Tuesday Treats: Creamy Jalapeno-Stuffed Chicken

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Silver James

Now that temperatures are cooling off, I like recipes that have a little more heat. These stuffed chicken breasts fit the bill perfectly.

Prep Time: 25 min.
Total Time: 1 hr.
Servings: 8 servings

These cream cheese and jalapeño-stuffed chicken breasts are simple enough to make on the spot—but you can easily prepare them ahead of time.

What You Need
8 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened (I use Philadelphia Cream Cheese Fat Free)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese, divided
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded, finely chopped (I cheat and use the canned/sliced ones because…easy!)
1 egg
3 cups tortilla chips, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
1 cup green salsa
Make It
Place chicken on work surface. Mix cream cheese, 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese and peppers until blended; spread onto chicken. Roll up tightly, starting at one short end of each breast. You can refrigerate up to 8 hours. When ready to bake…

Heat oven to 375ºF. Beat egg in shallow dish. Place crushed chips in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crushed chips. Place, seam sides down, in single layer in shallow pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 35 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Meanwhile, warm salsa.

Top chicken with remaining shredded cheese. Serve with salsa.

Yeah, I don’t do salsa but some folks do, like Savannah Wolfe Barron, from “Convenient Cowgirl Bride.” Savvie doesn’t cook much but she agrees that this dish is quick and easy enough for her to make for Chase when she’s feeling all domestic.

To get all the nutritional details, CLICK HERE to go to the Kraft Foods site.

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Mid-Month Monday

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Silver James

So…October has five (count them…FIVE!) Mondays. Ugh. Ah, well. We are mid-way through the month. Halloween is looming. I did clean the front porch and I rearranged some things out there. The Halloween wreath is on the door, I even put out a lighted pumpkin (of the fake variety), and I replaced the blue lights lining the porch and door with the green ones I had to take off Nessie because they screwed up my across-the-street neighbor’s night vision camera. The green looks festive for Halloween.

And there was football this weekend. *FLAIL* Actually my Cowboys (from the REAL OSU) played awesome. They beat Baylor 59-16. OU, on the other hand, barely squeaked by Texas. Nerve wracking! There was also baseball! The National League and American League are fighting out their respective pennant races. Cubs vs. Dodgers, Dodgers lead by one game, and Astros vs. Yankees, ‘stros lead 2-0. I don’t really have a horse in this race so I can just watch good baseball and not truly care. That said, I wouldn’t be unhappy if it comes down to a Cubs vs. Astros world series. 😉

Reading is still kind of slumpy. I’m powering down on my “listen” to Jayne Castle’s Harmony/Rainshadow series. It’s been fun to revisit, even if I’m reminded of a few things that irritated me. Jayne still creates great characters and fun plots and her world building is highly imaginative. After I finish it off, not sure where I’ll go. I wish my eyes would let me actually read more. I have several books I’d really like to read but I can only read about ten pages or so. :/ We’ll see.

That leaves…writing. It’s going. In fits and starts but I’m making progress. The cover art is underway and the judging is going on over on my Facebook author page. I really need to work on the blurb. Ugh. I hate writing those suckers. The story is beginning to truly gel, which is a HUGE relief!!! I’m still–sort of–on track for that promised Halloween release.

How was your weekend and how’s your Monday going? Mine is going fast so time to grab another cup of coffee and get to work.

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Friday Sinema: Wild Love is Better

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Silver James

Okay. I admit it. I LIKED the movie THE LEGEND OF TARZAN. I did. Despite some of the kinda cheesy CGI/blue screen stuffs. Or because of them. Whatever. I’ll mention Alexander Skarsgard. Because…the dude is sexy! And you know, that whole story of the star-crossed lovers, the fish out of water X 2 (her in Africa, him in England), and then him going after her when she’s kidnapped? Because…dude! One of my favorite romance tropes EVER! Anyway, I fell in love with the love song from the movie, Hozier’s “Better Love” and it’s been an inspiration in Roman’s story, my current WIP. So sit back and enjoy it. That’s what I’m doing. With a cup of coffee. And a smile. Happy Friday the 13th. 😉

