Wednesday Words: Take a Break

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Silver James

Welcome to the first Wednesday in February. A whole new month. A whole new set of promts. And, a whole new scene for your reading pleasure. Today’s #1lineWed word is **BREAK**. I leave the interpretation to your imagination. From #ThursdayThreads, we have: “What are we going to do about that?” Putting the two together, and knowing that Meg was about to be thrust into danger, here’s the lead up scene using those prompts. I love it when a plot comes together.
****
Dalton watched Meg cross the meadow. She carried two mugs in her hands. He stood as she approached.

“Coffee?” She offered him one of the mugs. “It’s the real deal.”

He accepted the cup and sipped appreciatively. “I’m ready for a coffee break.”

“I’m mostly a tea girl myself. I guess spending time with my dad and all but frankly? I’ve missed real coffee.”

“Me too.”

“I feel bad about raiding the shepherd’s stash though. He’ll be up here with his flocks once winter is over.”

“Duke’s keeping a list. When Dom flies in to pick us up, he’ll bring supplies to restock.”

Meg sipped again and smiled. “Oh, that’s good then.”

Dalton drank from his own mug. “What’s on your mind, hon?”

She knitted her brows and pressed her lips together. “You know? About Kin and me?” She didn’t wait for a reply. “He won’t claim me, whatever that means, until we get back to civilization. What are we going to do about that?”

“We?”

“Yes. I need your help.” She paced off a short way, turned, and…disappeared. Her screams echoed in the clear mountain air.

Dalton lunged but missed. His stomach dropped like the earth had beneath Meg’s feet. He yelled for help, cursing that he hadn’t worn his combat helmet. No radio.

Dropping to his stomach, he inched up to the edge of the hole she’d disappeared. “Meg!” he hollered. The edge crumbled and dirt slid down the wall of the void. He scrambled back but called again. Nothing but silence answered him.

Loch arrived first and hauled him up off the ground. “What the bloody hell have ya done, ya bloody bastard?”

The Irish Wolf shook him like he was a rag doll. Dalton didn’t fight back but he did manage to sputter out an explanation. “Nothing. I didn’t do a damn thing. She brought coffee. To talk. About Kin. She walked—” He pointed with his arm. “There. And bam. She was gone. Sinkhole.”

Duke and Tank arrived in time to hear the last bit. The big man looked as suspicious as Loch.
“I swear, Loch. I didn’t do this. I had no clue that damn hole was there.”

Duke belly-crawled to the edge and met much the same result as Dalton. The edges crumbled. He hastily rolled away. “Ropes,” he ordered. “And lights.”

In the distance, a wolf howled. Dalton shaded his eyes. A silver streak dashed over a hill toward them. Kin had shifted and was now hell-bent on reaching their position. What the hell was he going to tell the man? Oops, I lost your unclaimed mate down a sinkhole? He was so dead.
****
Poor Dalton. I sooo do not want to be in his shoes when Kin arrives. Loch and Tank are already doubting his version of events. And yes, this is a bit “bare bones” but this is just the first draft. By the time I’m done with edits and revisions, you might not even recognize this scene. <i>*bwa-ha-ha*</i> Or maybe you will. Anyway, writers, go for it if the prompts spark an idea. Readers, what do you think “we” are going to do about that situation? 😉

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Magic Coffee & Beignets

Posted on February 7, 2023 by Silver James

It’s February. That means Mardi Gras isn’t far off. In fact, Fat Tuesday, the last day of celebrating Mardi Gras is two weeks from now. We have Valentine’s Day in between. As much as I love New Orleans, I’ve never eally wanted to celebrate Mardi Gras there. Too many people. And most of them drunk and/or stupid. All respect to the cops who work the streets during Mardi Gras. Still, the pagentry and parades must be something to behold.

FYI, there’s no recipe today though I am talking about some awesome treats. Beignets. *happy sigh* No trip to NOLA would not be complete without snagging one of the sivler metal tables on the open air (but covered patio) of Cafe du Monde–the one that’s catty-corner from Jackso Square. Add a cup of cafe au lait and I’m in heaven. Local lore says if you sit there long enough, you’ll eventually see the whole world walk by. I can believe it. I’ve spent many the hour camped out at a table there, drinking coffee and stuffing my face with beignets until it looked like my clothes were covered in snow. All that powdered sugar don’cha know. And yes, that picture up there is an actual order of cafe au lait and beneights sitting at the very table that is my (and Sade’s) favorite table. Just for reference. 😉

