Meander 1 - Poem
Promise
A pale glittering glass ball dangled
Turning reflected rainbows in the rays of the sun.
Like the pale circle moon poised low at night
Echoes of the sun - a nimbus counterfeit.
Enticing bubbles both call and
Tip-toe stand to touch a spherical mirage
Suspended out of grasp. The votive ring
Revolves to evoke a hypnotic state.
Brush the ice cold token sphere before your
Eyes find shattered shards acutely pressed into
Your skin. While disolated ragged rocks
Penetrate the promise, turn it to dust.
Meander 2 - Courtesy Courtest, Writing - What do you do when you're visiting someone else's blog as a guest? Do you send the news to those who might be interested in reading? Do you ignore the post and perhaps go once or twice to read what others write? The common courtest is to promote that blog so others who might be interested go to visit and perhaps comment. The courteous thing to do is to make a comment or reply to those people who have visited and left a note. What you're doing is promoting yourself and also the person whose blog you're visiting.
Meander 3 - Writing and typing like crazy and trying to get the rest of the six book series done so I can move on to new things. Am on the sixth and frangly I feel the urge to rush. But I won't. Rushing makes the story become sloppy. Do not want that to happen ever.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Sunday's Book - Wizards of Fyre by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Fantasyromance
Lorana, sold by her father to the slavers, resides in the harem in the citadel of the wizards. Her desire is to escape before she is given as a reward to one of the two wizard trainees who are competing for a spot on the council. She knows how to brew a cordial from firethorn berries and a poison from the thorns. When Arton, one of the young men is poisoned by the thorns she must care for him. She feels an attraction to him but she must escape. One night she hears the voice of a dragon. She thought the wizards had destroyed all the dragons on this side of the mountains. When the wizards leave to collect men to sell to the slavers, she takes the opportunity to escape with few supplies and a determination to reach the dragon.
Arton is a fledgling wizard and is about to be tested for the council. His mentor has died. His mentor wasn’t his father. The wizard purchased Arton from the slavers years ago. The present chief wizard would like to thwart Arton’s quest because he wants his son and trainee to join the council. Arton and his rival are evenly matched. The escape of Lorana becomes a quest. Which of the young wizards returns her to the citadel will win the competition and gain her as a reward. Cregan the rival decides to search on the desert. Arton chooses the hills. Because of Lorana’s care of him when he was poisoned he is attracted to her and he still craves a seat on the council.
Can Arton find Lorana first and will he make her a prisoner or allow her to remain free?
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Saturday's Books by Louise Wise #MFRWauthor #Sciencefiction
My books have an element of romance, but the
overall storyline is loneliness. All my weird people are lonely and want (or
need) to be loved. I do my best to please them.
Eden and Hunted are a soft science fiction, A Proper Charlie and Oh No, I’ve Fallen in Love! are comedy
romances, although Oh No, I’ve Fallen in
Love! is a lot darker than most.
What I read for pleasure is what I like to write: bad verses evil,
love conquers all… you know, the usual.
My latest book, hopefully out in late summer is a time travel
story. The theme is riches verses happiness (both would be better!) and my
character needs to choose which she wants by going back in time and changing
her future. And in doing so, she doesn’t only change her future but that of her
nearest and dearest.
Not much romance in this book, but a few laughs and tears are
along the way.
Find Louise Wise at the following:
Read her books at the following:
Friday, February 26, 2016
Friday's Who She Was Before - featuring Louise Wise #MFRWauthor #interview
Weird
people in my head
Life, ‘as we know it’, before I became a writer was a dark, messed
up place. Weird people came to me in my head with lives they demanded to lead.
They’d talk to me about wanting to be ‘set free’ and I had no clue as to who
they were or why they were in my thoughts.
I tried to lead a normal life as I grew up: school, college, work,
marriage, kids, work, work, work. But then I discovered I could write about
these weird people and give them life.
My first shot at it was awful. OMG awful, in fact. I think it even
began ‘It was a dark, stormy night’ to give you an idea of how awful it was.
That particular weird person in my head has since quietened, so even though I wasn’t happy with the outcome of the
story, that voice was. Thank God, I say.
