Wednesday Words: Architecture This

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, which means time for Kiss of Death’s #1lineWed over on Twitter. Today’s theme is all about opening windows, closing doors, skyscrapers, and castles. It all counts. For those who don’t want spoilers on this WIP, I’ll warn you that this is the first kiss. Proceed at your own discretion.
****
Zeta paused to look around. A royal blue canopy dotted with stars spread high above them and the moon glistened off the skyscrapers of downtown Rio de Janeiro. She’d studied Brodie’s boat as they strolled the long dock toward it. The vessel was old and a part of her brain wondered if it could be considered an antique, then wondered how old it had to be in order to be labeled antique. It didn’t have the slick lines of modern yachts and she was glad. This boat fit the man in the tight tee and the white chambray shirt he wore over it.

Brodie settled her on the stern, on a lounger stacked with a foam mattress and a bunch of pillows. He ducked down to the built-in cooler. He’d stocked it with beer and ice before heading ashore. Snagging two bottles, he popped the tops and offered Zeta one. Her gaze remained fixed on the skyline but she wrapped her fingers around the sweaty bottle. Brodie’s whole body stiffened, then he inhaled as most of his blood rushed to just below his belt.

“Why do people move to cities?” she mused, her voice a low murmur.

She wasn’t looking at him but he shrugged anyway. “No clue. I like the wide lonesome.”

“Too many people. Too many buildings.”

“Yup.” He settled on the lounge beside her, and matched his gaze to hers. She turned to study him and her scrutiny felt like a rough caress—one that ruffled his wolf’s fur.

Her face was illuminated by the moonlight and her skin all but glowed beneath the silver rays. Brodie cupped her cheek with one hand and she stiffened. He stared into her eyes, trying to decipher what he saw lurking in their depths. What was she thinking? More important, what was she feeling? So often, when he glanced her way, she looked blank like she had no capacity for emotions. He’d overheard her explanation to Lenn. As soon as he had a private moment, he’d run a computer search. He’d find out what was wrong with Zeta. He’d find out how to fix her.

She was his. He knew it in the very marrow of his bones. She was his and he would claim her. No matter what.
“Why do you look at me like this?” Her voice was the barest whisper and she wet her lips before speaking.
Brodie caught the movement in his peripheral vision as he held her eyes. “Because you’re mine and I’m going to kiss you now.”

She kept her eyes open as Brodie leaned closer. Her heart stuttered—not in fear but anticipation and she understood none of it. Then his lips touched hers. Dry. Firm. Insistent. It was too much. She closed her eyes. It wasn’t enough.

Her arms slipped around his neck and she opened her mouth. He deepened the kiss. Her eyelids fluttered, then remained closed. She sighed and the sound was swallowed by the kiss. Something inside her tore a tiny bit and a hint of moonlight teased the darkness surrounding her heart.
****
That’s it for today. If you have some architecture snippets to build on, feel free to share. If not, I hope you enjoy today’s offering.

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Tuesday Treats: Beef Noodle Bowl

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Silver James

I love lo mein in various permutations, but I never think about fixing it–or something close. Then I found this recipe from Kraft. It’s quick. It doesn’t heat up the kitchen on a hot day and it soothes my craving for meat. I’m not a big fan of broccoli so when I make this, I’ll probably leave out the broc and add mixed veggies because that’s how I roll. It’s on the menu for next week, but

Prep Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 30 min.
Servings: 4 servings, 2 cups each

Have a bowl of deliciousness at dinnertime tonight with our Beef Noodle Bowl recipe! Enjoy our Healthy Living noodle bowl with veggies in just 30 minutes.

What You Need
1/2 lb. linguine, uncooked
3 cups broccoli florets
3 carrots, peeled, sliced
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut into strips
1/4 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
1 Tbsp. teriyaki sauce

Make It
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding vegetables to the boiling water for the last 2 min.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet. Add meat; cook until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing and teriyaki sauce; cook 2 min. or until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.

