Thursday Thoughts: Universal Happens

Posted on March 9, 2023 by Silver James

To be so hard, writing is pretty simple when boiled down to the basics. All a writer has to do is make it happen. Okay, you can stop laughing now. I laughed, too, when I first played around with this message from the Big U to make it work for a craft post. But think about it. Yes, crativity and imagination is involved. Yes, craft and ability are involved. Yes, there’s research and characterizations and settings and plots to plan out but in the end, what is it writers actualy do…

You can make anything happen, Silver..

After all, who do you think put the stars in the sky?

Who do you think teaches each bird to fly?

And who do you think I mean when I say, “Me, myself, and I”?

Life, good –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. YOU can make anything happen, Silver.

Isn’t that how it works? A writer gets an idea. We stew over it for awhile, filling in the blanks, and then we sit down and start streaming words from our fingertips. We put stars in the sky and teach birds to fly. We make it happen. Just like the Universe says. Easy peasy, right?

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Wednesday Words: Far-Telling

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Silver James

Wednesday again and I’ve managed to go a week plus on a regular posting schedule. Yay me! Sadly, though, the only writing I managed last week for for #ThursdayThreads which had this perfect prompt: **”As far as I can tell.”** The original flash fiction was 250 words but I incorporated it into a rough-draft scene and expanded both the snippet AND the scene, so win-win for all of us, yeah? Psst It was a definite win for me. I won the challenge last week! Yippee!!! As for the expanded snippet today, all I’m going to say in way of a set-up is that Kin is acting (and looking a bit) like Lassie and Meg is Timmie. Also, the wild wolves are the ones she worked with in the sanctuary before the war started.
****
Loch cleared his throat. “What are you, the wolf whisperer or something?”

That startled a laugh out of Meg and the juvinile wolves scattered. One of them barreled into Kin, tumbled over from the collision, and he froze, belly up but whining. Boss snarled and took several stiff-legged steps toward Loch and Kin. Before Meg could speak, Loch shushed her. Instinct told her to obey so she did.

Kin, much taller and heavier than Boss, casually left Loch’s side. His ears were back, his head slightly lowered. Meg eased out the breath she’d been holding. Kin displayed non-aggressive wolf behavior. Boss remained tense, nostrils flaring. Then the real wolf turned his head to look at her and she almost giggled again. The poor thing looked totally confused.

Loch squatted on his heels and he and Kin both focused on Boss. Were they holding an actual conversation? Somehow, that didn’t surprise Meg.

While this conclave went on, the juvenile who’d bumped into Kin, scrambled to his feet and retreated back behind all the others. Fascinated, Meg couldn’t keep her eyes off the interaction. The body language, the vocalizations, the whole idea that humans could truly communicate with wild wolves made her all giddy inside. Too bad her head continued to pound and she found her focus drifting.
Suddenly, Kin—still in wolf form—was nosing her and she realized she’d slumped over. “Hey, big guy. I’m okay. As far as I can tell anyway. Probably a mild concussion or something.” She put her arms around his neck and leveraged back mostly upright, though she continued to lean against him for support. “Can we go home now?”

“I’ve got her, Kin,” Loch assured the wolf. “ You need to stay in wolf form for a bit longer, mate, yeah?”

Kin yowled and Meg wanted to laugh but her head was pounding. He sounded downright indignant.

“Loch has clothes on, big guy. You’d be naked and I, in all my girlish innocence, would likely swoon at the sight of all your manly manliness.”

Her wolf growled and she did laugh before pressing her palms to her temples. “Oww. Don’t make me laugh.”

A moment later, Loch had her secured in his arms and they were headed down what she discovered was a large though rough-hewn tunnel. Kin padded beside them, carrying her pack in his mouth. The other wolves stayed in the larger chamber.

“What’s going to happen to them?” she mumbled.

