Wednesday Words: Earth

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupToday’s #1lineWed theme over on Twitter is “Earth. Or “ground.” They sort of mean the same thing. 😆 KOD has been on a roll with themes lately. They’ve had Earth, Wind, and Fire, and Water (or ground, air, heat, and wet). I sort of combined all the elements in this snippet from DOUBLE TROUBLE. FYI, I’m almost finished with it. And yes, I’ve written more words than I planned. With luck, I’m done and editing as y’all are reading this. Without luck, I’m still working on the last two chapters. Anyway, this is a follow-on to last weeks snippet–coming just after. You can go HERE and read it, if you missed last Wednesday’s Words. And now, our story continues…

“Dammit, Duke! Take care of those damn shooters!” Dom yelled into the microphone attached to the headset he now wore.

The pistol reappeared after he buckled into the harness. He grabbed her, pulling her close. “Arms around my neck, Peni. Legs around my waist. We’re going up. Fast.”

She screamed in Dom’s ear as they whooshed skyward, the earth dropping away beneath her feet as air whistled in her ears. Fire flickered in her peripheral vision. She saw shadows dancing around a bonfire. Something whined past her cheek and she huddled closer to Dom as he grunted. In what seemed like an hour but was only seconds, they were hoisted aboard the helicopter. Peni barely had time to catch a breath before the chopper tilted and whizzed away over the ocean, the whitecaps below rolling beneath the intermittent light of the moon. She scrambled toward the stranger holding her babies, lost her balance, and was steadied by strong hands around her waist. A different man guided her onto a bench seat and buckled her into a safety harness.

Looking up, she realized Dom was arguing with the man named Brady. Evidently Dom won the argument because he climbed over a partition and settled into the co-pilot’s seat, switched his headset to headphones, and grabbed the stick. He’d told her he was a pilot. She shouldn’t have been surprised that he would want to be in charge. The other pilot, a handsome black man, looked angry, then reached through the opening and snatched something that looked like gauze pads from Brady’s outstretched hand.

Moments later, Brady settled beside the man holding her children, muttering something she couldn’t hear. “What are you saying?” She yelled above the noise filling the helicopter. “My babies? Are my babies safe?”
****

So, what about y’all? Do your books have their feet on the ground? Have any earthy words to share?

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Tuesday Treats: Summertime Chicken Parmesan

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Silver James

ChickParmI mentioned yesterday about the dog days of summer. I dislike cooking when it’s hot, but fast food or ice cream is not always an alternative. Wandering through the store yesterday, I came across a new-to-me product: Tyson Breaded Chicken Patties. They are round. And suitable for the microwave. My first thought was, “Oh! I have left-over hamburger buns. I’ll do chicken sandwiches.” Then I thought…ooh. Chicken Parmesan. The easy way. So I got sliced Provolone cheese, spaghetti sauce (yes, premade because the whole idea is quick, easy, and not heating up the kitchen!), and angel hair pasta. There are “Lifehacks” out there for cooking pasta in the microwave. Basically, you need a microwave safe glass bowl, pasta, water to cover and 3-5 minutes more than the package directions. Which works great for things like macaroni, bowties, penne, zita, etc. Since I was doing angel hair, I put water in the bowl and microwaved it for about 7 minutes, until it was boiling. Then I added salt, and the pasta, sort of dipping and swirling until it fit into the bowl. Then I microwaved it for the minutes suggested for stove-top preparation, plus ****

While doing this, I heated the sauce in a pan on the stove. Then I microwaved the chicken patties, adding the Provolone to each patty for the last minute.

Pasta on the plate, patties next to the pasta, sauce on top. A sprinkle of Parmesan on top. Voila! Fast, quick, easy, not as good as restaurant, but… I would do the angel hair the normal way next time. Microwave pasta’s not so yummy. But yeah, I’ll make this again.

Do y’all have any quick summer recipes you want to share?

