Friday Free-For-All: What Caught My Eye

Posted on July 14, 2023 by Silver James

Just a collection of links, videos and stuffs that caught my eye as I scrolled around the internet.

AI was asked to “draw” dogs as people. Holy St. Bernard!

For my artistic friends, THIS popped up in a Hometalk newletter I get and I was intrigued by using cheap make-up (blush, eye shadow, etc.) to “paint” black and white prints in color. If any of you try this, I want to see the results! And I’m looking at you, Only!

If you want to fall down a rabbit hole, catch the three YouTube videos from the Crufts Dog Show in England that cover the Heelwork to Music–Freestyle International Competition. Prepare to spend about an hour and a half. Just sayin’. Also, I did NOT agree with the judges. LOL FYI, this is a dog and handler doing a choreographed routine to music (with costumes and props) with as few commands from the handler as possible.

Shower Thoughts*:

*Stuff that occurs to me in the shower…

How do you repay borrowed time? And is there interest to be paid?

Love at first sight is like judging a book by its cover.

Coffee is like daytime alcohol. I’m all about the day drinking.

Technically, a nap is just a long blink.

The Founding Fathers (and Mothers) had British accents. (Yes, this did occur to me on the 4th of July, why do you ask?)

Whatever happened to tether balls?

Stuff That Irks Me. A LOT!

People, the word is skiTTish! SkiDDish is NOT a word. Horses are skittish. Shy dogs and cats are skittish.  Cars and other vehicles can skid on rainy, icy, or snowy roads. People can perform in a short play called a “skit.” But animals who shy awsay from something or some is SKITTISH! Sheesh! Everytime I see a social media post using “skiddish” instead of “skittish” I want to turn troll! Just sayhin’…

Speaking of words that drive me crazy. Ridiculous. The word, not that it drives me crazy. For YEARS, I had to look up the spelling. The one that’s bugging me now? Dilemma. I also have to look it up every time too. Grrr. What word(s) is your bugaboo?

Speaking of bugaboos, is that not a cool word? Evidently it’s Celtic in original, maybe from France, Wales, or Scotland. Anyway, just wrap your lips around it and say it out loud. Bugaboo! There now. Don’t you feel better? 😉

Have a great weekend, all! Not sure if soccer is on tap. Depends on the weather. I foresee naps, though. Whose with me? 🙋🏼‍♀️

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Thursday Thoughts Universal Paradox

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Silver James

Somedtimes we writers get too set in our ways. We get comfortable. We write the same stories, in varying variations of plot and character. This is true of all of us except those who write only one book.

It’s quite the paradox, Silver, but the more one pushes themselves into areas of discomfort—gently, just a bit, from time to time—the more comfortable they become.

And vice versa.

Thunk it, who’d of?
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Yeah, Silver, that’s a heck of a vice versa, if you know what I mean.

I don’t want to fall into this rhythm. I mean I DO write romance. There IS a bit of a formula. Couple meets, stuff happens–good and bad, sexy times (or the hint thereof) ensue, more stuff happes, and then you get either the HFN or HEA. (Happy For Now or Happy Ever After) When you write subgenres–romantic suspense, paranormal romance, even Urban Fantasy, etc.) there is more to the formula. Yes, somebody is in jeopardy and the other half saves them. There are bad nasties that must be dealt with. There’s internal AND external conflict. There are backstories to resolve and futures to map out. It’s…complicated. Which is why it is easy to fall into a tried and true formula. Hey, this has worked before. It’ll keep working. Until it doesn’t. That’s one reason Moonstruck had a finite end. Oh, yeah, those characters show up from time to time in my other books but the guys all found The One, settled down, took their lives back, and got on with living them. And yes, I’m babbling a bit now because I’m not sure where I want to go next. Do I complain about those apparently best-selling authors who write the same book over and over, changing on the names? (There’s one NYT author who recycles her own sex scenes.) Or should I mention the series that go on and on and have to retreaded because there’s no place for the characters to go but readers keep demanding more? There are examples on both sides of that coin. I mean, good grief! JD Robb is coming out with #57 in about 2 months. And yes, I STILL buy and read every blasted one of them because Robb always adds a surpirse. The book I get bored with will be a very sad day in deed.

