The First of Monday

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Silver James

cute-puppy-pictures-hello-im-here-to-make-your-monday-suck-lessToday is Monday. It’s also the first day of December, which is the last month of the year. So…a little reflection and some planning today. I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend, if here in the States, though hopefully everyone had a great weekend. I worked some, played some, cleaned some, read some, got to watch Liam eat his first pumpkin pie and learn how to take Rediwhip from the can. 😆 I got most of the outdoor lights up for Christmas. I’ll work a little on the house each day. We’ve gone pretty low-key the last few years so it doesn’t take long.

I finished National Novel Writing Month with 58,428 words. That’s 39+K on MOON SHOT, and the rest on the new chapters and rewrites for MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS. I REALLY like the way both books are turning out. They are among my writing goals for December, which are:

1. Get the paperback cover for THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC approved and that version uploaded to CreateSpace so it’s available.
2. MOON SHOT: Edit, get cover, and get formatted for release before Christmas.
3. SECRETS: Finish, edit, get cover, get formatted, and release by end of January, 2015.

Marketing fun:

1. Harlequin is doing a Goodreads giveaway for COWGIRL’S DON’T CRY, this month. I’ll get full details to you when I have them.

2. Wild Rose Press is doing a Facebook party for the 12 Brides of Christmas anthology series. I think it will be the evening of December 10th. All the Bride books will be on sale for 99¢. During the 12 Days of Christmas, I’ll probably be hosting the other authors in the series on the day that corresponds to their story. 🙂 (I don’t have to write blog posts!) snoopy This is me because I don’t have to write posts! 😀

Other stuff:

I hate raking leaves. I’m allergic to leaf mold and dust. *aahhhHHHCCHHHHOOOOoooo*
I’m Gold Card member of Starbucks until like 2017 or something ridiculous. You have to get 30 stars each year. I do that about every two months. shifty-eyes-ani2faster
I have an idea for a Wolves Christmas story but it probably won’t come out until next year (even as a free read here on the site) because it involves spoilers pertaining to MOON SHOT. I won’t forget it because here are two teasers: Sean’s solution to acquiring a large, free-growing Christmas tree, and ALL the guys stringing outdoor Christmas lights and decorating (can you say light wars?). I leave the rest to your imagination.

And on that note, I bid you a good Monday. Time for another cup of coffee mug and more words to write.

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Thursday Thoughts – On Thanksgiving

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Silver James

I have much to be thankful for this year. I have a wonderful husband who is my biggest fan. I have an amazing and talented daughter, a delightful son-in-law, and a perfect grandson. I have three furry children who love me unconditionally. I have friends who are family. I have readers who have become friends. I get to wake up each morning and visit with the people who live in my head, giving them voices and lives as I tell their stories. It’s the best job in world. I have coffee. I have music when I want it and I have the news when something is happening in the world beyond my window. I am lucky. Thank you, all of you, for being a part of my life.
thanksgiving

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Wednesday Words – Jazz Hands

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Silver James

Hand-680 Today’s #1lineWed on Twitter is all about the hands. Using, touching, looking at, thinking about hands…you get the drift. So while I was working–and holy moley are there more surprises coming in MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS!!–I started making note of when and where my characters used their hands. Then, out of curiosity, I searched the word “hand.” If you’re writing, you should do the same. I discovered that I have a very handy group! They handle, they hand over-up-down. And I very seldom describe their hands. When I found this picture on Morguefiles.com, I immediately wanted to figure out a way to use it for a book cover. I may have to write a book for it because I don’t really have one that fits at the moment. Anyway, this image is very powerful, especially given I tend to gloss over hands. I’m going to change that as I work on the two current projects because I’ve just discovered that hands can be very powerful. And compelling.

Here are some rewritten lines, all about hands, from a couple of scenes with Dr. Liz Graham and Michael Lightfoot originally in BAD MOON:

He cupped her cheek in his calloused hand and marveled at the difference in textures, unable to move for fear of abrading her skin.

Liz’s hand fluttered against his back, as ephemeral as the wings of a moth drawn to a candle. “Michael? What’s wrong? Let me help.”

“You. Can’t.”

And some lines from both BLOOD MOON and BAD MOON that I didn’t change and will be using on Twitter today:

The rough bark scraped her hands raw but she landed on her feet.

