Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #amreading #amwriting

Meander 1 - Just finished reading 2 books. A Master Passion by Juliet Waldron - Alexander Hamilton and his wife. What a great story that made history come alive. Well done.
The second book was The Prince and the Working Woman by Kat Attalla  - a totally different pace with snappy dialogue and a heroine with strength and a hero who had lessons to learn.
Kudos to both.

Meander 2 - I bought a new recliner to replace the one I really liked but it had become arthritic with old age rather like the woman who used it. The new one is kind of brown and I hope it's as comfortable as the one I'll be bidding adieu. Comfortable but quirky and doesn't always recline without a lot of yelling and banging.

Meander 3 - Writing. Am pushing forward with Wizards but there's a long way to go and a deadline I set for mid-November. Sure hope I'll make it. While I'm typing the second draft am working on Seducing the Chef. Tomorrow I must write the publisher and ask if she will start releasing seven books to me so i can get them together. Hopefully I'll only need to write the six short ones to bring them up to novella length. Also have to set things so my royalties will be directly deposited into my account. That will make life easier all around and I won't have to wait for checks.

Sunday - Looking at My Books - Choices #MFRWauthor #medicalromance #hospitalpolitics

1. 

In Janet Lane Walters' Choices, published by Books We Love, Johanna Gordon devotes her time and energy to her job as Director of Nursing at Hudson Community Hospital. With budget cuts hanging over her head, Johanna suspects the CEO of scheming a plan that threatens her job as well as the hospital, and she’s determined to find out why. 
The choices she’s made for herself and her career leave her with no social life until she meets Dylan Connelly. He’s everything she’s always wanted, loving, devoted to his kids and everything she’s never had. Just when she finds love with the new man, an old flame returns with promises of a life together. Johanna has to decide between security and companionship, while trying to recapture the past, or moving forward with her new life.

Book can be purchased : https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-choices-1114090-149.html, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/choices-janet-lane-walters/1114821713?, ean=2940044363458, 
Choices
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Choices
Johanna lives a lonely live. But as the book progresses you see that her life is filled with friends, just not a life partner.
She is director of nursing at a hospital and needs to proof that the CEO is wasting money.
Then Dylan comes into her life. He makes her laugh.
You read about Jo's younger life and the choices her parents made for her. Her sister was mentally disabled and her parents did not want to bring other people into their house. That meant that Johanne could never bring her boyfriend.
She meets up with Blaine, the college boyfriend, again.
They don't see eye to eye on his cousin, the CEO of the hospital.
Life happens and Johanna chooses.

By Elizabeth Davis

Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Choices was a great story about real people. They were not young, slender, impossibly beautiful and ridiculously wealthy but older people with real lives that I could care about. Well developed characters and a good plot.

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Alice Orr #MFRWauthor #romanticsuspense

Alice Orr Has a Two-Day Affair on Janet Lane Walters’ Blog

Day Two

A WRONG WAY HOME

Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 1

 Matt & Kara’s Story

By ALICE ORR

Going home can be dangerous…

Kara Cartwright returns to her hometown on the same night Anthony Benton is murdered. She knows nothing about that or how it will unhinge her life. She only knows she vowed never to come back to Riverton or to see Matt Kalli – the man she once loved then deserted.

Matt has made a vow of his own. He’ll never forgive Kara – the woman who loved him then betrayed him nine years ago. He also can’t forgive himself for the way she’s stuck in his heart.

All these two have in common is their undeniable attraction for each other and their hatred of Anthony Benton. Now Benton is dead and they could be suspects. People they care deeply about are suspects too. That gives Matt and Kara something else in common – a perilous search for the real killer before he murders again.

A Wrong Way Home is the first book in The Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series featuring the Kalli family, the four Kalli brothers and others who find safety and a warm welcome on Riverton Road. A Wrong Way Home – the eBook is FREE!!! at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T9RVGGC and at Barnes & Noble and iTunes and Kobo and other online retailers. Find out more about the author Alice Orr at www.aliceorrbooks.com.

A YEAR OF SUMMER SHADOWS

Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 2

Mark & Hailey’s Story

By ALICE ORR

The town she loves is filled with deadly secrets…

Hailey Lambert loves the North Country even though she doesn’t love some of her North Country memories. Riverton was a great place to grow up – except for the Hargate’s. Now Julia Hargate is back in Hailey’s life and so is Julia’s domineering mother.

Hailey wants them both gone. But Julia is involved in a murder that could get her killed too. Hailey has no choice. She has to help and she puts herself in danger to do that.

Mark Kalli has wanted Hailey in his life what feels like forever but she won’t give him the time of day. Now she’s mixed up in a murder. It looks like spoiled heiress Julia Hargate is the killer but Hailey insists that’s not true. Mark has no choice. He has to get involved – with the killing and with Hailey – whether she wants him or not.  

A Year of Summer Shadows is the second book of the Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series set in remote Riverton, New York. Love and murder combine in a powerful story mix you won’t want to miss. A Year of Summer Shadows is available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZBOTH5O and Barnes & Noble and iTunes and Kobo and other online retailers. Be in touch with the author Alice Orr at www.aliceorrbooks.com. She’d love to hear from you.

Friday - Alice Orr is Talking About Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor #romanticsuspense

Alice Orr Has a Two-Day Affair on Janet Lane Walters’ Blog

Day One

Question. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms?

