Tuesday Tidbits: Christmas Eve Edition

Posted on December 24, 2024 by Silver James

Christmas Eve gift! This is an old Irish/Southern tradition. The person who first greets others by saying “Christmas Eve gift!” is supposed to get a present. My present would be if lots of people bought one of my books either as a gift for themselves or for someone else who might enjoy starting one of my series.

No titles or treats today but I do have updates. All presents I’m responsible for are wrapped. Okay, technically, they’re bagged. Gift bags and tissue paper are my BFFs! I found a small box of ornaments and the tree is now trimmed with a small collection of our Santa ornaments. This is fitting because the tree topper I “unearthed” is a Santa. 🎅🏼 The tree will be decorated today and all those bags arrayed beneath and around it. Also, stocking stuffers were had and stockings are stuffed.

I made the roll dough last night and I’ll begin making out both cinnamon and dinner rolls this morning, a few pans for sharing with neighbors, the rest for us.

I remembered to set the turkey out of the freezer and put it in the garage–which stays cool in the winter–to thaw. It should be ready to roast tomorrow morning. I’ll also work on pies today. One to bake, one to thaw. The pie from Mrs. Fields needs to thaw and then I’ll pop it into a warm oven tomorrow to heat just a bit.

At this point, I’m pooped but things are on track and Christms at my house is a go. It’s all good! I do wish the view out my windwo looked like today’s illustration of a bird in a pine tree as snow gently drifts down. That’s a memory of Christmas I like. Haven’t had a bunch of white Christmases but there’s been a few.

I hope all of you are settled in to enjoy the holiday. To those celebrating Hannakah, which also starts tomorrow–a rare occurrence for the First Day of Hannakuh to fall on Christmas Day–shalom. One more cup of coffee as I watch the sun rise and then I’m off to make rolls. What last minute things are on your to-do list today?

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‘Twas the Monday…

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Silver James

…before Christmas and all through the house, every creature was stirring, inclduing dog, cats, and spouse!

So. I finally got Christmas lists last Wednesday night. ‘Zon Prime is my friend. Even with the strike. It looked like we’d be one gift short but it arrived so yay! Are they wrapped yet? Nope. Unless I got a second wind and did some last night (as I’m typing this on Sunday evening I’ve no clue), then the boxes are still staring at me accusingly for being a slacker. We also found out that Christmas was going to be at our house this year. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Here’s the deal. For years, our Christmas tree was a 3-dimensional barb-wire cactus with chili pepper lights. It replaced the huge tree with all the ornaments that our rottweiler ate one year. Easy to move and store. Then I missed all the ornaments we’d collected for years. True story. We had so many that for several years, we had miniature trees in every bed room, then living room, and family room. They had themes. The master tree was Peanuts (LG has a wonderful collection of Peanuts-themed ornaments.) Only’s held all the ornaments we’d given her each year and ones from our travels. The living room had the firefighter tree. The guest room had all the ornaments from my childhood. The family room had the cactus tree with the presents. Then Only grew up and we (okay, ME!) decided I wanted a real Christmas tree. Okay, it was fake but it looked real and was tall and had room for ornaments. Being lazy and seeing as it was back in an unused corner of the family room and that neither cats nor dogs disturbed it, we just left it up year round. Christmas morning presents and cinnamon rolls was always here. Then Stormy came along and Santa came to the Kids’ house so we loaded up and headed their way on Christmas morning bearing gifts and cinnamon rolls. Due to some stuff happening, we had to reconfigure the family room furniture so the tree came down. And since Christmas wasn’t “celebrated” here, it didn’t go back up. Then things changed again. Christmas morning is at our house again. Santa will still go to the Kids’ first but they’ll bring presents down here to open and have cinnamon rolls. I found this out last week too. 🤦🏼‍♀️

FYI, I’m doing a whole lot of 🤦🏼‍♀️ lately.

Well, we now have Christmas decorations on the fireplace mantel and there is a tree to put presents under. Sort of. There’s still no room for the full size tree so I dug out one of the mini trees–it’s about 4′ tall and skinny) and it took me two hours to get the branches uncrunched, find a working string of tree lights, and string them. There’s a Santa topper. It remains to be seen if there will be ornaments. I haven’t found those boxes in the garage yet.

