Thursday Thoughts: Universal Backstory

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Silver James

We’re halfway through April. It snowed this week. Always easier to social distance when the weather is yucky. But it’s April!?!? And being April, if I have any chance of meeting writing goals this year, I have to start shaking my tailfeathers.

When it comes to creating characters, one of the things the author needs to know is their backstory. I had a writing coach once say that you want to unveil a character’s history like you peel an onion–one layer at a time, and less is always better. Me? I love onions but I got the point. Often, I delude myself into thinking I know a character and then…BOOM! I discover I don’t know jack. I love when that happens. Many, MANY ❤ ❤ <3! Today's message from the Universe, while it totall works for people, also works for writers when they are deciding how much to reveal about a character.

Silver, what if today you could wipe the slate clean, start over, and write your own ticket?

No. Wait. Let’s change that. What if every day you could wipe the slate clean, start over, and write your own ticket?

How many days would have to go by before you discovered that your “slate” and your “ticket” have nothing to do with each other? That your past need not live in your future?

Your absolute freedom and total power lie in the present moment.

Tallyho, The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, every day we write the ticket for the rest of our lives, and the past only matters when we decide to include it.

See what I mean? Writers, how do you decide how much of a character’s history to include? Readers, how much do you want to know? I gotta say, just like us, characters should have their secrets too. 😉

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Wednesday Words: Don’t Tax Yourself

Posted on April 15, 2020 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, another set of words. Gosh, it’s April 15th. Tax day. Obviously, the word prompts had to jump on the bandwagon. 😆 Today’s snippet contains new words. About Rudy. As part of the bridge between BRIDE’S MOON and ROGUE MOON. A lot happened to Rudy between his rescue from that Bosnian castle in BLOOD MOON and the events in ROGUE MOON–13 years worth of things. Do y’all ever wonder where I sometimes get ideas? Well, this scene started out with only 250 words from one writing prompt. Then I added 437 more words using today’s #1lineWed prompt. You never know what inspires. I’ll take whatever I can get! In the meantime, this snippet is fairly self-explanatory.
****
The voice on the cell phone faded in and out. As a Wolf, Rudy didn’t have to strain to hear it. Male. Faint trace of an accent. Not really a twang, or nasal, nor a drawl, more…mid-Atlantic. Interesting. He had a good ear for both accents and voices. This one didn’t sound familiar. And that concerned him. He’d been off the grid for ten years. This anonymous caller should not have been able to track him. This morning? He found a bag at his hotel door—a burner cell phone that rang as soon as he opened the package. He answered without speaking.

“I know who you are. Why you do what you do.” The sound of heavy breathing, like the caller had been running. “Things are going south.”

As much as he wanted to ask questions, Rudy remained silent. Was that statement a euphemism? Or a statement of fact? Odd this call would come now, when he was relocating.

“You need to watch your back. People are looking for you.”

What else was new? He made mental check marks on the list he carried in his head. Assassins. Several intelligence agencies. The American military. Those were just the ones off the top.

“I’ll do what I can to muddy your trail. But just a word to the wise? Go north. Or west. Or Australia.”

Rudy held his tongue until the phone clicked in his ear and the hum of silence replaced the open connection. He disassembled the phone, crushing the guts of it, and flushing that part down the toilet. The case would be discarded a piece at a time at highway speed once he hit the road. He really wanted a shower but doubted he had time. Opening a zippered pocket of his backpack, he pulled out the wad of cash—all untaxable and untraceable. He rifled the stack of bills and did a quick calculation of the amount. It was enough to get him to his next stash. It had to be.

Pulling on jeans, he shoved his feet into motorcycle boots and stomped down to seat them. Money shoved in the pocket and belt buckled, he snagged a black T-shirt and jerked it on over his head. Time to go.

He’d learned in his years on the run there were only two things that were inevitable for a man like him. Taxes didn’t make the list. Getting caught and getting dead? Totally did. Packed, he grabbed a wet towel from the bathroom and wiped down every surface in the room. He also stripped the bed and grabbed the towels, rolling them into a bundle.

Check out the window, he watched and waited. A Wolf, he was a patient hunter. Minutes ticked by. He picked up the sound of the hotel maid knocking a couple of doors down. Nothing moved in the parking lot or in the buildings across the way. Time to go. He slipped out and dumped his laundry in the maid’s cart. After trotting down the stairs, he stopped and waited again. A few travelers came out of their rooms and either walked to office or jumped into their vehicles and took off.

