Thursday Thoughts: Universal Magic

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Silver James

I like magic. I especially like the magic of books. Tomorrow is National Read a Book Day. For me, every day is National Read a Book Day. I can hide in the words of a book, whether written by me or someone else. The book I’m writing now has the working title of NIGHT WISH. The hero’s name is Wizard. And I’m really hoping for some magic to get the thing finished. Needless to say, when the following inspiration from the Universe showed up in my inbox, I started in shouting all sorts of things, like “Accio!” and “Patronus!” and…and…words like those there.

Remember, Silver, you’re always granted lots of leeway, wiggle room, and tolerance when engaging life’s magic.

You pretty much just need to have a dream and show up, then wands start waving all over the place.

Abara-shazaam!
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Aw-w-h… I love magic, Silver.

So, today–and tomorrow and the day after and so on and son on–I’m going to engate in life’s magic. I’m going to dream, show up and make the dream come true. And I’m gonna wave my wand all over the place. What magic is happening in your life today?

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Wednesday Words: Alone Again, Naturally

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Silver James

It’s Wednesday, which naturally means that it is time for #1lineWed on Twitter and a snippet here based upon a theme. Today, I’m doing something different. I have three–yes, count them! One, two, THREE snippets. They’re short. They were flash fiction pieces. They aren’t connected. There’s only one Wolf you might recognize–Totem, who is the Nightriders’ Montana Chapter Prez. One is just a bit of fantasy, and one will appear if I ever get around to writing the Moonstruck Mafia series. Anyway, I hope I’m not ALONE in my enjoyment of these bits and bobs of words.
****
What had I been thinking? Obviously not things through. Nope. Not me. I heard gunfire, saw the kids, and reacted. I snatched up the toddler, snagged the older kid’s hand, and ran. Now we were hiding behind a dumpster that stank of stale beer and rotten food.

“Were your parents in the store?” I hiss-whispered. The boy shook his head. “You were there alone?” He shook his head again. “Who were you with?”

Before my frustration bubbled over, he sniffled. “Uncle Totem.”

Had his uncle been shot? And why weren’t there any sirens? Surely someone called 911. Like an idiot, I’d left my phone in the car. I passed the toddler to her brother. “I need you to stay quiet and out of sight.” He gulped. “Can you do that?” A slow nod.

“Where’re you going?”

“To get help.” I hoped.

I peeked around the dumpster and came nose-to-nose with a giant dog. Nope, not a dog—a ferocious, pissed as hell wolf. I fell back on my butt and froze, not breathing as the animal nosed in, sniffing me. I heard the kids move and I braced, ready to fight.

Then stuff got weird. Popping bones and squishy noises. The wolf changed. A naked man—a totally HOT, naked man—crouched where the wolf had been. I didn’t do drugs so this had to be a psychotic break.

“Hi, Uncle Totem,” the kid said, grinning.

“I need a drink,” I mumbled right before everything went black.
****
My sister glowered at me. I like that word and personally believe more people should use it in conversation. The expression on her face totally fit the definition.

“You need to grow up.”

I started writing this scene in my head and added a dialog tag. “You need to grow up,” she groused.

She ripped the graphic novel I was holding from my hands.

“Life is not an anime comic book!” She was shouting now.

“It’s not a comic book, it’s a graphic novel.” And my life was so far away from anime that I wanted to laugh to keep from crying. No cute girls in sailor suits or kitten ears in my world, or fierce boys with wolf faces. I would happily live in that world—or any world besides this one. There’s magic in books. Escape. Romance. Adventure. In books, I didn’t hurt, and people didn’t pity me.

The nurse’s shoes squeaked as she came into the treatment room. She scowled—another word I loved—at my sister. “Keep your voice down and be civil or you’ll have to leave.”

Thankfully, she did. Leave. My sister hated me, hated the attention I got for being sick. If she only knew…

Two hours later, I walked out. Alone. The wolf sat across the street, waiting. I shifted my backpack—full of books and my Kindle. I had a decision. I could stay and die or I could walk away and live.

