Thursday Thoughts: Universal Devil in the Details

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Silver James

I’ve been fighting a low-grade migraine so I’m a little late with today’s musing. And probably a little fuzzy in making logical leaps so please bear with my ramblings.

I hit a crossroads in my writing which made today’s tidbit all the more relevant. I don’t know many writers, even those who plot and outline and make notes and map out each action, who don’t ask themselves, “What if?” during the course of writing. Iffy, my Muse, quite often asks between paragraphs but then I’m a puzzler so that’s to be expected. FYI, I’m aware that Iffy is the personification of both my imagination and my internal sense of story. And the thing about asking, “What if?” There is no right answer. There are myriad answers, a whole bunch of rabbit holes, and twisty turns.

I have to agree to disagree with the Universe on limitations, though. Sometimes, the devil is in the details, especially when you tell stories for a living. But, at the same time, a variety of details can keep the reader guessing, the characters on their toes, and the plot moving forward. Which is sort of what the Universe is saying.

There’s always more than one right answer, path, possibility, nuance, or flavor – so insist upon none.

Insisting on details, Silver, always limits you.

Purple Moonbeam Chocolate, please –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®
Coyote Ocean Cofferine? Double Chunky Banilla? Stop me, Silver… Desert Cactus Crunch?

Oh, that crossroads? I wrote alternative scenes. In edits and revisions, I’ll pick the one that moves the story along in the best way. In fact, I had an alternative scene from a previous book that fit perfectly into this one. No words are ever wasted. 🙂 I almost feel like I should add a disclaimer to my books: No words were harmed during the editing and revision of this story. And now, I think I’ll order up a Double Turquoise Snow-daynilla Cofferine. *stands at window staring out at two inches of sleet covering the driveway* Yup. I think I’ll do that. What about y’all? What decisions are you making today?

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Wednesday Words: Light as a Feather

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Silver James

How can it be Wednesday again? I can’t believe time is passing so fast. The good news is, it’s time for another #1lineWed over on Twitter and today’s theme is all about the lightness of being. Sort of. The prompt is **LIGHT**, and the picture is a feather. So…

As the past few snippets have been, here’s another one from MONTANA MOON. I’m up to almost 27K words now. There’s a little unfinished business–like making love, the black moment, some action, another black moment, and then the HEA. Because this is romance and the HEA is guaranteed. In this scene, Tait was hurt, yet he’s healed remarkably fast. Our intrepid couple have made it back to his cabin.
****
“A penny for your thoughts.”

He jerked his head up and focused on Lauren’s face. She was taking another bite of her omelet. She chewed and swallowed, motions he found far too fascinating and the movement of her throat made his dick throb. He needed to get away from her. He stayed where he was and said, “I’m thinking you need to tell me why you were running away.”

She blanched, reaching for a glass she’d filled with ice water. Lauren took a big, long drink and Tait decided that his dick might just break before it was all said and done. “There’s nothing to say.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Lauren flung her hands up, the gesture both overly dramatic and petulant. “What can I tell you?”

“How about the truth?”

Her eyes narrowed and the corners of her mouth pulled down. “The truth? That’s a two-way street, cowboy. Tell me your truth first.”

“You can’t handle the truth.”

Now her eyes went wide and a snarl curled her upper lip while her hands flailed around her head. The damn woman shouldn’t be so cute when she was angry. Tait folded his arms across his chest, waiting for her rebuttal.

She sputtered a few times, starting to speak then stopping as words failed her. She tried again. “You’re giving me bad movie lines now? Seriously?” Lauren stomped over, stopping directly in front of him. Her fingers curled into his T-shirt of their own accord, like they knew what to do even if she didn’t. “You think I’m some sort of lightweight? Ha! The stuff I know would curl your hair.” She blinked a few times as she considered his close-cropped thatch. “Well, it would if your hair was long enough.” Her voice caught on the last word and she looked away.

He tipped her chin up with a finger. “What is it, baby?”

Lauren thumped his chest, careful to land her fist closer to the shoulder opposite his injury. “You could have died, Tait. Because of me.” The words tumbled out, breathless and coated with worry and fear.

He tasted both on the tip of his tongue and inhaled the odors with each breath. Onions and ammonia. Not overwhelming. Yet. Her fingers clutched convulsively in his shirt but he fought the urge to wrap his arms around her.

“Why do you care, Lauren?”

Her lashes swept down to cover her blue eyes a moment before her head thunked against his chest. “I don’t know,” was her mumbled reply. “I shouldn’t. I don’t know you. And you don’t share anything about yourself. But—” She melted against him.