I first went there back in the 90s. LG’s law firm represented a big insurance company headquartered in New Orleans. The big boss flew us down for some meetings. While LG was stuck in those, I wandered the Quarter and sat at Cafe du Monde to watch the world go by. And in my head, I wrote a story. Eventually, I put that story down on paper. It’s never been published. Maybe I;ll pull out SHADOW DANCE and spruce it up so it’s good enough to be published. Maybe. One of these days. There’s a second book, too, though it isn’t finished. At this point, the’d almost be considered historical. LOL

Anyway, I’ve made several trips down, with the family, with a friend, and alone. I do have two books set there, both in the Penumbra Papers Urban Fantasy series. And eventually, there will be another one or two, starring my Cajun Wolves. As a result of those two Penumbra books, I’m not the only one who loves New Orleans. Our favorite FBI agent Sade Marquis was assigned there early on. And because New Orleans is neutral territory for all the Magicks, she’s been called back there on cases. In fact, I introduce Sade in THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC. Actually, pretty much the whole “Scoobie Gang” is introduced is this book, though–**spoiler alert**–Sade and Sinjen don’t exactly cross paths.

I have to admit that my favorite opening to any book I’ve written (and many I’ve read) is the one from THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC:

This was only Day One of what was shaping up to a bloody weird week and the gods had been drinking again. Too bad Sade Marquis didn’t have the option. She was on duty. Dammit. Not to mention it was only ten in the morning. However, if things got any stranger, she might change her mind.

>Sade agrees with me. “What the effing hell, woman. It’s like you were sitting there reading my effing mind. And yeah, I know you’re editing this as I’m saying it so your effing readers don’t get scolding at work for prolific reading of the F word. But let’s get this straight, if you ever put a damn star symbol in that word, we’re done. I’ll make sure you never chronical another case of mine. We clear on that, sunshine?”

Yeah, gotta love Sade. And I’ll write f*ck if I want to. I am  soooo the boss of you, Agent Marquis. 😝

So yeah, I’m going to use my beignet mix and make some treats to go with my cafe au lait, since I have a stash of Cafe du Monday chicory coffee in my pantry. Then I’m going to open up a copy of THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC and pretned that I’m in New Orleans for awhile. Want to join me? You can order the mix and coffee straight from Cafe du Monde by CLICKING HERE. And you can grab a copy of my book in digital or paperback by clicking on the title or either picture that shows the cover. Sound like a plan? What about y’all? Do you love New Orleans? Have you been there? Do you want to go?

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First Monday in a Row

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Silver James

It’s Monday. Again. It’s morning. Again. I need coffee. Always. And that pretty much sums up things. *signs off and walks away*\ Okay. I’m kidding. Sort of.. Since it is Monday and the rain isn’t forecast untill tonight, I’m very likely doing my Wallyworld run while y’all are reading this. Unless you were up at the butt-crack of dawn like I was. Then I extend my sympathies to you. We should all still be snuggled up in bed, sleeping. Or sipp;ing our first cup of coffee. Am’mI right? Of course I am.

So, there was a week. There was weather. I slipped on the ice at one point. I managed to catch myself on the way down so no bruises but I have a minor strain in one of the flexor muscles on the back of my left thigh. (That’s just aboved the knee and part of the hamstring family of muscules.) Heat pad does wonders. So does actually walking around to loosen it up. Too bad the sucker tightens up at night and wakes me up. After the weather, we had sunshine. And warmer temps. And now maybe some rain. Rain is good. I’m all for rain. Just so long as I’m not hauling groceries and it’s not freezing.

The weekend was a little busines. First Saturday means siren test, Mexican food at our fave restaurant with the family, and “On Patrol Live” on TV before bedtime.  Sunday was open house at Stormy’s school. We met his teachers for this year and upcoming years (all of whom are looking forward to having him in class(, toured the classrooms and saw his science project, for which he received blue ribbon first place. It was all about the electrical conductivity of fruit. The school therapy dog (handled by the art teacher) was there so Jake and Sada renewed their acquaintance. It was fun.So was the nap I took when we got home.

I did a little writing. last week. In fact, I scored an honorable mention in last week’s Thursday Threads flash fiction challenge. Look for a slightly expanded version in this week’s Wednesday Words post.

