Thursday Thoughts: Universal Timeline

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Silver James

So. It’s been a week and a half. I’m still in a brain fog. The older I get, the harder it is to make the adjustment. Just an hour, people say. What’s the big deal? Trust me. It’s a BIG deal. Okay, that’s my gritch of the day. It’s Thursday. Actually, it’s Wednesday (hence the week and a a half timeframe above) but I’m too befuddled to make sense until around 10 a.m. each. Which sucks. I’m not getting much done. I’m beta reading but I need to be sharp, awake, and aware to do a good job. It’s a slog–not becaquse the book is–it’s all kinds of awesome!–but because my brain is slow to react. Writing? Pffft. What’s that? Hey, I do have almost 4K words written. Too bad they are random scenes. Okay, I’m through whining. This is Thursday. The Universe has thoughts.

For millennia, Silver, the path to enlightenment has been made up of many steps.

Most commonly, it begins with festering misunderstandings that lead to pain.

The pain then leads to growth, the growth then leads to clarity, the clarity then leads to fun, the fun then leads to joy, and the joy then leads to true illumination.

May I recommend skipping to the fun part?

Love you forever, Silver –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Yes, Silver, you can.

This sounds like the basic steps/formula for a book, right? Especially a romance, but also any book. Think about it. Every book needs conflict (ie. festering misunderstanding. Wow! Isn’t that an image?!?) Then comes the pain. Gotta torture our characters, right? Indeed. But only up to a point. More on that in a moment. The whole point to the conflict is so that the characters can grow. They figure it out (clarity). They make up and that leads to the fun times. Then they get the HEA (joy). This is true for literary stories and any genre tale. Skipping to the fun would be nice in real life but in the stories we read? It’d be pretty boring if everything was rainbows and lollipops the whole time. Am I right?

Now, as for torturing characters. As mentioned, I’m all for this–up to a point. I want the MC(s) to end the bookbe in a good place at the end of the book. In series, this might be a “Happy Right Now” and there might be a bit of a cliffhanger–which I hate. I strive more for a hint of what’s coming next. True story: I found a UF/paranormal series that I really liked. It was different. Fresh. Sisters with “gifts.” Tahoe setting. I eagerly looked forward to each new release. Until I didn’t. I dropped the series. Why? Because the main sister and her romantic lead never got to be happy. Every book ended with them being torn apart. There was never even a hint that they had ANY happiness together. So, I was done. Have no clue what happened to them. Don’t care. My point is, listen to the Universe–whether as a reader or as a person living your life. Always strive for the fun. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

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Wednesday Words: People Watching

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Silver James

Another windy Wednesday. And cold. What is up with Mother nature?!?! It was 81 yesterday and at the moment, our wind chill is 32. Brrrr 🥶

Still I have good news! I won! Thursday Threads, not the lottery but hey, somebody liked what I wrote. I have to admit, I rather like the words in this snippet too. Our prompt this week is: *He watched their faces.* *hums the Twilight Zone theme* That’s the creepiest music I can “action” and everybody know the exact sound. Anyway. And again, no real context. I’m not there yet.

****
Shadows. Insubstantial as gossamer wings and not nearly so user friendly. They haunted. And hunted. The unwary, the profane, the innocent, and not-so-innocent all fell prey to them. They lurked, hunting in pairs, ready to pounce when chance provided them with a victim. Like the disenchanted urchins swarming around old Fagin, the Shadows plagued humans and Sidhe alike.

Ariel knew his job. For whatever reason, this woman had blipped on the King’s and Queen’s radar. When Oberon and Titania said jump, he didn’t pause to ask how high. She always walked home this way, at the end of her work day. He’d spent several nights watching, finding her rhythm. She wasn’t beautiful, at least not in the fairy tale princess sense. And she was human.

Movement in the gathering dusk jerked his attention from inward thoughts to defensive strategy. They were there. Across the street. Two Shadows. Waiting. Watching. For her. He watched their faces, noted the hunger and the cruelty.