The thought of another man’s hands touching her made angry black dots swarm like a cloud of gnats before his eyes.

“No offense, but I don’t want the Alpha to chew off my hand for touching you.”

And finally, a new snippet from the bridge chapters I’m laughingly calling MOON MADNESS.

Hannah stared at Mac’s hands. They were twice the size of hers. Long fingers with scarred knuckles. Square, blunt nails. Calloused. Rough. Strong. Capable of killing in a heartbeat. Yet he held their son in those massive paws displaying a tenderness that stole her breath. And her heart. In that singular moment, as she watched the gruff Wolf gaze in awe at the tiny babe in his hands, she was lost. He owned her heart and soul now.

What about y’all? Do you look at hands? How do you describe them? And how handy are your characters?!? 😉

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Tuesday Treats – Baked Eggs

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Silver James

Huh. I was going to share the recipe to a quick and easy “holiday” treat that has been a tradition on my side of the family since forever. I haven’t made baked eggs in ages so I went in search of a picture to use to illustrate. Holy cow! The variety and yumminess that I found knows no bounds! When I was growing up, baked eggs meant lining the cups of a muffin tin with bacon, cracking the eggs and dropping the contents into the cups, then baking until bacon and eggs were done. A dozen fed four of us. What I discovered? Dang! To get specific directions for what I’m now calling the basic version, click on the photo above.

That’s the Plain Jane. The possibilities look endless! Prosciutto ham. Canadian bacon. Cheese. Spinach. Chopped green onions. Hash browns. And bacon. With extras! The diversity is mind boggling. I’m going to have to totally rethink the whole baked eggs thing. I’m talking dinner. At any time! Just Google “Baked Eggs” and start checking recipes! Or just look at the pictures for inspiration. I’m thinking Canadian bacon, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions. Or deli-sliced ham, fresh spinach, and feta cheese. Or…or…*muppet flail*

What about y’all? What combination sounds yummy to you?

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Monday Equals NaNo Brain

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Silver James

Face the dayShush! NaNo Brain is too a thing! Just ask anyone who’s taken part. I was ahead on my word count over the weekend. MOON SHOT is basically written. It needs a lot of hard editing and probably some chapter rearranging. I also plan to write a “Letter to the Reader” explaining my decision to end the Moonstruck series. Don’t worry. The Wolves aren’t going anywhere and there were some surprises revealed in MOON SHOT so there will be some cameo appearances in both the Hard Target series AND the Nightriders. Don’t ask. I was merrily writing along and then went OH HELL NO! IFFY DIDN”T JUST GO THERE!!!! But she did and I was all like, “Oh crap. Yeah! Why didn’t I figure that out before!!!” Anyway, you’ll have to read MOON SHOT to pick up on that stuff. Anyway, now I’m on to those connecting chapters to bring the books into longer versions for print and re-release. That will round out my words for NaNo.

Lawyer Guy and I went up to Only’s house yesterday. Ostensibly, LG was going to show Only how to fix the pipes leaking under her sink. In actuality, he just did it. She was ready to pitch in and had already watched a YouTube video to learn how. Don’t ask! The upshot is, I got to spend some time with Sprout. His first tooth is in, he’s HUGE, and his hands are keeping up with his hobbit feet. I can’t wait to watch this kid grow up. His personality is…well…let’s just say the devil child will keep his parents running. And gosh, I’ve been very careful never to invoke the “Mother’s Curse.” 😉

This is a holiday week. I’ll do my best to post but I have yeast dough to make for cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pies to make, and a turkey breast to thaw and roast. We’re headed to the kids’ for Thursday. And I refuse to go anywhere near a store on Black Friday. I. HATE. Crowds. I plan to get all my grocery shopping done beforehand and only hit the local small grocery if I need something.

Oh, we had rain. Sun is shining today so I’ll need to get out after I get my words for the day done. Until then, what are y’all up to this week? Cooking anything special? Going anywhere? Writing? Reading? I feel like I’ve been living in a well! Tell me what’s going on in your lives!!!! Please?

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Friday Free-for-All

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Silver James

Friday!I don’t really have anything to say. The one cool YouTube I found this week, I posted on my FB page because I know far more Dr. Whovians over there than here. No cute puppies or kitties. No music videos. So…I’m going to free associate my way through this blog.

