It’s holiday season. Shopping. Cooking. Decorating. Cleaning. Parties. Family. Friends. What do you mean Christmas is only 11 sleeps away?!?!?! **muppet flail** And in my case, it’s DEADLINE!!!! THE BOOK!!!! NOT DONE!!!! **more muppet flailing** Okay, everyone. Including me. Stop. Take a deep breath. Grab the relaxing beverage of your choice. SIT DOWN! Take another deep breath. And read this from the Universe…
In case you haven’t noticed, Silver, the sun doesn’t always rise in crimson.
The wind doesn’t always blow from the south.
The rains don’t always fall on the plains.
And so must you allow for your own rhythms in time.
P.S. Plus, Silver, when things slow, it creates the rest you need to become even more.
So there you go. You have permission and the reasons why you need to take care of yourself. Writers are notorious for ignoring self-care. We drink too much caffiene, we sleep erratically, we fret over…well…everything! Caregivers also fall into this trap. And moms, single parents, over-achievers. Gotta admit, we’re in good company. So, do all of us–and yourself–a favor, um-kay? Find the rhythm of your life, listen to the beat and learn to dance along, whether it’s a quick-footed jitterbug with strobe lights or a-shuffling slow dance in the dark by candlelight. We like having you around. And nobody can run on empty. Just sayin’…
I’m still working–a bit haphazardly to be truthful–but working on the Boston Wolves. I mentioned that Iffy found the stash of espresso and dark chocolate, didn’t I? ANd now there’s this super secret project that has to be finished by the 15th. Anyway, today is Wednesday so there much be words. Last week’s #ThursdayThreads prompt is: **”There has to be someone.”** As it turned it, it was the exact information I needed to get some timeline stuff sorted out and get me back on track with the Wolves. I hate getting derailed and it has happened a lot. Sadly. Also, ARGH! I’m just going to toss this tidbit up here and let y’all run with it…
At twilight, two men sat on a park bench. They appeared to be strangers. One wore a tailored suit, starched shirt, and tie. His leather Oxfords shone from a fresh polishing. The other looked rumpled—coffee-stained shirt, wrinkled slacks, sport coat in need of dry cleaning. The thick rubber soles of his scuffed and dull shoes marked him as a working man.
The sharp dresser, known as the Fixer, held a phone to his ear and spoke, “The boss is not happy.”
Rumpled-stiltskin, as he called the other man in his mind, shrugged and tossed peanuts into his mouth with stubby fingers. “My boss is takin’ heat too.”
“So what do you plan to do about it?”
“Make an arrest.”
“When?”
“When we fuckin’ figure out who the perp is.”
The Fixer sighed. It was bad enough that a wrong cop had been murdered in his employer’s warehouse but to have this lazy one drag his feet on the investigation was frustrating. “It can’t be that hard.”
“Gotta have evidence to arrest somebody.”
“Then get some, preferably evidence implicating Ronan O’Connor.”
The cop stiffened. “Your boss is stupid to go after him.”
Putting aside the pretext of having a separate conversation on his phone, the Fixer swiveled and focused his cold stare on the cop. “Do you work for Boru’s Wolves or us?”
“I know who pays my freight but goin’ after the top guy? Still stupid. Ronan O’Connor is as untouchable as Brian Boru hisself.”
The Fixer cringed inwardly. There was no excuse for bad grammar. With infinite patience but in a voice as frosted as his gaze, he insisted, “There has to be someone.”
The cop’s flaccid face crumpled into a sly grin. “There is. O’Connor’s precious baby brother.”
The copy said it with such glee he was almost drooling and licking his lips. The fixer reached for more patience. “You believe he is more vulnerable than the older O’Connor?”
“Yeah. He is.”
The Fixer stood up. “Fine. Then make it happen.” He strode away without a glance back.
The cop watched him retreat through narrowed eyes. Oh yeah, Mick O’Connor was ripe for the picking and he’d waited a long time to exact his revenge.
A curious squirrel jumped up on the bench and crept close. The cop wadded up the bag and nailed the rodent right between the eyes when he threw it. Yeah. He was finally gonna get Mick O’Connor in handcuffs. Tomorrow would be a good day.
**Cues the dramatic music** Dun-dun-duuunnnn…. I promise to get back to the Wolves ASAP. Iffy has promised to cooperate provided I indulge her in this secret project of hers. And…wow…I have an actual murder of crows outside in the driveway. There are five of them dining on leftover dog food. Oh. Sorry. As you know, I’m easily distracted. Which is why Iffy is my Muse. Where was I? Oh, yeah. Writers, grab the prompt if it will help your WIP. Readers, do you like surprises? Especially at Christmas time?
