Mondayitis

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Silver James

You know, I really should feel sorry for Monday. It is likely the most maligned day of the week. But, that said, here we go again. At least there’s only one more to go this month after today.

In other news. It’s hot. We hit 108 on Saturday and almost that yesterday. A friend describes our current weather pattern as the 7th gate to hell hot. I can buy that. I don’t want to but since Mother Nature is shoving it down our throats, I’m thinking maybe a bribe will work. West coast is getting a year’s worth of rain from Hilary. Everything between the Rockies and the Mississippi is baking in a brick pizza oven located in Hell’s food court. East coast? Sorry, I didn’t see a weather report for y’all. My bad.

I’m off to Wallyworld early. Doesn’t take long for asphalt and concrete to heat up. It’s bad enough when people leave kids or pets in their cars for ANY length of time in this brutal weather but they often forget–because they wear shoes, that puppers have bare paws. Yes, Jake goes with me pretty much everywhere because…hey, he’s my service dog, but when it’s like this, we stay home unless we’re hitting a drive-thru or curb-side pick-up. Anyway, early morning trips before the sun has a change to re-heat the pavement. With temps over 100, the hard surfaces don’t totally cool off overnight. But groceries must be bought.

Progress! Still slow but steadier on the edits. Saturday brought a massive rewrite of a pivotal chapter. Usually, edits and revisions means cutting scenes and words in order to tighten up the story, plot, and overall flow of things. In this case, I added almost a thousand words but I’m much happier with the scene and more of the main characters’ personalities come out in it. Originally, I’d planned on including a Christmas short story (previously “released” here on the website) to make the book a bit longer. That said, it currently stands at approximately 75K words. I’ll put a poll up before I get to the point of fnal formatting for publication but feel free to express an opinion now.

Still in marathon mode on Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. I’m currently on book 15. The latest book released last week so I’m a bit behind but hey, I’m “listening” to my own words at this point so I can slow to a quick walk instead of a fast jog on this series.

Soccer practice has started and seems to be going well. Stormy’s first game is supposed to be up the turnpike this coming Saturday. A lot will depend on the timing of the game as to whether or not he’ll get to play. The whole family will be up there anywhere, for Baseball Boy’s dad’s memorial service on Saturday afternoon. We’re hoping for a morning game so Stormy can play, then clean up and change for the service. We’ll see.

Not much else going on. I am occasionally adding snippets to the Moonstruck Mafia book when the urge to write new words hits hard. I’m really concentrating on the edits and my brain is already crowded with stuff, most of it extraneous to the task at hand. Anything new in your necks of the wood?

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Friday Sinema: Fall in the South

Posted on August 18, 2023 by Silver James

Mother Nature teased us with two cool, Autumn-like days this week. Personally, I thik she had a couple too many margaritias and forgot what season it is. That or the excessive heat alerts went to her head and she was halucinating due to overheating. Anyway, Fall does eventually come. Sort of. Southerners will appreciate this. Northerners might find it humorous. Those on the Left Coast? Yeah, whatever. Have a great weeken, y’all!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Voices

Posted on August 17, 2023 by Silver James

Writer’s block. It’s a thing. Revisions roadblock. It’s also a thing. And usually, not because the writer thinks they’ve written a masterpiece but because they think it’s so bad there’s no help for it. Ah, we writers have so little faith. Most of us develop tricks to get over writer’s block. I have several “cures.” One that I learned in a class involves leaving the scene that’s blocked and moving onto the next scene you know is going to happen. This is especially beneficial if you are a plotter with an outline. Pantser have a bit more trouble but usually can picture what should happen next and can move on. This often unblocks the scene at hand, so we backtrack and fix it. Sometimes, we realize that scene doesn’t fit there so we move it or chunk it altogether. This usually works for me. When it doesn’t, I’ve been known to get in my car and take a drive. With the price of gas being what it is, I don’t do that much anymore. LOL All these exercises works well for writer’s block. Sadly, I’ve yet to find something that works for Rivisions roadblock. Usually, I just BICHOK until I fight through the malaise and “git ‘er done!”

