Monday Mission

Posted on October 19, 2026 by Silver James

So. It’s Monday again. Amazing how that keeps happening.

So, there was a week and a weekend. Not much happened beyond weather, writing, enjoying books, and losing football teams.

Let’s start with the weather. We got rain! Lots of rain! Not enough but almost 9 inches is way better than what we’d gotten in the past 6 months. Sadly, it all happened in about 48 hours. Following the rain, we got a cold front that was actually a cold front instead of a not-so-hot front. We dropped from triple digits to seasonable highs and lows of 60s and 40s. Sooo nice. No AC! And while it is chilly in the house, I am soooo not ready to turn on the heater yet. We could got a month or two without high utility bills. I am all about the hoodies, fuzzy slippers and warm blankets.

Speaking of, I did switch from the summer linens to winter–from chenille bedspread to microfiber comforter. I even got everything laundered, folded, and put up in the linen closet. That and regular laundry were my contributions to house upkeep. Oh, and chili. I made a big ol’ pot of chili because…cool temps and rain. If that doesn’t say chili weather, nothing does.

On the bad news scale, both my teams lost. My Cowboys almost pulled it off against Houston. And they dropped from #16 to out of the top 25 even though Houston went up from #18 to #14. Tell me there are no politics in college sports.

I finished off two Darynda Jones series–her Charley Davidson and then the Sunshine Vicram trilogy. These are go-to books for me. Then I listened to Angie Fox’s SOUTHERN SPIRITS. It’s a light-hearted Southern cozy mystery with ghosts. It was a “freebie” with my Audible subscription. If cozy with a bit of the supernatural set in Tennessee is your catnip, you might give the series a look-see. I’ll be checking out the other books in the series eventually. I’ve moved on to a 3rd DJ series with BETWIXT. It’s about a 40-something woman who discovers she a powerful witch after inheriting an apparently sentient house in Salem.

In my own work, I wrote every day last week and not just a few snippets. I’ve added several chapters. I have hopes of carrying through with the impetus this week as well. It feels good to finally be off high-center on ARIEL’S D*MN BOOK. The story is finally moving along and random scenes aren’t quite so random. And that’s my mission for this week.

On that note, I leave you with this question: What’s your mission for the week?

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Friday Sinema: Going to the Dogs

Posted on October 16, 2026 by Silver James

Today’s video is a bit over 8 minutes but I was either laughing or smiling the whole time. It’s all about the K-9s and while their missions might be serious, dogs will be dogs. We’ve finally hit fall weather so I’m going to enjoy my weekend. Wishing the same for all of you!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Self

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Silver James

I saw a meme once–and yes, it’s in my files somewhere but I didn’t take the time to find it because I’m lazy and life/writing is keeping me busy–that said, basically: Be yourself because all the selves are taken. It made a great deal of sense at the time. I admit that I joke around about wanting to be someone else when I grow up. Yeah, yeah. I’m already grown up–allegedly. I still stand by my Peter Pan persona. And then the Universe tossed this my way and I was all, well, yeah. D’uh. Except for the PS part.

Silver, all you have to do is be yourself.

It’s the real secret to making dreams come true.

Tallyho,
  The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. Silver, you should have seen the line of volunteers who all wanted to be Silver James. At least a million souls long.

I can’t imagine that anyone would actually want to be me. Trust me. It’s a little weird, freaky and scary in here. But the first part of the message is the real heart of the matter.