I smiled at the wolf and started walking.
****
Prisms glimmered in her eyes as the gentle sunbeam peeked through the window, touching those unshed tears. Small, all alone, people pushed past, engrossed in their own lives, their own pursuits and not one of them saw the woman with the broken heart.

He could smell it on her, the broken heart. A combination of scents, of regret and resignation, all wet ashes, dead roses, and almonds on the one hand and damp, moldy earth combined with the musty dankness of an abandoned house on the other. Broken hearts were like abandoned houses. And the grave. The smells were the same.

Smiling at himself, he wondered what the boss would think. He was not a Wolf known for his poetry. No. He was known for his swift executions. Still, this small human woman touched something inside him that up until the moment he’d laid eyes on her had remained encased in steel.

Her head bent, the pen in her hand once again scratched across the page of the notebook in her lap. His wolf watched, anticipating. Knowing. He approached when she paused.

“I saw you writing,” he whispered. “And wondered if the pen truly is mightier than the sword.”

“I don’t know.” Her thumb brushed across a tear-smeared word.

“Can words heal a broken heart?”

She looked up, eyes widening. “I…don’t know.”

He read what she’d written, understood the reason for her tears. “Goodbyes are always hard.”

She nodded.

“Hellos are better.” He held out his hand. “Hello.”
****
Writers, got any alone words you want to share? Readers, do you want to be alone when you read?

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Tuesday Treats: Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip

Posted on September 3, 2019 by Silver James

I’ll be honest. One of my favorite appetizers is hot spinach artichoke dip with pita chips. Sadly, the family fav restaurant which served my favorite version of the dip went out of business some time ago. I have an awesome recipe but it’s time and labor intensive. So, when I came across this one, I thought to myself, “Self, we need to try this one of these days.” Myself agreed, though we haven’t gotten around to it yet. Still, I wanted to share because I have a character who is all about the easy-cheesy!

Total Time: 30 Min.
Prep Time: 10 Min.
Cook Time: 20 Min.

Healthy Living! Enjoy the richness and flavor of your favorite appetizer, this Easy Spinach Artichoke Dip with Cheese! This easy spinach artichoke dip is warm and gooey for dipping.

What You Need

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, finely chopped
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
3/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
1/2 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 350°F.
2 – Combine ingredients.
3 – Spoon into 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate.
4 – Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Substitute 1 env. (0.7 oz.) GOOD SEASONS Italian Salad Dressing Mix for the garlic powder.

Tip 2 – Awesome Spinach and Mushroom Dip: Substitute 1 cup chopped mushrooms for the artichokes.

Tip 3 – Makeover – How We Did It: This made-over version of the popular artichoke dip uses 3/4 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise instead of regular KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise, and a blend of Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses instead of the 2 cups mozzarella used in the original recipe. These simple tweaks save over 50 calories and 5.5g of fat per serving when compared to the traditional artichoke dip.

Tip 4 – Serving Suggestion: Serve with cut-up fresh vegetables and/or your favorite crackers.

Want all the nutritional details? CLICK HERE. This is a perfect recipe for busy a busy arson investigtor who chose to become a Nightrider old lady. She doesn’t tell the guys that its the healthy version but the other old ladies thank Leigh Duncan for it! Leigh, of course, belongs to Smoke Jenner, who’s something of a club nomad. He’s also an arsonist. Yeah, y’all read that right. The arsonist and the arson investigator. What can possibly go wrong?!? 😏 If you haven’t read their story yet, you can hook up with Leigh and Smoke in NIGHT FIRE by clicking on either the title or the cover. Clicking takes you to page with links to all the stores where this book is available!

What about y’all? Do you like healthy alternatives for favorite recipes or are you “old skool” and just want cooks to leave well enough alone? 😉

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Labor of Love Monday

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Silver James

Oh. Wait. It’s Labor Day. Here in the States, anyway. That means an extra day in the weekend so Yay! Except I need to work. I’m a writer. We don’t have holidays or weekends or 40-hour work weeks. We have deadlines. So…there was a week and a weekend and it’s Monday–even though it’s a holiday–so time for updates.

