Tuesday Titles – Series

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Silver James

ShareTheBookLoveReading. I do a lot of it. And I have a serious love affair with series–so long as they maintain their quality. It’s no secret that the In Death/Eve Dallas series by J.D. Robb is my all-time favorite. NAKED IN DEATH, the first book in the series, is my chicken soup book. When absolutely no other book says READ ME! I can pick that one up and be so friggin happy I’m a clam. What does that phrase even mean? “Happy as a clam.” Anyway… I bought the series in used mass market paperbacks until I caught up with the hardback releases. Now I buy them in hardback, and in digital. Someday, I’ll have the whole series in paper AND digital. I love it if LaNora would get the first 20 books reissued in hardback. I’d buy ’em.

Why am I talking about this? Because I’m getting read to do a series reread because the next book is coming out May 20th, Darynda Jones’s SIXTH GRAVE ON EDGE. Yes, I have these books in hardback and now I’m catching up in digital when they go on sale. These books make me laugh, and Cruz?!? Oh yeah, he’s right up there on my list of favorite book boyfriends.

Other series that are my crack?

Jayne Ann Krentz (et al.) and her Arcane Society books. I started with the Jayne Castle Harmony series and followed all the branches through all her persona.

Allison Brennan and just about everything she rights. I’m really groovin’ on the Max Revere series (her new one) and I really need to get into the series she’s co-authoring with Laura Griffin, the Moreno and Hart mystery series. Need I mention Alli’s Lucy Kincaid (and the trilogies that are all about her family and friends leading up to Lucy’s series).

And ya know what? Holy crap but there’s a lot of series I could list. I just looked at my Kindle shelves. I could go on for days but…I have work to do. So what’s your go-to series? Your all-time-if-I-had-nothing-but-this-series-to-read-I’d-still-be-happy favorite?

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Monday Grays

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Silver James

funny-dog-pictures-not-ready-for-monday Who’s ready for Monday morning?!? Yeah, me neither. 😉 It’s dark and broody outside. The air is thick with moisture and we have a chance for storms as cold front collides with warm, moist air. The good news? Temperatures will drop to more spring-like levels and we can probably turn the AC off again. Yay. The bad news? We may have storms but the good news is that we really need rain. so I’ll take the chance of storms to get water.

Saturday, I got caught up on some housework (except I think the vacuum died yesterday when Lawyer Guy was running it. Not his fault! It’s hold and with two shaggy dogs who blow coats twice a year…yeah…anyway…:lol: ) and did some laundry. I also switched over from winter bed linens to summer one. I also got down to brass tacks on filling out my art sheet for COWGIRLS DON’T CRY. Holy moley! Talk about in-depth. Still working on it because…

Yesterday…I took the day off. It was lovely. I did next to nothing. I read, I lounged in bed, I watched TV, and the whole family got together for dinner. Yes, I got to see and play with the Sprout. 😉

Today? Back to the eye doctor for further tests, pick up my new glasses, and finish up my Harlequin paperwork plus email Mr. HEd with picture ideas for the cover clinch plus my “vision” of Chance and Cassidy.

This week? Hitting COWGIRL’S SWEETHEART hard. After my phone convo with Mr. HEd on Friday, I’m all fired up. I know the direction the book is going. Yay!

What about y’all? Did you have a good weekend? Anything of interest coming up this week?

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Friday Sinema – Do You Want This Job?

Posted on May 11, 2014 by Silver James

You know who to call…

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Back in the Saddle…

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Silver James

Face the day …sort of.

I’m a creature of habit. Or should be. Because only by adhering to a schedule do I remain even semi-sorta-organized. With the changes to that schedule created by jury duty, I’m having a hellava time getting back in the saddle, finding my groove, all systems go, standard operation procedure.

Next week. I’ll get back on my blogging/social media schedule next week. Today? A quick recap of my week.

Had an appointment yesterday with the eye doc. Pressure is way up in both eyes. I go back Monday for more rigorous testing and will probably be started on drops to help prevent glaucoma. One cataract is negligible. The other is a little thicker but still in a holding pattern. Dr. Rock-Star will keep an eye on them. My vision had changed–like d’uh. LOL Getting new regular vision/reading bifocals plus computer glasses–mid-distance and reading. I pick them up tomorrow. Yay.

Tomorrow night, Lawyer Guy and I are babysitting the Sprout while Only and BB head to an evening at a murder mystery dinner. They’re playing Count and Countess Somebody-or-other. In costume. It’ll be fun. And we get Sprout!

Doing final edits on FAERIE FAITH and will get it sent off to Ms. Editor 1.0 probably tomorrow.

Got log-in info for Harlequin so I can start setting up bio, art sheet for cover for COWGIRLS DON’T CRY. That is now the official title so YAYAYAYAYAY!

Now, for jury duty. OMG! The people! Here’s just a few I called The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. And a couple of interesting folks for good measure.

Good: A man in his seventies or eighties, on a walker. He was offered the chance to be excused at the git go. He refused. A decorated Korean War vet, he wanted to do his civic duty. He was called for a jury but I don’t know if he was seated.

The Asian lady who brought her daughter to translate. She was a proud, NEW American citizen and really wanted the chance to fulfill her duty. She was also called for a jury but I suspect she was excused due to translation issues.

Bad (fashion sense): He wore a black suit with red pinstripes. No. Really. And pointy-toed wing-tip shoes. The collar of his purple shirt almost covered the gang tattoos on his neck. He was worried that misdemeanor convictions would keep him off a jury. He told me he wanted to see the jury systems from the other side of the jury box. Interesting. By the time I was released, he hadn’t been called.

The lady who wore six inch platform heels, in the pencil skirt and bustier with lace overblouse. Her makeup had been put on with a spatula and she was closer to my age than 30. The construction worker next to me busted out a laugh and rolled his eyes. She made my feet hurt every time she walked by.

The Ugly: The woman who brought her gang-banger boyfriend (complete with baggy pants and underwear showing) to act as her interpreter. She insisted she was a deaf mute. She’d make wild hand gestures and the guy would allegedly translate. Five of us overheard her in the bathroom cussing out someone on her cell phone. Oh yeah. We tattled. She was led away by a deputy. Boyfriend took off.

Interesting: The blond biker. Oh yeah. If I’d been able to snap a surreptitious photo, I would have! Tats, short blond hair, well-built (oh yeah he filled out that tee shirt *fans face* and those jeans!) and polite. He stood to give his seat to an older lady who arrived late and he was called for the same jury as the war vet. He helped the vet negotiate the crowd to the holding area and out, slowing down to match his gait to the older man. Definitely hero material!

So that was my week and here it is 10:30 and I still haven’t gotten to work. I should do that now. *nods* In the meantime, where’s your favorite place to people watch and do you have any good/bad/ugly/interesting to share?

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Friday Frenzy

Posted on May 2, 2014 by Silver James

Professional Plan BFirst, this is my new motto! Second, I’m scrabbling like crazy trying to get COWGIRL’S SWEETHEART up to snuff and those all-important first chapters back to Mr. HEd. Why? Because that mid-July deadline is looming and we need to get the beginning nailed down before I write the rest of the story.

But here’s the rub. I’ve been subpoenaed for jury duty starting Monday. Yeah. Really. And ya know? I really don’t mind doing my civic duty if they’d actually…you know…LET me do my civic duty? This is the second time in the past couple of years I’ve been tagged. I went like 40 years without ever getting subpoenaed.

Here’s what my interminable days at the courthouse will be like next week:
Arrive in parking garage about 7:45. Spend 10 minutes getting through the metal detectors/security checkpoint. Report to jury room no later than 8:00 a.m. Try to find a seat on the back wall where I have access to a wall plug.

Judge will show up about 8:30 to give us the 4-1-1. About 9:00, jury pools will be drawn and marched off to various courtrooms. They’ll be questioned, probed, rejected, or seated. Rejects return to the jury room to wile away the rest of the day.

Get dismissed sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. Fight “rush-hour” traffic home. Get up and do it all again the next day. All frickin’ week.

Now, here’s the rub. There’s not an attorney in this county who will sit me on a jury. Why? 1) I’m married to an attorney and know most of the judges and attorneys in the bar; 2) I have served as chief bailiff of a district court, deputy marshal and marshal of the state Court of Civil Appeals; 3) I have a background in law enforcement; 4) I’m a published author (heaven forbid I get on a jury and then write a frickin’ book about the trial!!! Really?!?)

But will the judge excuse me? Oh hell no! The administrative judge knows I won’t get seated but he’s a bit of a sadist where the county bar is concerned. See, the last time this happened, I sat there all week and finally got seated on a Thursday. For a murder trial. Where the defense was bad forensics. Yeah. What’s on my resume? Technical Crime Scene Investigator. *raises and waves hand* Uhm…forensics–gathering and analyzing. Yeah, good times. The DAs asked the judge to excuse me for cause. He refused. The defense attorneys asked me if I could recognize mishandled evidence when it bit me in the arse (or words to that effect). Well, d’uh! Oh yeah. Defense wanted me there. DAs had to “spend” a preemptory challenge (there are a limited number of these) to get rid of me.

The judge hearing the case was also the administrative judge. Would he excuse me from duty? Oh hell no. I had to sit there the rest of the day and come back on Friday. *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*

Ah, good times. NOT! I’m prepared this year. I have contest books to read. And I’m tempted to wear a tee that says: Careful Or I’ll Write You Into My Book (and then kill you off). Lawyer Guy’s office partner said he’d post bail for me if I did. 😉

So anyway…Y’all get a break next week. What little computer time I’ll have will be directed toward work instead of play. Dammit.

Who has plans for the weekend? And what are y’all doin’ next week that I’m gonna miss out on?

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Where in the Universe is Waldo?

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Silver James

universeWhere’s Waldo?

There’s always far more going on that you’ve yet to see, Silver. Even now.

So if you should ever feel bored or lonely again, look a little closer.

Where’s Waldo?
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Yeah, Silver, like where are the 21 Waldos?

I think the Universe is equating Waldo with Imagination, though Iffy might just take offense. 😉

As y’all know, I put together a 23K novella in a couple of weeks, including a huge eruption of words this past weekend. To be honest, I don’t often have to backtrack to fix a story. I have this weird process–part jigsaw puzzle, part linear storytelling. With the two current projects, I’m learning to adjust my process because…well…I’ve managed to get parts of the story out of sync. That’s okay. One is fixed, the other will be soon. S’all good.

As writers, though, sometimes we need to be aware of the Waldos hiding out there in the crowd of words, plot twists, sagging middle, and loose threads. As a reader, I know I’m always giddy when I discover the Waldo the writer hid for me to find.

Time to get back to work. I have Waldos to find so I can hide them in a better spot. Oh, and happy May Day!

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Wednesday Words – Geeks and Stuff

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Silver James

lolcat perspectiveI got all sucked into Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knights Inc. series. She makes me laugh. Plus, the guys are hot, SpecOps, and all about family. What’s not to love? In fact, some of the funny lines involve brothers and sisters and the partners the siblings are doing the dirty with. 😉 Anyway, as I’ve sucked up these books like they’re Double Mocha Frappucino Espresso Almond White Chocolate Whipped Cream ice cream, I marked a few passages that cracked me up. It’s Wednesday. We need laughter!

Here’s to a man who is proud to get his geek on!

The guy was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Mr. Spock’s favorite hand gesture and the slogan 100% TREKKIE, which was slightly incongruous when compared to the shoulder holster and the mean-looking, matte-black gun secured to his side. He looked like some strange combination of geek and warrior. The man you’d call if you needed to invade a small country or translate a message written in Klingon. ~ Ali Morgan, heroine in HELL ON WHEELS by Julie Ann Walker

Ya gotta love an alpha male. 😉 Plus, I could so see one of my Wolves feeling the need–figuratively if not literally. 😆

Wow. Those two sure had it bad. Ghost practically lifted a leg and pissed on Ali anytime she walked in the room, and Ali got all doe-eyed and flushed the minute Ghost looked at her. ~ Becky Reichert, HELL ON WHEELS by Julie Ann Walker

The imagery of this passage still cracks me up. Been there, done that. Forgot to buy the tee shirt. 😉

If someone had told Michelle when she woke up this morning that she’d be driving through the Black Knights’ secret underground tunnel about to take Jake home with her, she’d have said, “Yeah, when hell freezes over.”

Well, the devil and his demons must be sledding and making snow angels, because that’s exactly what she was doing. ~Michelle Knight Carter, REV IT UP by Julie Ann Walker

And finally, everyone knows this is true…

“You’ll go even if I have to pick you up and set you on the back of Viper myself.”

Viper? It had a name?

Of course it did. Men name everything. ~Michelle Knight Carter, REV IT UP by Julie Ann Walker

Hope you got as big a giggle out of these as I did. Anything you’ve read or written lately that got you all pumped up? Lay it on us!

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No Words for Tuesday

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Silver James

Definition of writer I have been living on caffeine and words for the past four days. And in the past four days, I’ve written almost 15K words.

The good news? The first draft of FAERIE FAITH was finished at 11:15 p.m. last night.

The bad news? My brain is a caffeine-soaked mush.

So…FAITH goes on the back burner to simmer. I’ve read it so many times, rearranged things so often, that I can’t see straight. Those words have to settle into their own place and time.

I’m taking this morning off. Errands. (The dogs are out of food and they won’t be happy campers come dinner time! 😆 ) Laundry. A little housework. And this afternoon, I’ll be searching for a different set of words. I have revision notes back on my proposal for COWGIRL’S SWEETHEART. I’ll be ripping, sorting, and rearranging. That’s okay. Mr. HEd made some great suggestions. I’ve been mulling them over in the back of my mind as Abhean and Gwyn, his heroine, had center stage.

It’ll be nice to get back to Cord and Jolie again, digging deep to give them the perfect story to match the HEA I have in store for them. Of course…I get to torture them for many chapters before that happens. *bwahaha*

Later gators!

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Monday Funday

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Silver James

cute-puppy-pictures-hello-im-here-to-make-your-monday-suck-less Who had fun this weekend? Don’t be shy. Raise your hands.

I worked. A lot! I wrote almost 10K words on FAERIE FAITH. I have deadline brain. That means there’s not enough coffee in the world to turn my brain from mush to gray matter. At the time I’m composing this (Sunday evening), I have one scene to finish, one scene to tighten up, and then the big finale–meaning I need to figure out how to end the darn thing. I don’t know if it will be finished by the time y’all read this. I’ll be keyboard to the wall until it is done because I need to get onto COWGIRL’S SWEETHEART. As for FAITH, all I can say is, Abhean broke my heart.

Reading. I did manage some as a way to rest my brain. I’ve discovered Julie Ann Walker’s Black Knight, Inc. series. It’s about a bunch of spec ops government contractors posing as motorcycle designers/mechanics based in Chicago. She makes me laugh. I’ll have quotes for Wednesday Words.

TV. Nothing stands out. Well, Game of Thrones but I think I’m the only one here watching it. Dang. I can’t read George R.R. Martin (who wrote the books the series is based on). I tried. Just couldn’t do it. But the series? Holy cow!

Food. I ate some. 😆 We met the kids for Mexican. It was good but mainly I got to play with Sprout’s monkey toes during dinner. He was actually awake for part of the time. Dang but the kid is cute and I’m not just saying that because I’m a doting grandmother. Sh’up!

So what’s going on in your worlds? Good stuff? Bad stuff? Enhh stuff? We’ll cheer, commiserate, or just hang out.

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Friday Sinema – Coolest Dad Ever!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by Silver James

Parts of this video have gone viral and Dad and Son have appeared on Good Morning America. Son is 3. Dad is a post-production special effects tech for Dreamworks. All I have to say–HOW COOL IS THIS!?!?!?!

May your weekend be filled with special effects! And good times. 🙂 I’ll be writing. What’s on your to-do list?

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