Answer. I write in a single genre now. That genre is Romantic Suspense. I’ve tried other kinds of stories in the past and some nonfiction too, but I always return to Romantic Suspense. So I’ve decided to give in to what I obviously love and hang out there. I can’t say that I’ll never try anything else because I know better than ever to say never. But for now, and the foreseeable future, romantic suspense is where the writer in me wants to live. After all, sex and death have always been my two favorite story elements.

Question. Heroes, heroines, villains. Which are your favorite to write?

Answer. This is a tough question for me. I change point of view between the hero and heroine in alternating chapters. First a chapter is in the heroine’s consciousness. Then the next is in the hero’s. That means I’m intimately involved with both of them. I’m speaking through each in turn, and they are speaking through me. If I had a favorite between them I couldn’t really write a balanced story or an authentic one either. So I guess I have to say that both my heroes and heroines are my favorite characters to write. I’m currently writing A Villain for Vanessa – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 3. The chapter I’m writing right now is in Bobby’s point of view so at the moment he’s my favorite. But don’t worry, Vanessa, your turn to be my favorite comes up next.

Question. Heroes. How do you find them?

Answer. My Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series has a family at its center, the Kalli family, and they have four sons. So, when I decided to write this series, the heroes came with the territory. A Wrong Way Home – Book 1 is about Matt who’s the oldest son. A Year of Summer Shadows – Book 2 is about Mark, the second son. A Villain for Vanessa – Book 3 breaks that pattern a little by featuring Bobby who was pretty much taken in by the Kalli’s when he was in middle school. I’m thinking about having the next book be the story of a female relative of the Kalli clan so the hero won’t be a Kalli at all. This is what I love about writing series. The scope of writing many books instead of just one adds to the possibilities. That’s why this series could go on for a very long time. I’m happy about that because I’ve fallen in love with the Kalli’s myself. I can’t wait to see where the series leads me, in terms of heroes and everything else.

Question. Heroines. How do you find them?

Answer. Hailey Lambert, the heroine of my most recently published book A Year of Summer Shadows, was inspired by Sandra Bullock. I simply love Sandra Bullock, the way she looks and talks and presents herself, and especially the characters she plays in her movies. She even made a wrong-man choice in her personal life then picked herself up, dusted herself off and started all over again. I admire the spirit it took to do that. Hailey is like Sandra in many ways, so naturally I can’t help but love Hailey too

Question. Villains or villainesses. How do you make them human?

Answer. I write Romantic Suspense so the villain or villainess is always the murderer. I start the story knowing who that person is but I have to fess up to something. In each of the first two books of the Riverton Road Series, when I got to the end, the murderer turned out to be someone else entirely. In both stories, that person was a better choice because he or she made it a better story. I think I know the identity of the murderer in Book 3 but I fully expect I’ll turn out to be wrong. As for making my villains human, I follow the principle that every villain thinks of himself as the hero of his own story. In other words, he feels totally justified in what he’s done. His motives are twisted, but he doesn’t see it that way. He believes he’s doing what he has to do, and that humanizes him.

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

Answer. My latest release is A Year of Summer Shadows – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 2. My hero is Mark Kalli. My heroine is Hailey Lambert. But it’s a murder mystery so I of course can’t reveal the name of the villain. You’ll have to read the story to discover that. You can buy the book at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZBOTH5O.

Question. What are you working on now?

Answer. I’m currently working on A Villain for Vanessa – Riverton Road Romantic Suspense Series Book 3. It’s a story that’s all about tangled roots, as the cover art illustrates. Especially tangled family roots. And, as always, it begins with a murder. A Villain for Vanessa will be published this fall.

Question. How can people find you?

Answer. People can find me at my website www.aliceorrbooks.com. That is the gateway to everything about me as writer, and a lot about me as a person as well. I blog there too at www.aliceorrbooks.com/blog. I hope everybody will stop by, check out my books and leave a comment on my blog. Hearing from readers is my very favorite thing.

Alice Orr – www.aliceorrbooks.com.

    

Thursday - A Look At Characters from Code Blue by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Medicalsuspense #romance

 In other posts I've talked about the hero, the heroine and the villain. But there are many characters in the story so here's a look at a few of them.

Though Barbara has just a bit part in the story, she's the starting point.

"Do you really think I'll tell you?" Barbara Denton's strident voice rasped against Susan's nerve endings. "Believe me, when I say it's dynamite. Someone isn't going to like what I've learned. And let me tell you, this time, I have all the facts."

The practical nurse's harsh laughter and the veiled threat in her voice added to Susan's uneasiness. Whom had Barbara targeted this time? Her stories always contained a dram of truth but little more. Susan halted in the doorway and waited to hear further hints of scandal. When the practical remained silent, Susan stepped into the room and closed the door.

The hospital's gossip queen sprawled on the bright green loveseat facing the door. She stabbed a cigarette toward the round table that was partly hidden by the jutting powder room wall. A gold bracelet glittered on her arm and slid up and down as she used the cigarette to emphasize the importance of the tidbit she dangled.

Susan shook her head. Had anyone reminded Barbara that smoking in the hospital was illegal? Would it matter? The practical had chosen to break the rule, but so did the unit's nurse manager.

"Don't tease," Susan said. "We know you're dying to tell all."

Leila is Susan's best friend and adds to the developing tension.

Goodbye, Barbara." Susan carried a salad and a cup of coffee to the table. Fifteen minutes later, the lounge door opened and Leila walked in.

