Wednesday Words: Sparks Flying

Posted on May 10, 2023 by Silver James

So, Iffy is all over the place these days–except the one place she’s supposed to be. I keep telling myself words are words even if they don’t actually fit into anything current or on the near horizon. Still, words are words. If I keep repeating that, maybe I’ll believe it. Anyway, last week’s #ThursdayThreads prompt was: “A spark is all it takes.” I suppose I should feel happy that Iffy didn’t try to burn something down with that for inspiration. Nope, instead, she went right to the Nightriders. I can’t give you much of a set up other than it’s a bar and the POV character is a fish out of water. Have fun! (I did while writing it, so it’s all good, yeah?)
****
Reba stared at her best friend, who reached over and and tapped her chin with one long-nailed finger. She shuddered, the blood-red polish making those nails look far more lethal than they should.

“Close your mouth, hon. You don’t want to be swallowing any flies.”

“Are you serious right now?” Reba winced when her voice rose to a squeaky, slightly hysterical level.

“You can’t do this.” She paused, then added, “Whatever this is.””

Glory smirked. “I can and I will.”

Taking the time to survey the bar, Reba sighed. “They’re bikers, Glory.”

“And?”

“And that makes whatever you’re planning a really bad idea.”

“Just because it’s a bad idea doesn’t mean it won’t be a good time.” Glory winked and grinned, also surveying the place.

“Bikers,” Reba repeated. “Big, scary bikers who are all wearing one percent patches.”

Glory lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug as she picked out her mark and dazzled him with her best flirtatious smile. “So?” Then her brows scrunched together. “What does that even mean?”

“What does what mean?”

“One percent patches. That’s important?”

“D’uh. It means they’re criminals, Glory. These guys are all outlaw bikers. If you start something, they’ll finish it.”

“How do you even know this stuff?”

She was not about to admit to learning about MCs from romance novels. “I read, Glory.” She held up her index finger to stop her friend’s retort. “And more than books. I read and watch the news. And documentaries.”

Rolling her eyes, Glory gave her a sly look. “I’m just going to light a little fire and you know what my daddy says.” She winked coquettishly. “I’m a spark plug and a spark is all it takes.”

Waving her arms, Reba intoned, “Danger, Will Robinson. Danger.” It was a pretty good impression, even if she did sayso herself.

Glory flashed her an annoyed look. “Do you have to wear your geekiness on your sleeve, Reeb? Jeez. Sometimes I forget why we’re even friends.”

Her friend’s comment stung but it wasn’t the first time Glory had belittled her. Yes, they were polar opposites but she’d been pulling the other woman’s butt out of the fire since kindergarten.
Reba tried one last time. “Please don’t do whatever you’re planning.”

Huffing out a disdainful snort, Glory stepped down from her barstool. “Here, hold my beer.”

And, yeah, Reba could admit those were famous last words.
****
There you have it. Unknown characters, in an unknown bar full of Nightriders. What can possibly go wrong? 🤣 In more hopeful news, I finished a chapter in CROSSFIRE yesterday and made notes for the next chapter for today. Yay! Writers, I hope the prompt will spark some creative words for you. Readers, what sparks your imagination?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Hard Target Key Lime Cake

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Silver James

It’s really warm outside. And humid. No sea breeze here so I thought it would be fun to visit Key West and Barefoot Bay in Florida. That where the Hard Target teams has their HQ. Key West, I mean. But they make a quick rescue trip to Barefoot Bay in DOUBLE TROUBLE (Hard Target 1.5). And if we’re going down there, you know we have to have dessert made with Key limes, right? Right! My friend Karrie, who is an amazing cook and baker, shared the link for this recipe. CLICK HERE to get more tips and info.

INGREDIENT TIPS

Cake mix. Use vanilla, white or yellow cake mix, or for even more citrus flavor use lemon cake mix. Make sure NOT to use angel food cake mix.

Ingredients. Instead of the ingredients listed on the box – we’re using ½ oil, ¾ sour cream, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup fresh lime juice and 2 tablespoons lime zest. The sour cream makes the cake extra moist and using 3 eggs ensures that it’s really tender.

