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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Wednesday Words: Hidden Figures

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Silver James

Another Hump Day and more words. I thought you might like a peek at where my brain is at the moment. MOONSTRUCK: BETRAYAL combimes BRIDE’S MOON and ROGUE MOON, with added content that delves deeper into some the situations going on behind the scenes. In this instance, the story shifts to 12 years before ROGUE MOON, back before Hannah met Mac and the Wolves. She’s on her own, but y’all know Hannah. 😉
****
Twelve Years Ago
Hannah hated airplanes. Hated to fly in airplanes. Hated jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. All of which her job entailed. Commercial flights gave her headaches. Military planes turned her all but catatonic. She hadn’t yet decided about this sleek private jet that belonged to the Joint Chiefs. She could stand up in it but she wasn’t exactly tall. The seats surrounded her in leather luxury and the airman with the mischievous eyes flirted each time he brought her a drink or snack.

She looked up as he approached. Yeah. He was about to start in again. She really didn’t want to remind him that she was a superior officer and he was enlisted. She was so not an elitist but sometimes?

“Time to buckle up, ma’am. We’re on approach to Nellis.”

Nellis Air Force Base, located in North Las Vegas. Home of the Thunderbirds. And a two-hour drive from her final destination. Groom Lake. Evidently, her USAF pilots didn’t have the security clearance to land there. Stupid Area 51.

She cinched her seatbelt a bit tighter and huffed out a breath. She caught the airman staring at her chest. Seriously?
“You know,” he said, all but purring, “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?”

On no. He didn’t just go there. She leaned her head back, eyes closed. Without opening, she said, “You realize I’m an Army major, right?”

The airman didn’t say a word. She opened her eyes and stared at him. “And you do realize that I’m a special assistant to the Joint Chiefs and that I’m here on official business?”

As she watched, his Adam’s apple dipped hard as he swallowed. When he didn’t speak, she arched a brow and offered him her patented you’re-a-dumb-ass look. He wasn’t too dumb to get the message. She didn’t get a salute but his hand rose to his brow before he stopped it.

Fifteen minutes later, she confiscated the front passenger seat of the black SUV that had been waiting on the tarmac for her, and yes, she had to pull rank to do so. She hated being chauffeured and she was going to figure out the route to this super-secret base hidden out in the badlands. Area 51 was a fiction but it sounded good. The official name was classified but the the dry bed of Groom Lake and those semi in the know called it the Nellis Bombing Range Test Site. That’s not the only thing that was out there.

Hannah settled in for the trip. As they hit the city limits, she closed her eyes halfway, giving the impression she was dozing. She wasn’t. She was watching and plotting. She was on her way to see a man about a failed experiment, with every intention of finding out where the bodies had been buried and which closet the skeletons were hiding in.
****
What about you writers? Any hidden words to share? Readers, what books are hiding on your shelves that you keep meaning to read?

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Tuesday Treats: Snickerdoodle Bars

Posted on March 3, 2020 by Silver James

I ❤ snickerdoodle cookies. I especially ❤ the soft, chewy version. I also ❤ white chocolate. Imagine my delight when I tripped across this delicious recipe?!?

Total Time: 39 Min.
Prep Time: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 24 Min.
16 Servings

Enjoy a classic dessert in a whole new way with our Snickerdoodle Bars recipe. Topped with cinnamon and a drizzle of white chocolate, Snickerdoodle Bars are a taste sensation you need to try. Mark your next special occasion with a batch of delicious Snickerdoodle Bars.

What You Need
1 cup flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. plus a dash of ground cinnamon, divided
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
2 oz. BAKER’S White Chocolate, broken into small pieces

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350°F.
2 – Line 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spray with cooking spray.
3 – Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk egg, butter and vanilla in medium bowl until blended. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Remove 1/2 cup batter; reserve for later use.
4 – Pour remaining batter into prepared pan. Combine 1 Tbsp. cinnamon and granulated sugar; sprinkle evenly over batter in pan. Top with small spoonfuls of reserved batter.
5 – Bake 22 to 24 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6 – Melt chocolate as directed on package. Stir in remaining cinnamon. Drizzle evenly over dessert. Cool completely. Use foil handles to remove dessert from pan before cutting into bars.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Storage Know-How: Store these tasty treats in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days before serving.

