Blue and his new friend Glory are all set to watch the parades and fireworks celebrating America’s birthday! The James Gang is taking a three-day weekend for some family time (Yay for a day-trip with Stormaggedon!), some burgers, and some baseball. Have a safe, sane, and very happy 4th of July, wherever you are and whatever you do! See y’all on Monday. 😀
The day is here! Happy July 1st! Happy Book Birthday to DOUBLE CROSS! It’s also #1lineWed! And I’m full of exclamation points!!!! Because!!!!
Okay, enough tomfoolery…
What?!? There’s never enough tomfoolery!!!
The theme for Kiss of Death’s Twitter #1lineWed is SOUND. So…here are some snippets from DOUBLE CROSS. If you don’t have your copy, you can snag it HERE! Or you can click on the book cover in this post, or the book cover over there on the right. So anyway, DOUBLE CROSS snippets today are all about the sound. For your reading enjoyment…
Cory gasped as the ground beneath her rumbled and lifted. Her ears rang from the explosion’s concussion as the sky lit up. A detached portion of her brain wondered if maybe dragons did exist outside the imagination while the part of her consciousness concerned with survival urged her to curl up in a ball. She didn’t have the chance because the two men each grabbed an arm and hustled her through the door.
The boy reared up in front of them. The big man on her right snatched the gun from the child and kept moving. Cory managed to glance back over her shoulder to make sure the little guy was okay. He stood there looking bewildered and lost. She didn’t have time to worry about him as the men dragged her around the hut and forced her into a run. Gunshots echoed and bullets ricocheted. She stumbled but her rescuers kept her upright even if her feet only touched ground every third step.
Notice the various sounds in this snippet. 
Duke steeled himself to deal with a hysterical female. He squatted in front of her. “Ma’am?” She blinked a couple of times but didn’t raise her head. Gentling his hand, he used one finger under her chin to tilt her head up. Blue. Yeah, her eyes were undeniably blue. Dark circles and fading bruises marred her face. She definitely hadn’t been with the renegade militia of her own volition. His jaw tightened, and a muscle under his eye jumped as he wondered if the bastards had done more than beat her.
He had to clear his throat before he could speak again. “Ma’am?”
“Doctor.” Her voice grated like sandpaper on rusty metal. “Dr. Coreen Prince. I work for DICA.”
“Doctors for International Children’s Aid,” Poison supplied. “They’re like Doctors without Borders only working with kids.”
And…one more for good measure because third time’s the charm, right?
Ordering his brain into neutral, [Duke] crossed his arms over his chest, tucked his chin, and closed his eyes. He’d sleep for an hour.
The sound was a soft one, barely registering on the outer limits of his hearing. A whoosh, like air escaping from a balloon. Fuck. Griffin missile. His body erupted into instinctive action even as he yelled orders. What the hell? His voice got lost in the roaring blast as the damn thing hit. The night lit up and everything went to shit.
So there you have it. And I hope you DO have it or are getting it ASAP. 😉 Not that I’m begging or anything. 
Speaking of, who got their newsletter yesterday and opened it? Because one lucky opener/reader of said newsletter gets a print ARC of NIGHT SHIFT, signed and everything! 😉
There was a weekend. I’m pretty sure there was. I worked, though not necessarily on new words. I made memes for DOUBLE CROSS because…WEDNESDAY! The memes are appearing on my Facebook author page, which you can find HERE or by clicking on that FOLLOW ME FB icon down there on the right, if you don’t follow my author page already. I’m also thinking about doing an impromptu FB party on my page. Nothing formal with invites or anything like that but maybe some fun giveaways or something. Depends on the energy level come Wednesday. LOL I am up to 30 pre-orders. 3000 would be better. Heck, 300 would be outstanding but I’ll take what I can get. 😀
And speaking of something totally different, I have a gift package in a really awesome auction to Support the Troops (and the USO). Click HERE FOR THE AUCTION SITE. You can click the link for the FACEBOOK EVENT where Anna talks about the event and will be teasing auction items. And if you want all the info on why and such like that there, CLICK TO GO TO THIS BLOG. Anna Cade, the dynamo behind the auction is a virtual author’s assistant and works with my good friend Jennifer Lyon/Apadaca. Lots of books, swag, and some fun things for authors, too. Go give a peek. FYI, I have signed books, gift cards, and swag in my bundle…
Let’s see. What else? I read two history books on the Choctaw tribe. I figured it would be smart to learn something about my newly-discovered heritage. I’m working on the critique for my CP’s YA/NA fantasy trilogy (last book). I’m fighting Clay and Georgie about getting into bed. I mean seriously!?!? I NEVER have trouble getting characters into bed do doing the down and dirty. These two? They just want to make gooey eyes at each other. *SIGH* That’s gonna change this week. Or else! I’ll give them a black moment and not let them get back together. So there! *hands a paper bag to Mr. HQEd*
Aaaannnndddd…that’s all I’ve got. What did y’all do this weekend?
Okay. I’ll admit it. I’m a Fast and Furious fan. I also laugh at LOLCATS. So…here.
WARNING: REMOVE ALL LIQUIDS FROM MOUTH AND IMMEDIATE COMPUTER/KEYBOARD AREA.