Drain pasta mixture; place in large serving bowl. Add meat mixture; toss to coat.


For all the nutritional details, check out the recipe on kraftrecipes.com by CLICKING HERE. This is a recipe that Shy Rourke likes. A lot. The first time she fixed it for Gravedigger, she got like two bites. Maybe. He took her out for McDonalds but…Not. The. Same! Shy let Digger know that he was a big ol’ food hog. Digger told her to double the recipe next time. As time goes by, she’ll learn that cooking for a big, bad Wolf means lots of groceries. 😉 If you haven’t read the book yet, click the cover over there on the right to go to the Amazon page. And you can click on the Moonstruck tab up above to find out about all the other Nightrider MC books. Hope you enjoy both the beef noodles and the book!

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Monday After

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Silver James

This meme is also appropriate for my mental state after being at the RWA National Conference for a week. I kept telling myself to get focused yesterday and do things like sort through the stuff I dumped in my office and write a blog post for today. Yeah…no. I drank coffee, lazed in bed watching Drug Wars, Northwoods Law, and caught up on a couple of Live PD episodes. And I napped.

My flight home Saturday night was delayed a bit. The cabin crew was coming in on another flight that was late. And, of course, the airport gods put their gate at the opposite end of the terminal. There were passengers on that flight that were on my flight. They came running up, all out of breath and panicked about missing the flight. The flight attendants had to clear the other plane and then make the same hike. They were a good crew. Tran, the gate dude, was awesome and cute in his updates. Instead of getting home a little after 9:00 pm, it was after 10 pm. Had to unpack and put away suitcases, play with dogs, and convince the cat she still loves me. Fun times.

Lots of interesting stuff at Nationals. I’ll be filling in the blanks as time goes along. My session on body language was very well received, and I was reminded of two pictures I used to illustrate some points that deserve their own books. Someday.

I got a little writing done on UNDER…MOON. Had an inspiration on it late last night and scribbled it down in the notebook I keep beside the bed. I’ll transcribe and expand today. I have 7 days to get it written and edited then to betas and editor. It has to go to the publisher by August 7th (releases late in August, for all you Wolf fans). Then it’s on to revisions on Tucker’s story for Red Dirt. We have a title. I’ll share it later–like when I find time to update my website. Ugh. I need about 36 hours in a day, no need for sleep, and the gumption and creativity to sustain me for those longs days with no shuteye. 😆

TV? What’s that? Reading? In honor of going to Denver, I started a relisten to Kristan Ashley’s Rock Chick series. The books are set in Denver and I’ll admit to sort of “map-seeing,” along with a little sightseeing the locales in the books. Fun times.

So, that’s the quick update. More to follow in the coming days. What sort of mischief did y’all get up to while I was gone?

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Fly-away Monday

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Silver James

This is my last post for awhile. I considered pre-loading some posts for this week but I sort of ran out of time because I’m not the most organized person in the world. And I hit a hot streak on my current WIP word count. I’m off to Denver, CO today on a mostly working getaway. I’ll be attending the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I have a full slate of activities–several volunteer slots, an awesome seminar through RWA Kiss of Death chapter presented by members of the ATF. Yes, I did dig out the ATF pin given to me by some ATF agents back when we worked the OKC Bombing together. I’m really looking forward to that. Also with KOD, the Death by Chocolate party and Daphne awards. I didn’t final but chocolate! There’s a whole slew of Harlequin events through the week. I’ll hit some of them, especially the big party on Friday night. I’m giving a presentation on body language in what they call a 20/20 session. I present for 20 minutes and then anothre group comes in, I present the same again, and then a third time with an all new group. It’s speed-dating for authors. 😆 I fly home Saturday night. For the first time since I’ve been published, I not participating in the literacy signing. I don’t really have a current book and I figured the $350 I’d save on hotel and flight home was worth skipping it.

