Monday Reveal

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Silver James

Coffee MondayLike sands through the hourglass–or coffee through my veins, Monday relentlessly marches in each week. I had a weekend. Well, a Saturday anyway. We met Only and Stormageddon around the corner from Lawyer Guy’s office. Several months ago, a friend’s Native American Art and Jewelry gallery was completely destroyed by fire. She found space about a block away from the old location and her grand opening was Saturday. Several natives were there to celebrate with flutes, drums, and sage blessings. It was a fun morning and I was thrilled to discover some of her artifacts survived. I’ll talk about Grandfather Chair one of these days. I’ll have to get a picture from Only so you can see what I’m talking about.

I bought my plane tickets for NYC yesterday. I caught some low prices on Southwest and jumped on them. I saved close to $100. Some travel guru said the best time to buy tickets is 45 days before the flight. I’ll check that day too but I don’t think Southwest plays by the same algorithms. Which is fine. I’m happy with the price I paid.

Double Cross final 680Sunday was focused on writing. DOUBLE CROSS is this *holds up thumb and index finger squeezed together* close to completion and it’ll be going out to my CP and beta readers soon. Like today. Maybe. Today is the deadline I set for myself. I’ll be uploading the draft and the cover to Amazon so I can get it up for pre-order. Yes, I’ll be sharing the link. 😉

For those of you who haven’t seen it on Facebook, here’s the cover. I’m still working on the blurb. Have I mentioned I HATE writing blurbs? Yeah. No really. I do. *shudder* That’s pretty much my life at the moment. Hours spent at the keyboard with no real break in sight, including my NYC trip. It’ll be a working one, even beyond the RWA conference.

Who did something fun this weekend? Who didn’t? *raises both hands* Okay. Actually, the way DC is shaking out, it’s pretty fun. And the closing scene is already written. How awesome is that?!? 😀

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Friday Sinema: Assassin Parkour

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Silver James

Because it’s Friday, it’s fun, and man, can this guy do it! 😀

Also, why do video games have the coolest music?

Have a great weekend! I’m working. Hard. Cause Monday deadline. But if you want to have fun, let the video click over into the behind the scenes video. It’s long but really cool. No. Really. Now, if I could just figure out where to buy all the soundtracks. LOLOL

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Building Blocks

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Silver James

universeNot only a metaphor for life but also for writing, whether a single book or a series:

Silver, nothing is ever lost in this adventure of all adventures. The lessons and discoveries of every single life, no matter how large or small, difficult or easy, are added to the whole. Like stones in the base of a pyramid, they permanently raise and forever support every manner of adventure that follows. And so it is that the hearts of those who came first continue to beat in all subsequent generations forevermore.

I got you, babe –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, every single life is added to the whole, and yet each remains its precious unique self.

I could get deep into this subject and muse about it, droning on and on. But…I won’t. I think the message is clear and I know all of you are perceptive enough to get *it.* 😀 Besides. Deadlines. I have them. *headdesk*

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Wednesday Words: Crossing Targets for #1lineWed

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupIt’s time for #1lineWed once again. I won’t actually be participating in the Twitter event today. Part of the fun is reading everyone else’s tweets and retweeting them. I don’t have time today. I’m pushing toward the end of DOUBLE CROSS, having written almost 10K words since this time last week. On the publishing front, the revised proposal (first three chapters) on Red Dirt Royalty #3 has been returned to Mr. HQEd and his comment was that he thought the way I worked around his objections was clever and he couldn’t wait to read the revisions. Whoppee. As you know, I’m pushing to get DOUBLE CROSS done so I can get it up for pre-order with a July 1st release date. Only is working on the cover. I may miss my deadlines on MOONSTRUCK: LIES and THE DEVIL’S CUT but I hope not by much. I just have to get lots of words and editing done each day. Piece of cake.

