Wednesday Words: A Little Romance

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Silver James

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s to a little romance in all our lives. Since the Kiss of Death RWA Chapter sponsors #1lineWed on Twitter, today’s theme was kind of a no-brainer. 😉 This scene is pretty self-explanatory…
****
His wolf growled, urging him to give in. Here was their mate, standing there, all delicious curves and feminine scents of desire. She wanted them. The wolf knew she was meant to be theirs. The animal couldn’t understand why the man resisted. They should claim Lauren, take her, mark her so the world knew she belonged to them. So they could protect her and keep her safe.

Tait’s gaze strayed to her throat, to the muscle between neck and shoulder where he would bite and mark her when they made love. He forced his eyes away, gritting his teeth in the effort to do so. This was not how he wanted to claim her. She deserved candles and flowers and booze or something. Romance. Lauren was the kind of woman who should be romanced. Too fucking bad he didn’t have a romantic bone in his body.

She made a strangled noise in the back of her throat, her eyes wide in…what? Not fear. Dismay? Maybe. She was nervous, skittish, like a deer that knows a predator is near. “W-why are you staring at me like that?”

“Like how?” His voice resonated with a buried growl as she backed away.

“Like…I don’t know. Like I’m a rare steak and you haven’t eaten in a week.”

“Been longer than that,” he muttered, stalking her. His wolf liked this game, liked it a lot. She continued to back up, glancing over her shoulder to see where he was herding her. His bedroom was the final destination but he’d settle for the couch. Not as good as his bed, but it’d do. When she half-turned toward the front door, he moved with preternatural speed, his hand closing around her biceps. He hauled her to him.

She gasped and before she close her mouth, he claimed her with a kiss. She was expecting his conquering hero kiss, like the first one they’d shared—all the pillaging and burning and rampaging Viking invader. Desire smoldered deep inside her and it wouldn’t take much to ignite it. She was ready for him. She would resist. Except that’s not how he kissed. Oh, no. The sneaky jerk was hungry, like a soldier leaving for the war. No. Not that. More like one who’d been away for years and was finally home. The kiss was a little rough, a lot desperate. There was passion—hard and hot, but his grip on her loosened and his tenderness swamped her. If she let him, he’d consume her. She’d never felt so cherished in her life so how could this be a bad thing?

Her legs shook, calf muscles burning as she stood on tiptoe to wrap her arms around his neck. Relief came when one of his hands cupped her butt and lifted her. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and oh dear God did that feel wonderful as he rubbed his erection against her core.

Tait ignored the wolf howling in his head. The damn thing was smirking. About time we claimed her. He carried her to his room, kicking open the door. He paused just inside to toe off his boots. A double thump sounded behind him. Lauren had kicked off her own boots. He was still ravaging her mouth, nipping and tasting as he eased down on the bed, keeping her beneath him.

He broke the kiss. “I’m sorry,” he murmured against her cheek. “I wanted to make this good. Give you some romance.”

A testy grumble escaped her mouth. “I don’t need romance. I need you.”
****
Do you think Lauren will get what she wants? Anyone have some romance to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Heart-Shaped Meatloaf

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Silver James

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. There will be hearts and flowers, chocolate and desserts, but what’s really central to a romantic dinner if your significant other and/or gal-pals aren’t headed out for dinner? A romantic entree of course! Hence, today’s recipe. Y’all can probably guess which of my characters would try this recipe. Keep reading to find out for sure. 😉

Prep Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 50 min.
Servings: 8 servings

Treat your loved ones to this tasty Heart-Shaped Meatloaf recipe. This adorable Heart-Shaped Meatloaf is super simple and totally scrumptious.

What You Need
1/2 cup milk
1-1/4 cups (1/2 of 6-oz. pkg.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup HEINZ Tomato Ketchup, divided

Make It
Heat oven to 350°F.

Add milk to stuffing mix in large bowl; stir. Let stand 5 min. Add meat, egg and 1/4 cup ketchup; mix just until blended.

Place 8 (2-inch) silicone heart-shaped molds on baking sheet; fill with meat mixture, adding about 1/2 cup meat mixture to each mold.

Spread remaining ketchup evenly onto meat mixture in each mold.