Writing. There was some. Not enough but some. There are times that if I didn’t do flash fiction challenges, I wouldn’t get any new words at all. I did spend time getting a bunch of random scenes in some semblance of order. That may be what I do today, rather than trying to dig for new words. I’ll get organized and get Wizard’s story all figured out.

Sports. LOTS of sports. My Cards are still in first place in the NL Central and they are playing…okay. I dnn’t want to jinx them by bragging on them. 😉 My Pokes beat those West Coast OSU Beavers 52-36. We have a pretty good offense but man…our defense runs hot and cold. They need to run hot for the whole game. OU played Houston last night, final score of 49-31. OU’s offense looked good but their defense got cocky and it cost them in the 2nd half.

Reading. I finished off my relisten to Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series and immediately dove into the newest edition, SAPPHAIRE FLAMES. I believe this story arc is a trilogy, so two more years (I haven’t heard of any release before 2020 of the next book) before we move on to the next Baylor sister. I’d love to have two or even all three books released in a year. That said, as an author, I know how tough that can be so I’m just expressing my desires as a reader. I’m also sort of stumbling through a Suzanne Wright series about demons in Las Vegas. The books are free on Hoopla, which I get through my local library system, so they make okay filler while waiting for new books on my wish list to drop later in the month and/or books on my wait list with the library. The next book I’m really excited about is Nalini Singh’s ARCHANGELS WAR which arrives the end of the month. I’ll do a relisten to that series beginning mid-month.

Deeders isn’t doing so hot. She’s not in pain, still eating, drinking, and stuff, but spends all her time in her bed. Loki is a demon kitten but I woke up this morning to find Boone sleeping beside the bed, Loki curled up around Boone’s front paws, one of which Loki was using as pillow. It was too cute and I wouldn’t have disturbed them but I really had to pee make my morning absolutions. I should get a picture of Jake's face when I tell him he can't go in the car with me. He has an "Emmett Kelly" face that's soooo pitiful I laugh out loud, which affronts his dignity. Ahh…the fuzzy critters. Life would be boring without them.

That's pretty much the story of my life. We're not lake or cabin people so Labor Day means staying home under the AC. I'm thinking Frito Chili Pie for dinner because it's Labor Day and we aren't cooking out and there's baseball on the tube. There might even be a nap on the menu. What's the story of your life today?

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Friday Sinema: Game Day!

Posted on August 30, 2019 by Silver James

Y’all know I’m not a huge fan of most pro sports–with the exception of Major League Baseball, and occasionally the NHL. College football? That’s a totally different story. Tonight, THE OSU Cowboys play the OSU Beavers (as opposed to that university in Ohio). Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State. Go ‘Pokes! Anyway, in looking for an appropriate video to celebrate the start of the college football season, I found this–the new “trailer” for Collge Game Day. MY OSU is in there twice but you really gotta look close and know what you’re seeing. OU got coach time. The SEC and ACC? Yeah, they dominated but those of us in the Big 12 and other conferences understand there’s a bias. 🤷 That aside, sit back, enjoy the new theme, and see if your favorite team, if you have one, is shown. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Signs

Posted on August 29, 2019 by Silver James

Remember that old saying about stopping to smell the roses? When Only was little, we did that. A lot. We spent over an hour watching a cicada metamorph from a “beetle” into it’s winged version. The technical term for their beetle form is chrysalis. Anyway, she and I watched. And when the space shuttle flew over at night, we’d head to the yard to watch it zoom across the sky. Meteor showers. The one time the Northern Lights were visible, we chased them for miles. Small flowers. Big trees. Animals and magical insects of all sorts. We stopped and watched the little things. The same with people, when she got older. We’d watch and listen and make notes. Because I’m a writer and I never know when something I observed will have a place in a book. Only? She’s a historian. She honed her powers of observation so she could note both small and large for posterity. The thing is, we both paid attention to the signs.