Deciding the coast was clear, he strolled to his car, tossed his duffel into the back seat and his backpack into the front passenger seat. Settling in the driver’s seat, he buckled up, backed out and drove away. A few miles away, he pulled into the drive-thru at a fast food place. While waiting in line to pick up his order, he pulled a map from the glove box, spread it out, and with his eyes closed, stabbed his index finger onto it.

Opening his eyes, he studied the spot pinpointed by his finger. And smiled.

New Orleans. It appeared that things were, indeed, going south.
****
And that’s how Rudy ended up in New Orleans. Where, in a few years time, he’ll be reunited the Wolves of the 69th and meet the woman guaranteed to make him moonstruck. 😉 What about y’all? Got any taxing words to share? Have you finished your taxes? We have an extension here in the States but Lawyer Guy got them in last weekend so we’re all good. Happy Hump Day. Keep writing and/or reading. Just remember, hiding in a book is a great way to social distance. 😉

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Tuesday Treats: Quick Fix Beef Burrito Skillet

Posted on April 14, 2020 by Silver James

Apparently, I’ve shared this recipe before but I’m doing it again. Why? because I have leftover corn tortillas that I need to do something with. This recipe popped up and lo and behold, I had a pic of it in my files. Just goes to show that my memory is…well…short. 🤣 Anyway, this is pretty darn yummy and can be made with stuff out of the pantry and freezer.

Total Time: 30 Minutes from prep to putting it on the table
4 servings

Enjoy the savory deliciousness of a beef burrito with the simplicity of a skillet dish—and do it in 30 minutes or less!

What You Need
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1 oz.) TACO BELL® Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (15.5 oz.) no-salt-added red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup TACO BELL® Thick & Chunky Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 large green onion, chopped
(TACO BELL® and Logo are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp.)

Let’s Make It
1 – Brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium heat; drain. Return meat to skillet.
2 – Add next 4 ingredients; stir. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min.
3 – Stir in tortilla pieces; top with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.
4 – Top with sour cream and onions.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Variation: Prepare using extra-lean ground beef, KRAFT Mexican Style 2% Milk Finely Shredded Four Cheese, and BREAKSTONE’S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream.

Tip 2 – Special Extra: Add more of your favorite Mexican-style toppings, such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and/or chopped avocados, before serving.

As always, CLICK HERE for all the nutritional details. Once again, it’s one of my Wolves raising his hand to volunteer. MSGT Hawkins “Hawk” Greenwood, the hero ofRESCUE MOON, says he whips up a skillet of this all the time. Of course, if his heroine and mate, Dana Peterson, is hungry, she has to grab her share first. 😉 Dana, an anthropologist and former prep school teacher, was kidnapped by a Mexican drug cartel. Hawk was sent by the government to save her, with a little help from CPT “Ghost” Bryson’s Delta Force team, part of Susan Stoker’s Operation Alpha series. If you haven’t read their exciting story, grab RESCUE MOON now. Read it free with Kindle Unlimited, or $2.99 if you want it for your keeper shelf. It’s also available in paperback. Just sayin’… 🙂

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What Do You Mean it’s Monday?

Posted on April 13, 2020 by Silver James

Uhm…oops? Today is Monday. Yesterday was Easter. That means it was Sunday. But I took a nap. And then it was time for Chinese takeout from our favorite small place (which is closing for a week because they need a break and a resupply for takeout containers) and we’re 🤞 they reopen. Young couple, new restaurant, tough times! Anyway, I totally blanked on setting up today’s blog. Ah, well.

There was a week. I did a little writing. VERY little. I’m considering digging out a book that I always thought was good enough to publish but it was written so long ago, it would lose in translation if I tried to update it as a contemporary and it’s not a “historical in the since it’s…historical. Anyway, I’m debating about posting a chapter a week here on the site as a way to say thanks to my readers. It’s a suspense with a touch of romance. Opinions? 📚

We dropped by the kids’ house yesterday to take Easter stuffs for Stormy, b-day stuffs for Baseball Boy, and since I didn’t want to leave Only out, I took her a bag of Sylvia Day books that I’d been meaning to give her for…a few years. Don’t ask. It was good to see them but no hugs or kisses and mostly distancing but it was good to see them. 😷

One of my favorite coffee mugs is leaking when I take a drink. This makes me glad I’m wearing a dark brown tank top. 🤣

Finished LOYALTY IN DEATH. That’s always a tough book for me but especially this time of year, with all the hype leading to the 25th Anniversary of the OKC Bombing. Technically, it’s the Murrah Federal Building Bombing. Those of us there just call it The Murrah. Anyway, moved on to Shelley Laurenston’s Badger series, a spin-off from her Pride series of shifter books. Honey badgers and bears. What’s not to love? Plus, Laurenston’s warped humor is much appreciated at the moment. The 3rd book in the series just dropped so this is a re-listen of the first two, HOT AND BADGERED and IN A BADGER WAY before indulging in the last, BADGER TO THE BONE.