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Wednesday Words: Still the One

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Silver James

Midweek has arrived and guess what!?! I know what day it is! It’s Wednesday and I have words. New words. Lots and lots of new words. ARIEL’S D*MN BOOK is up to 58+K words. I’ve added four chapters since last week. And I’m feeling a bit more optimistic. I even managed to string some of the random scenes together. The stack is getting smaller. Yay. As for last week’s Thursday Threads, I didn’t win but that’s okay. New words is are a win all in and of themselves. The prompt is: *Was it still there?* I even kinda sorta know where this scene fits. I’m not there yet but it’s getting close. I’ll leave it to your imaginations to figure out what happened…

****
Sade was determined to get facts. “What did you see?”

“Nothing. It was…” Staring down at the clasped hands she pressed into her lap, Aisling paused. Thought. Remembered. “There was nothing there. No light. No dark. No sound. No silence.” She looked up, sure her face showed the haunting emptiness inside her. “It was nothing. It was something more.” She continued staring off into space at something only she could see. Breathing deeply several times, she turned her gaze on the two others in the room. In a voice she didn’t recognize, she added, “And then I was back.”

After a string of expletives, Sade admitted, “Ariel’s right. You weren’t in the between.” She glanced at the Fae and mouthed, “A human shoved into Faerie? Alone?” 

Ariel glared and lifted one shoulder. The same sense of horror had slashed through him. In a voice he forced to sound gentle, he asked, “How did you get out?”

“A voice I didn’t hear. A hand I couldn’t feel. They showed me the door and here I am.”

Sade turned to Ariel. “The door. Was it still there? When you found her?”

He shook his head immediately, then considered for a moment before shaking it again. “No. I found her in a tunnel. The walls were solid.”

Focusing on Aisling, Sade continued. “You keep saying he? Who, Aisling? Who shoved you through the door and who brought you back?”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Try us,” Sade urged.

“He was made of shadows. They both were.”

Ariel spat. “Ravens.”

“Well, crap.”

“You can say that again.”

Sade flashed Ariel a quick eye roll but didn’t repeat herself.
****

There you have it. The plot is thickening, the stakes are getting higher, and things are heating up. Writers, I hope you get inspired. Readers, what book is still there on your TBR* pile waiting to be read that you might have forgotten about?

*To Be Read

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Hot Stuff Fudge Sundae Bars

Posted on October 13, 2026 by Silver James

Summer just won’t let go! The weather gurus are predicting frost on the pumpkins by ths weekend but we’re supposed to hit 90 again today. And that works out because I have a summer recipe to share. Of course, when it comes to ice cream, I’m there year round. I don’t care how cold it is outside. And if it’s cold outside, today’s featured book is hot enough to warm you up. 

Hot Fudge Sundae Bars
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients
1 (16-ounce) can chocolate syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
19 ice cream sandwiches, of your choice (at least 19 might take 1 or 2 more)
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup salted peanuts

Directions
1 - Pour the chocolate syrup into a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until hot, for a total of about 2 minutes on high. Do not allow it to boil.
2 - Stir the peanut butter into the warmed chocolate until smooth.
3 - Allow the chocolate-peanut butter mixture to cool to room temperature.
4 - Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish with a layer of the ice cream sandwiches.
5 - Spread 1/2 of the whipped topping over the sandwiches in an even layer.
6 - Spoon 1/2 of the chocolate-peanut butter mixture over the whipped topping layer, spreading it into an even layer.
7- Top the whipped topping layer with 1/2 of the peanuts.
8 - Repeat the layers once. (There should be two layers of ice cream sandwiches)
9 - Freeze the layered mixture until firm, for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
10 - Cut the frozen layered mixture into squares.
11 - Serve.

What happens when an arson investigator crosses paths with a man who can set her on fire? It gets really sticky when he’s her main suspect in a series of arson fires. If you aren’t familiar with Leigh Duncan and Brian “Smoke” Jenner’s story, you can read about them in either ebook or paperback in NIGHT FIRE. Just click on a pic or the title. If you use the QR code on the banner pic, you’ head over to the Nightrider Series page on Books2Read. Members of the Nightrider MC inhabit the dark and dirty side of the Moonstruck world and evem though they are outlaw bikes, these Wolves had hearts of gold and are true to their mates, once they find the right one. FYI, Leigh is like me. She’ll pick ice cream any time of year–hot, cold, rain, snow. It’s all good and this recipe looks far fancier than it is to make, which is why she’s been known to bring it to any of the club’s “pot lucks.”

