Wednesday Words: What’s Left?

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Silver James

Guess what?!? It’s Wednesday! And that means Words! I’m amazed that I can come up with new words and string them together not only in sentences, but create paragraphs and thereby a complete snippet. I am fully in edit mode and REALLY close to the end of the first pass on MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION. I have to admit, I was really worried about it’s length but it’s looking like it will come out to about 120K words–or less. Less is more, me thinks. Anyway, new words, a snippet and a Thursday Threads snippet based on the prompt: *”To the left.”* For those of you who are Penumbra fans, today’s bit takes a peek at our favorite Fae, Ariel.

****
Druic crouched and pointed. “There. To the left.”

“I see it.” Ariel made no attempt to cloak his presence. It was bad enough Oberon had saddled him with this oaf, though he knew why.

The other man stared at him, his expression anticipatory. When Ari did nothing, he demanded,

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“What are you going to do about it?” Druic fairly hissed the words.

Ari almost smiled. Almost. “Nothing.”

“What do you mean nothing?” Druic’s face flooded with angry color.

“I mean exactly what it means. Nothing. Period.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not my job.”

His companion sneered. “Of course, m’lord. How could I forget. You are but the King’s Seducer.”

His frigid smile caused Druic to take an instinctual crab-step back. “And what do they call you, fair Druic?” Ariel settled his elbow on his knee and tapped his jaw with his right index finger as if it would help him think. “Ah, yes. They call you nothing.”

In one lithe move, Ari stood. “I have seen enough.” He turned on his heel and strode back into the forest.

Seconds later, Druic panted after him like a barely trained dog. “But—”

“But nothing, Druic. King Oberon ordered me to find and observe. I found. I observed.”

“Are you a coward? Why not kill it?”

Ari stared at the hand that gripped his forearm then very deliberately raised his gaze to meet the other’s. Druic pulled his hand back like it’d been burned.

“I told you. Not my job.”
****

There you have it. Yes, I haven’t forgotten about Ariel, who is probably due the next Penumbra book. And yes, I sort of have an idea about this scene because I have a sort of idea about Ariel’s story and his heroine. Beware of changelings… *bwahaha* So, writers, you have your mission should you wish to riff upon the prompt. Readers, want to take a guess as to what “it” is? 😉

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Tuesday Tidbits: Tiddly Winks

Posted on January 28, 2025 by Silver James

It is totally early. But it’s my normal early. Still, it’s early. And I still need coffee. Lots of coffee. BRB. The coffee maker just sputtered to a stop…

Mmm. Coffee.

I hope I sell some books over the next few days/weeks. When I checked in at the surgical center yesterday morning, the very nice admin was verifying my information: name, rank, serial number, employer. I’d put down that I was employed by Silver James. She gave me a funny look as she asked. I explained it’s my pen name and that I write romance. Her eyes lit up. She asked me for info on how to find my books so I gave her a card and then she mentioned that some nurses in the back liked books so I gave her more cards. Fingers crossed it means sales. When LG menttioned my books to a nurse at VA, I think she’s in the process of buying a bunch because there are days when I’ll sell one copy of every book in a series. Jake, Loki, and Pete appreciate the pricey food so I need to sell more books.

Why do celebrities–and just “people”–film self-videos of them having meltdowns over the most irrational of stuff. Yes, they’ll probably go viral but for all the wrong reasons because folks, most of us normal types are making fun or watching with a bit of “Holy WTF?!?” I should check my meme file for one about ego.

Speaking of social media, some clown on X is claiming that Native Americans are going to be deported. Dude’s handle claims he “might” be Sioux. Yeah, like that senator from Massachusetts was a Cherokee.

Yikes. I’ve been “political” twice now. Oops.

Let’s talk titles. Something else I’ve seen advertised like crazy on social media is a book about creating the perfect title. No, I haven’t looked into. Should I? Maybe. I mean, given the mostly unimaginative titles of the last book I published. I have the feeling that the book is based on SEO. Don’t ask me what that stands for. It has to do with algorithms, key words, and stuff like that there. If I had to do it over again, I’d probably take at lease one marketing class during summer school or something, though by the time I actually published, what I learned back in college would have been obsolete by YEARS! I have no magic formula for coming up with titles, though I do understand enough about branding to follow a pattern.* My most imaginiative titles come from the Penumbra Papers. How do I pick titles? It depends. Sometimes I have the title before I start (SEASON OF THE WITCH) and sometimes it happens while I’m writing (GHOSTS AND ANCIENT STONES).

Yes, I’m meandering. I need more coffee. BRB

Mmm. Coffee! Okay. I’m fortifide. The sun will be up eventually. Time to pull up my boots and ride for the brand. Ooh…after I finish the Pern books, I might dive into my Louis L’Amour collection. Happy Tuesday, y’all. I’m off to play tiddly winks with a bunch of words. What are you going to play today?