Okay, in other news. Writing. It’s going. Some good, some bad, and deadlines looming. I’ll get there. I am 1/3 of the way through UNDER AN ASSASSIN’S MOON and I really like the way it’s shaping up. Big, ugly rewrites on the next RED DIRT book. I have a title, BILLIONAIRE COUNTRY, and a March 2019 release date. I will be working in between stuffs at Naitonals. Ah well.

Reading has been hit or miss. IRON AND MAGIC, the Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels spin-off was excellent. I’ve got thoughts about things in those books. *nods* The last Kate Daniels book releases the end of August, though there are two more books in the I&M trilogy to come. We’ll see if my suspicions are correct. Since I’m going to Denver, I thought I’d do a relisten to the Rock Chick series and/or the Mystery Man and Chaos series, all by Kristen Ashley. They’re all set in Denver so it’s getting me in the mood.

I don’t want to talk about my Cardinals. The front office fired the manager, who has long been a hero of mine. *pbthhhhhh* on them.

And that’s it. I hope to come back full of all sorts of knowledge and news from Denver. Y’all have an awesome week, hold down the fort for me, and I’ll see you next Monday!

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Friday Sinema: The Time of Their Lives

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Silver James

As I’m sure everyone is pretty much aware, there is an EPIC lip sync challenge going on. Police Departments. Fire Departments. Sheriff Offices. It was a Texas sheriff who started the challenge in fact. Now, as y’all are aware, I’m a huge LIVE PD fan and one of the department’s they’ve been following is Slidell, Louisiana. This has to be one of my favorite challenges ot of all of them. Have an awesome Friday, go watch some lip sync challenges and the next time you see a cop, deputy, or firefighter, tell ’em they are made of all the awesome! Oh…and Happy Friday the 13th. 😉 #lipsyncbattle challenge

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Character Arc

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Silver James

One of the first things a fiction writer needs to understand is the journey a character makes from the beginning of his or her story to the end. We here in the trenches call that the character arc. Interesting stories show the emotional develop of the character(s) as they face the roadblocks the author throws at them. Those problems should be both internal and external and the conflicts should balance out as to which. When the Universe tossed the following into my inbox, I had one thought…

Would you ever take a journey, Silver, if you knew ahead of time that you’d become hopelessly lost, have your heart broken into pieces, and sometimes wish you’d never been born?

Now, how about if you knew ahead of time that on that very same journey you’d later find yourself, fall passionately in love, and live happily ever after?

Yeah, I know, you made the same choice a long, long time ago.

Que bueno,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®
Silver, it’s all downhill from here (in a good way).

…ROMANCE NOVEL! Going into a romance, the writer AND the reader know going into the story that things will work out. There WILL be a Happy Ever After, but the hero and heroine have to face their personal demons–internal and external–as well as their emotional journey with each other. So, the next time someone asks you about writing character arcs, you can borrow this. Especially if you write romance like me. 🙂

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Wednesday Words: Don’t Gamble Your Life Away

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Silver James

It’s time to take a chance, place your bets, and, if you’re like the hero of my upcoming book, UNDER AN ASSASSIN’S MOON, time to lay down your cards when we spin the wheel and play with #1lineWed’s theme of **GAMBLE**. This book is an August release (good thing I write fast, huh?!?!) in Susan Stoker’s Special Forces: Operation Alpha series with Aces Press.

I’m getting a late start today. What little writing I did yesterday is in long-hand and I haven’t transcribed it to the computer yet. Plus, I didn’t have a snippet to fit the theme. By the time my traveling, book signing, T-ball, and family dinner was done, I was too pooped to do anything more than feed the critters and flop into bed. Still, it’s #1lineWed so, this morning, I sat down and whipped this out. Totally a first draft, no edits at all, so overlook any goofs. I’m still getting to know Brodie Buchanan and Izeta Cordero and all I know is that this scene takes place sometime after their first kiss.
****
Zeta did not understand this man, nor could she parse why that made her uncomfortable. He was her target. Period. She assessed him—his too handsome face, his broad shoulders and flat stomach. The man was a warrior. According to his file, he was also a rabid dog who needed to be put down. That’s why she was here. Except. For the first time in years, her curiosity was aroused. She did not understand this man and she couldn’t fathom why she felt the need to do so. Yet she did.

