Magic’s In The Air

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Silver James

That Ol Black Magic 680THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is working its spell on me, and evidently on the Universe, too. In the past week, I’ve had two messages pertaining to magic show up in the ol’ inbox. MAGIC is off to the editor and I have hopes of getting it out to the formatter over the weekend after final copy and line edits. I’ll also be back at work on SEASON OF THE WITCH. I need to get it to the formatter ASAP so I can get it to CreateSpace for printed ARCs. I’m going to make my deadline, because…magic! It’s all around me. And so are the magicks of the world of the Penumbra Papers.

In the meantime, here’s what the Universe has to say about things!

Remember, Silver, you’re always granted lots of leeway, wiggle room, and tolerance when engaging life’s magic.

You pretty much just need to have a dream and show up, then wands start waving all over the place.

Abara-shazaam!
The Universe

Aw-w-h… I love magic, Silver.

and then, this:

Some claim not to know, not to see… but, Silver…

That there are birds who sing at every hour of the day for no other reason than to be heard…

Creatures of the deep who flip and twirl just for the fun of it…

“Furry friends” who love just as dearly as they are loved, and…

Flowers so exquisite, pleasing human eyes could be their only explanation… must surely prove that you’re living in the most magical fairytale ever imagined. N’est-ce pas?

Tallyho,
The Universe

And those are just a few of the miracles you know of, Silver, swirling about you in the unseen, at this very moment…

See? This could all pertain not only to my life but to the Penumbra Papers. 😀 I’ve got to get back to work but, I want to know. What’s something magical that’s happened to you lately?

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Perfect Timing

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Silver James

full moon - tressebleue (bluebraid)Perfect timing. Serendipity. Kismet. Good luck. Being in the right place at the right time.

Call it what you will, sometimes we have it. Sometimes we don’t. This seems especially true when it comes to publishing. When a manuscript arrives and the stars are aligned, all of the above happen. Usually, though, we have to change the batteries in our watches and make our own luck.

I’m working on that with this new series. I let too many others dictate the path of this project and now I’m in charge. It’s scary. In a bad way. But that’s okay. I’m working through revisions. THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is turning into a stronger story–stronger plot, stronger characterizations, stronger writing. S’all good! And since I’m head’s down in the revision process, here. Have a link I forgot to put on the to-do list from Monday. I love pictures like these Perfectly timed photos.

Which one is your favorite?

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Tuesday Tally and Stuffs

Posted on August 27, 2013 by Silver James

snoopy I left the two polls I posted last week up as promised. Eighteen people voted. Thank you! Here’s the tally.

On the subject of newsletters: 10 people (56%) might sign up, 6 (33%) love them, and 2 (11%) hate them. The jury is still out on this one. At some point, I’ll probably revisit the subject and consider doing periodic newsletters and perhaps offer special content or something in them. Not sure yet.

When it comes to “Special Facebook Pages” dedicated to series and/or characters, 13 voters (72%) would rather get info from my author page, 4 (22%) would click to “like” a dedicated FB page, and 1 person (6%) isn’t interesting at all. So, that’s pretty darn definitive. I’ll continue with character pics and trivia on my regular author page. This works for me! (Because…LESS WORK for me! :lol:)

Again, thanks to everyone who voted. Now, to the stuff. The reports on THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC have been beyond favorable. I think I may be onto something with Sade’s shenanigans and the hunky magicks she has to put up with. This makes me go all SQUEEEE and happy dance. I have loved these characters and this series for so very long and I have to admit, it feels really good to be “vindicated” by my readers.

Warning, my interaction on social media may be limited for the next week or so as I really knuckle down to work. I’ll be around and I’ll drop in to check on folks even if I may not comment on my blog visits. And I’ll try to drop hints on FB and Twitter, but bottom line? I’m excited and I WANT to throw myself into these two project. I can play once they launch. Right? Right! And play I’m going to! I have so many plans, like a bio page for the characters, and a “wiki” of the characters, settings, races, and realms. I am soooo looking forward to the fun of that. Can you say procrastination? Sure you can. And since you can, I want to know what’s your favorite way to procrastinate?