I mentioned the cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning. In addition, we’re doing roasted turkey sandwiches for Christmas “dinner” along with pecan and pumpkin pies. My crew loves “fresh” turkey sandwiches but traditional Christmas fare like stuffing, cranberry salad, etc? Yeah, not so much. So, sandwiches. On festive paper plates that go in the trash. And a turkey breast in a roasting pan than goes in the trash. Easy peasy, right?

So, on this Eve of Christmas Eve, I’m scurrying around like a hyper mouse. I have a few last minute things to buy but I can hit small store, not big box. Yay. I have roll dough to make. I have to remember to take the turkey OUT of the freezer so it will thaw. I have presents to wrap, ornaments to find, and dang it, I WANT to write a Christmas story for the blog. 🤦🏼‍♀️

See what I mean by all the 🤦🏼‍♀️. Anyway, it’ll all work out. It always does. What about y’all? If you tell me that you’re all done and you’re sitting around with your feet up drinking egg nog and reading books or watching Christmas movies, I’m liable to sic the Wolves on you. Just sayin’… Otherwise, and in all seriousness, I hope you are enjoying this wonderful and magical time of year.

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Friday Sinema: Drums

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Silver James

I caught of live performance of For King + Country on Fox & Friends last Friday. Holy cannoli! Their performane of “The Little Drummer Boy” left me with goosebumps and tears. Needless to say, I went searching so I could share today, this last Friday before Christmas. This song has been a Christmas favorite of mine since the Harry Simeone Chorale released it in 1958 and yes, I AM old enough to remember that. The song was written back in 1941, originally as “Carol of the Drum.” The Trapp Family Singers first released it on a record in 1951. Anyway, a short history lesson on a favorite Christmas carol along with the official King + Country video just in time for Christmas. This is my all-time favorite version now. Have a great Christmas and if you are out there doing last minute shopping or prep, good luck!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Season’s Greetings

Posted on December 19, 2024 by Silver James

Image

December is a month filled with celebrations, festivals, family, and friends. There’s Yule, Christmas, Hannakah, Kwanzaa, and probably some I’m not aware of. The Universe has a special message for the season and I want to pass it along because…yeah. I feel the same way about all of you.

Silver, no matter what your faith is or is not, no matter where in the world you are, I want you to know that during this special time of the year I’ll be with you…

In the eyes of every child and the melody of every song.

I’ll be the glimmer in the ice crystals, the rays in the sun, and the stars at night.

And with each smile you see, every hug you receive, and every laugh you hear, I’ll be there reaching out through another, with blessings and tidings to last you the year.

Because I love you, I always have, and I always will.

Duck—Snowball 🙂
The Universe
©www.tut.com 

P.S. Happy Everything to you, Silver, to your family, and to every single wonderful, radiant Being in your shimmering, enlightened sphere.

So, to all the wonderful, radiant Beings in my sphere, thank you for being the gift that keeps on giving every day–by your visits and comments here to your support of my books by buying, reading, and leaving reviews, for your patience and encouragement, and most of all for your friendship. May your holidays be filled with joy, peace, love, and many, MANY good books to read! ❤

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Wednesday Words: Quick March

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Silver James

Wednesday has arrived and Christmas is totallly in the air. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll have a Christmas tale to share this year. I don’t know. I’ll see what happens between now and next Wednesday, which is–coincidentally–Christmas Day. That said, I do have new words for today. Again, they are from MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION but this batch occurs much later in the book, ie. during the BLUE MOON section. The prompt was a tough one–for me, at least–this week: *“They go down quickly, do they not?”* Somehow, I managed to pull an Honorable Mention out of the hat. 😲 Since I’ve jumped ahead in the story, I’ll refresh your memory. DJ is a Deputy US Marshal. She first appeared in WOLF MOON, then the finale of ROGUE MOON, and then got her own story in BLUE MOON. This scene takes place in her office in Las Vegas.