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Triple Crown

Posted on October 12, 2017 by Silver James

So…it’s Thursday. And I have some thoughts. See, not too long ago, there was this big kerfuffle over a NYT article written by a dude who’d once been an editor with a big NY publisher and the very “wise” brains at the NYT book desk decided he would be perfect to write an article on the romance genre. No lie. Yeah…the guy was…well, I have no words. I can say that the reaction from the romance community–writers AND readers was immediate and angry. Fittingly so. Then a few days later, I came across some requests from beginning writers who wanted to know how to…well, basically, write a book. The general consensus from those who replied was: Write a book. Then write another book. Makes sense, unless you have no clue. Oh, one respondent also mentioned: READ! That’s how I learned–more or less–to write a book. I read. Across genres. Across age brackets. The good, the bad, the familiar, the weird. But the main thing? I learned to use my imagination so… When the Universe tossed this little gem into my inbox, it resonated.

Shaping, shifting, molding, making: What people do when they discover their imagination.

Spinning, curling, dipping, twirling: What people do when they discover their wings.

Beaming, glowing, basking, shining: What people do when they discover love.

Basking, Silver –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, go for the triple crown.

How does a book start? An idea pops into my head. I shape, shift (and so do some of my characters! 😆 ), mold, and make that idea into a viable story. All in my head, using my imagination. Then I let the story fly. Plots develop spins and dips. Characters curl and twirl. And then–in my genre, anyway–they discover love. Because I write romance. I deliver Happily Ever Afters one book at a time. And despite what the New York Times believes, romance novels meet the needs and desires of readers. (Pun partially intended.) The people who read romance novels WANT the HEA. So I’ll keep providing it in my books because I’m proud to be a writer of romance. I’m happy to provide the HEA to readers. And yeah, some days, it feels like I have won the triple crown when I get an email, a comment, or a review from a reader who says I’ve touched their lives.

If you read romance, good on you! If you don’t? Maybe you should give it a try. You might just like it. 😉

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Wednesday Words: Paint It Black

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, another snippet for #1lineWed. Today’s THEME is the classic **BLACK**. I’m 20 days away from THE SOUND OF SILENCE’s release. Hopefully, I’ll have a cover reveal soon. In the meantime, here’s the prologue. Let me know what you think.
****
Prologue

And by that destiny to perform an act
Whereof what’s past is prologue, what to come
In yours and my discharge. ~William Shakespeare, The Tempest

My grief lies all within,
And these external manners of lament
Are merely shadows to the unseen grief
That swells with silence in the tortured soul. ~William Shakespeare, Richard II

Before the Veil Ripped

Destiny doesn’t live in the stars. It doesn’t give people a choice and they have no chance of escaping it, despite what the poets, pundits, and politicians say. Destiny has a habit of showing up when least wanted, needed, or expected. It slaps people up side the head, brings them to their knees, and it is no accident when that happens. Today, Destiny landed a gut punch. My gaze raked over the chunks of shattered granite littering the courtyard. I said one word. “Borac.”

“Yes.” Crevan, Le Vieil of the Gargoyle Sentinels stood beside me, stiff and deadly.

“What happened?”

“Someone shattered Borac and the other guards with magic and stole the Heart.”

That answered why the Sentinel leader had recalled me to Paris. I am Roman Montagne, one of the oldest Sentinels. I am also First Sentinel.

Crevan did not look at me as he continued. “There have been rumors and rumblings beyond the Veil. There is talk of the emergence of the Crucible.”

I stiffened, becoming as still as the granite that is my true form. The last time the Crucible incarnated, the Gargoyle Realm had been left in ruins when one faction stole the Heart of Stone and used it in conjunction with the Crucible.

“We must retrieve the Heart, Roman, and secure it before the Crucible comes into power.”

Crevan’s order was clear but it was his unspoken command that raked against my skin, sharp as werewolf claws. If the Crucible died, crisis averted. Sentinels did not murder innocent humans, but could the Crucible truly be innocent? Or would the babe so marked have a stain on its soul so black that redemption could never be found?

A face clouded my vision and I stiffened, reading the speculation on the Old One’s face. “She is many things, Le Vieil, but she is not the Crucible.”

His sharp-eyed gaze scraped over me. “L’Enfant de L’homme has other destinies to fulfill, Sentinel.” His disapproving tone reminded me of the schoolroom. “Perhaps you are spending too much time negotiating the affairs of vampires and Fae.”

