Thursday Thoughts: Universal Pretend

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Silver James

universeWhat do writers do first and foremost? We pretend. We pretend to be our heroines, our heroes. We pretend to be here or there, wherever our stories are set. We pretend to talk to try out conversations, make sure they sound real. Because isn’t that what pretend is all about? Trying things out to make them seem real? Yeah, that’s what I think. And dude, if time and space has coffee and dark chocolate, handsome heroes can’t be far behind, because…yeah. I write romance. 😆 So anyway, still convinced the Universe is a writer.

Silver James! What are you doing back in time and space?

A-ha! I see. Pretending.

Is it true that the illusions are soooooo captivating, the coffee soooooo rich, and the chocolate soooooo dark, it’s easy to forget you’re just making it all up? And that if you don’t like what you’re experiencing you can make-up something else, act “as if” it’s true, and move towards it with baby steps, to change absolutely anything?

Yeah, I already know…

Cream and sugar?
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Pretend, Silver… it’s what you do in time and space.

I’m pretending today, after I meet my CP for coffee this morning. What are y’all up to?

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Wednesday Words: Sounds (and the S’mores)

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pup Today’s #1lineWed theme is SOUNDS. And as always, I’m cheating by posting a snippet. Since I’m not really working on a project currently–I’m still deciding what comes next–I went back and pulled this snippet from my files. It will appear in a future Penumbra book. Promise. In the meantime, enjoy some vintage Sade and a touch of sexy dragon goodness.

****
Ghouls. He was kidding, right? “There hasn’t been a ghoul infestation since 1915.”

“There’s blood everywhere.” The cop dug his toe into the wet mulch of leaves.

Sade swept the cemetery with a practiced eye. Something had rampaged through the grounds, toppling gravestones and digging up coffins. “Ghouls.” Saying it aloud didn’t ease the nausea offering up the chili dog she’d wolfed down in sacrifice to the Gods of Gross. “Hell.”

The cop glanced toward the storm clouds on the western horizon. Sundown wasn’t far away, and darkness was helped along by the distant rumble of thunder. “It will be if we don’t get outta here.”

Sade trudged to her government-issued sedan and yanked out a state-of-art flamethrower. “Yeah, you’d better hit the road. Me? It’s time to barbecue.”

Moans swirled around her riding a cold, autumn wind strong enough to kick up the wet leaves underfoot. The cop took off like he’d been shot from a carnival cannon. Flamethrower ready, she waited. Sade heard them first. Shuffling, growls, high-pitched screams. Then the stench hit. And that chili dog made a bid for freedom.

She swallowed bile, squeezed the trigger, and the night lit up with a hissing whoosh. “Where the hell is that freaking dragon when I need him?” she groused.

Flames erupted from the sky. Ghouls blazed like marshmallows over a campfire. A silver blur the size of a Ryder truck landed beside her and morphed into a handsome man.

“Took you long enough.”

Nikos Constantine, Drakon of the Kholkikos dragons, watched the burning husks, popping and sizzling like fat dripping on green wood, then offered a charming smile. “I brought marshmallows. Along with chocolate and graham crackers.”
****

I’ve finally learned to put smells and tactile “feels” into my writing. I really need to work on layering in sounds, too. What about y’all? Any words to add?

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Tuesday Treats: Pecan Pie Muffins

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Silver James

Pecan Pie MuffsThese things are so freaking yummy AND easy. I cam across the recipe on Facebook, and I admit to baking them a little bit longer so they’re a darker brown but that didn’t affect the taste! When I munched after they’d cooled, I wrapped one in a paper towel and zapped in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Eating them warm is The Best!

PECAN PIE MUFFINS
Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs beaten

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cups in muffin pan generously. Crisco butter-flavored spray worked great. Do grease the the cups well or the muffins WILL stick.

In medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, and pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together. Stir in dry ingredients just until combined.

Spoon batter into muffin cups about 2/3 full. Back for 12-13 minutes for mini muffins or 15-17 minutes for regular size muffins. Run a knife around the edge of each muffin and pop it out. Store in air-tight container.

My full-sized muffin pan makes a dozen, and that’s what these measurements made. You can also place a pecan half in the center of each muffin before baking which makes them look pretty. 😉 Now I need to go make another batch of these.

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Monday Rewind

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Silver James

funnydogs MY coffeeNot. Enough. Coffee. In. The. World. My brain is still suffering Deadline Meltdown. The thought of sitting at the keyboard and writing more than a few hundred words makes me run away in full *FLAIL* mode. Ah well. This too shall pass.

I plan to be back in social media mode this week. Last week, due to circumstances and on account of because, I figured I might better stay away.