Anyway, my head is in ths weird space and it’s complicating my writing. I keep thinking the WIP isn’t very good, that it’s the same ol’ story (one day) or there’s not much story there (the next day) and then I’ll go back to double-check something and read a portion and think, “Damn. That’s pretty damn good!” Lord, my head is a scary place to be. LOLOL So, readers, your thoughts of a writer taking the easy way and/or stretching out a series that’s long since jumped the shark? And writers, do you find yourself in this same dilemma?

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Wednesday Words: Just Breathe

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Silver James

Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Yes, today’s Wednesday Words took top honors in last week’s #ThursdayThreads competition. I’ll admit that at first, due to the phrasing of the prompt, I had to think about what to write. This actually is fun. After some lengthy pondering, I came to the conclusion that the scene would be totally unrelated to either of the current WIPs. Which is okay. Iffy and I do this more often than we should. Still, with the aid of Scrivener (my writing software), this is way easier. Plus, as I teased on FB Saturday, new character for one of the other Moonstruck Mafia books. The prompt: **“I wasn’t sure if he breathed.”**
****
Brakes screamed like a victim in a teen slasher movie. Even with my reflexes, I couldn’t avoid the damn car hurtling toward the crosswalk. The bumper on the passenger side hit me. I took flight. F*ck me. This would hurt when I landed. It did, and I blacked out.

Sirens. I think. It could have been just my ears ringing. Maybe. Darkness swallowed me again even as I knew I had to get up and walk away. No cops. No ambulance. Couldn’t risk the exposure.

“I wasn’t sure if he breathed.”

The voice tugged me back to reality. Melodic. Accented. Very close. I opened one eye. Barely.

“I…I was afraid so I have not touched him. He has not moved. I watched carefully. I…” Her voice trailed off and she wouldn’t meet the cop’s eyes. That made me curious.

“Have you been drinking?”

I cracked both eyelids. The woman’s face registered shock then indignation. I studied her, eyes wide open now. The EMT squatting by me tried to take my blood pressure. I waved him away. He remained insistent on checking me out. I’m a Wolf shifter. I’d be fine. Except for the woman. My wolf wanted out to play with her. That would not be happening. I was on a job. I didn’t have time for a woman. Especially this woman.

She was slender, short, with dark hair that hung straight, dropping below her shoulders. Every few seconds she nervously pushed heavy black-framed glasses up her nose. Nerd bait. My wolf didn’t care. I sat up, then stood. The EMT looked from the crushed Mini Cooper to all six feet five inches of me.

He blew out a breath. “Dude, you broke her car.”
****
And there you have it with a few additional words because 250 words gets just the bare bones on the page. As mentioned when I posted the #ShirtsOffSaturday candidate to my Facebook page, I couldn’t decide if he belonged to the Italian mob in Chicago (which makes the auto/ped a bit more believeable) or if he’s part of the Russian mob in New York because I have it in my head that she’s maybe Ukranian and there’s this whole enemies-to-lovers thing goin’ on. He sounds more Chicago Italian but I’m leaning toward changing his voice and moving to NYC. That’s way down the road. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this “meet cute” (at least according to last week’s judge–lol). Writers and readers, what would you (or your character) do if some dude broke your(their) car?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: Dew Da Bundt Cake

Posted on July 11, 2023 by Silver James

I’m all for homemade “from scratch” baking. Since I’m older than dirt, I remember when cake mixes were so not a thing. And since I’m older than dirt, I’ve come to appreciate the ease and convenience of mixes. I’m also not a Mountain Dew drinker but for this treat, I will do the Dew!

Mountain Dew Bundt Cake
Prep time: 15 min.
Cook time: 45 min.
Total time: 1 hr

12 servings

Show Nutrition Info
INGREDIENTS
Cake Batter
1 box Lemon Cake Mix (Duncan Hines 15.25 ounceor Betty Crocker 15.25 oz. size)
1 Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding Mix (3.4 oz. size)
4 large eggs or 3 jumbo eggs(?) try it and see
3/4 cup oil (use “generic” vegetable, corn or canola. Do NOT use olive oil because…taste!)
1 1/4 cups Mountain Dew. Use at room temperature (cuz…pudding mix! It reacts to cold liquids)

Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup Mountain Dew

LET’S MAKE IT
1 – Heat the oven to 350° F. Oil the bundt pan thoroughly including the center cone.

2 – In a large bowl, add the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, and oil. Use a mixer to beat ingredients on medium-low to slightly blend in the eggs.

