Tuesday Treats: Hot Reuben Dip

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Silver James

It’s December. That means entertaining. Here’s an easy and tasty hot dip. I’ll admit that I’m a fan of Reuben sandwiches so I like this dip.

Total time: 35 Minutes
15 Min Prep

Make this Hot Reuben Dip by combining cream cheese, Thousand Island dressing and corned beef. This Hot Reuben Dip is our take on a New York deli classic.

What You Need
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1/2 cup KRAFT Thousand Island Dressing 1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Big Slice Swiss Cheese Slice s, chopped 1/4 lb. sliced deli corned beef, chopped (about 1 cup) 3/4 cup well-drained CLAUSSEN Sauerkraut

Let’s Make It
1 Heat oven to 350ºF.
2 Mix cream cheese and dressing in medium bowl until blended.
3 Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
4 Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate sprayed with cooking spray.
5 Bake 20 min. or until heated through.

For all the nutritional details, head on over to Kraft Recipes by CLICKING HERE. As y’all might have noticed, not all of my heroines are great cooks. *ducks book thrown by Hannah* But since Christmas parties are coming and readers might want to get into the season, Quin Kincaid Tate admitted that she’s made this dip and every time she took it to Troop A the OHP troopers swarmed and all but licked the bowl. Now she fixes it for the Tate family and the guys in Deacon’s band, the Sons of Nashville. If you haven’t read the book, click on the cover and head over to Harlequin. If you don’t want to buy it from them, you can click through to all the other retailers from the book’s product page.

Do you have a favorite dip or other go-to dish that you always take to holiday get-togethers?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Cyber Monday

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Silver James

I’m guessing everyone survived Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Sofa Sunday (according to the Guardian newspaper), and today is Cyber Monday. Log into your browsers…ready…set…mouse hovering over all those one-click-buy buttons…

I should have put my books on sale. Or not. I did that one year. I didn’t sell any more books than I did the year before or the year after. Color me Grumpy Cat. I actaully went in search of a Grumpy Cat Cyber Monday meme. I’ll never get that hour back.

So…besides it being the Monday after T-giving when all the on-line retailers try to suck your credit cards into the vast cosmic void of the internet, it’s time to rehash my exciting laugh. … … *yawn* Okay, I’m only kidding a little bit. I got some writing done. And I got some plot thingies figured out. And I plan on getting some more real work done today.

Sports was a mixed bag. I swear the OSU Cowboys are all Jekyl and Hyde this year. They play an incredible game against a highly ranked opponent and win. The next week, they play an unranked team and…lose. It…I just…no words. OU won so now the Sooners take on Texas in the Big 12 championship. Texas beat Oklahoma during regular season. This is the Sooners’ chance to get their own back.

I fell into a reread of Jayne Castle’s Harmony series. AMARYLLIS, one of her early scifi romances released in audio last week and I got a deal on the audiobook. There are two more books in that series that haven’t made it to audio yet but since the St. Helens world and the Harmony world are sort of sister planet/places backstory, I jumped into Harmony with AFTER DARK. I’m up to the 5th book now, DARK LIGHT.

Random trivia: Do you know what the name “Ariel” means? Silver Hawk. Who knew? Still, fitting for my bad boy fae from the Penumbra Papers. And yes, he’s making a cameo, along with Roman, in the current PP WIP.

Not much TV or movie watching. LIVE PD, and PD CAM are about it. Oh, and some of those odd science shows like “What on earth?” and “Secrets of the Abandoned.” I never know where I’ll pick up some weird idea for a plot twist, setting, or story line.

And that’s what’s up in my world today. What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Giving Thanks

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Silver James

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Wednesday Words: Food for Thought

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Silver James

Here in the States, tomorrow is Thanksgiving day. Many of us will be traveling or preparing, and some of us will be in the kitchen preparing. What better theme for #1lineWed than **FOOD**? Sitting around the table, moaning about eating too much as one more bite of pie is shoved in, families, friends…ah, the joy. 😉 One of these days, I need to write a scene where the Wolves celebrate Thanksgiving. One of these days. In the meantime, here’s a scene with Wizard and Jen. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I hope you enjoy.
****
Wizard eyed the food court like he was sizing up a rival gang. I managed to hide my eye roll when he glanced my way.