Those little things that you alone see, Silver, aren’t by chance.

The sign, the squirrel, the dragonfly; the whisper, the song, the lily.

It’s me. I’m always with you. I’ll do anything to reach you — to give you hope, keep you on track, answer your questions.

Look even closer,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Still serpentine’ing, Silver? Me, too… SQUIRREL!

As a writer, I never know where I’ll find the inspiration for a story, a scene, a character, or a setting. And so often, it’s the little things that make the difference. What about you? Do you stop and smell the roses?

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Wednesday Words: Cityscape

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Silver James

So. It’s Wednesday. There was a big storm Monday night/Tuesday morning. Fun times. Not! Most of the CITY lights went dark and all the CITY mice stayed in bombarding CITY Hall with complaints. Such is life in the big CITY. Which brings me to today’s #1lineWed theme and a crazysauce bit of flash fiction I wrote a bit ago, totally forgot about and now I sort of want the rest of the story. Anyway. The only set-up I can give you for this is that there were three prompts, a photo, a phrase that had to used exactly, and I think the third was a theme of flowers(?). Anyway, here’s what came out…
****
I gazed through the window without seeing the fog-shrouded city below. Raindrops rolled down the glass and I pretended they were the tears I was supposed to shed. I glanced at my watch. Time to go.

Driving through rain and darkness, I arrived at the cottage I’d rented to find a circus elephant on the front lawn. A. Circus. Elephant. With a pretty girl in a pink tutu. I’d never done drugs so this wasn’t a flashback and I’d had a triple shot of espresso at my last stop so I definitely wasn’t dreaming.

The girl waved as I stepped out of my car. “Hi! Are you Mrs. Ramsey?”

Not anymore. The divorce was final yesterday, but she didn’t need to know that. I nodded, reaching in to pull out my suitcase.

“Awesome blossom. Miz Petunia said you’d be arriving today. Welcome to Pansy Cottage. I’m Poppy. I live over there.”

I’d obviously stepped into Alice’s version of the Secret Garden. “She said someone would meet me with the key?”

“Look in the windowbox.”

The elephant beat me to the colorful flowers. “Not for you, Magnolia!” The girl laughed and somehow maneuvered the animal away. “Just come knock on the door if you need something!”

Flabbergasted, I wondered what I’d gotten myself into.

“Welcome to the crazy.”

I whirled. A man, covered in tattoos and leather, offered his hand. “I’m Thorne. I live next door.”

Of course he did. “Violet.”

“You’ll fit right in.”

I didn’t have a choice.
****
The only thing I know for sure was the phrase: “look in the windowbox.” Welcome to my brain. Covered in crazysauce. And Iffy, with scissors in hand, running and giggling like a toddler on Double Dutch Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream with Gummy Bears Cake Delight. Writers, got any city words to share? Readers, what city is the top of your bucket list to visit?

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Tuesday Treats: Crispy Mozzarella Chicken with Garlic Spinach

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Silver James

So…sometimes you need something really quick and really healthy but tastes oh-so-decadent so that no one knows just how healthy the food is. 😉 And in the summer, only have the oven on for a short time is a bonus!

Total Time: 30 Min (includes prep AND cooking)

Healthy Living! Tender and crispy and cheesy, oh my! This baked chicken breast has it all—and a side of garlicky spinach! Watch the video to see how easy it is to make.

What You Need
4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 lb.)
1 pkt. SHAKE ‘N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese
2 tsp. olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. (9 oz.) baby spinach leaves

Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 400ºF.
2 – Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness.
3 – Coat chicken with coating mix as directed on package; place on foil-covered baking sheet. Bake 10 min. Discard shaker bag and any remaining coating mix.
4 – Top chicken with cheese; bake 4 to 5 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF) and cheese is melted.
5 – Meanwhile, heat oil in Dutch oven or large deep skillet on medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 min. Add half the spinach; cook 1 min. or just until spinach starts to wilt, turning constantly with tongs. Add remaining spinach; cook 1 min. or just until wilted, turning occasionally.
6 Serve chicken with spinach.

