Thursday Thoughts: Finding Universal Love

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Silver James

Guess what!?! I write romance. Yeah, yeah. Those of you who drop by here have figured it out. I just thought I’d pass that piece of information along to any newcomers.

So anyway, I was in a social situation recently and was asked if I was retired or still working. “Still working–mostly,” I replied. I added the mostly because there are drought periods of various lengths when I’m…working but only sitting at the keyboard staring at the screen–blank or otherwise, ie. words needing editing. “Oh?” this person asked. “What do you do?” “I’m a writer.” I got that weird smile people sometimes give when they ask, “Are you published?” “Yes. I’ve got almost fifty books out.” That always gets a blink-blink, an “oh” and is usually followed by, “Have you written anything I’ve read?” Uhm…how would I know?

Enevitably, it leads to me explaining that I write romance–for Harlequin and as a self-pubbed author. “Oh.” Usually said in a superior yet dismissive tone with an arched brow, and often followed by, “So, you write those kind of books. Damn straight I do! I guarantee my readers a chance to escape, to live in a world other than their own, and they know the characters they hopefully have come to care about will get their Happy Ever After.

So what does this have to do with today’s message from the Universe? It’s that whole “almost fifty books” thing. Creating new characters, new plots, new ways to meet, break-up, make-up and live HEA, gets tougher and tougher with each new book. So, I’m turning to the big U…

When you begin to find love, Silver, in people and places where you haven’t found it before, it’s always because you’ve grown.

You so rock,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

All there is to love, Silver, has been there all along.

I like to think that I’ve grown as a writer, and that I’m looking for love in people and places I have been before. If I can keep this is mind, I should be able to find my creativity, to keep writing books, and yes, they will be THOSE kind of books because, folks? This old world needs all the love it can get. FYI, I was nursing some physical ailments from a fall on Tuesday night. Wednesday Words will be back next week because I want to share the love. And yeah, I’m still stiff and sore but I’m healing. Such a klutz! So tell me, do you look for love in all the wrong places? 😉

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Tuesday Treats: Slow-Cooker BBQ Beef Stew

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Silver James

Firefighters are notorious for not only being good cooks but being jealous of their recipes. This is one dish that’s firehouse ready.

Total Time: 7 Hr 35 Min
Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 7 Hr 15 Min
Discover the secret to the mellow flavor of our delicious Slow-Cooker BBQ Beef Stew! Click on the link below to watch the BBQ beef stew video to witness the recipe in action.

What You Need
2 lb. beef stew meat, trimmed
1 Tbsp. oil
5 carrots (3/4 lb.), peeled, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
2-1/2 lb. small red potatoes (about 10), quartered
3/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce, divided
1 Tbsp. MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas

Let’s Make It
1 – Cut meat into smaller 1-1/2-inch pieces if necessary. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat, in batches; cook 8 to 10 min. or until evenly browned, stirring occasionally.
2 – Place carrots, onions and potatoes in slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray; top with meat. Pour 1/2 cup barbecue sauce over meat; sprinkle with coffee. Cover with lid.
3 – Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 5 hours).
4 – Stir in peas and remaining barbecue sauce; cook, covered, 15 min. or until heated through.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1: Substitute your favorite frozen vegetable, such as green beans, for the peas.

Tip 2: For a milder stew. omit the 1/4 cup barbecue sauce added with the peas.

Tip 3: Substitute your favorite flavor of KRAFT Barbecue Sauce.

Tip 4: Nutrition Bonus – Since this warm and hearty main-dish stew is low in calories, fat and sodium, you can feel good about serving it to your family. And as a bonus, the colorful carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A.

To get all the nutritional information and to watch the prep video, CLICK HERE to visit My Food and Family, the rebranding Kraft/Heinz recipe site. Katherine “Kit” Carson, the ARFF heroine of CRASH & BURN, admits she snagged this recipe from Kraft and it was an immediate hit at her old department, Will Rogers World Airport Fire Rescue Department. Since moving to DFW Airport, she doesn’t work 24-hour shifts any more so she doesn’t cook for her colleagues. Derek Alexander, Wolf shifter and Homeland Security intelligence investigator gives it four thumbs up. 😉 You can read about their story later this week when I release their updated book. Links will hit the Moonstruck Wolf page once it’s live. In the meantime, good eating…and reading!

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Monday Dance

Posted on April 29, 2019 by Silver James

Today is the next to the last day of April. A hectic month because…dang! April Fool’s Day was just…four weeks ago. My how time flies and all that BS. So…a quick update and then some fun facts about today.