I’ve discovered “graphic” audio books. Like graphic novels have a more condensed story with illustrations, graphic audio books have a cast of voice actors and sound effects are reminds me of the old-style radio plays. I sort of miss the more detailed destriptive narration (there is some of that) but the book moves along smartly and the voice actors are cool. The book and series? TEMPTING DANGER, World of the Luip #1 by Eileen Wilks. I read this book and part of the series many years ago, not long after it first released. And yeah, I was little hesitant to give it a try but found it on Hoopla to borrow. Several authors that are auto-buys for me are starting to produce this “genre” so I may have to break down and give them a try.

Boone and Jake both got brushings and waterless baths this week, thanks to LG. And Jake finally got his nails trimmed. This is a HUGE deal! He hates anyone touching his nails or footpads. It was a fight and he was a very unhappy puppy and sulked for awhile. Boone just took a nap. Loki snuck up on Jake at one point and sniffed. Then he sneezed. Jake jumped and barked. It was pretty funny. Pete is Pete. He reminds me of Howard Hessman’s character Johnny Fever on “WKRP in Cincinatti.” Mellow, dude. And chill.

That’s my news for starting the week. We should be pretty much back to normal weather and chore-wise around here. I’m still pushing through the darn WIP but Iffy has run off with some strangers she met in my imagination and I’m not sure when she’ll be back. Ah well. Silly Muses. On that note, I’m for for Monday errands, then hopefully moe words. I truly am close to the end. I just gotta make myself sit down and freakin’ do it! How about y’all? Anything you’re procrastinating over today? And how was your weekend?

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Friday Sinema: Just In Case You Don’t Know What Day It Is

Posted on February 3, 2023 by Silver James

I couldn’t resist. Yesterday was Groundhog Day. I have a strong sense of deja vu. This always makes me laugh. And I wish I had some do overs. Hope you stayed safe and warm during the arctic slam that hit a bunch of us. Enjoy your weekend. It’s First Saturday for me, which is sorta like Groundhog Day, only it happnes once a month. Have a good one!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal When and Where

Posted on February 2, 2023 by Silver James

Today is Groundhog Day. Yippee? I’ve never quite understood the whole mythos behind seeing shadows or not–especially given all the lights, cameras, and action surrounding Punxsutawney  Phil. Poor thing. Anyway, whenever I think of Groundhog Day, I think of the Bill Murray movie. Yes, it’s a comedy, and silly, and waaay over the top, but deep down, it has a message. And guess what–the Universe is jolly-on-the-spot to explaing things.

Silver, you know that feeling?

That sense of eagerness for the moment. Optimism for the future. And confidence that you’re exactly “when” and where you should be. That feeling that makes dark days lighter and light days brighter. That precedes breakthroughs, conquests, and euphoria.

Yes, that feeling!

Well, it doesn’t just come.

You have to give it to yourself.

Go on,
The Universe
© http://www.tut.com ®

PS – Silver, if it helps, take it from me that you are exactly when and where you should be.

I might be there, Universe, but sometimes, with 2020 hindsight, I sometimes wish I–like weatherman Phil Connors–wish I could have a do-over. Surely, I’d get it right the second time around, right? But then the Universe reminds me that I’m here in the now and it’s okay. What about y’all? Would you like a do-over for something? My do-over would be a bit of worldbuilding in the Penumbra Papers series. I wouldn’t send the vampires into a death-like sleep at dawn. Not sure I’d let them hang out on the beach 🤣 but being awake during daytime when most humans are functioning? Yeah. I might. Those of you who are fans, what do you think about that retcon?

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Wednesday Words: Think of Something

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Silver James

Here we go again! It’s February. The first day. Y’all know what that means, right? Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. Today, however, I’m all about the words. And maybe a do-over. On Dalton’s part. What’s our inspiration? For #lineWed it’s **REAR**. Hrmm.🤔 And from #ThursdayThreads, we have: “I’ll think of something else.” You’ll see why after reading today’s snippt.

****
Dalton would not admit defeat. There’d been progress in the relationship between those two, yes, but beyond cuddling up on these cold night, Kin had made no move to actually claim Meg. Which was ridiculous.

“Seriously, what does he have to do?” Dalton muttered. “I mean, Kin tells her he loves her, he’s a Wolf, and they’re mates. What is so difficult about this?”

Okay, fine, he thought. Because what did he actually know? Loch seemed to think it was a complicated process but that biology and nature would eventually take over, run its course, and everything would be fine. Except Kin’s wolf turned into a snarly beast whenever he patrolled and the man glared at anyone who got too close to Meg unless he was at her side. They could cut the sexual tension with a knife. It was bad before but now? More than one of the team had snuck off to take care of business with their own hands. Including him. And he was man enough to admit it.