Once again, I wasn’t familiar with the entertainer who was unmasked on the Masked Singer. The Kangaroo was Jordyn Woods. She’s cute and very talented but the two she went head-to-head with out sang her. Live PD is semi-live now. Vetted teams are riding with a limited number of departments and the hosts are still broadcasting from their homes. Ah well. I’m still getting a small fix of one of my fave shows. Fox Sports Midwest is still showing previous STL Cardinals games. Getting a little fix there too. Eventually, life will return to normal.

That’s about all the news for me. We’re coping and adapting and are healthly. For those not suited to the “Alone Life,” remember that you can reach out to people over the phone, the internet, and heck–you can even write letters! We’re #AloneTogether and we’ll get through this! How are all of you doing?

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Friday Sinema: Thank You!

Posted on April 10, 2020 by Silver James

So, Chris Mann is a very talented musician, singer, and parodyist. Is that even a word? He does awesome (and warpedly funny) song parodies, currently about the crazy that is our current lives. He had several videos I thought about sharing and then I found this one. This. This says what I want to say to all those on the front lines: the medical community, the first responders, the military. Thank you, bus drivers and truck drivers, and mail carriers. Cheers to the clerks, the stockers, and bless the janitors everywhere! ❤ ❤ ❤ Thanks to the curbside servers and the teachers learning to distance learn. Gratitude to the crafty folks making and donating masks and for our corporate citizens getting on board in all sorts of ways. But here. Chris says it so much better than I can…

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Test

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Silver James

As time stretches on and we all find ourselves even more isolated, I just want to share this. No matter what your faith or belief system, take heart. None of us are trutly alone.

We interrupt your day with a test, a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.

Silver, can you see me, right now?

Yes — I’m the light, and all it shines on.

Can you hear me?

Yep — every single sound, and the silence, too.

Can you feel me? Right now? In the air on your skin, under your feet, and in the palms of your hands? The tug at your heart, the rhythm it keeps, and the blood in your veins?

Right. Now, next time you have cause for alarm, see me. Next time you need absolutely anything, listen to me. And next time you feel all alone, remember you’re not.

Until tomorrow,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®
Oh, Silver, those were my butterfly kisses.

I’m here. You’re there. Thinkgs haven’t changed much, right? I’ll be here and you’ll be there but we still connect. Hang tough. Lean on me if you need to. Stay home. Stay safe. Stay healthy! ❤

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Wednesday Words: Supper Time

Posted on April 8, 2020 by Silver James

Sup-per time and the livin’ is eee-zee… Oh. Wait. That’s summer time. Good thing I don’t have to sing for my supper. And in case you haven’t guessed, today’s THEME is **SUPPER**. Since MOONSTRUCK:BETRAYAL is the project open on my computer, I went there first and while these aren’t new words, I hope you’ll enjoy this peek at Rudy Tornjak, the hero of ROGUE MOON as he makes his entrance. Oh…not exactly safe for little eyes. Just sayin’…
****
Arriving in the wake of Mardi Gras, something in New Orleans called to him. Her busy streets and old architecture soothed the restless pacing of his wolf.

The drunk tripped over a metal trashcan and the ensuing racket echoed. A dog barked, quickly silenced by a harsh command from his master. Closer, a woman moaned softly as a man grunted and Rudy’s ears picked up the slap of naked flesh coming together. His cock hardened at the sound. Perhaps he would seek out a woman. Or maybe he would drive into the bayous, shed his humanity, and hunt as his wolf wanted. He was not prey. He was predator. Always.

The man in the next apartment groaned and moments later, the bedsprings squeaked as he rolled off the woman. The sharp tang of cigarette smoke drifted from their open window followed shortly by snores. Hunting in the bayous sounded better and better.
Fingertips gripped the railing so tightly the metal groaned. His fingers. They felt detached, like they belonged to someone else. He closed his eyes and growled. A face glowed against the backs of his eyelids like the after image of a flash photo. He’d only glimpsed the woman in the crowd but she haunted him. His dreams. His days. And far too many of his nights.

Two weeks ago he’d caught sight of that face through the crowd on Bourbon Street. Her hair glowed like curling embers beneath the streetlights. Her face was that of an angel. Or a devil. A devil who kept his dick hard and his thoughts stirred.