What made her so special? He intended to find out. The Shadows stirred, their sharp faces turning to the west, noses high like blood hounds shifting the scent of their prey from the breeze. Ari heard laughter carried on that same breeze—hers—and the muscles in his gut clenched, even as something else tightened in anticipation. She swung into view, turning the corner as she all but skipped down the sidewalk, spreading her smile like sunshine and rainbows. That’s when he knew; that’s when it all made sense.
****

There you have it. The plot is thickening and there are some twists that have occurred to me. In the meantime, writers, steal the prompt if it inspires you to dash off a little word sprint. Readers, do you people watch when you are out and about?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Day-after Irish Nachos

Posted on March 18, 2025 by Silver James

So…as you can imagine Clancy’s Pub in Boston is always busy on St. Patrick’s Day. The place is flooded with tourists and townies alike while the Irish Wolves and their ladies are treated like the VIPs they are. 😉 Even with the crowds, it’s a fun place to be. Ronan will often bring in Irish musicians or simply crank up the sound with Irish music after disabling the juke box. Check out today’s recipe and then I’ll tell you the tale…

IRISH NACHOS
Total Time: 40 Min.
Prep Time: 20 Min.
Cook Time: 20 Min.
6 Servings
 
What You Need
1 pkg. (22 oz.) ORE-IDA Waffle Fries
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
6 slices cooked OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crumbled
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup KRAFT Classic Ranch Dressing, divided
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Finely Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese
 
Let’s Make It
1 – Heat oven to 450°F.
2 – Bake waffle fries as directed on package. Cool slightly.
3 – Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, bacon, onions and 2 Tbsp. dressing.
4 – Spread half the fries onto ovenproof plate; sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layers.
5 – Bake 2 to 4 min. or until cheese is melted.
6 – Top with tomato mixture; drizzle with remaining dressing.
 
Kitchen Tips
Tip 1 – Special Extra: Top with 1 sliced jalapeño pepper before serving.
Tip 2 – Serve a side of ranch dressing for dipping/dribbling 
Tip 3 – Add dollops of sour cream.
 
My Tip: I leave off the tomatoes–allergies. And I use canned or jarred jalapeños already sliced and “dribble” a couple of tablespoons over the top before putting it back in the oven for the cheese to melt. Also, if spicy isn’t your style, leave off the jalepenos. You won’t hurt anyone’s feelings.

As to the origin of this recipe, Finn, the intrepid bartender at Clancy’s got tired of always being asked if the house served nachos. In a fit of temper one night, he threw his bar towel done, marched to the kitchen and returned in about 45 mintues and slapped a plate on the bar in front of the customer who’d inquired. “Here,” Finn sharled. “Enjoy yer bloody feckin’ Irish nachos.” True story. If you haven’t met Boru’s Irish Wolves, you need to click on the pic up there at the top, the cover over on the right or here on the title: MOONSTRUCK MAFIA: BOSTON. Clicking takes you to a landing page at Books2Read where you can handily find the link to your favorite on-line bookseller. What about ya’ll? Would you ask Finn for some Irish nachos?

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Green Monday

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Silver James

And a Happy St. Patrick’s Day t’ya! Everyone is a little bit Irish today. I’m lucky. I have Irish blood in my veins. If I drank, I’d have a Harp pale ale with dinner tonight and LG would have a Guinness. (I’m not fond of dark ale. It’s okay but I’d rather have a Harp.) Tonight would be a good time to curl up with MOONSTRUCK MAFIA: BOSTON and have a cuppa of your beverage of choice. I’ll wear a little green in case I actually stick my nose out into public today. I’d hate to get pinched, don’cha know. And why is that? What do you get pinched if you aren’t wearing green? *falls down rabbit hole* Ah ha! Here’s the explanation:

According to fun folklore, people get pinched on St. Patrick’s Day for not wearing green because green makes you invisible to leprechauns. Leprechauns are mischievous creatures, and according to legend, they like to pinch people. If you wear green, leprechauns won’t be able to see you, so you’ll be free of any painful pinching. The tradition of pinching people who don’t wear green on St. Patrick’s Day is supposed to be a reminder that, at any time, a leprechaun could appear and wreak havoc on you.

So now you know. In other news, I had a panic yesterday. A sharp-eyed and diligent reader emailed me with a formatting problem with MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTUTION. There was a second Chapter 12 stuck into Part Two between chapter 12 and 14. 🤦🏼‍♀️ I fixed it at both the ‘Zon and D2D. If you bought a copy from the ‘Zon, check your Account/Digital Library to see if there’s an update. If so, update your copy. If not, I’m sorry for the inconvenience but just skip that repeat and go on. It’s always something. Plus, it cost me $25 to update the print version.