There was another weird person in my head who used to come to me
in dreams. He was scary, sexy, dangerous and an enigma until I got to know him.
The first night I dreamed about him I woke up with the cliché of a pounding
heart and a sweaty bod. But in the next dream he apologised for being an ugly
mother, and after that I think I fell in love with him a little.
He became my superman in my thoughts. When my weird people got
themselves into scraps he saved them—or tried to. He wasn’t infallible and made
mistakes, but I loved him more for his errors. He became Fly from my first
published book called Eden.
My biggest mistake was making him more palatable to look at. In my
thoughts his face is scarred—part of his mouth his missing—and his hands are
distorted through scar tissue. But readers weren’t able to see through his
ugliness and told me so in reviews, so when I wrote the follow up, Hunted, I went back and rewrote Fly in Eden to be more agreeable to look at.
He mocks me for that.
My books have an element of romance, but the
overall storyline is loneliness. All my weird people are lonely and want (or
need) to be loved. I do my best to please them.
Eden and Hunted are a soft science fiction, A Proper Charlie and Oh No, I’ve Fallen in Love! are comedy
romances, although Oh No, I’ve Fallen in
Love! is a lot darker than most.
What I read for pleasure is what I like to write: bad verses evil,
love conquers all… you know, the usual.
My latest book, hopefully out in late summer is a time travel
story. The theme is riches verses happiness (both would be better!) and my
character needs to choose which she wants by going back in time and changing
her future. And in doing so, she doesn’t only change her future but that of her
nearest and dearest.
Not much romance in this book, but a few laughs and tears are
along the way.
Find Louise Wise at the following:
Read her books at the following:
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Thursday's Opening Scene - A Marriage Takes Two - Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Medicalromance
Chapter 1
Two hours of pep talks, a dozen whispered mantras, and five
sets of calming breaths, failed to settle Carrie Graham’s acute case of nerves.
Get a grip, she told herself. She was going to see Tony, childhood defender,
teenage ego booster, and the one person who’d always listened. Besides, she’d
already eliminated every other candidate for the position.
Who are you kidding?
Myself?
From the moment she’d been presented with her current dilemma, he was the only possibility. All she had to do was convince him… But could she? Sure Tony listened, but he didn’t talk about his problems, or his feelings.
The fading light of dusk made her slow the car in order to read the street signs. She’d planned to leave the apartment at noon, but the short nap after her night shift stretched until late afternoon.
She made the final
turn into Fourth Street
in a small West Virginia
town established in the days when coal mining dominated the area. She shook her
head. Rundown houses and boarded storefronts were the norm along the town’s
main street. Why was Tony practicing medicine in this end-of-the-road place?
She hadn’t seen him for years, not since several months after his marriage, an event that had shaken her life. His wife hadn’t understood the friendship, or Tony and Carrie’s mutual interest in medical mysteries. With a flash of anger, Carrie recalled the night that woman stormed into the hospital cafeteria and spewed jealous accusations.
Carrie’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. She’d been embarrassed, hurt, and angry enough that she’d walked away from her best friend.
She’d heard rumors Tony’s wife had taken off for greener pastures. At least that’s what the hometown gossips said. Not that Carrie believed in gossip, especially after the news of her inheritance brought the tongue-waggers out in force.
She slowed the car to a crawl. Waves of panic lashed against her momentary calm. The place in her head where she’d filed his address was empty. She braked. The paper with the directions fluttered from the dashboard. She bent and grabbed them.
One glance was enough to retrieve the forgotten data. She eased off the brake and cruised the street. Half the houses were missing numbers. What now? Then at the foot of the dead end street, she saw the ones she’d memorized displayed in shiny brass on a massive gray house that looked like the setting for a Gothic novel.
A broad lawn fronted the house. The tailored grass stood in contrast to the tangles on either side.
“This is the place.”
She gulped a breath.
After parking at the curb, she slowly released a held breath. She strode up the walk and onto the wide porch. Muffled shouts and noises came from inside. She rang the bell. What sounded like a slammed door nearly sent her back to the car. Who was staging a major temper tantrum? She thought Tony lived alone.