When this message from the Universe popped into my inbox yesterday, I realized it’s something else I do for writer’s block, but unconsciously. In fact, I do it often when I’m writing as I visualize what happens next. *Hrm*, I thought to myself. Maybe I should try this to get me off high center on the edits.

Relax. Breathe in deep. Hold it. Let it out. Loosen your shoulders. Smile. Close your eyes. And you’ll be surprised, dear Silver, by how many voices you’ll hear, whispering sweet encouragement into your ear.

Kissy, kissy, you can do it –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Be still, Silver, be calm, and listen. You’ll find there’s nowhere you can’t go, no challenge you can’t master, and no reason whatsoever that you can’t have it all.

Guess what!?! It sorta kinda worked. I let the computer “go to sleep”–ie. black screen. I swiveled my chair around, leaned back, and put my feet up. I didn’t think about the book. I didn’t think about all the stuff happening in Real Life. I relaxed. I breathed in deep. Held it. Let it out. I rolled my head on my neck and rolled my shoulders. I smiled. I closed my eyes. There were a lot of voices–there always are characters clamoring for my attention. But it was the one voice in the wilderness that came through load and clear: FINISH THE DAMN BOOK!!! NO EXCUSES!!!

I opened my eyes, and still calm, I got up and went to get my car keys. Jake and I made a Starbucks’s run because Triple Star day! Then we came home. I went BICHOK, and finished three chapters. I will start off today the same way, minus the Starbucks trip. That will come later as a reward. The nice thing is, the Big U’s advice is pretty much applicable to everything we do, yeah? So, be still, be calm, and listen. What are your voices saying to you?

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Wednesday Words: The Dreaded Blurb

Posted on August 16, 2023 by Silver James

There was no #ThursdayThreads prompt last week so I’m doing something a little different for words this Wednesday. Y’all know how much I hate writing blurbs, right? I mean like burn-my-tongue, stab-myself-in-the-eye-with-a-fork, hit-my-funny-bone HATE writing these suckers. I have a good friend who is good at it and helps me edit mine. Since I was too lazy to either write a new scene or scan through previous scenes for something interesting, I’m opting to share the rough draft of the blurb for HARD TARGET: CROSSFIRE. What do you think?

A rag-tag group of orphans caught in the crossfire…
When the war breaks out in Ukraine, the Russian Army doesn’t care where their bombs landed. An orphanage and a hospital are destroyed and thirteen chilrend are left behind.

A woman determined to save them…
Meghan Muir is a wildlife biologist volunteering at a wolf sanctuary in Ukraine when the hostilities break out. Trying to get to Kyiv and to either the American or British embassies, she stumbles across a man playing Pied Piper to a group of orphans. Her mission immediately changes from flight to fight. Rescuing the children is all that matters.

A Black Ops team on a mission…
The daughter of the British NATO attaché is missing in Ukraine. NATO can’t get involved and neither can the US military. When secrecy is the only option, the Hard Target team gets the assignment. They discover the missing girl but their rescue mission is complicated when they find her and an old man shepherding a herd of orphans.

A Wolf in the crosshairs…
Fraser “Kin” Kincaid carries his scars deep inside. He’s lost friends to war. And he’s lost himself along the way back from the battle. He’ll do his job, even if it means walking away from the one woman who could heal his heart—Meg Muir. His mate. Who will win this very personal war?

