Books For Colorado Children’s Hospital

Posted on September 21, 2013 by Silver James

Liza asked me to share this letter from Heather Lire and so I am. I think this is a most worthy cause! I’d box up my extra books and send them but Lawyer Guy has already taken them to VA, which is where I normally donate. That said, I’ll be sending an Amazon gift card. If you can help, please do!

Denver CH book drive

I’m an author, a book reviewer and a literature teacher. Reading has always been close to my heart. It’s an activity I can do through good times and bad. When I’m happy I can celebrate with a good book, when I’m sad, lonely, depressed or stressed a good book will help me escape.

Recently while at the Colorado Children’s Hospital with my youngest son, I ran out of things to read. Upon seeing they had a family lending library I went looking. To my dismay I discovered most of the books were medical in nature or for small children. There was very little for a mom, dad, a teen or even a middle-grade patient to read. There were less than twenty books. I was bereft. Not only for me, but for all the other family members who had to spend hours in this empty waiting room with nothing to read.

After talking to the volunteers at the hospital about the lack of books the idea of a book drive began to take root. I saw a need that those in the book community could help fill.

Please help support this cause. We need new or gently used books. If you don’t have books to donate you can give a monetary donation that will be used to purchase books.
The following kinds of novels are needed:
Middle-Grade Chapter books
Young Adult (YA) books for girls or boys
Comics and magna
New Adult books
Adult General Fiction (mystery, drama, literature, romance, adventure, science fiction, fantasy, historical, paranormal)
Due to facility restrictions no erotica is allowed.

We will be collecting books all throughout September.

We ask that monetary donation are made in the form of an Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Cards.

A tax identification letter can be provided upon request.

If you are interested in participating in this drive please contact Heather Lire at heatherlire@live.com with Book Drive in the subject line.

Thank you,

Heather Lire
Contemporary Romance Author
The Book Reading Gals

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Friday’s That Ol’ Black Magic Wrap-up

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Silver James

That Ol Black Magic 680The week has come to an end. Ariel got more views than Caleb and the men got way more views than Sade. She’s pissed. But that’s her normal state of mind so she’ll get over it. It’s been a fun week and I promise the celebration isn’t over. I’m starting a new Tuesday feature: Tuesday’s With… This coming Tuesday, either Roman Montagne, the gargoyle Sentinel, or Nikos Constantine, the dragon Drakon will be here for a visit. Y’all choose. Mention who you want for Tuesday in your comments.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner. I know I said two people would get swag from the comments last Friday. I’m feeling magnanimous. Use the contact form with the website if you don’t already have my email. Email me with your mailing address. Your snail mail. I have goodies to send to everyone!

Winner of the downloads of five songs from the THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC soundtrack is Ashlynn Pearce! Ash, email me with the names of the five songs you want.

Winner of the digital download of THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is Karen H (@Dremnghrt). Karen, email me and let me know what format: .mobi for Kindle, epub, or .pdf.

And since this is Friday and TOBM made it onto the Smashwords premium catalog and is being shipped out to other retailers (I’ll keep you advised when things go live at Sony, Kobo, B&N, etc!), I have one more prize to hand out. One commenter today will get a $5.00 Starbucks gift card. 😀

So your mission is, leave a comment. Tell me if you want to visit with Roman or Nikos come Tuesday. And email me with your mailing address so I can send swag. See? Easy peasy. And don’t forget to buy your copy of the book and mark it want to read on Goodreads!