****
DJ glowered at the files piled on her desk. “Why me?” she groused.

The deputy marshal at the next desk snorted. “Because you’ve got the best clearance rate in the office.”

She leaned back until her chair creaked. “That’ll teach me.”

“Awww, whatsa matter, hot shot?” Another deputy grinned from two desks away.

“You’re just jealous.” She could banter with the best of them. She wasn’t the only female in the office but she was more like one of the guys than the others.

He eyed the stack. “Better you than me, darlin’.”

With a heavy sigh, DJ grabbed the top file, opened it, and proceeded to read the first page.
Two hours later, she closed the last folder and flexed her right hand, surprised it wasn’t cramping from the copious notes she’d made on each case. Twisting in her chair to stretch the stiffness in her back, she eyed the eight empty paper cups littering her desk. When the heck had she drunk all that coffee? She hadn’t left her chair. Evidence indicated they’d just magically appeared. She stared, dumbfounded.

“They do go quickly, don’t they?”

She glanced up at the deeply masculine and cultured voice. And blinked. The man was completely at odds with the image her brain had instantly conjured. No sexy 007-type hunk this. Nope. He was slender, bespectacled and short. “Excuse me?”

“Criminals and cups of coffee. They go down swiftly, do they not?”

“Who are you?”

“Newton Graham. FBI. We need to talk.”

DJ did not reach into her pocket to finger the USB card. Instead, she put on her game face and prepared to lie through her teeth.
****

The only worse phrase than “We need to talk” is “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Another memory refresh, which will come out when I edit this scene into the original, at the end of ROGUE MOON, DJ was left with a USB card that had all sorts of information on it. Also, the Wolves and families have gone totally off the grid–except for when they pop up to take care of that Christmas crisis over in southern New Mexica. *bwahaha* Anyway, y’all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, Happy Hannakuh and a Happy Kwanzaa. Writers, may you have the gift of words. Readers, may you have the gift of words written by your favorite writers. And since writers are also readers, I’ll ask today’s question of both: What book would you like to find in your stocking this year?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Christmas Moon Trifle

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Silver James

We are one week away from Christmas Eve. I will NOT do a muppet flail. Okay, yes I will.*muppet flail*!

And that’s out of my system now. What will be, will be. Right? The only baking I need to do now is the rolls for the neighborhood, including cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning but all that is still a few days away. That said, I am TOTALLY tempted to make this very festive trifle because I have a trifle bowl that LG and I received as a wedding present 40 some years ago and I think I’ve used it twice. Maybe. Sadly, I know exactly where it is stored so I could totally do this after a grocery run to get the ingredients.

Christmas Moon Trifle

Prep time: 30 Minutes
Cook time: 30 Minutes
Total time: 1 hr
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients
1 package red velvet cake mix (plus ingredients needed to bake it)
2 packages JELL-O vanilla instant pudding 3.9 oz. each
4 cups cold milk
8 oz. cool whip thawed
Green food coloring

Let’s Make It
1 – Prepare cake batter and bake in a 9×13-inch pan as directed on the package. Cool completely.
2 – Beat pudding mixes and milk in a medium bowl with whisk for 2 minutes. Mix in green food coloring until the desired shade is reached.
3 – Cut cake into ½-inch cubes. Distribute two layers of the cake, pudding, and the whipped cream evenly into individual glasses or layer half each of the cake, pudding, and the whipped cream in a trifle bowl; repeat layers.
4 – Decorate as desired. 

Tips
1 – Use white chocolate instant pudding mix instead of vanilla.
2 – If you like, omit the food coloring and use pistachio pudding instead. It won’t be as vibrant in color, but it will still look great!
3 – Let the cake cool completely before building your Christmas trifle. If it’s still warm, the pudding will slide off the pieces and end up in the bottom of the bowl.
4 – Hannah says store-bought gingerbread cookies make awesome decorations!

