Tuesday's Inspiration from an essay by Jaques Barzun #MFRWauthor

"No writer has ever lived who did not at one time or another get stuck." Jaques Barzun.

What he's talking about is writer's block and the need for discipline. I had a long time writer's block and I knew the cause. I was working 13 hour shifts as a nurse and frankly I was drained physically and mentally. Sure I wrote a few bits and pieces but nothing that went anywhere or connected to anything.When the time came to leave this demanding job and begin to write again, I found it hard to do more than bits and pieces.

What I finally did was go back to the beginning and start with a plan. I set myself a low goal of words on a story I'd organized with many pages of notes. First 500 words a day and I refused to stop until I had these words. Discipline is what kept me moving forward. Now I do 2 or 3000 words a day. Sometimes i get stuck. I force myself to write out the plan of the story and suddenly I can write again.

So discipline is the word to remember. No one is forcing you to write and no matter the reason for writing once the flow begins put the words down. Remember that the discipline will allow you to revise and make the story a great one.

Also remember the words from the opening sentence. You are no different from any other writer. When you're stuck try a little discipline or some other trick that works for you to push beyond that gap.

Meadering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Meander 1 - Promotional woes. It's not that I don't promote but I do. It's just sometimes I think I've published too many books. I'm trying to get my books up on a site and I'm doing them one at a time since each one takes time from my writing. I'm up to 4 but from just the publisher I'm doing them from, I have 22 books and I've just sent them another and have one being edited. Perhaps by May I'll catch up. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Plus one I still have to update and the one I'm writing.

Meander 2 - Time warp. Every day at least two of my hours are involved in driving to see my husband who is undergoing rehab from major surgery. Not that I mind visiting him. I just wish he was next door.

Meander 3 - My writing. I'm moving slowly with Divided Dreams partly because there are two more rights back books I want to complete. They also cause me a dilemma since the third in the series is already up with a cover and all. Will I be able to make the changes needed to bring this book into the series? This I don't know. Means a new cover and a change of title for the book. Will have to see what the publisher thinks. I'd really like a new cover but the title may be a problem. Will see what happens when I finish the two books and I make my confession.

Sunday's Book -- Bast's Warrior by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Bast's Warrior

Tira flees a threat to her life and encounters two elderly women who offer her the chance to be sent to an alternate ancient Egypt with no thought of return. She has had a fascination with Egypt and can even read hieroglyphics. Once there she will be given a task. Failure could mean death. Dare she take the chance and can she find the lost symbols of the rule before an enemy finds them?

Kashe, son of the nomarch of Mero is in rebellion. His father desires him to join the priesthood of Aken Re, a foreign god. He feels he belongs to Horu, god of warriors and justice. He decides to leave home, meets Tira and joins her in the search for the symbols of the rule. Will his aid bring good fortune and will their growing love keep them from making a fatal mistake?

Previously published as The Warrior of Bast

"This engaging voyage into an ancient Egypt that includes power-hungry priests and hazardous treasure hunts entertains from page one. Familial intrigue heightens the tension, as does a kidnapping or two. The cast of characters is dynamic and complements the well-conceived plot." ~ 4 Stars, Susan Mobley, Romantic Times Magazine

4.0 out of 5 stars An Entrancing Story! March 26, 2015

By KittyKitty

Format:Kindle Edition

I loved the book. The story was fascinating and well written. My only problem with the book was the editing - or, rather, the lack of it It was as if it had never been proofread, or perhaps only by a computer. There were many punctuation errors and several places where a word was used that caused the sentence to be nearly meaningless. Perhaps this is nitpicking, but it seriously interfered with a very interesting and well thought-out story. This said, I really liked the book and intend to read the others in the series.

 The Warrior of Bast (Kindle Edition)

This was a really fun, interesting story. I loved reading about characters in a different world. Their struggles with little food and a harsh desert really drew me into the story. By the time they got to the Valley, I couldn't put it down. I just had to see how it would all end! Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Saturday - Ari - Hero from Temple of Fyre #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Ari paused at the edge of the grove and peered at the sky. The sun stood just beyond midday. Stay or go? If he pushed the burros, he could reach Rosti just as the sun set. Should he take the chance? The rocky plain between the grove and the hamlet was home to the lopestas that emerged to hunt after the sun set. One stumble on the rocks could turn a profitable season into a disaster. Tomorrow would be soon enough to head for Rosti. He would have a ten-day to sell the fyrestones and depart before the solstice began.

He staked the burros and lifted the near empty panniers from their backs. He piled digging tools and the tent beside the wicker baskets. Beads of sweat collected on his forehead.

The scarlet fyrestone he’d worn on the day the pair of stone seekers had found him pulsed. He pressed his hand against the lump beneath his tunic. What did it mean? He stared toward the distant walls of the hamlet. His eyes widened. A plume of fire rose toward the sun. What were the priestesses attempting? Had one of their fires escaped from their control?

Not his business. The only traffic he had with the temple was for the sale of the opaline crystals he carried in his haversack. With the fyrestones he’d found, he would have enough coins for supplies and to buy some answers to the questions that had bothered him for years. Who was he and why had he been abandoned in the grove? Which hamlet had been his birthplace?

He started a fire and ate the remainder of the lopear he’d snared that morning. After setting several snares, he dozed until sunset. He checked his snares and cooked two grass hens, ate one and slept.

When pre-dawn lightened the sky, he loaded the burros. He set off across the rocky plain, taking care to avoid large piles of rocks where the lopestas burrowed during the day.