3 – Add half of the Mountain Dew to the bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds just to get it mixed in then add the rest of the soda and mix on mediumfor about two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed until all dry ingredients are blended in.

4 – Pout the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45 minutes, until cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

5 – Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Flip the pan onto a cooling rack and carefully “unpan” the cake. Let cool almost completely before icing.

Icing
1 – Mix the powdered sugar with ¼ cup of Mountain Dew in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and creamy. The icing should be thick but pourable.

2 – Gently pour the icing onto the top of the cake. It should run down the sides. If you want more complete coverage, use a knife to spread it. Don’t feel you have to use all the icing. Ice to your tastes.

3 -Let the icing firm up before slicing.

TIPS
1. Store the cake in an airtight container, or cover it loosely with plastic wrap for up to three days.

2. You can use Diet Dew to cut out some of the sugar.

3. Don’t believe ’em when they say “no-stick” bundt pan. Brush on a coating of oil if the pan is the newer, heavy aluminum non-stick. If using an older, thinnger pan, coat the pan in shortening and flour to get the cake to release intact. Do NOT completely cool the cake in the pan. That’s just an exercise in frustration and results in an ugly cake.

4. Not a fan of icing? Sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake for a hint of sweet and to make it look “dressed up.”

While I haven’t made this particular cake, I know someone who makes it often. Who knew a former arson investigator and now mate of a Nightrider Wolf would make Mountain Dew cake. Of course, Smoke keeps trying to get Leigh to add tequila. Go figure! 😉 How did a Dallas Fire Department arson investigator end up as the old lady of a member of the Nightriders? You can read their story in NIGHT FIRE. Just click on the title or eitther pic that contains the cover. This book is available from a variety of on-line book sellers. The links will take you to Books2Read and you can find your favorite store. In the meantime, I need to had a bottle of Mountain Dew to my grocery list. What about y’all? Are you fans of doing the Dew?

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Mocha Monday

Posted on July 10, 2023 by Silver James

Why yes, I AM going to stop at Starbucks to grab a venti mocha frappucino on my way home from Wallyworld today. While my list is fairly short, considering the weather we had Sunday morning, I’ll be taking the long way home because I’m nosy. The local storm chasers were following both flash flood and regular flood warnings. We got almost 4″ of rain in just over an hour. That’s a LOT of rain. We also had high winds and hail. Needless to say, I didn’t get must sleep.

This has been an unusual July, weather-wise. Lots of rain–every or every other day. Conisdering we were in severe drought conditions, no one is complaining but the previous rain pretty much saturated the ground so the stuff we had this weekend had no place to go but into creeks, rivers, ponds, and lakes. We needed that too. Anyway, I want to meander my way home today to check out the lake, certain drainage areas nearby because I’m nosy and a bit of a weather nerd.

Still making slow progress on CROSSFIRE but it IS progress. I’m getting closer. If RL would stop intervening, I’d further along. Still, I’m hoping for serious news by the end of the week. At the same time, I’m coming to the end of my marathon Kate Daniels relisten. I’m on MAGIC TRIUMPHS and the dual audio book of MAGIC TIDES and MAGIC CLAIMS releases today. After I listen to them, then I’ll finish off the marathon with BLOOD HEIR, which puts all the books into story arc chronological order. Yay.

In sports news, soccer was rained out–the fields were too wet Saturday. Make up game for Stormy’s team is supposed to be played Thursday evening. The OKC Spark, the local professional softball team played the British national team in the inaugural Royal Spark Challenge in London. They won both games and brought home the trophy. It was cool to watch, despite some “amateur” streaming (only one camera) and some technical snafus. They got things worked out and it was fun. Also, this is the All Star break for major league baseball.

In health news, which is something I don’t often share, I gave blood Saturday. I’m down-range far enough from my eye surgeries. The good news is that my blood pressue is waaay down. It’s been high but not needing medical intervention high. Yet. It was 125/75. Hemoglobin count was 15.4. Also, the weight I lost after the surgery and part of which came back is slowly melting away again. I’m down 25 pounds from this time last year. S’all good so yay!

And…That’s about it from here, folks. Boring life but that’s okay. I’m not a fan of drama or excitement these days. I prefer that in my books–either the ones I’m writing or the ones I’m listening to. I do NOT want in in RL. LOLOL So what drama is happening in your world?