LG and I have been in something of a rut of late when it comes to dinner. From time to time, I get a few emails containing recipes, or I catch them on social media. Sometimes, I’ll print one off and by the time I get around to actually looking closely at it and considering making it, I’ve totally forgotten where it came from. Anyway, my printer is on the fritz so I emailed the recipe to LG asking him to print it out, no rush. He printed it out immediately and brought it to me. “This sounds good,” he said. So yeah, the incredients I didn’t have on hand went on yesterday’s grocery list. And yes, I whipped it up last night.
Creamy Chicken Casserole
Prep time: 20 Minutes Cook time: 1 Hours Total time: 1 hr 20 min Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients Cream Sauce (homemade instead of condensed soup) 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup flour 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1 cup half and half 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional–we’re not pepper fans)
Casserole 3 cups shredded chicken (fully cooked) 1/2 cup dry elbow macaroni about 1 1/2 cups cooked (I used other pasta because…reasons. LOL) 10 oz bag frozen mixed vegetables 8 oz can water chestnuts drained 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 1/4 teaspoon dried sage 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Topping 1/2 cup Corn Flakes crushed (I used more because I like crunch!) 1 Tablespoon melted butter
Let’s Make It Sauce 1 – Melt butter in a small saucepan on medium heat. 2 – Add in the flour. Stir or whisk constantly. Cook for about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. 3 – Pour in the chicken broth and whisk until there are no lumps. Return the saucepan to the stove and lower the heat. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. 4 – Add in half and half, milk, thyme, garlic powder, and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool slightly. **Sauce will thicken more as it begins to cool.
Casserole 1 – Preheat oven to 350F degrees. 2 – Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain. 3 – Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. 4 – In a bowl mix together the shredded chicken, cooked pasta, mixed vegetables, water chestnuts, sour cream, and seasonings. Add the cream sauce and mix until it’s all combined. Spread evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. 5 – Sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese. 6 – Combine Cornflakes with butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cornflake mixture over the top of the casserole. Bake in the oven for 1 hour or until casserole is heated through and golden brown.
Caveat: This recipe serves 4-8 people, depending on their appetites. There’s just the two of us so I sort of cut the ingredients to like 3/4’s(?), at least for some of the ingredients, and the picture is what came out of my oven, in an 8×8 baking dish rather than a 9×13. In some ways it reminds me of that ol’ standard chicken casserole recipe, King Ranch Chicken. And yeah, I do have that recipe tucked back in one of my recipe boxes. That said, this is NOT that. Another caveat, I used small shell pasta because LG is not a fan of macaroni. It happens. Anyway, this was pretty easy for a “scratch” recipe and it was pretty darn tasty. Want to know who else thinks this is pretty tasty? Deacon Tate of THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION. Quinn has been taking cooking lessons from her mother-in-law, and we all know Katherine Tate is an amazing cook, so Quinn decided to try making this casserole. Guess what?!?! It turned out. Deacon enjoyed it and when a couple of his single brothers showed up at the last minute, there was enough to share. They chowed down and had nothing but compliments for the cook. FYI, she “cheated” and used Pillsbury frozen biscuits, baking them to go with the casserole. What’s not to love? You get chicken, pasta, veggies, all in a creamy sauce. Since Christmas is on the horizon, I suggest you grab a copy (or reread the one you already have) of THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSITION to find out how country-music superstar Deacon falls for take-no-prisoner’s Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Quinn Kincaid. Especially since a rare Christmas blizzard interferes with their plans. Fun times. Just click on a pic or the title. You’ll zip on over the Harlequin and you can get a copy there or find your preferred on-line store to purchase it. Are you a fan of “one-pot” meals?
Did you realize Christmas falls on a Monday this year? I don’t know whether to be excited or dismayed. LOL Anway, today is Monday, then there’s next Monday, and then there’s Christmas Mondays. That makes three. (In “real” people time, that’s two weeks for those of you who are counting–14 days from today.) The outside lights are up. I managed to get the dining room table decor switched from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I need to find the tablecloth for the kitchen table. I’m not sure how much more decorating we’ll do. Just call us Mr. & Mrs. Scrooge.
I’m listening to BIGFOOT AND THE LIBRARIAN by Linda Winstead Jones. It’s a cozy paranormal, lighthearted and fun. There are two more books in the series and I’ll probably grab them from Hoopla too. Sometimes, I just want something light and airy when I need a break from my own characters.
