Wedesday Words: In the Beginning

Posted on March 5, 2025 by Silver James

So. Apparently, I’m going to write the next entry in the Penumbra Papers series. At least for now. I have a start. In fact, I have the start, as in “In the beginning” opening scene. I have some random scenes. And for the last couple of weeks, that’s where Iffy has gone when it comes to Thursday Threads. Which leads us to this week’s entry. Here’s the prompt. *I can see it beginning all again.* I’d slot this into the story for you or give some background, if I knew what it was. I know that Ariel was mostly absent from Sade’s adventures in Paris and Edinburgh. So where was he? And why? That is the question to be answered in the WIP. Until I have some answers, here:

****
Ariel waited hat in hand—or would be had he been wearing one.. He glanced toward the huge windows framing the illuminated nightscape that was Las Vegas. Better here than Underhill. He would not utter the true name of the seat of the Seelie Court. All knew that true names held power when it came to magic. Had Oberon intended foul play, this command performance would be taking place there rather than the penthouse of the glamorous Vegas hotel that was home to Seelie Fae in the human realm.

The doors opened and an unfamiliar courtier waved him in. Ari approached the throne with his head up but eyes lowered. A side door opened and Titania swept in. Settling next to Oberon, she watched him through hooded eyes. His brain whispered a few of Sade’s favorite curses as he approached.

Oberon did not dally. “We have a problem.”

Ariel remained silent, but his focus on the royal couple intensified.
“I can see it beginning all again.” Titania glowered at Oberon who slunk down a bit in his throne.

Sade. Titania was referring to that whole messed up affair when Oberon was sure that he’d father Sade. Ari winced. That mess had damaged all of them.

“Not me,” the King mumbled. “I swear, my love.”

Like a fourteen year old mean girl, Titania rolled her eyes. “So you say, but know this. Another war would be too costly.”

Unable to help himself, Ari asked, “War?”

“Shadows are stirring,” the King admitted.

Rocking back on his heels, Ari did not like the direction his thoughts took. “The Unseelie Court?” At Titania’s morose nod, he continued. “I thought you’d bound and exiled them so they’re unable to access this realm ever again.”

“Ever is a long time,” Titania muttered. “They have a gate.”

The import staggered him. “A changeling? They found a changeling?”

“Fix it,” Oberon commanded.

Ariel was the King’s Seducer. Sometimes, he hated his duty.
****

There it is. No working title as yet. And the heroine can’t make up her mind when it comes to her name: Lyssa or Rivvi. And there’s only about 2500 words so far, but it’s a start. Writers, havbe fun with the prompt. Readers, what do you think about her name? And yes, I’m BICHOK. Or will be once I get back from Wallyworld.

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Tuesday Tidbits–This-n-That

Posted on March 4, 2025 by Silver James

So…it’s Tuesday. And I had a book release over the weekend. This should totally be a Tuesday Treats & Titles day but…

See, I’ve pretty much reciped out the characters in MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION. But I had some time to think yesterday morning as I sat in the GI waiting room at VA, in-between all the peopling I had to do because…Jake. There were 2 little kids there waiting and…well…that’s a story I won’t bore you with. So, back to thoughts. I had some. Like, I’m getting old. Okay, technically, I’m already old. Before I got sick, I was old but I didn’t FEEL old, ya know? And I didn’t really look old, which was like totally cool. But now I look and feel older. I promise this is going somewhere. Stick with me.

There’s a new scene in RETRIBUTION where Hannah has a moment regarding her age. And Mac. Big, hunky sexy Mac. It turned out to be a sweet scene. I also pick on Hannah for not cooking. It’s a bit of a running joke and she’s okay with it. She really doesn’t like to cook but if she has to, she will. And being a mom, yeah, she has to. Thing is, she CAN cook if she doesn’t get distracted. That said, Hannah being Hannah, she gets distracted.