So today, the “prompt” is lines from pages 112, 11, or 12 of your WIP. You’ve gotten plenty of lines from the beginning of DOUBLE CROSS. I now have something from a page close to 112. This isn’t a series of one lines, but a snippet. Cory has run into Duke, who is still blind. She doesn’t identify herself to him when she agrees to go home with Duke for the night. With that in mind, the snippet is fairly self-explanatory. 😉

“Again,” he ordered, pounding hard as he felt her tighten around him. “With me.” He found her hands, linked fingers. “Come with me.”

He let go, surrendered as she had, gave himself up, as she had, and they tumbled into oblivion together. He lay spent, all but paralyzed, on top of her. As his pulse continued to pound in his ears, all but rendering him deaf, he managed to roll off, pulling her with him so she was cushioned by his body rather than pinned under it.

The furious storm inside him had blown itself out. Calm filled him for the first time in months; he knew who he was, what he was. The woman rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and nestled in, sated and content despite their fiery lovemaking. His hand was gentle as he stroked over her back and she murmured her approval.

He was ready now, ready to face the treatments from Doc Pemberton, ready to face his future, light or dark. He drifted off to sleep.

Hours later, when Duke awoke, he was alone. His smile was a wry one as he wondered if maybe—just maybe—the woman he’d brought to his bed had been an angel after all.

Their time together is emotional and powerful, even if I do say so myself. Who else has read or written interesting lines? Do share! I’ll check in periodically but mostly, I’ll be adding new words. 😀

Happy Hump Day!

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Memorial Monday

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Silver James

Eagle-FlagI remember when today was called Decoration Day. And I remember when it was about more than sales, firing up the BBQ grill, and having the day off. Many of us still take a moment to recognize those military men and women who served this country, sometimes giving their lives and very often, parts of themselves in the act of doing their duty.

That said, no sales, BBQ or time off for me. I’m working, and will be from now until December. If I want to keep the publishing schedule I set for myself–and in some cases, have promised my readers–I don’t have a lot of time for procrastinating. I still plan to get DOUBLE CROSS up for preorder in time for a July 1st release. I’m crossing my fingers for a mid-July/August 1st release for MOONSTRUCK: LIES, followed shortly by the release of THE DEVIL’S CUT. This fall remains open for debate. Not because I don’t want to write all the books I have lined up but due to circumstances and on account of because…

IV Coffee Good to Go“What?” you ask, probably flailing your arms. “We demand our fixes of Silvery wordy-goodness!” (Or at least I hope that’s your reaction. 😆 ) Here’s what’s going on…

Mr. HQEd called me Friday. We had a very long and productive talk. While it’s not totally official until I receive, sign, and return the contract, we do have a verbal agreement for two more Red Dirt Royalty books. Clay and Chase get their books, manuscripts due in August and November, release dates sometime in 2016, hopefully. There’s an open option for the two books after that–Cash and Kade. So…YAY! 😀

The good news is, there will be two more Red Dirt Royalty books! The bad news is, OMG so many words to write on all my projects! Good thing I don’t sleep much and live on coffee, right?!?

And speaking of DOUBLE CROSS, do you remember when I said I needed to go back and look at the first part again because some things were bugging me? Yeah…about that. Those layers I was worried about were already there, for the most part. 🙄 Yeah, yeah. I know. I’m weird like that. Despite me, Duke’s story is really shaping up. I hope y’all enjoy it when you get your hands on it. Soon, my pretties. Soon!

One last bit of randomness. Only had some fun this weekend. She designed a Nightrider patch for me. Click on the Moonstruck tab, then go to the Nightriders’ page to see the two versions. I ❤ them like damn and whoah! Be watching for them (and personalized patches) in upcoming Nightrider books!

Have a good day doing good things. I'll be thinking of you while I'm slaving away at the keyboard. 😉

MD-2015

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Friday Sinema: She Ain’t Worth It

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Silver James

This song is dedicated to Duke Reagan. When DOUBLE CROSS comes out, you’ll know why. 😉 *bwahaha* Yeah, I’m all evil like that!