She rang the bell again, this time holding it for several peals. The door opened and she forgot why she’d come. She forgot to breathe. Her eyes widened and her heart pounded in a staccato rhythm until she thought her ribs would crack.
He was more than she remembered.
Are you sure you want to be here?
“Tony.” His name escaped on a sigh. She felt like a teenager come face to face with the latest movie hero. This was the man she planned to ask…She changed her mind. Time to retreat. The plan wouldn’t work, not with the things he made her feel, and what he made her want.
“Carrie...Oh lord, it’s been ages. What are you doing here? You look terrific.”
She did? He must be blind. Even her coworkers had made comments about the deep smudges beneath her eyes. Most days, she felt as though she was suffering from terminal exhaustion.
“Come in.” He took her hand.
Exhaustion vanished. He’d always made her feet great, but this instant tonic-effect startled her. Coming to see him had grown corners she couldn’t see around.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” He drew her inside. “What brings you to town?”
She wanted to tell him, but the words caught in her throat. “Would you believe I was in the neighborhood?
Tony laughed. “No.”
She inhaled and the spicy scent of him invaded her space. “I came...” She couldn’t finish the sentence. He’d been her hero, her prince, her fantasy lover. In the flesh, he relegated those images to black and white.
“I bet you came to apply for the nursing position at the clinic.” He steered her down a hall that needed paint into a large living room. “Did you get lost on the way there? Unfortunately, I’m not the one you need to see.”
She shook her head. “Another job is the last thing I need. I already have two.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Necessity.”
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s a long story.” She sighed. “I shouldn’t have come.”
“What’s wrong? Sounds like you need a shoulder.”
The entire body, she thought. “You could say...It’s like this...I have a problem that needs a solution...It’s sort of...” Her throat closed. Maybe she should leave. Go home. Forget the plan. Find a new one. Except, he was her first, last, and only choice.
“Be glad to listen.” He patted her hand. “Are you saying in all these years, you haven’t found anyone else to listen?
I haven’t looked, she thought. There couldn’t be a replacement for Tony. She couldn’t tell him that. “I thought...Maybe you can help.”
“Be glad to try. Go ahead.”
A crash resounded. Carrie jumped. “I think you’re the one with the problem.”
“You could say that.” Tony rolled his eyes upward. “My son’s protesting his punishment for his latest series of pranks. He’s grounded with no TV and no phone.”
“What did he do?” She sat on one end of a shabby brown couch.
“Do you really want to know?”
She nodded. Hearing about Tony’s problems could give her time to gather her courage.
He slumped beside her. “He glued the sitter’s clothes together. She left in a huff.”
“Don’t blame her.” Carrie frowned. “I thought your son lived with his mother.”
“He did until July. She’s remarried…to one of the Brinkers. She and her new husband are on a world cruise honeymoon. They didn’t take
His blue eyes were bleak. Was his pain for his son or himself? How badly had his failed marriage hurt him? “Are you all right with the idea?”
He shrugged. “I’ve mixed feelings.”
His expression showed hurt and anger, not ones she’d consider mixed. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It’s great having
“Maybe I can help.”
“Don’t know how.” He winked. “I’m not without experience in dealing with angry kids.
“Remember…”
“Yes, and don’t even mention the first time we met.”
“Or my black eye? Lord, it’s great to see you again. Why don’t you tell me why you came all this way?”
She ran her tongue over dry lips. She searched for an answer and couldn’t find one he would believe. If she asked him, he would think she was crazy.
Good grief, my thoughts are scrambled. He is too…too… male.
And your feelings for him haven’t changed.
“Carrie.”
The demand in his voice made her feel like a child facing an adult. “It’s...” What sounded like glass shattering brought her to her feet.
“
Saved, she thought. “Don’t you think you’d better see what he’s doing before he trashes the house?”
He raked his ebony curls with his fingers. “You’re right.”
He headed to the door. “Promise you’ll stay ‘til I settle him. Then we’ll
talk.”
“I’ll be here.”
She sank against the cushions. Maybe he would need the entire evening to deal with his son. This visit was an act of desperation. After all, it had been years. Maybe he’d changed.