Character surprises:
Nikos Constantine, the dragon from Penumbra Papers, is left-handed. Yes, I AM missing that world and really need to get back into it. First things first.

From Moonstruck, Mac McIntire’s childhood and teen years surprised the hell out of me and there’s a crossover there to the Nightriders series. I can’t say anything because it’s a surprise. Yeah, yeah. I’m all evil like that. 😉

I found a model for The Russian from the Nightriders. Sergei sort of looks like Maksim Chmerkovskiy. I found a model who I thought was Maks, only it’s not. Which is cool. 🙂

Duke Reagan, from MOON SHOT and the Hard Target series, has an interesting run-in at the end of MOON SHOT.

New Project:
I woke up early Thursday morning and hand-wrote a quick scene about a wounded warrior and a lost woman finding each other at Christmas. I’m going to write it and send it to Mr. HarlEd to see if they might want it for next Christmas. Yeah, yeah. Like I have time to write anything else. This would be a shorty–maybe a free read for the Harlequin website or something. Or a freebie for here.

TV:
The last season of LOST GIRL starts in January. This makes me have a sad but I’m asking for Season 4 for Christmas. (Already have the first three seasons.) LONGMIRE has been picked up by NetFlix. I guess that means I’ll have to subscribe to NetFlix. Or something. 😦

Favorite line(s) I wrote this week:

“Push, Annie. I know it’s like forcing a fuckin’ basketball through a tube of toothpaste, but you can do this, girl. Damn Wolves and their big heads.” Hannah held Annie’s hands without a grimace as the pregnant woman squeezed the blood from her fingers.

“The baby’s female,” Sean gritted out between clinched teeth.

“Oh, yeah. My mistake. A fuckin’ soccer ball then.”

“Not helping, Hannah.”

So, since this is a free-for-all, what do you want to talk about, share, do, see, hear, etc? Oh, and have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts – Universal Worldbuilding Part 2

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Silver James

Today’s musing comes on the heels of last weeks post. You can see it HERE if you missed it, or need a refresher. Today’s message from the Universe tends to sum up my thoughts about writing romance.

I have to tell you, Silver, that one of the greatest things about being the Universe, is knowing absolutely everything. Well, that and making dreams come true. I also love being eternal… and having no limits. Creating worlds simply with thought. Knowing that reality is unfolding just exactly as it should. Having it all, being it all, doing it all. And I like being perpetually in love… and loved.

How ’bout you, Silver? What’s your favorite thing about being the Universe?

Tallyho,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, don’t we rock!? xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ooooooooooooooooo!

As an author, I take the place of the Universe in my books. I am a god, bringing places and people into being, infusing my characters with life and all the messy things attendant to that life. Emotions all across the spectrum are untidy, dirty, hurtful, peaceful, and finally loving. I get to make my characters’ dreams come true. The reality/plot of the book unfolds as it should and in the end, the characters are loved. By me. By each other–well, except for the villains. 😆 And hopefully, loved by the readers.

And that, m’friends, is my favorite thing about being my book’s Universe. Telling a story that touches my readers, that makes them happy, or sad and then happy. That makes them anxious and relieved. That takes them on a ride so that they can live a life outside of their own. In the words of George RR Martin:
Reader lives

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Wednesday Words – Moon Shot Snippet

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Silver James

Definition of writer I forgot I hadn’t “preloaded” a post for today. I was doing stuff. Important stuff. Like writing new words on MOON SHOT. Because I’m all caught up and a couple of hundred #NaNoWriMo words ahead as of yesterday. Today is #1lineWed on Twitter. Today’s theme is: Critters – real or imagined. I have a lot of those! 😆

Since I sort of need to get something posted here, I thought I’d stick with the WIP. Here’s a snippet from a chapter that left me all sniffly. This is ROUGH draft! But anyway…I hope you enjoy. Also, I put a snippet from the love scene between Mac and Hannah on my FB page, in case you missed it.

****

After he’d dressed, Mac stepped to his side. Silently, they watched the house where their enemy waited. “I know what you’re thinking, Nate.”

Nate lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug. He’d already made up his mind.

“There’s no victory in dying.”

He stared at Mac, red glints clearly visible in his eyes. He’d gone all but feral, and hadn’t totally returned to human even though he was no longer in wolf form. Despite that, Mac wasn’t worried. Nate was a marine. Had been an officer. Had shed blood-red tears over the men under his command.