Writing. Argh. Last week was filled with frustration. I think I FINALLY have the blasted timeline fixed. But then stuff happened and I’m delayed again. I’m sorry. I am working on it but it’s just going slower than I want it to. Gah. Y’all are so patient and I appreciate that sooooo much!
I gave my hair a shape and a trim yesterday. I’m growing it out for a “Meg Ryan Pixie.” No, really. That’s the actual name of the cut. The problem is, the hair in the back grows faster than the hair in the front and some of the hair in the back grows faster than the rest of the hair in the back. Yes, I am weird. You don’t need to ask.
We watched “On Patrol Live” (OPL) Saturday night. An older woman in Indian River County was driving home from Lowe’s and/or Target. She turned into her subdivision but missed the street and put her small SUV into a very deep ditch, or possibly a canal. Luckily, she was unhurt but was all kinds of “all shook up.” She told the investigating officer that she was so embarrassed because she missed her turn and she didn’t often drive at night. Oh, boy! Did I relate to that! Her speech was not slurred and she had no trouble standing or walking but she was babbling a bit. I’m thinking shock. Then the investigating officer tells another officer he can smell alcohol on her breath. When offered a sobriety test, she refused. This usually means an automatic arrest, which she was. Oops. In a later update, the police performed a breathalyzer test at the station. The woman blew a 3.2. I repeat! A THREE POINT TWO! That’s almost acute alcohol poisoning. And yes, she was transported immediately to the ER. If I’d been drinking so much that I might blow a 3.2, I’d be curled up in a corner snoring LONG before I ever hit that point.
Looking ahead to this week, I found a new chicken casserole recipe I want to try for dinner one night. The ingredients are on my grocery list for my Wallyworld run today. Stormy has his weekly soccer match on Tuesday. I think that’s the sum total of our social calendar. 🙄 The only other thing on the agenda is writing and editing. And there might be the possibility of a secret…something. *bwahaha*
Warning: Iffy discovered the coffee and chocolates stashes. I am not responsible for her actions.
And finally, I leave you with this thought: A SciFi Romantic Contemporary Western Christmas novella…
I have the feeling this video will be the inspiration for a scene when I get back to my Cajun Wolves. A bit of background. In 2010, the band Parmalee had finished a show. Brothers Matt and Scott Thomas (lead singer and drummer) returned to their RV where they were robbed at gunpoint. Scott was shot three times, was given a 5% chance at recovery, was in a coma for 10 days, and then 40 days, later, he was up, moving, and ready to return to Nashville. When the band recording the song “Gonna Love You,” they decided that it was time to finally “talk” about the incident. You can read about it HERE. Here’s the video, and yeah, I like it a lot and yeah, my Cajun Wolves are brothers under the skin if not by blood.
I’m not giving up on getting this dang book out into the wild by Christmas but realistically? As long as it is and how long it will take to edit and revise simply because it’s over 100K words, I’m not holding my breath. It might be a New Year’s book but hey! That gives you a pretty easy New Year’s resolution, right? Buy, read and review the book. Easy peasy. Anyway, the Universe dropped this into my inbox on Monday and after reading it a few times, I figured it was a pretty good message for me and y’all so here we are…
The plans have been laid.
Your angels are in place.
Even the orchestra is cued up.
Now simply be moved by your heart, Silver, day by day, and December will be your month of miracles, transformation, and new beginnings.
P.S. Beethoven even wrote a brand-new symphony just for your publishing empire. It’s called “The Triumph of Silver James.” Catchy, eh?
By angels, I figure the Big U is talking about my characters who are, at the moment, more like devils. I can’t tell you how many times I have rearranged a group of five chapters to get the events into the right order. Timelines are NOT for sissies! Trust me. I’ve even resorted to something that drives me a bit crazy–ignoring “time.” What that means is I’m avoiding listing what specific day something happens or how much time has actually passed. Just like I want my “geography/setting” to be correct, I want my time to be…well…timely. So I keep reading this message and it’s one writers and readers can all take to heart, even beyond December. Still, it’s the last paragraph that really speaks to me: Now simply be moved by your hear, day by day, and December will be your month of miracles, transformation, and new beginnings. Think about that. Does it resonate with you?
This snippet isn’t last week’s #ThursdayThreads though it does contain the prompt: **”You’ll be fine.”** The TT snippet involved Maura and Dev but I featured Bowie and Fiona this past weekend on my FB author page. Therefore, y’all get a Bowie and Fiona snippet. I might have featured part of this scene for a previous Wednesday Words because I think a shorter version might have been the result of a TT exercise. I make no promises about my memory. This scene is pretty self-explanatory.