"You're late," Susan said.

Leila poured a cup of coffee. "It's been one of those evenings. ICU had a visitor who refused to leave. The OR needed four units of blood stat. A patient on Five Med/Surg fell." She sat across from Susan. 

"I like the hair. It's about time you colored the gray."

"That's what my mother said, plus a lot of other advice." Susan closed the salad container. "Why don't we get together for lunch tomorrow and I'll fill you in about the state of nursing practice in Florida?"

Leila lit a cigarette.

Susan raised an eyebrow. "I thought you quit."

"Stress."

"And the rules?"

"Will you turn me in?"

"I might. About lunch?"

"I can't. I have class. Just one more semester."

Susan cleaned the area of the table she had used. "Wednesday?"

Leila shook her head. "I'm picking up my new car. Do you have time to talk about one of your co-workers?"

"Here? I wouldn't want to chance being overheard. What about Friday?"

"I'll be away. It's a four-day weekend."

"Joe?" Susan asked.

A dreamy look misted Leila's dark eyes. "We're going to his hunting cabin."

"Don't you ever get tired of spending so little time with him?"

"Quality counts." Leila's smile brought an elegant charm to her pointed features. "It's a good relationship. We both know how much we're willing to give. I don't want him to leave his wife and marry me."

Julie is the young nurse Susan has mentored.

Julie turned in the chair at the doctors' desk where she sat beside De Witt. "Is there a problem?" she asked. "Can I help?"

"Just an admission and no Barbara." On her way to the clean utility room, Susan paused beside the younger nurse.

De Witt captured Julie's hand the way a lion grasps its prey. "Don't be late." As he rose, he smoothed his ash blond hair and slung a black leather jacket over his shoulder. He strode down the hall.

"Go get the equipment," Julie said. "As soon as I finish this chart, I'll meet you in the patient's room."

A short time later.

Julie stepped out of the semi-private room across from the desk. "What took you... Susan, what's wrong?"

"In...in..." Susan couldn't force her frozen tongue to form the words.

Trish strode across the green carpet. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Susan cleared her throat. Her knees buckled. Only her grasp on the counter kept her erect. "In the storage room... Barbara..."

Wedensday's Writer's Tip - Using Action #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Action is important in writing a story. But action doesn't necessarily mean sword fights, or car chases or the like. In writing a story action means scenes. An action scene can just be two people talking, laughing or dancing. Even eating a meal. By action we mean something needs to be shown to the reader. An invitation to be part of the story. Yes these can be tension filled scenes but they can also be quiet or funny. In one of my stories the heroine climbs from her balcony to the hero's balcony. There's some action and a bit of humor but the reader also gets to know the characters better and to see what might happen in the story.

There are large scenes and ones that are smaller. Think of two people in an argument when they are standing on opposite sides of an issue. Think of a scene where the characters are discussing an important coming event. Big scenes are for the times when opposing factions meet. This creates tension and conflict, important parts of a story. Opponents is a large scene are out to eliminate each other or make the problem go away.

Small scenes are a way of giving the reader important information such as characterization, of during a conversation where the problem needs to be clarified.

Scenes should be used when something important in happening. Narration can handle something the reader needs to know but is something minor.

Tuesday's Inspiration - What a Writer Needs. #MFRWauthor

Besides the implements needed like paper, computer, pens, pencils there are some other things a writer needs. What about Imagination, Empathy, Style and Patience. Found these in an essay by BJ Chute. These words spoke to me.

Imagination - this is looking at events in new and different ways. We're always told to use our imagination and this is important for every writer. Sometimes I tell people I have a twisted imagination. What about you, do you look at an object and suddenly it transforms into something else. You need to build your imagination. Find different ways to describe the common every day things.

Empathy - this means feeling what someone else is feeling. When one develops characters beside physical descriptions a writer needs to build his character's emotions and feel an empathy for them whether their hero, heroine of villain. Knowing why they're acting in a certain way and taking the feelings into yourself before putting them on paper.

Style - Each writer has a definite way of expressing himself. For a writer this is putting the words on paper and striving to put the words to use in a way that says you.

Patience - Now for me this is a really important need. Patience to let the story unfold without rushing the telling. Patience to keep submitting no matter how many times you've been rejected. Sort of patience to be persistent,

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor

Meander 1 _ Corn silk is plaguing my kitchen. This is the season for corn on the cob and when you must husk it there is all this corn silk. Now this may be useful to the corn and maybe to bugs or something but for me it is useless. If I could weave it to make cloth I might not mind but it's fragile and yet strong. This evening while making dinner, I thought I'd found hair in the gravy. Not my hair. Mine isn't the right color nor is it long enough. Corn silk had invaded my food. What's really awful is when it somehow gets between your teeth when eating the corn on the cob. I will be glad when fall comes and corn on the cob no longer is part of the diet. Also will like better since the weather will be cooler.

Meander 2 - Am reading an amazing book. One that's hard to put down but I must to finish some other reading I must do. This is Juliet Waldron's second Hamilton book. The problem is one knows what the ending will be and I hate to see it coming. There have been times while reading when I want to smack Alexander for some of the things he does. But the real thing is the book is great and pulls at the emotions. Good job, my friend.