*See the titles in my various series. LOL

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Lasting Monday

Posted on January 27, 2025 by Silver James

Okay, 3rd time is the charm. If I somehow hit some weird combination of keys to make this paragraph disappear, I’m giving up. I wish I could go back to bed but unfortunately, this is one of those way-too-early butt-crack of dark mornings when I’m up and out around 5 a.m. to make it to the medical center for my second eye procedure by 6 a.m. By the time y’all have your first morning brew of the day, I’ll likely be on my way home. Unless you’re a real early bird. The good news is, this “laser scrape” is on my bad eye–the one where I can see shapes and colors but not really letters so it won’t matter if it’s dilated all day. Still, I’ll probably got for the snooze because…dude! This whole 4 a.m. alarm? The early birds can have it and keep it. Anyway, this pic is totally me today.

In other news, Drover (my Highlander) is home and happy back in his snug garage. Only’s Mustang hit the wall–figuratively not literally–and she discovered it would cost more to repair it than it’s worth. It is/was a cool edition–the Susan G. Gomen Pink Ribbon model, but it’s also a 2008 and has pushing toward 200K miles. She drove Drover until Friday when she finally found time to meet with a friend of a friend who is a car salesmen. She’s not in a 4WD 2019 Ford Explorere with lots of cool bells and whistles with about 85K miles. For commparision, Drover is also a 2008 but he only has 70K miles. She’s excited and we’re happy she’s in something safe.

Speaking of family news, Stormy had a soccer match Saturday night. He played just about every position, including a stint at goalie. He even make a goal!

I’m still in nostalgia mode and currently listening to DRAGONQUEST, book 2 in Anne McCaffery’s Dragon Riders of Pern series. Next up witll be THE WHITE DRAGON. After that, I have some of the Harper Hall books in reserve but I may move on to something else. We’ll see.

I hit a veg spot this past weekend. Not sure why because I zipped through a bunch of chapters last week on RETRIBUTION. Still hoping for a cover sometime this week. And I’m about 2/3s of the way through Part 3. I should be done this week which gives me two weeks to format, final edit and maybe even get it put up for preorder with a Valentine’s Day release. In other writing news, I’m looking ahead to the next project. It could be Ariel’s story (Penumbra Papers) or it might be a historical (1930s?) standalone in the Moonstruck Wolf group, set in Blaidd’s Gap and working title might be SMUGGLER’S MOON. Or MOONSHINER. Not sure. But remember that Brantley Gilbert video (Bottom’s Up)? Yeah, there’s a family in Blaidd’s Gap where that character would fit right in as an ancester. We’ll just see which pair of scissors Iffy grabs and decides to run with. So many stories! There are other possibilities: family saga mystery suspense trilogy set in/around New Orleans (2 written, 1 plotted); dystopian collection of 3 novellas (2 written, 1 plotted); sword-and-space ship fantasy (written needs MAJOR edits revisions); romantic suspense standalone (written, edited but needs some revisions). Did I mention soooo many stories?!?! Plus, there’s Hard Target, Nightriders, and Mafia (probably Russions.) Who knows? I gotta get RETRIBUTION out there first. Any thoughts?

And that’s pretty much it in the way of a Monday-morning round up for me. I’ll likely be around at some point. I might even be sociable. *looks up at the pic* Or not…🤣 How was your weekend?

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Friday Sinema: NASCAR Sunday

Posted on January 24, 2025 by Silver James

I hate to be late for anything. Any of us who are like this will appreciate this short because this is what happens when NASCAR does church… And yes, it IS a Southern Thing! Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Journey

Posted on January 23, 2025 by Silver James

The hurrier I go, the behinder I get. Anybody else resemble this old saw? And why do we call phrases like this “old saws”? Nope. Not going down that rabbit hole today because…yeah…I’ll just get further behind. Except I’m not really that far behind. It just feels like it. I set myself an original deadline of “first of the year” to release this book. Then stuff happened and I put my foot down and set a firm FINAL release date of Valentine’s Day–with hopes of a sooner date–to release RETRIBUTION. I mean, seriously. How hard is it to take a novella, 2 books, and some extra scenes, throw them all together, mix, stir, patty-cake, patty-cake baker’s man and voilà! Slap a cover on it, upload and and hit the publish button. Yeah…about that. It’s not really that simply. In fact, the whole process is a journey, as the Universe has reminded me.

Sometimes, Silver, when things take longer than you thought they would, it’s just a gentle reminder that you have more time than you thought—and that there’s a journey to enjoy.

Enjoy every minute,
The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. Besides, Silver, just because it’s taking longer than you thought it would, doesn’t mean stuff isn’t happening on your behalf, even as you read these words.