Writing: THE BOSS AND HIS COWGIRL (RDR#3) has its blurb but I don’t have official authority to unveil it. The blurb is AWESOME!!! Since the climax of THE BILLIONAIRE’S INCONVENIENT COWGIRL (new working title of RDR#4) is set at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, I’ve been watching the early go-rounds. I was pretty darn close on most things, but have a couple of “facts” to correct when revisions come back. No idea what my next project will be. Sales tell me to work on the next Hard Target book. Iffy is more interested in the Nightriders, if my flash fiction challenges have been any indication. Business says get the darn proposal book written and sent off to fulfill the agent request. My brain just wants to remain jelly and not think at all. I’ve written what…five(?) books this year? I can’t even count them my brain is so befuddled.

Sports: OSU is headed to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, against Ole Miss. Go Pokes! OU ended up ranked #4 in the play-off rankings. They’ll play #1 Clemson in the Orange Bowl and if they win, play either #2 Alabama or #3 Michigan State for the national championship. Go Sooners! There’s only 74 days until pitchers and catchers report. My Cardinals didn’t re-sign John Lackey, one of the best pitchers in their rotation this year. I sure hope John Mozeliak, Card’s GM, has something up his sleeve.

Reading: Did a lot of that last week. I’ve blazed through the updated versions of Jen Lyon’s Wing Slayer Hunter series. By the time y’all read this, I’ll most likely have finished CAGED MAGIC, her most current. I think it might be her best one. I also squeezed in a read of our own B.E. Sanderson’s BLOODFLOW. I got it on Kindle Unlimited, and once I post my review, I’ll buy a copy because I want it on my keeper shelf!

TV: Haven’t done much TV watching. Still keeping up with NCIS and CODE BLACK. The rest are languishing on my DVR. I’ve indulged in the Hallmark Channel’s back-to-back Christmas movies on a few occasions. Yes, I’m a sucker for the sappy HEAs. What can I say? I write romance and even my darkest stuff has HEAs.

This week’s schedule: Posting here every day. Keeping up with FB, and responding to other people’s blog posts. Decorating for Christmas. Did I mention we’re retiring the Cactus Tree? With Stormageddon so active, we don’t want to take the chance he’ll pull it down on top of him. One, it’s really light and mostly unstable, and two, uhm…barb wire! I spent all day Friday shopping for a new tree. Found one Lawyer Guy and I both liked (I texted photos 😆 ) and I have hopes I can leave it decorated, put a cover on it, and store it in a closet. We’ll see. Now I have to find the box with the ornaments we haven’t used in 20 years, get it set up, and decorate it. Whoppee. I did get some of the outdoor lights up yesterday–on the front porch. And I got the partially dead lights on Nessie replaced. I also started the annual Stocking Stuffer Hunt(tm). 😉 Oh, and a Christmas edition of my newsletter composed and sent. And maybe some writing. Hopefuly Iffy will cooperate.

One last note, today is “Pearl Harbor Day.” It was truly a day that lives on in infamy. That’s it for me. What’s up with y’all?

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Monday Deadline

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Silver James

IV Coffee Good to GoYeah. That would be today. Last day of the month. Last day of NaNoWriMo. Day my completed manuscript is due in my editor’s inbox. Thank goodness Harlequin uses digital now instead of the old snail mail method. I would be up that nasty creek with no paddle. I did win NaNo a few days ago, if I included the non-current WIP words. Using those I have almost 60K words. At the time I was composing this last night, I had just over 51K words and headed into the last chapter. The end of the book is done. As sometimes happens, I had a light-bulb moment on the epilogue, including the perfect ending. And I’ve also retitled the book. The working title has been LAST COWGIRL STANDING. I’ll still submit that one as a possibility. In my head, though, I’m calling it THE BILLIONAIRE’S INCONVENIENT COWGIRL. Which really fits–on several levels.

So, anyway. Weekend. There was one. A long one. Thanksgiving was nice. Our mixed “clan” met for lunch at my BiL/Sil’s house. She had a stroke last summer and is still rehabbing. The BiL did turkey, her side of the family and the James Gang did the rest. Lots of good food, Stormageddon time, and I adore both my BiL and SiL. Friday, the weather moved in. Rain. Then Ice, and I mean Ice with a capital I, lots and lots of it. Our power died at 6:30 Saturday morning. It came back on briefly mid-afternoon, then snap/crackle/pop. The utility guys–who are absolute heroes in this weather!!!–got it back on permanently about 7 p.m. We stayed warm because the folks who built this house were Czech refugees. Our storm shelter is more like a bomb shelter and they added natural gas wall heaters in four of the rooms. They can keep the house comfortable and pipes from freezing. I also have a gas stove so…food. And COFFEE!!! Yay for drip grind, a gas stove that boils water, and coffee. We lost a bunch of branches. Luckily, they didn’t break anything important. Like the roof. Or windows. The fence. Clean-up will be fun. Not.