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS | ALL ROMANCE eBOOKS | GOODREADS

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Ariel Says Let’s Talk – That Ol’ Black Magic

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Silver James

Ariel-TheoHello, my lovelies. Ariel here. We’ll dispense with last names. Humans trip over mine and I want us all to be friends here. 😉 I sent Silver away, promising I’d take care of the blog today. Pull up a chair. Get comfortable. May I pour you some faerie wine? Our Tir Nan Óg Honeysuckle White is an excellent vintage…

I noticed a few of you are quite taken with the mutt. You realize that not only does he shed, he pees on the rug, gets fleas, and eats steak tartare without the tartare, right? But we’re not here to talk about the fleabag. We’re here to talk about me. 😀

Some of you may be wondering about my title–the King’s Seducer. That is my position at the Seelie Court. I’ve served Oberon for almost four hundred years now. It’s easy work, because woman are so…delicious. shifty-eyes-ani2faster

I first met Sade on her fifteenth birthday. Oberon sent me to do the dirty with her. Of course the mutt, had something to bark about that. And growl. Howl. I have to say, he looks good in glitter. 😉 Later, Mathias sent for Roman and I didn’t stand a chance. I have to admit, it’s been a lot of fun trying, though. Sade is…something special. Far more than she realizes.

Ariel Playgirl PoseBut enough about her. What about me? *nods* I’m here for you, kind readers. What would you like to know about me? My life is an open book. Ask any questions you have. I’ll happily answer. Here? More wine? Yes, yes, drink up. It’s very…healthy. And since you are all so sweet, I thought I’d share a little extra something with you. Enjoy! And trust me, I get bigger than Caleb when you click on me. 😉

More wine? Or perhaps you’d prefer something to cool you off?

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

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Conversation with Caleb – That Ol’ Black Magic

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Silver James

Caleb faceTrue to her word, Sade roped Caleb into appearing today. Let’s welcome our intrepid werewolf, Caleb Jones.

Hi, Silver. And everyone else. Not really sure why you invited me but you offered breakfast so…

I learned from the Wolves in the Moonstruck books that the way to a werewolf’s heart is through his stomach. Can you fill us in a little on what it was like to grow up with Sade?

Seriously? She’s an absolute pain in the ass. Did you know I had to escort her to the debutante ball? And would she let me wear a black tux like everyone else? Nope. She wore black and I had to wear white tails. I have to admit, the looks we got were pretty cool.

I’m sure! What about wolf society? Can you talk about it? I mean, you didn’t exactly grow up in the pack. You grew up in Mathias’ mansion in Turtle Creek.

I was lucky. Romulus Jones, my alpha, was always nearby in case I needed advice and to help me through the rough spots. We’re born as wolves and don’t change until puberty.

Speaking of, what’s the deal with you and Ariel?

*rumblegrowlgrrrrrrrumble* Wolves can be allergic to faerie dust. And I am. Big time. The sorry sonavabuck enjoys trapping me in wolf form during those times when I really need opposable thumbs. But I still have a hunk of really expensive linen framed and hanging on my wall. I almost had him that night out on Sade’s balcony. Someday…

You may complain about him, but I get the feeling that if push came to shove, and Sade was in danger, y’all would put aside any animosity and ride to the rescue. Together.

*shrugs* Maybe. Ari is such a glory hound, he’d argue about who went through the door first.

Do you have time to stick around to answer questions today? I have some steaks I can throw on the grill.

Sure. And I’d stick around even without the steaks. I like your readers. They’re awesome. They can ask away.

Caleb lgSo here you go. Here’s your chance to get up close and personal with Caleb. Ask any questions you have. And Psssst. Sade slipped this to me yesterday. Yes, this au naturale pic of Caleb is a thumbnail. Click on it. It’ll get bigger. Like Caleb. 😉

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Heeere’s Sade! Star of The Penumbra Papers

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Silver James

AngHarm Sade smallToday, I’d like to welcome Special Agent Sade Marquis to Penumbra. I convinced her to stop–

Convinced me? The hell you say, James. You called the President. He called the Director. And now my ass is in a sling.

Don’t scowl at me, young lady.

*snort* I haven’t been a lady since I was…uhm…oh, yeah. That would be never.

And don’t roll your eyes either. This is serious, Sade. My readers want the chance to get to know you.

So this is an interrogation?

Nope. Not all. Just a chance to sit and visit. Or in your case, pace and visit. Do you ever sit still?

Not if I can help it.