At the gate into Rosti, he paused to pay the entrance fee. “You’re in early,” the guard said. “Any luck?”

Ari nodded. At least the guard asked out of curiosity, and not the prying questions asked when a man left the hamlet. Ari often wondered if there were bonds between the guards and the thieves who preyed on solitary stone seekers.

“A bit,” he said. “Found whites and a pair of yellows before the site played out.” That had been the first of his finds, but he wouldn’t mention the others. “Sale will bring me enough for supplies and a few nights at an inn.”

The man stepped closer. “You’re the first stone seeker to arrive. With crystals in your pack, the priestesses will welcome you. Did you see the flame yesterday at midday, the one that rose above the temple? Heard one of the priestesses tried to kill Malera. Someone said all but the white fyrestones turned black and have no power.

Ari laughed. “Then mine should bring a good price.”

The guard nodded. “Might reward you with more than coins. Could offer a night with one of the priestesses. Or you could be chosen to join them for the solstice celebration. Hear they like the things a man does.”

Ari forced a grin. That was one reward he had no intention of collecting. If he gave a priestess too much pleasure, he could become a prisoner in the harras.

He led the burros past the guard and turned into the first lane where stables abounded. He stopped at the one Jorg had always used. His thoughts turned to his dead partner, and once more, he regretted being unable to save the old man’s life. Jorg had clutched his chest and fallen to the ground. Ari hadn’t known what to do.

The stableman accepted enough coins for a ten-day. Once again, Ari thanked Jorg for teaching him to keep a secret stash of coins. Ari led the burros into a stall. He draped the blanket roll over the gate and hung the tent beside it. He hung the panniers on hooks and set the digging tools on a ledge. The stableman lifted a stone block and the trough filled with water. While the man brought hay and grain, Ari curried the burros. Once he finished, he hoisted his haversack and lifted a sack of dirty clothes.

After leaving the stable, he sought an inn. In the choosing, he heeded Jorg’s advice. Never stay at the same one you used the last time. Always seek one with a ground floor chamber and a private bathing room.

The second one he visited met his requirements. “You’re in luck,” the skinny innkeeper said. “In a few days, the place will be crowded with folks arriving for the summer solstice. Five coppers a day for the room. Meals are extra. For one silver, the laundress will see to your clothes.”

Ari nodded. He counted out the coins for the room and laundry. Though he had no intention of remaining for the solstice, he paid for a ten-day, two beyond the festival. Once he sold the fyrestones and bought supplies, he would seek Jorg’s old partner. Besides the twenty coppers Ari gave the old man on each visit to Rosti, this time Ari was determined to purchase information. Once he knew all the particulars of the rescue, he would leave the hamlet. Being near the temple during the twice-yearly rites made him uncomfortable. The scarlet crystal, his heritage, always reacted. He feared one day, the stone would raise a flame and consume him.

He followed the innkeeper down a narrow hall and noticed two exits he could use to come and go without crossing the common room. The thin man opened a door at the end of the hall. Ari noted the heavy bar he could use to keep people out. He nodded. “This will do.” He dropped the sack of dirty clothes in the hall. “Have these washed. I’ll add others after I’ve been to the temple.”

“She’ll have most ready by morning. Will you take your meals in the common room or have them brought here?”

“I’ll have the evening meal brought, but I’ll decide when later.”

“Will you need a companion? I’ve a connection to one of the pleasure houses.”

“Perhaps. First, I have business to conduct.”

Once the innkeeper left, Ari barred the door. He dropped the haversack on the bench beneath the window and secured the shutters. He opened the pack, and one by one, extracted the fyrestones from the pack’s false bottom. As he touched each stone, the core color flickered. He placed each of the colors in a separate pouch and placed them in the large leather one he hung from his belt.

When he left the inn, he strode down the cobbled lane to the market square. He noticed his mentor’s aged and crippled partner beside one of the food stalls. Though Ari wanted to question the man, he knew he couldn’t until after the crystals had been sold.

What would Bil tell him? The man had been Jorg’s partner when they’d stumbled across the small boy near the edge of the grove. The scarlet fyrestone and the copper necklace had been the only clue to Ari’s identity, a clue he didn’t think the men had pursued.

Ari’s hands clenched. Who had left him there? Who had given him the stone? He’d never heard of a man being able to use any of the fyrestones except the white. Though several times, he’d dreamed Jorg had used one, Ari couldn’t remember finding one when the old man died.

The savory aroma of meat pies made his stomach growl. He purchased one and a mug of ale. The nutty flavor of the beverage soothed the fiery spices of the pies. Around him, conversations flowed. He ate quickly. Once the stones were sold, he would order a feast and a woman from one of the pleasure houses to share the food and attend to his needs. He’d been without a woman’s company since the week before the winter solstice. As he sauntered toward the temple, snippets of words reached him.

“Flame near touched the sun.”

“Saw that. Could have ended the world.”

“Heard the priestesses took sick. They’re not hearing petitions.”

“After the solstice when the rites are changed.”

Ari reached the edge of the square and followed the fyrethorn hedge to the arched entrance to the temple lane. The hedge lined both sides of the wide cobble-paved path. The brilliant scarlet blooms on the bushes hid deadly red thorns. Ari frowned. The odd thing was nowhere but here near the temple had he ever seen fyrethorn growing. He often wondered why.

Friday - New Release- Temple of Fyre

Since my guest didn't send her material, I'll take today to write about Temple of Fyre first in the Island of Fyre series.

Driven from the Temple, stoned, and left for dead when she defies the High Priestess Malera, Ria’s one thought is to find a way to stop the woman’s evil reign of terror.