Don’t hold back. I need honest feedback. If it sucks, say so and tell me where. If you can improve on it, do so. I’m serious! I’ve long since passed the phase of “Oh no! Don’t you ever criticize my precious baby!” I want people to be intrigued enough to buy the dang book. First impressions, y’all! I think the cover is going to be eyecathcingly cool and I need the blurb to match, so go for it! Can’t end without a questions, right? Writers, how do you feel about writing blurbs? Readers, what makes you want to grab a book and read it?:

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Witchy Neiman-Marcus Bars

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Silver James

When I was a kid, a trip to Dallas was always a big deal. We had cousins who lived down there and we’d head down for a long weekend of shopping or in the fall for the Red River Rivalry–the big football game between University of Oklahoma and University of Texas at the Cotton Bowl during the Texas State Fair. There were a couple of places we always shopped–Northpark Mall, eating dinner at El Fenix Mexican restaurant (where I drank my first beer!) on Friday then heading downtown to Neiman-Marcus Department Store for a full day. It TOOK all day to get through Neiman’s. And we had lunch there. There are many recipes from the original restaurant there but one of my favortes–which was a mid-afternoon snack break, were these dessert bars. I had the original recipe once upon a time (from the NM Cookbook) but then a friend shared this easy hack and darn if they didn’t taste just as good and are quick and easy so I’ve used it ever since.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 65 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: Approximately 12

INGREDIENTS
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter, softened
3 eggs
1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1 16 oz box or 4 cups of confectioners sugar, sifted

INSTRUTIONS
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan or Pyrex dish by spraying it with cooking spray. *An optional step to preparing your pan is to the pan with parchment paper, which usually takes two pieces so there’s a 2 inch overhang on each side. Still use the cooking spray on the parchment paper.

FIRST LAYER
Mix together dry cake mix, 1 stick of softened butter, and 1 egg until batter is a yellow play-doh consistency. Press this mix evenly into the bottom of prepared 9×13 pan.

SECOND LAYER
Sprinkle (and spread) chocolate chips evenly on top of the cake mix. Gently press the chips into the top.

THIRD LAYER
For the top layer, beat softened cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp of vanilla until well combined. Continue beating and slowly add in 4 cups or 1 box of SIFTED confectioners sugar one large spoonful at time. Mix all these ingredients together until a smooth consistency forms, leaving very little to no lumps in the batter. To avoid lumps, make sure your cream cheese is soft and your confectioners sugar is sifted. Pour this smooth batter evenly over the chocolate chip layer.

Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes at 300 degree, adding additional baking time in 5 minute increments if the top layer is not fully risen. The edges should be golden brown, and the top layer should be even on top. Remove the bars from the oven and allow them to cool in the pan for one hour before serving. Once the bars are cool, cut them into approximately 3″ x 3″ squares.

TIPS

1. For slightly easier clean up, prepare the pan using parchment paper, which usually takes two pieces so there’s a 2 inch overhang on each side. Still use the cooking spray on the parchment paper.

2. While the original recipe did not contain nuts, if you’re like me, you’ll want to add some. Feel free to add  cup of chopped nuts (I use pecans but walnuts or peanuts are tasty too). Mix the nuts with the chocolate chips before evenly spreading the mixture on top of the first layer, and press the mix gently into the batter.

I’m not the only one familiar with Neiman-Marcus. Our favorite FBI agent Sade Marquis of The Penumbra Papers series, shopped there often growing up as she lived in the Turtle Creek area of Dallas. Her dad would take her shopping and they’d stop in for these dessert bars and hot chocolate in the winter. She always dressed up to go because…Neiman-Marcus! There are a few stories of her childhood (which was actually most unconventional considering her godfather was the top vampire in the area and the Fae king had a habit of kidnapping her out from under Mathias’s nose. If you’d like to catch up on that part of her life, grab SEASON OF THE WITCH, which also explains how she met Sinjen. It’s available in digital and paperback. Just click on a pic showing the covr or title and head over to Books2Read to find the on-line bookseller of your choice. Trivia question: Besides being a luxury department store what holiday “item” was Neiman’s known for?

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Monday Mutterings

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Silver James

Wow. We’re almost halfway through August. This is not a bad thing because by this time of year, I am sooo ready for Autumn to arrive with cooler temps. Fall is my favorite time of year. I feel invigorated and more alive after the lazy, heat-filled days of summer. I’m not a summer girl. Don’t do the beach, the pool, or the sun. And forget the heat! I haven’t appreciated hot temps since menopause. LOLOL

Last week was long and sad. Baseball Boy had to made tough decisions regarding his dad. I don’t normally discuss “deep” family things on social media and won’t here beyond the fact that we lost a kind, caring, and wonderful member of the family on Thursday. I hope that Dale Earnhardt was there at the Pearly Gates to welcome one of his biggest fans.