HOW TO MAKE KEY LIME CAKE

KEY LIME CAKE

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 325°F if using a glass pan). Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.

WHISK. Add the cake mix, eggs, sour cream, ½ c oil, lime juice and lime zest to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.

BAKE. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 27-32 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and if you give the pan a gentle nudge the cake doesn’t wobble in the middle.

COOL. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

LIME SYRUP

HEAT. In a small saucepan over low heat add the lime juice and sugar. Heat until the sugar dissolves while gently stirring.

BRUSH. When the cake is out of the oven, take a small pastry brush or a spoon and brush/drizzle the syrup over top.

LIME SYRUP
HEAT. In a small saucepan over low heat add the lime juice and sugar. Heat until the sugar dissolves while gently stirring.

BRUSH. When the cake is out of the oven, take a small pastry brush or a spoon and brush/drizzle the syrup over top.

TOPPING

TOP. Spread the whipped topping over top of the cooled cake. Then sprinkle with lime zest.

SERVE. Cut into slices and serve.

Other topping ideas:

  • Use whipped topping, or homemade whipped cream. Then decorate with a little lime zest.
  • If whipped cream is not your favorite cake topping, try cream cheese frosting. This would give it a sweeter and richer taste, but you could still add lime zest on top to bring in the citrus flavor.
  • Another topping idea is to add a dusting of powdered sugar to the top of the cake and then grate lime zest over the top.

Limes. 6-7 key limes should provide enough juice for the recipe since each lime gives 2-3 teaspoons.

Lime syrup. After the cake is baked, we brush a simple key lime syrup made from sugar and lime juice. If you prefer a more mild lime flavor, feel free to skip this step.

Green food coloring. If you would like to make the cake green like key limes, you can add a drop or two of food coloring. If you are worried about changing the taste or texture of the batter I would suggest gel food coloring because it requires very little to make the color appear.

Key limes are known for being grown in the Florida Keys, hence their name, but they grow all over Florida, in CA and in Mexico. Key limes are typically smaller and more yellow than regular limes. Key limes are also more tart which makes their flavor shine through the sweetness of many desserts. Fresh squeezed key lime juice can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 6 months.

Seems pretty easy-peasy to me! And Peni, our intrepid heroine in DOUBLE TROUBLE (Hard Target 1.5), which is set in Roxanne St. Clair’s Barefoot Bay World and stars my Hard Target team and a couple of surprise cameos that will make sense once I get off my duff and finish the Boston Mafia book, is all about the easy peasy. As the mother of twins and true love of Nick Karras, she pretty much has her hands full. Being on the run from underworld criminals doesn’t leave much time for baking. 😉 It’s available in wide distribution so just click on the title, or any pic with the cover to head over to the Books2Read landing page to find your favorite on-line bookstore.

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Monday Malais

Posted on May 8, 2023 by Silver James

It’s Monday. Again. And May has 5 of this suckers. Sometimes, I feel sorry for Monday for being so maligned. I mean, in this day and age, do people still strictly work 9-5/M-F? I haven’t worked that way for years, even before I retreated from the real world to live in the imaginary worlds I create in my head. Writers do that. A lot. 😉 But before becoming a full-time frustrated writer, I also worked shifts with the airport fire department and the suburban police department. Anyway, it’s Monday and I’m off to Wallyworld with Jake. In the meantime…

There was a last week and a weekend. Not much happened. Stormy played his last spring season soccer match on Saturday. His team won. They all got medals. Not sure how they actually placed on the season. I suspect his next soccer season will be in a different league and one that’s more competitive. Friday was the “state” track meet for Luteran schools. Stormy’s 4th grade relay team (three 3rd graders and the lone boy in the 4th grade) place third. They won the 3rd grad relay with the three 3rd graders and a 2nd grader. He also place 6th in the spelling bee. Not sure what that has to do with track and field but whatever. 🤷🏼‍♀️

That’s the good sports news. Sadly, both my OSU Cowgirls and my Cards are sucking it up big time. ‘Nuff said, moving on.