Perhaps he was right. Keeping track of Sade Marquis, the human child both vampire marked and Fae touched was a full-time occupation, but one I was loathe to give up. When Mathias gifted the girl with a werewolf pup, I’d hoped he could take up my guard duties. The feud between Mathias and Oberon had turned into a petty playground game of tag-you’re-it. I’d remained silent too long, lost in my ruminations as Crevan’s hand gripping my shoulder reminded me.

“Time to hunt, Roman. This is your destiny.”

The sound of silence swallowed my soul as I took my commander’s words to heart.
****
Please to note, while the prologue is in 1st person, the rest of the book is in 3rd. You know, in case that makes a difference. 😆 Anyway…if you have some black words to share, please do so!

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Tuesday Treats: Pull-apart Coffee Cake

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Silver James

Now that cooler weather is moving in, there’s not much I like better than to grab a cup of coffee and some cinnamon-yummy treat to start my day. This recipe is easy-peasy for a a weekend breakfast, or make ahead and warm up for those busy work-day mornings.

Prep Time: 15 min.
Total Time: 50 min.
Servings: 12 servings
Drizzled with glaze and topped with toasted pecans, this pull-apart coffee cake looks like it came from a bakery. Wait until they find out you made it!

Ingredients:
1 can (16.3 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding
1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 cup PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. milk
2 Tbsp. chopped toasted PLANTERS Pecans

Make It:
Heat oven to 350ºF.
Separate biscuits; cut into quarters. Mix dry pudding mix, zest and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add biscuit pieces in small batches; toss to evenly coat. Drizzle with butter; toss lightly. Place in 9-inch round pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 20 min. Cool 5 min. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool 10 min.
Microwave cream cheese spread in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 15 sec.; stir in sugar and milk. Drizzle over cake; sprinkle with nuts.

CLICK HERE for full details.

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Friday Sinema: Rembrandt’s The Night Watch

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Silver James

ING Netherlands was a huge sponsor of the reopening of Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum after a decade-long renovation project. The “mob” was organized to coincide with the return of Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch” to the museum. The painting is considered one of the Dutch artist’s greatest works. To celebrate, a flash mob recreated the painting at a mall and it’s one of my all-time favorite flash mobs.

And though it’s in Dutch, you can still get an idea of what all went into this “flash mob” production.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Seasons

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Silver James

This has been a hard week with sad news, but out of all the horror of that night in Las Vegas, tales of heroism, of self-sacrifice, of love are coming out. In the face of unspeakable evil, it is the goodness found in the human soul and the actions of simple people answer the call to a higher good that gives me hope for this old world. The Universe talks about the power of love and I saw that in Vegas, in the actions of off-duty first responders, veterans, and people who were just there. I saw it in the actions of on-duty responders, of firefighters teaming with police and heading into the teeth of the firestorm.

Little did they know, Silver, how much they had done, how many they had reached, or the power of their love.

Until, of course, it was all returned, many, many times over.

I.O.U.
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Yet such is the case, Silver, in time and space, where the harvest must follow the seasons.

I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, the original “version” of the Byrds’ song “Turn, Turn, Turn.” To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Seasons. They come and go, reminding us of the circle of life. Just remember to love and do good today instead of sowing discourse or spewing hateful words. We’ve had enough of that this week. Me? I’m going to go write about two people falling in love because we all need a little romance and a lot of love in our lives.

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Wednesday Words: In the Spotlight

Posted on October 4, 2017 by Silver James

It’s Wednesday. I have a new book out. OF COURSE I’m going to give you a snippet from THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION for #1lineWed. Like…d’uh! Today’s theme is **LIGHT**. While I normally post a snippet from a WIP, with the release of THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION, I can’t resist sharing this snippet about my hero, Deacon Tate, because the dude is in the spotlight. A lot! 😉

The lights dimmed, a stool appeared on stage and he picked up his acoustic guitar and sat down. One blue spotlight picked him out. Head down, he strummed a few chords. The cheers and whistles slowly faded as he played. The chords gave way to the melody he plucked on the strings. The band remained silent, unsure of where he was going. Performing this song was totally unplanned. He’d written it for his cousin Cash’s wedding but hadn’t recorded it.

Deke’s little brother, who was also the keyboardist for the Sons, was the first to recognize the song. After Dillon’s piano riff, their guitarists, Bryce and Xander, picked up the tune and Kenji, the drummer, found the rhythm. Ozzie picked up the bass line without missing a beat.