“Hey, sugah. Watchu’ doin’ up there all by yer lonesome? You maybe want some comp’ny?”

Rudy stared down at the hooker. She stood, weaving, in the middle of the street. Any other night, he might have gone down, paid her price and taken her in the alley. But not now. Now, his cock ached for only one woman—the elusive waif he’d glimpsed deep within the French Quarter.

With luck, the drunk would stumble out of the alley and take care of her. If luck remained the fickle bitch he knew her to be, the woman would stand there yelling until Rudy was forced to deal with the noise. And it would not be in the manner the whore wished.
Her scent wafted up to him and killed the erection pushing against his jeans. The whore reeked of drugs, booze, and old sex—the complete opposite of the other scent. The one that eluded him when he ran in the bayous. The one that filled his heart with possibilities. The one that smelled of…prey.

With a snarl, he left the balcony. He would not finish that thought. He had no home, nor would he ever have one. He had no family left. No pack. Nor did he want one. Better to be alone. As he had always been. Rogue.

Between the face searing his memory and the scent branding his nose, Rudy wanted out. Away. He snagged a leather jacket on his way out the door. Taking the stairs three at a time, he all but leapt down the staircase to the first floor. He ripped open the door just in time to all but trip over the drunk as he stumbled along the sidewalk.

He snatched a wad of money from his front pocket and rammed it in the drunk’s mouth before turning him and shoving him into the whore’s arms. “Go fuck yourselves stupid.”

Too stunned to react, the two humans gaped as Rudy strode away, his legs eating up the sidewalk with a vengeance. His chest burned with a need to escape, to leave the trappings of society—of humanity here in the city. He wanted the scent of woods, of clean air, of…prey.

Rudek Tornjak wanted to hunt. He wanted to stalk then run his quarry to ground. He wanted to sink his teeth into the throat of his kill, letting the copper tang of fresh, hot blood wash down his throat. He wanted to howl of his prowess so every creature in the bayou knew the big bad had come for them. Loup garou gonna come eat them all up for his supper.
****
Pssst Don’t tell, but I wouldn’t mind being Rudy’s supper. 😉 Readers, what are you fixing for supper tonight? Writers, any supper/dinner/food words to share? As always, take care of yourselves!

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Tuesday Treats: Sunny-Side-Up Bagels

Posted on April 7, 2020 by Silver James

Trying to look on the bright side of things, I thought this breakfast/brunch recipe fit the bill. Easy, cheesy and totally yummy. Plus bacon! ❤

Approximate total time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 8 (normal people but only 1 hungry Wolf shifter)

Make breakfast the best time of the day when you serve these Sheet-Pan Sunny Side-Up Bagels. These Sheet-Pan Sunny Side-Up Bagels are topped with eggs, bacon, cheddar and cream cheese spread for amazing flavor.

What You Need
4 plain bagels (4 inch), split
1/2 cup PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread
8 CRACKER BARREL Sharp Cheddar Cheese Slices
8 eggs
8 slices OSCAR MAYER Fully Cooked Bacon, cut in half
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 375°F.
2 – Cover baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray. Use 1-1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut piece out of center of each bagel half; discard removed piece.
3 – Spread cut sides of bagel halves with cream cheese spread; place, cream cheese sides down, on prepared baking sheet.
4 – Cut 1-1/2-inch “X” into center of each cheese slice. Place on tops of bagels; press centers of cheese slices into holes in bagels.
5 – Crack 1 egg into small bowl; slip into hole in 1 prepared bagel half. Repeat with remaining eggs and bagel halves. Top with bacon.
6 – Bake 14 to 15 min. or until egg whites are set and yolks are cooked to desired doneness.
7 – Sprinkle with chives. (You can use the dried variety if you don’t have fresh.)

For some reason, there’s NO nutritional info. Which is weird. But you can CLICK to see what’s on the page at My Food and Family. As y’all know, a few of my heroines are somewhat clueless when it comes to cooking. Luckily, a lot of my heroes can step up to the stove. Today, it’s Derek Alexander, Wolf shifter, Homeland Security agent, and mate to airport rescue firefighter Kit Carson. He stepped forward because some of the incidents in his and Kit’s story, CRASH & BURN: A Moonstruck Wolf Novel, are alluded to in FIGHTING FOR ELENA, my most recent release. Y’all can catch up with Derek and Kit for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, or buy it for your keeper shelf! Just click on the cover or the title. Haven’t read FIGHTING FOR ELENA? Just click and you can grab it for the same!

I love breakfast/brunch and even breakfast-for-dinner. This recipe hits all the spots. What about y’all? Breakfast or dinner?