Meander 3 - Moving forward with my writing. I've finished the second re-write of the story mainly making the time line work. With four view point characters I had to make sure the segments were in the proper order so the story moved forward. With that done, I'll put it down for a time and return to working on several stories that were published but need some work to have them re-published. I'm hoping to use a different cover artist so I don't overwhelm the one who usually does my covers. All in all there will be 7 books to do this to. At least one won't be a complete re-write. It's a long book. The six are shorts that are really too short and some elements weren't fully explored. Will work on that.

Sunday - Looking at Code Blue - Medical Suspense - #MFRWauthor #Medicalsuspense, #romance

In the medical suspense Code Blue by Janet Lane Walters, published by Books We Love and previously published as Obsessions, nurse Susan finds the body of the hospital’s “gossip queen” in the orthopedic storage room. She doesn’t realize this is the first of a series of murders involving her colleagues or that her life is in danger. She is a widow and is exploring a new romantic relationship that promises love but she fears the man she is falling for is as controlling as her dead husband. The arrival of courtship gifts, at first, seen as innocuous soon takes on a sinister note.

Available at Code Blue  , https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-codeblue-1114091-149.htmlll, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/code-blue-janet-lane-walters/1113887486?ean=2940045100564oks, https://Code Blue  /books/view/237748  Code Blue is currently on sale.

1. 

Reviews


This book kept me on edge from the first page to the last. Several times I just 'knew' I'd figured out who the killer was, but each time, there was a bit of doubt there until the very last paragraph! I highly recommend this book. 4 Stars (Excellent!)"--Tracie's Book Reviews by Kathy's Faves and Raves

"A series of murders, suspense, action, a tad of love makes OBSESSIONS an intriguing tale designed to mystify your mind. If you love mysteries, you'll love Janet Lane Walters newest release. 4 Stars!"--Just Views

"Fast-paced mainstream novel ... Walters plots carefully, each scene constructed to perfection. For readers who enjoy being terrified, this is an author to turn to for entertainment. She tells all, while managing to create paranoia among the characters."--Affaire de Coeur

Enjoyable Book!

By Shuggy Pie on January 16, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Good book for anyone to read. Very little medical term if any. Liked that it didn't contain Harlequin-type romance, but real people with real lives, along with murder and mystery, it was great, quick read.

Code Blue

By Chookie9195 on September 24, 2012

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

I enjoyed this book - The characters had you guessing who it was in the end - Would happily recommend it to others

4Code Blue

ByShirleyon April 25, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I work in the medical field and love a good medical thriller. I liked the twists and turns. Kept me guessing.

The Opening Scene


Chapter 1


He crouched in the cemetery that embraced three sides of the hillside parking lot across from Bradley Memorial Hospital. A massive family marker shielded him from view, yet allowed him a clear view of the steps, the street and the door of the Emergency Room. Dark clouds slid across the surface of the moon. Lights, set high on poles around the perimeter of the lot sent finger shadows groping among the cars.

The watcher straightened and edged from behind the granite marker. White puffs of vapor from the shallow, rapid breaths he took coalesced around his face. He held his body as rigid as a tombstone. As he waited for the evening nurses to end their tour of duty and hurry across the street to their cars, his narrowed eyes focused on the brightly-lit hospital entrance. Every night for a week, he had watched while excitement and anticipation had circled like a swarm of hornets. Would she come tonight?

"I'll never leave you." When he was eight, Mommy had said the words that had become his litany. That broken promise had brought him here.

He stared at the steps. When would Susan come?

When Mommy was a patient, Susan had been her favorite nurse. He had liked Susan, too, but she hadn't stopped those other people from hurting Mommy. His shoulders tensed.

"I'll never leave you. They'll have to kill me first."

The night Mommy had died was etched into his memories. On that dreadful night, he had begun his plan to make them pay.

Mommy would be unhappy about what he meant to do. To her, nurses were special and Susan more wonderful than the rest.

He rocked from his heels to his toes. The last time he had disobeyed, Mommy had threatened to tell everyone how bad he was. He had promised her he would be good. His hands curled into fists. Sometimes he wanted to feel the heat of accomplishment so much he felt sick.

He gulped a breath. Tonight the heat would blossom and he would feel powerful again.

Susan was like Mommy. She would tell. He chewed on his lower lip. Her death would free him to still the people who had hurt Mommy on that dreadful night.

His smile became a grimace.

He had trusted Susan but she had failed to keep Mommy safe. Though he wished to see the others dead, Susan had to be first. He had laid his plans carefully, and while he had considered all the things that could go wrong, days had become weeks and then months.

The bright lights across the street caught his attention and stirred his hopes. She had to come tonight. He wanted to be free.

His hand brushed Mommy's tombstone. He pressed his fingers against the engraved letters of her name. He cocked his head and listened to the whisper of the wind.

"Nurses give so much to others. Someone should take care of them."

Mommy's husky voice thrummed in a corner of his mind. Her face appeared. Tears spilled from her eyes. He shook his head. Why should he listen to her when she had left him?

Sometimes at night when he slept in her bed, he caught a glimmer of her presence. For fleeting moments, the scent of her perfume brought her to him.

He squared his shoulders. Since he was eight and Daddy died, Mommy had watched him carefully. One day, her vigilance had wavered. The neighborhood bully had fallen from a tree and broken his neck. That awful boy shouldn't have torn up Mommy's flower garden.

Mommy had liked the candy and the other presents he had given her every time he disobeyed. He groaned. Who would like his presents now?

Where was Susan? Waiting made him anxious. She had to come so she would be just like Mommy.

