Thursday Thoughts: Universal Buttons

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Silver James

It’s Thursday. All day. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing bad against Thursday other than it’s just…Thursday. No Monday angst, no Tuesday recover-from-Monday-angst, no Hump Day, no TGIF. It’s just plain ol’ Thursday. And that’s okay. Why? Because the Universe has thoughts. There are buttons. Some should be pushed, some should not.

Now, I have to admit that among inventions, the “Undo” button is right up there with the very greatest of all time, yet it’ll never compare to the “Do” button, from which worlds are born.

Silver, this is your chance!

Just do it,
The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. Plus, Silver, while some things seem to be un-doable, you can ALWAYS start anew.

That Undo button comes in most handy during the writing process, and yeah, during editing. But to get to that point, we really need to hit that Do button. Which button will you push today? I definitely need to be pushing DO! With a side order of Do It Now!

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Wednesday Words: Finders Keepers

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Silver James

It’s Wednesday and I have new words. No win, place, or show in last week’s Thursday Threads but that’s okay because I’m happy with the words. The prompt for this week is: *“How did you ever find it?”* I can admit that the story is slowly starting to take shape and to make sense, which is a good thing. I’m sure there will be some surprises along the way. In the meantime, this isn’t exactly a “meet cute” but…well, you’ll get the idea when you read it.

****
She refused to cower, lifting her chin in defiance. She was tired of bullies.

The man’s gaze raked her, automatically dismissing her as no threat. Full of arrogance, he said, “How did you ever find it?”

Puzzled, she racked her memory but found no helpful frame of reference. “Find what?”

“Don’t pretend innocence.” The stranger seemed to swell in size, looming over her.

Aisling opened her mouth then closed it. She had no words. Her thoughts were too chaotic to make sense. Who was this man? How dare he try to intimidate her. Adrenaline surged inside her as her anger spiked.

“Back off.” Her voice cracked in the middle of that order so she cleared her throat. “Back off!” she repeated, forcefully this time.

He leered until another voice whispered in the darkness.

“You heard the lady.”

Aisling and the stranger both froze. She slowly turned her head. And blinked. The being standing not three feet away all but glowed. He was… She exhaled, knowing it was a sigh of pure feminine appreciation. Then she had a little trouble inhaling because he left her breathless.

“This is no business of yours, mealltóir.”

She got her first clear look at the stranger. He was shadowed darkness to the other’s radiant light. She repeated the odd word. “Malthor? What’s that?”

“His title. The King’s Seducer.” Then the shadow man disappeared. As did the other.

Aisling was alone.

The wind whispered, “Beware the deceiver.”

Totally freaked, she still didn’t know what it was.
****

There it is. Are you humming the “Theme to the Twilight Zone” yet? I was. The question becomes, which one is the deceiver? *bwahaha*

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Irish Colcannon

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Silver James

Hello, Tuesday. Do you have a treat for us today? And maybe a title? Of course you do. The Boston Marathon was Sunday. None of the Wolves or their ladies participated. But I figured a trip to Boston would be in order for today. This is a traditional Irish side dish that is a great way to hide the green stuff we all need to be healthy but maybe don’t want to eat.

Total Time: 40 Min.
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 20 Min.

10 servings 1/2 cup each

What You Need
1-1/2 lb. baking potatoes (about 5), peeled, quartered
3 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
3/4 lb. cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk, warmed

Let’s Make It
1 – Cook potatoes in boiling water in large saucepan 20 min. or until tender.
2 – Meanwhile, cook and stir bacon in large skillet on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet with slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Add onions to reserved drippings; cook and stir 2 min. or until crisp-tender. Add water; stir to release browned bits from bottom of skillet. Add cabbage; mix well. Cover; cook 7 min. or until cabbage is tender and water is cooked off, stirring occasionally.
3 – Drain potatoes; return to pan. Add butter. Mash potatoes until creamy, gradually adding milk. Add cabbage mixture and bacon; mix well.

Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – How to Test Potatoes for Doneness: To test for potato doneness, insert a fork deep into the center of the potato. There should be no resistance if the potato is done.

Tip 2 – Nutrition Bonus: The potatoes and cabbage in this deliciously different side dish team up to provide a good source of vitamin C. And as a bonus, you’ll get 1/2 cup of the recommended 2-1/2 cups of vegetables per day in each satisfying serving.

It seems like every Irish family has their own version of this side dish, this one belongs to ER nurse Maggie O’Brien. It’s the recipe she learned to make growing up in her grandmother’s kitchen. It’s simple, tasty and it’s the dish she contributes whenever there’s a pot luck dinner on the block. Quinn Donahue, her mate, might even peel the potatoes but if you tell any of the other Wolves, he’s promised to hunt you down. We all know that the Wolves are basically carnivors. Give them meat and they’re happy. Give them potatoes? Hey, their Irish. 😉 They’ll eat cabbage with corned beef if you insist. But make up a batch of colcannon? They dig in like it’s their favorite. Which it might be. If you haven’t read MOONSTRUCK MAFIA: BOSTON, you really should. It’s a big book full of lots of different storylines. No cliffhangers. Just click on a pic with the cover or the title. You’ll pop over to Books2Read to the book’s landing page where you can find the link to the on-line book seller of your choice. Have you had colcannon? Would you try it? I mean… it DOES have bacon!

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Half-Off Chocolate Monday

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Silver James

Welcome to the Monday after Easter or as I like to celebrate it, Half-off Chocolate Day!

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Mine was…a weekend. Due to circumstances and on account of because, it wasn’t all kinds of awesome but it didn’t totally suck, either. Considering the dates, that’s nothing to be taken lightly.

Most who know me are aware that I’ve had far more than my share of nine lives. Thirty years ago, I was a forensic fire photographer working with the airport rescue-fire department as the assistant chief of forensic and technincal services. It’s a long explanation. Anyway. On April 19, 1995, a home-grown terrorist decided to make a statement by blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building at 9:01 a.m. I was already halfway to the scene when my pager went off telling me to report. Yes, those were the dinosaur days of mobile communications. PTSD is a bitch and April 19th is always a tough day around these parts but especially for me. And on the big anniversaries, there’s lots of hoopla for a little extra reminding. Anyway, I got through the day.

Yesterday was Easter. Yay. I like Easter. It’s a hopeful celebration. I decorate for Easter with themed tablecoths, bunny candlesticks, porcelain bunnies, and spring flowers. Only always got really cool Easter baskets. Now she makes them for Stormy. True story, my dad always did two things every year: He sent me a rose bud for Valentine’s Day and a chocolate bunny for Easter. He passed in December of 1995. Needless to say, 1995 was not a great year.

Anyway. On a bright not, all the leftover Easter candy will be on sale today. Yayayay! 📣(This is a megaphone, like cheerleaders use. I wish there were pompom emojis. They’d be so much bettr.)

Easter was quiet. No chocolate bunnies. Not complaining. My posterior does not need any extra padding. That said, I might go shopping later. 😁

Saturday night, we got rain. We got more rain on Sunday morning. Lots of rain. We needed lots of rain, just not all at once. There was also thunder and lightning. Luckily, Jake does not mind thunder. Fireworks? That’s a different story, but thunder is no big deal. Parts of the state got twisters and damage. We got flashflooding. Not *we* personally, but the area. Sadly, there were casualties. There’s big truth to “Turn around, don’t drown.”

No soccer this weekend. Easter. And rain. But there was softball. My Cowgirls were in Orlando and they took 2 of 3 games against UCF. There were homeruns and come-from-behinds and walk-offs. Yay! I do love me some good softball.

