Midway Monday

Posted on September 18, 2017 by Silver James

September–the time of state fairs, cooler weather, football, and the lead up to post-season baseball. Fall is my favorite time of year. The autumnal equinox happens this week. I’m ready.

Let’s see…to catch up on things. College football is a win-win so far. OSU (the REAL OSU, not the pretender OSU in Ohio) is 3-0 and knocking on the door of the top 5 in both polls. OU, which beat that fake OSU last week rather resoundingly, is moving around between #2 and #3. S’all good. As for MLB baseball, I fear my Cardinals are pretty much out of the post-season unless things take a dramatic turn. Ah well.

And in other things, like TV and reading…

I’m finally catching up on last season’s LUCIFER episodes. Which is good because new LUCIFER episodes are soon to air. Same with NCIS. I still have a backlog of GAME OF THRONES to wend my way through but I have awhile to sort them out because it’s like a year before the final season airs. I admit there are a couple of new shows I’ve heard about that sound interesting but I can’t think of them at the moment.

Reading…or listening, as it were is currently confined to Patricia Briggs dual Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series. While I’d read the A&O books, I’m just now getting into the MT books. Fun times. I also have B.E. Sanderson’s WISH HITS THE FAN on my Kindle and I can’t wait! I keep peeking at it and rubbing my hands together but I’m sort of OCD when it comes to reading series. So, a couple of more Mercy/A&O books and then I’m eyes-deep in Djinn!

Writing is moving along. I’m finally hitting a stride with Roman’s book. I think my cover designer and I have settled on the title THE SOUND OF SILENCE. It’s fun to revisit Sade, Roman, and discover Verity (Roman’s heroine.) I also have the go-ahead on revisions made to the plot line for Tucker’s book. So, split times between the books. That’s okay. I’m a master at multi-tasking. No. Seriously. Stop laughing! 😉

So that’s my update. What’s up with y’all? What are you reading, watching, writing? How are your teams doing? Are you going to the state fair near you?

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Saturday Reading List: Wishing for a Great Read

Posted on September 16, 2017 by Silver James

So…I have a friend who happens to be a really talented author. Her name is B.E. Sanderson and she’s written an amazing series of books about the Djinn. The 4th and final book in the series released yesterday and to celebrate she’s put all the book on sale! You can read them free if you have a subscription to Kindle Unlimited, or you can buy them all for under $5.00. Trust me, you’ll want to! Each book is a complete story but there is a plot arch that stretches through all four books. This is Urban Fantasy at it’s best. There’s lots of magic, action, derring do, a kick-ass heroine in Jo Mayweather, a shady character named Ezekiel who might or might not be a hero (I’ll never tell!), sidekicks, a fluffy dog who is way more than he seems and…nope. That’s as far as I’m going. No spoilers here!

Yes, these books are only available at Amazon but you don’t need a Kindle to read them. There’s Kindle app for every smart phone, table, and computer. You can get the books in print, if you prefer to read that way, at slightly more expense. So CLICK HERE and go grab some genie goodness!

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Friday Sinema: Blank Page

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Silver James

The song is “Blank Page” sung by Christina Aguilera. The dancer is Francis Perreault. The music video is by Sia. Take five minutes to marvel. You’re welcome.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Above All

Posted on September 14, 2017 by Silver James

One question writer’s get asked most often is: “Where do you get your ideas?” or “Where do the stories come from?” Variations on a theme. In my case, it can be a variety of factors but the most constant is “What if…?” What if…? is a universal thing among writers. It’s how we plot, how we brainstorm, how we create. The Universe got it right today.

There’s never just one right answer, Silver.

And there’s never just one right question.

All of the above,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®
Same for paths, people, shoes, and dessert, Silver.

The possibilities are endless. What about you? What question will you ask? What answer will you get? What path will you follow? What people will you meet? What shoes will you wear? And, the most important question of all, what will you have for dessert?