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A New Month of Mondays

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Silver James

I’ve started watching the news again. I took a long hiatus and I’m about ready to take another one because…*points to meme* So, It’s Monday. The first Monday in April. All in all, not much has changed in my life–BC or AC (Before Covid/After Covid.) There are changes, yes, and some I’m not all that thrilled about but we adapt. Right?

The following is a random summation of my 🌎 :

Sean “Sticks” Larkin answered a tweet I sent him Saturday night. For those of you who don’t know, Sticks is one of the co-hosts of LIVE PD and host of LIVE PD CAM. He’s also an active-duty member of the Tulsa Police Department. LIVE PD hosts were transmitting via computer from their three homes, following the CDC guidelines. Sticks was in his garage with a sweet classic ride in the background, but not showing enough for my car nerds to figure it out. I tweeted him to find out what it was. He tweeted back. I swooned! Why yes, I’d love to have him as a cover model and I totally would use him as a hero in one of my books! 🥰

Speaking of TV and Live PD, I like their special edition format of checking in with various departments and officers by computer to check up on them. Also, The Masked Singer. I GOT ONE RIGHT! Sort of. I had the White Tiger narrowed down to either Rob Gronkowski or Joe Manganiello. When push came to shove and he was about to unmask, I came down on the Gronk side. What an amazing personality he has! I also woke up one night last week to the lead-in to Yellowstone, the prime-time Kevin Costner soap…er drama. I set it to record way back when but never took the time to watch. All those episodes are still sitting on the DVR. I’m rethinking deleting them and actually watching. 📺

Reading has been interesting this past week. Well, listening. As most of you know, I’ve embarked on a full re-listen to the JD Robb In Death series. I also had audio books on hold at the library that dropped. Yay. So, I paused after CONSPIRACY IN DEATH because DRUID VICES AND A VODKA by Annette Marie hit and there’s still a waiting list. Her Urban Fantasy world is a fun one but I’m getting tired of no real resolution at the ends of the last several books. I’ll give the next one a go and if there’s still a big cliffhanger, I’m probably done. THE LAST WISH, which is the prequel to The Last Witcher series, also dropped. Totally gave that puppy 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! It’s actually a series of short stories, vignettes, and meanders around the past, present, and maybe the future. Anyone contemplating the series totally needs to read/listen to this book first. It sets up main/reoccuring characters, some backstory, and many threads. Anyway, I want to listen to the series now and will probably catch up with the Netflicks version on TV as well. Awesome high fantasy! Now I’m listening to Patricia Brigg’s SMOKE BITTEN, the lastest in her Mercy Thompson series. 🎧📚

We’re catching the occasional “replay” of classic baseball games. It’s rather fun, as we’ve been Cardinal fans for 30+ years. We’re getting to see players that are long retired but we still remember some of the games. That said, we’re ready for live sports. Any time, stupid virus! 🤬

We “broke” protocol last week and kidnapped Stormageddon. He AND his parents definitely needed a break. We picked up to-go from Chick-Fil-A, came home and had a lovely afternoon. We did various school projects, with LG and I taking turns supervising, plus Lego play time with Big Daddy, and a treasure/scavenger walk with Jammie and Jake. The day was beautiful and Stormy got lots of treasure collected in his bag, plus he saw everything on our scavenger list. His parents came to pick him up and we got to visit with them, practicing social distancing by sitting across the room from each other. Please note: ALL of us had/have been self-isolating for over 3 weeks, and none of us showing any symptoms. It was a day we all needed. 💕

I’ve rediscovered a love of crunchy peanut butter and apple slices. And cheese and apple slices. Trying to snack healthy but those bags of kettle-cooked salt and vinegar chips I’ve got stashed in the pantry call my name–a lot. 🤣

Writing is like 🕵️‍♀️ — a few new words here and there but nothing really concrete. At the same time, Iffy is in overdrive with new ideas. Sadly, she’s just tossing out ideas but doesn’t supply real words to back those ideas up. She and I are going to have a come-to-Jesus meeting one of these days. Just not today…

Yesterday was this site’s 9th anniversary with WordPress. I managed to get it designed, set up, and working all by myself. Since then, I’ve had 1608 posts, 6518 comments, 647 followers, and…well…too much spam to count. 😆 My how time flies when you’re having fun! ❤ you guys!

Okie dokie. That's about the sum total of the new normal in my world. How are y'all adapting?

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Friday Sinema: This Buds for You

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Silver James

This is a message we all need to hear–and take to heart–about now. Kudos, Anheuser-Busch! Because we ARE one team! Make the best of your life this weekend and always!

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