Christmas Moon 680So, did you notice that last tip? Yes, you read that right. HANNAH has a tip to share. I probably should have made a liquids alert announcement. *looks over shoulder* Chill, Hannah. Yes, we all know and love the fact that Hannah feels about cooking the same way I feel about technology. That said, Hannah took a page from my book and decided that this too can be overcome. She found this recipe, read that it was supposedly easy and decided if she focused–by banning the “boys” from the house, turning off all the phones, informing the sisterhood that she was NOT to be disturbed that she could do this. To be on the safe side, she not only doubled up on ingredients, she tripled! Becazuse…you know…that whole try, try again thing. Well, she managed to make it the first time around and since it was edible, she used up the rest of the ingredients, made two more and took them to the community Christmas party. We’re not sure Blaidd’s Gap will ever be the same. Hannah also wants to– “Yo! I can speak for myself. Yeah, I’m a lousy cook. You have to concentrate and while I’m good at concentration and focus, it’s on stuff more important–like life and death, ya know? Anyway, I figured this out. People ate seconds. It’s all good. I’m here to admit, though, that while we were in New Mexico that Christmas, I made a little wish to Santa. It took the fat old guy a while but he finally got around to making the wish come true. This once. The fact I made these trifles is no guarantee that I can ever make anything else. So don’t go asking me. And there is NOTHING wrong with store-bought cookies. Just sayin’…

So there you have it, direct from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. CHRISTMAS MOON is a fun read for this time of year. Make the trifle, dish it up, nosh and read when you need a break from the hectic festivities. Don’t have a copy? It’s on sale at Smashwords or you can grab it from other on-line sellers and it’s regular price of $1.99. Just click on the title, a cover pic, or here at Books2Read or Smashwords. Who else has a trifle bowl that needs to be used?

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The Monday Before the Monday Before

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Silver James

I have one Christmas present bought. ONE!!! Well, two if you include the new vacuum I had to buy last week. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind things like vacuum cleaners for Christmas. In fact, I actually asked for one many years ago. And the Christmas I got my new kitchen trash can and knife set? Awesome! It’s because I had to go buy it and use it. As for presents for other people, I have one. Why? Because I have no lists!!!! At this point, I truly am considering wrapping cash. Or like…giving rolls of pennies or quarters. *bwahaha*

In other news, there was soccer. Stormy had good games. Sadly, due to circumstances and on account of because, we only made one game though LG did make a half game Friday night. Ah well. Stuff happens.

I finished my marathon relisten of Kristen Ashley’s Rock Chick series. It was fun to revisit the zany zoomies of the Rock Chicks and the Hot Bunch. This has led to a new book–AVENGING ANGEL, which is the first book in an offshoot series that’s basically the Hot Bunch Second Generation. And yes, the zaniness continues.

I managed an honorable mention for Thursday Threads flash fiction challenge last week so new words for Wednesday. I’m such a slacker on getting MOONSTRUCK RETRIBUTION ready for release. *massive sigh* I’m blaming the season.

This is short because last week was a blur. This coming week will be a blur because…it’s almost Christmas. There is bread dough to make then dinner and cinnamon rolls to make and deliver before the big day. I also have a general follow-up appointment with my doc. Fun times. In the meantime, I managed to get the whole week’s worth of blogs set up in advance. I’m free to be me! Yippee! What’s your agenda for the week?

FYI, Christmas is T-minus 9 days and counting. Just sayin’….

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Friday the 13th Sinema: Horrors!

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Silver James

I’m superstitious about a lot of things but not about today. Granted, weird things have happened from time to time on a Friday the 13th, but nothing bad. *knocks wood* Anyway, I was searching for a video that was apropos for today and tumbled across this one. It’s sooo true and such a Southern thing! Have a great weekend.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Wake-up Call

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Silver James

Writer’s block. It’s a thing. So is simple procrastination and a bushel basket full of “I don’t wanna!” These are things that plague every writer. Well, every person, if you just take those last two into consideration. But we writers are creative people, especially when it comes to making excuses. “Research! The book needs more research!” This is just an excuse to piddle around on the internet. “Marketing! I need to make contact with people to buy my book!” This excuses wasted time on social media. Don’t get me wrong, that’s actually legitimate but doom scrolling on social media is just another time waster that keeps us from facing the dang WIP. I blame my Muse. Iffy is all kinds of trouble. She runs with scissors. She must have coffee. She’s totally addicted to finding pictures of hot guys which is way more fun–and essential to creating believable romance heroes–than staring at that one scene that has to be written because you’ve already put in a placeholder and moved on but now everything else in the plot hinges on that one scene and…and… Which is about the time we begin the “muppet flail.” This is all normal. But what defines Writers from writers is the ability to recognize these tactics and finally answer that wake up call, just like the Universe says.

