Wednesday Words: New/Fresh

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupThe theme for this week’s Kiss of Death twitter prompt for #1lineWed is **NEW/FRESH**. Finding a snippet that is hopefully interesting was a bit of a challenge. Or not. 😆 I plugged “fresh” into my search bar of my upcoming release, CRASH & BURN (part of Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World), and the only thing that came up is the following. So yay.

As a set up, Kit and Derek are in her office at DFW Airport Station 1 the day after the plane crash. She’s been on duty going on 36 hours and is making download copies of her photos for the “alphabet” agencies involved. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. 😉

***
Kit looked like she was about to chew him out but the phone buzzed again. She pressed a button. “Lieutenant Carson.”

“Kit, the FBI is on the phone. They want their pictures, sweetie.” June called everyone sweetie in private, including Chief Landon. She was the department mom so no one complained.

“Tell them I’m on my way to their command post at the site.”

“Will do. And tell that nice Homeland Security agent I’ll have his cookies tomorrow morning, if he wants to stop in and pick them up.”

Kit leveled a telling glare on him, but Derek just smiled and lifted one shoulder in a sheepish shrug that translated as, “What can I say?” She snatched the next set of drives and set two more to downloading. They could run while she headed to the FBI’s trailer at the scene and she tracked down the FAA official on-site too. By the time she got back, she’d have the ATF’s and DHS’s drives copied. Then she could get rid of Derek. Because if he kissed her again, she couldn’t be held accountable for her actions.

Since the runway was still closed, Kit needed only to notify ground control at the tower that they’d be in route to the crash site. Neither of them spoke after that. Derek didn’t need to talk. His very presence filled her SUV to the point she could barely breathe. And why did he have to smell so good? She needed to find out what aftershave he used because she wanted a bottle of it. He smelled like her favorite blanket fresh from a cedar chest and she wanted nothing more than to wrap him around her and snuggle in…

Whoa. She jerked her thoughts back. Exhaustion. That was her excuse. She was simply exhausted. Lack of sleep. Physical demands of working the scene. No real food…

Dinner. He’d mentioned dinner. But it was only mid-afternoon. She didn’t live that far away. Just what had the maddening man planned for the intervening time? She remembered the kiss—that branding, searing, knock-her-boots-off kiss he’d given her standing right there in her office.

He chuckled, a low, rumbling sound from deep in his chest. Kit wanted to pet that laugh, pet him. She was in so much trouble.
***

What about y’all? Any fresh or new words to share? And if you’re on Twitter, be sure to check out all the #1lineWed entries. You never know when you might discover a new author to enjoy!

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Tuesday Treats: Turtle Cookie Balls

Posted on January 3, 2017 by Silver James

turtle-cookie-ballsI’m a huge fan of Turtle candies. When I saw this recipe in the Kraft Recipe Box, I figured it was worth tucking back in the ol’ recipe box for a time when I’m craving sweets. Haven’t made them but the recipe seems pretty straight forward and would make a great take-along treat for parties. Or Valentine’s Day. 😉

Turtle Cookie Balls

Prep Time 30min. Total Time 1hr. 40min. Servings 42 servings

Bite into scrumptious Turtle Cookie Balls. If you like turtle candies, you’ll love the caramel, chocolate and nutty flavors of these Turtle Cookie Balls.

What You Need

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

70 vanilla wafers, finely crushed (about 2-1/3 cups)

3 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping

4 pkg. (4 oz. each) BAKER’S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, broken into pieces, melted

1/4 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans

Make It

Mix first 3 ingredients until blended.

Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls. Freeze 10 min. Dip balls in melted chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

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First Monday

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Silver James

New YearSo, 2016 has ridden off into the sunset and 2017 is standing here all bright and shiny, waiting for us to do something. Something different. Something new. Something special. Something…anything. I’m ready. Are you?

I’m also looking ahead. Pitcher/catcher practice starts in 42 days, 2 hours, 54 minutes, 29 seconds at the time of my typing this. I’m really looking forward to baseball. Go Cards! FYI, I have a baseball themed novella coming in May, set in Roxanne St. Claire’s Barefoot Bay. Both heroine and hero are older so that will be fun.