“Babe, you can’t be serious.”

“It’s the mall, Wizard.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Don’t you go to the mall?”

“Oh, hell no!” He growled. At me!

He was the one who insisted on coming with me. While I wasn’t a huge fan of shopping, there were some things a girl can’t get at the local Gas-n-Go or truck stop. Since this particular mall had a Victoria’s Secret, I planned to shoo Wizard into some guy-type store then duck into Vicky’s to buy something to wear for him as a special surprise. Why? Because this man made me—despite my extra padding—feel beautiful.

That was the plan. Except Wizard was a biker. No auto parts store or Harley shop in sight. I’d totally miscalculated. Plan B was to park him in the food court, head to the ladies room then sneak away.

“C’mon. I need food,” I said.

We got drinks, snagged a table and I made my excuses.

“No.”

“No? I can’t go to the bathroom?”

“Yes, you can go to the bathroom. No, you aren’t going alone. I’m going with you.”

I didn’t screech. Much. “You can’t.” All my plans were collapsing. I inhaled deeply, squared my shoulders and with as much dignity as I could muster, informed him, “I’m quite capable of walking from here to the restroom, strolling inside, doing my business, and returning.

He shook his head, totally adamant. “Nope. Not happening. You aren’t leaving me here alone.” He swept out his arm. “Teenage girls.”

“So?”

“They always travel in packs.”

Who knew? My big, bad biker was afraid of teenagers.

“And they’re staring at me.”

They *were* staring, like they wanted to eat him for dessert. Maybe I didn’t need sexy lingerie after all.
****
I’m thankful for all of you dropping by, and reading my books, and listening to me gritch, and understanding when I want to hide from the world. If you have some food words to share, please do. Because, you know, it really does come down to the eats. 😉

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tuesday Treats: Bailey’s Irish Cream French Toast

Posted on November 20, 2018 by Silver James

Lawyer Guy and I watched this commercial, turned to stare at each other and simultaneously, he said, “We need to try that!” while I said, “I need that recipe!” Low and behold…

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM:
1⁄2 OZ Baileys Original Irish Cream
4 OZ whipping cream
2TBSP confectioners sugar

FOR THE FRENCH TOAST:
2.5 OZ Baileys Original Irish Cream
2.5 OZ whipping cream
1⁄2 TSP vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 SLICES of thick bakery-style bread
1TBSP butter, for frying
50 G dark chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS
1 Whisk together the 1/2 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream, 4 oz. of whipping cream and 2 tbsp confectioners sugar. Chill and put aside for topping the finished product

2 Combine – on a plate – the 2.5 oz. of Baileys Original Irish Cream, 2.5 oz. of whipping cream, 1⁄2 tsp of vanilla extract and 2 eggs

3 Dip the bread into the mixture while heating 1 tbsp of butter in a pan for frying

4 Fry the piece of dipped bread until golden brown

5 Add the whisked together mixture as a topping

This recipe contains no more than 0.6 fl. oz. of alcohol per serving.

CLICK HERE for the link to the Bailey’s site. I, personally, want to thank them for this yummy treat!!! ❤

I turned to my characters to find out which one would claim this recipe and every last one–including the guys–raised their hands. Like…BOTH hands! They all want to try this recipe. To be fair, I won't assign a character or book. However, as a writer, I would be remiss in my marketing if I didn't at least put out a pitch. If you are looking for something to read, please give one of my books a try–if you haven't already. And if you've read one or more of my books and haven't left a review? Please go eat your French toast and consider leaving one. Reviews are like giving a hug to an author and since this is Thanksgiving week here in the States, I’m thankful for each of you who visits here, for each of my readers, and for every single review!

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thanksgiving Monday

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Silver James

How can it be Thanksgiving already?!?! *flail* How is that even possible?

So…stuffs. There is some.