Tip 2 – Size Wise: After you have enjoyed a serving of these classic cookies, freeze remaining cookies for a treat to be enjoyed or shared at another time.

Y’all know the drill, CLICK HERE to get all the nutritional details over at My Food & Family. FYI, I’m not the only who loves the idea of white chocolate drizzled over a snickerdoodle. 😉 Jacey Connor, mate to Nate Connor and mom to Joy and Grace, is a big fan and she makes them whenever she and Joy decide to have a girl’s night. You can bet there was a pan of these waiting when Nate walked in the door after rescuing Joy in FIGHTING FOR ELENA. If you’d like to read more about Jacey and Nate, you can read HUNTER’S MOON but I’d suggest MOONTRUCK: LIES because you get two books in one, plus bonus material! Just click on the cover picture or any of the titles for the links.

What about y’all? What’s your favorite cookie? And are you a white chocolate fan?

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Monday March

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Silver James

When I was growing up (and grown), my dad always gave me a daffodil on my birthday. Didn’t matter where I was. Didn’t matter how old or married I got, every birthday like clockwork. See, I love daffodils. Always have. I’ve planted bulbs at every house where I’ve ever lived, even if I wasn’t going to be there long enough to see them bloom in the spring. I lost Dad in 1995, right before New Year’s. Two months later, on my birthday, a daffodil bloomed in my yard. And I’ve had a least one (and usually more) blooming on my birthday every year since. This year, I had only one. *points to photo* That one. If I get up from my desk and look out my office window, I can see it. It’s a reminder of spring, of my birth, and of the man who wasn’t my father by blood but was by heart.

Moving on. That’s what time does. I’m another year and one day older than dirt. Yippee. Beats the alternative. There was a week and a weekend. I did some stuff. Didn’t do other stuff. Here’s a brief rundown.

New words. I got some writing done. Not enough but some. I’m going to get this puppy done. Soon. Reading/listening is a bit of a broken record. Still doing the re-listen of the Kate Daniels series. Still a favorite. I should be getting the new Nalini Singh mystery/romantic suspense(?) from the library soon. I’m #2 on the hold list.

Spring training baseball was played. I get angry at MLB network because they’ve decided that us peons down here in Okie-land should be blacked out whenever they air a St. Louis Cardinals’ game. Because we’re in their market. Or some such BS like that. It’s freaking SPRING TRAINING?!?!?! Not like everyone IN MARKET (more on that in a moment) is snowbirding down to Florida to see the games. And see, what in the ever-loving heckin’ frack are we even IN the St. Louis market? Those idiots in the MLB should make that drive because hey, it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump (of EIGHT FRICKING HOURS!!!!!) so of course, all us fans down here at the other end of I-44 are going to spend all our time driving back and forth to regular season games. Why yes, this subject turns me into Ranty McPants every year. Hell, our AAA team is in the LA Dodgers farm system so that automatically makes us part of the St. Louis market. Grrrr. Thank goodness of Fox Sports. THEY get it!

Where was I? Oh, yes, updates. Dionne Warwick. I had her partially right. She was the one unmased on THE MASKED SINGER last week. I kept flip-flopping between her and Tina Turner. Her voice screamed Dionne, but the clue package fit Tina better. Amazing talent on that show and so much fun trying to figure out who they are. Y’all already know about my all-things-LivePD obsession so ’nuff said ’bout that.

What else? Oh! Stormy sang at church yesterday. The whole school had a part in the service. It was sweet. And he picked out a Crayola box of 50 colored pencils for me for my birthday! Only and Baseball Boy got me a new mousepad. It is made of awesome because it says, “Never mistake my silence for weakness. No one plans a MURDER out loud.” 🤣 Speaking of, (birthdays, not murder) LG put up the new fan in my office. The old fan worked. Sort of. The fan did. The light didn’t. It’s DARK in my office and crossing the room to get to my desk deserves hazardous duty pay. At some point in the last year, we found a really cool fan on sale for cheap at Home Depot. Yeah, I flip the switch and announce, “Let there be light!” and grin. I have light! It’s the little things, people.

I’m sure there’s other stuff but it’s probably boring because I can’t remember. How’s your life going?