The guys from Red Dirt Royalty will be around. Cash’s story, REDEEMED BY THE COWGIRL, comes out in digital on my birthday in March. The paper version appears a week later, on March 7th. Kade’s story arrives in July, followed by Deacon’s Christmas story in October/November time frame. 2018 will bring Tucker’s story, along with Cooper’s.

Susan Stoker asked me to continue participating in her Special Forces: Operation Alpha Kindle World. I’ll have two new stories coming out in March and July, maybe even a third in November. We’ll see how the deadlines shake out. I also have an upcoming release in Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue, CRASH & BURN, arriving for Amazon Kindle on January 17th.

I’m also working on Smoke’s story for the Nightriders, Roman’s story in Penumbra Papers, and there are two mafia Wolves who are starting to tell me their stories–one from the Irish mob in Boston, the other is leader of the Russian Mafiya, and brother to Sergei “The Russian” Rustokovich of Nightrider fame. Somewhere in there, I hope someone from the Hard Target team will open up and decide to tell his story too.

So that’s my new writing chapter for the year. The rest of my life, I’m going to play by ear and see what happens, cuz that’s how I roll. 😉 But first, another cup of coffee. What about y’all? What will you write in your book of life in 2017?

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Happy New Year 2017

Posted on January 1, 2017 by Silver James

new-year-2017

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Friday Sinema: All About Bruce

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Silver James

I’ve long contended that DIE HARD is a Christmas movie. Yeah, I’m all warped like that, but it is! Imagine my delight when I stumbled across this amazing short compilation film (12 minutes). Grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and enjoy the hellheck out of it! If you’re reading this on social media rather than my blog, click through. Trust me! *nods* Have fun but stay safe on this holiday weekend. Happy New Year!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Happy Dance

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Silver James

universeThe year of 2016 is coming to an end. What a ride it’s been. I, for one, am looking forward to 2017. It will be a time of change and I suspect that change will be for the good, despite what some in this country believe. In 2016, death left no stone unturned–sports, art, music, dance, science, education, business, politics, publishing, and more than a few heroes. We lost many of the good ones, some far too soon. Life has been at times frantic and boring, busy and easy, fun and…eh. I’m ready to usher 2016 out the door and welcome 2017 into my life. I’m ready to move on, to look on the bright side, and so I think I’ll take this suggestion from the Universe:

Arms up and out, half bent, hands just above head level, facing your peeps, waving in a circular fashion. Subtly sway to the left, then to the right. Keep with it, back and forth. Don’t stop waving. Now mix in a gentle bob, up and down… That’s right, Silver, good…

Now add a little, “Whoohooooo, Whoohoooo…..” as you sway.

Perfect.

Just 5 seconds of this happy dance, just 5 seconds, even when feeling blue, will always make you smile. Your smile will lift your spirits. Your spirits will summon ancient friends. And your friends will raise you higher into the light.

Works every time.

This has been a public service announcement,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

No one said shimmy, Silver.

I plan on doing this happy dance every day for the next 365. I’ll check back with you then to let you know if it worked. 😉

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Wednesday Words: For Old and New Years

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupToday is the last #1lineWed for 2016. As we finished out 2016 and start 2017, the cool folks at Kiss of Death *waves especially at Kat Jane* chose a fitting prompt: **FINISH or START**

These two snippets come from my current WIP, CRASH & BURN. For any new readers, Derek Alexander is an intelligence agent with Homeland Security. He’s also a Wolf. Kit Carson is a lieutenant (forensic and techinical officer) with the DFW ARFF department. A cargo plane has crashed at DFW and both of them are on the scene. Kit is ready to finish with Derek.

***
“I have work to do. Stay out of my scene until I clear you.”

Derek jerked his focus back to the situation at hand. “It’s not your scene.” He recognized his mistake the moment the words were out of his mouth.

