Monday — True Story

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Silver James

T-Rex Monday This is exactly how I feel today. Late Friday night, the viral crude that had Sprout so sick hit me. I was down for the count all day Saturday. The good news? When one doesn’t eat for over 24 hours, one tends to lose weight. The bad news? I’m behind on getting BLUE MOON ready to release into the wild. 😦 This makes me have a big sad. I thought I’d have today and tomorrow to catch up. Nope. Not gonna happen. Sprout is all enrolled for day care but he’s still having symptoms so he can’t go. 😦 😦 😦 😦 So…sorry. BLUE MOON will get out there sometime this week. With luck. And a sleeping Sprout. And no second rounds of the ick for me.

On the other hand, it was a 75-25 weekend for my sports teams. OSU and OU both won, even though their games were really ugly. The Cardinals lost the first game of the NLCS (National League Championship Series) to the Giants. As of this writing, I don’t know about Game 2. I was afraid to watch for fear of jinxing. Last I tuned in, Cards were up 2-0, but Giants were threatening. EDIT: And what a nailbiter! The Cards came back in the bottom of the 9th with the score tied at 4 all. Kolton Wong hit a walk-off homerun. So, the Cards head to San Francisco with a split. We’ll take it!

TV–I’m really missing OUTLANDER. 😆 But I have shows on the DVR to catch up on. Really enjoying Gotham, but I’ve pretty much given up on Sleepy Hollow. Castle is still hanging in there. Enjoying FOREVER and of the new shows. NCIS New Orleans is cool and a nice follow-on to NCIS. I’ve also pretty much given up on Bones, and that also makes me have a sad.

Books–Caught up on the new series from Larissa Ione, The MoonBound Clan Vampires. Interesting take on the vampire mythos. I read them out of order, and that was an oops, but okay. I got the worldbuilding when I went back to read book 1. Definitely read them in order: Bound By Night (1) then Chained by Night (2). Looking forward to the 3rd one, whenever it comes out. Also read Joanne Wylde’s latest Reapers MC book, Reaper’s Stand. These books are the best MC series going, as far as I’m concerned, and Stand is the best of the lot. They were all 4/5 stars for me. Warning. Sex is graphic and raw and so is the language. I’m way ahead of schedule on my Goodreads Reading Challenge. In fact, with my rereads that they don’t count, I’ve exceeded my 150 books goal, and that doesn’t include the last set of 10 contest books I read. Guess I’ll have to bump the number, especially since there are several books releasing over the next three months that I’ve been anxiously awaiting!

And on that note, I need to get work done while I can. I’ll check in on you chickadees through the day, when the Writing Gods (and Master Sprout) allow. Fill me in on your weekends. Fun times had? Good books read? Good TV show or movies watched? Y’all know I live vicariously through you, right? 😉

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Friday Sinema – Gerard is Boss

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Silver James

I know there are some Gerard Butler fans here. You’re welcome. And have a great weekend!

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Universal Spin

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Silver James

universeI went back and looked at my post for Monday. And freaked just a little. Okay. I freaked a lot! I’ve set a strenuous journey for myself in upcoming months. November in National Novel Writing Month and that always gives me a kickstart. I hope to be well on my way with the words for MOON SHOT so I can use NaNo to round out 50K words in MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS. Scrolling through BLOOD MAGIC for Wednesday’s #1lineWed on Twitter made me salivate to get started on the compilation. And then this popped up in the ol’ inbox. 🙂

For times when the world seems to spin too fast, Silver, or when your dreams seem to turn slightly pale… switch tracks, give yourself a rest, and dwell upon the fact that you are still part of a greater dream. My own. And I couldn’t be happier with the progress we’re making.

You’re pure “Rock Star” in the unseen,
The Universe

© http://www.tut.com ®

Happy Thursday, Silver!

So…if this is happening to you, switch tracks and now that the progress you’re making is awesome! And I agree with the Universe: Happy Thursday!

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Wednesday Words – Blue Moon and Blood Moon

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Silver James

Blue Moon Final 680There was a Blood Moon this morning. Yes, I was awake. Yes, it was awesome. Somewhere, the Wolves are off with their mates, staying away from each other so no fights break out. You see, in the Moonstruck world, alphas can only challenge for leadership under a Blood Moon.