And then they fought. Like cats and dogs. No, Dalton amended. They seethed and pretended to ignore each other. It was like rubbing a tiger’s fur the wrong way. Getting in the middle would only guarantee that you pulled back a bloody stump. Damn but they were perfect for each other. What was the hold up? Kin’s hang ups? Meg’s…whatever?

Loch was probably right about putting Meg in danger but there had to be a way to get them to admit their feelings. Too bad there wasn’t a handy padded cell to lock them in until they came to terms with their feelings.

“Whatever you’re thinking about doin’, stop.”

Dalton jerked and glared at Tank. Lost in thought, he hadn’t heard the big guy walk up. Considering he was on rear guard duty, that was stupid.

“Loch said you were up to something. I’m telling you right here and right now, don’t even think about interferring with the love birds.”

“Fine. I’ll think of something else.” And he would. He’d find another way.
****
And there you have it.  And with a prompt like rear, aren’t you proud of me for not going there? 😉 FYI, this scene occurs not too long after last week’s snippet and is all in the same vein. Dalton is medding. But all his scheming is about to catch up with him. Stand by for fireworks–once the book is out there in the wild. Writers, take the prompts and twist them to suit your needs. Readers, would you rather think about something else, or are you happy with what you’re thinking right now?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Ravioli Lasagna Assassin Style

Posted on January 31, 2023 by Silver James

Baby, it’s COLD outside! 🥶 And when that happens, my family always wants something ooey-gooey-cheesy-hot to eat. This recipe nails it. Plus…EASY! Add a salad and some hot bread and you have a meal that will feed the whole family on a cold winter’s night. FYI, this is Lawyer Guy tested and approved so there ya go.

Prep Time: 25 min.
Total Time: 1 hr. 25 min.
Servings: 12 servings

Bring together two Italian staples with our Easy Ravioli Lasagna. Prep time for this Easy Ravioli Lasagna is just 25 minutes. Buon appetito!

What You Need
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped (I used julienne carrots already cut, but then chopped them up)
3 cloves garlic, minced (I use the already-minced in a squeeze bottle)
1 jar (24 oz.) OLIVO by CLASSICO Traditional Pasta Sauce
1/2 cup water
2 lb. frozen cheese ravioli, uncooked. Use the large, not mini, frozen ravioli to prepare this delicious recipe. I used the Bertoli fresh ravioli.
1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
1/2 cup milk
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Make It
Heat oven to 350ºF.

Brown meat with vegetables and garlic in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Stir in pasta sauce and water; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally.

Spread half the meat sauce onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover with half the ravioli. Whisk cream cheese spread and milk until blended; spread over ravioli. Top with layers of 3/4 cup shredded cheese, and remaining ravioli, meat sauce and cheeses; cover.

Bake 50 min. or until heated through, uncovering for the last 10 min. Let stand 10 min. before cutting to serve.

Note: I used the non-stick variety of foil, but still hit it with cooking spray before using to cover the lasagna. This will help prevent the foil from sticking to the melted cheese on top of the baked lasagna.

I can heartily recommend this recipe. As always, head over to KRAFT RECIPES to get all the extras. This is a dish that any of my characters would chow down on. When you live on a boat most of the time or in a little beach house along the Outer Banks, you won’t have access to a gourmet kitchen. Brady “Babel” Buchanan does most of the cooking for he and his mate, Zeta Cordero, he is teaching her how to put together some dishes. This one is hearty enough to fill up the Wolf and spicy enough that even Zeta enjoys it. Since the CIA dispatched her to Brazil to kill him, they have quite a story to tell. Their book, UNDER THE ASSASSIN’S MOON, was newly revised and re-published las fall. If you haven’t given it a look-see yet, you might want to grab it from your fave on-line book seller. Just click any pic with the cover, the title, or at Books2Read, which has links to everywhere the book is available. What do y’all like to eat when it’s cold outside?

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Monday At Last

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Silver James

We’ve hit the end of January. How the heck did that happen? And Winter has decided to return in full force. Just ask my knees. I’m ready for warm weather. That said, I like the change of seasons. I wouldn’t be happy living in a place where things remaned the same. Anyway, it’s freaking cold out there today. And there’s ice in the forecast. As a friend says, BLERG. I want to be this cat, still snuggled up under the covers. Ah well. There’s stuff to do. You know, it being Monday and all.