“They’ll stay here until we’re gone and then they’ll move along. I suspect they thought to den up here but with the cottage still being use, they’d be hunted by the shepherds once the flocks return later in the spring. We told them that. They’ll head back to their home territory in the mountains. They’ll be protected there.”

“Good.” Did she say that out loud? Meg didn’t know. Her vision was fading in and out and all she wanted to do was sleep. Yes, sleep would be really good right then.

“Open your eyes, Meg.” Loch’s voice was as sharp as a slap. Her eyes snapped open. “We’re almost to the end of the cave. You need to stay awake until Kin changes and has the chance to check you over. If ya don’t, he’s liable t’lose it again.”

She dropped one arm and waggled her hand at the large wolf. “I’m okay.”

Loch eyed her, his expression brooding. “No, yer not.”

Kin pushed against her and soft fur brushed against her palm. “Concussion. That’s all, love. Ice and ibuprofen and I’ll be fine in no time at all.”

She got a growl in reply. And smiled as her wolf licked her fingers.
****
And there you have it. A little humor in the aftermath of a very scary situation. And really, doens’t ice and ibuprophen pretty much cure most ails? 😉 Writers, feel free to jam away with the prompt. Readers, as far as you can tell, what’s are you reading today?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Ride the Night

Posted on March 7, 2023 by Silver James

I’m celebrating a bit today. I got a B&N royalty statement and while it was only about $12, someone bought the entire Nightriders series. Yippee! Sales are slow so I’m always thrilled when someone grabs a whole set. So, today I’m talking about the Nightriders. Yes, they are rude and crude. Yes, they are an outlaw motorcycle club. And yes, their club and their…uhm…businesses? Enterprises? Endeavors? Yeah, those things aren’t always this side of legal. I mean, they are members of a 1% MC. But…when it comes to mates and kids? They’ll go to the wall, hunt down those who would or have hurt them, and protect them with their lives. They’re Wolves, after all. Oh, and they’re all sexy as hell. What’s not to love, right?

Somebody asked me why I decided to write an MC series. Two reasons–or more precisely, two authors–Kristen Ashley and Joanna Wylde. Ashley wrote a book titled MOTORCYCLE MAN that developed into the Chaos MC series. Several of her contemporary series are all tied together and have crossover characters. I’d read her Rock Chicks series and picked up on the Chaos MC and a mercenary/security group that was tied in peripherally. Being me, I jumped over to grab MYSTERY MAN which is a 4-book series, the final one being MOTORCYCLE MAN, and oh, yeah. Had to grab the Chaos series. Fun stuff there. The thing about Ashley is you either love her, tolerate her, or hate what she writes. I’ll admit, her books are good escapes for me and I’ve read (and own) most of them. I don’t actually remember if I read Ashley first or Wylde. Her Reaper series is dark and dirty and when I’m in a certain mood, it was just the thing. I haven’t done a relisten of it in a few years. Both of these author’s MCs have a couple of things in common. They’re rough and fight dirty and run criminal enterprises (though Chaos’s prez is trying to get his club on the right side of the law).

So, as I was ending the Moonstruck series, the Nightriders popped into my head. First, it was a challenge. Could I write something a bit out of my comfort zone? Could I make bad outlaws into good Wolves? And would anyone but me read them? That’s when Easy walked into my head, pulled up a bar stool and said, “Lemme buy ya a beer.” And not too long after he relayed his story to me, NIGHT SHIFT was headed into the wild. While I love all my characters (and yes, I have a few more favorites), I’ll admit to being just a little partial to the Nightriders. I’m always jotting down off-the-wall snippets that I just know will develop deeper and be attached to one of the Riders who doesn’t have a complete story yet. And yes, that includes the Russian. He’ll get his. Eventually. In the meantime, besides NIGHT SHIFT (#1), there’s REMEMBER THE NIGHT (#1.5), NIGHT MOVES (#2), NIGHT FIRE (#3), NIGHT FALL (#4), and NIGHT WISH (#5). Go forth and read or reread!