What little writing I managed (for reasons), ended up a scene from a future Nightrider book. No clue which Nightrider. It was a fun scene and will be featured Wednesday. Besides the head space, I managed to wound myself, with a little LG assistance, as we tried to put up the sunshade on the portable chair I use at soccer games. The webbing between my right thumb and index finger got “pinched” and a one-inch by 1/2 inch strip of skin was ripped off. BIG ouch and it pulls and hurts when I try to grip something or stretch my fingers out. I’m about to hit :schedule: on this post because just this little bit of typinghas made it hurt like a bumsitch. Nothing on the horizon this week, except healing and hopefully getting some ideas to make this stretch in CROSSFIRE less boring. In the meantime, still marathoning the Pride series, much to my amusement and entertainment. What about y’all? What’s keeping you entertained lately?

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Friday Sinema: Let’s Dance

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Silver James

I considered saving this for tomorrow’s #ShirtsOffSaturday post on my Facebook author page but decided it was too much fun and nostalgia not to share with all, so here it is. I remember the songs AND the dances. This is how I did it back in the day. 🤣

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Sweet Nothings

Posted on May 4, 2023 by Silver James

This popped up in my inbox on Tuesday and I immediately decided to pass it along today for two reasons. First, when things get tough, I forget this particular message and truly needed the reminder this week. And second, while it is important for real life, it also applies to the stories I tell. Just like real people, fictional characters need to be nudged along with these thoughts, too.

Just a reminder, Silver, in case you forgot, in case you’ve thought otherwise, or in case you never knew…

There is nothing you can’t have.

There is nothing you can’t do.

There is nothing you can’t be.

Okay?
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Silver, nothing means nothing.

I think we all need to hear this from time to time. You know, a quick reminder that we are important and that we can do and be whatever we want. As people, we shouldn’t lose sight of this. As writers, we need to afford our characters the same courtesy. Give yourself a mental hug today and show some of that love to the characters of whatever book you are writing or reading. NOTHING is more important, right?

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Wednesday Words: All Sparkly

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Silver James

Hello, May. The year is moving on and Iffy went AWOL to dance around the maypole. Ah well. She was in good company. *koffArielkoff* Today’s theme comes from last weeks #ThursdayThreads prompt: “Does it sparkle in the night?” Tried as I might, I just couldn’t figure out how to incoroporate that with Wolves. Unlike certain fictional high school vampires (WTH is up with that anyway?!?!), Wolves do NOT sparkle unless one of the kids dumps glitter on them. Which…could happen. *makes notes for probably a Nightrider book because…sparkly biker FTW!)* *ahem*  Anyway, the only character I have that might even come close to sparkling is Ariel so I detoured to his book, which is still pretty much on the drawing board but hey! I have a full scene to add when it’s time. The snippet is pretty self-explanatory and is edited and expanded from it’s original 250 words..
****
Seattle had never been on his top ten places to visit, despite the local affection for coffee. Dreary weather did not appeal. Yet, here he was, on another cracked mission for Oberon. The two women sitting at a table near the door continued their attempts to get his attention. He wasn’t interested. He was here for one thing and one thing only. Once his duty was done, he was headed somewhere sunny and warm. Movement across the street caught his eye.

Ariel watched the woman through the coffee shop’s window. The incessant rain had finally fizzled into a miasmic gray drizzle as wisps of fog rolled in from Puget Sound. The king could have sent anyone to keep an eye on this human female. She was…unremarkable. Had he not seen a photo of her, she would have walked by without a second look.

She wore flats, an A-line skirt, a button-down shirt, and a raincoat. Her hair, which he knew was a dishwater blonder from her photograph, was twisted up beneath a slouch hat. They were all the same mundane color. Beige. The woman was nothing but bloody beige. Why would such a nondescript female catch the king’s eye and, more germane to Ariel, why would Oberon send the courtier knows as the King’s Seducer to Seattle to spy on her?

He finished off the last of his latte, rose, and headed for the door, oblivious to the leers cast his way by the two women.

“Duty calls,” he muttered under his breath as he hunkered down in his mackintosh. He gathered the mist around him and crossed the street to follow in the woman’s footsteps.