To succeed she needs Ari, the Seeker who rescued her. Ari teaches her the way to build fire within and bonds with her body to body…and then seeks her heart.

I began the book when asked to write a book with fire as a central theme. While mulling over the story as I was headed for bed, I came up with the idea of fyrestones. Suddenly I thought of the colors of fire. Yellow, orange, red, white and occasionally blue are seen in a flame. Thus the stones had a color. I moved on to deciding on their power and strength. The heroine came next and during the writing of the book the hero appeared. Ria and Ari are the hero and heroine. His name came first and then for hers I rearranged the letters. Only one of my critique partners caught this subtle play on words. Since my hero and heroine must bond in body, heart and spirit I thought this was appropriate.

Just re-released. Fantasy romance





Temple of Fyre (Island of Fyre)

Thursday's Heroine - Maria from Melodic Dreams #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove #Romance

To the sounds of her nephew banging notes on a xylophone, Maria emptied the last box of kitchenware she’d found at the thrift shop less than a block from the apartment complex. She paused and laughed. She knew that song, the theme from Jeopardy, her mother’s favorite program.

She drew a deep breath. So much to do to make this one bedroom apartment into a home for her four year old nephew. Beds to make, clothes to unpack. She needed to buy curtains to cover the blinds and add color to the ecru walls. She’d been fortunate. The woman from the Human Resources Department at Fern Lake General had found this place.

Last night, she and Jamie had slept on the green carpet in the living room pretending to be camping. This morning the furniture and other purchases from the thrift shop had been delivered.

Jamie finished his rendition with a sweep of the hammer over the keys. She leaned against the counter and loaded their bowls from lunch into the dishwasher.

Maria drew a deep breath. Inside, she quivered with tension she refused to allow to show. She must succeed.

Enough dawdling. There was a man she needed to see. Her gut clenched.

“Jamie, put your toys away. We’re going to see your father.” And pray the man agrees to pay for Jamie’s pre-school while she worked. Two weeks from today, she started at the local hospital as an occupational therapist.

“Will he like me?” Jamie asked.

She hated the worry in the boy’s voice and in his brilliant green eyes. She ruffled his dark curls. “What’s not to like?”

“He never came to see me.”

Maria sucked in a breath. She could have tried to locate the man years ago, but her mother had been adamantly opposed. “He didn’t know about you. Nana didn’t know his last name.” Maria brushed hair from her face. They could have learned. She couldn’t tell Jamie about his grandmother’s anger. Guilt curled in her thoughts.

Jamie looked up. “How did you know?”

“When we were packing to sell Nana’s house, I found some papers in a suitcase your mama left. I saw his name and looked for him.”

Jamie nodded. “Uncle Carlo said my mama runned away ‘cause my dad was mean.” His eyes widened.

She put her fingers on his lips. “What does Uncle Carlo know?”

“Just TV and beer.”

Maria popped toys in her huge bag and walked to the door. They rode the elevator to the semi-enclosed parking area and her battered ten year old blue sedan. She fastened Jamie into his booster seat.

Twenty minutes later with only one wrong turn, she pulled into the U-shaped driveway leading to a huge house at the top of the rise. She rehearsed what she planned to say when she saw Jamie’s father. She swallowed against a lump in her throat. How would he react when she handed him the folder with her reasons for being in Fern Lake?

“Is that the house?” Jamie pointed up the hill. “Looks like a castle.”

She agreed. The gray stone building rose three stories above the ground. Shrubbery lined both sides of the driveway. She turned in her seat and winked at her nephew. “Maybe we’ll meet a prince.” Or an ogre, she added silently.

“Don’t want to stay here. Want to live with you.”

His shrill voice fear that she needed to change. She touched his hand. “You will. I’m your guardian.” Except for the widened emerald green eyes, he looked like his mother without her selfish nature. “We need your dad’s help to pay for your pre-school while I work.”

Maria hoped for more than financial aid but she couldn’t tell Jamie she wanted his father in his life. Jamie needed a man, someone more honorable than her brother. She wanted Jay Lockley to spend time with his son. She’d always thought not looking for him had been unfair but she’d been unable to fight her mother and start a search in the days after the accident. Then, college had absorbed her time. Would the man understand?

Maria sighed. If Jay Lockley spent time with Jamie, she could focus on her new career. Was she selfish to want time for herself? Since her sister’s death, Jamie had been her responsibility. And her joy. Though her mother had watched her grandson while Maria attended college and worked, most of her spare time had been spent with the child.

Drawing a deep breath filled with hope and determination, she put the sedan in gear and followed the driveway to the circle at the top where she parked. Would the man living here spend time with Jamie? Sometimes, the burden felt as heavy as holding the world on her shoulders.

Anger at herself bubbled like mud in a hot spring. Don’t think that way. Jamie was her delight. Bright, curious and in need of more than she could provide.

Thoughts of her brother’s greed and habit of taking more than his share arose. Her hands curled into fists. Carlo had claimed two thirds of the money from the sale of the house.

“She owed me. Borrowed money a dozen times to provide for you and the brat.”

Without proof, she’d been unable to show his assertions were false.

Her share of the money had kept her and Jamie solvent while she finished her degree. There’d been enough money left to last until her first paycheck from the hospital arrived. While calculating she’d forgotten the need for child care. Thus this visit.

Move, she ordered. Her gut churned. What if Jay Lockley refused to acknowledge his son? What if he was the selfish driven man Delores had cursed? Six months in hell, her sister had said. Six months when her career had floundered. Sure her husband had written the music for a hit Broadway show but little had come her way.