Anyway, it’s Tuesday so I need to throw some treats in here. Chaos is known for their hog roasts. Literally. They get a whole hog, put it on a spite over an open fire and BBQ it. The Reapers? They had parties but the old ladies just brought food like a pot luck. That’s pretty much what the Nightriders do–though depending on which chapter, there might be a big ol’ smoker out back of the clubhouse. Me? I make a mean brisket but it’s slow cooked in the oven and I do make my own BBQ sauce. I am sooo not a grill master. My dad, on the other hand? His beef short ribs, rib eye steaks, and full racks of pork ribs were to die for. I tried to learn. Truly I did but nope. The grill is kinda like technology where I’m concerned. Totally not my friend! So that’s our treat today. BBQ–on or off the grill. So, whether you grab take-out, bake or grill your own, settle in with some BBQ and binge on good food and my books. You can click on any of the covers for the link or click on Books2Read to head over to the series page where you can see all of them and go to their buy pages. And the joy of digital books? You don’t get BBQ sauce all over the pages. 😉

What about y’all? Are you a grill master–or someone in the family? Or are you a take-out kinda BBQ connoisseur?

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Monday Ides and Tidings

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Silver James

Okay, technically, the Ides of March falls on the 15th but I needed a title so…whatever.

Last week was sorta busy. I completed another trip around the sun (ie. celebrated something of a milestone b-day). Sunday, Mother Nature got totally pissed at the US. We had 12 or 13 (National Weather Service hasn’t quite decided yet how many) F1- and F2 tornadoes in the state. Monday and Tuesday wasn’t much to write home about, except my route of travel to Wallyworld was fubar’d on Monday, so I gave up and came home then got there on Tuesday. And yes, I will be hitting up the flying W for groceries this morning.

Wednesday was my b-day, the morning spent at the DMEI. Eyes are healing well. I’ve hit 20/25 in the right eye and 20/900 (sort of) in the left. Considering the left couldn’t be measured before the surgery because the chart only goes to 20/1250 (which is pretty much legally blind). I managed to see some of the lines and make a guess on the 900 line. Hoping when I got back on the 20th that it will be even better. It’ll never be even close to 20/20 due to the optic nerve damage but hey, every step forward is a blessing. I’m still confused because I’ve always worn glasses to see far away but could see up close. Now I can see far away but can’t see up close. My hands get lost and take off my borrowed readers when I sit down at the computer. And it’s all blurry until I put the readers back on. Old habits die hard. 🤣

We actually went out to dinner twice this week–both to celebrate. Wednesday night, LG and I hit our fave BBQ place. Ribs and brisket just hit the spot! Last night, the James Gang gathered at the family place for pizza to celebrate me. I had a Caesar salad with grilled chicken and many, MANY fried mushrooms. Yummers!

Speaking of my eyes, I haven’t been ON the computer all that much. I don’t really have a definitive correction for reading/close work so my eyes tend to strain and get tired and/or I get a headache if I spend too much on the computer. That means not much writing has gotten done. In fact, I only did the #ThursdayThreads challenge last week (which I won–woohoo!) so not much progress on the WIP but there’s a snippet to share Wednesday.

And speaking of medical stuff, you know how “they” say you should walk 10,000 steps a day? Well, I saw a medical report last week that made me actually count my steps. According to new research just 500 steps a day can cut heart disease and stroke by 20-30%, Well, I counted. It’s 70 steps every time I go get a cup of coffee. And every time I have to hit the ladies room? It’s either 32 or 68 depending on which bathroom. As much coffee as I drink and as many times as I have to go? I’ve got this! 🤣 ☕

In sports news, my OSU Cowgirls are now18-1 and ranked #3. I do love me some softball. And my Cards are doing good in spring training. Sadly, not many of those games are televised. I can listen to OSU on the computer but not the Cards. Ah, well. World Baseball Classic is coming and most of those games will be televised and opening day isn’t that far away. Saturday was the first day of spring soccer. Stormy’s team has a bunch of new players–several with little experience. He scored the winning goal and we were lucky the team we played also didn’t have much experience. The weather was beautiful–mid-60s and no wind.