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The Twelth of Monday

Posted on October 12, 2026 by Silver James

Am I the only one old enough to have danced a slow dance with my junior high crush to the Johhny Mathis song today’s “title” is based on? Bonus points if you know the actual name of the song.

Well. The big weekend news is HOLY COW!!! The Sooners were 2-2 going into Saturday’s game against #1 ranked Texas. Their two wins were against so-so teams. But when it comes to the Red River Rivalry, there are absolutely NO guarantees on the outcome. Unranked OU managed to pull it out with a field goal with like 2 minutes left in the game to win 27-24. The ‘Horns were stunned. The Sooners went crazy. To start the day, my OSU Cowboys defeated UCF, 42-28. The first half was touch and go and then they came back and turned on the after-burners in the second half. Good day for football, unless you’re a Tulsa fan. Sadly, the Hurricanes fell to Navy.

In writing news, I actually accomplished quite a bit last week. Thanks to a wonderful author friend and her Zoom room “Writers Cafe”, I got focused and did some fairly serious writing. I’ll go hang out there again this afternoon, and every other weekday that I can. There’s not much visiting, there’s no cross chatter, just a place to “gather,” find your groove and be accountable for your goals. In some ways, it reminds me of the old days on Twitter when we used to do #1K1HR. Someone would set a start time, with the hash tag–which stands for a thousand words in one hour. The goal was to focus and write a word spring for an hour. You’d “sign on” and at the end of the hour, you’d report your word count. It was quite effective for me. The Writers Cafe is much the same, except we can actually see each other if we want to be seen. No promises, but I’m hoping to have ARIEL’S D*MN BOOK released by the end of the year. It’s a goal. I’m at about 56.5K words. That’s a big jump. I’m feeling optimistic.

I finished off my marathon relisten of Darynda Jones’s Charley Davidson series. It was fun and was a terrific place to hide for awhile. Now I’m relistening to her Sunshince Vicram trilogy. It’s fun too, but with no supernatural stuff. That’s okay. There’s humor, suspense, and a hot hero. The first book is A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE. Sunshine has returned to her hometown, a resort/vacation spot in the mountains of New Mexico. A former detective in Santa Fe, she’s now the newly elected sheriff of Del Sol. Thing is, she didn’t actually file and run for the office. 😏Fun times.

I’m trying to learn more about AI and graphics and how to use new tools for things like advertising. I spent a very long and frustrating Saturday monring with Copilot (Microsofts AI chatbot) trying to create images for a video with voice over and captions. It wasn’t an actual video, but a slide show. I posted it on my FB and X feeds. It was far from perfect but hey! I did it. I know people are all bent out of shape about AI but it’s just another tool as far as I’m concerned. Would I use it to write a book? Oh hell no! But for creating images and character profiles? I don’t see how it is much different from me doing something in Paint or another graphics program. Yes, I’d love to be rich and famous and able to hire first class artists to do all my advertising graphics, design and maintain my website, and all that jazz. I’m not. I live on a fixed income from SSA. I’ve sold 4 books on the ‘Zon this month. That’s a whole $8.86 cents. Y’all do the math. Okay. Now I’m depressed. Moving on.

Actually, that pretty much sums up my week and weekend and last week. We didn’t do anything exciting. It’s still hot during the day though it does cool off at night. I haven’t cooked much because…hot. I’m tired of Summer food. I want Fall good that’s warm and gooey and comforting. Maybe this time next week. The weather gurus keep making promises. What about y’all? How’s your weather? Anybody do anything fun and/or exciting? How’d your teams do? Who’s reading a good book? Who’s writing one?