Have a great weekend!
I feel like I should comment on this because, you know…that would make me like a real blogger. Or something. But every time I start to write something, I find I’m just repeating what is stated below.
If I were a business professor and you were my student, Silver, today’s lesson might sound like this:
In the “real” world, it’s better to have loved and lost, tried and failed, dreamed and missed, than to sit out your turn in fear. Because the loss, the failure, and the miss, however painful, are merely temporary market adjustments, soon forgotten. Whereas the love, the adventure, and the dream are like investments that, for the rest of your life and beyond, never stop paying dividends.
Buy low, sell high –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®Right, Silver! “How can you lose something you’re still capable of giving? How can you fail if you haven’t stopped trying? And how can you miss as long as your still aiming?” One Gold Star on the forehead, except… Someone misspelled “you’re” again. Oh, what a shame.
Life. Writing. Following dreams. This is applicable to them all. ‘Nuff said. Have a great Thursday.
Who’s ready for today’s plan for WORD DOMINATION?!?! Today’s theme is family and oh, the possibilities. Two snippets, two books. In DOUBLE CROSS, the Navy is Duke’s family–until he finds new ties with Mother Goose and the Hard Target team. But today, it’s about Cory’s fanily.
Her dull gaze met his. “Were you sent to rescue me?”
“No.” Being blunt was part of who he was, but he winced at the disappointment his comment painted on her face.
She tucked her chin in a brief nod. “I surmised as much. I apologize if I’ve botched up your mission.”“Not like we’d leave you behind, doctor.”
The woman watched him through eyes and a soul bruised beyond endurance. She looked utterly defeated. “Yes, well. I’m still sorry for slowing you down. I’ll do my best to keep up.”
A thought Duke didn’t like at all knocked on his brain and he had to ask. “You didn’t expect to be rescued, did you?”
Her breath hissed out in a slow huff. “No, I didn’t. I suspected there might be some question of ransom though I was told DICA doesn’t negotiate. Neither would my family.”
When her voice cracked on the last word, Duke figured it was time to back away. He’d let Poison deal with Dr. Prince. He was shocked when he found himself asking, “Your family doesn’t have the money?”
The bitter laugh she choked back surprised him. “Oh, the Princes have generations of money. But as the orphaned daughter with the misplaced priorities, I’m hardly worth spending it on.”
And jumping now to the WIP, RDR#3, which is all about the Barron family. 😆 Fans of the series will be happy to know that Cyrus is up to no good once again. FYI, this particular scene takes place contiguous to the Thanksgiving events in THE COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET, only from Clay’s POV.
Almost two hours later, his father strode in. Clay glanced up at the intrusion, surprised since Chance had assured everyone that Cyrus was in Las Vegas for the duration. He sat up straighter, recognizing the set of the man’s shoulders and the expression on his face.
“We need to talk.” The old man glowered, anticipating he’d vacate the chair behind the desk. Clay didn’t indulge him.
Irritated now more than when he’d walked in, his old man lowered himself into a less comfortable chair and didn’t wait to fire the opening volley. “Get your brothers. We have family business.”Clay didn’t like the derisive tone in his father’s voice. “What sort of *family* business?”
“Cord and my grandson and that woman who wants to ruin them both. Now get the hell out of my chair. We’ll talk more after I deal with your thick-headed brother.”
So, what about the rest of you? Any snippets about families in the books you’re writing or reading? Inquiring minds want to know.
I have nothing to say. So I’ll make up something.
Y’all know I’m addicted to Starbucks, right? I’m good on my gold card until sometime in the next millennium, I think. They sent an email. If I buy 5 frappucinos between now and the 29th and pay with my Starbucks’ card, I get bonus stars. Like enough for a free drink, or two. I did mention I’m a sucker, right? Yeah…I’ll be headed that direction today.
I wrote just over 2K words yesterday. I only played a minimum amount on social media and didn’t really check my feed on FB. I always feel like a terrible FB friend. 😛 I did update my “My Books” app on facebook. I had like four or five books I hadn’t added. 🙄 Sadly, I didn’t get my 2K in until nearly 8:00 p.m. Today will be better. I hope!
It’s hot. And humid. And yes, it is both the heat AND the humidity!
I need to take pictures of Blue everytime I get a set of books in. I’ve gotten some really cool author copies from Harlequin of the different printings. I should totally give some of them away… OOH! OOH! I forgot to mention, the Red Dirt books are being released in Scandinavia in early 2016. My father was a Hasselquist before his parents, brother, and uncle died from botulism poisoning and his maternal grandparents adopted him and gave him their name. Hasselquist is a good Swedish name.
Speaking of genealogy, I thought I was either Chickasaw or Cherokee on my biological mother’s side. Y’all know I was adopted, right? Anyway, turns out I’m probably part Choctaw. We have a roll number for one of the greats so we’ll see if I get adopted into the tribe. My heroine in Red Dirt #4 was going to be Chickasaw. Guess I’ll make her Choctaw now. I’ll have to do some research, like I did on the Chickasaws. They’re similar. But not.