Of course, there are a lot of songs on Duke’s playlist: FRIENDS IN LOW PLACES (Well, howdy Garth!), LOVE THIS BAR (Toby, nice to see you here), and a few other rowdy, drinking songs that will maybe help him forget. Just remember, though, Mother knows best and Duke is no match for her! 😆

We’re expecting more rain today, tomorrow, and probably Sunday, with some severe weather thrown in there. Also…there might be news later. I’ve heard a rumor. Anyway, I’m building an ark. What plans do y’all have for the weekend? Whatever they are, have a good one!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Magic

Posted on May 21, 2015 by Silver James

universeI believe in magic. I always have, from the time I ran outside to prevent my dad from mowing down a faerie ring of mushrooms to the star I wished on a few weeks ago–when we didn’t have constant cloud cover. There is magic in every-day life. I remember settling on hot cement with Only to watch a cicada emerge from its chrysalis, fairy wings drying under the setting sun of a summer day. I remember chasing rainbows across two counties with grandmother, searching for the pot of gold at it’s base. She was a Ryan by birth, her father a first generation emigrant from Ireland. I remember the first laughs of the two babies in my life–Only and Stormageddon. I remember sunrises and sunsets, full moons, and horned moons. I remember unicorns and wolves, and Santa Claus.

But some days, it’s hard to find the magic so this little reminder from the Universe comes at a good time.

The very same magic, the very same, Silver, that you used to get your first job, to find a best friend, and to heal what hurt, that even now finishes your sentences, beats your heart, and inspires your dreams, is the exact same “grade” of stuff that can make what you most want today come to pass.

Point being: You’ve already engaged it. You’ve already commanded it. You’ve already done the impossible… So what’s the big deal about doing it again?

Oh go on…
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, you and the magic are one.

A small side note. Yesterday, I posted my 500th post. There were more posts on the old Penumbra site, but since stretching my wings and leaving the safety of a sheltered on-line existence behind, I’ve managed this site and my domain all on my own. Thank you, all of you, old friends and new, for bumping along this journey with me. If making friends like you isn’t magic, I’m not sure what is!

Here’s wishing you a day filled with magic and a life of dreams come true. No big deal, right?

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Wednesday Words: #1lineWed Double Cross Rescue

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Silver James

wurkn-on-mai-plan-for-word-domination-caleb-pupToday’s #1lineWed selection is brought to you by page numbers 213, 21, and 13. As y’all know, I sort of stopped midway in DOUBLE CROSS, and not sure I’d get to page 213 when it’s finished anyway. 😆

So, from page 13, wherein Duke explains the facts to Cory:

“US Navy, ma’am.”

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 despair on her face.

“Yes, I figured. I’m sorry if I messed 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.”

“You didn’t expect to be rescued, did you?”

Her breath hissed out in a slow huff. “No.”

And from page 21, when Duke and Cory are on their own…

Cory woke up with a mouth full of sand, an arm full of man, and no idea where she was. Other than Africa. After a bomb blast. Or something. She spit, careful to inhale through her nose. The man lying half on top of her groaned. The SEAL. Or whatever he was. Reagan. Master Chief. She couldn’t remember his first name. That suddenly seemed very important. Twisting her head, she looked around. They’d snagged up on a sand bar in the river.

A small flock of long-legged white birds strutted at the point of the sand bar. Deciding that was sign of no imminent danger, she shoved away from the master chief. He groaned again and her Hippocratic oath kicked in. Rolling him over—how big was this guy anyway—she examined his face. Blood had dried on his face and crusted in the wounds. There was another red splotch on his olive drab tee shirt.

And from some later point in the story though probably not 213. 😆

“Aye. She’s American.” A Scottish burr smudged Kin’s reply. “I suspect from the way you’re scowling there’s a bit more to the story.”