College football. We got power back in time to watch the Bedlam game–OSU vs. OU. Yeah. My Pokes lost. Sad about that but OU should now be in the top 4 to make the National Championship playoffs. That’s good. At least we’ll have an Oklahoma team to root for and OSU should get an invite to a great bowl game. I need to figure out how days it is until Pitcher/Catcher for MLB. 😉

TV. It’s Hallmark Christmas movie time. I’m sucker. In between writing bouts, that is.

Reading. Still working through Jen Lyon’s Wing Slayer Hunter books. I’m on SINFUL MAGIC. Key and his dragon! *swoon* Didn’t read much because–dark, no way to recharge my Kindle, and uhm…this pesky deadline.

Which is what my whole life has boiled down to. Deadline. So…I may have been up all night. I may be editing today. I may have gotten lucky, the book wasn’t as ugly as I think it is, and it’s winging it’s way to Mr. HQEd and I’m back in bed, drinking coffee, watching Hallmark, and reading. Or not. Yeah…I’m working. Trust me.

Anyway, who had wicked weather? Who did the whole after Thanksgiving shopping thing? Who simply lapsed into a turkey coma and is just now waking up?

OH!!!! Deadline brain, d’uh! I forgot. I have books on sale. MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS and SEASON OF THE WITCH are all on sale at a reduced rate of $2.99. You know, just in case some of you read them on Kindle Unlimited for free and now want to have your very own copy. And THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC and CHRISTMAS MOON are on discount at $1.99 because…CHRISTMAS!!! As Liam said, “Dad, it’s like a Die Hard movie!” And finally, THE DEVIL’S CUT goes on a Kindle Countdown Deal starting today. Don’t wait because the price goes up until the end of the sale on December 4th.

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It’s Monday. I need coffee…

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Silver James

Monday again coffee girlI don’t think this cup is big enough. I’m not sure the pot on my coffee maker is big enough. Why yes, I AM in deadline hell. Why do you ask? 🙄 I’m at 31,859 words. I should already be 50-55K words, the thing should be edited and off to my CP and beta reader. Yeah. No. *sigh* I fully intend to have this sucker written and at least a first edit done before I give up and hit my deadline. I’ve been told the DL is a little flexible. But… I foresee a lot of Starbucks in my future–especially since they keep sending me lots of emails about getting more stars on my card and all their specials. ‘Tis the season…

So, a quick rundown. Weekend. There was one. I had OKRWA Saturday. We spent the morning discussing Deep POV. We had a wonderful lunch at the Museum Cafe. We had probably the shortest Annual General Meeting in the history of RWA. (19 minutes). Then we did a one-hour write-in to honor NaNoWriMo. Oh, and one important note from OKRWA–we all voted Sam Elliott as having the Voice Most Likely to Give an Orgasm Just By Talking. Because, you know…SAM ELLIOTT! Which discussion sort of distracted me because I was in the middle of the first sexy scene in RDR#4. It wasn’t happening. Because, while I really like Chase? He ain’t Sam Elliott. Just sayin’. I did get that sucker written yesterday. After I did some reading this morning.

Which…reading! OMG I’ve been a glutton for the written word of others this past week. Between RL stress, DL, and other stuffs going on, Insomnia is still my BFF. I read Kristen Ashley’s new Chaos book, WALK THROUGH FIRE. Loved it. But then I had to go back to reread the others. But first, I needed to read MOTORCYCLE MAN, which is the last of her Dream Man series, but the prequel to the Chaos series. So I reread MM. Then the other Chaos books, and then I had to go back to reread the first Dream Man, MYSTERY MAN because Hawk! Okay, and Gwen. But HAWK! Which brought up Lee Nightingale so I had to reread the first book in the Rock Chicks series, ROCK CHICKS. Then I gave up. Because I needed to get off the contemporary–I can’t read what I’m writing at the time, as a rule. So then I had to start my marathon reread of another favorite series, Jennifer Lyons Wing Slayer Hunters. I finished off BLOOD MAGIC, with Axel and Darcy. Now I’m on to SOUL MAGIC, with Sutton and Carla. LOVE this series.

