the “pictures” they took, play some weird music, and finally… they’ll thank you. Crazy love.

My second thought? This is what if feels like to write a book, send it out into the world, and worry that no one will love it as much as you do. Yeah. I feel like this each and every time. Every once in awhile, I’ll get a surprise from “my babies.” A fan email. A good review. A “Oh! I’ve read one of your books!” I’m still waiting for the pictures. (I once mentioned that I’d love to a Goodreads review with gifs and fan art and photos of fan picks of the main characters.) Anyway. I need to work on getting a few books ready to fly. I’ll get right on that.

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Wednesday Words: A Touch of Frost

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Silver James

The FROST is on the pumpkin and the FROSTing is on the cake. I hope it isn’t a pumpkin cake. Not that I have anything against pumpkin. Except maybe pumpkin spice hummus. Don’t ask. Anyway. It’s Wednesday and the #1lineWed theme is **FROST**. In all the WIPs and published books that I have, I only found a touch of FROST. Here’s a scene from NIGHT FALL. The heroine, Shy, is at breakfast with the old ladies when they’re supposed to be on lock down. Something’s wrong and nothing will keep Shy from riding to Gravedigger’s rescue.
****
Shy
THE SOUND OF Harley pipes saved me. We all craned our necks to look out the window to see who was coming. It was one of the guys from the gate and two older bikers I didn’t recognize. The old ladies exchanged worried looks.

“That’s Hoss and Deadhead with Booker,” Ginger said. “If the Topeka prez is here, something big is going down and the guys were serious about us being on lock down.” Her gaze fell back on me, and the others followed suit.

“Gotta be the Hell Dogs.” Sam’s blue eyes were coated in frost. “I hope they find those bastards and wipe them off the face of the earth.”

Something twisted in my gut and I wanted to vomit. Hate. So much hate. And anger. I looked up, sweat beading on my upper lip as I fought back nausea. The old ladies weren’t paying me any attention now, their eyes glued to the front door. Not them. This feeling wasn’t coming from them.

I gagged, drawing their attention again. I managed to choke out, “Bathroom?”

Lainey pointed toward a dark hallway. “I’ll come with—”

I slapped my hand over my mouth and bolted, disappearing into the shadows as the two big bikers walked through the entrance. I saw the illuminated exit sign and didn’t even slow down. It wasn’t alarmed—thank God—and I was out in the sunshine before I stopped to think.

Gravedigger. I had to get to him. Whatever was cramping my stomach had to do with him. His injury maybe? I wasn’t sure. I was sure of only one thing—he was hurt and I had to get to him. I looked around for a car to steal. Nothing. Creeping to the front corner of the diner, I checked the parking lot. The prospect called Booker stood next to his bike, his eyes glued to the door of Momma’s. I noticed two things: he had a pistol and the keys to his bike were still in the ignition.

I came in hard and fast. The kid never had a chance. Taking him by surprise, I put him on the ground, disarmed him, and was straddling his Harley before he could roll over. I was halfway down the block before the others erupted from the front door. Part of me felt bad for Booker. He’d be disciplined, but if he wanted to be an outlaw biker, he’d take it.

Me? If I survived this insanity, I’d probably be in the same cell with him. I didn’t care. My old man needed me, and there wasn’t a damn thing anyone could do to stop me from getting to him.

Somehow, I knew exactly where he was. Not the address or anything, just the direction. It was like a pulse in my head—turn here, drive fast, turn left, drive faster. I sensed that the Hummer and the Nightriders from the diner were on my tail. Didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except getting to Gravedigger.
****
And since this book is now available almost everywhere, I’m posting a link to NIGHT FALL here, and the cover because I love Digger’s eyes. Just sayin’… Click title or cover for the universal buy link. Have any frosty words to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie

Posted on October 15, 2019 by Silver James

Days are getting shorter. Fall harvest goods are hitting the stores. Want to make your house smell amazing? And have something totally ooey-gooey yummy to eat at the same time? And something that’s as easy as slicing apples? This is the dessert for you!

Total Time: 1 Hr. 40 Min.
Prep Time: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 1 Hr. 25 Min.
8 Servings

Stop trying to decide what’s for dessert and combine two crowd-pleasing favorites: make a Cinnamon Roll-Apple Pie. The joy of Cinnamon Roll-Apple Pie is simple: premade cinnamon rolls become the crust for a delicious mix of granny smiths and pudding mix—yum!

What You Need

2 cans (17.5 oz. each) refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing, divided
3 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350°F.
2 – Separate Cinnamon Rolls. Place 6 rolls in single layer on bottom of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray; press to flatten and completely cover bottom and side of pie plate. Reserve remaining cinnamon rolls and Icing for later use. Bake crust 10 min.; cool slightly.
3 – Toss apples with dry pudding mix and cinnamon; spoon into cinnamon roll crust.
4 – Press remaining cinnamon rolls into 5-inch rounds. Place around outer rim of pie plate, leaving opening in center to allow steam to escape. Press edges of rolls together to cover filling and to seal to edge of bottom crust as shown in photo.
5 – Bake 40 to 45 min. or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Cool slightly.
6 – Drizzle with reserved icing as desired before serving.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Sprinkle lightly with additional ground cinnamon before serving.
My Tip – Extra Special Extra: Serve with a scoop of cinnamon vanilla ice cream.

Y’all know the drill by now. CLICK HERE to head over to My Food & Family for all the nutritional details. Sometimes, a body wants something different. Something easy. Something…fallish when the crisp days of Indian Summer fade into cool fall nights And everyone knows that cinnamon rolls are a turn-on for guys. And girls. Just ask Celie Monaghan, mate of alpha Wolf Rhys Kendric. When the blackjacks start to turn in the Hill Country of Texas, Celie’s thoughts turn to comfort food that’s easy to make, yummy to eat and will keep her Wolf happy. If you’d like to read BLOOD & FIRE, a fated mate story of mistaken identity, you can grab it for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription or buy it to keep for $2.99. Just click on the title or the cover. This is a stand-alone novel set in the Moonstruck world.

What about y’all? Does the scent of apples and cinnamon rolls baking in the oven make your mouths water?

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