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Monday, Summer, and Books

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Silver James

Mooney and Blue checking out the beachI’m not sure I’ve introduced Blue’s new friend, Mooney, on the blog. Mooney likes his camou shirt and dogtags, being a military wolf and all. Blue, for most of RWA16 sported his black leather Nightrider vest. This is a pic of the two of them checking out the Pacific Ocean on the beach at Coronado. Sadly, no SEALs came running by. Still, there’s just something about the ocean…

Summer has been flirting since June but it wasn’t until last week that we hit and stayed in the 100s. We did get a couple of days’ relief when storms moved through but looking down range puts us squarely in the summer doldrums, or as we call ’em ’round here, the dog days of summer. Boone and Cooper are camped out in front of air conditioning vents so they get it. 😆

Wow, in 23 days, DOUBLE TROUBLE will be available from Amazon’s Kindle Worlds–Roxanne St. Claire’s Barefoot Bay, to be precise. I’m a little freaked out. I’m not quite finished with it, though with a lot of luck and a very late night, it should be close to ready for beta readers and editor by the time y’all read this. Since time is tight, I’m sort of “crossing streams” and sending it to both at once. I don’t know why I’ve had so much trouble with Dom and Peni. Theirs is a fairly straight-forward story. I guess maybe because I’m trying to avoid “instalust”, which is hard in a novella. I’m trying to keep it under 30K words.

Writing will continue at a breakneck pace once I turn in DT. I have the proposal for RDR#6-Kade due by the end of this month. Luckily, that’s only 3 chapters and a synopsis. I have a minimum of 9 projects due between now and next June and there’s so many more percolating that Iffy is running around like a greased pig with a passel of kids chasing it. I will survive.

Reading crack. Yeah…that’s been the thorn in my writing side. I picked up the first book in a new-to-me series and fell headfirst into the story. Could not put the book down. Nor the second, third…ninth, tenth. If you enjoy fantasy and you haven’t discovered Michelle Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra, you need to! Like RIGHT FREAKING NOW!!! There are 11 books and a novella. So far. Read them in order. I’m waiting on the eleventh from the library. And the 12th arrives in…October? I don’t remember. I gave up and pre-ordered it. Eventually, I’ll buy the whole series for my Kindle. Yes, I’ll reread them, especially if I have to wait a year for the 13th. The only way I’m getting any real headway going on DOUBLE TROUBLE is because I’m having to wait on the library for the next book. I came THIIIIIS close *presses thumb and forefinger together* to just ordering it last night when I finished the 11th but I knew I’d be up all night reading and my eyes REALLY need a break. So…

Here are a couple of other pictures from San Diego, for your viewing pleasure. You can click on them to make them bigger. Just sayin’… 🙂 This would be the 180° beach view at Coronado plus Mooney and Blue in their gear at the Indie signing
Hotel Del Coronado beachside Indie signing table

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Friday Sinema – Celine & Jimmy

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Silver James

OMG! The earworms! And the funny! Take a five minute break and enjoy the Wheel of Music game from the Jimmy Fallon show with the multi-talented Celine Dion. Who knew?!?! Hope you can now head into your Friday and weekend with a smile and a laugh.

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Wednesday Words: Wind Power

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupHello, Wednesday Worders! I’m baa-ack! 😉 Today’s theme is full of sound and fury…or hot air. 😉 Yeah, we’re talking about WIND power! Well, to be specific, the theme is WIND. There have been some awesome prompts since I last had the time (and the words) to play #1lineWed over on Twitter. Sadly, I still don’t really have the time to keep up with the amazing lines shared on Twitter on Wednesday but I do have a line, followed by a snippet, from the WIP. For reasons you’ll have to read the book to learn– *bwhaha* Dominic Karras and his heroine, Peni Comanescu need a fast extraction. So…here’s a tease.

****

Double Trouble KW Logo FinalWind tangled Peni’s hair as she curled around Luca. Dom, Luiza protectively cradled in one arm, leaned over her, sheltering all of them from the biting sand kicked up by the blades of the hovering helicopter. Two men slid down ropes dangling from the craft. As the first one touched down, Dom passed Luiza to him, and reached for Luca. Peni clutched the baby, shaking her head.

“Honey, you gotta let Brady have him. I can’t carry you and the babies at the same time. It’s okay. They’re the good guys. This is my team and I trust them with our lives.”