So, there was REALLY bad weather over the weekend–here and across the Southeast. We had wild fires that killed one man and critically injured his son. 250+ homes, 100+ other structures and 170,000+ acres of land burned. That storm system came through here hot and dry with massive winds. By the time darkness fell Friday night, it hit gulf moisture and turned into a massive tornado outbreak. Makes my heart hurt. We’re fine. The Kids are fine. But so many aren’t. 😢

Still, life goes on. Stormy had a soccer game Saturday afternoon. It was windy and cold but he played well. Sadly, the team lost but they scored two goals in tough weather conditions. OSU cancelled Friday and Saturday games because Stillwater was affected by one of the fires. The home city of OSU lost several neighbornoods. On Sunday, Cowgirls came back Stillwater Strong and beat Houston. The Cowboys played West Virginia and it was nick and tuck but the boys went down 8-6. Sadly, two of the players lost the house they were living in to the fires.

Didn’t do much writing. Those of you on FB and see my page know that I shared the villain’s photo. I’m trying to et to know him and what his exact place is in the story. I’m thinking his name is Corvin, but he’s ignoring me at the moment. That’s okay. I’ve also got the heroine on my mind. I’m still waffling on her name too but I’ve found her model. I think. Let’s call it a working model for now. 🙄

In reading, I’ve been “stuck” in neutral for weeks now. I had every intention of finishing the last two hours of BONDED IN DEATH over the weekend. Yeah, that didn’t happen. I did get started on my beta read “assignment.” It’s an awesome detective noir and while the going is slow due to my waning eyesight, it’s hard to stop because…interesting!

Not much else going on. Spilling some coffee onto my keyboard while I was in the midst of trying to fix RETRIBUTIION’s oops isn’t worth much of a mention. I got it mopped up. Spray duster is invaluable. I also cleaned out a bunch of cat hair after popping off some keys. Want to visit Clancy’s Pub in Boston? Click the pic or use the QR code. Happy Paddy’s Day! Who’s celebrating?

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Friday Sinema: For Love

Posted on March 14, 2025 by Silver James

This may sound weird but my process for writing a book in The Penumbra Papers is a lot different from any of my other series. Part of that process involves music. There’s always a soundtrack. I’ll hear a song, make note of it–literally as I have a little notebook that I jot titles and artists down in–and then I figure out one, which main character it goes with and then two, where it belongs in the story. It sometimes takes a while. There are times I have the scene but no song. Other times, it’s the opposite. Anyway, here’s a song that’s been on Ariel’s list since I first stumbled across it. Hope you enjoy. Busy weekend for me. Hope y’all enjoy yours!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Downtime

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Silver James

I’m still draggin’ my “li’l red wagon” around. I look outside and think, Oh! I still have time to get some work done before fixing dinner. Then I look at the clock and go, OH SH!T!!! This happens with my blog posts and my writing. In addition, I’ve fallen down the research rabbit hole more than once lately. But then the Universe dropped this into my in box.

What if it was your downtime, your lounging-in-bed-too-long time, your walkabout time, and your blow-Friday-off time that made possible your greatest achievements?

Would they still make you feel guilty, Silver? Or would you allow yourself to enjoy them?

About time –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Even your watching-the-rain time, Silver?

Every time I finish a book and it hits the shelves (whether physical or digital), I always want to rush right into the next project. And when that project doesn’t cooperate and I find ways to procrastinate my way out of the frustration, I need to remember the Big U’s advice. Downtime is necessary. Even if I’ve got a story and the characters firmly embedded in my brain, my imagination still needs to take a little vacation. It needs downtime to dream. To meet the characters and watch them in their “native” environment. Heck, it needs to tour that environment, get a feel for it. To find the local coffee shop, sit and sip and watch that world go by. And yeah, I’m finally learning to not feel guilty about taking this time between books. Why? Because the Universe is right. It’s all the “away” time that makes, and has made, all my books possible. Thank you for your patience as I dabble and dream, as I fall down rabbit holes and ramble, as I got walkabout in a space that isn’t mine. I’ll be back in the chair again soon and the characters will talk to me and tell their stories. I’ll transcribe them and soon enough, there will be a book with a title and a cover and a publication date. But for now, I’m going to indulge in a little downtime. How do you like to spend your downtime?