Ronan looked up from the paperwork he’d been studying. Brendan stood in the doorway, shifting foot-to-foot, looking everywhere but at him. He waited, knowing the kid wouldn’t have intruded without reason.
“Uh…boss?” Brendan still didn’t meet his eyes.
“What is it?”
“Well, ya see…” The younger man inhaled and finally met his gaze. “Finn came t’me because things have gone missin’.”
Ronan straightened. “Someone’s been stealin’ from the bar?”
“Well…sort of.”
“Sort of? Who?”
“Yeah, well. It’s been small stuff. And the girl, she’s been actin’ suspicious.”
“Which girl?”
“Bowie’s girl. Fee. Fiona. She’s been sneakin’ out of his place. Plus she’s been helpin’ Finn out in the back.”
“Helping how?”
“A bit of cleanin’ and such. And maybe counting inventory.”
“Where’s Bowie?”
“Downstairs.”
“And Fiona?”
“That’s the thing, boss. She slipped out the back door about five minutes ago. Bowie thought she’d gone to the loo.”
Ronan pushed out of his chair. “Let’s go.”
They found her behind the dumpster and confronted her.
Fiona, eyes brimming with tears, faced them down. “I can’t abandon them.” Her chin jutted at a stubborn angle despite the tremor in her voice.
The three men exchanged wary glances. Female tears plus a fiery temper boded ill for them. Something yowled, a pitifully weak sound. That’s when they saw the milk carton and the rag-filled wooden box at her feet.
Green eyes snapped at them as she squatted and snuggled four tiny kittens in her arms. “And I won’t let you hurt them.”
Bowie scrubbed the back of his neck. “Cats. It had to be cats.”
What were Wolves supposed to do?
Ronan smothered a laugh and clapped Bowie on the back. “We’ll be leavin’ you to deal with this, boyo. You’ll be fine.” He snagged Brendan by the scruff of the neck and gave him a small shove toward the back door. “You’n me are gonna have a chat with Finn. I doubt the girl’s been pilferin’ from the till.”
The door closed behind them, leaving a baffled Bowie and Fiona, who was torn between fear and anger. She wasn’t some china doll to be put up on a shelf and dusted once a month. She was a woman and had been capable of providing for herself long before Bowie walked into her life. Granted, she’d been a bit shell-shocked when he first rescued her but now? She wasn’t fragile. And she was his mate, or so he claimed. If he thought she’d be shy and demur, a rug to wipe his feet on when he came in at all hours of the night after doin’ the Blessed Mother Mary knew what, then he had another think coming.
There you have it. You know what Fiona looks like now so you can get a better picture of her standing there with kittens in her arms, facing down the scary Wolves. Poor Bowie. And I promise, Ronan is STILL laughing about this! In update news, I’m still making progress. It’s like slogging through the swamp but upward and onward. Writers, as always, take the prompt and run if you so desire. Readers, what’s fine in your life today?
If you’re a sports fan, we are coming up on the season of watch-party food. There’s NFL play-offs coming, college football bowl games, basketball of various levels, and NHL hockey. Whether you’re having people over or it’s just the family, this all-in-one dip is easy, cheesy, and yummy. And yeah, it’s one of my favorite dips. I think I’ve mentioned before…like several times …that one of my favorite dips is hot spinach and artichoke.
Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Bread Ring Dip
Ingredients:
12 frozen dinner roll dough balls (I use Rhode’s brand) 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/4 cup sour cream 1 (14 oz) can (1 1/2 cups) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained of excess water 2 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tsp) 1 tsp basil 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Olive oil Pita chips or crackers (optional)
Directions:
1 – Coat a 10-inch oven-safe skillet with olive oil.
2 – Place the dough balls in a ring around the skillet. Cover and thaw until the rolls rise and double in size.
3 – Combine cream cheese, Parmesan, Romano, mozzarella, sour cream, artichokes, spinach, garlic, basil and red pepper flakes.
4 – Scoop the cheesy mixture into the center of the thawed rolls.
5 – Brush the rolls with olive oil and top with an additional sprinkle of cheese (optional).
6 – Bake at 375˚F for 25 minutes. (If the bread browns too quickly, lower oven temperature to 350˚F or cover the bread with a ring of foil.)