Lies or truth? Maria’s hands tightened. If he wouldn’t help her, she would find a way to make the venture work. She always had. She’d spent hours in the library searching for Jay Lockley. After learning he lived in Fern Lake, she’d decided to find a job nearby. The staffing agency found the opening in her specialty with a chance the position would become permanent.

Maria opened the car door and freed Jamie. He wrapped his arms around her neck. “I’m scared.”

So was she but she couldn’t let him know. She lowered him to the ground. “You’re too heavy to carry.” She pulled her bag and the folder from the passenger’s seat.

Jamie yanked on her hand. “This is a big house.”

“Sure is.”

Up close the gray stone building made her feel small. The place was so different from the three bedroom house where she’d grown up.

Jamie darted away. “Look. There’s a garden with flowers and a kitty.” He paused at the gate.

Maria chased him. A trellis just beyond the gate would soon be filled with blooming roses. She caught his hand. “Maybe we can look at the garden later.”

“Listen.” Wonder filled his eyes.

Music flowed from the open French Doors across the garden. The melody, though unfamiliar, had a rich and sensuous line making her sigh. Without a warning the song ended in a series of crashing notes. Maria’s grasp on Jamie’s hand tightened. What did the stormy cacophony mean? Anger? Frustration?

When she tugged him from the gate, Jamie looked up. “Could we wait to see if there’s more music? I like the sounds.”

“I know you do. When we return to the apartment I’ll put your keyboard together.”

He frowned. “Don’t have enough keys to make music like that.” His grin warmed her. Music had always fascinated him. Even as an infant his hands or feet had beat in time to the music he heard. What had given him the talent? Not from Delores. He’d never been interested in singing only in making musical sounds.

Ten years ago, Delores had left home and headed to New York City. She’d believed she would make a splash in the music world, especially on Broadway. She’d written about her nightclub act. Then, an angry and pregnant woman had returned. Her nasty remarks about the man she’d married had made the Russo family angry. Even Maria had believed until her discovery in the attic.

Maria walked up the steps and faced a massive wooden door. She rang the bell. Jamie danced from foot to foot. When no one answered she rang a second time. Her foot beat an impatient rhythm against the stone landing. Why was there no answer? Did Jamie’s father live alone in this imposing place? Where was the butler…or a maid? Her shoulders tensed. Other than the nasty things her sister had said and the information she’d read on the internet, what did she know about him?

As she reached to ring the bell a third time, the door opened. Maria stared at the man framed in the doorway. He was more handsome than the pictures she’d seen. Broad shoulders. Glowering. His shaggy blond hair added to his dangerous look. The rumpled shirt and slacks added to her impression. Brilliant green eyes held anger.

“What do you want?” he snapped.

Jamie squeezed her hand. “Don’t like him. He’s sour.”

She nearly laughed. Her mother had said that when Jamie had a tantrum. Though Maria’s body hummed with a desire to smooth the scowling mouth, she couldn’t. Touching him would be the wrong approach. She’d come for his help, nothing more.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Creating Suspense #MFRWauthor

The element of suspense is what drives a story forward. Once there is no question to be answered the story is over. We've all read stories that seem flat and nothing impels is to read onward. In From First Draft to Finished Novel, Karen Wiesner gives tips to keep this kind of suspense flowing forward.

Doubt is one such way. This can bring a conflict between characters. Doubt erodes trust. Did he or didn't he makes the other character wonder and perhsps fear. So thread doubt between your main characters.

Contrast your main characters in personality. Out-going versus stay at home and the suspense builds.

Pace your story. Feed little hints but don't rush to reach the end or you'll leave your readers wanting. Someone once told me a story is as long as it needs to be. Here's where your pacing comes about. Many years ago, I sent off what I thought was a short story. The editor sent back this comment. "This sounds like the synopsis of a novel." The story was rushed and underdeveloped. That sent me to learn how to write a novel.

Foreshadowing is the dropping of little hints about what could or could not happen ast he story unfolds. Just remember not to hit the reader too hard with the mist of what is to come. Things like If she had only known her friend wanted her dead will give too much away. Something like What did the odd look in Mary's eyes mean? Mary pulled ehr into a hug. "It's so good to see you." The hint is there but the reader won't think of that until later as the clues build and build.

Tuesday's Inspiration based on an essay by Faith Baldwin #MFRWauthor

The first thing that struck me has nothing ot do with Ms. Baldwin's writing but that she was born in New Rochelle just across the river from where I life. She was a prolific writer of short stories and novels.

"A writer is lucky.He can set down a problem and solve it to, he hopes, the satisfaction of an editor or a reader."

To me this doesn't necessarily mean the "happy ending." I write in several genres and sometimes the ending is satisfactory to me but not the traditional happy ever after. Several of my stories have endings that may not be what the reader expects as happy ever after. They aren't even happy for now. But considering the characters, the world and what I'm aiming for the ending is satisfactory. Reviewers have commented on this at least once, with a warning to the reader that the ending while satisfactory might not satisfy every reader.

So we come to this point. An ending doesn't have to be happy, or even happy for now. The ending must consider the state of the characters and what satisfies them. So craft your endings in a way that brings the reader to nod and say I can see why the story ended that way.

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Not a Meander- Temple of Fyre was released today.

Meander 1 - Spring is here but on the first day of spring we had snow. Bah humbug was my thought. Snow on this day wasn't fun for me. The weather was a plus for my teenage Florida granddaughter. She has never seen snow. She visited in December but we had no snow then. Watching her play in the snow was fun. She enjoyed her time with her younger cousins. So the snow was great for someone and I was able to do my errands before the storm began.