Reading–or in my case lisentening–was mostly slow last week. I did finish DESPERATION IN DEATH by JD Robb and have started the new release in the series, ENCORE IN DEATH. When I finish it in a couplt of days, not sure where I’ll go. I may get back to Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi series, or perhaps a relisten to the Queen of Shards/Gargoyle Queen series by Jennifer Estep because the newest book in it releases tomorrow. We’ll see where my head is when I finish ENCORE.

And that’s pretty much it for me. What about y’all? How’s your weather? Anything good happen? Anything bad? And who’s ready for St. Paddy’s Day? 😉

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Friday Free-For-All and Random Thoughts

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Silver James

No video today. My Youtube-fu went fubar. Okay, not that extreme but yeah. And who is scratching their head over “fu”? “Fu” does not always mean…well… eff you. There’s kung fu and Fu Manchu and way back in the beginnigs of the internet and Google searches, fu came to mean one’s ability or luck with searching the net for information. Hence the term Google-fu.  Anyway, today is all the random stuff that’s been piling up in notes around my desk and in my  head.

I was at the grocery store in the meat department. There was all this “fake meat” there stamped with big green lable: PLANT BASED. Uhm…All beef is plant based. Cattle eat grass, hay, and feed made from corn, alfalfa, wheat, and soy. According to my biology classes, those things are all plants. Therefore, beet (and chicken and pork) is plant based. Just sayin’….

So, I took a “reader’s quiz” from Penquin Random House. It read pretty generic and did not mention anything about genres. Still, I’m surprised. It pretty much pegged me. Here’s what my “profile” said:

You have a: Bookish Personality
You love to read and make it a priority every day. When it comes to genres, you’re much more likely to pick up a fiction read that will transport you and keep you on the edge of your seat. You read to be entertained, and as long as you can connect with characters and stories, you’re hooked! It doesn’t matter if the book is new or old.

Next…Thinks that keep me awake at night:

Do people who go around breaking news have to pay for it?

I know the voices in my head aren’t real but sometimes, their ideas are really awesome!

I wonder what electric eels were called before they discovered electricity.

So, is macaroni and cheese called “mac” because that’s short for macaroni or because “mac” is an anacronym for macaroni and cheese?

If butterflies are in love, do the feel humans in their sthomachs?

What are party animals and where are they on the food chain?

What was the greatest thing BEFORE sliced bread?

You know those fancy drug commercials that always say in the voice over “Don’t take if you are allergic to NAME OF DRUG.” Uhm…how do you know if you are allergic until you take it?

And in other nonsense…

Think about it:

If you buy a bigger bed, you’ll have more bed room but you’ll have less bedroom.

Justice is best served cold. If served warm, it’s justwater.

And on that note, I’mma gonna duck and run. I need more coffee, a clear head, and I really need to up my finder’s game to locate my ability to adult. What’s random in your life these days? Have a great weekend!

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Way

Posted on March 2, 2023 by Silver James

As y’all know, February turned kinda hectic and twisty when it came to my health. There’s a lot of mental stuff going on, as well as the physical part of healing from the surgeries. That comes as no surprise. It’s put me even further behind schedule but it also explains some of the slowdowns I’ve had this past year. And it is a bit of a relief to finally know what’s up, what can be fixed, and what will have to be adjusted to. Life is what it is and I should never be surprised when life imitates fiction and vice versa. This missive from the Universe appeared in my inbox recently and boy, did it speak to me on both a personal and professional level!

Silver, haven’t you always found your way?

Hasn’t there always been a light in the darkness?

Haven’t you always gotten back up?

Haven’t there always been serendipitous surprises, unexpected twists, and triumphant comebacks?

And haven’t you always had someone to love?