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Monday’s List of Things to Do

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Silver James

Well…dang. My to-do list of last week didn’t quite get finished. 😦 I would have marked off everything but for a couple of wrestling sessions with HTML code on the OKRWA site–and by a “couple”, I mean two days’ worth! *sigh* Oh well. Today, the rest get done. The good news is, THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is out with the beta readers. My CP has returned her edits. I hope to be working on them this afternoon. Tomorrow, I have every intention of opening the files for SEASON OF THE WITCH while waiting on beta reader reports.

In the meantime, here’s a to-do list for y’all! I haven’t done a Linky-Link List in awhile so here! These are awesome. You’ll want to take the few minutes involved to check them out. Seriously! Have I ever steered you wrong? 😉

In the meantime, how was your weekend? (I’m not talking about mine. My lips have to be sealed for awhile. shifty-eyes-ani2faster

1. NINE LOST CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND

2. 9 COMMON MOVIE MISTAKES that drive the author (and ME!) nuts.

3. GAME OF THRONE CHARACTERS AS CATS. If you love this series, you must click through on this. I laughed hard enough to scare Adidas! 😉

Now go forth and be productive this week! *wanders off in search of more coffee*

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Curiosity and Cats

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Silver James

Here’s the curious part…

I’m exploring various avenues of marketing focused mainly on interacting with readers. Would you vote in these brief polls?

 

 

See? Easy peasy. And now your reward–a LOLcat. 😉

lolcat perspective

Polls will remain open for a week…just sayin’. The LOLcat is forever. shifty-eyes-ani2faster

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A New Week

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Silver James

cute-puppy-pictures-hello-im-here-to-make-your-monday-suck-lessThis is the week I get caught up. Stop laughing. I’m serious.

I don’t have that much to do, relatively speaking. I will finish BLACK MAGIC–first draft and some edits. I will finish contest reads and reviews. I will critique my CP’s latest WIP. And I will read a not-so-secret project by a not-so-secret writer I admire, whose UNPUBLISHED WRITER’S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL blog I happen to be guesting on today. Talking about inspiration. Click and go. 😉

See? Easy peasy. I’ll get through this list!

My weekend was good. Said CP and I went to the OKRWA chapter meeting on Saturday. The always fabulous Sharon Sala, New York Times best-selling author, presented the program on the differences between critiques and criticism. She finishe up by reading the first page (opening scene) of members’ WIPs and offering tips on strengthening hooks and tightening writing. I offered up the first page of BLACK MAGIC. And when she finished I had a major fan girl squee moment. Her comment? “Email me when this comes out. I’m serious. I want to read this. I love Sade.” 😳 And that’s all she said. Well, almost. She also said she wished she’d written my first line. 😀

Did I mention the weather is crazy? As in crazy beautiful? Seriously. It’s mid-August. We’re normally suffering through sweltering days with highs in the 100s and lows in the 80s with humidity over 50%. Over the weekend, highs were in the 80s and lows in the 60s. We’re talking FALL weather! *happy dances* Today the high is inching up to 92 but I can deal with it!

What about y’all? Fun times this weekend? Good weather or bad? Read anything you want to recommend?

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Bucket List – 91-100

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Silver James

notebookThis is it. The last ten items on my list. Maybe I should take off the ones I’ve done and make a new list. shifty-eyes-ani2faster Naw. I wouldn’t do that to y’all. You’ve been very patient with my…whatever prompted me to do this is. So, without further fanfare, here’s the last segment.

91. Get an agent. (This should have been back in the spate of writing goals, I guess. *der*) Had one. We parted on friendly terms. I might consider another one in the future. A lot depends.

92. Finish Uninvited. I’ve been writing it for….over ten [almost twenty years] now. I still think it is a hellava story and premise but it’s soooo dark. [Yeah, so dark that I want to scrub down with bleach whenever I’m in the villain’s head.] It’s a horror novel. What can I say?

93. Participate and “win” NaNoWriMo every year between now and then. (8 years and counting)

94. Make new friends but keep the old. One is silver, the other is gold. [Sh’up, Kelly. Yes, this is an inside joke and I doubt K. Dabney is here but just in case… 😉 ]

95. Learn to forgive even if I can’t forgot. [I REALLY need to work on this one!]

96. Finish the renovation of the master shower. (Don’t ask.) [Okay, some of you asked and I’ve been through the whole sordid story before. Here’s an update. It WAS finished. Until Lawyer Guy decided to tweak the latch on the glass shower door. Uhm…the glass cracked. It’s now off plumb with the crack “repaired” with duct tape. So…again…don’t ask!] 🙄

97. Sit and drink cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde on Jackson Square (New Orleans French Quarter) long enough to see if the entire world does, indeed, pass by.