Fixing fijitas for dinner. It’s hot. I’m lazy. I bought pre-packaged meat I can heat up quick while pan frying some onions and green peppers. Hrm….do I have refried beans?
Did I mention it’s hot? Oh, yeah. Well, it still is.
And…I think this is just about long enough. What sort of this-n-thats do you have going on? *slouches into kitchen for more coffee and staring at the first page of Chapter 7*
I need all the coffee I can get! Because…MONDAY. The start of a new week and the continuation of a new project. Sort of. I finished the final round of fixes on DOUBLE CROSS and it is now “cemented” on Amazon. No more changes until after it goes live on July 1st. I’ve had 15 preorders which is kind of cool but I’d really love to have a bunch more. Yeah, yeah, that means advertising and I so totally suck at that. EDIT: B.E. says I need a link to the pre-order. Like d’uh! So here! DOUBLE CROSS PRE-ORDER LINK! 😉
The weekend was…busy and lazy at the same time. Saturday was OKRWA. We had an interesting program on conflict. I’m doing next month’s program on igniting creativity. I’m going to use flash fiction models, words prompts, photos, and song videos. It should be fun. Sunday, Lawyer Guy and I both slept late. I mean…like until after ten. I NEVER do that but I felt better for doing it. I obviously was worn down and tired.
Still reading Roxanne St. Clair’s BAREFOOT WITH A BODYGUARD, the first in her Barefoot Bay spin-off series that takes her back to her romantic suspense roots. I wish I could just sit down and read it but with so much else going on I can only read in snatches. Loving those snatches, though!
Despite being tired, I managed enough creativity to do a 500 word flash fiction challenge based on Hardy’s story from the Nightriders. I think his story is going to get bumped to the front of the line even though the Russian’s story is teasing me. As is Kin’s story, which is book 2 in the Hard Target series. First though…
I have until August 17th to turn in the full MS of RDR#3, which has the working title of FOR THE LOVE OF A COWGIRL. We’ll see how long that one lasts. 😆 I put it on the back burner while dealing with DOUBLE CROSS. I’d like to have it ready to go by July 17th. Then I can work on THE DEVIL’S CUT. It is so freaking rough and is only about 2/3 finished. I really think I filled my publishing plate way too full but that’s okay. I’ll get it done because…Well, because I will.
So anyway, 2K words each day until RDR#3 is roughed out. I’ve told myself that I get 30 minutes first thing in the morning to check email and do internet stuffs and then I have to shut it down until I write at least 2K words. Then I can play for an hour. Then I’d like to get 2k more written. 4K words a day isn’t that hard. If I’d stay away from the net. LOLOL And if I didn’t have to things like laundry, fix dinner, fun errands–and those aren’t “fun” errands. It’s groceries, cleaning, stuff like that there.
And no. I am NOT complaining! Tired, yes. Complaining, no! I love being a writer so when I whine, just slap me back into reality, ‘kay? 😆 Cuz, like, y’all do want more books, right? (And there’s that needy brat of a writer coming out… 😉 )
Okay, to work! But y’all tell me all the fun you had over the weekend so I can come back in a couple of hours and see! Fresh cup of coffee and then 2K words, here I come!!!
It’s Friday. It’s been a crazy week. Lots going on personally and professionally and when I went looking for a video to post for today, this one just made all sorts of sense and yeah, I’m probably one sick puppy to laugh like a loon every time I watch it. The Duck Dynasty guys, the wimpy new boyfriend, and the rejects from the junkyard. What can I say? My redneck roots are showin’… Have an awesome weekend y’all! And go a little Redneck Crazy!
Someone once said, “The sky’s the limit.” Then someone else replied, “Don’t tell me the sky’s the limit when there are footprints on the moon.”
That’s supposed to be all enlightening and encouraging and shitstuff. I always figured my limit was as far ass my imagination could stretch and I’m a long way from that. Still, there’ve been times in my life when I pulled up short and thought, “What the hell? I can’t do that!” Case in point…self-publishing. I fought it for a long time despite people that I trusted urging me to try it. I was scared to dip my toe in the water much less wade in and swim to the deep end. As I just loaded DOUBLE CROSS, which is my FIFTEENTH (holy cow how is that even possible!?! self-published book, I realize that my fear is what limited me. Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. Just plain fear. But I did it. Because the alternative was…safe. And we all know I’m a daredevil at heart. Of course I am. 
Anyway, when I was digging through the files for today’s nudge from the Universe, I thought now was a good time for this one.
There is no choice you’ve ever made, Silver, nor any you will ever make, that will limit you as much as you may fear.
Nor even limit you at all.
How cool is that?
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®Fear not, Silver, there have been no mistakes.
So here’s the deal. Don’t choose to give up your dreams. Go after them. Don’t limit yourself because of fear. Just look at me. Where would I be now if I hadn’t made the choice I did.
And now I have to choose to do some marketing which I fear far more than those pesky monsters who moved in under my bed. DOUBLE CROSS is up for preorder. Go snag your copy so it’ll be on your Kindle right after midnight on July 1st! Just CLICK HERE. I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog reading. 😉
NEW RELEASE
NEW RELEASE
NOW AVAILABLE
Silver James 