She seemed oblivious—to the weather, her surroundings, and to the fact that she was being followed. That’s when Ariel realized he wasn’t the only hunter on her trail. He sensed rather than saw the dark power gathering strength. He slowed his pace, glancing around furtively. He didn’t want to give himself away to whatever pursued her.

The human stopped at the corner, waiting for the light to change. As Ariel stopped a step behind, her scent wafted to him and if he’d been a cat, he would have rolled in the catnip she’d suddenly become. He wanted her. In the worst way.

She turned, her gaze taking him in from head to toe. Her face softened and a hint of a smile played over her mouth as her eyes twinkled in the subdued light of the street lamp. “Does it sparkle in the night?”
Her melodic voice washed over him but he only stared dumbly, unsure of what she was referring to, unless she could read his thoughts. He glanced down, worried his thoughts had taken physical form but things appeared normal. “Does what sparkle?”

She caught the direction of his wayward gaze and laughed. Ariel almost crashed to his knees at the sweet sound.

“Not that, silly. Your magic.”

And that was why the Fae King wanted her.
****
Not exactly a “Meet Cute” but it’ll do very nicely for the plot I’m toying with. I have no name for the heroine yet and about the only thing I can tell you about her is that she’s a librarian. In Seattle. And the Shadows want her. So there ya go. Writers, feel free to riff away if you want to add some sparkle to your character’s life. Readers, should vampires sparkle?

Psst: I took an honorable mention in the challenge. 😉

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Taco Tuesday

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Silver James

Since Friday is Cinco de Mayo and today is Tuesday, what better treat to feature than soft tacos? Talk about easy peasy and fixing things the way you want! And there’s no “right” way to make them. You can used ground beef, or other ground meats (port, turkey), fish, shrimp, thin sliced steak or chicken. You pick. You can season it a lot which spices in your cabinet or do what I do and grab the Old El Paso Original Seasoning packet. And the garnish is as varied as the meat. Cheese. Lettuce. Onions. Olives. Clinatro. Sour cream. Cheese. Oh, I mentioned cheese. Refried beans. Or black beans (not my thing but go for it). The kind doesn’t matter so long as it’s shredded. You can use taco sauce in whatever heat you desire, lime juice, or…heck, I’ve seen people slather on quacomole. Add tomatoes. (Not in this house but it’s okay if you like them.) We like the burrito sized flour tortillas. They even come in low carb now. And wheat if that’s your nip. You can take the tortilla, build your taco and heat it up in the microwave (LG) or warm the tortilla and then build the taco. You can fold it over or roll it up. There’s no wrong way to do them. And that’s what makes them so fun, easy, and yummy.

As I mentioned, there’s no real recipe. Well, there is. A bunch of them Just stick “soft tacos” in your browser search. Me? I just add half a pack of Old El  Paso to my 1 lb. of lean ground beef browned and drained, along with about 1/3 a cup of water and then cooked down to no liquid. Onions, olives, lettuce, sour cream, lots of Fiesta Blend shredded cheese and a dab of taco sauce. Mmm mmm good! I’m pretty sure most true Mexican cooks are cringing and shaking their “mother fingers” at me but whatever. When we can’t get to our favorite Mexican restaurant, and need something quick and easy, Taco Tuesday FTW! And guess what? It’s a staple around the Tarpley Volunteer Fire Department too. Of course, since the chief, Pops West, met his match in Elena Rodriguez, he gets the real thing at home. Psst. Don’t tell Elena but Pop still drops by the station for Taco Tuesday. 😉 If you’d like to read about Pops and Elena, you can grab FIGHTING FOR ELENA for free on Kindle Unlimited or buy it in digital for $3.99. It’s also available in paperback and audio. Just click on the title or any pic with the cover to head over to snag your copy.

What about y’all? Is Taco Tuesday a thing at your house?

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May Day Monday

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Silver James

*muppet flail* How can it be May? Where is Spring?!? I just turned off the heater–AGAIN–yesterday. Whee! Been a wild ride and May is supposed to be our crazy weather month. At leasat we got some rain last week. Every drop helps.