But right now, it’s time for a Blue Moon. As promised, here are snippets. 😀

The road narrowed and the potholes were closer together and deeper the farther DJ drove into the Louisiana bayous. ‘Go get the man.’ So much easier said than done in this alien landscape. DJ was a city girl. Bright lights. Traffic. Throngs of people. That was her comfort zone. Out here in the boonies? Yeah…no. The bayous creeped her out. Big time.

And so it begins…*bwahahaha*

DJ is really in for a rude awakening. shifty-eyes-ani2faster

DJ had no desire to be the heroine in some blockbuster thriller. As she stared down the dark road though, it was preferable to being cast as the stupid girl in a teen horror flick. Unfortunately, she felt far more like the latter, especially since there’d been no traffic since she’d passed a rattle-trap pickup about an hour previous.

“Lost satellite transmission.”

The cultured voice startled her and DJ slammed on the brakes.

“Lost satellite transmission,” the voice droned again.

“Stupid GPS.” She punched the OK button, cutting off the voice before it could tell her again that she was in the middle of nowhere.

And finally, just a hint of what she’s up against after Antoine saves her life–whether she wanted to be saved or not. 😉

Lost in her self-argument, she barreled into that broad expanse of tan skin when he stopped abruptly. He let go of her hand as he turned to face her.

“Stop fighting me, cher. There are dangers in d’bayous.”

“Yeah. You.”

Something flashed in his eyes and he leaned toward her. “I am d’most dangerous animal in the swamp, cher. You be wise not t’be forgettin’ dat, yeah?”

Coming to a Kindle near you on October 15th!

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Tuesday Titles: BLUE MOON Cover Reveal

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Silver James

Blue Moon Final 680It’s almost time! BLUE MOON, book 8 of the Moonstruck series will be arriving at Amazon in the next couple of weeks. Here’s the fabulous cover The Only did for me. That would be Antoine Fontaine, uncle to Izzy (from ROGUE MOON) and all-but-feral Wolf. I’m still working on the blurb and such but here’s my early working draft of it. Suggestions always appreciated because I. Hate. Writing. Blurbs! No. Really HATE writing them!

DJ Collier is a manhunter. As a Deputy US Marshal, she’ll go after any fugitive, but the names in the secret file dumped on her desk must be ghosts considering the lack of information she can gather. Where better to hunt them than in the last place she encountered the elusive group of military Special Operators? She never expected to find death, destruction, and a sexy Wolf determined to make her his in the Louisiana bayous.

Antoine Fontaine has lived in the bayous all his life. Always standing on the outside of his close-knit Cajun family, he thinks he’s one of a kind. He never expected to discover another like himself, much less a whole group of SpecOps Wolves who welcome him into their pack. He has no idea what it means to be moonstruck until he rescues a feisty Deputy US Marshal. Now, he’ll fight to the death to keep her.

Once in a Blue Moon, a Wolf finds his mate and even if he’s up to his ass in alligators, he’ll keep her safe. Warning: Hot sex, explosions, and mayhem of the blood and guts kind dead ahead.

Tomorrow there will be snippets. And with any luck at all, editing and formatting will be a go for an October 15th release!

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Easy Like Monday

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Silver James

funny-pictures-i-know-those-feels-monday-catHello, world! I feel like I’ve been living under a rock. 😆 And contrary to popular belief, there is nothing easy about Monday, or my upcoming schedule. Here’s the rundown.

Writing: Turned in the rewrite/revisions of THE COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET a day early to Mr. HEd in NY. Turned in final draft of BLUE MOON to my CP, beta reader, and continuity editor. Keep your fingers crossed that I get everything done and it goes up on Amazon by October 15th. Be sure to stop in tomorrow for the cover reveal and Wednesday for some snippets.

Appearances: Got swag and books ordered for the book signing I’m doing at the library in my hometown. I’ll be there on November 1st as a featured author. 🙂

Productivity: I got a little laundry done but most of my weekend was spent making a Snoopy costume for Sprout. The Only wore a Snoopy costume for her first Halloween–also homemade by me. Only wanted to keep the tradition going. 😀 Mainly, I watched college football–the REAL OSU won! But OU lost. 😦 And play-off baseball. My Cards split 1-1 with the Dodgers in LA and they play the next two games at home in St. Louis tonight and tomorrow night. Here’s hoping the Cards can take two at home to move on to the next round against either the Giants or the Nationals.