“What are you asking of me?”

That was the question. The time had come for Brodie to lay all his cards on the table. “I’m asking you to trust me.”

Emotion flared in her eyes for nanosecond but her features remained as implacable as her flat voice. “Trust is not a thing I give. To anyone.”

Where was her heat? Her passion? His wolf whined. His animal side did not like this lifeless version of their mate. Brodie had tasted the fire in her response when he kissed her. Now, it was like she’d excised that flame.

“Then maybe it’s time for you to trust someone.”

He and the wolf both watched her, hoping for some crack in the cold veneer. So much of the time her face was a blank canvas but he was learning to read the signs now. She had a few tells and he’d memorized every one of them.

She pondered his statement, weighing the odds—and her feelings. Curiosity again, but something else. She wasn’t used to emotions, definitely didn’t trust them, but there was an…earnestness to Brodie Buchanan. Honor wove through his entire being, lighting him up like the Las Vegas strip.

Brodie waited, watching. It was time to take a gamble. What was the worst she could do? Well…kill him. But she had orders to do that anyway.
***
FYI, Izeta’s name is pronounced ee-zeh-tah, not EYE-zay-tah. Her past has lots of twists and turns. Brodie, on the other hand, isn’t exactly an open book either. He’s a Wolf on a mission and all I know for sure is that Black Root and a blast from the past will rear some ugly heads.

What about y’all? Any gambling words to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Quick Skillet Burrito

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Silver James

Once a month, my family meets at our favorite Mexican restaurant for a Saturday lunch. Mexican and/or Tex-Mex is a staple around here. Sometimes, that once a month trip isn’t enough so when I discovered this recipe I was all…YAYAYAYAY!

Prep Time: 30 min.
Total Time: 30 min.
Servings: 4 servings

Enjoy the savory deliciousness of a beef burrito with the simplicity of a skillet dish—and do it in 30 minutes or less!

What You Need
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (1 oz.) TACO BELL® Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can (15.5 oz.) no-salt-added red kidney beans, rinsed
1 cup TACO BELL® Thick & Chunky Salsa
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1 cup KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream (or any you have on hand
1 large green onion, chopped

Make It
Brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium heat; drain. Return meat to skillet.

Add next 4 ingredients; stir. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min.

Stir in tortilla pieces; top with cheese. Remove from heat; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Top with sour cream and onions.

CLICK HERE to head on over to the Kraft recipe site for the full nutritional details. We have a new mate in the Moonstruck world and she spent most of her adult life living in Army post housing. Bachelor quarters are compact but they do have kitchens. Shiane (aka Shy) Rourke is big on one pan meals and this is a favorite. Of course, she has to triple the recipe when Gravedigger is around to eat. You can read their story in the newly released Nightrider MC book, NIGHT FALL. Just click on the cover to head to the buy page. If you have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited, you can read the book for free. Otherwise, it’s $2.99. Still a bargain! 😉

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Dog Day Monday

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Silver James

It’s hot. Not as hot as some places but add our humidity in with the temperature and it’s like walking out into a steam bath. If I had curly hair, it would be totally frizzed. Since my hair is bone straight, I have the opposite problem. It’s all droopy and blah, which is how I feel whenever I stick my nose out.

So…the first week of July is gone and a new week is staring us in the face. News of note includes the release of NIGHT FALL. I left all the previous Nightrider MC books on sale for $1.99 while debuting FALL at it’s regular price of $2.99. I’m probably doing it backwards but whatever. All the rest of my books have returned to their pre-sale prices.