He saw her. Hazel eyes, sad eyes, Susan's eyes, Mommy's eyes. Brown hair swirled to hide her siren smile. He reached for her, but she vanished into the darkness of the night.

The chill November wind flowed across his nape. He jammed his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket and touched the weapon he had brought.

The sound of leather scuffling against asphalt caused him to turn and scan the parking lot. When he saw no one, his gaze returned to the hospital entrance.

Someone dashed across the street. A flash of white showed beneath the woman's dark coat. He held his breath. Susan had come. It had to be her. A rush of anticipation built to a peak. She was here. The nurse ran up the steps beside the cemetery.

A darting shadow startled him. With stealthy movements, a dark-clad figure edged between the cars. The nurse paused beside a battered tan sedan. A hand stretched to grasp the purse that dangled from her shoulder.

"Susan, watch out." A bellow proclaimed his rage. If she was attacked, he should be the attacker.

Mommy wouldn't like that. "A good boy never hurts a woman." She had never guessed what he had done, not even when he had given her the tri-colored bracelet she had always worn.

"No," he shouted.

The dark figure fled and nearly tripped over the single strand of chain that separated the parking lot from the cemetery.

The watcher smiled. Mommy would be proud of him. He couldn't wait to go home and tell her what he had done tonight.

A shrill scream rose. From her? From him? He bit his lower lip and clenched his hands. He stared at the woman he had thought was Susan. She wasn't, but she had been in Mommy's room the night she died. Intent on completing what the mugger had begun, he stepped toward the chain. What was he thinking about? He couldn't, not tonight. Susan had to be the first. He returned to Mommy's grave. Her voice rode on the wind.

"What will become of you when I'm not here to look after you? I'll never leave you. They'll have to kill me first."

But she was dead and they had killed her.

"Mommy, don't leave me. You promised you would never go."


The nurse ran to the steps. She shouted and waved to the group of women who hurried across the street. He slid deeper into the shadows. Car doors slammed. Engines roared. He waited until most of the cars had left the parking lot before he went to his own. As he drove home, he wondered why Susan hadn't come.

Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books By Kim Kasch

DEMON'S INK:
 "Art that's more than you bargained for."
 Any city can be dangerous but, when a Demonic tattoo artist comes to town, everything goes to Hell.
 This young adult novel set in Portland, Oregon is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBook, and Kobo now and, wWith Halloween coming, you'll want to have a story to share...
 Drake and Bartos come to the Pacific Northwest, where they open yet another tattoo shop but Bartos has no trouble dealing with the competition because there’s nothing normal about his art. And he’s stealing more than clients from the local skin artists. He's stealing their souls.
 Customers fall in love with Bartos Slinderman’s tats but end up paying the ultimate price for their purchase because unlike Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray, they can’t walk away from this art and it’s beautiful until the artwork takes on a life of its own...

THE VIKING PRINCESS is a legendary romance filled with honorable Knights from King Arthur’s Round Table, Salacious Pirates, and Brutal Vikings.
 This is the story of the legendary Viking hero and Prince of Denmark, Holger Danske, and his forbidden romance with King Arthur’s half-sister, Morgaine LeFey. This tale has never been told outside of Denmark...until now. Morgaine and Holger faced an attraction more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than all the powers of Merlin.
 The Lady of the Lake gave Excalibur to King Arthur but she also gave his brother-in-law a sword made from the same metal and magic. That sword is “Cortana”.
 The Viking Princess is an 80,000 word New Adult legendary retelling of folk-lore legend and Danish leader, Holger Danske, and his magical romance with the sorceress Princess Morgaine Le Fey.
 They met on a battlefield, poised against each other, but their attraction was more powerful than any sword, stronger than any warrior and more magical than Merlin.
 If you want to purchase my book simply click on one of the links below:
 Amazon
 Barnes & Noble

Friday - Kim Kasch - Talking About Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor

1.      Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms?

I write all the time and always have. When I was in 6^th or 7^th grade (which was eons ago…almost) I sent in a manuscript of poetry to Random House. I actually even got a letter back from an editor who encouraged me to keep writing. And, I have, from wistful shopping lists to adult romance (both are filled with imagination, dreams and lust ;) sometimes I switch over to middle grade manuscripts and more.

I’ve written dozens of magazine articles for magazines like Romantic Homes and American Hunter (no I don’t hunt and neither does my hubby) but I have a girlfriend who went through a challenging divorce and was having trouble making ends meet…she took up hunting to put food on the table—now, that’s a story I just had to write.

Plus, I have a couple of published books and stacks and stacks of unpublished books just cluttering up my home…have you read my article The Clutter Queen ;D

2.      Do your reading choices reflect your writing choices?

My favorite author of all time is Stephen King probably because he can write horror without resorting to slash ‘em and gash ‘em tactics. And, yes. I think you might find some of Stephen sprinkled into my stories…No. Not literally. ;D

3.      Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

Hum, that’s a tough one. I’m sure there are lots of genres I would never attempt…but never say Never.

4.      Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write?

I like my men (or my male characters) just like my coffee: tan, strong and bold. Oh, yeah, and of course stimulating and yummy. ;D

My female characters have to have some sort of spark to keep these gallant guys interested. So, they are usually unique in some sort of way. In my first novel, The Viking Princess, Morgaine LeFey is a sorceress and the half-sister to King Arthur but that isn’t even the unique part of her personality. She is also strong-willed enough to ride into battle beside her brother and to be an iconic symbol for the Knights of the Round Table. And yet even that wasn’t enough. She also had to take a Viking Prince and Warrior – her kinsman’s sworn enemy – as a lover.