Reading: I finished up my relistens to two seperate series in order to listen to the new releases. One left me totally PO’d but still loving the series. The other was a nice end to the first plot trilogy and interested enough to check out the next plot arc when a new book releases but I’m not holding my breath. Reading a first book in a new spin-off series set in a world that I’ve always enjoyed. It’s okay but not blowing up my reading skirts.

Sports: Despite almost beating #6 OU last week (lost by 1) and beating #9 West Virginia this week, my OSU Cowboys haven’t managed to crack the Top 25. Big 12 gets no respect in the national polls. At least the Pokes are bowl eligible. On a note of “Yay!” Army broke in at #23 for the first time in like…25 years.

Still doing mostly bits and pieces of my writing. I’ve been fighting the fall crud I normally get. There’s something about fallen leaves, mold, and ragweed that sets off my immune system in a bad way.

Had a good time at my RWA chapter meeting on Saturday. We talked about series bibles and I showed examples of my various attempts to get to the “Full Service Project” I use in Scrivener as both series bible, and series binder. Hopefully, I gave the attendees some ideas of how to create their own. We’d met in the Museum of Art, with lunch at the Museum Cafe for several years. Saturday was our last meeting there. We’re holding the December Christmas party and then will be meeting all next year at the American Legion Post where Lawyer Guy is the commander. Makes it easy peasy for me. 😉 The only sad part is there isn’t a Starbucks on the way. Ah well.

That pretty much sums up last week and the weekend. Today is a new day, Thanksgiving is Thursday. The kids will be with the in-laws so it’ll be low-key around here. And no Black Friday. Nope. Nada. Uh-uh. What’s up in your world?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Universal Backstory

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Silver James

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Remember this mantra from childhood? Thing is, words do hurt. They don’t leave bruises like punches or pinches. They won’t put you in a cast with a broken bone. Nope. Their pain leaves scars on hearts and souls and psyches. We carry those hurts with us throughout our lives. Sometimes, people are just thoughtless. Sometimes, they are mean. Sometimes, they intentionally set out to cause harm for a wide variety of reasons.

As a writer, I want to mine those depths. I want to find out why this character has such trouble trusting, why she wears a coat of emotional armor, yet can still be susceptible to a bad boy who desires her. As I writer, I want to dig into the history of that character to discover why his happy-go-lucky demeanor is nothing more than a mask he hides behind, letting no one close.

When you can look beneath their behavior that hurt you, Silver, and you can see the frightened child, it becomes nearly impossible to be angry or carry a grudge.

And you so can.

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

Besides, Silver, your happiness, abundance, health, and friendships are not dependent on how others behave.

I don’t happen to agree with the big U in this matter. Granted, there are those who strike out due to their own hurts, but there are those who are deliberate and vicious. My writer brain wants to delve into all the whys and wherefores. The ones who set out to hurt intentionally–whether to train or control or just subjugate make for the best villians. To experience the good, a character has to be exposed to the bad. To appreciate the light, they have to know what it’s like in the dark. Right? Now, I just wish that real people didn’t have to experience the same.

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wednesday Words: Betray

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Silver James

It’s time for #1lineWed again over on Twitter and the theme is “BETRAY”–or any form of the word. I keep noodling around with Sinjen and Sade’s book and have no idea where all the various scenes are going to fit. When I began the tale, I had no idea Nikos would be so involved. Sinjen and the dragon might just come to blows before it’s all said and done. In the meantime, Nikos is trying to figure out his own actions because…well, if his Archon (the chief of his clan) finds out where he is and what he’d considering doing? Yeah…let’s just say dragons take betrayl pretty darn serious. I think this snippet is fairly self-explanatory, especially since I’m not sure where it fits into the story’s timeline.
****
Nikos was an idiot. This was one party he should not be crashing. The Mare Mascaradă was, to the vampires, as sacrosanct to the night kind as the Próti Ptísi was to the dragon clans. Still, when he’d discovered that Sinjen intended to bring Sade and introduce her to the Nysferanti court. If he was caught, the Nysferanti would be well within their rights to not only demand his death but to wage war against the Clans. He was the Drakon of Clan Kholikikos.