Rain makes for good reading–or in my case, listening. I wanted something light but intense with a side order of crazysauce. My go-to author for that is Kristen Ashley. I relistened to the first two books in her Avenging Angels series. Third one is coming out soon. I’m currently working on her Wild West MC series, in which a new release recently dropped. KA is an acquired taste but lots of fun.

On that note, I’m going say that it is Monday. The holiday is over and it’s time for work. No more wallowing. I’m bucking it up, whistling while I work, and getting my nose down to the grindstone. Books don’t write themselves. I hope y’all have a good weekend. And don’t forget, chocolate is cheap today. 😉

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Friday Sinema: Superman

Posted on April 18, 2025 by Silver James

I’m not crying. You are. Bring them home!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Script

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Silver James

This is always a hard week for me–and many others. It is especially hard on the “big” years. The milestones, as it were. Saturday makes 30 years, according to the calendar. But it hit me Wednesday really hard because that day 30 years ago was a Wednesday. A bright spring day. People going about their lives. Until they weren’t. When I originally saved this message from the universe, I had other plans for it. It’s relevant to writing, as it most of these things I share. But today, I just want the message to be relevant for everyone.

When it comes to setting aside a little time each day to visualize, Silver, look at it like this:

No matter how distracted you become or how confused you are about the process, the simple fact that you gave your dream this time and attention means you did it correctly, you did it long enough, and that by the time you open your eyes, already in the unseen, huge wheels have begun turning.

HUGE.

You think I’d make it hard?

Your humble servant,
The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. Silver, always, you are so much more likely to succeed, be fulfilled, and find happiness than bring about anything you might be afraid of. Right?!

On that day, 168 souls left this plane. The lives of thousands were changed. Today, I’m going to take the Universe’s advice. And I’m going to keep taking it, and set aside a little time. Right?

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Wednesday Words: Laughing With You

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Silver James

Guess what?!? I managed to garner another Honorable Mention in the Thursday Threads fromme last week. I’ll admit I’m a little surprised because I really had to think about the prompt. My inner editor rebelled just a little, wanting the me to be myself. Here’s what I’m talking about: *”I was laughing at me.”*

The only thing I can tell you about this scene is that the “Scoobie Gang,” or at least a large portion of them, have gathered in Rochester–NY not MN–to figure out what’s up with Ariel.

****
Stumped, Sade stared at Caleb. Nope. No insight there. She shifted her gaze to Sinjen. They were hunting things that only came out to play at night. Could these creatures be some variety of vampire? Except there were no visible marks on the victims. No signs of violence. No trauma. Lost in thought, she missed the exchange of glances.

A master vampire, Sinjen could be considered the King of Night Play. She capitalized that in her head and yes, her brain went there. She chuckled because it occurred to her that if it wasn’t for the gutter, her mind would have no place to go.

A noise sounding very much like ahem refocused her thoughts even as the old-fashioned attention-getter made her laugh. Jeez but she needed sleep.

“You gonna let us in on the joke?” Caleb wasn’t amused.

She curled her lips between her teeth though her shoulders still shook. Finally able to speak, she said, “No joke. I was laughing at me.”

“You aren’t funny.”

Sade gave her best withering look. Neither Sinjen nor Caleb was impressed. “You’re right, Sinjen. I’m not. I’m going on forty-eight hours with no sleep. Coffee has abandoned me. I’m in fu—frickin’ Rochester, New York. Ari’s in trouble and I can’t do a damn thing about it. The only advice you two can give is that I shouldn’t quit my day job to become a comedian.”

“Good to know you’re smarter than you look.”