She looked around the sparsely furnished living room. Most of the pieces looked like refugees from second-hand stores. What had gone wrong for him? He’d been on the fast track. He’d entered practice with one of the largest medical groups in
The sound of a throat being cleared made her jump. A woman
with streaks of gray in her brown hair stood in the doorway. Who? Carrie
wondered. Hadn’t Tony said the sitter had quit?
“Dr. Flynn wondered if you would like something to drink?”
Carrie covered a yawn with her hand. “Coffee if you have some made. I’m Carrie Graham, an old friend of Tony’s.”
“Hazel Smithton, housekeeper, and reluctant sitter for a spell. Be right back.”
A short time later, Carrie sipped the strongest coffee she’d ever tasted. Two iced cinnamon rolls helped her swallow the bitter brew.
The hollow feeling in her stomach vanished, but the matching sensation in her chest expanded. She closed her eyes and planned explanations for the question she’d come to ask. No matter how she phrased her reasons, the words sounded like a desperate plea. Over the years, she’d learned begging never worked. Would this time be any different?
* * *
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Transitions #MFRWauthor #amwriting
When revision transitions can present a problem, especially if they are abrupt of the writer forgets to show a way to show the transition. Many writers use * * * between the lines to indicate there is a change in viewpoint character, time or place. This generally works but sometimes it doesn't.
When transiting from one character to another in a scene the best way is to give one character their head for a time. If you switch, give the new character time toestablish him or herself in the passage. Jumping from character to character during a scene can confuse the reader, especially when you're showing showing the change from sentence to sentence or paragraph to paragraph. Head-hopping makes for a cluttered story.
A transition is a span to cross often showing a time difference. Don't make it so abrupt the reader if pulled from the story. Also don't make it too long. There is a danger of boring the reader. The way to avoid either of these is to give the reader a clue that this is going to happen. Allowing the reader to anticipate makes the transition become a smooth jump.
Don't be afraid to use things like the next day, he couldn't stand to wait but had to jump in, several days later, when he arrived at the house. These are all ways to show the transition has occurred.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Tuesday's Inspiration - Jealousy #MFRWauthor
Once again we look at the voices in your head and come upon one that really isn't a good one for you to feel. Jealousy. This voice makes you feel like what you are doing has no value. Look at how Writer A and Writer B are doing. Why can't you do the same? They must have some kind of trick. Surely they aren't better writers than you. How did A or B manage to hit a "best seller list" when you are struggling to gain readers? Slowly your confidence tanks.
How can you overcome this? You could be supportive of writer A or B and this might help for awhile but that nagging voice keeps crying "This should be me."
What I do is constantly remind myself that I write what I like to read. I enjoy writing and if other people are more successful, sure it hurts for a moment but I will continue writing the best as I can. There are some people who begin making nasty remarks about the successful writer. I never want to become one of them. My advice is to keep writing and enjoying what you are writing. Remember the person you must show your own success is you.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Poem #Reading
Meander 1 - Poem
Hidden Tears
Surrounded by a sea of saline grief
A tear...or maybe two escape her eyes.
The iceberg tip of sorrow buried deep
Belie what lies beneath her smiling face.
Her other tears are thrust with forcefulness
To build another layer over pain
And raise compassion in her watching eyes.
Now weeping other's tears she can forget
The massive ice floe hidden in her depths.
Meander 2 - Reading lately books from one of my publishers. Have read one from every author and am now going back to read those from the authors I like the best. This is fun and keeps me out of mischief. Reading doesn't slow the paceof the writing since I'm re-writing stories published to make them great stories. That will be covered later. I find I'm being drawn to some of these authors and also have discovered some of my favorites have gone off in directions I don't enjoy. Others have amintained their wonderful kind of stories. They fall into mystery, contemporary romance and fantasy these days. Lots of fun.
Meander 3 - Am rewriting the last of six books in a series At First Sight. Will be gald to get back to something new and something different from short and sexy stories. They'll be longer and probably sexy. That seems to be my trend these days. Spent last evening doing the edits for a pre-release book so it will be ready to go. Waiting covers on the four others of the series. My personal cover artist really does great work. Can's wait to see them.
Hidden Tears
Surrounded by a sea of saline grief
A tear...or maybe two escape her eyes.