Still with me? I’m getting there. Writers tend to stick a little bit of themselves into various characters. Can you say “coffee?” *insert sifty eyes here* And then that scene mentioned above. And some others. That got me to thinking about some of the weird things I’ve started doing now that I’m old. You’re mission is to decide if I’m weird or normal. 😉

Examples:

  1. Since there’s only LG and I eating and I have place settings in plates and silverware for 18, I rotate what we use. Silverware is daily–any forks, knives, and spoons go to the bottom of the “pile” in the storage drawer. Plates and bowls get rotated to the bottom of the stack after about 5 uses. I have this idea that if we use the same two anything time after time, they’ll wear out. I want them to wear out evently, don’cha know.
  2. When I restock drink cans or bottles in the fridge, I pull the ones already there to the front and stock the new behind them, even knowing that it’ll be at least 12 hours before I drink one and they’ll all be cold so the order they’re in shouldn’t matter.
  3. When I air dry the silverware, I put my spoons “face” down. You know, in case the water collects in the bowl of the spoon or something. 🙄
  4. Clean clothes–freshly laundered goes on the bottom if there are multiples. (T-shirts, undies, socks, etc.)

There are more examples but I figure I’ve put y’all to sleep. So, what’s the verdict? Am I weird? It’s okay if you think so. I think I am, so there’s that. Psst. Don’t be surprised if some of this stuff shows up in future characters. Y’all know me. I’m all about the quirky. 🤣

Oh, and please go buy my new book and leave a review. Thank you! (Just click on the title if you’re reading this in email. If you’re on the website, you can click the pic of the cover over there on the right or the title above. Easy peasy.)

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The Monday After

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Silver James

It’s Monday. All day. I know this because I’m looking at the calendar–which I remembered to flip to the new month while trying to figure out the day/date. Also I’m typing this on Sunday. For reasons.

Got a “fun” direct message on FB. Allegedly from Meta, it said my page would be deleted due to copyright infractions. Yeah…my virus software nabbed that one when I clicked on it trying to see who it was from. Be aware if you get one of these.

Stormy had a great finish to his indoor soccer season Friday night. They won both games by double digits and he scored a couple of goals. Yay. Outdoor soccer starts later this month. Also yay. My Cowgirls were all kinds of awesome, sweeping th tournament they played in Wichita and the Sunday afternoon games. At least the first on. The second hasn’t been played yet and I doubt I get back to this to update because…reasons. The Cowboy baseball team took on #1 Texas A&M Saturday night and won 4-0. Good times.

Siren test went as planned and we had burgers at a local burger place, MmmMmmm good. Sadly, Baseball Boy had to miss due to baseball scrimmage but Only, Stormy, LG, Jake and I enjoyed the food and company.

Did a bunch of brain-drain stuff last week. Did some updates on the website and hit a coding snag. I am soooo NOT a code kinda gal but I managed to struggle my way through getting the Spotify soundtrack list up and linked. I also culled my newsletter list. 1200+ spam emails. I can’t figure out why the spammers think my newsletter is “fertile ground.” I send out maybe 3 or 4 a year. I don’t give stuff away. And there are no financial links there. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Whatever. Anyway, as a result, I made a big ol OOPS! I managed to leave the .com out of the blind links. 🤦🏼‍♀️ An eagle-eyed friend emailed me early so I could fix it and send out an apologectic email. Ah well. What’s a book release without some drama, right?

Not much else going on. I’m out of pocket today, as you read this. LG is have a medical procedure done of several hours duration. As he’ll be under general anesthetic, Jake and I–again at the time you’re likely reading this–are in the waiting room so we can drive him home. It’s a routine thing so hopefully no worries.

I’m closing in on deciding my next project. Does Ariel have any fans out there? On that note, the second Cowgirl game is about to start and it’s televised so I am going to shut down, grab a snack and a drink and settle on the soft furniture to watch and cheer them on. How was your weekend?