Coincidences? Or maybe, do you think, you, too, have always been loved?

Yours,
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. And Silver, what of all your dreams that have already come true?

Let’s focus on the “professional” for the rest of this bit of musing. Line by line, as regards to writing: Finding the way. We always manage to muddle through, despite writer’s block, time crunches, typos, recalcitrant characters, and all the other pitfalls of writing a book from start to finish.

Finding the light in the darkness: Inject a little humor. Make sure the dark moment is dark but that the light on the other side is NOT a train barreling. True story. I stopped reading a very popular author’s series because unrelenting bad stuff happened to the main couple book after book after book. I quit after six books. Don’t be that writer. Go to the light. You can’t miss.

Get back up: Yeah, as writers, we’ve all been there, from rejections to bad reviews. Writers keep writing and eventually, we stop getting knocked down. It’s the same with our characters. They need a character arc–they need to grow, to develop, to redeem themselves. Yeah?

Surprises, twists, and comebacks: Again, this relates to both writer and our book’s plots and characters. Readers want to be surprised. We need to throw some twists in to keep them interested and guessing, And who doesn’t love a good combeback?

Someone to love: I write romance. There’s always someone to love. But looking at the advice I gave above, that love story can’t be too easy. The couple has to work for it, they have to need and want and deserve. They need to mess up, fix things, and grab that HEA before it gets away.

And finally, yeah, when I signed my first contract, held my first book in my hands, and then went on to write 50 more, my dream had come true. Now get out there and make your dreams come true. That’s for everybody–wirters and readers both!

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Wednesday Words: No Simple Answer

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Silver James

I’m back on schedule if not up to full speed quite yet. These are the words I wrote last week for the #ThursdayThreads flash fiction challenge, based on the prompt:”There is no simple answser.” This little snippet is short. There’s a reason I didn’t expand it beyound ther 250 words of the challenge. It’s not a new scene, but an addition to a previous scene, if that makes sense. I’ve got to backtrack to find the scene where Kin explains what he is to Meg. It’ll take quite a bit of reworking but it’ll be a better scene when I’m finished. Also, I got tagged for an honorable mention in the challenge so yay!
****
Meg stared at him, head slightly tilted, her expression not quite incredulous but close. “So…I’m not crazy.”

“Not in the least.”
“

Good to know. Because…yeah, I was wondering there for a bit.”

“I’m sure.”

“You aren’t exactly talkative, are you?”

“No, lass. I’m not. Never have been.”

“Also good to know. That said, there’s a whole lot I do want to know.”

“Ask. I’ll do m’best to answer.”

“What are you?”

Kin offered her a rueful smile. “Shoulda been expectin’ that one. T’tell the truth, lass, there is no simple answer.” He pushed off the ground to pace. Deep conversations of any sort had never been his forte and this one? His life—or at least his happiness—depended upon his answer.

“I’d think the simple answer would be, ‘hey, Meg, I’m a werewolf.’”

“Except I’m not. I’m a wolf shifter. There’s a big difference—the main one bein’ that werewolves don’t exist outside of literature, movies, or television.”

“So what makes you a wolf shifter?”

“My kind carries an extra gene attached to the Y chromosome. It’s called the lupi versi pellis gene.”

“My Latin is a bit rusty but…wolves turned into skins?”

“Close. Add the Latin word homo in front and it translates as a man dressed as a wolf.”

Her eyes followed as he paced. “Maybe it should have been a wolf dressed as a man.”

“Yes. Our inner wolf is often very close to the surface.”