5.      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?

My heroes, heroines and villains all come from everyday life. I take a little bit of my sister Tammy and a chunk of my brother Steve and whisk in a frothing helping of my husband…I told you, you might find Stephen sprinkled into my story ;D No. Not literally.  

6.      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?

I think everyone is a little bit of a hero and we all have a slice of villain running through our veins. No one I’ve ever met is all good or all bad. We are a mixture of emotions, reactions and opinions. . .both good and bad… or maybe that’s just the people in my family ;D but when I write a character, I actually picture a person I know and then I embellish…and exaggerate…and imagine…even more.

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

My latest is story is DEMON’S INK it’s about a demonic tattoo artist who comes to Portland, Oregon. Did you know that Portland is the 5^th most tattooed city in the country? So, people will read about these tattoos and very easily visualize one they have seen on someone’s arm, back or chest.

The demon, Bartos Slinderman, brings his apprentice to town with him but Drake doesn’t want to be bad. He’s like any normal teenager and he falls in love with a girl, Scarlett, who brings out the best . . . and worst in him. Unfortunately, the worst in him is far worse than the worst of any “normal teenager”.

8.      What are you working on now?

Currently, I’m working on a story about love and lose…but mixed together with a bunch of humor because that’s the way life is. It’s never a steady course…not unless you’re a captain on a boat.

9.      How can people find you?

Join me on Twitter or stop by Pinterest and see what I'm pinning and, if you've read Demon's Ink and/or The Viking Princess and have a question or simply want to share a comment, please feel free to send me an email. I love connecting with readers.

Until then you can find me by holding down your control key and clicking on the icons below:

 

And, if you’re not into icons, simply follow these links to read more about my book:

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Thursday's Villain _ He Who Walks With Evil from Confrontations, Book 4 of Affinities Series #MFRWauthor #Fantasy #YA

In Confrontations by J.L. Walters, a Books We Love Young Adult Fantasy, Ash, Bran, Ky and Jay along with their friends have now mastered their affinities. They now control their ability to use Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The time has come for them to face Dom Senet and He Who Walks with Evil. They have learned a disturbing fact. He Who Walks With Evil is able to exchange an old body for a new one. Dom Senet wishes to obtain the secret and he is willing to sacrifice even his own son to gain this power. The four sets of companions set off to rid the doms and domas of Dom Senet’s bonds and to defeat the two evil men. Can they or will they become pawns to evil?

Confrontations (Affinities)

1. 

She hurried from the keep into the forecourt. There she turned and stared at the gray stones of the tower. Sadness blossomed. The keep was home and family. She brushed her hand over the rough stones. With a sigh she sank on a bench and leaned against the wall. Warmth and comfort seeped from the surface.

Ash opened herself to the winds of thought. Without warning, a stab from the highlands touched her. Like the sting of a scorpon’s tail someone tried to jab into her mind. Help! She slammed her barriers tight. Who? Not Dom Senet. His touch felt oily and tempting. This had been crude and demanding.

Mikel and Kirlon slid onto the bench on either side of her. Sydli crouched before her. Their arrival brought comfort to ease the chill of fear. 

“What was that?” Sydli asked.

Ash released a held breath. “Not the Dom. Rougher. Greedier.”

“What were you trying to do?” Mikel asked.

“Listening to the winds of Easren.”

“Good idea but we should form a circle,” Kirlon said. “I’ll block against intrusion.”

They clasped hands. Ash felt the merge form. She reached for the winds of Easren. Cries of hunger, fear and despair echoed through the meld. Rain fell two days out of four. Rivers and streams overflowed their banks. Soon melt from ice and snow in the highlands would add to the deluge.

When Ash broke the circle she met the gaze of her friends. “The Doma was right. If we don’t go now there will be no spring planting. Famine and death will follow.” She rose. “The time is now.”

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Narration - Getting from Here to There #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Narration is sort of like speed dating. Writing the details or every moment of every day of a character's life could be boring to the reader. There are times when you want to move a character from one scene to another without writing a paragraph like this.

Greg woke up. The sun was shining. He went to the bathroom to shower, brush his teeth and shave. Then he returned to put on jeans, a tee shirt, shoes and socks. He went downstairs etc. You want to take Greg from home to school. So you write a write a short narrative.

The sun woke Greg. After his morning routine, he headed for school. The reader can fill in the blanks but getting to the action is what the reader really wants.

So narration bridges a bit of time and place with a few hints as to what's happening, especially if nothing exciting or meaningful happens during that time. Narration can keep the story moving forward. Narration can also be used to characterize a character.

If you've written a scene and it sounds almost ridiculous when spelled out in detail, Narration can help the reader believe in the event. You can also take the reader into the past with a short bit of narration.

So use narration with care or readers will think you are telling the story rather than showing what's important to be blocked out in full.

Tuesday's Inspiration - Fictional Dichotomy #MFRWauthor

 Just what does this mean. There is literary fiction and there is popular fiction. Can they come together. I was reading an essay by Ken Follett. He said some interesting things and says for some reason fiction divided into two camps. Is it possible to blend the two?

I'm not sure there is . What do you think about this? We're told to read the classics and some of us do, but not all these classics were considered more than popular fiction. Stories used to be published as serials and people eagerly waited the next installment. Now books like Oliver Twist, oncy popular fiction are now considered classics.