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Friday Sinema: String Us Along

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Silver James

I hope this link works. I saw this short video on X and let me just say, these four women are bloody brilliant! Tomorrow is my birthday. MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION will be live everywhere so please give me a present and go buy a copy if you didn’t pre-order. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Keeper

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Silver James

The sun is still shining. And the temps are staying more seasonal. Okay, it is February and we are still in Winter but that means it could be anywhere from 5 degrees to 75 degrees here in Okieland. I’ve enjoyed the past few days with the nice temps. Even the “cold” front that came through yesterday didn’t really put a dent in things. Oh, we dropped from 78 to 65, but hey! It is February. LOL What does this have to do with anything? Well, it sort of boils down to this. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they don’t. And as always, the Universe has thoughts.

Whenever something doesn’t work out the way you thought it would, Silver, instead of thinking that something went wrong, see it as something that went unexpectedly well but for reasons that are not yet apparent.

Everything plays to your advantage.

Score!
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. And then keep on keeping on, Silver.

Writers often paint themselves into corners when they’re plotting and putting words on paper–figuratively speaking since we mostly use computers. 🙄 The door is all the way over there with no chance of getting to it without having to completely repaint/rewrite that floor/scene. Sometimes, there’s a window that provides an escape. And sometimes that window opens up in a whole new vista that takes you in directions you never anticipated. And more often than not, your book is better for this detour. Our subconscious often knows better than we do. I’ve learned to do just what the Universe suggests: I keep on keepin’ on. I’ve found, at my ripe old age, that it’s a pretty good philosophy and keeps me truckin’ on down the road, whether it’s the book I’m writing or just getting on with life. What about y’all? Do you like detours?

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Wednesday Words: Speechless

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Silver James

Ah, Wednesday. And I have words. I also have hope of the sun coming out. Chance of rain today, which is quite all right because we ALWAYS need the precipitation! Monday and Tuesday were bright and warm–in the 70s. Today, only in the 60s. I’m good with that. I’m good with just about anything above freezing. Okay, enough weather. Today is aabout Words. New words. The prompt from last weeks Thursday Threads: *”And I am speechless.”* We are back at Deja Vu in New Orleans with Sade and part of the Scooby Gang. This scene happens a bit after last week’s scene.

****
“And I am speechless.”

“There is no need for sarcasm, Sade.”

She rolled her eyes at the vampire. “Of course there is. I mean, we are talking about Ariel.”

Caleb stared into the foamy head of his beer. “She has a point, Sinjen. Don’t get me wrong. Ariel and I have had our…disagreements—”

Sade burst out laughing. “Disagreements? Correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t you—in wolf form—chase him up an oak tree?”

Grinning, Caleb nodded. “True. But you were sixteen and he was attempting…well…” He cut his eyes to Sinjen. “You know. The best part was that he cut through that patch of poison ivy to get to the tree.”

Sinjen closed his eyes. “I suspect I should be grateful we did not meet until much later.”

His statement was met with an arched brow from Sade. “Like you haven’t had your own run-ins with the fae. I mean, I like Ari too but he brings a lot of this on himself. And now he’s off sulking.”

A pensive expression crossed Sinjen’s face. “You are human, Sade, with free will. Caleb was raised with you rather than under the rule of a werewolf pack alpha. Ari is fae. He owes his very existence to King Oberon. Neither of you understand what this is like. To know that another has the literal power of life or death over you, who can command your every breath.”

“That would suck,” Sade said. “No pun intended.”

“It does, indeed.”
****

I still haven’t decided what to work on next. Ari’s book is in the running. I need to get over my lethargy and start writing something every day. Eventually, one project will start getting more brain width and that will be the next book. In the meantime, I’m still doing a bit of housekeeping but mostly, I’m fighting this weird upper respiratory thing. I’m not coughing or anything, but I get achy by the end of the day and whenever I bend over, I have serious difficulty breathing. Even just sitting mostly still, ie. I’m only typing, it hurts if I take a deep breath. Sucks to be old. Anyway, writers, go forth and be inspired. Readers, do you prefer short reads or longer ones?