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Friday Sinema: Summertime

Posted on July 7, 2023 by Silver James

I do love me some “It’s a Southern Thing” videos, especially this time of year because, heck yeah. They are dead on. And it’s still hot because…summer. In the South! Have a great weekend and stay cool, boo.

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Thursday Thoughts: Universal Triple Crown

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Silver James

This is what if feels like to get an idea for a new book:

Shaping, shifting, molding, making: What people do when they discover their imagination.

Spinning, curling, dipping, twirling: What people do when they discover their wings.

Beaming, glowing, basking, shining: What people do when they discover love.

Basking, Silver –
The Universe
©www.tut.com

P.S. Go for the triple crown, Silver.

And this is definitely what it feels like to finish one and have it ready to release into the wild. So clase, baby. Sooo close. What are you basking in today?

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Wednesday Words: Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Silver James

Did everyone here in the States have a safe and sane 4th of July? We always have idiots who pop off illegal fireworks. Jake, having been shot at before he was rescued, freaks out. I don’t freak out but it pisses me right the fark off. Especially when it starts two weeks before, goes two weeks after, and they do it past my bedtime! We also have a couple of younger vets who have moved intp the neighborhood and they are also sensitive. PTSD. It’s a real thing, people! That makes today’s snippet rather apropos. The Thursday Threads prompt was **“I should have been there.”** And it was perfect for an early scene in CROSSFIRE. It’s pretty self-explanatory.
****
As the team settled in at the bar, Kin was drawn to that wall. His eyes lingered on a few photos and his breath caught on one that looked brand-new and shiny in its plain black frame.

“Dougal.” He breathed the name, unable to speak it aloud. When he could move again, his gaze sought out the bartender. “When, Callie?”

The man, wearing a face that stated he’d seen it all, lifted a pint glass toward the wall in a solemn salute.

“’Tis a couple months gone now. Didja not know?”

Kin shook his head but before he could answer Loch stood beside him. “We’ve been on deployment,” the Irishman explained. “What happened?”

Despite feeling slightly irritated, Kin was grateful for Loch’s interference. He needed to know but he couldn’t force himself to ask. Dougal. His brother-in-arms since they’d been wee scalawags in short pants playing at war at his Gran’s farm in the Highlands. They’d enlisted together, trained together, and fought in the SAS together. Then they came home. And Dougal changed.

He hadn’t talked to the man who’d been closer than any blood relative in two years. Guilt flooded him, even though he’d tried to stay in contact.

“Where did they put him?” Kin asked.

“He was behind on his rent and the landlord went to collect.” The bartender answered Loch first. “Dougal’d been passed at least a week. His weapon was still in his hand.” His eyes held infinite sadness as he turned to Kin. “Tayport. His sister’s doin’. She’d tried.” He swept the room with one hand. “We all tried. There was just no gettin’ through to him.” He poured three glasses of Glen Fiddish and pushed two across the bar to Kin and Loch before picking up the third.

“I know ya probably like your Irish whiskey best, lad, but I think you’ll find our single malt scotch suits just fine.” The three of them raised their glasses to all the portraits on the wall then drank.

“Aye,” Loch agreed. “I am a whiskey man when I’m not downin’ Guinness but that’s a smooth drink goin’ down. I’ll be buying a round for m’mates.”

Kin continued staring at the photograph. His voice was strangled as he forced out words. “I should have been there.”

The next morning, Kin made the hour-plus drive to Tayport, there where the River Tay was about to introduce itself to the North Sea. He didn’t go alone.
****
There you have it. And yeah, PTSD, depression, and mental health in general is important. We need to take care of ourselves. And we need to reach out–FOR ourselves and TO others. Sermon over. Writers, feel frea to grab some inspriation and run with it. Readers, what should you have been there for?

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Tuesday Treats & Titles: 4th of July Edition

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Silver James

No recipe today and no book. Instead, I’m tossing it to y’all. What’s your favorite dessert, side, or main dish to serve to faimily and friends on the 4th of July or any other summer holiday. Of course, down in the southern hemisphere, it’s winter so any readers down there could share their favorite comfy cold-weather foods. Next, pair a book you enjoy with that dish. I’m curious about what you’ll share! Blue–the official Moonstruck Wolf mascot–and his little buddy, Freedom, what y’all to weigh in!

