It’s Wednesday as you read this. It’s Tuesday evening as I type this. I have no idea how the world looks today. Interesting that the THEME for #1lineWed is **TRUST**. I trust the world is still spinning. I trust that those incessant (and irritating) political calls and doorbell rings will stop. In the meantime, back to writing because that’s what’s important in my world. As mentioned, today’s theme is TRUST. Trust me when I say Jennifer “Jen” Hall, the heroine of Nightriders #5 (Wizard), needs to verify loooong before she trusts in this snippet.
****
I stared at my brother like he’d grown a second head. He favored me with his patented “I’m the big brother and a cop so do as I say” look. “Are you out of your mind?”
Bryce stopped just short of rolling his eyes. “Jen, trust me.”
“Ha! Famous last words.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I! Every time you tell me to trust you, I end up in the emergency room. Starting with that swan dive off the roof when I was five.”
He didn’t even have the good graces to blush. Asshat. His tactics might have worked when I was a teenager but now? Now I was an adult. With a responsible job. And a brain. “They’re outlaws, Bryce. The very worst kind. I could end up dead.”
“Naw. We wouldn’t let that happen.”
“Really? Just like when you dumped me—alone—at the ER with a broken arm—because you were too busy chasing after
Janice whats-her-name.” I snapped my fingers as if trying to remember. “Oh, yeah. The bitch you married who hates my guts.”
“Oh, grow up, Jenny. This is my job. Do you know how long we’ve tried to get someone inside the Nightriders? Of course you don’t. You’re the same selfish little b—” He cut off the expletive with a deep inhalation. He covered his face with his “Let’s be reasonable” mask. “Look, sis. This is simple. The guy wants you. Give him what he wants and just do what they say. Then report everything back to me. Easy.”
Give him what he wants and just do what they say? Seriously? Had my big brother just order me to pimp myself out for the sake of his job?
“What if I say no?”
“You won’t.”
He sounded pretty damn sure of himself.
****
Those are my trusty words and if you find me trustworthy, I hope you trust that I’ll get this book finished sooner than later. In the meantime, do you have any trust words to share?
It’s November. For me, that means National Novel Writing Month, which means I’m pushing for at least 1667 words a day. That doesn’t seem like much until you try to write that many, plus doing all the other life stuff. Yeah, I’m whining a little bit. Anyway, I’m always on the look-out for quick and easy recipes that are tasty and filling and moderately healthy. 😉
Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 55 min.
Servings: 6 servings, about 1 cup each
Looking for a chicken casserole that’s creamy, Swiss cheesy and covered in crispy croutons? You’re in luck! You’ve come to the right place.
What You Need
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups croutons
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1/2 cup milk
4 stalks celery, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onions
Make It
Heat oven to 350°F.
Combine ingredients.
Spoon into 2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 40 min. or until heated through.
Is that not one of the simplest set of directions ever? If you want all the nutritional details, CLICK HERE. I checked with my characters to see who wanted to claim this treat. Lauren Reilly from MONTANA MOON looked up from her computer long enough to mention that Tait “Shooter” McCord doesn’t leave leftovers when she fixes this. Y’all might remember that Lauren was a historical archivist at the Pentagon and had to go on the run from Blackroot. Tait, who works for the Brotherhood Protectors, showed up to be her bodyguard and things got hairy there for a bit. If you haven’t read their story, just click on the cover image. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book for free.
I hate Daylight Savings Time. This is not new information for anyone who knows me or follows me on any social media. I also hate campaign season. I do love my answering machine though. I just wish I could the ringer off on the phone. I can only hope that things will go back to semi-normal after tomorrow. And that’s all I’m going to say of a political nature. Y’all don’t care what I think–as you shouldn’t. Any intelligent adult should be able to look at the sides, arguments, debates, and have enough common sense to make their own decisions. I won’t tell you how to vote, y’all don’t tell me how, and we’ll all get along just fine.
