Last Monday

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Silver James

I have coffee. I also have laundry. Between the two, I should be able to get some work done. Maybe. Or not. 🙄 Also, having 5 Mondays in a month is cruel and unusual punishment. Just sayin’…

The weekend was mostly good. My Cowgirls won morethan they lost. The OSU Equestrian Team won the Big 12 Championship. Now they’re off to the NCAA National Champtionship. Go Pokes! My Cards did well too. All in all, it was a pretty darn good sports weekend. Baseball Boy’s team played in a tournament and made it to the championship game but fell short by 1 run. They weren’t supposed to get that far so I’m counting that a win too!

Saturday was hot and windy but we took a road trip with Stormy anyway. An author I know through X was doing a signing at a semi-local museum during their Chuckwagon Festival. We loaded up and headed over to Kingfisher to The Chisholm (aka the Chisholm Trail Museum and Seay Mansion). It was fun though Jake wasn’t too happy about the gunfight show. Stormy made a rope, got to wander the historic village, including the cabin once occupied by the mother of the Dalton Gang. I got to visit with Natalie Bright and buy one of her books–a history of cow towns at the end of the trail drives, along with recipes. It was a fun day.

We got a little rain Saturday night, along with some hail. We had from pea to quarter size ice balls. Yippee. Drover is garaged but LG and the Kids scrambled to get the truck, the Pathfinder and the Explorer all under cover around 10:30 Saturday night. FYI, it’s in our marriage contract that as long as we live in a house with a garage, there will always be room for me to park my vehicle. 😉

I’m loving my detective noir beta read. Fun stuff even if I’m slower that molasses. Eye drops are my friends. I’d hoped to be finished by now but I have to go back over stuff to make sure I didn’t miss anything due to blurry vision. This book is worth the effort! So is the friend I’m beta reading for.

So, my heroine has a name. The villain has a name. The story is coming together. I had to break my beta reading to write a scene yesterday when a news story about Rochester being a sanctuary city caught my imagination. The villain was all “Snidley Whiplash” about it. So, a couple of partial scenes to go with the one written for Thursday Threads last week, which will be revealed come Wednesday. The flash fiction, not the partials.

I’m not exactly racing through my relisten of the Graphic Audio dramatized adaptations of Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniel series. I am up to book 4. There are some new releases out there that I also want but I have to wait for the book budget and my credits to replenish. Anyone reading something you highly recommend?

On that note, time to start the laundry and get another cup of coffee. It’s Monday. All day. Despite that, I plan on making it a good day. What are you going to make of it?

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Friday Free-For-All:

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Silver James

It’s Friday. How did that happen? Rhetorical question. It’s been a week. All week. Those of you who have had this kind of week know what I’m talkin’ about.

I have very little to show for the week. The weather has been nice. I could complain that we haven’t had rain because we need rain but this is Oklahoma and the weather is what it is no matter who or how much complaining there is.

In a completely random moment, here’s some food for thought: If you replace the W with a T in When, What, and Where, you get the answer to those questions. …   …   Think about it…

Ariel’s heroine has finally revealed her name. And yes, I’ve stayed up late arguing with her. She started out Lyssa, Nyssa, Ryssa or Rivi. Rivi decided she belonged in a different book and left. Ryssa simply disappeared. That left Lyssa/Nyssa. If you could see what’s been written so far, there are scenes with Lyssa. There are other scenes with Nyssa. There are scenes with Lyssa/Nyssa. Guess what? Thta’s not even close. She walked in, pulled up a stool and scowled at me. “They’ve made fun of my name my whole life and now you?” I hastily explained, “Not me. I don’t care what your name is as long as we get it right. You going to give me a hint?” I offered her a cup of coffee. She declined. After a few moments of reflection, she offered her hand. “I’m Aisling Goodnight. And you pronounce my name–” I interrupted her. “Do you prefer the G to be silent?” She nodded, eyes narrowed. I took her hand. “Hello, Ash-linn Goodnight. I am pleased–and relieved–to meet you.” Ya gotta love the Gaelic pronunciations. So, hopefully, now that Ash is starting to reveal herself, I can get back on track with the damn book.