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until meatloaves are done (160°F). Cool 5 min. before removing meatloaves from molds to serve.

For more nutritional info, CLICK HERE. And I’m pretty sure that those of you familiar with the Moonstruck series will have guessed Hannah for this one. Poor Hannah. She’s highly intelligent (numbers are her thing) and she’s a real Mama Bear…err…Wolf when it comes to her pack, but she can’t cook for squat. Still, she gave this one a try. Mac and Liam bravely ate what she splattered on their plates. Mac swore to Liam he’d take them out for dinner next year. 😉 If you haven’t already, the start of Hannah and Mac and Liam’s entrance into the world is there for the reading in MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS.

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A Taste of Monday

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Silver James

Monday tastes like coffee. And possibilities. A new week. Time to set new goals, get stuff done. All those days stretching out just waiting to see what I do with them. Aanndd, I need another cup of coffee. That’s way too philosophical for a Monday. So, I did things last week. Not many things but a few things. Things are good, right? *nods in agreement with self*

What things did I do? I know you’re waiting on pins and needles to find out because I live such an exciting life. 😆

Writing, because my life is consumed with new words. I made some headway on MONTANA MOON, the April release in Elle James’s Brotherhood Protector’s Kindle World. I’m over half of my anticipated word count. My puzzle-piece snippets are in order and writing the connections between them. I’m not making promises to myself, but I’d love to see The End by the end of the week.

Reading, because what else do I do in my spare time, right? 😉 I’ve been in a bit of a slump. I finished off Ilona Andrews Edge series. It was okay. I grabbed a Molly Harper book off Audible Romance. It was okay. I finished off my contest reads. No comment because *shhhh* that’s secret until the contest is over. I keep scrolling through my audio books on the Audible app and the books on my Kindle and I’m just…blerg. Nothing excites my imagination. If worse comes to worst, I’ll queue up NAKED IN DEATH…for like the 20th time. 😆

TV, because I actually watched some! Lucifer is getting interesting. There’s been college softball televised, though not either of the teams I follow–the REAL OSU (Oklahoma State) and OU. I also caught two movies over the weekend. First up, “Wonder Woman.” I loved it. I hated it. Diana rocks! Special effects were…damn and whoah! Chris Pine was…*swoon* but…but…no spoilers in case there are people like me who waited for cable and haven’t seen it yet. I’ll just say I was crying because…because…*sniffle*. Then I caught up with “Arthur, Legend of the Sword” with Charlie Hunnam. Dayam. That man is just…*sigh*. It was a big budget CGI extravaganza and had absolutely no relation to the Arthur legend, but…CHARLIE! I’m waiting for “Atomic Blonde” to release now.

And that was pretty much my week. OH! Did I mention that I tried the Monte Cristo Bake I featured last week on Tuesday Treats? It was pretty darn tasty! And now, I’m done. I have words to write because we all know new words wait for no writer. Have a great Monday. That’s what I’m going to do, after one more cup of coffee and checking my email. 😉

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Friday Sinema: It’s a Southern Thing

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Silver James

I have only this to say: “Bless her heart.” Have a great weekend, and keep laughing.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Challenge

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Silver James

Today’s message from the Universe is short and to the point. I’ll admit that I enjoy writing a little–okay, a LOT–of adventure into my books whenever I can. So much of my life has been an adventure that I can’t imagine my characters not have the same chance.

I’ve been asked a lot of questions about my genre–usually concerning <those scenes–like were those particular bits from personal knowledge. My standard reply is, “I plead the Fifth.” (Usually a fifth of something besides that particular amendment.) Others want to know if the heroine is always based on me. Uhm…no. However, is there a little of the writer in the characters? Uhm…yeah. My experiences, my emotions, my…adventures all help shape my words. And trust me, it’s always been a challenge. Still, the Universe sums it up pretty succinctly.

Without challenge, Silver, adventure is impossible.

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

And you weren’t having any of that, Silver.

How about y’all? Who’s ready for an adventure?

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Wednesday Words: A #1lineWed Journey

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Silver James

Another week half-way through, another #1lineWed theme. This week, it’s **JOURNEY**. So strap in to take a sentimental journey with Tait/Shooter and Lauren from MONTANA MOON. This scene pretty much explains itself.
***
When he climbed into the cab of the truck, Lauren was eyeing the gas station, her expression dubious. He also noticed that her knees were clenched together. She really needed to regulate her intake of coffee. “I got us a room. It should be nominally cleaner than the station.”