Reading. I did some of the listening variety. I hit the top of the hold list at the library for the audio version of Jennifer Estep’s lastest release, KILL THE QUEEN. It’s fantasy of the nearly epic kind with a hint of romance. I enjoyed both a new-to-me author and new-to-me narrator. I’m also in the middle of a re-listen of Nalini Singh’s Archangel/Guildhunter series because her latest released last week. Once I get through with it, I’m looking forward to a re-listen of Ilona Andrew’s Hidden Legacy series, because the new release in that series comes out tomorrow. I’ve hit my 220 book challenge on Goodreads so I upped my total to 240. I’m pretty sure I’ll read/listen to at least 20 more books this year.
Writing: Yeah…It’s National Novel Writing Month. I am making some progress. Not steady. Not good, but progress. ‘Nuff said.
TV: I’m all over the cops stuff lately: “Live PD,” “Live PD Presents: PD Cam.” I do love me some Sticks Larkin from Tulsa PD Gang Unit. *happy feminine sigh of appreciation* I need to get back into watching the series/movies/etc. that are stacking up on my DVR.
Sports: Yeah…It was a split this weekend. After beating a ranked Texas LAST week, OSU couldn’t seal the deal over Baylor this week. OU managed to hang on to their game against Texas Tech.
Have I mentioned that I HATEHATEHATE with stabbyfork hate DST? It screws up my sleep, my eating times, and the ebb and flow of my energy.
OH! One other bit of interesting book news. I’d gotten an email that I’d won an ARC of a book that I was looking forward to reading once copies hit the library. I’d read the first book as part of a contest (which is why I’m not mentioning titles) and enjoyed it. So, the other day, I get a package from Tor/Macmillan and I’m thinking, wow, that was fast. Only it wasn’t the book I one, it was an ARC if “THE RUIN OF KINGS” by Jenn Lyons, who is not the Jennifer Lyon whose books I love, and who is a good friend. This book has a dragon on the cover–always a good sign–and is being touted as the epic fantasy of 2019. At 500+ pages, it will take me some time, as it’s in print. I have no clue how I got on their radar, but yippee! Free books. And I should read more fantasy. It used to be my genre of choice.
And that’s it for me. What interesting things are you reading, writing, watching, playing, doing?
Happy Friday! I’m a big Blake Shelton fan and he might have been a wee bit of part of the inspiration for Deacon Tate in THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION. This video made me smile and laugh (“And by the way, shape the damn bill of your cap. I can’t even take you guys seriously…”) just a little. Okay, maybe a lot. Sort of makes me wish I had tickets for the tour’s Valentine’s Day appearance in Oklahoma City.
It’s a mad, crazy world out there and my instincts are to hunker down and pull the covers over my head. Except nothing gets done that I need to get done. So I’m going with Plan B. And also this bit of inspiration from the Universe:
Of course, these are crazy times to be alive, Silver, when virtually anything could happen next, fortunes are made and lost overnight, friends come and go, and lovers glimpse eternity between fear and ecstasy.
That’s why zillions upon zillions of souls, more than you will ever know, said, “No wa-y-y-y, José.”
And it’s why a few brazen billion, said, “Whoooo-Hooooooooooooooo!”
Go, Silver, Go! Virtually anything can happen next… it’s only up to you.
See, I’ve been running on empty in the inspiration department lately–when it comes to writing, anyway. As often happens, the Universe has a way of highlighting things. That first paragraph up there? That’s the plot to a romance. Now all I have to do is right it. It’s up to me. So…”Whoooo-Hoooooooooooo!”
Happy Halloween. Today’s GHOSTly #1lineWed theme is rather apropos, don’cha think? 😉 And while the word is only mentioned in passing in this snippet, Sade does find herself in a rather spooky place. She’s getting really tired of flitting between realms, half of which she didn’t know existed and doesn’t really want to find out what sort of critters might inhabit them. She’s bouncing around and now she’s ended up in a…boat. On a lake. That isn’t a lake…loch…yikes! Is that Nessie?
Sade gazed across a dark landscape painted in watercolors by a madman—both beautiful and savage. Instinct took over and her pistol was in her hand, except it wasn’t a pistol. She stared at the lethal-looking sword gripped in her fist.