One of our readers is curious about your name. Care to explain what happened?

Seriously? It’s all Tracie’s fault. She thought she was so fuc…er…damn clever. S-a-d-e. She thought it was pronounced Sadie when she saw it on paper. So that’s what Dad and Mathias called me and that’s how they spelled it. S-a-d-i-e. Then they got my birth certificate. Uhm…no. Not even close. And the bitch gave me a middle initial. No name. Just a fu*koff*cking initial. D. D! Seriously? What was she thinking? Oh, yeah, how could she fu-screw up my life and make Dad miserable. That’s what. I swear Oberon had something to do with it but I’ve never been able to prove it. I mean, really? What Vegas showgirl could put Sade and Marquis together and come up with…yeah. What she did.

So that would make your name–

Shut. Up. *makes pinching gesture with fingers and thumb* Just shut it.

A little sensitive aren’t you?

Oh, yeah. You go through life with everyone making a big joke out of your name.

Is it true you’ve killed people over it?

Shhhhh. If I tell you–

Yeah, yeah. You talk big. So, inquiring minds want to know what it’s like to work with such gorgeous guys.

Gorgeous? Seriously? Don’t let them hear you. I’ll never get any piece. shifty-eyes-ani2faster Or any peace either.

*Strains of “Puff the Magic Dragon” fill the air.*

See? You jinxed it. I don’t have time for the damn dragon.

*strains of “Werewolves of London” cut her off*

Now what the hell does he want?

*Sade’s fingers fly answering the text*

Oh, damn. Gosh, Silver, I hate to chat and run but duty calls. I just caught a case. FYI, I’m making Caleb come tomorrow.

And…that was Sade Marquis. If anyone has questions for her, I’ll text her. See why I’m frustrated all the time? But, the good news is, Caleb will be here tomorrow. And Ariel and Roman have promised to drop in, too. If I’m really lucky, I might just be able to convince Nikos he should drop by, too.

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

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Music Magic – THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC SOUNDTRACK

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Silver James

That Ol Black Magic 680I like music. All kinds of music. I am NOT musical, though. Which is funny since I used to perform in musicals (semi-professionally even!) and I danced. Play a musical instrument? Oh heck no! Sing out loud? Only to the radio in my car or alone in my office, or if a very strong singer is standing next to me so I can “key” off him/her. Yeah, any “lead” roles I had in musical theater all hinged on it being okay to be off key. Often. 😆

I have eclectic tastes in music and that shows up in my play lists when I’m writing. I have angry songs, sexy songs, sad songs, songs for fighting, and yes, I even have happy songs. I use music to set the mood for a scene and with The Penumbra Papers, I’ve decided to include the play list for each book. In digital editions, there will be links either to Amazon (Amazon versions) or to iTunes in all other versions.

Just for fun and to celebrate release week, here’s the play list for THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. Be sure to read it because there’s important information at the end. *nods*

Chapter One: Déjà Vu All Over Again (Inna: Déjà vu) Amazon (album) | iTunes
Chapter Two: Garden of the Dead (Night Wish: Dead Gardens) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter Three: Blood Feud (Lord Huron: I Will Be Back One Day) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 4: Still of the Night (Kellie Pickler: Someone, Somewhere Tonight) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 5: Silver Linings (Abney Park: The End of Days) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 6: Signs (Daughtry: Maybe We’re Already Gone) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 7: Hands Off (Bon Jovi: Lay Your Hands On Me) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 8: Here Be Dragons (OneRepublic: Someone To Save You) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter Nine: One of Those Days (Nickleback: Someday) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 10: Decisions (Daughtry: Breakdown) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 11: Caution (Of Monsters and Men: Yellow Light) Amazon | iTunes
(Jason Aldean (with Kelly Clarkson): Don’t You Wanna Stay) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 12: Read Between The Lines (Sara Bareilles: Between the Lines) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 13: Talk is Cheap (Josh Groban: Falling Slowly) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 14: No Secrets Worth Keeping (OneRepublic: Prodigal) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 15: Dragging Down (Melissa Ethridge: Silent Legacy) Amazon (album) | iTunes
Chapter 16: Who’s In Charge (Placebo: Running Up That Hill) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 17: Ally, Ally, Oxen Free (OneRepublic: All Fall Down) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 18: Resistance (Melissa Etheridge: Resist) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 19: It Gets Worse (NO: Long Haul [explicit]) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 20: Dead or Alive (Jordin Sparks: Battlefield) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 21: Tempe in a Teapot (Daughtry: Crashed) Amazon | iTunes
Chapter 22: Cast a Spell on Me (Frank Sinatra: That Old Black Magic) Amazon | iTunes
(Roxette: Cry) Amazon | iTunes