In other springtime news, my redbuds are budding and the stuff that I think is Japanese quince is blooming. No signs of honeysuckle or wisteria blooms yet. And I fear my peonies are likely to be duds this year due to the lack of moisture/precipitation over the winter. I really need to find the funds to pay a plumber to replace the faucet in that flowerbed so I can water. 

Good lord, the dust and pollen is rampant. I don’t just sneeze, I SNEEZE multiple times. Like 4 or 5 in a row. 🤧🤧 This is the worst it’s been in a while.

Okay. I’m done. Happy Friday! Not sure of plans this weekend. Maybe a road trip with Stormy to a museum for a cattle drive/chuck wagon festival and to meet an author I met on X. Depends on soccer/life schedule. Anything happen this week you want to share? Any weekend plans for y’all?

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Logistics

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Silver James

What is logistics? And what does it have to do with writing? You’d be surprised. Here are some synonyms for logistics. Coordination. Engineering. Planning. Strategy. Starting to rings bells? How about organization or management. That pretty much maps out what we do as writers–whether it’s plotting a book, working on marketing, finding an agent or publisher. But there’s more to writing than just the logistivcs. The Universe knows.

You might call it spiritual logistics, Silver, but sometimes you have to move away to get closer.

Or you might just call it weird.

Either way, it helps to remember it from time to time.

Tallyho,
The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. And while we’re at it, Silver, sometimes you have to let go to stake your claim. Be still to move forward. Give to receive. Cry to feel joy. Pretend to make it real. Fake it before you make it. And sometimes, oddly enough, you must first decide to feel their love to find it was there all along.

There it is, in a nutshell. It’s all spiritual. As in, it’s all in our heads. Get stuck? Move away and come back. Crazy, weird idea? Incorporate it. Read that P.S. Now read it again and take it to heart. That’s how we write books. You’re welcome.

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Wednesday Words: Inquiring Minds

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Silver James

It’s Wednesday and my mind found it’s way home. Finally. Sort of. Anyway. I have new words. In fact, I have new words that took the Honorable Mention in last week’s Thursday Threads. The prompt is: *”He intended to find out.”* The judge’s comments puffed me up so much, I’m sharing them. Louisa says: James showcases her storytelling ability with this piece. There’s the alliteration of the “tenuous truce” and striking descriptions like “golden opalescence.” She pushes the boundaries of microfiction. I’m as intrigued as Nikos to discover who this mystery woman from behind the Veil is.  An absolute fitting tribute to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on the Spring Equinox. (Hint, if you don’t know the reference to Oberon and Titania.) I hope you enjoy.

****
Nikos watched from the shadows. When he’d confronted Ariel earlier, he’d been honest. He was here in Rochester on business—just not the business Ariel would assume. His own king had sent him here to discover why Oberon and Titania were so interested in events occurring in this somewhat backwater upstate New York city. Once thriving, now Rochester clung to past glories with tenacious grit.

Yes, there was the yearly Lilac Festival which drew the Fae like bees to honey. Yes, there were lay lines here where magic swirled right under the humans’ noses.

He stiffened, noticing for the first time the beings gathered in the pool of darkness across the way from Ariel. His sharp dragon sight focused but the entities wavered, incorporeal spirits peering through the Veil.

Nikos swallowed the flame threatening to escape on his next breath. Those creatures raised the scales on the back of his neck, despite his human glamour. Dragonkind and Fae maintained a tenuous truce since the Veil ripped and the magick realms had been revealed. That did not preclude them from spying on each other.

Laughter carried in on the breeze. Ariel froze, as did those other hidden watchers. The woman appeared and the world inhaled sharply and held its breath. She wasn’t beautiful but the air around her glowed with a golden opalescence.
Intrigued, he watched her walk up the block followed by Ariel and the two spirits. Who was she? More importantly, what was she?