There’s never a good time for such events but school starts this week for both BB and Stormy. In other family news, Stormy was placed on a soccer academy team for the fall. His coach has both high school and college coaching experience so he should learn a lot. We’re all excited and the cool thing is, as he learns and gets better, he can be moved up to a more experienced team. This is exactly what he needs to progress in his chosen (at least for now) sport.

Needless to say, my own endeavors took a back seat for all intents and purposes. I did manage to revise and edit a few chapters. I’m hoping this week will be a bit more productive. We’ll see what happens. Today is Wallyworld day, plus an extra stop at Ace Hardware for birdseed (on sale!), and also Starbucks because Jake ALWAYS gets a pup-cup on Wallyworld day. 😉 After we get home and groceries unpacked and put up, I hope to shut out part of the world and concentrate on the current chapter that’s open on my computer. Baby steps.

I’m still in the middle of my marathon listen of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. I’m up to Book 13. The new one hits this week but I have 8 more books to finish before I’m ready for the new one. That’s okay. I love this series! In TV news, “Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch” was a crazy ride this season. The finale was Wednesday night and LG and I kept giving each other the “wide eye” as stuff happened. If you’re into UFOlogy or, I guess the current term is UAPology (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenom) and haven’t been watching Skinwalker on The History Channel, you need to find one of the streaming channels that carries it and watch! It’s gone from “Hrmm. Interetsing” to “OMGWTFBBQ is going the hell on there!!!” Seriously. There’s some bonkers $h!+ happening there in Utah.

The weekend was hot. We stayed in, vegged, and I napped. It’s a hard-knock life, don’cha know. 😉 And there’s always tommorow…tomorrow… *ducks and runs* So that’s my update on this fine Mondaqy with slightly cooler temps. I’m off to run errands with my faithful companion, Jake. What’s up in your world and if you have an earworm, feel free to share.

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Friday Sinema: Ice, Ice, Baby

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Silver James

Ok. #ThisMadeMeLaugh. First responder humor is the best–especially when it goes viral. Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Baby Steps

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Silver James

Another week almost over. More chapters edited. I’m close. And just like when I’m writing, I forget–sometimes–the basics when it comes to this part of the publishing process too. Then the Universe arrives and thumps me in the head with a clueX4. Dreaming up characters and creating a story for them, and place where that story takes place is a lot like magic. And as you get into the rhythm of things, it’s a lot like sailing across an ocean.

You don’t take “baby steps” for the distance they cover, Silver, but to put yourself within reach of life’s magic.

Just like you don’t hoist your sails to move the boat, but to put yourself within reach of the wind.

Hoist, baby, hoist, baby, 1, 2, 3, 4 –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Just like you don’t sing in the car to be heard, Silver… Why do you do that?

Gotta take those baby steps before you can sail away. So…what your favorite song for a session of front seat karaoke? Mine is “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” At the top of my lungs. Whether I’m on key or not because sometimes–just like when you’re writing or doing anything in life–you just have to bust out and let loose!

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Wednesday Words: Something to Talk About

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Silver James

Sometimes, I’m really happy that a few of my characters have accents. Take today’s inspiration **“What is she on about anyways?”** for example. Last week’s #ThursdayThreads prompt is tailor-made for one of my Irish Wolves. In today’s snippet, that would be Mick O’Connor. When it comes to recognizing his mate, poor Mick is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. 😉
****
The bell above the front door of Clancy’s Pub jangled just as the music stopped. Shannon turned to see who’d arrived. And froze. Mick. With some woman leaning on his arm. Normally an impeccable dresser, his vest was buttoned wrong, part of his shirt tail hanging out beneath it, and was that bloody lipstick on his face?