Muttering, “Somebody pinch me,” she glanced over the prow of the boat, gazing at her reflection as it was captured in a mirror of ebony glass. Her very serviceable jeans and sweater had been replaced by—
“Seriously?” Shouting, she raised the sword and cursed the heavens, adding, “This is not fucking Gor and I’m not some fucking slave girl!”
Fingers teased her hair and she stiffened. Just the wind. Not a ghost. Or worse. The boat skated across the black expanse, no sign of ripples to mark its passage. The sail hung limp, and nobody manned the rudder. She was alone.
“What do you think of me now-ow-ow?” The disembodied voice echoed off the rocky cliffs lining the cursed stretch of water.
“Magic doesn’t work on me,” she snarled. Then it occurred to her. Shit. Not magic, alchemy. Except…alchemy was a myth, right? Wracking her brain, Sade searched for the information she needed. Magic didn’t work on her, hadn’t since Mathias and Oberon had both marked her when she was a toddler. Shit. She was fucked so it was time to see the wizard—figuratively speaking because everyone knew wizards worked magic. Nope, she had a date with some Mad Hatter of a sorcerer. Two could play that game. “Let’s stir the pot and see what surfaces.”
Leaning over, she plunged the sword into the water. Glass shattered with a bright tinkling and a massive silver head reared up from the depths, maw open, teeth dripping black water and…Vikings? Seriously? The head lowered but before the dragon could eat her, she smacked him on the nose with the flat of her blade.
“Gawddammitalltohell, Nikos! We have to stop meeting like this!” If her presence in this realm was somehow his doing, she’d have new dragon-hide boots by morning.
****
Poor Sade. She really has no idea why she’s being played like the ball in an antique pong game. If you have any ghost stories to share–be it WIP words, or a real ghostly encounter, please share! Tis the season, don’cha know. 😀
Halloween is next week so I thought I post some stuff. Click through the links for some awesome pics. Keep scrolling for some musing from me about the stuff that’s on my scary list at the moment. Don’t worry about clicking through. The links will open new pages. 🙂
You won’t look at your critters the same after checking out these SPOOKY ANIMALS!
These artists have taken the art of carving JACK-O-LANTERNS to new heights!
Do your critters sit and stare at nothing? How about these CATS WHO SAW GHOSTS?
In the things that sorta scare me and keep me awake at night column:
Evidently, CNN is getting beat in the ratings by “Ancient Aliens.” One media analyst added, “When ‘Ancient Aliens’ has a bigger hold on reality than CNN, the network has become ‘The Onion’ of television news.”
If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him/her they have the right to remain silent?
If a vampire bites a zombie, does the zombie become a vampire or does the vampire become a zombie?
WHY was everybody Kung Fu fighting?
What if all those ancient Greek statues are actually victims of Medusa?
And finally, Hypocracy Alert:
So…the HillBilly show is going on the road. Will all those women waving their “victims must be heard” signs mob those appearances? Probably, but they’ll be audience members clapping and yelling support rather than outside protesting. They weren’t and aren’t interested in listening to Juanita, Gennifer, Kathleen, Paula, Monica Lewinsky, and others.
Yo, Maxine, pot – kettle. Just sayin’…
Have an awesome weekend. Feel free to comment on the links, what keeps you up, or anything else on your mind.
I’ve been thinking about failure a lot lately. Forward progress on all of my current projects have been stymied by a variety of things. I’ve been far too much in my head. Not only is that a scary place to be, it is also an unproductive place to be. What writing I’m able to get done comes in fits and starts, ie. 250 flash-fiction words at a time. Sales are down across the board. So are the pages read numbers on Amazon. I struggled with revisions on one project and after struggling with revisions on a second, I’ve simply trashed the entire first three chapters with the idea of starting over. Except every time I stare at that blank page, I discover my imagination is just as blank. Freaking hampster wheel. *grrrr At the moment, I’m pretty much feeling like a failure. Then the Universe, in it’s infinite wisdom, drops this into my inbox…
One’s ability to succeed, Silver, is always proportional to one’s willingness to fail.