More? Hell yeah there was more. He’d made her kill that warlord, right after his whole SEAL team had been blown to shit and he’d lost his eyesight. He didn’t explain to Kin, saying only, “I’ve run into her before.”

Ah, Duke, master of the understatement that he is. Writers, do you have words to share? Readers, you aren’t exempt. Pick up the book you’re reading at the moment. Pick a quote from one of these pages and share, along with the title and author!

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Tuesday Title: Order of the Dragon

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Silver James

ootd 680Today, I’m wishing a very happy Book Birthday to my friend, Siobhan Muir. Her latest book, ORDER OF THE DRAGON is ready for your reading pleasure. I got to beta read this book, and it is fun! Here’s the blurb:

Drake MacGregor always adhered to the adage ‘let sleeping dragons lie’, until he slept with one.

In an effort to make up for his past as Vlad the Impaler, Drake has been living a small, quiet life in Three Lakes. As the town’s archivist, his knowledge of history and his place in it weigh on him. Drake has one desire—to rectify the atrocities committed in the name of his knightly order. Too bad he can’t keep his hands, or his fangs, off the local doctor, especially when he discovers she’s an actual dragon.

Aliandra Cantora del Viento is old enough and wise enough to ignore her attraction to the handsome historian, especially when her heart suggests he might be something more than he appears. Drake stokes her fires and curls her tail, and after a hot night in her clinic, the game is on. But he avoids her and nothing she tries breaks through his reserve, despite his obvious interest. He turns her on then apologizes for it, repeatedly. Not exactly the kind of relationship she’d hoped for yet she can’t walk away.

When a mysterious researcher arrives with his son, Drake becomes more edgy and irritable, and Aliandra must decide if she’s willing to fight for him. Especially when he might be her True Mate.

What’s not to love, right?!? Drake (aka Vlad) and a dragon! Plus some other very interesting denizens in Three Lakes. You want to read more, don’t you. Yup. Thought you might. Here’s an excerpt:

Aliandra couldn’t decide what she felt. Fury? Indignation? Lust? Arousal? Delight?

He bit me! He’s a vampire. Oh Goddess, he’s so sexy. Her thoughts cascaded rapid fire as she held her hand against her throat. The blood slowly stopped flowing beneath her talons, but her heartbeat only increased as her emotions banged around her skull like pinballs. She tried to take a few deep breaths to return to her human disguise, but her canines remained stubbornly long.

“I—I’m sorry, Dr. Cantora.” Drake MacGregor stared at her, dazed and unsteady. He covered his mouth with one shaky hand. “I’m just so hungry and if you hadn’t distracted me—”

“This is my fault?” She snarled and dug her claws into his lapels, jerking him nose to nose with her. “How is your biting me my fault?”

“If you hadn’t distracted me, I wouldn’t have forgotten to feed, and—”

“You haven’t fed?” Aliandra hissed with disgust. “What kind of a vampire forgets to feed? Hellwinds, man, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

She swung him around, pinning one hand behind his back and propelled him across the room to one of the rolling doctor stools.

“Sit.”

“Please, Doctor—”

“Sit!”

He sank down onto the cracked leather seat and eyed her warily, color returning to his cheeks as the blood he’d stolen worked its magic on him. She crossed her arms over her chest and clenched her jaws together to keep from tackling him and biting him back. Her body raged with a combination of arousal and excitement. He’d bitten her after nuzzling her shoulder like a dragon lover and her body wanted more.

But he’s a vampire.

And she wanted more of him, more nuzzling, more biting. She scanned his body, belatedly realizing why he hadn’t healed. He hadn’t fed and all his energy had kept him upright, but he couldn’t spare anything for physical repair. Mr. MacGregor needed blood and she was the closest donor.

“You need blood, don’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“That’s why you didn’t heal quickly tonight, right?”

He grimaced and nodded.