First, sports because YAY! My OSU Cowgirls are moving up in the ranks and they had an awesome weekend with come-from-behind wins over Texas Tech. They’ll be at least 2nd in the Big 12. Next up? Bedlam with #1 ranked OU. Orange and Black, baby, but at the same time, I’m excited that OU is number one. Regionals, super regionals, and the Women’s College World Series is going to be fun this year. Not that it isn’t. In college baseball news, the Cowboys didn’t do so good but hey… And my Cardinals! Dude! They are leading the NL Central and 2nd over all in the National League. Of course, it’s a long season but…they weren’t supposed to be this good so triple YAYAYAY!

Writing is getting done. Slowly, not exactly surely, but I hope to have a new/old book rereleased this week. CRASH & BURN was originally part of Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue series for Kindle World. When KW shut down, Paige reverted rights back to all of us who wrote in her world. I’ve been fiddling around–in the back of my mind and we all know how dark and dusty and twisty-turny it gets in there!–with how to update the book. I finally figure it out. The heroine’s backstory is changing a bit, she’s still an ARFF but DFW International Airport has their own fire department that’s seperate from Dallas Fire. There’s also a couple of scenes I want to put back in. So, that’s going. I also got the previous versions of RDR#9 put together, rehased, revised, and rewritten. I’m thiiiiis close to starting on new words. I still need to fiddle with chapter 3 to get it headed in the new direction and then I should be good to move forward. Keep your fingers crossed.

TV is all about LIVE PD these days. And there’s an 11-day marathon this week so woot! Also, baseball. I’m saving up the DVRs of “Game of Thrones” for a marathon binge when the series ends because…dude, I hate to wait.

Reading is a binge at the moment. Still wending my way through the BDB books. I found a reading-order list that incorporates the original series and the spin-offs so I’m reading them in time-line order. I’ll be finishing BLOOD KISS (Black Dagger Legacy) which is book 1 in Legacy and book 17 in the complete series. Up next is THE BEAST. There are 26 books so far, with 3 more coming in August, November and sometime in 2020.

And now to the fun facts. There are holidays to be celebrated today! Here’s the list:

National Heroes Day (in Barbados). Sounds like a fine thing to me, being a romance author and everything.

National Zipper Day. Because…romance novels need those suckers.

And finally, it’s International Dance Day. Here’s to waltzing through your day or tangoing with your hero/heroine. And our questions of the day are all related to the above: Who’s your hero? Zippers or buttons? What’s your favorite dance?

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Friday Free-for-all: WTF Edition

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Silver James

Sometimes, the world breaks my brain. And not always in a good way. Here are some things that caught my attention recently. For the stories that need far more detail than I can put into words, my comment is a link so just click to get the “rest of the story.”

A mother forgets her infant at the airport? Seriously?!?! How do your forget your baby?!?!

This next one hits close to home–geographically, anyway. A mother is upset because her 14 year-old son was shot in the leg by a police officer. “He was trying to kill my baby.” Yeah, if he’d been trying to kill your kid, he would have aimed for the torso. I mean, the kid was holding a gun and was told repeatedly to drop it. “He and his friends were just playing basketball, and besides, it was only a BB gun.” If they were just playing B-ball, why did they have guns–of any kind? Uhm…alrighty then. Of course, the boy and his friends had broken into a vacant house. “Well, it was raining. They just wanted to get in out of the weather.” By breaking into a house…

Best lines from LIVE PD:

Stoned driver who rear-ends a police car because he’s rolling a joint, and is arrested: “Can I ride shotgun?”

I’m thinking there was a bet involved on sneaking that word into the conversation… LT. Kennedy, Williamson County, Texas after “sneaking” up on a motorcist. “Yes, I’m like a stealthy Velociraptor…”

Slidell, LA officer (K9 Officer Morris, I think) checking out the report of a drunk male walking down a street. “I am not drunk.” Cop says, “I watched you running like a baby deer.” Also, drunk male, “Why are you arresting me.” Cop, “For public intoxication.” “But I’m not drunk in public.”

Franklin County, Ohio: Deputy to man arrested on a warrant: “You’ll be spending the night in the Sheriff’s Air BNB.

Critter/Celebrity look-alikes that will make you blink, then look twice. Seriously!

And finally, If you have some time to kill or looking to procrastinate…do you remember that whole police lip sync challenge? Well, CBS picked 30 of their favorites and have asked viewers to vote on their favorites. CLICK HERE to check out the videos and vote. 😉

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Players

Posted on April 25, 2019 by Silver James

So. I live in my head. Because there are intersting people who also live there. Some of them have been around for…a loooong time. Some are new acquaintances. They all have stories to tell about their lives but before I corner them and draw those stories out, the Universe describes what goes on pretty well.

Don’t you just love ’em, Silver?

Everyone. Absolutely everyone.

