Thursday Thoughts – Universal Challenge

Posted on August 11, 2016 by Silver James

universeYeah, this has been a week. Lots of ups and downs and changes in plans. Revising revisions. Starts and stops. Twists and turns. But the Universe is right. It is an adventure. With each setback, I learn something–even it’s only a new way to beat my head against a wall. Still, I’d like a little smooth sailing once in awhile, especially given the flow of my next 10 months. Still, when I read this message from the Universe, it hit close to home.
***
Time out! Time out!

What do you mean, Silver, you can’t see it? You don’t know? You aren’t sure? You’re scared?

This is an adventure, you’re an adventurer, uncertainty, fear, and even setbacks happen. Besides, “easy” has never been your style, and just because you can’t see the miracles doesn’t mean they aren’t happening, doesn’t mean you’re alone, and doesn’t mean you’re on the wrong path.

The day your ship arrives, and it now swiftly approaches, the confusion, fear, and setbacks will be among your fondest memories.

Today, Silver, you’re exactly where you most need to be –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, challenges? Problems? Oh yeah, baby!
***
While the Universe might thrive on such things, I’m ready for some low-key, steady progress in calm water. At least part-time. Because yeah. Gotta have some down time to reboot, rest, rehab, and reinvigorate. So what adventure are you embarking on today?

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Wednesday Words: Had Enough

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupToday’s #1lineWed theme is **ENOUGH**. Oh, the places writers can go, right? I’m back in revisions and edits on DOUBLE TROUBLE. Sadly, I have to switch heroes in mid-stream. It’s a long story and doesn’t make a lot of difference to the plot because instead of the hero being Dominic Karras, member of the Hard Target team, he is now Nicholas Karras, brother to Dom, and maybe a little more on the shady side of the pilot scale. So, anyway, in this scene, Nick and Peni have taken the twins out on the beach for a walk. And enough explanation…

A flash of movement blinked in Nick’s peripheral vision. He had his weapon in his hand and was tugging Peni close. A jogger, down the beach, steadily moving their direction. All his senses went on alert. “Keep walking, babe,” he ordered in a low voice.

“What is it?” Peni’s breathing quickened and she glanced around furtively.

“Maybe nothing but I don’t want to take a chance.”

Her gaze skittered between the weapon in his hand and the man approaching them. She gripped the handle of the stroller and pushed. Nick’s warm hand settled on the small of her back, steadying her.

“Walk, babe. As normal as you can. I’ll cover you and the twins. He won’t get to you. Roger that?”

His use of the military term was meant to make her smile. It worked. Sort of. She flashed him a glance with a hint of curl on her mouth. Dom had every intention of getting up close and personal with that mouth—sooner than later. Duty first though. He homed in on the runner like a bird dog on a pheasant. The guy stared back then dropped his eyes and kept his hands in plain sight. Interesting.

“Karras,” the guy acknowledged when he was close enough not to yell. “Luke McBain, chief of security. We’ve got you covered. Enjoy your walk.”

McBain kept jogging. Nick surreptitiously holstered his pistol. Good to know Rossi had backup in place. He glanced down at Peni, ready to tell her she could go back to wading in the surf—until he caught sight of her expression. Haunted eyes, pale face, lips pressed into a hard line to hide the trembling. He let loose with a string of obscenities in his head.
****
Have y’all had enough yet? Then grab enough to share from your own work. 😉 Happy Hump Day!

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Tuesday Tidbits and Stuffs

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Silver James

Giant poster freakoutSo, no recipe today. But I am sharing a few more pics from San Diego, and some fun links/stories I came across. The first pic is of me with my RWA Service Award. There was this huge vertical banner in the main ballroom lobby area of the Marriott. I freaked out every time I walked past it so Jen Lyon, who took the pic for me, and I thought it would be a good back drop. 😆

And y’all really should take the few minutes to click on the links. This first one is an “imagining” of some of our favorite cartoon heroines after the HEA when motherhood is part of their world. Click for MOM POWER.

And this video shows what happens with the SWEDISH COP TEAM leaps into action when a criminal intrudes on their sunbathing.

marina view dayAnd finally, here’s the view I woke up to every morning. I really wanted to just sit and drink coffee on my balcony. Someday, I want to go back for just a vacation when I can relax, enjoy and explore. I understand why so many people flock to San Diego to live. 😀

So, have any of you found fun places to visit on the internet? Share your links if you have!