“We’ll talk, Lauren. Soon. I’ll tell you everything as soon as I know you’re safe.”
****
And with those words, methinks the man has tempted Fate just a little. So, do you have any light words to share? Any suppositions on where Tait and Lauren are going to end up after this scene?

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Tuesday Treats: VELVEETA Spicy Chicken Spaghetti with Bacon

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Silver James

I’ve made this. It is yummy. That is all. Well, almost all. 😉 This is perfect for a cold, drizzly day. Hot-n-spicy cheesy goodness.

VELVEETA Spicy Chicken Spaghetti with Bacon
Prep Time: 25 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 25 min.
Servings: 10
Meat lovers will rejoice when they see this chicken and pasta bake on the table. Because yes—yes that is bacon swirled into the cheesy deliciousness.

What You Need
3/4 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
1 can (12 oz.) premium chunk white chicken breast (I use a 12 oz. bag of grilled chicken cubes)
3/4 lb. (12 oz.) VELVEETA, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I cheaqt and use the box of Velveeta Sauce – 3 4 oz. packets)
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) 98%-fat-free condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Habaneros, undrained. For a little less spice use RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies. As y’all know, I don’t do tomatoes so I just use a small can of chopped green, chilis.
5 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked and crumbled (or the OM Bacon crumbles in a bag. Easy-peasy!)
1/3 cup milk (if you like a slightly thinner sauce, add a little more milk)
fresh cilantro for garnish (optional) I like the fresh cilantro so yeah.

Make It
PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

COOK spaghetti according to package directions, omitting salt. While pasta is cooking, add remaining ingredients to a skillet; cook and stir over med. high heat until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended.

DRAIN spaghetti, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Add to chicken mixture and gently combine ingredients. Spread in a 13×9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with a little chopped cilantro. Ro*Tel is a product of ConAgra Foods, Inc.

As always, CLICK HERE for all the nutritional info. This recipe, it turns out is a favorite recipe to make for Isabelle “Izzy” Fountaine. She’s a Cajun girl and those cold winters in the mountins of West Virginia make her long for the hot-n-spicy. Good thing her mate, Rudy Tornjak, agrees. Though, as a Wolf, I think Rudy would rather there be some rare beef in the pot. 😉 You can read about them in ROGUE MOON.

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Prezday Monday

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Silver James

Today is a holiday. No mail. No banking. But lots of sales. I never have figured out why celebrating presidents’ birthdays is a reason to mark retail stuff down. I guess that’s why marketing isn’t my strong suit. So…it’s Monday again. Except I don’t get the day off. Writers are like cats in that regard. However, it is time for a follow-up of last week and a look ahead to this week.

So, there’s this thing called the Olympics going on. Do I care? Not really. I’m not big on winter sports except maybe the biathlon and you can bet the Peacock won’t show much of it. I did catch a video of a German figure skater and was surprised at how few people were in the venue. I’d heard attendance was all but non-existent. Sad, considering how much money a country spends to get the games and then to build the various venues. Makes no sense to me. Anyway… That’s my political commentary for the week. Oh, there’s a lot I could say because the stupidity is running rampant out there but nope… My blood pressure is under control and I’d like to keep it there.

Let’s get to the usual stuff. There was a week. It is over. There is a week. It is starting. That’s pretty much the story of my life. 😆 I got new words down last week. I got some cleaning/decluttering done. I did not get any naps. To further break it down:

Writing. I did some. Then the characters got a wild hare and I was all muppet-flail until I could rein them in. Progress is steady if slow. I’m at about 80% of my projected word count so I really need to get these two moving. Sadly, there’s only been one kiss and no canoodling. I must rectify that. ASAP.

TV. New LIVE PD Friday night and Saturday night. Yay! There were several intense situations where the police and deputies showed a remarkable amount of patience and restraint in face of incredible hostility and stupidity. Then I caught a news story about some stupid college kids in Tennessee protesting the cops on campus brought in to protect them during their protest. Seriously? WTF are the parents?!?! Climbing off soapbox now. LUCIFER is getting interesting again. I wasn’t sure about the introduction of Cain (yes THAT Cain) but yeah, curious now. With the U-verse hookup, we now get the C&I channel, which is like mostly reality cop shows, including DALLAS SWAT. Hadn’t seen it in years. Excellent “fodder” to sleep to. Don’t ask. Long story about being on call, sleeping with a scanner, boring stuff.