Wake up, Silver!

Remember what excites you! Think of those things, those friends, and the adventures that can be yours! Focus. Care. Fantasize. Imagine. It’s all so near.

Speak as if you’re ready. Paste new pictures in your scrapbook, on your vision board, and around your home and office. Physically prepare for the changes that you wish to experience in your life. You’ve done this before. You know it works. You’re due for an encore. It’s time to amaze. That’s why you’re there.

And it’s why I’m here,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Wake up, Silver! Remember! Do what you know to do! It’s all so near.

This is the middle of the holiday season. There’s decorating, shopping, cooking, visiting and traveling. There’s parties and family time and holiday movies to watch and books to read. It’s hard to find the gumption to keep working when there’s so much else going on. I’ve been doing this gig for a lot of years and have over 50 books to show for my efforts. And yeah, periodically for various and sundry reasons, I fall into what I call Writer’s Funk. I’m there right now but I’m going to take the Big U’s advice. I’m going to wake up. I’m going to enjoy the holidays but I’m also going to think and remember. I’m going to focus, care, fantasize, and imagine. I’m going to do what I know to do. And I’ll be happy when the end is nearer than it is now and I will celebrate when I hit The End. Because that’s what Writers do, right?

PS – I’m also going to enjoy the holidays, occasionally procrastinating and I won’t feel guilty because there’s always tomorrow which is filled with new possibilities and new words.

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Wednesday Words: All Together Now

Posted on December 11, 2024 by Silver James

Guess what?!? It’s Wedneday and I have new words that are being added to MOONSTRUCK: RETRIBUTION. Sadly, I didn’t “win” anything in last week’s Thursday Threads flashfiction challenge but that’s okay. That’s not why I participate. I do it because it’s a way to make my brain and Iffy sync up and work together so I can remain creative and focused on the WIP at hand. Sadly, I have been a real slacker this time around. I probably should have participated in NaNoWriMo but I didn’t. It was a little weird because I’ve done it every year since like…wow. I don’t actually remember. 2008 or somewhere way back when. Anyway, looking forward not back. Today’s prompt is: *”We’re in this together.”* Again, no real background, just that this scene comes in fairly early in the compilation.

****
Annie watched the three little boys as they played. She glanced over at the other wives. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Sally looked up from the mass of yarn covering her rounded belly. “Crochet?”

Smiling, Annie shook her head. “No. Sit around all cool and calm while they’re out there doing…well…you know. I mean, Sean was already out of the army when we met.” She blinked, considering. “Well. Not exactly out but not…you know…on…” She inhaled. “What do you call it? Deployment? Or something. I mean, how did you get through the holidays? How did you get through anything?”

Hannah cleared her throat. “How did you manage as a single mom, Annie?”

“Okay. I managed but it was hard and I knew Cody’s sperm donor would never be around so I did what I had to do. How do you go from having them with you to having them lord knows where doing lord knows what but very likely in danger?” Her gaze settled on Jacey. “What do you do when they don’t come back?”

“It’s like the commercial, hon,” Jacey replied, her voice soft. “You just do it.”

“Okay, enough,” Hannah said.

“Uh oh,” Liz stage whispered. “I recognize that look.”

“Hannah…” Jacey’s voice held a warning.

“Look, we’re in this together. I vote we take Christmas on the road.” She stuck out her hand.

“All for one…”

Each woman added her own hand. “One for all,” they agreed.

“Road trip!” Izzy yelled.
****

There you have it. Our intrepid sisterhood is out to save Christmas. Writers, take the prompt and run. Readers, what would you do to save Chrstmas?

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