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Friday Free-for-All: Random Edition

Posted on October 9, 2026 by Silver James

Yeah…I’m late. I normally set up the blog the day before so it will post at an actual scheduled time. If I waited to post on the day of, I might never get anything posted–or at least not posted until…oh…say…4 p.m. Anyway, I got busy yesterday for…reasons. I had to people. Then I had stuff to do. Then I had more stuff to do. And then I made the world go away and I actually did some writerly-type work. Like finish a chapter, set up the next chapter, and organize some of those random scenes floating out there on various sized pieces of paper on my desk. I should take a picture but I’m embarrassed. Anyway. Since I’m being random, here. These are some random thoughts I might or might not have actually had. TGIF. Have a great weekend.

  1. I’ve never opened the fridge after a rough day and thought, “This calls for celery.”
  2. Some days, you just need a hug, a forehead kiss and a grilled cheese sandwich cut diagonally.
  3. Day One of my diet: Cheat day.
  4. Never underestimate a woman with a Crockpot and a can of cream of something soup.
  5. Them: How many push ups can you do?
    Me: If they’re the orange flavor, 3.
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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Feelings

Posted on October 8, 2026 by Silver James

Sometimes, you meet someone and things just click. This used to happen face-to-face but with the introduction of the internet, horizons expanded and we met people that we might never actually see in person. That doesn’t stop connections from forming. Before I go further, I will caution folks. Verify. The scammers they are scamming. I have several close friends that I have never met in person but if they sent out an SOS, I’d be in my car headed their direction ASAP. Bear with me. I’ll try to keep this short. I’m friends with several best-selling authors. I’ve met most of them in person though we started out on the net through either blogs or social media. I was lucky enough to be in a position to later meet them and yes, we clicked in person just as we had on line. Without going into a lot of details because…reasons, I connected with another author. We bonded over health issues, the effect that had on our writing, and just…life. We texted. Almost daily. Then Real Life happened. Insecurity settled on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. And Real Life kept happening. After losing Jake, I needed a place to hide from the world and I found a place. Like I told her in my text on Tuesday, her books was like building a blanket fort, grabbing a hot mocha latte and a plate of chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven, and curling up with those characters. I wanted her to know that her books helped. That she helped. She texted me back. We’re still friends.

Then, yesterday, the Univere dropped this into my inbox.

Silver! It’s not real! Don’t go there!

The things and events of time and space are mere illusions.

What matters is what you feel in your heart and what you choose to imagine.

You’re here to create on your terms. To live at your own pace. To unravel the mysteries of your own divinity.

You are the door, the path, and the light.

You turn it all on,
  The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. You are the projector, Silver, and the silver screen.

I’m not going to delve into this one. I believe writers will intuitively get the inference and relevance to what we do and how we work. And this is a message for everyone, no matter who or what they do. As for me, I’m taking the message as a sign that I need to shake off the things holding me back, open my eyes and my imagination, and start projecting the story onto the page, metaphorically speaking. Time to turn it on, folks!

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Wednesday Words: Time to Talk

Posted on October 7, 2026 by Silver James

This year just keeps slip-sliding away. It’s already Wednesday. And I do have some new words to share. I’m trying to be smart as I participate in the Thursday Threads flash fiction. I’m at least working to expand already written scenes, and using scenes close in the timeline to where I should be if I…you know…wrote linearly. As a result, my words aren’t always sharp and inspired but that’s okay. It’s progress and I’ve won a bunch of the challenges. I pretty much do it now because…new words! So, today’s prompt is: *“Maybe it was time.”* It’s definitely time that I get out of my weird headspace and write the dang book. Here’s today’s entry:

****
Caleb broke int the conversation. “You could always ask him.”

Sade blinked. “Point blank?”

The men exchanged looks.

“Fine. I’ll ask him.” 

“Ask me what?”

Three heads turned to the man who’d apparently materialized beside their table, since no one had seen him sneak up on them. 

Sade pushed out of her chair. “Let’s take a walk, Ariel.”