Meander 2 - Enjoying my Kindle Paperwhite. It's nice to read a book and then be able to review it immediately. I'm not the greatest reviewer in the world. I find it hard to put down the few words needed but I managed to do it this time.

Meander 3 - Writing is moving ahead. The rough draft of Divided Dreams is done and I've begun the revisions. Sure hope to finish it before too long. I'm also typing and correcting two rights back books. One I want to change the table and make it part of a series. Problem is my current publisher has the third of these books already and this probably means I have to re-do that one and see what things I must add like computers and cell phones. The second doesn't need much except removing a lot of dashes. Would like to have them done before long but with limited time who knows,

Sunday's Book - Pursuing Dr. West by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Pursuing Dr. West

Michael West MD has a five year plan before he can consider making a commitment. He’s happy dating women who have no desire for a long-term affair. Encountering Zelda, the pest, the menace, the little girl next door who has impacted his life makes him want to run. She managed to ruin his senior prom and sent several of his dates running. Now she’s grown and the nurse manager of the surgical unit where he will see her every day. What’s a doctor to do but run?

Zelda has loved Michael for year. She knows of the odd accidents her presence has caused him. After an encounter in the condo swimming pool, the accidents become hers but she refuses to give up her quest. The problem is his dating system. He seems to be on an alphabetical quest. He’s just met G and she’s Z. Can she find a way to turn his thoughts to her or must she give up her pursuit?

Review

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Humorous Medical Romance March 16, 2015

By Debbi Cracovia

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Janet Lane-Walters once again delivers an humorous fun loving romance. Zelda met Michael West at the age of six when he moved in next door. She decided then and there she was going to marry him when she grows up. Fast forward a number of year and Michael has finished med school and moved back to his home town, joining the hospital Zelda works for. To make matters worse, Michael unknowingly moves right next door to Zelda. Even though he claims to want to avoid the troublesome, bad luck Zelda seems to bring with her, they keep finding themselves together in awarkard and funny situations. Once Zelda decideds she's never going to land the guy of her dreams and makes plans to move to another state, Michael comes to his senses and goes after her.

  

Saturday's Blurbs - Books by Juli D. Revezzo #MFRWauthor

Changling's Crown

This is a work of Upper YA/New Adult fantasy romance.

When Ianthe began her career as a faery godmother, she stumbled so badly that Snow White will probably never speak to her again. After a long suspension, she's finally been given a chance to redeem herself...but everything on this latest assignment is going wrong.

But why?

Worse, she definitely doesn't need an attractive mortal man distracting her from her duties. Of course, needs and wants are two different things.

Briak has had his eye on Ianthe for a very, very long time, but he's been waiting for just the right moment to make his move. Despite the fact all hell's about to break loose on his watch, he can't resist the opportunity to insert himself into her earthly assignment. Can he convince Ianthe of her true calling and thereby win her heart? Or will his subterfuge ultimately cost him her love?

Murder upon a Midnight Clear

'Tis the season ... for death.

Murder reminds Detective Helene Collias of Holly PD that crime doesn't respect holidays. And the last victim she ever expected to find in her case files is the sister of her old flame, Sean Grant. Ordinarily, Helene's psychic gifts give her an edge but this time, that gift has short-circuited. Could her lingering attraction to Sean be blurring her abilities, or is something more sinister at work?

Caitlan's Book of Shadows

Though their fame became legend, a rumor cropped up about the Fulmer family: Something terrifying stalked Caitlin and her beloved Trevor. Something the bits and pieces she left claimed she had to make sense of. When the curator of their collection finds Caitlin's long forgotten diary, she wonders will it tell the whole tale? Will it tell why Caitlin seemed so determined to tell the difference between reality and nightmare? Why she thought herself a witch?

What will the holidays hold for Caitlin? Perhaps the answer lies between the lines of her story, one of lessons, struggles, and hopes for each new year.

Includes samples of The Artist's Inheritance, Antique Magic Book One, and the second volume, Drawing Down the Shades. **This is a side (or supplemental, if you will) story in the Antique Magic Series. Book 3 is forthcoming.

House of Cards

Can you gamble with Fate?

A young nobleman escapes the Reign of Terror in 18th century France to find himself dragged into an even worse fate–a hellish underworld wherein he is cajoled and put on trial by a demon tribunal for crimes he never committed. Can he thwart his fate, one worse than the guillotine?

Friday Juli D. Revezzo talking about Heroe s, Heroines, Villains #MFRWauthor

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms? Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices? Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

I write in whatever the story demands--so I've written paranormal fantasy as well as romance and even tried high fantasy. That one's still in my computer! Changeling's Crown is fantasy (or fairy tale, if you will) romance.

 

2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write? Does one of these come easy and why?

I prefer writing honorable characters so that tends to lean toward heroes and heroines, so that comes easiest for me. Writing from a bad guy's point of view is challenging. I don't like getting in an evil person's head *shudder* much.

 

3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

Usually they start in my imagination and I have to go hunt down a picture (if someone asks for one) later. As far as the story, they'll show up telling me all about their world and its problems. 

 

4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

 

They come the same as the heroes, usually with the world in hand going "Look at this! What can we do about this????"

5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do you make them human?

 

Depending on how human my villain is, he's usually got the same type of problems we all do, he just has a more twisted view of how to deal with them. Most people, when they get angry about something or someone don't immediate lean to killing them. My villains, yeah, jump right for the weapons.