Okay. Sports. I have to go there though I have a 1/4 😦 face and a 1/4 🙂 face, with a big ol’ helping of half 😀 face. Baylor beat OSU. 10-1 is not bad standing for the Big 12, though 11-0 would have been better and very likely would have put us in the top 4. That’s the 😦 part. OU took out TCU and they stayed strong in the polls. If they beat the Pokes this coming Saturday, they will probably be in the playoffs which makes it tough. I’d love to see an Oklahoma team in there, and it probably won’t be the Pokes, but…if they do beat OU? *big sigh* Bedlam is always fun. However the really big 😀 is that the darn ol’ pretender OSU got beat! By Michigan State! I already sent hearts to B.E. for one of her teams making a dark Saturday a bit brighter.

Writing. It goes. I did mention deadline brain, right? Yeah, I has it. Big time! Because of that whole Thanksgiving and family time coming, this will be my only post and I’ll be laying low from posting in social media. I’ll try to keep up with blogs and emails. I think RDR#4 is coming together. It better. I have 8 days to type THE END. I will get there! I will!

TV. Not doing much watching except as background noise. After dinner, KP duty, dog duty, and the like, I crawl into bed and read, TV mumbling across the room. My DVR is stacking up again. I should put the books away for a few evenings and get it cleared off. I’ll get right on that. Soon.

So, anyway, that’s the state of me. How’s the state of you? What all did y’all get up to this weekend?

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Tuesday Treats: Pulled Pork Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Silver James

pulled pork sweet tatersThis recipe popped up in my email and I snagged it. This is the pic that came with the recipe (and there’s a link below for more info), and here’s the original recipe.

Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes (3 large = about 2-1/2 pounds)
1 pkg (16 oz each) pulled pork in barbecue sauce
1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
3 tablespoons Parkay® Original Spread-tub
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Buy Ingredients
Directions
Place potatoes in large microwave-safe bowl; cover. Microwave on HIGH 6 minutes; turn over. Microwave 5 minutes more or until potatoes are tender.
Combine pulled pork and drained tomatoes in medium bowl; cover. Microwave on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is hot, stirring at end.
Carefully cut each potato in half lengthwise; fluff with fork. Top each potato half evenly with Parkay; sprinkle with salt. Place about 1/3 cup pork mixture on top of each potato half. Top evenly with sour cream and green onions

From Ready, Set, Eat!

Nutrition Information
Calories: 325 View complete nutrition information
– See more at: http://www.readyseteat.com/recipes-BBQ-Pulled-Pork-Stuffed-Sweet-Potatoes-7907.html?utm_source=rse&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=recipe1rse_110515_sl1#sthash.5FPpSRmG.dpuf

How I actually made them:
pulled pork taters my wayIngredients:
2 sweet potatoes (baked until done in 350° oven)
1 pkg. Jim Beam brand BBQ Pulled Chicken
Butter
No-fat sour cream
Thinly sliced green onions

We cut the baked sweet potatoes in half, mushed them up with some butter, heaped on the pulled chicken, and topped with sour cream and onions. It was pretty darn tasty on a chilly autumn evening–which is why I used the oven. We haven’t turned on the heater yet. Lawyer Guy has said we can keep this on in the recipe box. 😉

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Tuesday Treats: Cheesy Sliders

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Silver James

I forgot to take a picture when I made these. They were pretty darn tasty and great for eating in front of the TV during a football game. And this is short because…I’M FREAKING BEHIND MY WORD COUNT!!!! *FLAIL* I didn’t get a think written yesterday. I was dealing with typos in DOUBLE CROSS. *headdesk* Cover got fixed but discovered so “oops!” in the text. Ah well. It’ll be pretty once it gets done! In the meantime…YUM!

CHEESY SLIDERS RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup diced onion (I used sliced green onions left over from the sweet potato pulled pork recipe)
1 Tbsp. salt (used celery salt)
6 slices of American cheese
Mini slider buns (I used dinner rolls, sliced to make buns)

Directions:

Mix in the breadcrumbs with the beef in a medium bowl.
Add in the diced onion.
Add in the salt, and lightly combine the mixture with your hands.
Line a 9 x 13″ baking sheet with parchment paper, then press the beef into the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes at 400 °F.
Top the meat with cheese slices, and return to the oven for about 2 minutes.
Cut sliders into 2-inch squares, and serve with your favorite condiments.

Makes 12 sliders

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Middle Monday

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Silver James

IgnoreMondayCatI just don’t get it. I close my eyes. I sleep a couple of nights. I write some words. I read some books. I watched some sports. And damn if it isn’t Monday all over again. What’s up with that!?!?!?!