Nate’s hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as he fought for control of his wolf. “I know that, Mac,” Nate gritted out. “Victory comes only in the death of evil.”

“Exactly.” Mac’s gaze remained steady on the other man. “And there is no shame in passing that duty to another willing to shoulder the burden.”

Shaking his head, Nate held Mac’s gaze. “This is my burden. I—” He swallowed even as his shoulders straightened. “There’s no way you can understand, Mac.”

“You’re wrong, Nate. You’re one of us. One of mine. I do understand. I’ve buried two brothers. I won’t bury you too.”

****

This is your chance to “beta read.” Thoughts?

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Tuesday Treats – Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Silver James

snow 11-17-14 It might still be fall according to the calendar but Mother Nature has decided it’s winter! I think it’s time to warm up so here are some quick recipes for hot drinks.

Loco Coco
1 package coco mix
boiling water to mix
1 dollop (or 3) of peppermint schnapps

Great for sipping in front of a crackling fire, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. 😉

Bailey’s Irish Creme Coffee
1 cup hot coffee
1 oz. Bailey’s Irish Creme
whipped cream

Mix it, squirt the whipped cream on top, indulge

My former next-door neighbor made this every year as Christmas gifts. It’s yummy!

Homemade Hot Coco Mix

2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Keep in a sealed container. When ready to use, fill mug about half full with mix and pour hot water over it. Stir. You can also use hot milk for an extra-creamy drink. And yes, you can add schnapps. Coffee. And/or Baileys. Or…your choice. 😉

Do you have any warm-n-quick recipes to share? And be sure to stay warm! 😀

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Every Monday Should be a Snow Day

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Silver James

IgnoreMondayCatRight? I mean how cool would that be? We’d have the whole day off to drink hot coco or bundle up and go build snowmen. Or…something. Yes, we had our first snow of the year yesterday. It was pretty, as I looked out the window but I didn’t stop to take a picture. I’ll try to do that today and post it tomorrow. While it wasn’t the earliest snowfall–that was October 26, 1957, it was still a shock to the system. Cooper, however, was in his element. Rain. Snow. Dang dog doesn’t care as long as it’s wet and cold. Brrrr!

I should go make an LOLPic about snow days. Because…PROCRASTINATION! In the meantime, I’m using this one because it sort of fits. On the other hand, if I followed this LOLPic’s advice, I wouldn’t be here visiting with y’all. I guess it all works out in the end. So..what’s up with me? Hrmmm…

I wrote 5K words yesterday on MOON SHOT. I discovered something about Mac McIntire’s past that blew me away. Iffy is being very twisty-bendy-devious these days. Y’all will be so surprised when you get to that part. At least I think you will. shifty-eyes-ani2faster The good news is, I wrote a smidgen over 5K words. The bad news is, I’m still behind my NaNo word count. S’okay. I’m only down about 5700. If I can write another 4K today, then I’ll only be behind about 3400 words on Tuesday. See? I’m catching up! Even if I don’t get those many words written, I only have to write a little over 1800 words a day to finish on time. S’all gravy.

The Only finished the print cover for THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. Yes, I decided to offer a print version of it, since I can get it into two libraries that way. The library in my hometown has asked for notice anytime I have a book coming out in print. I plan on donating a copy of of TOBM to go with SEASON OF THE WITCH, which they already have on the shelves. A reader asked her local library to order my books for their shelves and they did. That was pretty darn cool! I’ll let you know when it’s available for sale!

Saturday was OKRWA chapter meeting. The morning speaker was a retired OCPD homicide detective. He was interesting and I got his black humor, which not all the writers did. Their loss! 😆 After a fun lunch in the Museum Cafe–we hold our meetings at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art–NYT best-selling and RITA award-winning author Linda Goodnight spoke on craft–The Plotting Circle. I liked the way she outlined her process, and it works for either a plotter or a pantser. For a puzzler like me, it just solidified things in a physical way that I tend to do in my head. That said, I like the idea of having a diagram to look at. In other news, the membership saw fit to elect me as the incoming 2015 chapter president. Dang it. 😦

That was my weekend, since I refuse to discuss college football any more this season. 😉 What fantabulous things did y’all get up to?

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