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Wednesday Words: Stone Cold

Posted on September 13, 2017 by Silver James

Another week half-way done and time for this week’s #1lineWed theme. Chill out, grab an ice tea and settle in for some cold-blooded words centered around the theme of **COLD**. 😉 This is a scene from Roman’s book (with a new tentative title of THE SOUND OF SILENCE) but sadly, no Roman. Roman doesn’t have any cold in his life at the moment though I need to do something about that. Instead, we get a little scene with the gargoyle Varrick (who we first met in THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC) and my favorite FBI agent, Sade Marquis. There’s bad stuff stirring in the gargoyle-verse and Varrick has been tasked with helping Sade. Fun times! 😆

***
Ignoring the steaming corpses littering the alley, Varrick felt like freaking Hansel—only the birdies obliterating this particular trail of breadcrumbs were vultures of the preternatural kind and he wasn’t hunting an old witch. He smelled the coppery taint of blood, tasted the rusted-iron sharpness of it around the shallow drags he pulled on his cigarette. His Gretel waited at the entrance. Sade Marquis. FBI agent. Dead sexy. She racked a new magazine in her 9mm, the metallic sound echoing. He’d already reloaded his specially modified .44 Mag. If six rounds of HE didn’t take down their targets, they were dog food anyway.

“Roman, you owe me big time, brother!” Varrick snarled. He was only here because of his blood debt to Roman. Hunting rogue gargoyles was a pain in the ass. Literally. He rolled his head on his neck, vertebrae grinding like ancient granite. This whole fiasco had been the Fed’s idea. She might be stone cold—and that was a compliment coming from a gargoyle—but she was still human and if anything happened to her, more than Roman would be ready to grind him into dust.

A grating sound brought his head up. One idiot rogue tried to sneak up on Sade. Varrick raised the Mag, squeezed. Acrid smoke from his cigarette danced with the fog crawling across the docks as powdered granite swirled and settled, just so much dust in the wind.

The bitch Fed glared. “I can do this. Alone.”

“Like hell. Roman’ll take my head if you get hurt.”

“I need one alive.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.” A bullet whistled past his ear, ricocheted. He whirled but before he could fire, the gargoyle behind him disintegrated. What the hell kind of loads was the Fed carrying?

Sade smirked and holstered her weapon. “Or maybe not.”
***
I’m making progress on this story and seem to still be on track for a Halloween release. Does anyone have some cold words to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Chicken-Parmesan Bundles

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Silver James

Mid-September means states fairs, cooler temps, and a return to favorite foods. I’ve always been a fan of Chicken Parmesan and I an even bigger fan of “combination foods” where I get my veggies delivered in a yummy way with my need to eat like carnivore. So, from the recipe people at Kraft comes this delicious recipe for Chicken Parmesan Bundles. Their cheesy center will be the highlight of dinnertime!

Prep Time: 35 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 5 min.
Servings: 6 servings (in my family, this would be 3 servings because we’d each eat two. Just sayin’… 😉 )

What You Need
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 egg
10 RITZ Crackers, crushed (about 1/2 cup)
1-1/2 cups CLASSICO FAMILY FAVORITES Traditional Pasta Sauce, warmed

Make It
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until blended; spread onto chicken. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired.

Whisk egg in shallow dish until blended. Combine cracker crumbs and remaining Parmesan in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture until evenly coated. Place, seam sides down, in 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks. Serve chicken topped with pasta sauce and remaining mozzarella.

If you want more info, YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

While she might be a little kick-ass, Lennox Morgan from ASSASSIN’S MOON knows her way around the kitchen. She’s a fan of Italian food and has even convinced her Wolf hero, Griffith Caine, that chicken can be just as tasty as rare beef. Or at least Griff lets her think that. 😉

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A Monday of Remembrance

Posted on September 11, 2017 by Silver James

Today’s date is one few will ever forget. 9/11 is a seminal date, like April 19th, December 7th, and I’m sure each of us carry personal moments of “I’ll never forget” like May 3rd for me.

It’s been sixteen years since the World Trade Towers came down. I starkly remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard on the news about the first plane. I can detail that day just like it was yesterday. The same for April 19th. I’m old, but not enough to remember December 7th though as a history major, with parents who lived through it…so yeah.