“Wanna bet? Until I clear the scene as Recovery Command, only my people go in and you are so not my people.”

He stood there watching her walk away from him. The baggy gear should have left lots to his imagination. It didn’t. She filled out those silver bunker pants with curves that were a sin to waste. He could still hear her muttering as she jerked on her coat, grabbed another bottle of water and returned to the trenches, camera in hand.

“LT?”

Kit glanced up at the firefighter standing about five feet in front of her. “Yes?”

He looked confused. “I thought you were saying something to me.”

Oh, she’d been saying something all right but not to this hapless subordinate. Oh, no. Her comments had all been directed at the infuriating man she’d left standing in the R&R tent. What a jerk. Not her scene? Ha. Just went to show what he knew. By the time she entered the wrecked interior of the plane, her fury had banked to cold determination. As she approached the first victim and began to photograph the scene, she suddenly understood. Derek had upset her on purpose. How could he have known that making her angry would steady her so that she could finish her job?
***

And from later in the book, Derek is about to start something he’s all too happy to finish:

***
Derek stared at the blood-smeared box, nostrils flaring. The blood belonged to Kit, no doubt. His wolf ripped his insides to get out but he leashed his inner animal, focusing instead on the other odors permeating the package. He wanted to know who to kill when he caught them.

The FBI agent standing in the doorway cleared her throat. “Well? Open it.”

“No.” When the woman started to argue, he let his wolf bleed into his eyes. She blanched at his expression and backed up a step. “I’ll deal with it.”

He’d dismissed her but she was having none of it. “Now look here. This whole incident is an FBI investigation. I was just being nice because the damn thing was addressed to you.”

He stalked toward her, growling. “It’s been my case for a year. If you want your boss to get in a pissing contest with my boss, I can arrange that but trust me. You do not want to start a piss fight with me because it’s one you won’t win.”
***

What are you finishing out 2016 with? And what will you start in 2017?

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Tuesday Treats: Crepe Cake

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Silver James

mille-chocolate-crepe-cakeI’m not sure I have the patience to actually make this but my mouth is watering! This looks absolutely fabulous, especially if you are a chocolate lover! And wouldn’t it be pretty served with champagne for a romantic New Year’s party?

Here is what you’ll need!

MILLE CREPE CAKE
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS
Crepes
6 tablespoons (100 grams) butter
3 cups (675 milliliters) milk
6 eggs
1½ cups (210 grams) flour
⅔ cup (80 grams) cocoa powder
7 tablespoons (105 grams) sugar
4 cups (1 liter) whipped cream

Ganache
1 cup (225 milliliters) heavy cream
4 tablespoons (200 grams) sugar
6 ounces (170 grams) chocolate
1 tablespoon (15 grams) butter

¼ cup (40 grams) powdered sugar, optional for topping

PREPARATION
1. Make the crepes by warming melting the butter and allowing it to brown slightly. Set aside.
2. In the same pot, warm the milk. Remove from heat.
3. In a bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, and sugar. Mix in eggs, then gradually mix in butter and warm milk. Chill.
4. On a nonstick skillet over medium heat, pour ¼ cup of crepe batter, and tip the pan to cover the entire bottom surface. Cook until bottom surface of crepe begins to brown, then flip. Repeat until all of the crepe batter is used. Cool crepes.
5. Stack crepes on top of each other, with whipped cream between each layer. Once assembled, trim edges for a cleaner look, if desired.
6. For the ganache, bring the heavy cream and sugar to a boil, and pour over chocolate and butter. Let cool, and spread over the crepe cake.
7. Top with sifted powdered sugar (optional).
8. Enjoy!

You can watch the video to see how it’s done. 🙂

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Merry Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2016 by Silver James

May you and yours always find the magic, peace, and love of this season.

christmas-snowbird

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Friday Sinema: Peace to All

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Silver James

This year, when tensions are so high, I hope everyone will take a step back and will look for the things that can unite rather than divide us. If the Allies and the Germans could do so in the middle of the war, surely we can during this season of peace. Merry Christmas.

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