Click here to head over to My Food and Family for the how-to video and all the nutritional details. Lainey Walker, the heroine of NIGHT MOVES always tries to eat healthy and getting her twin terrors (her little brothers) to eat green stuff is always a chore. Hollywood, her Nightrider Wolf mate, is a carnivore. He wants red meat, preferably rare, but even he will eat this dish. Of course, when she’s cooking for him, she has to triple the incredients! 😂 NIGHT MOVES is in the process of going into wide distribution. Click on the book cover or the title to slid over to Books2Read where you can find the current links.

How about y’all? Are you trying to eat healthy?

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Long Monday

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Silver James

This has been a looooong month. I’m glad to see August hit the road, Labor Day looming on the horizon and at least the tease of cooler weather. In the meantime, it’s Monday, which means talking about what went down last week and over the weekend.

Writing and the business of writing. Sometimes, timing is off. It didn’t occur to me that if I put a “publish/go live date of X” meant upload those books now and let them go live for preorder. Oops. They were still on KU so got kicked back and now those channels that get fidgety about the ‘zon are being slow to take them live. Ah well. Not like I had a big sale push lined up or anything. Once the Nightrider series is live on the big 3 (Apple, Kobo, B&N), I’ll push out a newsletter. Maybe I’ll give away some swag and books from nationals. I also managed to get new words on NIGHT WISH, which is Wizard’s story. That sucker is a hot mess but it’ll come together.

TV drew some of my attention away from audio books. Live PD is always on the menu but I’ve added Ghost Hunters (new version) and Psychic Kids. They both debuted last Wednesday and were pretty good.

Sports get busy this time of year. College football is starting up and baseball is winding down. My Cards are leading their division. That’s all I’m going to say because…no jinxing! *THE* OSU Cowboys play that other OSU team (Oregon State) on Friday night. Go Pokes! (In case you’re wondering about the emphasis, that fake OSU is trying to trademark the word “the.” I hope this doesn’t turn into another “cockygate.”

Reading, or in my case mostly listening, has been good this past week. I have one book that will probably end up being a DNF. It isn’t a bad book, it’s just not holding my attention. I put it down a week ago to listen to a book that came up on my library queue and I never picked it back up. Mainly, I’m breezing through a relisten of Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series because the newest book in that world drops tonight at midnight. Yippee!!!

Lawyer Guy had a quiet birthday and we did family lunch at a favorite BBQ place on Sunday, an easier day for all to gather. My ribs were great but I topped off the meal with warm peach cobbler topped with vanilla bean ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon. Yum to the nth degree!!!

Looking ahead, I’ve got serious words to churn out. I need to get back writing horse and race that stud to the finish line. I have four books I need to work on and finishe by the end of the year: NIGHT WISH, which is Wiz’s book, FIGHTING FOR ELENA, which is set in Susan Stoker’s world and is part of 6-7 book anthology spin-off series about volunteer firefighters in Texas, to be released in either January or February. Then there’s the long-overdue Penumbra book with Sade and Sinjen and at least the proposal for the next Red Dirt book. I’m thinking it’s going to be Dillon (the youngest Tate) and Keisha (Deacon and Quinn’s nanny). Then there’s three left–Bridger, Boone, and Hunter.

No more procrastination. That’s my motto for the rest of year! How was your weekend and what’s going on in your world?

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Friday Sinema: Git Down Challenge

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Silver James

Okay. There’s a new thing. The Git Down Challenge. Cops and firefighters everywhere are doing the “Git Down” to the Blanco Brown song of the same name. Say hi to Lt. Marcus Koch of the OCFD (as in Ok.City FD) as he and some other guy dance into your hearts. Happy Friday!

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