Writing. There was a very tiny little bit. I did manage an Honorable Mention on the Thursday Threads flash fiction challenge last week. Sadly, the snippet–which will appear on Wedneday Words this week, was set in Ariel’s book. Yeah. Iffy has spring fever. Or maybe hayfever. Anyway, I’ve basically been piddling around with CROSSFIRE and I need to get over that $h!+ like right now! No excuses. Just do it. Yada yada. Getting back into the swing of writing is sooo not like getting back on a bicycle. Or maybe it is, if you wobble around a lot.

Sports is a mixed bag. There was supposed to be a Stormy soccer game Saturday but it was canceled due to all the rain last week. That was good because Only and Stormy ran the Run to Remember Memorial 5K and the Kid’s Run on Saturday morning. They both ran their personal bests, shaving something like 10 secends off ther times from last year. So proud of them! My OSU Cowgirls split 2-1 with Texas Tech. Cowgirls run-ruled the first game 10-1 in the 6th inning, lost the second 4-3 in extra innings (after leading 3-0) and then run-ruled the third game 8-0 in the 5th. Go figure. The same with my Cards. They started out the season like gang-busters but they are skidding right now. Gives me a big ol’ sad. 😟

Books is a better topic. I got into Shelly Laurenston’s Pride series mode. I love her humor and the way she portrays her shifters. I took a break in the middle to listen to Ilona Andrew’s newly released dramatized version of MAGIC BITES, the first book in her Kate Daniels series. Big fan of this wife and husband writing team and their various series. The dramatized version was interesting but since I could get it from Hoopla to listen free, I didn’t spend an Audible credit. I might eventually. We’ll see. The dramatized version seems shorter and I noticed that it was adapated by someone other than the Gordons (Ilona and Andrew). Anyway, back to the Pride with glee and giggles. I’m only 6 books behind on my reading challenge now. The way I go through this series, I’ll be caught up and ahead in no time.

There’s not much else going on ’round here. Today is Wallyworld and then LG and I will likely hit the tag agency to get his tag updated on the new truck. I need to BICHOK all week. My royalty revenues are sucking big time and I sort of like eating, as do the critters. Luckily, this will be a cheaper week (though it’s hard to tell due to freaking inflation! Thanks, Joe 🙄 ) because I restocked all the critter foods last week. Soccer was moved to this coming Saturday so no siren test and no Alvarado’s Mexican for lunch. That gives me a big ol’ sad too! It’s been 3 months. Thanks, soccer. (Kidding. A little, anyway.) And, once again, the best intentions of actually writing. We’ll see. At least the weather is supposed to be more May-like. How’s life in your world?

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Friday Sinema: Cat and Dog

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Silver James

Here. Have something short, cute, and heartwarming on this last Friday of April. There’s just something “special” about a Golden Retriever. 😉 Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts – Universal Dream

Posted on April 27, 2023 by Silver James

Y’all may or may not know but when I save an email from the Universe, I set it up as blog post. Sometimes, the message is pertinent right then and there (ie. for the next Thursday Thoughts post). Sometimes, I like the message but it’s not exactly apropos to current life events, thoughts, or musings. I go through them until one pops out at me and says “MUSE ME!” Out of curiosity, I went to the very last page of drafts to see what was the oldest message. This is it, from 2016.

Never compromise a dream, Silver.

Do what you must. The fears, beasts, and mountains before you are part of the plan; stepping-stones to a promised land; to a time and place that is so much closer than even you suspect.

Don’t let your eyes deceive, Silver, for even as you read these words, your ship swiftly approaches.

Tallyho,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

And, Silver, there’s not a dry eye on board. They are so proud.

Way back when, this was relevant. And it still is. Dreams and aspirations are important. They get us out of bed in the morning. They keep us moving foreward even when we are tired and discouraged and ready to throw in the towel*. I’m still at the computer. I still have stories to tell. I’ve slowed down since 2016. Age. Covid. Other health stuffs. But I’m still here kicking and doing what I can to keep the dream alive and hoping my ship comes in soon. What are you dreaming about these days?

*Who knows where that phrase came from? 🙋🏼‍♀️ Boxing. When a manager wanted to end a boxing match before there was a knockout, he’d grab “sweat” towel and throw it into the ring to stop the fight. Just in case inquiring minds wanted to know.

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