Her heart sprouted icicles. Her lungs labored. She had to force her body to move, to turn away from the door and face the bar. It was all she could do to stand there, her back ramrod straight, at the waitress station. Too bad she had to watch them in the mirror behind the bar. He led the woman to his usual booth, where his brother, Ronan, waited. In her section.

A pint of Guinness and some frou-frou umbrella drink appeared on her tray. She raised her eyes to meet the bartender’s sympathetic gaze. “G’on now,” Finn said softly. “Take the man his drinks.”
She had no choice. Did she? No. None. This was the final straw. It had to be. She’d thrown herself at him. She’d even played his one-night-stand bimbo. And now this? Mick flaunting his latest bimbo in public made her status abundantly clear. She was just one of the herd. She put out and she’d been on his one-and-done list.

Somehow, her feet carried her across the pub, the tray held steady. Stony-faced, she stopped at the booth, set the drinks on the table, turned to leave. Her eyes stung and she brushed the back of her hand across a wet cheek. Tears. She swore she’d never cry over a man and here she was, in the middle of Clancy’s with everyone holding their breath watching. Well, if they wanted a show, she’d give them one.

Turning back to the table, she slammed her tray down hard enough that the bimbo cringed away, sloshing the drink she was sipping through a straw. Ronan didn’t move. Mick didn’t either but he spoke.

“Bloody hell, Shannon.”

“No!” She yelled it, leaning closer. “You don’t get to. Not now. Not ever. Never again, you bastard.” She gave up trying to control her tears and just let them come. “Years, Michael O’Connor. I’ve loved you for bloody years and the only time you ever paid attention was when you shagged me in Ronan’s office. We are so done. You want to know what the ever-loving bloody hell, Mick?” She slapped him. “That’s for breaking my heart. We are so frickin’ done. I hate you!”

She ripped off her apron, ignoring the tip money in the pocked and dropped it on a table as she passed. “I quit, Finn,” she yelled over her shoulder.

Stunned silence blanketed the room, shattered only when Mick said, “What is she on about anyways?” He looked utterly bewildered as he watched Shannon slam through the back exit.

“Oh, boyo, ya must be daft t’not have figured it out.” Ronan almost felt sorry for him. Almost. “But ya’d best get off yer arse and go claim yer mate before she gets away.”
****
That might be a bit of a spoiler but probably not because most of y’all are familiar with my Wolves. They always find and claim their true mate. Eventually. After trials and tribulations. And in the case of the Boston mob, maybe even a bit of murder… In other news, I won #ThursdayThreads with the 250-word version. For the 63rd time. But this IS the start of the 11th year for the contest so it’s not like I’m the grand champion or anything. LOL

So that’s what I’m going on about today. What about y’all? What’s got you dazed and confused?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Got Nada

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Silver James

So. I’m in the swamp, up to my @$$ in alligators (aka edits) and all the characters are complaining that it’s too hot to cook. The locals are hitting Braum’s for ice cream. Elsewhere characters are looking for the nearest ice cream store/chain in their area. So, I suggest you go get a milkshake, malt, or ice cream cone/sundae/banana split, grab a book and chill out. Hopefully, you’ll grab one of my books. You can find a list of them HERE on the Book List page of my website, complete with buy links to each one. And see? There’s another reason I enjoy audio books–both hands are free so I can eat my ice cream before it melts and I don’t have to worry about dribbling any on the pages of book or my Kindle. 😉

I’m currently listening to Nalini Singh’s TANGLE OF NEED, book 11 in her Psy/Changeling series. As I’m typing this, it’s too early for ice cream but I’m debating for later this afternoon. I like chocolate sodas better than milkshakes but no one really makes them any more, not even Braums. I’m thinking maybe a chocolate milkshake or some fancy Braums sundae with lots of chocolate and nuts. I’m all about the nuts. That might be my lunch today. Now it’s your turn. Book you’re currently reading and favorite frozen treat?

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