They’re all scurrying around so. All planning and scheming and dreaming. Defending, proving, and justifying. Laughing, crying, and feeling. All behaving, more or less, as you expect them to…

Ah yea-a-ah, they do that a lot…
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Of course they have total freedom, Silver, with their own thoughts, expectations, and decisions. But many of these play off yours, like a baseball off a bat… Like, you know, “build it and they will come.”

In my case though, it’s “WRITE it and they will come.” Hopefully. I’ve mentioned before that I’m driven to write. Sometimes that drive is stronger and the words flow and characters become alive–for me and I hope my readers as well. Sometimes, the drive ebbs and the words stay in my head rather than getting translated to my fingertips where they rest on my keyboard. I’d write even if no one else ever read another of my books. I wouldn’t be very happy because…yeah. I have a bit of an ego. I WANT people to buy and read my stories. I want them to care about the characters, to “live” the stories right beside those make-believe folks spilling from my imagination. So hopefully, I’ll write it, and y’all will come. Because yeah. I do just love ’em. 🙂

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Wednesday Words: From Saints to Sinners

Posted on April 24, 2019 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, another #1lineWed theme over on Twitter. The subject line says it all. Last week was saints. This week, we’re looking for the SINNERS. Because…in a romance? Redeeming that sinner is part of the journey. And sometimes, the roles get reversed. This snippet comes from a Nightriders WIP, NIGHT RUN, staring hero Bishop Callahan and his heroine, Jett Martin. Jett is not a good girl, but then Bishop isn’t looking for an innocent.
****
Jett
I cowered in a pew at the back of the church, among the whispers and stares, hiding the tremors in my hands by tucking them under my thighs. I’d toned down my makeup, wore a skirt that almost reached my knees. My blouse didn’t show much skin. Didn’t matter. The civilians knew exactly what I was the moment I walked in the door. I’d been a biker’s whore. If there were drugs or booze, I partook. Because that’s what everyone in my world did.

Someone slid into the row behind me. I stiffened but didn’t turn around despite the prickles on the nape of my neck. I closed my eyes, listening to the women around me fingered their rosaries as whispered novenas washed over me like summer rain. I couldn’t sit here long. If Sister Pat didn’t appear soon, I’d chicken out and run.

Hot breath stirred my hair and the scent of wild surrounded me. I’d know that aroma anywhere. Bishop. What was he doing here?

“You lookin’ for redemption, babe?” His voice touched all the dark places in my soul.

“Too late for that,” I whispered. Way too late. I was a sinner with nothing left of my soul to redeem.

“Then what are you looking for?”

“Why are you here?”

“I found what I’m looking for.”

Heat flashed through me. No. He’d be just another crutch. A fifth of Jack and a bag of white powder dropped into my lap. My hands shook harder.

“Do you really need them now?”

Did I?

“Me or them, babe. Choose.”

Life or death? Turned out to be an easy choice after all.
****
This project is on the back burner but every once in awhile, inspiration strikes and new words get added. What about y’all? Are you inspired by a sinner in your WIP or book?

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Tuesday Treats: Cheesy Chicken Crescent Roll

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Silver James

When the weather is nice and we’d rather be doing something else, need something filling but want something light, this is a recipe that not only looks like you spent a lot of time on it, it’s oh-so-tasty.

Prep Time: 20min.
Total Time: 52min.
Servings: 8 servings

Break out the refrigerated crescent rolls and knock their socks off with this Cheesy Chicken Crescent Roll recipe. This crescent roll recipe is super easy.

What You Need
1/2 cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup chopped red peppers
1 can (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Make It

Heat oven to 350ºF.
Mix first 3 ingredients until blended.

Combine chicken, cheese and peppers in large bowl.

Add mayo mixture; mix lightly.

Unroll crescent dough on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray; firmly press perforations and seams together to form 12×8-inch rectangle. Spread chicken mixture onto dough to within 2 inches of edges. Use kitchen shears or sharp knife to make cuts, 1 inch apart, on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Pull strips up over filling, crisscrossing dough in center.

Bake 28 to 32 min. or until golden brown.

Kitchen Tips: It’s easier to make the cuts on the dough before placing the filling down the middle. Also, I’m not a fan of red peppers, so I’ve been known to substitute jalepanos, and Lawyer Guy prefers Miracle Whip to mayo.

To get all the details, click on over to KRAFT. Believe it or not, this is a dish that Hannah MacIntire can actually fix reliably on a continuing basis. Yeah, yeah. Mac and Liam were amazed too. 😉 Of course, they have no idea of how many times the “roll” ended up in the trash because a) it turned into a doorstop, b) it was raw in the middle, c) the filling oozed out, d) you don’t want to know. FYI, I am avoiding Hannah at the moment because she might punch me for spilling her secret. Thing is, regular people (who can…you know…COOK!) have no problem with this recipe. If any of you would like Hannah’s story, I suggest MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS. You get the beginning of her and Mac’s life-long love, plus the story that happens between BLOOD MOON and BAD MOON. It’s available at most on-line retailers. You can click on the cover to head over to the page with all the links.