7 – Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
Speaking of watch parties, you can always catch a game or six if you head down to Key West to Mother Goose’s Bar. And yes, you’ll find the Hard Target team chowing down on this. Bear, the bartender, doesn’t fix this big-appetite dish for just anyone so feel priviledged if a cast-iron skillet lands on your table with a refill of your favorite TV viewing beverage. Want to know more about the Hard Target team? Check out DOUBLE CROSS to find out how the team came together. Just click on the title or any pic with the cover. You can also go back and check out MOON SHOT, where we first meet SEAL Team Atlantis, the precursor to the Hard Target team. And now, you can also follow-up with CROSS FIRE, the latest release in this series. Psst. This is also pretty tasty when just watching a Christmas movie. So, do you snack on things like this when watching sports or movies?
This meme always makes me laugh. And as people are falling into the Christmas shopping spirit. Right? I’d put the shifty-eyed emoji here but then I’d have to do some backtracking, coding, and other stuff that I haven’t had enough coffee for. So, just picture that emoji.
I’m hoping that time makes more sense this week. Last week, none of the days were the right day. Well, except Monday. Monday is always Monday. And while Tuesday should have felt like Monday because I delayed my Wallyworld trip until Tuesday but nope. Tuesday was Wednesday. And Wednesday was Thursday. So of course, Thursday was Friday. Friday was…well…it actually felt mostly like a Friday. Who knows where my brain was. I’m ready for this week to line out like the calendar says it should.
Sports was once again a mixed bag. Stormy had a great game. Oh, sorry. Match. Soccer. The kid plays soccer and those are matches not games. Anyway, he played some defense the first game but was goalie the second half. At half-time, the score was 1-1. He knocked everything down, including a penalty goal kick so the final score was 1-1. A tie is better than a loss, right? Next game is Tuesday and then Wednesday is his school’s Christmas program. Sadly, my Cowboys didn’t beat Texas for the Big 12 Conference championship but they didn’t embarrass themselves and Texas made the top four for the college playoffs. OSU will take on ?? in the ?? Bowl.
In writing news, I’m ready to shoot some of the Wolves. They keep throwing curveballs into my time line! What I though was Chapter 30 is now Chapter 27 and a bunch of other chapter are all scrambled between chapters 25 and 30 (and four of those chapter aren’t numbered now because I’m waiting for the Wolves to mess things up again. 🙄 Still, progress. Not sure I’ll make Christmas or not. Or New Year’s but I keep chugging along on this sucker. And deep down, I’m still liking the story and loving the characters.
In book news, I’ve been listening to the latest Shelly Laurenston release, BORN TO BE BADGER. Yes, I’ve laughed. Laurenston has a way with her shifters acting like their animals (in a bit of a caricature) that I find humorous. I’ve got a couple of books on the radar for my next choice. There’s a trio of Linda Winstead Jones paranormals, the first book in a new series by Michelle Sagara, or the new Graphic Audio release of book #4 in Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series. I also have a Kindle novella, REOLOCATING CHRISTMAS, a Nickle and Hawk Christmas mystery novella by Kerry Anne King and Kerry Schafer. It sounds like a lot of fun and if cozy mysteries with a touch of the paranormal are your catnip, give it a look. I think it’s still 99 cents so a bargain!
This was First Saturday weekend so we had siren test, followed by lunch with the Kids. They suggested their favorite hamburger joint for something different so we headed to S&B’s Burger Joint. Not sure if this is just a local chain or they have stores elsewhere. If there’s one in your area and you haven’t tried them, you should if you like burgers. Food was tasty, service was good and they didn’t blink at Jake’s prescence. They seated us at a long, free-standing booth that left plenty of room for the five of us to sit, with Jake under the table between LG and I. I had the Black & Bleu burger–angus beef, bacon, bleu cheese, lettuce red onions, on a Kaiser bun. It also comes with smashed avocado (a hard NOPE for me!) and tomato (also a hard NOPE!). It was filling and yummy. And I’ll admit, I also took a nap after we got home. LOL
I don’t have much else to add. It’s probably a good thing I’m not a comedian, right? My monologues would be all kinds of boring. <i>*snerk*</i>
Wow. December 1st already! If it’s cold where you are, today’s sinema might heat you up a little. Caution, strictly speaking, the videos is mostly NSFW but the music? For some reason–because I have no idea what the translation of this song actually is–“this song “Despacito” just makes me happy. And makes me wish I was still young enough to dance the salsa or any other hot dance. Have a great weekend! And yes, I’m going to watch it again and dance in my chair!
Psst I cheated and looked it up. “Despacito” means slowly and wholly heckin’ fire, the lyrics aren’t safe for work either, if you have Spanish speakers around. Just sayin’… But now I love the song even more! ❤ And now I want a Puero Rican Wolf… 🤦🏼♀️
Silver James 