She grinned. “This is so freaking cool!”
****
There you have it. You can see why it needs to be “backtracked.” I might even work on that this afternoon after I get back from the follow-up appointment with my surgeon. It depends on whether or not they dilate my eyes. If I get dilated, I can’t see cannoli so I’ll be headed to bed with an audio book. Writers, jump in if you are so inspired. Readers, any questions that need a simple answer? I’m pretty sure I can’t handle complicated at the moment. 😝

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Shhhh

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Silver James

So, no recipe today. Trying to read small type and transferring same to the computer is still pretty much a pain–literally and figuratively. Still, I need to get back in practice of posting M-F, right? Before the basically emergency eye surgeries the past two Tuesdays, I had plans to share recipe’s that pertained to THE SOUND OF SILENCE (Penumbra Papers #4) and GHOSTS & THE ANCIENT STONES (Penumbra Papers #5) because SILENCE is set in New Orleans and STONES ends there. I’d already featured THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC (PP#1) the week before  this whole thing started because I had Mardi Gras appropriate recipes and the books set there and all that there stuff. And then…welll…medical stuff.

Mardi Gras is over now so it’s a little late to be sharing those recipes. However, I’m still gonna hawk my books because…I got bills t’pay, baby. Plus, I love New Orleans, Sade, and her Scoobie Gang. Interested in those books? Click a title or cover pic and jump on over to the landing page on Books2Read to find the on-line retailer of your choice. And hey! They’re all available to borrow from Scribd AND Hoopla! Read for free!

Okay, commercial over. Sometimes, as I’m writing a book, I realize that the setting becomes as much a character as the people and oft times plays a big part in the plot arc. I’ve discovered this is especially true of the books in the Penumbra Papers: New Orlenas in THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC and THE SOUND OF SILENCE, Chicago in SEASON OF THE WITCH, Colorado and the New Mexican desert in THE DEVIL’S CUT (#3), and both Paris and Edinburgh in GHOSTS & THE ANCIENT STONES. I’m going to have to come up with a really special setting for Ariel’s book, which will be #6. Any suggestions?

And speaking of, I’m curious. What do y’all, as readers, think about settings as a character. Do you enjoy the detail that entails? And the big question, what book have you read in recent memory where this is the case? That if the story was set anywhere else, it would have been a different story? As I mentioned, I’m curious and I’m also in need of new reading suggestions. So jump into the discussion. I’ll set out some cafe au lait and beignets and if we’re lucky, there might be a few slices of King’s Cake left over and maybe, if the discussion spills over past lunch, I’ll whip up some muffaletta sandwiches. Just because Mardi Gras is over doesn’t mean we need to stop celebrating and pretedning we’re down in the Frinch Quarter, right? Right!

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Monday Last

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Silver James

How can we be two days away from March?!?!? I mean, February IS a short month but seriously?!?! The days seem to be flying by and yet as I look back, I don’t seem to have accomplished anything. And yeah, I’m still healing from the surgeries but still… Also, I love this cat’s face. And yeah, I’m kinda like a poorly folded fitted sheet right now. LOL

Okay, let’s get the health update out of the way first.  The right eye (first surgery) is healing well and vision continues to improve–at least distance viewing. Up close? Yeah, not so much but that’s to be expected since the new lens switched me from nearsighted to farsighted. I’m lucky that an old pair of LG’s reading glasses mostly works for upclose reading (like cooking directions and mail) and the computer. They aren’t the correct prescription so I can’t spend hours on the computer like I’m used to. Come Tuesday, I’m two weeks down range on it. The left eye? Yeah, that one had a big ol’ question mark. The doc wouldn’t know how much of my vision loss was caused by deterioration of the optic nerve and how much was the cataract. Removing the cataract cleared off the fog. Before the surgery, looking through that eye was like looking at a fogged-up mirror. I could see amorphous shapes and blurred colors but not much else. I was really hoping for a miracle. When I didn’t get one, I was bummed out. Majorly. I do have a bit more clarity when I use that eye. There’s some structure to the shapes and the colors aren’t so washed out, and sometimes I can almost make out letters if I’m close enough. Sadly, the pressure in both eyes continues to fluctuate though the doc did say that could take up to 8 weeks to stablize. He did put me back on glaucoma drops. I have two more days of lots of drops in the left. I’m down  to two drops twice a day in the right.