6. What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the villain?

 

My latest release is a new adult fantasy romance entitled CHANGELING'S CROWN. The heroine is a faery godmother-in-training who just can't do anything right. She's given one more chance and sent to a ranch in central Florida to help keep the owners (who are trying to divorce) together; the villain is a colleague of hers who thinks the faery godmother council is giving her far too many chances and preferential treatment. Little does he know why that is....hehe. The hero is a man who works on the ranch our faey godmother is assigned to--on the side. He's got another job--as king of the dark faeries--that ends up surprising the heroine, but he's really a very nice guy despite where he spends half his time.

7. What are you working on now?

 

Believe it or not, I've been very busy these last few months and have several different manuscripts ready to go to my editors: One is a paranormal romance about Celtic water goddess in charge of the sacred mead, and her hero. Another is my first Gothic Romance, as well as the next in my Antique Magic paranormal series.

8. How can people find you?

            Website: http://julidrevezzo.com

            Blog

            Twitter: https://twitter.com/julidrevezzo

            Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo

Thursday's Heroine Dana from Rekindled Dreams by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Dana Collins laughed and dropped the phone in the cradle. Though she wanted to spin and twirl in a victory dance, movements like that had to wait. Client number five had signed the contract for her billing service for people in health care. This client had passed the info to a friend.

Yes. She rubbed her protruding belly. “We’re on our way, baby.” She could work at home and never return to nursing, the career she’d spent four years in college to earn a BS.

With a groan she pushed against the arms of the office chair. One hand went to her back to ease the nagging pain. Being nine months pregnant and seven months divorced should make her feel anything but happy. This morning the last of the documents had arrived officially returning her to her maiden name. As Randy had demanded during the negotiations, his name wouldn’t appear on the birth certificate. His ugly words still hurt.

“No child of yours is fit to wear the Grantlan name. Melanie’s baby will.”

Those words had crushed her and she had agreed.

Bastard.

Her memories flashed to the day she’d told him about the pregnancy. “We’ll be a real family.” She’d been wrong.

“Get an abortion.”

Stop it. Don’t go there. She’d soon have the family she wanted. Randy Grantlan was history.

Dana stretched. The nagging backache had come and gone all day. Was labor about to begin? Though she had book knowledge about pregnancy, other than at school, she’d never worked in obstetrics.

Her stomach growled. Dana groaned. She’d been so focused on her new venture she’d forgotten to eat lunch. She glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. Four o’clock. She needed to eat. As she left the family room for the long walk to the kitchen at the other end of the house, she smiled. She couldn’t wait to sell this place.

The doorbell chimed. Who?

She reached the foyer and nearly tripped over the small suitcase and the infant seat. Though she could drive to the hospital, she Knew Dr. Scott wouldn’t let her drive home after the delivery. The hospital parking lot was the last place she wanted to leave her car. When the moment arrived, she would call a cab.

Dana opened the door to find her birthing partner on the doorstep. The green scrubs meant Madge had come straight from work. “Don’t tell me they’ve changed your hours again.”

Madge shook her head. Wispy curls the color of dandelions bounded. “Not this week. Told the supervisor no evenings or nights until you have the baby.” She frowned. “Haven’t you heard?”

“About what?”

Madge hesitated. “Do you ever read the paper or listen to the local news?”

“Don’t have a paper delivered and spent the day on the computer.” Dana stepped aside. “Come in. I just signed client number five. I was about to have a late lunch or an early supper.” She let her friend down the hall past the huge living and dining rooms to the kitchen filled with every appliance needed to create a gourmet meal.

Madge sat at the table. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Wait until I make a salad. I’m so hungry I feel faint.” Dana’s stomach rumbled so loud she blushed.

“You need to take better care of yourself.” Madge said. “You’re eating…”

“For two," Dana finished. She grabbed and opened a bag of salad greens, diced a tomato, added some strips of ham and chicken, plus two slices of hard-boiled eggs with some light dressing. After pouring iced tea for Madge and fruit juice for herself she joined her friend. “I need to do some grocery shopping before I go into labor.”

Madge looked up. “Your due date’s tomorrow. Make a list. I’ll shop for you.”

“I’ll do that this evening.” She dug into the salad and sighed with pleasure. After she’d eaten half the food she looked at Madge. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing on my end. Since you didn’t read the paper or listen to the news, I’ll tell you. Randy died in an automobile accident sometime yesterday. The staff was buzzing with the news.”

“You’re kidding.” Dana wasn’t sure how she felt about the news. Though she’d tried, the marriage had ended long before she’d stopped trying to form a family with Randy.

Madge shook her head. “It’s true. Big splash in today’s paper. About the loss and about State Senator Blan’s daughter.”

“Where?”

“On that narrow road from the Club.”

Dana drew a deep breath. She’d been a passenger in Randy’s car down that road. “Was he drunk?” She knew the answer. He’d never known his limit.

“Nothing about alcohol was mentioned,” Madge said. “The nursing home was filled with gossip and most agreed he’d been drinking.”

Dana made a face. “I’m sure his father quashed any reports of alcohol levels.”

Madge nodded. “Robert Grantlan would do that. The Grantlan family has no faults. One of the orderlies ran into Patricia this noon. She’s accusing every woman Randy ever slept with of joining a conspiracy.”

“Even me.”

“Afraid so.”

Dana thought of her confrontations with Randy’s twin. Patricia had been angry about the engagement, the marriage and the divorce. Dana had stopped attending dinners at the Club long before the divorce. “What are you holding back?”

“He and Melanie Blan were celebrating their engagement.”