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Friday Sinema: My Way

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Silver James

Y’all know I’m training Jake to be a service dog. He is NOT this dog. (Thank goodness!) That said, I’d take Ryker in a heartbeat. He might have flunked out of Service Dog School, but one of the handlers adopted him. If you have time, read the comments. 🤣 I hope all of you have a “Who’s a Good Dog” weekend! (And yes, Ryker just might appear in a future book because…well, just watch!)

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Gift

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Silver James

When I was one of those angsty teens with posters on the walls of my room, one of them was actually a present from my dad. It was a photo of of a sleeping kitten that looked to be smiling (even 50 years ago, LOL cats were a thing!) and the caption said, “Set aside some dreaming time.” Dad always encouraged me to do three things:

1) Read
2) Use my imagination
3) Believe I could be whoever I wanted to be

Then the Universe dropped this into my inbox…

Have you noticed, Silver, how all dreams come with built-in challenges, and all challenges come with built-in dreams?

Curious, huh?

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

That’s why we call both of them “gifts,” Silver; it also saves massive amounts of paper.

My dad, and his teachings, truly were gifts and I miss him every day, though he’s been gone 25 years now. Whenever I get discouraged, when the writing gets hard, and I forget to imagine and forget to dream, I need to remember this message. Dreams and challenges go hand-in-hand. So, tally-ho, readers! I’ve figured out the glitch, partially due to this revelation. So both the dream and the challenge are new words and finishing MOONSTRUCK: BETRAYAL. What dreams and challenges do you have?

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Wednesday Words: Grrrr

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Silver James

It’s Hump Day. That means it is time for words, based on a theme. Sometimes. I came across this prompt and since Iffy is sulking, I took the words and ran. “And the words are?” you ask. INCONVENIENCE or
AGGRAVATION, things that make you GRRRR! or GRUMBLE!! or DAMMIT!!! So here is a first (and rough!) draft from MOONSTRUCK: BETRAYAL, here’s a little peek at some of the new material going into the book. I leave up to you, dear readers, as to whether my words meet the challenge. 😉
****
Mac stood very still, all sensation bleeding out. Hannah raged, like she’d captured every bit of emotion in him, draining him dry. Liam was gone? No! This couldn’t be happening. Not after…

“Breathe, man.” Lightfoot. Reminding him to live.

“We’ll find him, Mac.” Sean. Vowing to make it right.

He searched the face of each man, his alpha stare in high gear. Neither of them flinched. Then Danny was there, hobbling but chin high and determination exuding from his every pore. Harjo. The same. His gaze surfed over the women. None of them approached his mate. Smart. Hannah was too volatile, too apt to say something that could never be taken back. He next looked to the other men, the one’s they’d rescued from Area 51. They stank of burnt toast, their anger a visceral presence in their scents.

Not them then. No scent of carrion, of road kill rotting in the heat that signaled betrayal. But someone had. Had betrayed him. Hannah. Betrayed them all.

He needed to do something. Say something. But he remained frozen. Liam. His son. His only child. And Hannah had given everything to Mac, over and over, until her heart broke this one last time. They would find Liam. They would get him back. And then everything would be okay again. He and Hannah would be a pair, connected in heart, soul, and body as they once had been.

Rubbing his chest with a fist, he attempted to focus his thoughts. Aggravated that he couldn’t think straight, he scanned the faces of the people gathered there to celebrate Harjo and Amy’s marriage. His brain, on autopilot, noticed. He whirled, searching.

“Where is she?” More demand than question, Mac noted the rising panic in his voice.
Lightfoot gripped his shoulder. “Hannah’s right—”

“No! Not Hannah. Sutherland! Where the fuck is that gawddamned bitch?” His voice devolved into a growl.

The men exchanged looks. And then the crowd erupted.
****
Writers, any aggravating words you want to share? Readers, what aggravates you about us authors? Inquiring minds want to know. 😁

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Tuesday Treats: Butterscotch Texas Sheet Cake

Posted on February 25, 2020 by Silver James

There’s a character in FIGHTING FOR ELENA who is very important but who doesn’t appear very often. In fact, her presence only occurs in the occasional “whispered” comment she makes to Pops. “Who’s that?” you ask. That would be the ghost of Rosie West, Pops first wife and his “One”–at least until he meets Elena. Pops and Rosie never had kids of their own but they raised a whole passel of other people’s kids. And Rosie was a “milk and cookies” kind of mom born and bred in Texas. Oh, she made them eat their vegetables, but they always got dessert. The following is a favorite of Pops AND the kids.