For me the difference is in the story and the plot rolling together in a seamless tale. I've read some literary fiction that's bored me to death. I've read others that are fascinating. The same goes for what's considered popular fiction. Some are boring and some are great. What makes the difference? The difference lies in the characters facing problems and solving them. The plot and the characters walk hand in hand.

I also know I once thought I wanted to write literary fiction. I found I couldn't though I've used some of those elements as I write. Will the gulf ever be bridged. One can only hope so and maybe you will be the one.

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor

Meander 1 - I have a new toy and I really like it. A can opener that runs by batteries. Just put it on the can and push the start buttons and in seconds the can is opened. I can do other things while the cans are opening. This morning getting ready to make red sauce I opened six cans in just over five minutes. What fun. The best thing was it was very inexpensive. So now I don't have to do anything except check the batteries when it runs out of steam. They are easy to put in, too. I may not be in love but I'm definitely in like.


Meander 2 - This blog seems to be doing very well this month. We're to the halfway point in the month and there have been 10,000 hits. I do wish people would make comments but one can't have everything. I'll be happy with what's happening, though.


Meander 3 - My writing. Going well. Besides working on my own stuff I edited and made suggestions on a friend's mss. Hers is a good story and not too much for her to do. Back to mine. Working on Wizards of Fyre. Am nearly finished with the second run through of writing drafts. This time I'm filling in the scenes I left out of the mix with a phrase or two. The first draft came to about 30,000 words and that's a good sign for me to reach the 60,000 goal for the completed story. Must write a note to a publisher about getting my books back so I can recycle them. Since I've earned less than 10 dollars with seven books there she should give them back easily. Then there will need to be some work done on my web page. Books are going up almost everywhere and I really can't keep track of them all. I have too many completed books and there are so many more to come.

Sunday's Book - Confrontations - Book 4 of the Affinities Series #MFRWauthor #fantasy #YA

 Confrontations (Affinities)

In Confrontations by J.L. Walters, a Books We Love Young Adult Fantasy, Ash, Bran, Ky and Jay along with their friends have now mastered their affinities. They now control their ability to use Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The time has come for them to face Dom Senet and He Who Walks with Evil. They have learned a disturbing fact. He Who Walks With Evil is able to exchange an old body for a new one. Dom Senet wishes to obtain the secret and he is willing to sacrifice even his own son to gain this power. The four sets of companions set off to rid the doms and domas of Dom Senet’s bonds and to defeat the two evil men. Can they or will they become pawns to evil?

1. 

Saturday's Blurbs - Juliet Waldron, Mikki Sadil, Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Historical #YAfantasy #Medicalromance

Master Passion/Book #2/Glory Passes
 
Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler had a whirlwind Revolutionary War romance. The hard work of marriage, through the legendary founding of a nation, epidemics, endless separations, sacrifice and personal tragedy, would come next.  


http://amzn.com/B013OB20LS 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/567884

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-master-passion-the-story-of-alexander-and-elizabeth-hamilton-juliet-waldron/1122329571?ean=9781771453851 
         

Night Cries (Beneath the Possum Belly Book 1) by Mikki Sadil

Cries in the night. Whispers against her cheek. Sixteen year old psychic, Gabriela Gaudet, is awakened night after night by crying and sobbing voices. Children’s voices.

The traveling carnival that Gabriela’s French-Creole parents own has come to the small town of Dead Man’s Crossing, Iowa. Now the cries and whispers have become loud and pleading. Three small girls. Their brutal murder. An entire town closed ranks and glossed over this terrible crime as though it never happened five years before. It’s up to Gabriela to find the killer, and put the children’s souls to rest. Remi, a handsome young man who appears out of thin air, and disappears just as fast, meets Gabriela and become her partner in seeking justice.

But there are strong forces in the town that want her gone. Just as strong are the forces that want her to stay and finish her mission. Then, there are the six gargoyles in the lobby of the high school who apparently come to life after dark, and the six women in the high school office who look perfectly normal…if you don’t count the tall, cone-shaped and brightly colored witch’s hat each of them wears. “Accidents” harass the carnival. Danger stalks Gabriela with every step she takes. A web of evil surrounds the town, and threatens to draw her into its sticky strands. Will her powers be strong enough to fight off this malevolence, or will the town win again? The Possum Belly waits.

Night Cries (Beneath the Possum Belly Book 1)

Divided Dreams (Book 4 of Moon Child Series) by Janet Lane Walters

Rob Grantlan has given up medicine to become an author. As a Gemini, having two careers seems just right. His quiet days are overturned by the death of his wayward sister and his taking guardianship of his two month old niece. When he learns the father of the infant is his old flame Andi Sherman’s brother a plan unfolds. Years ago, he hurt her. He still loves her and he wants to regenerate that love.

Andi Sherman is now a nurse practitioner in Pediatrics. She has vowed never to return to Fern Lake. The offer of a partnership in a friend’s practice is tempting. She refuses until she learns Rob has given up the practice of medicine. She believes he will leave town. On the day after her July birthday, she returns and comes upon the accident, finds the dying woman and the baby. When she learns the little girl is her niece and Rob hasn’t left town she is conflicted. She still loves him but she can’t trust him. News from her brother brings a threat.

Will Tammy’s presence in their lives find a way to allow them to love and trust again?