She loosened her grip enough he could slide Luca from her arms. The man named Brady offered her a smile full of dimples as he cuddled her son and passed over some sort of headset to Dom.

“S’all good, sugar,” the man drawled loud enough she could hear him.

The next thing she knew, both men were zooming upward, her babies held shielded against their chests.

“Brady and Shane are PJs. The babies are safe with them.”

PJs? She didn’t understand. Before she could ask, pandemonium hit. In what seemed like simultaneous action, a cable with some sort of harness arrived, the gun in Dom’s hand disappeared, and sand spattered around their feet.
****

So, dear readers and writers, do you have any “windy” words to share today?

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Last Monday

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Silver James

1st night balcony cityLast Monday I was headed toward the airport in San Diego. I didn’t want to leave. It’s beautiful there and I can see why people flock to live there. That said, I was really, REALLY glad to get home. RWA Nationals is always an adventure. I get to see so many old friends. I get to spend a week with people who eat, drink, sleep, and breathe writing romance and romance books. It is invigorating, and thrilling, and exhausting. And when I get home, I’m…torn. Part of me is fired up! I want to writewritewriteWRITE!!!!!!!!!!!! And part of me feels just a little bit like an imposter. Especially this trip. I had “social obligations.” Which is a southern way of saying “OMGWTFBBQ! People like me! They really LIKE me!” I had luncheons and meets for drinks (more coffee than booze), I had cocktails and appetizers, I had receptions. I stood in Nora Roberts’ suite, after introducing myself to her, and stared at all the movers and shakers in my industry and wondered WTF I was doing there!??!

Yeah, a lot of it had to do with the RWA National Service Award I’d won but a lot of these people knew me by sight, and many of the others knew my name. It was…odd. For someone who really likes to sit in a corner and observe in instances like the above, I was thrust somewhat into the limelight and most definitely beyond my comfort zone. Still, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world!

I sat next to Roxanne St. Claire at a luncheon, and contrary to on-line threats, she did NOT kiss me on the mouth. 😉 I had coffee with Jennifer Lyon and we talked and talked like old friends do after any sort of separation. I learned that the president elect of RWA has family in my hometown and we commiserated over wine and amazing appetizers. I saw my editor often and shared meals, snacks, conversation, a long walk (along with Cindy Dees who tagged along with us between hotels–and major fan girl moment for me!), and watching the RITA awards with him.

I gave away all my print books (Devil’s Cut, Night Shift, and Double Cross) at the Indie signing, along with quite a few of the cards with free downloads for MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS. I met new authors and hope I gave them encouragement in the answers I gave to their questions. I stayed up late, got up early, and never really spent the time I wanted on my balcony just watching the ships go by. But that’s okay too.

Yes, I’m rambling, but this is the post I would have written for last Monday, had I been focused and awake enough. I’ll be sharing photos in the next few weeks. You can click on the photo to get an enlarged view. The picture above is from my first night in San Diego. After arriving, getting unpacked, and oriented, I settled in for the evening and this is the view from my balcony looking right toward the city. If I looked left, I had a view of the marina and the bay. And man, that ocean breeze felt nice…

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Cover Reveal! DOUBLE TROUBLE – BAREFOOT BAY KW

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Silver James

Double Trouble KW Logo FinalIt is my absolute delight to reveal the cover of my upcoming Kindle World book, DOUBLE TROUBLE, set in Roxanne St. Claire’s Barefoot Bay and a crossover novel with my Hard Target series.

When you owe a man for saving your life, calling in a favor isn’t a big deal. Right?

Nicholas “Nick” Karras, hot-shot Air Force veteran once flew missions in the war zone. Now he flies under the radar. When Gabe Rossi calls in a favor, the last thing Nick expects is playing white knight to a young mother on the run.

With the lives of her twins on the line, who can she trust?

Peony “Peni” Comanescu is coerced into becoming the surrogate mother for a powerful man. He wants a son for his heir. A daughter is just a messy complication. When Peni discovers the depth of his evil, she runs away to save her newborn children. With a million dollar bounty now on her head, Peni and her twins hide at Barefoot Bay, sheltered by strangers.