Did you make it through the list? Well, pick out your favorite songs. On Friday, I’ll pick a random commenter to win downloads of your five favorite songs. 😀 Nothing like the gift of music, right? And don’t forget to pick out your favorite magick for a chance at the Amazon gift card and swag! You can still comment HERE. Now let’s talk music! And guest blogging! Because I’m visiting with B.E. Sanderson over at THE UNPUBLISHED WRITER’S GUIDE TO SURVIVAL, talking about writer types. And I’m also at Siobhan Muir’s THE WEIRD, THE WILD, THE WICKED blog talking about the autumn equinox. Pssst. There’s a chance to win a free book over there.

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

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It’ll Put a Spell On YOU!

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Silver James

At least I hope THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC will! Today might be Friday the 13th, but it’s a lucky day around here! Besides, what better day to release the first installment of my new Urban Fantasy series, The Penumbra Papers?

That Ol Black Magic 680Welcome to the world of the Penumbra Papers. These “Cases from the Shadow’s Edge” explore the forces of light and dark as they dance through shadows humans barely glimpsed prior to the Big Rip. Since then, all manner of preternatural magicks intermingle with humans in ways mysterious, magical and, in some cases, criminal. Much to humanity’s surprise, there really are monsters under the bed and the things that go bump in the night are bigger and scarier than anyone ever imagined.

That’s where Special Agent Sade Marquis enters the mix. A human FBI agent with an X-Files mentality, Sade’s been handpicked to fill a new slot within the Bureau—Preternatural Liaison Officer with the MAGIC Unit. The Magical Activity, Grievances, and Inhuman Crimes unit is in charge of investigations involving magicks. It’s her job to deal with all the monsters.

In THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC, Sade, along with her FBI partner—and werewolf best friend—Caleb Jones, is sent to New Orleans to investigate the murders of several high-ranking magicks. The Big Easy is neutral territory so 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.

I’m throwing a party starting today and lasting all week! Plus, I’m giving away prizes–like swag and a free ebook. How do you win? It’s easy. Check out the CHARACTERS OF PENUMBRA page and pick out the magick you’d most like to follow you home. 😉 Then leave a comment on THIS post telling who you picked. Like my AUTHOR PAGE on Facebook. And leave a comment here that you already like me or just did. 😉 The more you comment, the more chances to win! I’ll pick two random commenters next Friday to win post-its and scratchpads, a really cool pen, and some sooper-secret stuffs. And one commenter will get a copy of THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC in the digital platform of their choice PLUS the swag. Sweet, right?

Smashwords is taking their own sweet time in releasing THAT OL’ BLACk MAGIC “downstream” to other retailers. In the meantime, you can get it on Kindle at Amazon and other platforms at Smashwords. It’ll also be available at All Romance eBooks soon! You don’t want to miss out on the fun, do you?!? CLICK! And mark it WANNA READ on Goodreads! The more the merrier.

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

And one last quick question. THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is just over 40K words. Would you buy a print version if it was available? Now, pour your beverage of choice, pick out the magick you want for your very own and LET’S PARTY!

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Zombies? What zombies?!?