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Wednesday Words: Travelers

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Silver James

Yeah, I’m a little late. I have excuses. Number one, as it always is this time of year, I blame it on Daylight Savings Time. My mind and body just can’t get in sync. Creative time is affected. Eating times are affected. And sleep? *shakes head sadly* I can’t even. But, today is Wednesday. And I do have new words. I just forgot I hadn’t done a post for them yesterday. Which brings me to my second escuse. I was deep in the throes of researching for Ariel’s book. I know some things now. Yay. And speaking of Ariel, here’s a little snippet that will appear somewhere/sometime in the book. No clue on the actual set up but here’s the prompt: *”All of us travelers in time and space.”* Not necessarily the easiest to work with but hey, I like the words that spilled.

****
“A Fae prince walks into a coffee shop…”

Ariel didn’t look up. “I’m not a prince.”

The dragon enforcer sat anyway, ignoring the obvious attempt to dismiss his presence. “True. You’re just the King’s Seducer.” He deliberately made the words into a title.”

“Go away, Drakon.” Two could play that game.

Nikos sipped the coffee that magically appeared at his elbow before speaking. “So what brings you to this fair city?”

“This isn’t your territory, Nikos.”

“Nor is it Fae. I’ve business. Why are you here?”

“None of your concern.”

“It is when a certain FBI agent we both know and wish to seduce is worried about you.”

Ariel finally looked up and stared at the man sitting across from him. One would never know Nikos wasn’t human unless you looked closely at his eyes. He inhaled and added the stench of smoky magic to the list of characteristics. “So now you do Sade’s bidding?”

“I do when walking down the sidewalk, looked through the window and see you. Two birds, one cup of coffee and all that. Don’t do something stupid, Ariel.”

“Who would care?”

“All of us travelers in time and space.”

The words hung between them, shimmering with magic. Time and space. Ariel almost smiled as the idea formed. He could travel between. He could return to the beginning and start over.

He almost thanked Nikos—a bad move with dragons because it put one in their debt. “Here there be dragons,” he said instead, then disappeared.
****

Never thank a dragon. Just sayin’…. Anyway, there it is. The thoughts are coming together, as is the setting and the scenery and the characters. The heroine is giving me a bit of trouble. She can’t decide between Lyssa and Nyssa. 🙄 Writers, write if you are inspired. Readers (and writers), another vote on the name, please? I’ve yet to come up with an actual physical description for her which might be part of the problem. I may work on that when I get back from errands. Until later, happy Wednesday, hope you enjoy, and I’m only 30 minutes late.

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Rolling Up Retribution

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Silver James

Yeah, yeah. I’m stretching it on the subject line today but hey, give me a break. At least I have a treat to go with the title today. Hopefully, this recipe will entice folks to make a batch, grab my book, and take a break to read and munch. Just remember to lick your fingers and wipe them on your napkin–or a shirt, whatever’s handy–before turning a page or swiping the ol’ ereader screen. Also, you probably won’t be surprised who just made a batch of these considering how easy they are…but you might be. Keep reading to find out who.

Makes 10 roll ups
Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cook time: 10 Minutes
Total time: 40 min

Ingredients
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
10 slices soft bread of your choice
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Let’s Make This
1 – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2 – With a rolling pin, roll bread slices to flatten slightly, and trim off the crusts with a knife.
3 – Beat softened cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
4 – Divide this mixture among the bread slices and spread evenly. Roll up slices tightly jelly-roll style, pressing on the edges to seal.
5 –  Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a shallow bowl. Generously brush each roll on all sides with melted butter and roll in the brown sugar mix. Arrange the roll ups on the prepared baking sheet.
6 – Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 10 minutes. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes and serve. Makes about 10 pieces.

Tips
1. Easy to double if you want plenty.
2. You can freeze them for later. Freeze before baking, using a parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer the rolls to a zip lock bag once frozen.
3. To cook, preheat oven to 375F. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until lightly browned and hot, about 20 minutes.
4. Store any leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
5. Texas toast bread works well. So does a toothpick to keep them together until they go in the over. Take the picks out before baking.