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Good Monday

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Silver James

So…there was a weekend. And it was Easter. Happy Day after Easter to those of you who celebrate. And Happy Monday to thoes of you who don’t. We combined the clans at Lawyer Guy’s brother’s house–the James Gant and my dear SiL’s fam. We were out-numbered. But not out-gunned. 😉 Good food. Good company. Came home and had a nap. That was good too.

And now it’s Monday. It’s also April 22. On this day back in 1889, the first Land Run, which opened up former Indian lands here in central Oklahoma to white settlement began with cannons and pistols firing. You know, just in case any of you are history nerds. 😉

In other news, the Cards had a couple of awesome games. The Blues are moving on in the NHL play-offs. The Thunder is holding on by their collective nails in the NBA play-offs. I hope they do well, even though basketball isn’t my catnip.

I’m continuing my marathon read/listen to J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I’m on #11 and slightly amazed that I’ve made it this far. It took me years–literally!–to get through the first book. Those keeping track know that I finally tried it in audio. Jim Frangione’s voice works for me, though he’s not all that great at denoting different characters. Still… Anyway, I managed to get through the first book with gritted teeth and moved on. Why? Because I read a later novella in the series for a contest and figured I would be scoring it low but ended up totally enjoying the darn thing. Which started me on the trail of actually reading the series. The author’s writing/voice has changed as the years have passed. This is a good thing. She has a way of making readers care about her characters so, in my case anyway, I keep reading despite the hot buttons and gritted teeth just to see what happens. And she puts so many threads and arcs in a book that you have to read the whole series to understand WTF is going on and who’s who with who. Anyway.

I am slowly getting new words written, though RDR#9 is going a different direction that I originally planned. Some things in the original version didn’t work for those up the food chain so I’ve been doodling and a few things are starting to tease out. I need to hit a hot streak where I get 2K words or more done a day. And I need to do that soon. It’s that stupid RL keeps getting in the way. Ah well. There’s a new project on the horizon, as well as other projects on the back burner that need to stop simmering before they overcook and end up crust burned to the bottom of the pan.

Okay, y’all. Who watches LIVE PD? I probably shouldn’t admit this but…in Friday night’s episode, with Trooper Bunch? At the Taco Bell with the odd couple and their three dogs? That cool building in the background? That’s the Harley dealership that I drive by several times a week on my way to the nearest Starbucks. And yes, I’ve been known to hit the drive-thru in that Taco Bell. Now, hold on to your hats because this gets better–or worse, depending on your POV. On Saturday night’s episode, I learned that a neighbor’s white German shepherd is named Sooner. Trooper Perkins pulled him over (the neighbor NOT Sooner) because his trailer lights weren’t working. Yeah, his was the truck filled with metal junk. His yard sort of looks like that too. *cringe* Every neighborhood has one. He’s ours. As soon as Mystal (and yes, that IS her first name) walked up to the truck, LG and I burst out laughing. We recognized the junk first, then the truck, and finally the dog when he stuck his head out the window. He’s an absolute sweety. Sooner, NOT the neighbor. Anyway, it’s probably a good thing what we’re home watching LIVE PD rather than being out and about.

And that’s my world at the moment. What’s going on in yours?

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Friday Sinema: Game of Bones

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Silver James

April 19th is always a tough day for those of us who were in OKC back in 1995. Hard to believe it’s been 24 years since the bombing. This year, I’m acknowledging the day with this mention but I’m offering something that I hope will make you smile. Because that’s what it did for me–enough so that when I saw it, I fist-pumped and said, “Yay! A video for this Friday’s Sinema post!” and didn’t realize today’s date until I scheduled the post. So…

The first episode of the last season of Game of Thrones aired Sunday night. I’m a fan, but that said, every once and awhile, something even more awesome comes along. Why do you want to spend the next 6 minutes watching this? Dragonweiners. Just sayin’…

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Better

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Silver James

So…Life. It is what it is. Good. Bad. Indifferent. Happy. Sad. All copecetic. Or scary.

Through the prism of time and space, Silver, the scary stuff always looks scarier than it really is.

But this is offset by the fact that the great stuff is always greater… is frequently on sale, comes in more flavors, and goes with pretty much everything.

Please pass the Grey Poupon,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Things are always better than you think, Silver.

And it’s good to know that there are brighter days ahead. I need to remember that. Right? Yeah. I agree. And I’ll take some of that Grey Poupon on my burger.

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