“Very well, Mr. MacGregor.” She removed her coat and scarf, draping it over the exam table as she gathered her courage. “You may feed from me to get your strength up.” She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. “You do know when to stop, correct?”

His mouth flattened with displeasure. “I am a mature sanguivore.”

Aliandra snorted. “A mature sanguivore wouldn’t let himself get in this position of being so weak.”

Drake drew himself up to his full height and his expression smoothed out into regal impassiveness. He looked like a king unimpressed with the pleas of his subjects despite having to look up at her while seated. But she wasn’t the one begging.

He’s not begging, either. Dammit.

“Now is not the time to sit on your high horse, Mr. MacGregor.” She tilted her head to hide the odd concern he’d decline to feed from her. “I’ve taken the Hippocratic Oath and you’re in need of medical attention, even if it’s to prevent starvation.”

Drake’s eyes flashed red and he unconsciously licked his lips, but he turned his face away as he shook his head.
“I can’t do that, Doctor.”

“You already have. I’m just giving you permission this time.”

“I’m fine. What little blood I took from you has already helped.”

His color did look better and he sat up straighter, but she suspected he was nowhere near satisfied. Me, either.

“It may have helped, but I can’t let you leave and attack some innocent passerby if your hunger gets out of control again. I just thank the Goddess you attacked me instead of a human.” She smiled at his look of shock. “What, did you think I was human?”

“Well…yes.”

Aliandra laughed. “You and Kate. Your expression is priceless. I’m not human, Mr. MacGregor, I’m a dragon.”

All the color he’d gained drained out of his face and he jerked to his feet, stumbling over the rolling stool in his haste. She reached for him, but he dodged clumsily in his attempt to get away. Unfortunately, his leg wouldn’t hold his weight and he lurched against the wall beside the metal shelves.

“Mr. MacGregor—”

“Dear Goddess, please forgive me.” His face morphed into a mask of horror. “I’m so sorry. I never meant any harm.”

“Easy, Mr. MacGregor.” Aliandra softened her voice, wondering where his panic came from. “It’s all right. No harm done and I’m offering you what you need. Let me help you sit down again.”

“No, no, I swore I’d never do anything like this again.” He tried to retreat, but the wall held him fast.

“I understand,” she crooned, her hands up in a calming gesture. “Come sit back down and we’ll find another solution. Please, Mr. MacGregor. You’re injuring yourself worse.”

He stared at her, his eyes glowing scarlet in the semi-darkness of the room, but he made no other move to retreat.

“Here, let me help you.”

“No…no thank you, I can do it myself.”

He rose painfully to full height and limped back to the stool. Aliandra’s heart bled for him, but she stepped out of the way to give him his space. When he teetered dangerously to one side, she grasped his arm and helped him sit down. He hissed in surprise, but she held him until he settled.

“Now, before we do anything else, perhaps you’ll let me look at your leg once more.” Aliandra didn’t want to spook him, but she needed to get her hands on his body again. “I want to be sure you haven’t done more damage in your, uh, retreat.”

Drake snorted with derision. “You mean my chicken-shit panic?”

“I would never say such things.” She shot him a prim look, but couldn’t hide her smile.

Order of the Dragon
Copyright © 2015 Siobhan Muir
All rights reserved.

BUY LINKS will go live as I get the links. 🙂 And four links added!
SMASHWORDS | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | THREE LAKES BOOKS

BIO

Siobhan Muir lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with her husband, two daughters, and a vegetarian cat she swears is a shape-shifter, though he’s never shifted when she can see him. When not writing, she can be found looking down a microscope at fossil fox teeth, pursuing her other love, paleontology. An avid reader of science fiction/fantasy, her husband gave her a paranormal romance for Christmas one year, and she was hooked for good.

In previous lives, Siobhan has been an actor at the Colorado Renaissance Festival, a field geologist in the Aleutian Islands, and restored inter-planetary imagery at the USGS. She’s hiked to the top of Mount St. Helens and to the bottom of Meteor Crater.