When a Romanian mobster arrives to claim his son, there’s only one thing to do…

Determined to protect Peni and her children, Nick calls in reinforcements. With two babies caught in the crossfire, there’s more than love at stake—there’s DOUBLE TROUBLE for Nick and his friends.
****
Take a look at all the covers for the upcoming August “second launch” of BBKW stories! (Click on the pic to get an enlarged view! 😀 )
Rocki L2 covers

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Wednesday Words: Random Numbers

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupGetting a late start on the blog, though I had an early start to my day. Don’t ask. Same ol’, same ol’ and that’s boring. 😉 So…todays #1lineWed theme is a line from page 5, 16, 27 or 38. So…since I’m fighting writer’s block, maybe picking some lines will help me get off high-center. Quick rundown–Peony “Peni” Comanescu is the surrogate mother of twins. Their sperm donor is a powerful man with mob ties. Due to circumstances and on account of because, she’s run away and ended up at the Casa Blanca Resort and Spa on Mimosa Key. Dominic Karras, from the Hard Target team, has been recruited by Gabe Rossi to help protect her and the twins until they can be spirited away.

So…for your reading enjoyment (hopefully). a short excerpt from page 27 of DOUBLE TROUBLE:

Dom returned to the kitchen, his thumbs flying over the text app on his phone. Peni’s story pissed him off. So did her panic. And damn if her cringing away like he was going to hit her topped off his outrage with a liberal helping of hot sauce. He’d never laid hands on a woman in anger and any man who did didn’t deserve to be called a man.

He texted the information he had gotten from her to Gabe, and added that he thought the girl might try to run again. He planned to stay awake but if she went out the window, he might not be able to catch her in time. Gabe needed to alert resort security. He was sure as hell positive that Vasile’s attack dog was hanging around just waiting for a chance to act. He might have lost track of her but this Cezar dude would turn up sooner than later. Dom just hoped it was much later—after he’d spirited Peni and the kids off Mimosa Key and had them stashed under new IDs in a place Vasile couldn’t touch them.
****

Now, I really need new words–like a minimum of 3K today. *sigh* Any of you have words to share?

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4th of July

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Silver James

July 4th

2016 is a watershed year for American politics. I look at the future and shudder because if one candidate wins, it is my studied opinion that the US will slide into mediocrity and all the things we’ve worked for, fought for, and dreamed of will be a thing of the past. I hope people will look deep inside, will study the issues and research them rather than letting the media and propaganda dictate their thoughts. A group of patriots came together 240 years ago and declared that all people had certain inalienable rights. If we aren’t vigilant, there are those within the government who have and will continue to erode those rights. There is so much wrong with America–top universities declaring that history majors need not study US History, pricey private grade schools teaching six-year-olds they are born racist because they have white priviledge. I…there’s just so much wrong with all of that. And so many don’t care–or they’ve been fed the Kool-Aid and embraced it.

I’m proud to be an American. I’m proud of the military who fight to keep us safe and free, of the police, firefighters, and EMTs who serve and protect, of the farmers and the small business people, of the entrepreneurs, of the school teachers who TEACH the facts, not the rhetoric forced upon them. I’ll practice my First and Second Amendment rights. And I’ll vote in each and every election.

Have a safe 4th of July. Remember how you got the freedoms we enjoy and teach your children because they might not learn any other way.

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Friday Sinema – Book Trailers

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Silver James

I’m always interested in the book trailers that publishers and authors put out. I like watching them but I wonder if they really sell books and what their ROI (Return on Investment) is. Do they pay for themselves in book sales? I finished reading this book and went to the author’s website to see if there was news of the next book in the series as the teaser chapter in the back belonged to one of her books in a different series. She had the trailer embedded on her page. It was…interesting. I liked the way it told the story. I liked that I knew one of the actors, Scott Nova, but I have a problem with the actor portraying the hero. He…didn’t match my mental image. At all. Which, I suppose, is why trailers might be a risk. Anyway, I liked the book and the trailer is compelling in that it offers intriguing hints at the story, and it’s Friday–so VIDEO! Have a great holiday weekend, if you live here in the states. If not, have a great weekend anyway! 😀

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