This whole dual season thing is also the reason Smashwords calls their big July event the Summer/Winter Sale. Almost all of my self-pubbed books are available with a 50% coupon you get on Smashwords. It’s a great way to start or finish one of my series! Just click on the sale banner down at the bottom to head over there to grab a book to read. There are literally 1000s of books available from hundreds of authors, including my good friend, B.E. Sanderson. If you haven’t read her suspense or fantasy, nows a great time!

Enjoy the holiday here in the USA. Stay cool and stay safe. And please, don’t be an Alpha Hotel with fireworks. Veterans and critters alike react badly to the noise and confusion. PTSD and lost pets are not cool. Now it’s your turn. SHARE! I need cool books and great food!!!

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Mandatory Monday

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Silver James

So, back in the day when I actually had to get up, put on real clothes, and commute to a job, I learned that, when it comes to messing up the work week, the only thing worse than a 3-day weekend is a “Mandatory Monday” between the weekend and a holiday. Like this week. I suspect a lot of people are taking off today to grab a four-day weekend since tomorrow is the 4th and we all know that only relail and food service folks have to work on the 4th of July. Here in the USA, anyway. Me? I’m like a cat. I don’t really pay attention to what day of the week it is as long as I follow my schedule of things I gotta do. Monday means Wallyworld. Tuesday means laundry. Wednesday means…well, something, I’m sure. Same for Thursday and Friday. Saturday is sports (if Stormy has a match or game) and Sunday is for figuring out what the heck I’m doing for the next week.

Just in case you missed the announcement, Smashwords is having their annual Summer/Winter (depends on which side of the hemisphere you live in–LOL). Almost all of my books are half-price with the Smashwords coupon. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO. Books are on sale for the whole month of July but ONLY at Smashwords.

Also, happy Halfway Day! Sort of. It was actually yesterday. As of 12 noon on July 2, 2023 is halfway over with. You know, just in case you have plans for the year that you need to get on. Yeah, me too!

Since it was sort of a holiday weekend, no soccer and since it was First Saturday, we did have siren test. Sadly, our favorite restaurant is now closed so no Alvarado’s. Instead, we opted for Earl’s BBQ. It’s a local chain and they do make good BBQ. No sure it will become our First Saturday go-to for family lunch but it was tasty and even the cooks came out to see and pet Jake so yeah, we’ll be back since he’s so welcome there. As a service dog, he can go anywhere with us but some places are…friendlier, shall we say? The Earl’s in Ednmond was definitely welcoming.

It’s hot–hello! Summer in the South! But it’s not 🤬 🥵 which is just swell by me. We did a little work in the yard and will try to do a little bit more each morning this week. Stupid grapevines and wisteria vines are taking over everything. Not to mention to volunteer oak and sweet gum tree volunteers. Ugh.

There’s not much else going on around here. I keep slogging along–slowly but not very surely–on CROSSFIRE. Not sure why Iffy and I have such a block about finishing the damn book. The first of it is some darn fine writing, even if I say so myself. Part of me thinks I should just go back to the beginning and reread the whole thing then start writing where I left off. Except I’ll fall into that ol’ editing trap that kept me from finishing a couple of books because…I kept editing what was written and made no forward progress. I am not the only author this happens to.

I’m almost to the end of my marathon relisten to the Kate Daniels series. The two new entries (a novella and a book) release as an audio bundle on the 10th. I have 3 books left but according to the chronological timeline, I need to listen to the new books before finishing out with the last book, which isn’t the last book in the series/expanded world, but will be for quite awhile. Two book in 8 days? Yeah, no. Two books in 4 days? Yeah, definitely. I did break down and spend Audible credits for the dramatized versions of MAGIC BITES and MAGIC BURNS. I borrowed BITES from Hoopla before I decidef to buy. I guess I’ll throw BURNS (the 2nd book and I just finished the 9th) into the mix to take up a day or two.

Welps, I think that’s all that’s happening in my world. I get to spend the next couple of days coddlyng Jake because he hates fireworks and we have some idiot neighbors. The far-away ones (ie. the sponsored big fireworks shows) don’t bother him quite so much anymore. It’s the closer, sharper firecrackers that sound like gunshots that freak him. It’s double irksome because it’s illegal to own or shoot them inside city limits, and that includes the two municipalities that we share borders with. Anyway, have a safe and sane 4th, USAers and happy regular Tuesday to the rest of the world. Anyone have exciting plans for the 4th?

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