Anyway, I’m gearing up energy and brain to resume my normal routine–five posts a week, replying to comments in a timely fashion, and putting down new words on the book. It’s really hit home that I could lose my sight and while I’d work to figure out some way to keep writing, I have so many stories to I want to tell. I need to get my fat arse in gear and get them told. I did manage 250 words last week and lo and behold, I garnered an honorable mention in the flash fiction challenge. Go me!

I also get to go to Wallyworld all by meself today–mainly because I don’t have to buy anything that’s 10 pounds or over. LG and Stormy went with me last week and I wore them out. LOL It’ll be weird because I haven’t driven in two weeks. And Starbucks!

In other news–SOFTBALL!!!! BASEBALL!!!! I caught several of OSU’s softball games on the radio and my Cardinals had televised games Saturday and Sunday. I am sooo ready for spring partly due to spring sports. I do love me some softball and baseball. No surprise to any regulars around here.

It’s still weird to watch TV without my glasses. At my follow-up eye test last Wednesday, I was still 20/40 in the right and the doc is hoping it will settle in at 20/20. I have noticed that my eyes are a bit blurry and unfocused early but once I’m up and moving, have had coffee, and have done both some close-up and faraway seeing, I have more acuity. The follow-ups previously were at 7:00 a.m. This week’s follow-up is at 10:30. Yay. Hopefully, that means my vision will test better. And again, it could take 6-8 weeks for the vision to stabilize as well.

I’ve been listneing to the “graphic audio” versions of Eileens Wilks World of the Lupi books. I vaguely remember reading them years ago when they first came out but there are some differences between my memory (granted, it often resembles Swiss cheese) and this dramatized version with multiple cast members. Still, I’m enjoying them. I also have the new JD Robb waiting for me. Not sure why I haven’t jumped into it yet. Favorite series, favorite author and all that.

Anyway, that’s what’s up with me. Life is settling into the new normal, for better or worse. I remain hopeful and optimistic despite this round of depression. It too shall pass. I hope to get new words this week as I draw closer to the one-year anniversary of starting this WIP. Time to get the darn thing finished, right? Right! What’s up with y’all?

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Monday Stuff

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Silver James

Just a quick update so the folks who follow the blog rather than FB know the 411. First surgery last week went well. I can see across the street (for the first time in like forever without glasses or contacts) but I still can’t see anything within about double arm’s length from the end of my nose. This is a “role reversal” for me and weirder than all get out. Next surgery is at oh-dark tomorrow. I have a follow-up the day after and then the “big” follow-up a week after that. Hopefully, that’s the appointment that will adjust my near version so I can…you know…see the computer, my phone, the food on my plate…or making coffee!

Not much else going on in my world. I have lifting and bending restructions which is a pain–literally and figuratively. LG has to make the grocery run with me because dog food and canned drinks are above my current “pay grade.” I have to use a magnifying glass to read anything. One the flip side, I am clearing out a bunch of old DVR’d TV shows. I’m also in a book slump, which sucks.

Speaking of TV, I watched my OSU Cowgirls play softball on Saturday. They went home from the Clearwater, FL tournament undeated. Yay. They’re 8-1 on the season. And Baylor beat OU. Ouch. I’m readly for the World Baseball Classic and MLB Spring Training games to start. Yeah, y’all can guess my preferred sports. LOL

Anyway, alive, breathing, still kicking and starting to get anxious about getting back to “real” work on all my pending projects. I have a lot of hope about kicking some writing @$$ this year, even though it’s almost a quarter gone. I’ll be MIA again for a few days or maybe a week. Happy Fat Tuesday tomorrow! Love New Orleans? I have two books set there. Just sayin’… Yeah, yeah. Hey, I gotta get my marketing in while I can. Anyway, THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC and THE SOUND OF SILENCE are set in my Penumbra Papers UF world. Go check them out while you’re partying.

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