Things are happening on my behalf. The cover is being designed and will opefully be ready for a reveal next week. I’ve written a few new scenes and incorporated some deleted and “side” scenes that haven’t been published in book form. Mainly though, I decided to slow down and enjoy the journey. It’s been a long time since I read these three books. And it is quite the trip back in time. As writers, I think maybe it’s a good idea that we do slow down and enjoy the journey. It’s a good reminder of why we do what we do. Readers and writers, where’s the journey a book took you on?

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Wednesday Words: First Times

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Silver James

Let’s start with this week’s prompt from last week’s Thursday Threads flash fiction challenge: *”Were you, your first time?”*

I’mma just gonna let that sit for a minute while y’all ponder the question. Then I’m going to ask, where did your mind go? I know where mine went before I pondered the question some more. Because where my mind went, “first time” would be something of a requirement to meet the definition of the word that came to mind. Instead of going there completely, I handed a pair of scissors to Iffy and let her have some craft time. She “cut out a picture” of Micah Lightfoot and Liam McIntire that I was not expecting. I have no clue if this scene will ever appear in a full story but who knows? It’s a nice peek into the “Private Lives of Young Wolves.” I hope you enjoy. (Luckily, the judge for last week’s challenge did–it garnered an Honorable Mention. 😁 )

****
Micah stabbed at the ground with the stick in his hand then drew some lines. He wanted to ask but figured he wouldn’t like the answer. Still, they were best friends despite Liam being several years older. He scribbled more lines in the dirt.

“What’cha drawin’?” Liam tilted his head this way and that as he studied the scratchings.

Shrugging, Micah mumbled, “Nuthin’.”

“Looks like somethin’ to me.”

He didn’t want to be embarrassed by his drawing—or the fact that he liked to draw. His dad was an Army hero. A sniper. A deputy sheriff. His mom was a scientist, a wildlife biologist. Micah drew pictures. And he knew exactly what he was drawing—a sketch in the dirt of Grace as Little Red Riding Hood. He started to rub it out but Liam stopped him

“Wanna know something?”

Micah shrugged again, the gesture a mainstay of pre-teen boy language.

“I wish I could draw like you.”

He looked up at that, shocked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah. Dude, you have real talent. And it’s nothing to be afraid of.”

They were back on topic. “Were you, your first time?”

“Naw.”

Micah gave Liam the side-eye. They both knew he was lying. Liam had been terrified the first time but a stranger stepped it and saved him. Then there was that whole hormone thing. It was bad enough his voice kept cracking and going up and down a couple of octaves when he tried to talk.

“Did it hurt?”

Liam nodded, knowing not to lie now. “Yeah. But that wasn’t the scary part.”

“What was?”

“I was terrified I couldn’t find my way back. Your dad and mine won’t let that happen.”

“My wolf wants out.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“Promise?” Hope shone in Micah’s eyes.

“Promise.” Liam fervently wished he’d be able to keep that promise.
****

There you have it–a short snapshot of life in Blaidd’s Gap and the 2nd generation starts coming of age. Micah surprised me. There’s a scene in CHRISTMAS MOON where he’s coloring and his mom mentions that he “colors outside the box.” Evidently, that image stuck in my brain and it turns out that Micah truly is an artist. Of course, the Little Red Riding Hood mention is in reference to a Halloween when Nate played the Big, Bad Wolf to little Grace’s Riding Hood. I have the photo to prove it. 😉 Writers, have fun with this one if you take the challenge. Readers, are you sometimes surprised by characters when you turn a page?

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Tuesday Tidbits: It’s

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Silver James

It’s hard to work when you can only see shapes and colors with one eye and the other one is dilated so everything is blurry and I get weird overlays of purple and blue splotches from light sources. Still, I wanted to duck and to touch base and since I plan on sleeping in, y’all get this little short version. FYI, I really like this “button” for the Moonstruck Mafia series. Just sayin’.Anyway, today’s plan after the whole sleep-in thing because it’s still cold. Ugh. Not a fan. And yes none of those were actually complete sentences because I’m saving that for writing a transition scene and then more edits on RETRIBUTION. In the meantime, three quick things:

  1. The laser thing went fine. It took more time to drive to the surgery center, get signed in, and prepped than it did for the procedure. That lasted about 3 minutes. Lots of flashy lights in my right eye and all the gunk should be scraped away.
  2. Food recommendation because it IS Tuesday: PBJs FTW! They work for breakfast with coffee, lunch with fizzy lime water, dinner with any drink. My peanut butter of choice is crnuchy. My jelly is grape. I highly recommend spreading said PBJ on toasted Texas toast bread. Yummers.
  3. And finally, go buy one of my books. If you already have one or more of my books, go leave a review if you haven’t already. Talk about it on your social media. Work of mouth, peeps. It does wonders and I have new medical bills to pay in addition to the ones I’m still paying off from this time last year. Yes, this is me with hat in had doing a little begging. Here’s the link for my BOOK LIST.