He didn’t move. Leaving the pub with Sade would only cause the other two to follow. Besides, they were in this too. Maybe it was time to explain the situation. Not that it would help. Sade would continue to interfere, which would drag Sinjen and Caleb into it. And there was still the Dragon to be dealt with. Tatania had given him this task but Oberon had given him the ultimatum.

Ariel pulled out the empty chair and sat, gesturing for Sade to return to her seat. He repeated his question. “Ask me what, Sade?”

“Why are you here?”

“Your time at the Summer Court, how much do you remember?”

Tilting her head, Sade stared, her brows knit in concentration. “Not sure where you’re going with this.”

“The rumor was that Oberon was your sire.”

Sade snorted. “Like Fae and Humans can procreate.” She blinked when Ariel didn’t immediately respond. “Wait. They actually can?”

“What do you know of changelings?”

“They’re myth. That whole spiel about Magicks stealing human children, leaving creatures that look human in their place is just a fairy tale.” 

“All fairy tales hold a thread of truth.”
****

True that. All fairy tales to hold a thread of truth, especially if you live in Sade’s world. Writers, I hope this inspires you to some new words or the prompt at least sparks some ideas. Readers, what’s your favorite fairy tale? I’ve always been a bit fond of Beauty and the Beast…

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Easy’s Fave Peanut Butter Pie

Posted on October 6, 2026 by Silver James

Sometimes, as Summer slips into Autumn, the weather doesn’t always cooperate. The calendar and our thoughts may be thinking Fall thoughts and we might be craving Fall flavors but when it’s still warm outside, what we really crave is something cool. Well, I have the answer to that delimma. This easy, no-bake pie has the yummy taste we want paired with staying cool.

Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

Yield: 10 servings
Prep time: 5 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 20 min

Ingredients
1 8-inch chocolate cookie pie crust

For the Filling
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar sifted and divided into one 1/2 and 1/4 cup
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 oz cream cheese softened

For the Topping
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts chopped; for garnish

Instructions

For the Filling
1. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks have formed. Add the ½ cup sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a separate bowl.
2. In the same mixer bowl (no need to wash it), with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, and remaining ¼ cup of confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
3. At a low speed, beat a ⅓ of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until incorporated.
4. Transfer the whipped peanut butter mixture into the prepared chocolate cookie pie shell. Gently smooth the mixture into an even layer with a spatula. Refrigerate the pie, uncovered, for 1 hour.

For the Topping
1. Place the chocolate pieces, or chocolate chips, into a small bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the ½ cup of heavy whipping cream to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Once boiling, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for one minute. Remove the plastic wrap and whisk until a smooth chocolate ganache forms.
3. Pour the chocolate ganache over the chilled peanut butter pie. Using a spatula, gently smooth the ganache until all of the peanut butter filling has been covered.
4. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts along the outer rim of the pie. Chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours before slicing.
5. Store the pie in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

I admit, I love peanut butter and chocolate together. And this pie is pretty easy to make. It’s also easy for Easy to admit it’s one of his favorite desserts. Elijah “Easy” Cross is a bad boy with a heart of gold. This is not unusual for my outlaw riders. Of course, they’re all Wolves, too. Luckily, Samantha “Sam” Prescott likes to cook and enjoys keeping her Wolf happy. Their story, told in NIGHT SHIFT, is dark and little–okay, a lot–dirty but hey, we are talking about the members of an outlaw motorcycle club here. And, there’s a reason I’ve decided to feature the Nightriders. Someone bought the first four books in the series this month so yay! Maybe if I give the series a little push, more people will decide to grab a copy. Just click on a pic, the QR code, or the title. You’ll zip over to Books2Read for the Nightriders series page where you can discover all the books (so far, more to come in the future) and the various on-line retailers for you to chose from. Please and thank you. Also, surely I’m not the only one who likes to mix chocolate and peanut butter, right?

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