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Tuesday Tidbits: I Can Haz Vacation?

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Silver James

I must be coming down with something. I kept getting chilled yesterday despite the fact the day was gorgeous! I did not make it to Wallyworld. I did make it to Ace Hardware for birdseed. Jake loves it there because all the red vests want to give him pets. They even load the bags of bird seed in the back of Drover for me. I never turn them down even though I was the one who hefted those bags into the buggy/cart in the first place.

Anyway, I got home, managed to get a little work done–like setting this up to post on time. But I was achy and breathing was a chore. Don’t know if it’s a cold or what, but I went to bed yesterday and napped. No telling how I’ll feel today.

MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION goes live in four days. I’ve had a few clicks on the Books2Read link. With the ‘Zon, I’ll have no clue until after the book goes live on Saturday. Which is my birthday. In case y’all have forgotten. The only presents I want is people buying the book. 🙄 Hey, it’s my party and I’ll whine if I want to.

Okay, this is totally politically incorrect but I have to recount the cversation that occurred behind me in line at Ace. One guy was a farmer/rancher. The other guy was a workin’ man.

Rancher: “Ya know, all this rigamarole seems purty simple t’me. Ya got bulls and cows. If you don’t want the bull to make calves, you fix’ im. Then ya got steers. They ain’t cows.”

Workin’ man: *nods sagely*

Rancher: “Same thing with horses. Ya got yer stallions and yer mares. And geldings. Thing is, if yer racin’ ’em, ya don’t run a filly against a stud colt. No matter how fast that filly is, that colt is gonna run circles ’round her cuz he’s bigger n’faster.”

The workin’ man looked a little confused so I explained: “A filly is a young female horse. Stud colt refers to a young stallion.”

Rancher: “That there’s the thing. Ever’body knows there’s only two sexes. Male n’female. Just cuz ya geld a horse don’t make him a brood mare.”

At that point, it was my turn to check out. I left the two guys commiserating on the idiocy of “them folks out there on the coasts” and “must be all that salt in the air from the ocean. It pickles their brains.”

I managed to get out without laughing but then sitting in the parking lot waiting to pull out, I looked at Jake in the review and said, “That pretty much says it all, right? Ya can’t turn a gelding into a mare, no matter how fancy you dress him up. Or how pickled your brain gets.”

I’m going to take today mostly off. Except I have to hit Wallyworld today. I needs stuff. That said, my nap yesterday helped a bit. Hopefully veggie the rest of today will do the same. I want to feel good again. How are y’all feeling today?

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Eight Mondays

Posted on February 24, 2025 by Silver James

👈🏼👇🏼👈🏼👇🏼 (Never sure where the illustration will show up but wherever it is, I’m point at it…) Read and take note of it. This pretty much says it all. This is good because I don’t really have that much to say. FYI, this is the 8th Monday of the year. It sure seems like there’ve been a heckava bunch more.

I slept late Saturday and Sunday–7 a.m. instead of 5-6 a.m. The sun came out both days and warmed things up. I was sure ready for that. 105 hours of below-freezing temps is more than plenty! This week is supposed to stay in the 50s and 60s so that’s a big yay in my book!

I was going to take Jake for a walk yesterday but I got distracted and suddenly, it was 5 o’clock and while the sun no longer sets, the temps do start to fall. Maybe today. Or not. Depends on if I make it to Wallyworld. Shopping there is my 10K steps for the day. Trust me! It usually because I have to backtrack. They completely reset the store while I was doing the whole invalid thing last year and I’m still not used to where everything is. I mean, I’d only been shopping there since it opened like almost 20 years ago. And yes, I totally get set in my ways.

Sadly, I am easily distracted these days. Not sure why. I fall down rabbit holes and emerge much later and wonder what the heck I’ve accomplished because it sure ain’t anything I had on my to-do list.

My oldest best friend called yesterday afternoon. She was thinking about driving down for my birthday next weekend but stuff is going on. We had a long visit. It was nice. True story: we strongly disliked each other our freshnan year of college–until we were stuck together as roommates over a long break when neither of us left campus. That was 53 years ago. Wow.Time flies.