He intended to find out.
****

So, for those of you who love dragons, you can probably figure out that Nikos has many cameos in this one. As will Sade and the whole “Scoobie Gang” but for the most part, this is Ariel’s story. Sadly, his heroine is still fighting me over her name. Happily, the “villain” has introduced himself. He is Bran, the King’s Raven. *bwahaha* Have I mentioned this one is set in Rochester, NY? I know weird. But hey, they have a big lilac festival! This will be important. Writers, grab the prompt if you wish. Readers, where do you wish you were right now?

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Tuesday Oops

Posted on March 25, 2025 by Silver James

What do you mean it’s Tuesday? I have only this as an excuse… 🔽🔽

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March Madness Monday

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Silver James

I’m not a basketball fan. I don’t hate it. I just don’t appreciate it. Yes, it takes a lot of skill. And stamina. But just not my thing. That’s okay, a lot of people do enjoy it, especially this time of year. Not sure why the NCAA tournament season is called Madness. 🤷🏼‍♀️

In other news, it’s Monday. Sadly, I did very little this weekend. Absolutely nothing remarkable to relate. Okay, go get more coffee. That’s what I’m going to do. And maybe I’ll wake up. The one thing I DO hate about this time of year is the madness that is Daylight Savings Time. If you hate it as much as me, let your state legistlatures and their federal counterparts how you feel. Maybe we can end it. And I don’t mean leaving the clocks set to permanent DST. Nope. I’m advocating for permanent STANDARD TIME!

My Cowgirls played Baylor. They split 2-1, winning the the 3-game series. Yay. OSU also had two wrestlers who won their weight classes at the NCAA tournament. It was a good weekend for the orange and black. No soccer for Stormy. Well, no matches. He had soccer camp. It was Spring Break. Happily, the coach of the gold team in his academy has taken an interest in him and wants to work with him one-on-one. Stormy is on the silver team. It works out well because the coach’s son is a teammate and friend of Stormy’s. Score!

I finished a relisten of MAGIC BITES. MAGIC TRIUMPHS, the last book in the main series, releases this week in the Graphic Audio version. I was shocked when I realized how much fun the dramatized adaptations are. Full cast. Fun times.

I made it to Wallyworld yesterday. Now I can just get up, get my morning chores out of the way and not procrastinate doing errands. The laundry bin is only about half full. That means I really need to put my behind in the desk chair, my hands on the keyboard and make up words.

Speaking of, the “villain” in Ariel’s book has a name. Bran. I’ve also been playing with some titles and ideas for cover art. I may not be writing-writing but I am thinking and doing bursts of short scenes that are helping the story to gel.

Still beta reading for a friend. Y’all? If detective noir is your catnip, you’re gonna enjoy this one! I’m gonna do my best to get it finished this week and back to her so she can finish edits and get it ready for release.

Speaking of books, I found out that 37 of my books have been uploaded to help train an AI platform. Big, mainstream authors are all in arms and I can see why. I mean, people could order AI to “write me a book in the style of Nora Roberts.” Or Stephen King. Or whose that guy who writes romances that aren’t romances? “The Notebook” dude. My brain… Anyway, I’m not worried that someone is going to order up books writing like Silver James for someone to publish. Part of me is giggling a little bit because think of all the cussing, sexy times, and regional accents that will become permanent embedded in some AI brain. Yeah, I’m warped.

On that note, I need another cup of coffee, some eye drops, and the ability to whistle while I work. No, I have not–nor will I–see that particular movie. How was your weekend? What plans do you have for the week?

Wow. I just remembered the date. It’s my brother’s birthday. He would have been 79. And isn’t that food for thought… *wanders off in a DST-induced daze to find more coffee*

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Friday Sinema: Spring Solstice

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Silver James

Yesterday was the first day of Spring and this video popped up. Listem for the line about hail and Sonic ice. Yes. I laughed. Why? Because this is pretty much Spring in the South. And trust me, Southern Spring is not for sissies! TGIF. And have a great weekend. I have no real plans that I’m aware of. This is always subject to change. 🤣

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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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