“Shut up, Caleb.” She didn’t hit him.
****

There you have it. Last week’s judge liked the dialogue and humor. She thought it excellent and that the interplay was clever. *preens a little* It’s the little encouragements that help. I have plans for words today and tomorrow. We shall see what occurs. Writers, use it or lose it. 😉 Readers, who doesn’t like a bit of humor in their books?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: In the Dumps Cake

Posted on April 15, 2025 by Silver James

Okay. That’s it. I’ve had it. You people have been making fun of me since Silver first started telling stories about me. And yes, it IS all about me. In case we haven’t met, why the hell not?!? My name is Hannah Jackson McIntire. I started life as an Army Major assigned to SecDef. That’s the Secretary of Defense to those who don’t know. I had one job. And it wasn’t cooking. It was wrangling a pack of SpecOp soldiers with weird abilities. That whole not cooking thing is why Silver started making fun of me. I first appeared in BLOOD MOON, but the full story–at least the beginning of it–is told in MOONSTRUCK: SECRETS. Are you paying attention yet? There’s a new book out that tells the rest of the story: MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION. Anyway, I’m here to defend myself. I can too cook. And this recipe proves it. And trust me, my boys love this cake.

  • Yield: 8  servings
  • Prep time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook time: 2 Hours
  • Total time: 2 hr 5 min

Ingredients

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix
  • 2 – 21oz cans cherry pie filling
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

Instructions

  1. Pour the cherry pie filling into the crockpot.
  2. Sprinkle the cake mix over the pie filling.
  3. Melt the butter in the microwave. Pour evenly over the cake mix.
  4. Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
  5. Serve hot with whipped cream or ice cream.

Tips

  • This can also be baked in the oven if you don’t have a crockpot. Follow the same instructions, but use a greased 9×13 inch baking dish instead of the slow cooker. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I heard some of you asking where Silver is. She’s around. Sort of. She’s working on a new book so I shoved her down a rabbit hole to get her out of the way. When she comes back, I want y’all to tell her that I was polite and didn’t cuss. And that I CAN cook. Dammit. If you haven’t bought this book, or need to start with 1st book, use the QR code up top, or click on either book cover or any title. If you already have the book and have read it, did you leave a review? I mean, seriously! It isn’t that the fu…er…friggin’ hard. Click 5 stars and say, “I loved this book.” Repeat after me: Click 5 stars and say, “I loved this book.” See? Easy peasy. Now go frickin’ do it. And make my cake. I mean, c’mon! It has chocolate. And cherries. And ice cream. It’s perfect when you need something to put a smile on your face. I mean, it is Tax Day. You need chocolate, right? And it’s easy peasy. Like buying a book and leaving a review. Don’t make me come over there…

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Hello, Monday

Posted on April 14, 2025 by Silver James

Actually, Monday isn’t being a total pain. I just find that meme really funny.

There was a weekend.

I did stuff.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled Monday activities.

What? Still here? Okay. Yes, I was still in slug mode last week. I accomplished very litt.e. I had to people a couple of days and that made me want to build a blanket fort and hide in it. Thing is, once I got down on the floor in the fort, I wouldn’t be able to get up off the floor withou the assistance of the fire department. And I’m not really kidding. Okay, maybe a little.

I did very little writing. There will be words on Wednesday, though. I did do a lot of beta reading for a friend. Getting closer.

I finished off the available editions of the dramatized adaptations of the Kate Daniels series. There’s one more to go, the final–mostly–in the series. There are spin-offs so it’s not like the characters are done. As of this moment, I’m not sure what I’m listening to. I didn’t have time last night to pick something out.

Stormy had a soccer game Sunday. They won. He played great. I missed it for…reasons. Stuff happens. I did make it to his musical program at school. It was funny–a whale of a tale and a guy named Jonah.

It’s hot. That’s not great but it beats being cold. I’m slowly working on switching from winter to summer stuffs around the house. I also got the hummingbird feeder filled and hung. I hope I see some of the little flitters soon. They give me a happy.

My goal this week is to get over myself and my malaise. That’s such a cool word. And fitting. Anyway, NOW you can get back to you’re lives. Anybody do anything cool this weekend?

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Friday Sinema: The Doctor is In

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Silver James

It’s time once again to go south. I have only one word: Vicks 🤣🤣🤣 Have a great weekend.

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