I haven’t been watching much TV. I have a “stack” of episodes from “Yellowstone” on the DVR. Every time I see a commercial for the series, I get excited and think, “Self? You should sit your butt down and watch this series.” My self agrees with me but then it seems like something always happens and I don’t. Baseball is on-again/off-again, which is the way my Cardinals are playing. I can’t watch long for fear of jinxing the team.

The 4th of July parade was a lot of fun. I always get to sit next to our 92 year-old Navy veteran who served on the USS Enterprise, including being on board during Pearl Harbor. He’s such a cutie pie. We all love him. Saturday was the post’s pancake breakfast and while Lawyer Guy supervised that, I headed north to cover his storm siren test and have lunch with the kids at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Good food and better times.

While waiting for the siren test to start, I wrote the opening to UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON, which will be an early August release as part of the NEW Susan Stoker Special Forces World. With the discontinuation of Kindle Worlds, Susan has opened her own publishing company to handle the previous titles and to offer new titles. I’m thankful she’s done this and while the H/H don’t have names yet, their characters are beginning to gel and I’m getting insights into their backstories. It’ll be a fun one because they’re headed back to the Amazonian jungle of Brazil. 😉

On the reading front, I’m actually going to have to read a book. I’ve listened to the entire Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. I was hoping that IRON AND MAGIC would make it to audio before I hit the end. Sadly, it hasn’t released yet, though it is in the works. It’s on my wish list once it drops. Also sadly, the last book in the series comes out the end of August. According to the Gordons, it won’t be the end of Kate’s world, just the story arc where she and Curran are the main characters. I&M is Hugh D’Ambray’s story and I have mixed emotions abouyt him. He is totallyh dispicable in the Kate books and I’m not sure he can be redeemed enough to be even an anti-hero. We’ll see. I read a sneak peek and I&A’s writing is wonderful, as always.

I took a little mini vacation from social media last week. It was nice. My blood pressure appreciated the break.

Did I mention it’s hot?

Looking ahead, I’m headed to Mountain View, OK tomorrow to celebrate the MV Library’s birthday. Several authors will be there with books to sell and sign (including me), along with some fun booth’s like face painting and food venders. There may be some craft booths, too. I’m packing lots of water because we’re setting up in the park behind the library building. A week from today, I’m getting on a jet plane and heading to Denver for RWA’s National Conference. I’ll be out of touch that week for the most part.

So that’s my world. Welcome to it. How’s things in your neck of the woods?

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Tuesday Treats: Watermelon Cupcakes

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Silver James

It’s time for a 4th of July picnic and while watermelon is a staple in this part of the country, I’m willing to give these watermelon cupcakes a try!

Prep Time: 20 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 23 min.
Servings: 24 servings

Sure, these Watermelon KOOL-AID Cupcakes are as cute as can be and fun to look at on the dessert table. But trust us: They’re even better to eat!

What You Need
1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix
1 env. (0.15 oz.) KOOL-AID Watermelon Flavor Unsweetened Drink Mix
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
6 drops green food coloring
1 container (16 oz.) ready-to-spread vanilla frosting
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

Make It

Prepare cake batter and bake as directed on package for 24 cupcakes, adding dry drink mix and 1/2 cup chocolate chips to batter before spooning into prepared muffin pan cups.
Cool cupcakes in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely.
Remove cupcakes from liners. Spoon frosting into medium bowl. Add COOL WHIP; whisk until blended. Stir in food coloring; spread onto cupcakes. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

To watch a video of how to make these treats and get all the nutrional info, CLICK HERE. Our favorite alpha female, Hannah Jackson McIntire, notorious bad cook in the Moonstruck series, took one look and said, “Hey! I can make these. I mean…cake mix. Pre-made everything! No, seriously. I can do it.” That was before the Kool-Aid package spilled all across the kitchen counter (WHITE counter) when she opened it. Should I mention that the counter was wet? Yeah…Mac and Liam are still laughing, just not in her earshot. Check out her love story with Mac in MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS, or any of the Moonstruck books because she ALWAYS shows up. 😉 Just click on the cover for a trip to the page with all the links.

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