So…sports. The REAL OSU pulled their game out by the hair on their chinny-chin-chins. The talking heads kept talking about the 2011 game, when OSU was undefeated and headed toward the chance maybe at the national championship. Then they went on the road to play at Iowa State and got stomped, effectively killing their season. What the pundits kept forgetting to remind those watching is that the day before the team traveled to Ames, the women’s basketball coach, assistant coach, and two long-time athletic supporters and alumni were killed in a plane crash. Which reminded everyone of the plane crash in January 2001, when the OSU men’s basketball team was returning from a game at the University of Colorado. One of the planes went down in a snowy Colorado field, killing staff, players, and a much-loved local sportscaster. So yeah. This year, the Pokes proved they weren’t snakebit by ISU. Oh, and OU beat Baylor. I should also stop looking at the rankings because they just–for the most part–piss me off. The season isn’t over. OSU still has to play Baylor and OU. We’ll see how they do. All I ask is that SOMEBODY–Michigan, Michigan State, and/or Iowa beat the snot out of the pretender OSU (being Ohio State).

So…writing. Did I mention that I heard back from Mr. HQEd, and he said that I just need to keep writing RDR#4, and that it’s his favorite so far? Yeah. That’s good. Of course, Iffy immediately freaked and went into panic mode. I’m plying her with chocolate, coffee, chocolate coffee, and pictures of hot guys. And horses. Because…horses! eye roll Yeah. Deadline looming. NaNoWriMo looming. I took the weekend off.

Why did I take the weekend off? First, Stormeageddon time! We babysat. And there was a funeral. And family time on Sunday because Only needed to fix the print cover for DOUBLE CROSS. There were some issues and I’m really glad I ordered a paper proof, even if that sets things back a ways. It definitely wasn’t right. S’been resubmitted and I’m waiting to hear back from CreateSpace.

Reading. I made the mistake of opening Kristen Ashley’s newest Chaos MC novel. Could. Not. Put. It. DOWN! WALK THROUGH FIRE was long but OMG! High and Millie!!!! Talk about a reunion story. *sniffle* And once I finished it, the “preview” of OWN THE WIND was included, so of course I had to go reread it. And then I got all nostalgic for Tack and Tyra’s story so I had to go back to MOTORCYCLE MAN. *sigh*

TV. Besides the usual suspects (NCIS et al), I’m hanging in with BLINDSPOT, CODE BLACK, THE LIBRARIANS, and AGENT X. We’ll see how long that lasts. Because…BOOKS! If it weren’t for baseball and Gibbs, I could probably do away with TV. Well…of course, GAME OF THRONES and OUTLANDER aren’t on right now. Or LOST GIRL. Yeah…nevermind. 😀 Well, I should probably add the news to my list. I had coverage of Paris going in the background when I wasn’t watching football. Don’t even get me started. All I can say is Viva la France! Y’all go kick some ass since Hillary says this isn’t our fight, Sanders says the biggest threat to America is global warming, and the man in the Oval Office declares our avowed enemies (at least THEY say their our enemies–he can’t even call them what they are) are shrinking–right before Paris goes to hell in a terrorist’s suicide-bomb vest.

And that’s pretty much it for me. I’ll be madly writing for the next two weeks and hoping RDR#4 actually comes together. I’m not even halfway in yet so waaaaaaay behind on the word count. Gonna made up for that this week, which means less social time on the net. Ah well. How was your weekend?

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Friday Sinema – Nightwish

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Silver James

Happy Friday the 13th! Are you superstitious? I didn’t even realize the significance until I got ready to prepost this. *bwahahaha* This new-to-me group seems a little perfect for today. Must have been kismet! Y’all can blame The Only for my newest musical obsession. She’s the one who turned me on to this group. Who–or what–is Nighwish? When I first heard/saw their videos, I thought they were a Celtic/Viking/Metal band. Turned out I was pretty close. From wikipedia: Nightwish is a symphonic metal band from Kitee, Finland. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and lead singer Tarja Turunen. Wikipedia
Genres: Symphonic metal; Albums: Endless Forms Most Beautiful, Dark Passion Play, Once, More; Lead singers: Tarja Turunen (1996 – 2005), Floor Jansen (Since 2013), Anette Olzon (2007 – 2012)

I put them on Spotify. I’m not that big a metal head but sometimes, it works. And the Cetltic overlays can be sweet! Not like…sugary but like…awesome. 😉 So anyway, their videos are a bit bizarre but on a Friday? Why the hell not?!? Check them out.

And this video, officially recorded at a concert, shows more of their blend of metal and Celtic. Cool stuffs. Just sayiin’… Have a great weekend!

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