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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Wedneday Words: Saint

Posted on April 17, 2019 by Silver James

I missed last week’s #1lineWed and I almost skipped this week’s theme because none of my crew are SAINTS. Nope. Not even the good guys. And yes, that’s this week’s theme: **SAINTS**. Anyway, doing a word search, I discovered I did have a SAINTLY reference in a snippet. It’s a random bit of wordage, part of a flash fiction challenge several weeks ago. Don’t asked me where these words will–if ever–appear. I hope eventually, a story will evolve but if not, I still like them and I’m glad for the opportunity to share them with you.
****
Her clunky boots echoed in the tomb-like silence of the church. The stone floors were hollowed out by the weight of hundreds of years and thousands of parishioners treading this same path. Rows of flickering blood-red votive candles drew her like the proverbial moth. She felt more like that dead cat, as her subconscious reminded her.

Your curiosity is going to kill you.

Maybe. Maybe not. No time for a chastisement that came far too late.

“Why are you here?”

Her lungs seized, heart pounding as those words whispered across the back of her neck, leaving goosebumps in their wake. The question wasn’t asked by her psyche, but she considered answers. Why was she there? Redemption? Perhaps. Resurrection? No. Not that.

Movement caught her attention. She watched in fascinated horror as stygian blackness coalesced behind a statue of some forgotten saint.

Who’s there!” She made her words a demand rather than questioning. She waited a heartbeat. Two. When no answer came, she added, “I’m not afraid of you.”

“You should be.” The shadows morphed into the silhouette of a man.

Her heart hammered in her chest but she stiffened her knees and spine. “Not me.”

The figure chuckled, a sound both frightening and enticing. “Everyone is afraid of Death.”

That last word held weight, like a royal title. She was probably foolish for not showing fear. Still, that wasn’t her. Not anymore. She remained silent, forcing the being to speak again.

“Then who will save you?”

“No one. I’ll save myself.” She fancied the figure smiled at her bravado.

“Brash. Perhaps even admirable, but in the end, no one escapes.”

The man who stepped into the uncertain candlelight was too beautiful to be real. She fought the urge to hide her face, conquering the need when he laughed. Her scars had been won honorably. She wouldn’t disgrace them.

“It appears I’m too late. You’ve already been rescued from the—”

“Who are you?” she demanded, cutting him off.

“I have many names.” His smile amped up in wattage. “You may call me Starr.”

She knew then, who she faced. This night, she would dance with the devil himself.

“Hello, Lucifer.”
***
Do you have any saints hanging around? Or do you have unconnected words that need a story? Feel free to share. And out of curiosity, what sort of story should this one morph into?

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Tuesday Treats: Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Silver James

I’ll admit, I don’t do strawberries because…allergy, but the rest of my family loves the things so I’ve been known to pull on rubber gloves to prepare something fun for them. This is one of those recipes.

Total time: 1 Hr. 10 Min.
Prep time: 10 Min.
Cooking time: 1 Hr.

Serve this Strawberry Cheesecake Dip at your next party. Have copies of this recipe too; you’re sure to get requests for this Strawberry Cheesecake Dip!

What You Need

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Cheesecake Flavor Instant Pudding
1 cup milk
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
1/2 tsp. lime zest

Let’s Make It
1 – Mix cream cheese, dry pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min.
2 – Stir in COOL WHIP and strawberries.
3 – Refrigerate 1 hour.
4 – Sprinkle with lime zest before serving.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Serving Suggestion: Serve with assorted cut-up fresh fruit, vanilla wafers or graham crackers.

Tip 2 – Creative Leftovers: Freeze scoops of any leftover dip in single layer in waxed paper-lined pan until firm. Transfer to freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 2 months. Top with additional lime zest before serving with vanilla wafers.

CLICK HERE to head over to the Kraft-Heinz My Food and Family site for the nutritional details. Zoe Parker, the heroine of BILLIONAIRE COUNTRY, makes this dip to keep around for a snack while she’s recording, writing new songs, or just rolling down the highway in her motorhome in-between gigs. “Hey, y’all, it’s even almost healthy! Or it would be if I ate it with fruit ‘stead of Nilla wafers.” If any of you haven’t yet met Zoe and her hero, Tucker Tate, you can still grab the book in various formats. Click on the cover to head over to Harlequin. If you don’t want to buy it there, there are links to all the other retailers on the book’s page. And enjoy the dip. 🙂

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Monday is Taxing

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Silver James

So…I pretty much took last week off from blogging. I had reasons. Health. Welfare. Stuff. Spring colds suck. Writer’s block is like being in creativity jail. Mother Nature is hormonal. I could stop here but I won’t. 😉

Okay. Weather has been crazy. This is April. We’ve had rain, snow, frosts, record high temps. Record low temps. Nuts. And I finally got bluebells blooming along with the wisteria. I’m hoping they’ll hold up.

Writing. Did some. Not much. But some. Gonna do more this week. I also was tagged to join a fantastic group of writers to expand one of Susan Stoker’s worlds. One of her fans asked whether a group of minor characters in one of her Badge of Honor books would get their own books. She put it out on the authors loop and a new spin-off is born, with a February 2020 release date. No series title info but it’s about a group of volunteer firefighters in a small town NW of San Antonio. I’m excited about being included, the brainstorming has been crazy fun, and I’m hoping this enthusiasm busts through the block on my other projects because they’ve got to come first. I’ll give you a hint about my character though. He’s the VFD chief, his nickname is Pops, and he’s a silver fox. Fun stuffs!

Sports. Baseball. Cards swept the Dodgers. Woot-woot. As I write this, they are playing the Reds in Monterrey, Mexico, and are up 7-4. Final score was 9-5, Cards victory! I may come back to update if I remember. The “real” OSU (Go Pokes!) set a Big 12 homerun record against Kansas with 12 homeruns, by 7 different players. Two of them hit 3 apiece. Final score was 27-6. Wish I’d watched the game!

TV. Game of Thrones premiere episode of the show’s last season is tonight/last night. (I’m typing this Sunday afternoon.) Yeah. I’m laughing at all the on-line/social media algorithms and speculation about who will survive. I’m betting they all die, but I’m a pessimist like that. LIVE PD. I ❤ Dan Abrams in the studio. He's so punny. Evidently, the cameras are split between OHP troopers in OKC and Tulsa. S’okay. Glad to see them get air time. My TV watching is as boring as my life. *shrug*

Reading. Still doing the marathon listen of JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood books. There’s so much I dislike about these books but dang it, the author has figured out a way to make me care about the characters and fills me with the need to find out what’s going to happen to them. So I keep on keeping on.

And…that’s all folks! How was your weekend? Any exciting plans for the new week? Me? I’m going to get another cup of coffee and get to work. There are words…and worlds waiting.

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