Dana met her friend’s gaze. “I know. That’s one of the reasons he wanted a divorce."

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - More on tension in romance #MFRWauthor

Karen's Weisner's From First Draft to Finished Novel has a lot of good tips. This is the finish of her points in creating romantic tension, an important part of a romance novel.

Humor can play a good part. This is helpful when the tension builds to a point where there needs to be a release. When tension builds to a high point without some kind of release the story could plunge to the depths and cause the reader to put the book aside. So a bit of laughter could provide the release and perhaps a moment of magic.

There are two kinds of romantic tension. There is the physical and the emotional. To avoid one or lean to heavy on one kind leaves the romance lacking. So look at both sides of the attraction and show what's happening on a physical level but also what the viewpoint character in a scene is feeling.

Don't write love scenes just to put more words on a page. There are some characters who seem to need many love scenes but there are others books when you want to scream, Not another one. if the love scene can come out without changing the story, you may not need it but need to find other words to bring your story to a good conclusion.

Less can be more. I've written love scenes that take pages and they work. I've also written very short ones that  fit the story. So think about shortening these scenes,

Tuesday's Inspiration - A little conflict - Arthur Koestler #MFRWauthor

When I came across this quote by Mr. Koestler, I needed to think a bit about the meaning."In the hierarchy of bisociative processes that constitute art, the most powerful effects are derived from the intersections of conflicting fields."

There are some big words here so I spent a little time figuring what they meant before I turned to read the rest of the essay. Sometimes the conflict of opposites are between two individuals. Other times this conflict is internal. Society can provide the opposites between a character and the world he inhabits.

Conflict is what drives the plot of a story and if there is no point of conflict - no opposing forces the story becomes nothing more than a sketch.

After reading this quote and the essay by Mr. Koestler, I started to look at my characters to discover what their conflicts might be. Are they internal with the character drawn in two directions. How do they react and how to they come to grips with the forces driving them in two directions.

Is the conflict external? How does this drive the story and how does this play with the characters' natures.

I came to this conclusion. Without conflict there is no story.

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

Meander 1 - 'Tis the season of potholes. Lately driving has become an adventure. Almost like driving through a mine field. Driving during the day is all right because you can see the gaps in the road before you come to them. Sometimes there is no escape since a series of round and ragged holes have spread across the lane. The thing I've found interesting is that they have been called potholes for many, many years. So far there haven't been any in my travels large enough to swallow a car but there have been some five miles an hour areas to navigate.

Meander 2 - Forty- eight hours without the internet. That was my fate last week. No, I wasn't traveling. I was sitting in my house and staring. The reason was more of winter's revenge or maybe it was spring. The thaw began and suddenly no internet. There was water in some kind of split place. I know very little about this. The new router was the first to be blamed. Alas it was water and then I had to sit and wait for the technician to come. He between noon and five. He arrived at five minutes until five. That's the breaks but I am connected again.

Meander 3 - Writing. Am nearing the end of the first draft of Divided Dreams and as usual the chapters grow shorter as I near the end. They won't remain that way but will be re-written again and again. I rather like the story and the twists that came up during the creation of the story. Am also working on two right's back books. One won't need much revision just some word changes and a little bit added. The other one is being updated a bit. There is one more to be done. On The Goddesses book I did a sort of prologue but rather just an italicized section to give some of the background of the story. Now I have to also decide if I want my publisher to pay for a week or two weeks on a blog hop for the Fyre stories.

Sunday's Book - A Double Opposition by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Books We Love

In Books We Love's "A Double Opposition" by Janet Lane Walters, Nursing supervisor Liz Jordan’s life is hectic. With twin sons who have never known their father, a new job and her reliable sitter moving to Florida, she has no time for love. Her new job allows her to move her boys from the city to a safer environment. At least she hopes so but an older neighbor boy brings trouble. Add widower Alex Carter, neurosurgeon and the hospital’s most eligible bachelor and the problems escalate. Can she afford to admit she’s found love a second time? Can he when he believes his first marriage was perfect?

Review:


Double Opposition is an amazing book that I would recommend for any reader. It has so much to offer…a great hero and heroine, very well developed secondary characters, sexual tension, suspense…oh and let’s not forget the evil Delores and her son who you will dislike immediately. The story is a perfect mix of all the things we want in a good book. From Road to Romance by Jennifer Ray

4.0 out of 5 stars It was good! December 29, 2011

By Texas Reader

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

O.K. it was free... I like free... but honestly, there are free books that aren't worth the read! This had a decent story, I was intrigued by the supporting characters to look and see if their stories were available on Amazon for my Kindle... The plot was interesting, the characters engaging... I wish they were fleshed out just a little more, but this wasn't a long story (more novella length) so that was expected. The author is obviously in the health care field, and the fact that this took place in a hospital setting was more than just a plot device. Glad I downloaded it, and would read it again for fun...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely! December 27, 2011

By S.C. Yen

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

'Double Opposition" is an enjoyable read. The author has nicely weaved in the hospital nursing staff dynamics. When I read about Dr Alex's undecipherable handwriting and his pushback to use computers, it bubbled up for me fun memories and laughter. Alex's habit to "speak first, then think", not understanding women from his Mars lookout, and the energy of the 9 year old twins is reality. I am going to buy more of Janet's books. 