The iceberg tip of sorrow buried deep
Belie what lies beneath her smiling face.
Her other tears are thrust with forcefulness
To build another layer over pain
And raise compassion in her watching eyes.
Now weeping other's tears she can forget
The massive ice floe hidden in her depths.
Meander 2 - Reading lately books from one of my publishers. Have read one from every author and am now going back to read those from the authors I like the best. This is fun and keeps me out of mischief. Reading doesn't slow the paceof the writing since I'm re-writing stories published to make them great stories. That will be covered later. I find I'm being drawn to some of these authors and also have discovered some of my favorites have gone off in directions I don't enjoy. Others have amintained their wonderful kind of stories. They fall into mystery, contemporary romance and fantasy these days. Lots of fun.
Meander 3 - Am rewriting the last of six books in a series At First Sight. Will be gald to get back to something new and something different from short and sexy stories. They'll be longer and probably sexy. That seems to be my trend these days. Spent last evening doing the edits for a pre-release book so it will be ready to go. Waiting covers on the four others of the series. My personal cover artist really does great work. Can's wait to see them.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Sunday's Book - Code Blue #MFRWauthor #Medicalsuspense
Available from all venues. There will soon be a Canadian version.
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.
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
Reviews:
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books By Karen Wiesner #MFRWauthor #Mystery, Inspirationalromance, #romance
PRETTY
FLY, Book 6, Falcon's
Bend Series with Chris Spindler
Mystery/Police Procedural
Available in paperback and electronic formats
Mystery/Police Procedural
Available in paperback and electronic formats
Falcon's Bend is a small, sleepy
town in Wisconsin that owns more taverns than churches, but fills both on the
appropriate days. Teenagers talk of escape from the one-horse town because
nothing ever seems to happen. But, even here in the Heartland, police investigators
Pete Shasta, Danny Vincent and Amber Carfi fight a never-ending battle to keep
their beloved families and hometown safe and sound.
Will you walk in, pretty fly…and will you walk out once you’re trapped inside the spider’s lair?
Shayna Vincent returns home to Falcon’s Bend after
her romance turns disastrous. When she and Gage Keveris became a creative
design team at the prestigious Bethany Advertising Agency, she’d had no idea he
was married to a career-ambitious woman who traveled more often than she came
home. Over the last year and half, Shayna found herself falling in love with
her partner and friend without a clue what he was hiding. Now that she knows
the truth, she can’t bear the pain of being near him when they can’t be
together.
While staying with her little brother Danny, a Falcon’s Bend
Police Department detective, she meets up with an old crush from high school.
Shawn Futrell has been widowed twice, his third wife is missing, and he’s the
father of a sixteen-year-old from his first marriage. When Danny finds out his
vulnerable sibling has been in contact with Futrell, he tries to put a stop to
it by telling her that Shawn’s wives’ deaths were more than a little
suspicious—regardless of whether or not the police have been able to find any
evidence to pin on him.
But bad boy Shawn is still movie-star gorgeous, and Shayna can’t stop
recalling how besotted she was with him as an impressionable teenage girl—one
Shawn never took seriously back then but seems intent on making up for lost
time now. What pretty fly could resist the invitation of such a seductive
spider?
CLUMSY
GIRL'S GUIDE TO HAVING A BABY, Book 6, Friendship Heirlooms Series
Inspirational Romance/Chick-Lit
Available now in paperback and electronic formats
Inspirational Romance/Chick-Lit
Available now in paperback and electronic formats
Return to the quaint little town of Peaceful,
Wisconsin, from Karen Wiesner’s award-winning Family Heirlooms Series, where
you first met and fell in love with these colorful, lovable friends. Now you
can read the stories of those secondary characters in an all-new spin-off
series. Nuggets of faith can be passed down as heirlooms from friend to friend,
heart to heart, soul-mate to soul-mate.
Book Six Friendship Heirloom: Maturity
Clumsy girl Zoë Rossdale is back, married to the love of her
life, Curt Bertoletti, and setting off on another crazy adventure—maybe the
most fun and dangerous of all. Having a baby!
SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT, Book 3 of Angelfire II Quartet
Contemporary Romance
Coming February 2016 in paperback and electronic formats
Contemporary Romance
Coming February 2016 in paperback and electronic formats
Return to Karen Wiesner’s
award-winning Angelfire Trilogy, where you first met and fell in love with
these colorful, lovable friends. Now you can read the stories of those
secondary characters—and some new faces—in an all-new spin-off quartet.
There are no scars like those inflicted in childhood, and no love like
your first. Timeless couples Diane Hoffmann and Mikey Lund, Roxanne Hart and
Jamie Dubois, Cherish Stephenson and Ty Foxx, and Sapphire Stephenson and
William Decker seek out the unconditional love and healing of an angel and the
scorching heat of unending passion. Heaven's promise, desire's flame…
Ty Foxx left home when he was a teenager, taking
his brother Jeff with him. The horror they’d suffered as children, along with
their other three siblings, at their father’s hands has scarred them both. Ty
had tried to take care of and shelter his younger brother, eventually becoming
a successful photographer, but in the end he couldn’t save him. He hasn’t
looked back for so long, he’s stunned when he learns that his father succumbed
to an illness that plagued him for years. The threat and terror he posed is
over, dead and gone. Even though Ty is filled with self-loathing and fury at
the past with the loss of his brother, he knows the time has come for him to go
home and face the rest of his family and all he’s been running from in life.
Cherish Stephenson owns a flourishing flower shop
and mail-order business. The brutal rape that drove her fiancé away when she
was in college and left her terrified of getting close to anyone is the only
sign that her life isn’t everything and all she intends it to be. When she
meets Ty, her employee Darlene’s brother, and the attraction is instantaneous
and mutual, Cherish realizes how much she’s missed in her life by being afraid
of the shadows of the night. But Ty may be even more broken than she is by the
past. Can they heal each other with the light of love, or is the only thing
left for both of them to accept living out the rest of their lives alone, wounded,
and scared of the dark?
Friday, February 19, 2016
Friday - What She Was Before featuring Karen Wiesner #MFRWauthor
Creating
realistic, unforgettable characters one story at a time…
Karen Wiesner is an
accomplished author with 113 titles published in the past 18 years, which have
been nominated/won 134 awards, and has 42 more releases contracted for spanning
many genres and formats. Karen’s books
cover such genres as women’s fiction, romance, mystery/police procedural/cozy,
suspense, paranormal, futuristic, fantasy, gothic, inspirational, thriller,
horror, chick-lit, and action/adventure. She also writes children’s books,
poetry, and writing reference titles such as her bestseller, First Draft in
30 Days and From First
Draft to Finished Novel {A Writer’s Guide to Cohesive Story Building} (out of print; reissue
available now in paperback and electronic formats under the title Cohesive Story Building). Her third offering from Writer’s Digest Books is Writing
the Fiction Series: The Complete Guide for Novels and Novellas, available now. Her previous writing reference
titles focused on non-subsidy, royalty-paying electronic publishing, author
promotion, and setting up a promotional
group like her own, the award-winning Jewels of the Quill, which she founded in
2003 and disbanded in 2014. For more information about Karen’s fiction
and series, consult her official companion guide The World of Author Karen Wiesner: A Compendium of Fiction. Visit
her website at http://www.karenwiesner.com. Check out Karen's author page at Facebook, where
you can like, friend and follow her: http://www.facebook.com/KarenWiesnerAuthor. If you would like to receive Karen’s free e-mail
newsletter, Karen’s Quill, and become
eligible to win her monthly book giveaways, send a blank e-mail to KarensQuill-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Day 1
1. What were
you in your life before you became a writer? Did this influence your writing?
Actually, as
I wrote my first book when I was 10, I'd have to say that I was a writer first.
Following that, I worked in the school library from elementary to high school,
then as an aid at a local school during the summer. I also was a dishwasher and
did data entry for quite a few years. I had my first book published in 1997.
Since then, I've become an editor and cover artist as well. Other than working
in the school library, I wouldn't say any of my "careers" had any
influence on my writing--just made me want to write full-time, as I do now.
2 Are you
genre specific or general? Why?