Reading: I finished off an anthology–HOTTER THAN HELL–edited by Kim Harrison. That one’s been sitting on my TBR shelf for a long time. Like most anthologies, I like some of the stories better than others. I also finished up the boxed set, DARK NIGHTS, DANGEROUS MEN with books by Elisabeth Naughton, Cynthia Eden, Katie Reus, Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright, and Joan Swan. Once again, the group was “uneven” but it was one of those 99 cent deals so I figured why not? I also read STONE COLD LOVER (Gargoyles #2) by Christine Warren, which I got from the library. I’m really trying to cut back on the ol’ book budget. Unless it’s a book from an auto-buy for me, I’m doing my best to read books from the library until I decide I want to keep a copy. I’m also trying to read one paperback from my TBR shelf, one digital from my Kindle, and if something new is out, one from the library once I come up on a waiting list. I want to clear out some of the books. The physical books I’ll either do giveaways with or take them to the VA hospital for patients and visitors.

Future writing plans–none of which are carved in stone, because…Life.

1. MOON SHOT: crossover novel with the Wolves of Moonstruck, the SEALS of the Atlantis Project (mentioned in the Moonstruck series) and some new characters, including new Wolves, who form an international rapid response terrorist unit, the Hard Target series, winter 2014/2015. With luck, it’ll be out before Christmas.

2. MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS (a compilation of BLOOD MOON and BAD MOON with added material spanning the years between the books) hopefully to release in digital AND print early 2015.

3. MOONSTRUCK: LIES (HUNTER’S MOON and WOLF MOON with added material cut from both books before publication), digital and print, spring 2015

4. MOONSTRUCK: BETRAYAL (BRIDE’S MOON and ROGUE MOON, also with added material), digital and print, summer 2015

5. MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION (BLUE MOON and MOON SHORT, with the full story, and probably CHRISTMAS MOON as a bonus), digital and print, fall 2015

6. THE DEVIL’S CUT (Penumbra #2): Caleb’s story, but with cameos from your favorites from the other books–Sade, Sinjen, Roman, Nikos and others, digital and print, early winter, 2015

7. THE NIGHTRIDERS: not quite sure how I’m going to do this series, but they are rogue Wolves and members of a motorcycle club. 2015.

Plus I’ll have at least two Harlequin books releasing–January and April, and hopefully one or two more. Still waiting to hear on the proposals I submitted. Those contracts will determine the exact timing of my self-pubs.

So, that catches y’all up on my life. Now I want to know what y’all have been up to since I’ve been hibernating!

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Monday – National Coffee Day

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Silver James

Thank the gods that it is!

I’m still in deadline hell and the only thing keeping me sane is caffeine. Yes, this is late because I was working last night. No, I didn’t post it first thing this morning because I was too busy being this dog when I rolled over at 4 a.m.

He wants coffee

As I start the second pot of the morning, this is me now.

funnydogs MY coffee

I will kick this rewrite’s butt. It’s written. This is read-through and fixing the crappiness. See you after I hit the send button. Sprout is due in 5-4-3….

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Friday Sinema – Buddies

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Silver James

I’m still absent until I finish this revision. I have until Wednesday. Sprout has been colicky and unhappy so not much has gotten done. That said, he’s with his dad today and so I have 72 hours of uninterrupted writing. I shall persevere! That said, when I saw this video last week, I knew I had to share it. The message is clear…. Have a happy, and SAFE weekend!

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Thoughts On Outlanders “The Wedding”

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Silver James

Borrowed from Starz.com

Borrowed from Starz.com

No treats, titles, or teases today. Not because I’m out of recipes, books, or writing snippets but because I’m jealous and I want to discuss that. To those of you who don’t have STARZ and haven’t been able to watch OUTLANDER, I apologize for waxing “fangirl” over this series so often. I haven’t read the book. I probably will at some point when my schedule evens out and I can dive into a book that long. But the series? Doin’ the fangirl dance over here. And surprisingly, as hot and sexy as Jamie is, as feisty and strong as Claire is, as maddening but sexy as Dougal is, and as comic-relieving as Rupert and Angus are? All those things total just a tiny reason why I’m so hooked on the show.