4.0 out of 5 stars Good romantic story about people living in the past and moving on March 9, 2012

By tonileg

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This is Liz and Jeff's love story. This is a contemporary medical romance novel. I did like that this was well written and edited. Liz and Jeff both have the same disease, living-in-the-past-itis. I know that I had the disease some years after my big break-up with my childhood love so I understand how easy it is to live in memories instead of stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a chance with someone new.
There are some nasty nurses (not what you're thinking, you naughty readers, more like backstabbers) that try to gum up the romance but luckily they have a good support network of family and friends to figure out quickly who is a liar and you is innocent. There is one sexy evening but this is definitely romance and not erotica.
The twins are human children so flawed and back-talkers, but they are good kids. There is a secondary story about the twins and a bad influence in the neighborhood. It pushed to the story along.
I enjoyed the story and it picked up my otherwise boring evening. Thank you Ms. Janet Walters for a lovely evening, next time the wine is on me :) Maybe I'll see you around with another great read. 

Saturday's Blurbs featuring books by Betty Ann Harris #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

1. Book- A Very Special Agent

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q7O0RHO

Blurb:

Best-selling romance author, Maggie Tyler, is being stalked and threatened by a psychotic fan. Alone and afraid, she turns to the FBI for help. 

Stephen O’Leary is the tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome FBI Special Agent who is assigned to protect her. Upon meeting Maggie, Stephen is totally smitten by this widowed beauty, a woman who possesses a kind heart and deep passions that match his own.

Amidst danger, mystery, and the villain’s overwhelming compulsion to have Maggie all to himself, she and Stephen fall madly in love. But by doing so are they unknowingly sparking jealousy and a dangerous obsession the stalker has to have Maggie all to himself?

2. Book- Eureka Point

Protected Heart Book One

Purchase Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N9LM0N2 

Blurb:  

Beautiful and successful Park Avenue interior designer, Katie O’Hara, realizes that her husband has deceived her. Worse than that, he has left her and she’s in danger. Her husband’s involvement with a dangerous South American drug cartel, forces Katie to enter the Witness Protection Program. Forced to change her name and identity, Katie, aka Lizzie, must relocate to Eureka Point, California.

FBI Special Agent Tom Owens is the agent assigned to protect her, which proves to be a difficult assignment. Danger lurks around every corner.  As Lizzie and her agent, Tom, become romantically involved, the danger grows. Unforeseen circumstances force Tom and Lizzie to flee. But the danger follows them. 

3. Book- Danger in Paradise

Purchase Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NXE6W8O/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Blurb:

Beautiful FBI Special Agent Ruby Stone is on a leave of absence after witnessing the murder of her best friend and partner, Michael Davenport. Her friend, Sharon, asks her to take on a personal assignment and Ruby reluctantly accepts.

When she investigates Sharon's husband, John, she finds herself involved in a dangerous and twisted case. 

Will Ruby figure out what treacherous game she's involved in before it’s too late, and in time to save herself and the man she's fallen in love with?

Friday - Betty Ann Harris talking about Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor #BooksWeLove

                         

 

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms? Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices? Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt? For the most part, I write romantic suspense, but I am also currently writing a romantic paranormal titled Possessing Prudence. I'm also working on my first murder mystery. I enjoy writing mystery/suspense/romance, and that's mostly what I read as well. I would never attempt to write fantasy as I think my feet are firmly planted in reality. I like to think my stories are believable, that they could actually happen. As I'm writing a paranormal at the moment, I guess that means I believe in ghosts. 

 

2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write? Does one of these come easy and why? Many of my books are written about FBI Special Agents usually protecting modern day damsels in distress. The special agents are heroes and they are usually male. However, in Danger in Paradise, the special agent was Ruby Stone, a woman who found herself involved in a dangerous case in which she fell in love with the man she was trying to protect. 

I relish writing villains as characters in my books, and there has been a villain in most of the books I write. They are usually dark and disturbed and a nemesis to the main characters.  

 

3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or after you have the idea for the story? Heroes, I love them. I use my imagination to conjur up that perfect hero for my main character. Usually they are a combination of traits I find particularly attractive in a man, both physically and in their personality. I like the strong but sensitive type for the most part, someone who is passionate about life and love. I usually have my hero in mind before I have the idea for the story. 

 

4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or after you have the idea for the story? The same as with my heroes, I have my heroine in mind before I have the idea for the story. My heroines are beautiful, intelligent, and talented. They are usually successful women that have a passion for life, love, and their professions. 

 

5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do you make them human? Most of my villains are bad, like murderers, criminals, etc., and are deeply flawed or even psychotic. A few of my villains have been just misguided and not really bad. I base their personalities and even appearance sometimes on characters on TV or people I've know in real life. It's not hard for me to make them human because evil does exist in real life.

 

6. What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the villain? My latest release is A Very Special Agent. The hero is an extremely good-looking man, the tall, dark and handsome type. His name is Stephen O'Leary and he's a top-notch FBI Special Agent who had previously worked in the Secret Service, but has just been reassigned to protecting private citizens. 

 

7. What are you working on now? At the moment, I'm finishing up my second book in the Protected Heart Series, a series written about a successful interior designer from Park Ave. in NYC, who is forced, for her own safety, into a FBI witness protection program. In the first book, Eureka Point, she is uprooted from New York to a small town just north of San Francisco named Eureka Point. With a mentally unstable and estranged husband after her, not to mention a hit man for a dangerous South American drug cartel after her, she's under the protection of Special Agent Tom Owens. 

In this next book in this series, titled Moonlight Cove, Lizzie and Tom have married, but the South American drug cartel has not given up on finding her and killing her. 

 

8. How can people find you?

            Website  http://ladylizzie1.wix.com/authorbettyannharris

            Blog

            Twitter   Love Writers Promo (@ladylizzie1) | Twitter

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