Here’s the cover you can click on, as well as the pic up there at the beginning. Also, you can click on the links below. In the meantime, Hannah is sipping her coffee and looking smug. “Ha! You keep saying I can’t cook. The kids love these things.” Says she as she shoves one in her mouth. I admit, they are pretty darn easy and tasty. They’re sort of like cinnamon rolls for the cooking impaired. *ducks and runs as Hannah launches her coffee mug at me* Have a great day and let me know if you decide to try these. Also, if you bought my book, please drop a quick review. Word of mouth makes or breaks sales. Okay, commercial over. Get MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION from lots of on-line sellers. Check out all the Gennesis books on Books2Read.

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DST Monday Hangover

Posted on March 10, 2025 by Silver James

Yup. This is pretty much me. Sadly, it will pretty much be me until November, unless something stupid happens and we end up permanently on DST. *shudders* Please, just say no! I’m typing this at clock time of 7:25 on Sunday night. I should be starved because I haven’t eaten yet. We normally eat about 7 p.m. Instead, I’m sitting here typing this and thinking Oh, yeah. It’s actually 6:30 and I should probably go fix dinner. But wait! The clock says 7:30 *FLAIL* Yup. Pretty much.

In other news, I’m making progress on both reading and writing. Sort of. I’m listening to BONDED IN DEATH, JD Robb’s latest Eve Dallas novel. It’s pretty good because I can’t just listen to it in the background. I have to pay attention or I miss important info in the plot. This is good for listening/reading. This is bad for doing it regularly because…writing.

Actually, it’s more research. I have an announcement to make. Ariel’s book will be set in Rochester, NY. I have never been to Rochester, nor is it likely that I ever will. If anyone who is reading this is familiar, I’d LOVE to pick your brain. Why Rochester? I’ll try to make a convuluted story straighter. Originally, it was to be set in Seattle. Then stuff happened and I marked Seattle off the list. I needed a semi-Seattle type city–rainy, foggy, lots of spooky places and history. Not necessarily haunted, just spooky. I searched the web for rainiest cities in the US. Rochester came up like number 5 or 6. Then I saw a picture of Rochester with the river and a fall and crazy old buildings lining the river and…and…bingo! I saw a picture of their downtown library. The heroine is a librarian. There is WATER RUNNING UNDER THE LIBRARY that falls into the river! Mind is officially blown. Then, without going into a detailed account, I ended up in a “conversation” with Grok, the AI engine on X. I spent 45 minutes brainstroming with AI and it. Was. AMAZING! Grok even brought up ley lands. Mind now totally blown! There’s this really cool park in Rochester designed by the dude who did Central Park in NYC. They have a yearly Lilac Festival. Half a million people go. *deep breath* Okay. You get the idea. Anyway, the plot is coming together and all sorts of scenes and events and stuff like that there (which are vital to creating and writing a story don’cha know) are swimming in my head. I have to nail a few more things down for the puzzle frame and then I’ll start fitting all the puzzle pieces into place, ie. writing words! To tell Ariel’s story. Are you excited? I am!

In other news, Stormy and his parents went to their first out-of-town, spend-the-night soccer tournament. The team won 2 of 3 matches but didn’t make the championships. Bummer. That said, the team that beat them and played for the championship was undefeated. Stormy played well, had fun and can now say, “Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.” 😉

Not much else going on. No errands or MD appointments today, at least none I have to attend. It’s Monday. I need coffee. After my eyes are more fully open and the brain is semi-functional, I shall begin my real estate search of Rochester, which will be followed by a Google map street view drive to various places. I’m in search of Nyssa’s abode, a coffee shop near the main library, the main library, and the park. Plus pictures of the Lilac Festival. I do love me some lilacs in the springtime.

What about y’all? Anything of import going on? Stuff you need to do? Stuff you want to do? Thoughts on DST vs Standard Time? Later, gators. *wanders off for more coffee* (Knowing this is what I’ll be doing tomorrow/Monday morning if I were…you know…actually typing this early Monday morning. 🤣 )

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Friday Sinema: Here I Am

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Silver James

So, Ariel’s story is next. I’ve done a little scribbling on new words. I’ve gone over some previous notes and scribbled scenes. I’m figuring out the framework and learning a little more about his heroine. In my notes, I came across this song and its link. The note attached to it: “This is pretty much the theme song for Ariel’s book!” What do you think? Also, I guess I’m going to have to send him an angel–figuratively, not literally. Have a great weekend!

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