Total Time: 57 Min
Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 42 Min
16 servings

Make a Lone Star treat with Yummy Butterscotch Texas Sheet Cake. This Texas sheet cake is made with white chocolate flavor pudding and butterscotch chips.

What You Need
1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 pkg. (3.3 oz.) JELL-O White Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding
4 egg whites
1 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 pkg. (11 oz.) butterscotch chips, divided
1 cup COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
3/4 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds, toasted

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 375ºF.
2 – Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix and next 4 ingredients with mixer until blended. Stir in 3/4 cup butterscotch chips. Pour into 15x10x1-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
3 – Bake 20 to 22 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 min.
4 – Meanwhile, microwave COOL WHIP in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until melted. Add remaining butterscotch chips. Let stand 1 min., then stir until mixture is blended.
5 – Spread COOL WHIP mixture onto cake; sprinkle with nuts.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Size Wise: A serving of this sweet treat goes a long way on chocolate flavor.

Tip 2 – How to Store: Keep refrigerated.

You know the routine–CLICK HERE for all the nutritional details. Since I already introduced the character above, the only thing left is my sales pitch. If y’all haven’t grabbed this book, now is a good time to grab it! You can read it for free with Kindle Unlimited, or buy it for Kindle. PLUS, it’s now available in paperback! Just click on the cover or the title: FIGHTING FOR ELENA. So…are you a fan of butterscotch? And would listen if a ghost whispered in your ear? 😉

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Monday Mayhem

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Silver James

I’m running as fast as I can and Monday is still gaining on me! *flail*

So, stuff didn’t happen. Have a great week.

Okay. Y’all wish you could get off that easily. There was a past week and a weekend. Something happened. Not much but some things. Let’s talk about the easy stuff first.

Sports: OMG! My OSU Cowgirls are #10 in the NCAA Softball D1 rankings! ❤ ! ❤ ! And OU is #1. Amazing. And spring training has started. With games! My Cards beat the Mets Saturday and they tied Sunday, coming from behind. In the spring, a tie is as good as a win. Someday, I'm going to Jupiter to watch some spring training games.

Reading (or listening…): I did some. I'm currently 10 books ahead in my Goodreads 2020 challenge of 200 books. Doing something of a meandering relisten to Ilona Andrews's Kate Daniels series. I say meandering because I have books on hold at the library and when they drop, I've read the Kate books so many times I can stop, drop and roll. So to speak. I can stop reading whatever Kate book and start reading the library book when drops and then roll right back into Kate once I'm done. Cuz I'm weird like that. I've read a couple of books that hit my radar but aren't my normal catnip: Louise Penny's STILL LIFE, a mystery, and Eoin Colfer's HIGHFIRE. It's…an odd book. About the last dragon who is hiding/living in the bayous. I wanted to like it a lot more than I did but other's mileage may vary. Of course, my own FIGHTING FOR ELENA dropped last Tuesday. Sales have been good, I'm getting a few reviews–all pretty good, and sales/KENP pages on my list books is perking up. I needed the boost!

Writing: Yeah…I did a little. I keep getting wrapped around the axle instead of just writing and sorting shitstuff out later. I AM going to finish this middle section of MOONSTRUCK: BETRAYAL. I’m learning new stuff about the SEALs. I learned something about Amy. Hannah made me cry. What I’ve written is good just…discombobulated. I’ll get there, because I’m releaning old lessons–new books spur sales. And I NEED the sales.

TV: The unmasked Masked Singer last week was skateboard legend Tony Hawk. He seemed relieved, which made me laugh. He really didn’t do a bad job. I’m slowly wending through all my DVR’d LIVE PD shows. Yes, even though I watch “live,” I DVR because in the midst of the show, I have to feed critters and do kitchen KP from dinner and I quite often fall asleep before the end of the show. Some episodes, I missed altogether because…life. Anyway, I’m slowly clearing out the stash.

And…that’s about it for my world. Anyone do anything cool over the weekend? Who just vegged out? *raises hand*

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