Production values. OMG! People, people, people! Granted, it’s pretty darn hard to screw up the scenery. Like New Orleans, the Scottish highlands becomes a character of the story–almost a living, breathing entity. The costumes! Historically correct in all their discomfort and yet I think we all want some of the knitted goods Claire wears and a few of her dresses. And Jamie’s kilt (or at least what’s under it… shifty-eyes-ani2faster ) The set dressing, the horses, the clansmen and women, the villagers…it’s all so realistic–beautiful and terrible at the same time. The story doesn’t pull any punches. People get dirty and stay dirty. Bathing is often a pan of cold water poured over the head–or a cold stream. The show portrays all that.

But now I want to discuss The Wedding. I’m pretty sure social media lit up. There was naked Jamie and Claire. There was some hot loving–though not graphic. The director left a LOT up to the imagination. But now we’re getting to the reason I’m jealous. My writing is frequently described as “cinematic.” I write in multiple POVs and my scenes are often structured like the scene in a TV show or movie. When I write a scene, I see it in my head as a series of…camera angles, if you will. But The Wedding did something I would love to do as a writer but I’ve never figured out how to do what they did into the written word–at least not to the inspiring degree the show achieves.

The episode starts shortly after the marriage ceremony and wedding dinner/lunch/breakfast(?) in the pub. Claire and Jamie are alone in a room above the public house. Clair is sitting in her shift, corset, underskirt, etc. Jamie enters, wearing his shirt, kilt, and boots. After a bit of rather awkward interaction, the episode turns pure magic. They talked and drank and shared a plate, sharing these stories while the viewer is shown the action. They were interrupted by Rupert and Angus–checking to see if they’d done it yet to make the marriage legal to keep Claire safe from Captain Randall. The “backstory” unfolded in a series of magnificent flashbacks that felt both immediate and were damn fine storytelling. I’m in awe and truly wish I could figure out how to layer backstory in that seamlessly. Yes, I’m babbling. And here’s a short video where the producer, Ron D. Moore, explains his thinking. Yeah, I REALLY like the way he thinks. Now to figure out how to translate it into my writing…

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Monday Mischief

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Silver James

funnydogs MY coffeeYeah, I’m a little snarly this morning. I don’t have a lot to say. I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed as I realize I have an October 1st deadline for revisions on THE COWGIRL’S LITTLE SECRET. I’m almost to the muppet flail stage but I have a weekend before it’s due so I can hide in my writing cave for 48 hours if necessary.

Writing stuffs: I should have been working this past weekend but it was the OKRWA retreat. Ended up with only 4 of us spending the two nights at the guest house we leased, with two more coming in for the day on Saturday. It worked out great because we each got our own bedroom. We shared food, laughter, made some new in-jokes, and hopefully, the others got a kick-start of some WIPs that had stalled for them. I did a workshop on ways to jump-start a writer’s creativity to get through writer’s block. It was fun and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I tried to work on Saturday afternoon while the others did a workshop on the “Save the Cat” writing process. I worked through some minor threads but the major stuff eluded me. I did get some great ideas for WIPs that may never see the light of day due to sheer lack of time. Ah well.

TV stuffs: GOTHAM premieres tomorrow night, SLEEPY HOLLOW starts the new season, and FOREVER premiers. GOTHAM is about the beginnings of Batman and Commissioner Gordon when they were Bruce Wayne the scared kid and Detective Gordon. All the baddies are introduced in their kid/teen personas. FOREVER stares Ioan Gruffudd. It’s worth it just see him- 😆 -but the premise is interesting. He’s immortal and every time he dies–which seems to be a lot, he comes right back to the same place. He’s a pathologist with the NYC ME’s office. Then we have NCIS and NCIS New Orleans on Tuesday. Woot-woot! There’s some other shows I’m interested in that I can’t remember at the moment.

Reading stuffs: I’ve read stuff but nothing that sticks with me enough to say “GO READ THIS!” I’ll see if I can’t fix that by next week.

Other stuffs: This week’s schedule may be a little different. I want to do a blog about Saturday’s episode of OUTLANDER. And no, it probably isn’t what you think though there was Jamie butt. NAKED Jame butt! For realz!!!! Yeah. I was swooning. 😉

So how was your weekend?

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