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Silver James

I think it’s time for another Postcard from the Shadow’s Edge…

Zombies Postcard TOBM

I think that pretty much speaks for itself. But…you CAN buy the book to find out what led up to that conversation–and what happened afterward. 😉

AMAZON | SMASHWORDS

Tomorrow’s Friday. Who’s ready for the weekend?!?! *raises hand*

[Photo (c) Clary Carey]
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A Day to Be Normal

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Silver James

9-11I don’t think I need to remind anyone what today is. Nor do I need to ask if you remember where you were, what you were doing, etc. I have three such days in my life. November 22, 1963. April 19, 1995. And September 11, 2001.

I was a kid in ’63 and while the idea of a presidential assassination was enormous, I think the fact it happened almost in my backyard, in a city my family visited often, where relatives lived, is what really hit home.

In ’95, I was there 31 minutes after the truck bomb went off. Cars were burning in the parking lot across the street, dust and bits of paper and debris filled the air. I close my eyes and remember–the odors, the sounds, the sights. I did my job. And it still haunts me.

In ’01, I learned men I’d worked with in ’95 went into the towers and never came out. Our best man was at the Pentagon that day. He came out alive.

During a Facebook conversation with a friend who shares PTSD with me, she mentioned shutting out media reports and just trying to get through the day. I offered her a book to read and in doing so, I realized that we can remember but still…live normal. So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m going to live my life like it was any other day. While we were all profoundly changed on this day twelve years ago, the most lasting memorial, in my opinion, we can offer is to live each day to it’s fullest.

So…there’s been some additions to this site. Check out the Penumbra Papers link up there on the menu bar. THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is available in all formats from Amazon and Smashwords. You can find the links on its page. Eventually, you’ll be able to buy it directly on B&N, iTunes, and a few other places, too. I’ll market tomorrow. Today, I’m going to enjoy my freedoms and my life and hope all of you do the same. Peace.

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Tuesday Tease: First Page That Ol’ Black Magic

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Silver James

Edits on the up-coming SEASON OF THE WITCH are done for now. The brain is slowly coming down from it’s caffeine-infused existence of the last week. Yesterday, I wrassled ISBN numbers and uploads. Today, I’ll teach both myself and THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC how to fly as I learn how to upload to the various platforms. In the meantime, how about the first page?

That Ol Black Magic 680THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC
Chapter One
Déjà Vu All Over Again

This was only Day One of what was shaping up to be a bloody weird week and the gods had been drinking again. Too bad Sade Marquis didn’t have that option. She was on duty. Dammit. Not to mention it was only ten in the morning. However, if things got any stranger, she might change her mind.

She occupied the one booth that gave her a broad view of the whole place. Déjà Vu. All over again. Back in the early days, right after graduating from the FBI Academy, the New Orleans Field Office had been her first assignment. She’d leased an apartment upstairs from the Déjà Vu. The bar-restaurant combo became a second home. Open twenty-four/seven, she could eat no matter the time of day.

Jax Martine—or as she liked to think of him “a Jax of all trades”—sailed by her table and two glasses of ice water appeared in his wake. He was human, but Sade would bet dollars to donuts there was a witch in his family tree. She glanced at her watch and wondered if she could squeeze in a late breakfast. She was meeting her partner, who had no concept of time. Werewolves were like that.

Catching Jax’s attention, Sade wiggled her fingers through a complicated series of gestures. A plate with eggs, bacon, and French toast—real French toast made from thick-cut slices of crusty French bread—appeared a few minutes later, along with two more glasses of ice water to replace the ones she’d drained.

She was on her third cup of post-breakfast coffee when two girls sitting at the bar stirred. Their attention swiveled to the front door, eyes on the prime specimen of fae male swaggering into the shadowed space. Back-lit by a sunshine nimbus, Ariel made quite an entrance. Sade looked to heaven for a reprieve that didn’t come. Her day just kept getting better and better.

****

And thus begins Sade’s journey to the Shadow’s Edge–or as her boss labels it, the Penumbra Papers. I hope you enjoy her trip!

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