She cut her eyes his direction. “Well, how hard could that be?” She inserted enough sarcasm into her voice to get a quick grin from him, though he shifted in his seat, drawing her eyes. Her cheeks heated and she swore never to use the word “hard” within hearing distance of him every again. Lauren really wished he wouldn’t look the way he was looking. His grin sent up red flags her libido immediately ignored. Heck, even his scowl caused fireworks to go off inside her fantasies. She pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose, hand freezing in mid-motion as the import of his statement hit her. “A room? As in one room? For both of us?” Darn it, why did her voice have to go all wobbly like that whenever she thought about being close to him. It wasn’t like they hadn’t shared close quarters for the past however many hours since he’d rescued her from the roadhouse. Except she hadn’t noticed his very physical reaction to her before now and she hadn’t used that word she now swore not to say—or even think.

“Yeah, one room. That way I can keep an eye on you.”

He parked in front of one of the cabins, backing in so the truck faced out toward the road. Puzzled, Lauren peeked at him, hoping for an explanation. He must have read her expression because he added, “You didn’t like the last J-turn I did plus there’s not much room in this lot for evasive maneuvers.”

She blinked a few times, translating his action hero speak. “Oh. You’re parking like this in case we need a quick getaway.” Satisfied, she twisted to reach behind the seat and clonked her head on Shooter’s elbow. “Oww!” She rubbed at the sting, glaring.

“Sorry.”

No he wasn’t. He looked like he was swallowing laughter. Jerk. “I can get my own backpack.”

He held up both hands, palms out and leaned away. “Suit yourself. Just being a gentleman.”

“Ha!” The derisive snort burst from her louder than she’d anticipated. His chuckle, on the other hand, was the precise tone and sound level to caress her insides and put her in mind of sexy things. Dirty things that she would never in her life do for real. Except maybe with— She shuddered as Shooter leaned over her back, breathing hard, his nose buried in the hair at the nape of her neck. He inhaled and the feminine places on her body clenched. Her libido and her ego had squared off like Old West gunslingers. She could even hear the theme from “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” in her head.

Just as quickly as he’d leaned over her, the heat and weight of him was gone. Lauren reminded her lungs to fill with air. Then she focused on her hand, closed her fingers over the straps of her backpack, and with utmost care, she settled back into her seat. She so needed to get away from this guy before she did something so far beyond the pale that she’d never return. Giving in to her libido was a journey fraught with danger.

“Let’s go, mouse.” He swung out of the truck, then opened the back door to grab his own duffel.

“I’m not a mouse,” she huffed. “Or a cat.”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

Tait got the door open, stepped inside for a security sweep, then motioned for Lauren to enter. She brushed past him and her scent washed over him. He’d never be able to eat a blueberry muffin ever again. Not unless he claimed her. He dropped his duffel. “Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

Yeah, just as soon as he walked off the raging erection making his dick rub against the buttons on his fly. He’d take a walk, scout the terrain. Because that’s what bodyguards did. He wasn’t running away from her. Not at all. He backed out the door and closed it, leaning against it to order, “Lock the door and don’t open it for anyone but me.”

Then he ran.
***
What journey is on your list today? And writers, if you have any journeys to share with us, please do!

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Tuesday Treats: Packet Chicken and ‘shrooms

Posted on February 6, 2018 by Silver James

As y’all know, I’m all about the easy–especially when it comes to KP duty. Cleaning the kitchen and doing dishes after dinner isn’t real high on my list of Fun Things. The nice thing about this is you can freeze the packets so…since there’s only two of us, I make up the full recipe and freeze half for another meal.

Prep Time: 10 min.
Total Time: 45 min.
Servings: 6 servings

A tasty dish of chicken, ham and mushrooms is easy to make—and even easier to clean up—with this foil-pack preparation.

What You Need
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup
1-1/4 cups water, divided
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Lower Sodium Stuffing Mix for Chicken
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb.)
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Smoked Ham
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1-1/2 cups frozen peas

Make It
Heat oven to 400°F.