Besides, all failures are temporary, all tigers are paper, and life is a many splendored thing.
It also helps to happy dance and “woo-hoo,” lots, Silver, but these are optional.
Put this together with a comment from an aspiring writer who is also a reader of my books dropped a comment on facebook, saying she thinks my books are brilliant. That’s worth a big “woo-hoo.” And maybe a little happy dance. So, time to face the failures, put them behind me and move on so I can set myself up to succeed. That’s how it works. It doesn’t come on a silver platter. It come from hard work. No more moping. Time to jump off that damned hamster wheel, get on a merry-go-round, and grab the brass ring! Who’s with me?
So, I got challenged–sort of–to the #MonsterMash #MM2018 Blog Hop flash fiction challenge to celebrate Halloween. I’m linking this post to the POST at GET WORDY. It’s my understanding you can click the link and go visit there to get links to all the participants when the links go live. It’s all in good fun, plus I wrote a bonus scene for Sade’s book in the deal. #GETWORDY #GUTSANDGLORY I hope you enjoy this bit of insight into the monsters who live under Sade’s bed.
****
Sade, curled in a fetal ball, kept the covers pulled tight over her head. She’d made sure all the edges were tucked in before she shimmied between them. Everyone knew that the monsters under the bed couldn’t get you if you were covered up.
Bang. Clank.
What was that? She tried to regulate her pounding heart, listening hard, shifting all the possibilities in her mind as she scrambled to identify the sound.
Bang. Clank.
She soooo wanted to peek, see what was making the noise. No, she reminded herself. The monsters will get me.
Bang. Clank.
Shuffle.
Pressing her hand against her mouth, she stifled the scream gathering deep all-the-way-to-her-toes down inside her.
Shuffle. Clang.
Her mattress bounced as something heavy pounced.
Bang. Clank.
Claws scrabbled at the pillow where her head rested, pawing and digging. She clutched the sheets tighter in her fists. Her brain conjured all sorts of monsters—trolls with stinky garlic breath and rotting teeth that were still sharp, ghouls with curved claws they used to dig up dead bodies in cemeteries—
Shuffle. Clang.
Hot, fetid breath filtered through the sheet over her face followed by more digging.
“Wake up, wake up, sleepyhead!”
Sing-song voices cut through her fear and she blinked against bright light as the sheet was ripped from her hands. Glowing white eyes stared down at her though the faces remained in shadow. Her instincts were to burrow back beneath the covers, but she wasn’t a coward. Nor was she a child.
Wincing as her legs cramped, she stretched them out. Lips dry, she didn’t have enough saliva to lick them. Eyes adjusted, she took in her surroundings. Not her room—not the one she grew up in nor the one in her Washington apartment. And it wasn’t Sinjen’s. Shadows moved across the room, drawing her attention. Where the fucking hell was she? And what the fucking hell was she doing here?
“That language doesn’t become a lady, Sade,” the shadows sang.
Wait. What? She had not voiced those thoughts aloud.
“You are in our realm, Sade, and magic is more…potent here.”
They could read her fucking mind? Crapcrapcrap. She searched her memory for the most annoying earworm of a song she could remember the words to. She put her mind on a loop—Lady Gaga, Queen, The Monkees, and finished it off with “It’s a Small World.”
The shadows winced and the light pressure in her head disappeared. Even kitten paws had claws. She needed to remember that while she figured out what the fuck was going on.
Now that she was awake and functional, as the last vestiges of her nightmare faded, she took stock of her situation. She was dressed. Sort of. Who the hell wore diaphanous nightgowns? Shit. The bedroom was illuminated by hundreds of candles—all shapes and sizes. Flimsy lace curtains hung at an open window and danced with each breeze entering the room. Yeah, that wasn’t dangerous.