98. Learn to spell “ridiculous” without having to look it up. (I’ve always been able to spell “sublime”. What does that say, huh?)

99. Never actually mark off every single thing on this list…there should always be something left to be done and enjoyed.

100. Celebrate my 100th birthday.

And that’s my list. I have no intention of ever marking them all off but it will be a hellava lot of fun trying! Next Friday, we will return to our regularly unscheduled postings. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

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Cover Reveal: That Ol’ Black Magic

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Silver James

That Ol Black Magic 680I’ve been keeping The Only busy of late, what with CAFE MIDNIGHT’S cover and now with the cover for THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. With her help, we’ve come up with what I think is a very cool look/brand for the Penumbra Papers. FYI, the background photo is one The Only took while we were in NOLA. She worked her magic on the image of crypts at St. Louis Cemetary #1, which is the setting for several scenes in THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. If you check the word counter on the right, you’ll see that I’m closing in The End. 😀

In the meantime, here’s the TOBM blurb:

Along with her FBI partner—and best friend—Caleb Jones, Special Agent Sade Marquis is sent to New Orleans to investigate the murders of several high-ranking magicks. The Big Easy is neutral territory and Sade must find and arrest the culprit before war breaks out between the Realms. Things look up when the gargoyle Sentinel, Roman, a permanent fixture in Sade’s childhood, arrives to keep the peace. Maybe.

The investigation is hampered by Sade’s faerie nemesis, Ariel—the King’s Seducer. Oh, and then there’s the new dragon in town, Nikolas Constantine. Sade can’t decide whether to arrest his ass or admire it.

When guilt and innocence come to play in the French Quarter, it’ll take Sade’s brand of crazy to sort it all out.

Yeah, I know. It needs work. I suck at blurbs. Tomorrow is the last installment of my Bucket List. Yeah, yeah. I hear those sighs of relief. 😉 I’m writing today. What are the rest of you up to?

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Universal Discouragement

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Silver James

universeThis nudge from the Universe has been hanging out in my draft folder for quite awhile. After releasing CAFE MIDNIGHT yesterday and having two whole sales (one of them mine), this is the one that popped out at me when I looked for a topic for today.

Do you know what it sometimes means, Silver, when you feel a bit bummed out and aren’t sure why? When you catch yourself looking back over your shoulder and wondering? When you feel doubt, sense uncertainty, and experience fear? When you sometimes wonder what’s taking so long?

It means you’re normal.

Yeeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
The Universe

Well, Silver, as normal as anyone can be who possesses superpowers, commands legions, and rearranges physical circumstances simply with thought.

I’m not sure what it means, exactly, but I do catch myself feeling a bit bummed out, and I have caught myself looking over my shoulder all filled with doubt and stuff. And fear? Oh yeah! That’s a constant companion. I think this is a human thing. It’s definitely a writer thing. I’ve yet to talk to ANY writer who hasn’t expressed these exact sentiments at one time or another. And it’s normal. Aren’t you glad? *whew* I am.

P.S. As for that last part? Yeah, right. You make me laugh, Universe. 🙄

P.S.S. Stop by tomorrow for another cover reveal. The Only has been busy! 😀

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Coming Soon: Cafe Midnight

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Silver James

Update! CAFE MIDNIGHT is now live. 😀 Here’s the LINK

Cafe Midnight 680A burned-out homicide cop. A mysterious diner. A dead body. What could possibly go wrong?

When that cop is Joe McGwire? Everything. Back on duty after a deadly shootout, Joe and his new best friend, Insomnia, hit the streets. Drawn to a diner called Cafe Midnight, Joe walks straight into trouble.

Welcome to Cafe Midnight, where the coffee’s hot, you can still smoke, the payphone costs a nickel, and famous detectives hang out looking for a case.

This short story is a fond homage to film noir and the detective novels of yesteryear. It’s a tongue-in-cheek tale about a hard-driven homicide detective and the denizens of the dark he meets while investigating his latest murder.

As soon as it goes live on Amazon, I’ll let y’all know. Who’s your favorite literary or movie detective?

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