There it is. Short and to the point. There will be words tomorrow. And thoughts on Thursday. Who knows what TGIF will bring. 😉 How’s your world? Do you have a list?

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National Monday

Posted on January 20, 2025 by Silver James

Today is a big day. It’s Inauguration Day. And it’s Martin Luther King Day. Some people are off. Some aren’t. Me? If you’re up early enough to read this, I’m probably at a medical center. Don’t worry. Other than the fact I had to be there at 6 a.m., which meant a 4:30 a.m. wake-up call and it’s cold enough to freeze the cohonies off a brass monkey, s’all good. At my appointment last Monday, the doc noticed some scarring and haziness on the lens implants from the surguries two years ago. He says it’s fairly normal. It’s a matter of little “scrubbing” with a laser. One eye today, the second eye next Monday. I fully intend to come home, curl up and watch the happenings in Washington. Yeah, I’m happy with things there. ‘Nuff said. If I get enough coffee into me, I might even work tomorrow. Or not. I might just veg and soak up all the political stuffs.

Speaking of work, I chugged along this weekend. It was cold but not quite as frigid as the weather gurus were predicting. Zero degree with the wind chill is a whole lot better than the -15 that was predicted. Anyway, I finished the edits on Part 2 of MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION. That means I’m on the downhill side. I have the final part (MOONSHOT) and some short stories/snippets to add in. Instead of reading today, maybe I’ll look at pictures for a cover. We’ll see. Anyway, I’m mostly on track for that Valentine’s Day release.

Also in writing news, I’ve picked up a few soundtracks from other writers and some of the music is sticking with me. I’m getting ideas for the next Penumbra book–Ariel’s story. Currently, the title that’s sticking in my head is DESTINIES ARE A DIME A DOZEN. I’m not sure if that belongs to Ariel or to Nicos. Still, it’s a direction to take for maybe the next project. We’ll see.

Okay. I’ve talked about the WIP. I’ve talked about my health. I’ve talked about the weather. What’s left? Sports? Okay, my Kansas City Chiefs won. Yay. At the time of typing this and setting it up for release in the morning, I have no clue who they’ll play for the divisional championship. Anyway…

Okay. I need to get this scheduled so I can go make spaghetti for dinner. How’s your weather? Are you cooking anything good? What series should I write a next book in?

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Friday Sinema: Silence is Cool!

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Silver James

Okay. As a teen/YA, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” was pretty much an anthem. Then, much later, like 10 years ago, I heard Disturb’s version of the song. Oh holy moly, it was a revelation. Wowser! And no, this video is not that one. You can find it easy enough. What this video is…is very cool airplany things with that as the background music. This short reminded me of the traffic cop who was often featured on “Candid Camera.” Enjoy it on this last warmish day before the Siberian Surge hits the US and freezes our tushies off! I’ll be staying in and warm with lots of hot coffee. What will you be doing?

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Casting

Posted on January 16, 2025 by Silver James

Once again, the Universe hits the nail on the head when it comes to both real life and the imaginary lives that writers create to people the worlds they create. I have to admit, there’s a reason I enjoy–mostly–shopping at Wally World. There is always a variety of folks there–some are pleasant, some not. But all writers know we have to flip that coin–the good and the bad, the black and the white, the happy and the sad. Why? Because that’s life. And our stories should reflect life, even if our worlds–and the people in them–are fantastical. Characters make the story, and conversely, the story makes the characters. The Big U has a point here.

The world is filled with colorful characters, Silver, and many would be absolutely thrilled to play along in any drama you’d care to create—romantically, socially, financially, heroically, comically—any.

You just have to let me do the casting.

Absolutely thrilled,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. You decide what you want to create and how you want to feel, Silver, physically move in its direction, and I’ll “send in the clowns.”

True story. I auditioned for a musical one time long ago and far away and the song I sang? Yup.

Isn’t it rich? Aren’t we a pair?
Me here at last on the ground
You in mid-air
Send in the clowns

Isn’t it bliss, don’t you approve
One who keeps tearing around
One who can’t move, where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns

Just when I stopped opening doors
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours
Making my entrance again with my usual flair
Sure of my lines, no one is there

Don’t you love farce, my fault I fear
I thought that you’d want what I want, sorry my dear
But where are the clowns, there ought to be clowns
Quick send in the clowns

What a surprise, who could foresee?
I’ve come to feel about you, what you felt about me
Why only now when I see that you’ve drifted away
What a surprise, and what a cliche

Isn’t it rich, isn’t it queer
Losing my timing this late in my career
And where are the clowns
Quick send in the clowns, don’t bother they’re here. (Stephen Sondheim)

Oddly, I still remember the lyrics and tune 50+ years later and find them oddly apropos. Do the words resonate with you? And you’re welcome for the ear worm. 😁

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