Soccer on Saturday. Stormy’s regular game was postponed but he subbed on another team in the same academy system. He played well. We’ll leave it there. They have one more game in this league. We can only hope the refereeing is better in the outdoor league that starts next month. Don’t get me wrong. If a team (or an individual kid) doesn’t play well and loses, it happens. But when a referee assesses 10 penalties against one team and only 1 against the other (that scored the 3 winning goals on penalty kicks), I have to wonder. I’m not being a team Karen when I say there were a LOT of invisible fouls. Anyway.

I finally finished THE BRAVE by Dannika Dark, the lastest book in her Black Arrowhead series. It was a good story, I just couldn’t get deeply invested in it. Or in any other book, for that matter. Definitely a case of “It’s not you, book, it’s me!” I’m currently listening to last fall’s release in JD Robb’s In Death series, PASSIONS IN DEATH. The latest book came out earlier this month and I like to refresh my memory on Dallas’s previous case before jumping into the newest.

Writing. Yeah. About that. Remember me mentioning getting distracted? A lot? Yeah. No writing. And no decision on what’s next. Question. If someone said, “This book is The Golden Girls meets Thelma and Louise,” would you be inclined to read it? Paft of the problem is that I have TOO MANY ideas. There’s the Cajun Wolves (Moonstruck Wolf standalones), the moonshiner Wolf (historical Moonstruck Wolf), Ariel’s story (Penumbra Papers), Dalton’s story (Hard Target–though this one is waaay back on the back burner.) The problem is I have too much to choose from. Oh, yeah. I said that already.

Moving on. In other sports, my Cards are starting out spring training in a bit of a slump. No comment. In better news, my OSU Cowgirls run-ruled in their first game (10-0) of the weekend tournament–which was postponed from Friday to Sunday due to the weather. There was another game last night but I haven’t checked for a score yet. I’ll get distracted. LOL Also, they play today too. No streaming but I can listen on the radio so yay. Okay, so I checked. They won the 2nd game 5-2 and play again at noon today.)

That’s pretty much my update for last week and the weekend. As for fuuture writing, I might just open various files and do some free writing and see if anything catches my attention. Maybe I just need some new music and/or “artwork/photos” for inspiration. What’s inspiring you this week?

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Friday Sinema: Ireland’s Got Talent

Posted on February 21, 2025 by Silver James

I’mma just gonna drop this here. Enjoy the music. TGIF. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Fall

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Silver James

🥶🥶🥶🥶

That’s all I have to say today.

I’m not kidding. We made it all the way to 12 degrees yesterday. I really wanted to go back to bed, wrap up in my soft, fuzzy blanket, and listen to a good book. Back in the day, I would read a good book but…eyes. Sadly, I’m in a real reading slump at the moment. I have two books open. I’m at Chap. 5 – about 15% in one, I’m at Chap. 3 or 4 in the other. I have about 12 hours remaining in either book. Sad. They’re both books I’ve been looking forward to reading but neither has just grabbed hold. I’m bummed. And I feel bad for these books. I’m not giving them the love they deserve! Of course, the Universe has thoughts…

Who will you re-fall in love with today, Silver?

Whe-e-e-e-e-e…
The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. Or you could start from scratch, Silver, and pretend it’s for the first time.

I’m a firm believer in favorite books and series and rereading said favorite books and series. There’s something warm and cozy about picking up a familiar book and falling into the story with characters that feel like old friends–or enemies. Depends on the book. LOL At the same time, there’s something of a trap in returning to the tried and true. There are no surprises, no new scenery, so to speak. There’s also no new friends.

What’s a reader to do? I need to find a book to read–old or new. The big U suggests I should re-fall in love. Or I could grab something new–starting from scratch. It wouldn’t be the first time I fell in love with a book. What’s your advice for reading slumps? And what are you reading?

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