With Irma impacting Florida–and I do hope everyone is safe!–the news has been focused there, until I woke up this morning to the reading of the names at the Memorial in New York City. I’ve been there. It’s a powerful place.

Normally, I’d probably wax philosophical but not today. Emotions are bubbling too close to the surface and I’d begin to lecture rather than muse and today is not that day. Not that my lectures would do any good given the climate in society today. I’m simply sum up by saying this. I’m old. I’ve lived a shit-load of history in my life. I’ve seen all the evil, hate, and misguided vitriol I care to in my life. Don’t make us live through another Harvey, Irma, 9/11, or April 19th to discover that we really can all get along.

Peace.

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Friday Sinema: High Heels

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Silver James

Who says you can’t run in stilettos? Happy Friday, y’all!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Care

Posted on September 7, 2017 by Silver James

The world is nuts. I can’t read social media or watch the news without my blood pressure going off the charts. I look at the shitstuff that people spout and I just shake my head. At both sides. Sometimes, it sucks to be in the middle. Needless to say, when the Universe dropped this into my inbox, the message was one that when straight to my heart.

What one little thing could you do today, Silver, within your means and your comfort zone, that would make you feel like a supercoolhappylovething?

Get down on it,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

The road to paradise, Silver, is made up of little steps, on a mostly dirt path, with earwigs and moss scattered about, guarded by a few armadillos and the occasional lonely pine, beautified, at most, with a few wild dandelion flowers and dusty moths, within earshot of crickets that have no concept of when they should actually be chirping. But hey… we’re talking about the road to paradise.

I’m going to take a little time every day. Call it self care. Call it a mental health minute. Call it whatever gets you from here to there, because I’m inviting you to join me. Do one thing for yourself today. And then do one thing for the world. Because we all need to step back, take a moment, and look for the threads that hold us together rather than the chains that keep us apart. Threads are fragile. Chains aren’t. Think about it.

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Wednesday Words: Bringing the Heat

Posted on September 6, 2017 by Silver James

Another Wednesday, another #1lineWed theme. Things are heating up, gonna have a hot time in the old town tonight, with hot guys and gals, hot lips, hot fudge sundaes, and…well…you get the idea. Just to prove that I amworking on Roman’s story, here’s a snippet from his as-yet-untitled book. There’s a bench near Cafe du Monde that overlooks the Mississippi River. Sade and Roman have been there before. Now their roles are reversed. I hope you enjoy this hot peek at Roman’s story.

****
The humid air hadn’t cooled much from the heat of day and it had been a hot one. Sade swiped at the sweat on her forehead. She stared out across the water but watched Roman in her peripheral vision. Shoving her hands into her pockets, she debated what to say before eventually moving to the bench to drop down beside the gargoyle.

“I remember a time when I sat here just like this. You had some very wise words for me then, Roman.”

He said nothing so they sat in silence. No sounds echoed around them, not from the barges sliding by on the dark river, not from the traffic or people crowding the French Quarter scant blocks away.

“Who is she?”

Roman didn’t move, didn’t blink, his human facade as stony as his real form. He knew what he had to say. Honor. Duty. Both demanded his reply. His heart had no place here.

“No one. She is nothing.” She is everything, his psyche screamed.

“Uh huh.” Sade continued to watch from the corner of her eye. Very little got past her and she knew Roman as well as he knew her. She didn’t miss the slight hesitation, the gravel sound of dismay in that first word. “I call fucking bullshit.”

He didn’t chide her for her language. Hollow inside, the on-going contest of wills seemed more effort than it was worth. Sade was her own woman now, responsible for her life and actions.

“Now I know something is wrong. Talk to me, Roman.” She’d noticed the lack of reprimand too.

“No.” He pushed to his feet. “This does not concern you or the FBI.” He walked away.

Sade jumped up, made to follow him. He shed all pretense of humanity, shifting in the blink of an eye into his natural form—a winged gargoyle with a visage meant to haunt demons. He spread his leathery wings, launched into the air. With great sweeping beats, he surged into the sky. He glanced back, recognized both anger and determination on Sade’s face.

“This isn’t over, Roman!”
****
So, do any of you have heated words to share today?

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