I'm all over
the place, and I think that's a good thing. Most of my books can be placed in
several category of fiction. I don't intentionally set out to write in more
than one. I just can't seem to rein myself in. A book ends up what it ends up.
3. Did your
reading choices have anything to do with your choice of a genre or genres?
I guess in some ways my reading choices influence
my writing. I read across genres in nearly every category I write in. However, I
have yet to write anything in the historical or western genres. I don't read a
whole lot in those genres either. I haven't written a Regency or science
fiction, though I do read in both categories. I never say never, since I might
someday write in any genre I haven't thus far written in if a really good story
idea comes to me. There are worlds to discover everywhere. Horror, really,
really good horror, is a special pleasure to me. I can't get enough of this genre, so I'd like to write more horror in
the future.
4. What's
your latest release?
CLUMSY GIRL'S GUIDE TO HAVING A BABY, Book 6, Friendship Heirlooms Series,
which is one of my featured releases tomorrow.
5. What are
you working on now?
I'm never working on
just one thing because I believe writing in stages is the only way to make my
books the highest quality they can possibly be. In 2016, I'm alternating
between the following projects (and you can see how I plan to do it here): http://www.angelfire.com/stars4/kswiesner/WIP.html
CROOKED HOUSE, Book 3, and RETURN TO BLOODMOON
MANOR, Book 4, Bloodmoon Cove Spirits Series
PROMISES IN THE DARK, Book 4, Angelfire II Quartet
BRIAR'S PATCH, Book 7, and FOR AULD LANG SYNE, Book 8, Adventures in Amethyst Series
ALL GOOD THINGS, Book 7, Friendship
Heirlooms Series
FALCON'S BEND CASE FILES, Volume III
with Chris Spindler
6. Where can
we find you?
See
biography above.
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Thursday's Opening Scene - Lines of Fire #MFRWauthor #fantasy #romance
The Guild House Series
Defenders Hall
Lines of Fire
Prologue
Whispers of the grief to come slithered through Alric’s thoughts. He
knelt beside his father’s bed and brushed the older man’s hand. The lines of
fire on his father’s skin, once bright scarlet, had faded to pale pink. Thought
the end approached, Alric wasn’t ready to see his father pass from life into
the abyss of death.
“Papa,” he whispered. "The men of the Guild Houses and their
bondmates arrive in just five days to test me for admission into the Defenders
Hall.” His words were a plea for his father to remain with him for that time.
The older man’s eyes opened. The pain Alric saw brought wetness to his
eyes. When his father died, there would be no relative to witness the acceptance
as a Defender trainee. From the moment his father had given Alric a wooden
sword and shown him the ways one could be used, he had desired to leave the
village and pursue more training.
With fierce determination, Alric sought to infuse some of his vitality
into his father. As always, the attempt failed. Why could the lines of fire be
used to halt the flow of blood and to not achieve a return to vitality? Alric
groaned. If he had been on the wood-cutting trip into the forest, he could have
helped his father and the other man. A boar had gored and broken their bodies.
The other lumberman had died. Alric’s father had lingered and suffered.
“Son.”
The harsh whisper startled Alric. His father hadn’t spoken once in the
ten days since his shattered body had been carried to the village.
“Papa.”
“Listen. Be Defender.”
“I promise.”
“Swordmaster. Enemy. Lines of fire. Not all can see,”
Alric frowned. What die his father mean? Was the Swordmaster the reason
his father’s bond had been broken and he had been banished to this distant
village? Why should the lines remain a secret? Before he had a chance to ask
his father spoke again.
“Find sibs.”
Alric’s head jerked up. “Sibs. I have none.”
“One boy. One girl. Too young to steal away. Just you.”
This new information rocked Alric’s thoughts. “I will find them.”
“Bracelet. Take. Use. True mate.”
New ideas and new demands swamped Alric. Questions rattled like nuts
falling from the trees in autumn.
“Save. Defenders. Restore old ways. Promise.”
“I will.” Alric wasn’t sure what he had promised but his father’s words
flowed through his thoughts the way the lines of fire flowed over his skin. He
pressed his forehead against his father’s hand and slammed shut the gates of
grief.