“Are you ready to take a walk?” he crooned into the microphone. “Darlin’, are you ready for me?” The crowd started to sway in time to the music and the groupies lining the stage pressed forward. Deke closed his eyes. “Are you counting the minutes? Can you feel my heart race?” He riffed on the guitar. “From this day forward, you’ll never walk alone. I’ll shelter your heart. I’ll be your home. You are my love song, my forever song, the last song that I’ll sing.”

He poured out the rest of the words, his voice growing husky with emotion. Deke had watched each of his cousins find and fall in love with the women who completed them. Something inside him wanted the same thing, in a vague someday way. But none of his brothers had taken the plunge and there was something wrong with that picture. The Barrons were the wild bunch, the Tates the steady gatekeepers. Well, except for him. His mother said often and loudly that he was more Barron than Tate, but her eyes twinkled when she said it.

Deke sang of finding love, of losing it. He sang of getting it back and when he sang the chorus again, the women in the front row had faces slick with tears. His voice broke a little as he finished the last few lines and added, “You’ll be my home, my love song, my forever song and the last song I ever sing.”

The spotlight went out. Stunned silence filled the theater, where 2,500 fans were jammed in wall-to-wall. Then pandemonium erupted. Strobes flashed and spotlights probed the stage, but Deacon had disappeared. People screamed and whistled. They clapped their hands and stomped their feet. When the band launched into the opening strains of “Native Son,” the noise volume doubled. Normally, this song was the finale but tonight, it was the encore.
****
I have to admit, Deacon is one of my favorite characters, but he presented me with a real challenge! Not only is he a country music superstar, he writes songs. A couple have been featured in other books: “Native Son,” which was Clay Barron’s campaign theme when he announced his candidacy for president (THE BOSS AND HIS COWGIRL) and “You Are My Forever” which, as mentioned above, he wrote and sang at Cash’s wedding (REDEEMED BY THE COWGIRL). Now, quoting lyrics in books is a chancy thing at best, copyright infringement at worst, so…I turned into a lyricist. I do sort of wish I was a musician because I’d love to put lyrics to music. And yes, I do have full lyrics for Deke’s songs! 😆 Anyway, this is my lighthearted contribution to #1lineWed today. What about y’all? Want to shine some light on your words?

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Tuesday Titles: The Cowboy’s Christmas Proposition

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Silver James

NEW RELEASE DAY!!!!! Welcome to the 7th book in my Red Dirt Royalty series. The Barron Brothers all got their Happily Ever After in the first six books. Now it’s time for the Tate Boys. Meet Deacon Tate, country music superstar, and his heroine, Trooper Quin Kincaid. From the back of the book:
Can a country superstar and a dedicated cop strike a Christmas baby bargain?
Being a celebrity, Deacon Tate is always careful. So when a baby is left on his tour bus, he’s 99 percent certain it isn’t his. But he’s 100 percent sure that trooper Quin Kincaid, who responds to the all, is the sexiest woman he’s ever seen. He has to have her, no matter what.

But to Quin, Deacon seems too good to be true. Can she save the baby and herself from Deacon’s spell–especially when he makes her an offer she can’t refuse?

And how about a short snippet? Yeah, you know you want one. 😉

She was a professional. On duty. She didn’t have time to picture running her fingers through that messy hair of his. Or…or… Her gaze rose from his mouth, quirking up at the corners as it was, to meet his eyes. They really were the soft blue of a star sapphire. She curled her fingers against her belt. Would the stubble on his face be rough or as soft as his hair looked?

“Darlin’, you really shouldn’t look at a man that way.” His gruff voice was both a caress and a wake-up call.

Quin barely controlled a full-body shudder. She needed to think of ice baths and blizzards. Snow and ski slopes. High mountain air. Invigorating. Not warm. Not sexy. She took that step back, both physically and mentally. He laughed and the sound was dark and warm like fudge brownies just out of the oven. Her mouth watered.

Coffee. She needed coffee. And fresh air. Like right this minute.
****
So, that’s the tease. You can grab your copy all sorts of places. You can CLICK HERE to go to the Red Dirt Royalty page and find all the clicky-clicks for all sorts of on-line stores. You can also get a paperback copy from those places, plus Walmart and Barnes and Noble. Just do me a favor, okay? If you read the book, please rate and review it. Those suckers really are the life-blood of authors!

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