Pulling his glamour tightly around him, he stayed to the shadows of the upper promenade. Had his information been false? The ball was half done. The new vampires had been presented to the Vampyre Conclave. The more brutal events were over, the survivors of the blood games standing sentry around the perimeter.

What was it about the infuriating human that drew him so? It was a fascination that could be considered a betrayal if he went to far. Risking war by his presence was bad enough. To take her to mate would be to commit the ultimate perfidy. His Archon would demand his head and his hoard. Yes, he wanted to bed the woman, and claim her, but not as his mate. Bad enough that her emerald eyes reminded him of the jewel he coveted most, but the woman herself? She was…unique.

The crowd stirred, pulling his attention to the polished floor of ebony wood where masked dancers whirled in a kaleidoscope of colors. The massive doors opened at the hands of liveried attendants. The vampires were as bad the fae when it came to pomp and ceremony. The male entering drew his gaze immediately. Kristian St. John had been a warrior—a Templar knight. He’d sacrificed his life during one of the insufferable religious wars waged by humans only to discover that he’d been turned by the master vampire, Mathias De Vries.

Sinjen was tall for his age. Nikos choked back his humor. While his glamour would hide his form, it did not blanket sound. In the Twelfth Century, men were not tall. The vampire would have stood head and shoulders above his peers at the time. His dark hair and eyes the color of sapphires set in a face of sculpted planes turned heads of both sexes. He wore the black tuxedo like he’d been born to the garment. So many of the Nysferanti reveled in the formal attire of the past. Nikos had to give Sinjen props for not bowing to tradition.

But where was Sade? He stepped closer to the balustrade, leaned around the massive polished marble column he’d used to shadow his form, seeking her. She wasn’t there. He sought out Sinjen—who was staring up at him. Their gazes collided. Sinjen held out his hand. A gloved hand slipped into it. Nikos jerked his eyes to the glorious woman who could claim him if he let down his guard. The red satin dress caressed her long, lean body with loving care. Her hair was bound in a severe twist held by emerald combs.

Nikos swallowed hard. He was salivating like a dragonet stealing his first jewel. Sinjen’s eyes remained on him as the damnable man led the treasure that was Sade Marquis onto the dance floor. Music swelled. A tango. As he watched them dance, he realized that he could betray his kind to own this woman. It was time to go before he lost all honor.
****
Will Nikos betray himself as well as his race? Only the shadow know. 😉 In the meantime, do any of you want to betray your character and post some betrayal words here?

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Friday Sinema: Love All Over

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Silver James

Don’t be surprised if scenes like these appear in future books of mine. Love the song, loved this movie, because…Gerard Butler, dancing, elevators, and little black dresses. Great inspiration in my line of work. 😉 Have a great weekend and I hope you find love all over!

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: Universal Envy

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Silver James

There are times. Okay, to be honest, lots of times, when I look at my peers and wonder what they have going for them that I don’t? How do they sell so many books? How do they win the awards, make the best-seller lists, get the fab agents, movie deals, and sell books. Why not me? My books are just as good. Of course, I suck at marketing, which is part of it. And then I envy them because they obviously don’t suck. It’s a vicious circle and a hamster wheel I try not to jump on. But I’m human. We all are. Even those I’m envious of.

While you might, from time to time, envy others, Silver, it’s precisely during those moments when you might ask yourself whether or not you’d actually like to be them.

Envy cured, huh?
The Universe

© http://www.tut.com ®
Personally, Silver, I think you and I have it made.
***
Mostly no, I don’t want to be like them. And Universe? I’m glad you have it made. I worry sometimes. Because if you don’t have it going on, the rest of us are hosed.

The thing is, I don’t really want to BE them. I want to be LIKE them. I want to have their abilities, smarts, luck–whatever that puts them in the position I’d like to be in. I keep slogging along looking for the magic formula. And yes, while there might be magic in my books, I’m well aware that in real life “magic” = “work.” Anyway, this is my current head space. Not a particularly productive place to be, but there it is.

What about y’all? Are there others that you envy?

Note: This also applies to people who win the lottery. Totally envious of them! 😉

Posted in Writing Life | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments