Monday Sick Call

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Silver James

funny-pictures-my-official-monday-faceI’m calling in sick today, boss. *koff-hack-koffkoffkoff-gag-hack* Sooo not kidding. Lawyer Guy had the flu for 2 1/2 weeks. I started with the scratchy throat on Thursday night, upper respiratory tickle on Friday, and Saturday I was flat on my back. Where I’ve been since. I have to finish up NRCA judging assignments or I’d stil be in bed. In fact, I may head back there soon. No energy, hard to breath, but the coughing has lessened. I don’t think I got as many germs as LG had. He’s just now getting around and spending any significant time at work.

I’ll be scarce around the interweb. I had 314 emails this morning. I’ll get to them as able. In the meantime, don’t breathe too close to your monitor. You know, just in case! This crap is nasty!!!

Hope y’all had fun weekends. Feel free to talk among yourselves. I’m headed back to bed to get a second wind. *koffwhimperhackwhimperkoff*

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Finally Friday!

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Silver James

I’m soooo glad Friday is finally here. I’m not sure why, since my Saturdays and Sundays are pretty much like the rest of the week. 😆 I guess it’s a flashback to the days when I actually had to drive to work on a regular schedule–working on call notwithstanding. I am full of randomness today, so in true Iffy stream-of-consciousness style, here’s the free-for-all.

My WordPress dashboard shows me the most used search terms that brought people to the site. Here are the top four:

silver james, http://www.silverjames.com, james silver, goodreads menage machu picchu

Yeah, I’m not sure I get that last one either. raised eyebrow gif

Lawyer Guy has had the flu for two weeks. I have a drippy nose and the beginnings of a cough. I will NOT be a happy camper if he gives me his crud. Is everyone else staying healthy? Any hints on heading off this $h!t?

Who wants to see the movie, I, Frankenstein? Here’s the OFFICIAL TRAILER.

Gargoyles! Sexy gargoyles. Fighting demons. I am soooo there!

Starbucks has a new “instant” product: Via Mocha and Vanilla Latte mixes. Haven’t tried it yet. You can get the deets HERE. I indulge in the occasional Skinny Vanilla Latte so I might give these a try at some point. And speaking of coffee…

Good morning coffee

Who has plans for the weekend? I’m still making NRCA reader assignments. I’m dreaming in technicolor Excel sheets. This is NOT a good thing. If it stays bitter cold, I’m hiding under the covers, hopefully to get more RITA books read. I’m about half-way through with them but I may have to divert and re-read NAKED IN DEATH because my inner reader is squirming in anticipation. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday’s Thoughts: Pacing the Universe

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Silver James

universeMost of you know that these messages from the Universe show up in my inbox because I subscribed to tut.com years ago. Sometimes, the messages really hit home but are far too personal to share with anyone but my subconscious. And sometimes, due to where my life happens to be, the messages I copy and keep here as drafts all follow a theme.

This year’s word might should have been “Journey.” I’ve previously posted several essays and quotes dealing with making the journey, taking steps, moving forward, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. (And who’s now picturing Yul Brynner waltzing Debra Kerr around that Siamese ballroom?). Anyway, as I scrolled through the titles I’d stuck on saved Universal Thoughts, this one caught my eye. And guess what? Yeah…all about the journey! shifty-eyes-ani2faster

Rarely, Silver, are the first steps in a journey anything like the final ones, either in direction, pace, or grace. So please believe me when I tell you that none of those things are even half as important as the fact that there are steps at all.

Vroom, vroom –
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

Silver, by the time you’re really rolling, it will be in a direction you cannot now even imagine. So please, for the time being, just roll.

Today’s message? That’s how I roll. How about you? How do you roll?

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Wednesday’s Words: Wish I’d Said That

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Silver James

Writer's Mind Do you ever read a book or catch something on the internet and think, “Gee…I wish I’d said that!” Yeah. Me, too. 😉

So here are some of those quotes, lines, internet It’s-A-Thing(tm) and what not to keep you entertained on this happy hump day…

Next time a stranger talks to me when I’m alone, I will look at them–shocked–and just whisper quietly, “You can see me?”

I swear that’s going in a book. Some how, some way.

The probability of being seen is directly proportional to the stupidity of your actions.

Yeah, want to use that one, too. Now, an old favorite. From NAKED IN DEATH (JD Robb): Roarke to Eve…

“You know, lieutenant, you wear your weapon the way other women wear pearls.”

Sinjen would say this to Sade but…well…plagiarism, y’know? And he’d call her Special Agent but still… And as long as I’m very likely going to reread NID because…well…it’s that time of year, here’s the opening paragraph–and one of my favorite openings of all time. I’m soooo jealous I didn’t write this.

She woke in the dark. Through the slats on the window shades, the first murky hint of dawn slipped, slanting shadowy bars over the bed. It was like waking in a cell.

What about y’all? Liza, are you ready for your NID reread? 😉 Who found a quote, quip, or opening they love? SHARE!

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Werewolves are the New LBD on TV

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Silver James

Nathaniel's wolfLBD = Little Black Dress. You know what that is, right? That one outfit that is sort of one-size-fits-all-occasions that every smart woman has hanging in her closet. Men used to be lucky when it came to fashions–a black suit, a sport coat, slacks, and a shirt could take them through most events. Well, and jeans for the truly casual moment.

For a long time, publishing said vampires were dead. Go ahead and laugh. There’s a pun in there. But someone forgot to tell TV. And now there’s been a surge in supernatural shows, especially shows about wolves or with a wolf/wolves as main characters. In fact, on the non-“Big Three” networks, there’s been a surge of supernaturally-themed shows.

As an author of such fare, I’m happy. As a reader of the genre, I’m happier still, even though it clogs up my DVR. Both of them. I have one in the bedroom and one in my office. Works great when there’s a conflict as I can only record two shows in the same timeframe. Monday is now totally crowded! And Tuesday isn’t much better. Anyway, we’re talking TV today–supernaturally speaking. Here’s the list of new and old favorites I’ve tagged to watch:

Fox:
Sleepy Hollow (though the two-hour finale aired last night)
Almost Human (love the human/android cop buddy basis)

CBS:
Intelligence (okay, more SciFi than supernatural but any guy with a computer chip in his head who can access the internet is pretty spooky in my book 😉 )

SyFy:
Lost Girl (I love this gritty show about Fae)
Haven (based on a Stephen King short story, and a combination of supernatural/scifi)
Bitten (based on the Kelley Armstrong books that I haven’t read. Yet. This series just started. The second episode airs Friday.)

CW:
The Originals (a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries) about vampires and werewolves in New Orleans.

ABC:
Agents of SHIELD

I keep thinking there are others out there I watch but can’t remember. There are other supernatural shows I don’t watch. The aforementioned Vampire Diaries, Arrow (though I might should look into that one again), Beauty and the Beast, Supernatural, Being Human, Orphan Black, Dracula (didn’t make it through the first episode), Grimm (watched the 1st two seasons then lost interest), True Blood (not even Joe Manganiello could keep me around after the first couple of seasons), and a few more. I found a list HERE.

So I want to know what your favorite supernatural series is, and what book/series would you like to see made into a TV series?

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Monday Catch-up

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Silver James

coffee fae I’m late posting today. I normally set up a post the day/night before. Sunday was mostly internet free but better late than never, right? Right! So here, have a little coffee fae to make your morning better.

Weekend…OKRWA went well. I think people enjoyed my class on worldbuilding and in the morning session on setting up an spreadsheet to track income and expenses for tax purposes, I learned something about Excel I didn’t know. So yay! I also got an email saying my proposal for a panel at RWA Nationals was accepted so I’ll be a presenter in July. That marks off another item on my bucket list! Double YAY!

Lawyer guy has the flu and and is really sick. Boo on that! If he’s not better today, he’d better get his sick @$$ to the doctor. Just sayin’.

I got caught up on Season 3 of LOST GIRL (SyFy) and watched the premier of Season 4. I do love me some Dyson, the fae werewolf in the show. Bo, the fae succubus and lead character, had some big changes in her life last season. She went through the “dawning”, which is like the fae version of puberty/vision quest/survival test. A new character, a Valkyrie was introduced, and the mystery of Bo’s father was interwoven with the season and that’s the big carry-over thread to the new season.

Reading. Yes. My RITA books for judging arrived. Can’t talk about them, but I have 8 to read in the next month. At the same time, the library pinged me to say that Jayne Ann Krentz’s RIVER ROAD was ready for digital checkout. Reading it now. I’m withholding judgement until I’ve finished. This is her first “straight” romantic suspense in awhile.

That was my weekend. What did y’all do?

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Friday Rant and Roll

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Silver James

Thank Dog its FridayTechnology hates me. No, really. Or maybe it’s the repair techs who do. The good news is, I have internet and a new modem. The bad news is, I have no “hard-wired” phone line. Which is weird because the internet line and the phone line are one and the same. But none of the phones in the house have dial tones. Yeah. Lovely. And THOSE techs can’t come until Tuesday. Oh, and they’re supposed to call me on the line that’s dead to tell me when they are coming. Yeah. The CSR was not the brightest crayon in the box. *heaves big sigh*

Is anyone paying attention to the Oscars? I won’t be standing in line to see any of the movies nominated.

I have a new TV obsession. I mean…I even paid money to get streaming video of episodes I couldn’t get on the network website. The show? The Originals on the CW. It’s a spin-off of Vampire Diaries, which I never watched. TO is set in New Orleans. And it’s more for grownups. More about it on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is OKRWA. I’m presenting the afternoon program on Worldbuilding. It should be fun. And then Italian for dinner. Yum. Sunday? I’m going to catch up on the LOST GIRL episodes I haven’t seen yet since the new season started last Monday. I DVR it but have to catch up so I can start the new shows.

Who else had a bad week? Who’s going to have a good weekend? See y’all on Monday!

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The HEA according to the Universe

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Silver James

universeThursday here. Silver is busy so I’m stepping in to cover her @$$ *koff* err…I’m here to present today’s topic.

“Happily-ever-after,” I’m happy to tell you, Silver, begins with “happily”… in more ways than one.

So the next time a loved one sets out to find it, maybe have them consider that the trail may turn frosty cold, if it’s not set out upon happily.

There, that should get you started. I mean, them.

Tallyho,
The Universe

To be or not to be happy, Silver, really is the question. As if it needed to be multiple choice.
© http://www.tut.com ®

Happy, happy, happy. What’s the point? Seems like a waste of time to me. I mean…Wednesday gets humped. Friday? Everybody thanks god. Monday is hated. Tuesday is ignored. Saturday gets the parties and Sunday gets to rest. What about me? I get nuttin’ honey… But the Universe wants me–and everyone else–to get out to find happy? Seriously? And why should I have to go looking for happiness? Shouldn’t it just fall into my lap, like one of those sweet young things and the hardened hero in a romance novel. Besides, who wants to start a journey when it’s cold outside? Not me. I’m Thursday. I’m bookended by heat. Why give that up to get frosted?

Yeah, yeah, it beats the alternative, right? Of course it does. So bundle up, dearies, and lets go all Frodo on the world’s @$$. Or you can put on a kilt and paint half your body blue. If that’s what makes you happy.

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Wednesday’s Words that Speak to Me

Posted on January 15, 2014 by Silver James

mobile phone and booksWhen I’m reading, sometimes I remember to mark quotes or language that makes me sit up and say, “Damn! I wish I’d written that!” Or snippets that make me laugh or cry or just touch me in some form. So today, here are some quotes from the books I’ve read this past week:

From Allison Brennan’s KISS ME, KILL ME, this is Sean’s POV:

He just needed to touch Lucy. Every nerve in his body was raw with grief-coated anger from seeing the raw terror on Lucy’s face in the moment between sleep and waking.

From Anne Bishop’s WRITTEN IN RED (my Goodreads review HERE). This is from the POV of Simon Wolfgard, the Alpha of the Lakeside Courtyard (the Other settlement next to the human city of Lakeside). Simon is a werewolf. Vlad is a vampire, and Tess is…something. 😉 Vlad and Simon are partners in a bookstore frequented by Others and humans while Tess runs the coffee shop/restaurant next door and they all sit on the council governing the courtyard.

“All right.” He tried to sound agreeable so that she wouldn’t quit. Vlad hated doing the paperwork as much as he did when a human employee quit, which was why they’d both made a promise not to eat quitters just to avoid the paperwork. As Tess had pointed out, eating the staff was bad for morale and made it so much harder to find new employees.

If you enjoy fantasy, you need to give this new series a try. The next book, MURDER OF CROWS, releases in March. (I know what I’m asking for my birthday 😉 )

And last, from the FOUR DUKES AND A DEVIL anthology, specifically Sophia Nash’s THE CATCH OF THE CENTURY (a historical that I think is a Regency?):

He dared to glance at her profile discreetly from the corner of his eyes as they walked, a hand’s width of air between, and an acre of tension.

I haven’t read Nash before but I may have to put her on my watch list.

What about y’all? Has anything captured your fancy in your reading this past week? Share!

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Must Be Tuesday…

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Silver James

…because I’m twisting in the wind when it comes to a post for today. 😆 We talked about TV shows yesterday. I guess I can mention that I made a new board on Pinterest called NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Yes. There are sexy men pinned there. Not many, but a few.

I do know that I HAVE to get back to work. Iffy is driving me batty. There’s been too much other stuff going on for me to sit down and concentrate beyond a few writing challenge snippets here and there. When Iffy is chomping at the bit and I don’t give her creative outlet, she starts bombarding me with ideas. The good news is, she actually gave me a good one to work on.

How many of you remember the mention of a group the Navy spirited away from Nevada in the Moonstruck books? And did any of you catch those nefarious guys in the Florida Keys when Amy pulled her runaway bride routine? Well, those guys are going to morph into my Hard Target series, but with a few surprise additions. And I’m going to introduce them with a “crossover” novella titled MOON SHOT. *bwahaha* And because it’s Tuesday, here’s a little tease–which was scribbled in a notebook while I was stuck in traffic yesterday. shifty-eyes-ani2faster

Breath whispered over his ear as sweet as any lover’s but the words that followed chilled him to the bone, as did the barrel of the weapon pressed against the base of his skull.

“You’ll die before you can pull the trigger.”

How the hell did a woman get the drop on him? And where was the rest of his team?

And no, I’m not going to discuss the plot yet. Blame it on Iffy.
Iffy & scissors

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