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Monday Talking Points and Stuff

Posted on August 8, 2016 by Silver James

Monday coffeeI have no time to fool around, Monday! I will not let you get me down. *nods*

So, I did two podcasts when I was in San Diego for The Disaster Podcast. Fun times but OMG it’s been too long since I did “free-style” speaking. The “uhs” and “ands” had me Gibbs Slapping myself continuously as I listened. 😆 If you’re curious about my take on the Murrah Building/Oklahoma City Bombing, check out the PODCAST HERE. There will be a second one in a week or so about my experiences with the F7 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma.

My Cardinals sucked this weekend. I haz a very large sad over it. I couldn’t watch the game yesterday. It was just…sad. 😥 I keep telling myself it’s a rebuilding year, especially with all the injuries to the starting players but…yeah. :/

So, I read a lot, due to many sales and Kindle Unlimited. Three books, and started a fourth. THE DEVIL’S LADY, an old school medieval romance. It was nostalgic and fun and I liked the characters, despite their predictability. Read a new-to-me author, Suzanne Johnson. The first book in her Fae Hunters series is free on Kindle Unlimited. It’s the first in the series so I hope the author publishes the second one in a hurry. Thoroughly enjoyed it because basically, the Wild Hunt and its Captain in located in New Orleans to hunt down Fae who’ve crossed between the realms without royal permission. Can you say “CATNIP!!!” Plus, it was well-written and I’m totally fangirling over Falconer/Faulkner. *swoon* And finally, Jayne Castle’s latest Harmony book, ILLUSION TOWN. I’m a huge fan of her various series all relating to the Arcane Society. Fun times! The book I’m starting is the latest in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changling series, ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR. I’m finishing up the book right before it on audio, to refresh my memory of the events leading up to this book.

Didn’t watch much TV except I discovered a new-to-me show on HGTV–Vintage Flip. A couple in southern California buy vintage homes, restore them, and then flip them. Pretty cool stuffs.

So, that’s about it. Lawyer Guy and I celebrated a low-key 33rd anniversary. He brainstormed a new Nightrider book with me while we made a morning road trip in the rain. I laughed for like ten minutes. It will be AWESOME! An unnamed (because I haven’t decided who yet) Nightrider wins a mail-order bride¹ in a poker game. You do the imagining. 😀 Got home in time for a late lunch with Only, BB, and Stormy at our favorite Mexican place and then we had dinner out at a local sports bar, wherein we enjoyed good food but watched the Cards lose. Still, it was a nice day with my best friend and other half.

What all did you fine people get up to over the weekend? Reading? Writing? Movies? Fishing? 😉

¹It’s an arranged marriage between two Irish Traveler clans and she turns out to be the Nightrider’s mate. *bwahahahahahaha*

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Friday Sinema: Fallon’s Hashtag

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Silver James

For us writers, there is much fodder here. For everyone else, liquids alert. Set the coffee aside and don’t drink. The hashtag is #WorstFirstDate and Jimmy Fallon reads tweets from the hashtag on The Tonight Show. Have a wonderful weekend! Lawyer Guy and I will celebrating 33 years. 😀 and ❤

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Week

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Silver James

universeSo, another week is on it’s way out. I’m only 4 days off the deadline I set myself for DOUBLE TROUBLE. I finished the first draft last night about 9 o’clock. Today is a hard edit–I know of at least one rough spot that needs fixing, and there may be a second. That’s okay. I started out worried about the story but I think I redeemed it in the end. We’ll see what the betas say.

And it’s Thursday so time to be thoughtful. Got any good ideas? Yeah, me neither, but the Universe has something to say on the matter:

Got any good ideas for this week, Silver?

I’m thinking that anything can happen.

But, then, of course, it’s not about what I think.

You’re up,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

I so love your continuum, Silver. It’s so responsive, versatile, and dependable. Kind of like chocolate.
****
Yeah, I like the idea of chocolate. And the nice thing about being a hybrid author is I can be versatile and responsive and…dependable. Mostly. The Universe is right, though. Anything can happen. Let’s go have an adventure. Who’s with me?

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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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