Divided Dreams (Moon Child Book 4)

Friday, Heroes, Heroines and Villains, Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor

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 bill myself as the eclectic writer but lately I’ve realized most of my stories are romances but they fit into subgenres of romance. Except for some of the YA stories but even there, there are boy/girl relationships that can be developing. Even my mysteries hold a bit of romance for the heroine that takes five books to lead to her marriage. Some of my romances are contemporary, some paranormal, fantasy, historical and suspense. They range in heat level from sweet to spicy.

My reading choices are just as different. I read most everything but not all books are enjoyed as much as others. With the number of books floating through the internet and my Kindle handy, I read a lot. I do not read horror.

As to what I wouldn’t attempt to write. Anything with hard science. I know nothing about technology and while I admire people who do I’m not going to try. I don’t see a horror book in my future. Though sometimes I can write dark horror is beyond dark to me.

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

There are days and days. Sometimes I have difficulty reining each of the three into form. I’m usually more able to identify with the heroine and her emotions. The heros often give me trouble, especially when they speak. They don’t always come across as male but a sort of neuter kind of person. Now villains usually come easy because that allows me to let some of my evil nature escape.

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?

I turn to Astrology to develop my hero. After the idea for a plot comes into my head, I begin to look at what kind of hero I need. Turning to my many Astrology books, I find a sun sign which will show my character’s inner nature. This may be different from the face he shows the world. For that I look for an Ascendant that fits what the character is becoming in my head. For the emotional quality, I look at his Moon Sign. This usually gives me how his emotions differ from the two other elements. This makes for a complex character. And often tells me what his interior conflict will be. The outer conflict can also be found in the three elements of his character. Once this is in place, I develop the other characters, though one or both of them may have entered my imaginary world before.

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?

For my heroines I also use the same process as I do the hero. There are times when the heroine appears before the plot and I must find a hero and a story for her. Using the what if can bring a heroine to life. Many of my heroines are nurses or have other skills that are somehow medical. Here I can pull things from women I knew when I worked as a nurse. Something will remind me of a trait or a worry one of these former colleagues displayed. Also in my heroines, there is a little of myself. Not myself as I am but myself as I wish I was.

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?

Villains for me are the easiest to write and they aren’t necessarily the bad guy. In my latest release in both paper and electronically, the female lead begins as a villain. To make her human meant she needed lessons to be learned. She did love her land and her parents but she performs an act that makes her seem not to be a good person. Through the first four stories in this collection, she remains unknowing of what she must do. She needs to learn how to love. Each story gives her a small hint about love and the final two stories show what lessons she has learned.

The trick with making villains is giving them traits that make them human. This is easy with the opposing character who isn’t a true villain but one who has his own ideas about the lives of the hero and or heroine. This person can have good reasons for their feelings and can be made while not likeable at least interesting. The character who is truly evil is harder to find a reason to make them seem less that evil. The trick here might be to develop their degree of evilness in increments through the story. At least that’s the way it works for me.

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

Divided Dreams, the fourth book in the Moon Child series. The hero is a doctor turned writer, a Gemini. The heroine is a Cancer as are all the heroines in the series. She is a nurse practitioner returning to the town of her childhood and to find the man who broke her heart. He obeyed his bullying father and has regretted this ever since. An infant who is niece to both of them arrives in their lives. The villain is her brother and brings problems since he's the baby's father.

7. What are you working on now?

My current WIP is Wizards of Fyre the third of a fantasy series - Island of Fyre. Though connected to the other two books in the series, this one is a stand alone. The story involves the young girl from Dragons of Fyre who was sold to the wizards by her father and a young man adopted as a small child by the wizards. They face a pair of villains and come upon an ancient dragon present in the days when the wizards first arrived on this segment of the island and destroyed most of the dragons except the ones who fled over the mountains.

8. How can people find you?

            Website http://janetlanewalters.com/home

            Blog http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com/

            Twitter  https://twitter.com/JanetL717

            Facebook https://www.facebook.com/

            

Thursday's Villain - Dom Senet from Searches Book 3 of Affinities #MFRWauthor #Fantasy #YA

Searches (Affinities Book 3 - Young Adult Fantasy, Books We Love)

Dom Senet appears in the other Affinity series books but in Searches more of his plans unfold.

She searched the winds for traces of the particular aroma of Dom Senet’s thoughts. He wasn’t in Cedris. Nor was he in the highlands. She continued to scent the winds until she smelled his essence. Cautiously, she slipped into his head.

He spoke to a pair of doms. Malera, Mandir and Lodar are in place and ready to do my bidding. They will seek the heirs of Easren, Nortren and Soutren. His laughter filled the wind. Ash felt cold.

They believe I will help them become the rulers of these princedoms. They will do all I ask until the day they learn there can only be one ruler. I am that one. You will remain hidden here. Two of my faithful will be sent to each of the other princedoms. I will tell you when and how to act. Though time will pass, you must remain alert.

Just as she was about to leave his thoughts, she caught a tendril leading to his plans for the four young men Zand and her brothers had met. She wanted to know more about them so she delved deeper. As she had suspected, the four were being trained to face her siblings and her. A sliver of fear sliced through her thoughts.

Ashlea?

Dom Senet’s voice. A surge of fear that wasn’t hers startled Ash. She broke the connection to the dom the way Doma Jandia had taught her. Come, she called to Kirlon. She felt him flee on her trail. Yet someone remained.

Who? Ash asked.

Sydli.

Where are you?