Tucked back into a dark corner, the shadows watched. She knew this because their eyes glowed laser-white continuously now. While singing “Small World” in her mind, she sorted through the monster drawer in her mental file cabinet. Not ghoul, goblin, or troll. Not a zombie. Nachthexens and bansidhes were female and if her jailers were female, Sade was a fae courtesan. Not wendigo. Werewolves? Maybe, if they were rogue. She was under the protection of Romulus Jones, the Texas pack alpha. Not gargoyle. All those rogues had died in the battle of New Orleans, not to mention that Le Vieil, Roman, and Varrick had the Sentinels on watch. Fae didn’t do that woo-woo shit with their eyes. Vampires? Shit. That would totally suck.
Vamps were always on power trips. Mathias De Vries, the baddest of the bad-ass master vampires, was her godfather. And she’d been sleeping with Sinjen St. John for— She nipped that thought in the bud as her heart constricted. Then another thought hit her. Dragon. Oh to the fuck no! Granted, the Drakon of Clan Kholikikos, Nikos Constantine, really wanted in her pants, there were those—like Stavros, whom she’d caused to be exiled for a time—who weren’t too keen on their pairing. Shit.
Darkness crashed as all the candles winked out. The strains of a song filtered in. “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Her worst nightmare and she was reliving it in her dreams.
Her alarm went off. Thank goodness the only monster under the bed was her radio.
****
And as a bonus earworm, here’s the video. 😉
Wednesday comes once a week, every week. That means it’s once again time for #1lineWed. Today’s theme is **KEY**. Since I’m totally rewriting the first three chapters of the next Red Dirt book, I’m getting down and dirty with today’s blog rather than getting all punny with my intro. Here’s the set-up: This is Wizard’s POV right after seeing–and saving–Jen, which occurs in Chapter 1. I hope you enjoy the snippet. 🙂
****
“Babe, get on the bike.”
“But…but…I can’t.”
I growled and she didn’t even blink. “Not tellin’ you again, babe. Get. On. The. Bike.”
“I can’t leave Rascal.”
Rascal? Who or what the fuck was Rascal? I didn’t notice an animal in her car but then again, I was in kind of a hurry to get inside after I heard the gunfire.
“Who the fuck?”
“Rascal. My car.” Her arm swept out toward the red Beetle. “I can’t leave him.”
“You named your fuckin’ car?” I shook my head. Who the hell names a car? “Dammit, babe. You’re covered in blood.
I’m not sure if some of it isn’t yours. Get on the fuckin’ bike. I’ll get someone to take care of your car.”
“Keys.” She patted her dress, a confused look on her face. I figured shock was about to set in.
“Don’t need ’em.” I didn’t. I’d have Bishop come get it. He didn’t need keys either. Dude was a hellava car thief. “Now get on my fuckin’ bike!”
Yeah, definitely shocky. Her eyes looked a little glazed and her skin had gone pale under all that crazy makeup but she did as ordered. She gathered up the acres of pink swirling around her gorgeous legs and got on the bike. I had my phone out calling in the cavalry as I headed back toward the clubhouse. Didn’t take long for my brothers to respond. Four bikes passed us headed toward the Gas-N-Go. Two more pulled U-eys and formed up on me. Easy was laughin’ his ass off, the sorry sonavabitch. He’d get his. Hollywood was checkin’ out my—the woman. I’d make him eat that leer.
“I’m tellin’ Lainey.” I had to yell it into the wind. His mate was pregnant and hormonal. Siccing her on him was only fair.
Hollywood quit lookin’ but yelled back, “Fuck you, Wizard!”
****
Do any of you have KEY words to share? Or are there any KEY events going on in your life you want to share with the class? Feel free. 🙂
It’s Wednesday as you read this. It’s Tuesday evening as I type this. I have no idea how the world looks today. Interesting that the THEME for #1lineWed is **TRUST**. I trust the world is still spinning. I trust that those incessant (and irritating) political calls and doorbell rings will stop. In the meantime, back to writing because that’s what’s important in my world. As mentioned, today’s theme is TRUST. Trust me when I say Jennifer “Jen” Hall, the heroine of Nightriders #5 (Wizard), needs to verify loooong before she trusts in this snippet.
Silver James 