Siobhan writes kick-ass adventure with hot sex for men and women to enjoy. She believes in happily ever after, redemption, and communication, all of which you will find in her paranormal romance stories.

Siobhan’s latest release, Order of the Dragon, is the first story in her new Warbler Peninsula series. She has published A Hell Hound’s Fire (a free read), The Beltane Witch, and Cloudburst Ice Magic in the Cloudburst Colorado series, and Take the Reins and A Centaur’s Solstice Wish in the Rifts series. Siobhan has also published Bronco’s Rough Ride and The Navy’s Ghost in the Bad Boys of Beta Squad series, Not a Dragon’s Standard Virgin and Queen Bitch of the Callowwood Pack through Siren Publishing, and Her Devoted Vampire through Evernight Publishing.

If you’d like to connect with Siobhan on social media, here are all the places you can find her:

WEBSITE | BLOG | GOOGLE PLUS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | TSU.CO | GOODREADS | PINTEREST | ALL ROMANCE | AMAZON AUTHOR | BOOKSTRAND

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Monday Mixer

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Silver James

loldog Monday Pup2*points at puppy* Yeah, that was pretty much me this weekend. This was OKRWA weekend but the majority of the membership took off for the RT convention in Dallas. Only five of us were going to show up for the meeting and program. I cancelled it, since I was giving the program. I’m scheduled now for July. Just as well. 😉 I took a nice nap Saturday before Lawyer Guy and I switched to the local weather to play the Oklahoma Weather Drinking Game. 😉

TV. I’m behind on OUTLANDER. WAAAAY behind. I’ll catch up one of these days. My DVRs are soooo full! I haven’t been watching much TV, except for baseball and softball. I have LOST GIRL episodes, BITTEN, and the aforementioned OUTLANDER. I have managed to keep up with RIPPER STREET (BBCA–a “police” drama set in 1880s White Chapel. Dark and interesting set of characters) and with GAME OF THRONES. NCIS killed me last week–season finale and they left Gibbs severly wounded on a street in the Mideast. *FLAIL*

I have been reading a lot, too. Wolvers (Joanna Rhoades). Dragons (Coreene Callahan). Thea Harrison’s MIDNIGHT’S KISS in her Elder Races series. I really enjoyed Julian and Melly. Melly won me over when Justine, the Vampyre trying to take down Julian (Nightkind King), called her a poodle and Melly (heir to the Light Fae throne) decided to remind the ancient Vamp that poodles could bite too. It was a fun read. Julian was my book boyfriend for the weekend.

Books I’m looking forward to reading:
Darynda Jones’ EIGHTH GRAVE AFTER DARK, which arrives tomorrow.
Larissa Ione’s HADES, a Demonica Novella 1001 Dark Nights, coming out a week from tomorrow.
B.E. Sanderson’s ACCIDENTAL DEATH. 😉
Siobhan Muir’s ORDER OF THE DRAGON. 😉

Yes, I beta read those last two but I want to read them again.

Let’s see. What else is going on in my world…Oh, yes…writing. *blerg* I’m 1/2 through DOUBLE CROSS. I normally don’t edit until I finish writing the first draft. I’m going to switch things up because DC is sort of like two books–Duke before and during a mission with Cory and Duke after the mission falls apart and he’s reunited a year later with Cory, under suspicious circumstances. The reason I’m going back to edit? Because it’s not very emotional. There’s a lot of action. There’s a lot of Duke’s POV. Which I have to trouble with. This is Duke’s book. It’s his journey. But at last look, his feelings were pretty ambivalent and that just won’t do at all. So…rewriting/layering/making it more…more.

Oh, and we had weather. LOL But it’s May. We always have weather in May. What did you watch, read, do this weekend? What awesome plans do you have for the upcoming week?

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