Progress on the WIP was made last week and a slight bit over the weekend. With the weather pretty much dictating that I’m not leaving home, I hope to accomplish more this week. We’ll see. I have made a few notes on things to fix when I go back for edits and revisions.

No Wallyworld today. Yesterday, over my first cup of Cafe du Monde coffee, I debated when to make my supply run. Yesterday at 24 degrees or today at 17. Yeah, I went yesterday. I plan to stay in fuzzy pants, warm houseshoes, and hoodies today. And since the book takes place in winter, here’s hoping I’m inspired. LOL

Over the weekend, I donated blood. One of the local pet rescues was there. They had two adorable pit puppies that barked every time the door opened. As my service dog, Jake pretty much goes everywhere with me. He just looked at the pups, sighed, and gave me big eyes. He’s such a good boy. He laid right there at the head of the table out of everyone’s way while I pumped out my quota. The good news is, the excellent vampire was there. He’s so good at his job that you barely feel the stick and this little to no blood once the needle thingy is removed. No soreness at all. Also, I filled my bag in five minutes. The guy half my age on the next table was all agog.

Saturday night was Stormy’s last soccer game this season. He played excellently at all three positions. Spring season starts in early March. 🥶 or 🥵 depending on Mother Nature’s mood. And yeah, spring is outside, which is why weather is an issue.

I finished a couple of books last week. They were okay. Discovered a searies about dragon shifters on Hoopla. The audio books are free so yay. They’re okay too. If I start something I’m really into, I’ll procrastinate with it rather than working on my own book. I did spend a lot of time looking for a book/series to listen to. I had this vague idea of what appealed but I could neither define exactly what that was. After sifting through long lists of books, nothing “tasted” right. When I found the dragon series, it was sort of “it’s okay for now.” I still have that vague sense in the back of my mind so I’m still looking for just the right thing.

On that note, time for another cup of coffee, checking a few blogs, and then getting to work. What about y’all? Do you always know exactly what you want to read? And how was your week/weekend?

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Friday Sinema: Snow Cat

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Silver James

THIS is the kind of snow I was hoping we’d get Tuesday and Wednesday. We didn’t. Oh, we got some snow but it rained first, during, and after and we barely got enough to cover the grass. Still, this video made me smile because it reminds me of Pete. Except Pete stuck his head out of the cat door, said, “Nope” and retreated to his pillow near the heater. Hey, stray cats know when they’ve got it good. Have a great weekend. Did any of you get snow?

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Advice

Posted on January 26, 2023 by Silver James

A writer friend and I had a conversation about writer’s block the other day. Despite everything we do and no matter how much we pretend it doesn’t exist and/or it never affects us, I think every writer has been faced with this “demon” on at least one occasion in their career. I hit that wall far more than I’d like. Sometimes, it depends on my mental health. Sometimes, it depends on the story. And sometimes, I just wanna be a two-year-old whose blankie is in the washer. But I chose this career and deep down, I can’t imagine NOT writing so there ya go. My friend takes long walks and tries not to think about writing. I tend to beat myself up mentally, which, yeah, is self-defeating. Singing in the choir here. When the Universe popped in with this message, I sat back, read it again, and went, “Huh.” Because…yeah…

If you just whistle every now and then, Silver; skip every thousandth step or so; skim the odd stone across the odd pond; go dancing on the occasional blue moon, if only alone in the dark; dress up sometimes, even with nowhere to go…

For simply stirring up some little bit of hope, no matter how silly or disconnected your actions seem to be with the rest of the world, magic flashes in the unseen, friends are summoned, connections are timed, stars are aligned, opportunities are crystallized, and serendipities are calculated, creating possibilities for new realities that cannot now even be imagined from where you presently stand.

Shazaam…
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. And you thought “buy low, sell high” was sage advice, Silver?

What great ways to get beyond writer’s block or any roadblock in your life. I mean, it sounds so simple and deep down, I know that it really is that simple. I’m vowing to myself that when the going gets tough and I want to just stop and play mindless computer “pop” games, I’m going to resist the urge. Mindless doesn’t help. Whistling, skipping, dancing, dressing up is the way to find the magic. And guess what? It’s worked with the current WIP. What started as a story I though would maybe be 45K words? It’s over 51K now and headed toward 60. There are still adventures to be had, declarations to be made, climaxes, resolutions, and hints at what’s to come. Dang, I love my job sometimes. What about y’all? Will you take the Universe’s advice?

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