Reading. Still in something of a slump. Fell back on the IN DEATH series. Now I’m trying an older paranormal series I read years ago. I can get the books free either through Audible Romance or the library. It’s Christine Warren’s The Others series–not to be confused with Anne Bishop’s Others series. Mental note to self, might be time to re-listen to Bishop’s series as she has a new, collateral series book coming out in that world the first week in March. There are a couple of Kindle books I preordered that have it. I need to read them too but by the time I get to bed to read, the eyes are so tired it’s tough.

And that’s pretty much the story of my life. Spring Training baseball starts the end of the week. I have to get my H/h “together” then rip them apart for the black moment and then get them to the HEA. I really should get on the gazelle because I actually can now–if I pull it out a little. Is it time for a nap? What’s went on in your world last week and do you have a to-do list for this one?

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Friday Fun: #MyLitSquad Couples Style

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Silver James

Grab a coffee–or the beverage of your choice, get comfortable and let’s play. Because it’s Friday. And time for fun! Audible started the #MyLitSquad hashtag on Twitter with a list on their blog of the book characters they would pick to be on their “lit squad.” Since this is the Friday after Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d fill out my list with my “go-to” bookish couples. This is the explanation from the blog:

Some come from cozy mysteries while others from well known literary classics…still more emerge from far out sci-fi or sublime fantasy. But what the members of our crew all have in common is that each represents someone everyone could use on their side. This is our dream team. What favorite characters from books would make your list? Let us know at #MyLitSquad

You can CLICK HERE to see the article and the full list of their picks. 🙂

They had such go-to types as The Fun One, The Caretaker, The Chill One, etc. Well, in the spirit of Friday fun, here’s my dream team of bookish couples you can always depend on when it’s you against the world:

The Seeking-Justice Couple: Eve Dallas and Roarke from JD Robb’s In Death series. Do I really need to explain why? She’s a smart homicide detective, he’s the richest (and sexiest) guy in the world. Together, they can solve it, fix it, make it better, or just freaking buy it to always find justice for those who deserve it.

The Kick-Ass Couple: Kate Daniels and Curran from Ilona Andrews’ Magic series. Kate can take on any big bad because it’s in her blood. And Curran? Well, he’s a First and his bad ol’ lion self is no pussycat.

The We’re-No-Angels Couple: Elena and Raphael from Nalini Singh’s Guildhunter/Archangel series. Technically speaking, they ARE angels. In fact, Raphael is an archangel. Dude. Nobody kicks his ass. She’s a human Guildhunter who tracks vampires, and survived a certain death to wake up with wings. They’ve got flying high cover in the bag.

The Devil-Don’t-Care Couple: Charlie Davidson and Reyes from Darynda Jones’s Charlie Davidson series. She sees dead people–and as the Reaper, sends them to the beyond. He’s the Son of Satan. Who the hell is gonna get in their way?

The We-Got-This Couple: Hannah Jackson and Ian “Mac” McIntire from my own Moonstruck series because hey, it’s my list! Hannah is one to ride the river with, has mad research skills, and she gets it done, no matter what. Well, so long as it doesn’t involve cooking. 😆 And Mac? Alpha Wolf, baby. Big, bad SpecOps wolf shifter. He’s always got your back.

So who would be on your Lit Squad? Individuals, couples…you pick!

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Thursday Thoughts: Seeking Emotion

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Silver James

Romance writers are all about the romance, right? About the sexy times and longing and desire and…yeah. All that there stuffs. And people seem to think it’s easy to tell a story where romance is the heart of things. No pun intended. But it’s not. The easy part is describing how Tab A fits into Slot B and who’s hand is where and which way heads turn so lips can meet in a searing kiss. No, really. Writing the sexy bits is pretty easy. It’s also boring. The hard part is going deeper–to find the real emotion behind the actions.

As the Universe points out:

To better understand where you’re at, Silver, seek to understand why you want what you want, getting to the emotions you’re after.

To go even deeper, ask yourself why you think you can’t feel those now.

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

Feel them now, Silver, and more reasons will follow.

It’s that digging deep, seeking the true emotional center of the hero and heroine, that is the true story in a romance. All the rest helps tell the story, but the characters must have heart, must feel, must be willing to sacrifice and get hurt and give everything they are to find that elusive spark that takes attraction all the way to love.

On this day after Valentine’s Day, I’m working to give two more characters a chance at joining their hearts. And I want to thank you, my readers, for following along on their journey. Here’s to romance and to hearts finding their way to each other. I ❤ y'all.

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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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