Mix soup and 1/4 cup water. Combine stuffing mix and remaining water; spoon onto centers of 6 large sheets heavy-duty foil sprayed with cooking spray.

Top with chicken, ham, vegetables and soup. Fold foil to make 6 packets; place in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.

Bake 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Cut slits in foil to release steam before carefully opening packets.

As always, CLICK HERE for the nutritional information. This is a recipe that Lainey Walker would make and toss in the freezer. Her mother and older brother never bothered to look, but her little brothers, the twins Louie and Levi, could pull packets out and heat them in the oven if she was going to be stuck in class or working one of her part-time jobs. After she mated with Hollywood, she had to triple the recipe because, “Darlin’…those piddly little chicken breasts you wanna use don’t fill up a Wolf!” 😉

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Not so Super Monday

Posted on February 5, 2018 by Silver James

Normally, on the Monday after the Super Bowl, I talk about the commercials. Frankly, I’ve mainly watched the game only for the commercials the past couple of years. This year, though, I pretty much gave up on the NFL. Still, I’ll admit a fondness for the copious amounts of money spent for SB air time. The commercials are usually “leaked” beforehand so I went looking. The Budweiser commercial that did air–“Stand By You”–got a sniffle from me as I watched it on my computer. The rest of the commercials? Yeah…not too impressed. Ah well.

To me, the Budweiser Clydesdales are such an iconic part of the brand and there have been amazing series of commercials down through the Super Bowl years: Clydesdales playing football, Clydesdales becoming part of the hitch, Clydesdales and dogs… Last year and this, I was doomed to disappointment. However, I did discover there is a Clydesdale “Super Bowl” commercial, just not aired on TV. The company released it on their social media channels. I’m really sorry Budweiser chose not to run this during the Superbowl because people should see it. I’ll admit, I wouldn’t have because I didn’t watch the game. With that in mind, I’m sharing it here. Take a minute to watch.

As for the rest of my weekend round-up, I went to a baby shower for one of Only’s oldest and dearest friends. I made a prediction that Baby Silas will make his appearance on my birthday. I wrote. I read. I watched some TV. Life as usual. I finished JD Robb’s DARK IN DEATH. Loved it. Now I’m just listening to library stuff until…something comes along that really catches my imagination. I’m finishing out Ilona Andrews’ The Edge series in audio book because…series. I’m making headway on MONTANA MOON. If I’ll knuckle down, I might have it finished by this weekend. Or not. I’ve got an itch to rearrange my office. That’s taking procrastination to the pinnacle, right? 😆 I know it’s bad when the clutter gets to me, the queen of housework avoidance.

Ya know, my life is pretty boring. 😆 I think that’s why I live in my head with my made-up characters. They have exciting lives and I’m living vicarious through them. 😉

How was your weekend?

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Friday Sinema: Email in Real Life OMG!

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Silver James

I…I have no words…. *ding*  Well, I have a few. I blame this on B.E., just sayin’… 😉

And in celebration of Groundhog Day, I hope the groundhog/animal prognosticator in your area has predicted an early spring! Have a great weekend. 🙂

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Thursday Thoughts: The Universe Understands

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Silver James

I normally use my standard “Universe” graphic on Thursdays but today’s message made me use this one, because coffee DOES understand! 😆 Okay, seriously…

I tucked this one back when I got it waiting for the right moment. I’m working on a new WIP (Work In Progress) and getting to know the characters. A good writer knows the goals, motivation and conflict of each major character and how that applies to the plot and story line. The Universe nailed it when it comes to making characters “real.” They need fears, pain, and understanding what makes them tick, allows you to give them hope and their HEA (Happy Ever After).

Sometimes, understanding their fears, Silver, helps you to understand their actions and their pain.

Plus, understanding their fears sometimes helps you to understand your own.

Te amo,
The Universe

© http://www.tut.com ®
You know, Silver, “birds of a feather,” “no coincidences,” “like attracts like,” and all that jazz. There really is something to all those clichés.

And sometimes, when you write and tell your character’s story, you gain some insight into your own. Been there, done that. (Speaking of clichés.) I have the best job in the world. And coffee. Don’t forget the coffee. What’s your favorite cliché?

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