The rattled breathing slowed and began again. Each stop and start brought
a welling of tears closer to the surface. The sound stopped. Alric waited. He
raised his head. The lines of fire on his father’s skin vanished.
Gut churning sobs began and wracked Alric’s body. When the storm of tears
stopped Alric rose. With leaden steps he walked to the cabin door to summon the
village women to care for his father’s corpse.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Getting Rid of Cliches and Beyond #MFRWauthor
There are days when I think the only thing I can write are cliches. Often this is during the rough drafts. Structuring your novel from basic idea to finished manuscript has some ways to rid the story of those dratted phrases that flow so easily from the keys.
Delete the cliche. Just hit delets and the cliche is gone. What if you need those words or similar ones to make the story make senes or give the reader some insight into the character or the plot. Then you must rewrite. Say you said her eyes were blue. Read that a dozen times or more in other works. Her blue eyes held a hint of Arctic frost. is one way to show without being a clicke. or even better Blue eyes with a hint of Arctic frost glared.
Sometimes cliches are allowed. Say you have a character who speaks or thinks in cliches. I've seen this done with a clever touch with some humor in a story. A character who has this trait could also create terror in another character.
Not a cliche but the constant repetition of character's names in a scene. As long as the reader can tell who is speaking or acting the name can be omitted. This can cause problems when there are just two women or two men in the scene but there are ways to get around it. Letting the hero have the he said things, finding ways to characterize each speaker in a physical sense that differentiates them. Or by their profession or role in the story.
Delete the cliche. Just hit delets and the cliche is gone. What if you need those words or similar ones to make the story make senes or give the reader some insight into the character or the plot. Then you must rewrite. Say you said her eyes were blue. Read that a dozen times or more in other works. Her blue eyes held a hint of Arctic frost. is one way to show without being a clicke. or even better Blue eyes with a hint of Arctic frost glared.
Sometimes cliches are allowed. Say you have a character who speaks or thinks in cliches. I've seen this done with a clever touch with some humor in a story. A character who has this trait could also create terror in another character.
Not a cliche but the constant repetition of character's names in a scene. As long as the reader can tell who is speaking or acting the name can be omitted. This can cause problems when there are just two women or two men in the scene but there are ways to get around it. Letting the hero have the he said things, finding ways to characterize each speaker in a physical sense that differentiates them. Or by their profession or role in the story.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Tuesday's Inspiration - Triggered by Bird By Bird - Anne Lamott - Voices In Your Head #MFRWauthor
What Anne Lamott calls Station KFKD, I call the voices in my head. They're not what I try to listen to and unfortunately can't avoid. On one hand they speak about what a great writer I am and on the other time they shout about how awful this story is and how Writer A or B can do tell the story better. Concentrating on the characters in your story is one way to keep those voices out. Also a bit of knowledge that you're telling stories and the story is yours not Author A or B's. The characters are figments of your imagination and no one else's. You can also remember it's all right to envy another writer's success as long as it doesn't keep you from telling your own story.
So the moral of this is to focus on your characters and your story. Anything else needs to be filtered out. So the negative and the positive cancel each other out and you're left with telling the story of how your characters get on with their lives.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #poetry #aging
Meander 1- A Poem
The Gift
The bus depot was dim and dank. The gift
You sent had just arrived. The gnomish man
With rasp edged voice pointed and made me life
And carry it to my car, Myhands began
To wrestle with the sealing tape and tear
My fingernails. Soon the tape was overthrown
To reveal a goant set of kitchenware
Enough to feed a regiment. I live alone.
Am I ever in your fantasy chained to stove and
Sink as I never was before. Do you
See me spoon in hand flashing wedding band
Stirring giant pots filled with bubbling stew?
What made you choose the gift I needed least
In honor of the end of our wedding feast?
Meander 2 - Blue Hair - When I was a child I used to admire the elderly ladies with Blue Hair. I wasn't sure how their hair became that color. I sort of imagined they used the blueing my grandmother used to keep the white clothes very white. These ladies were always so well-groomed. They spent time at the beauty parlor. I'm sure not that's where they recieved their blue hair, not some packet of blueing or evey the dyes on the shelves to change the color of clothes. Dignified, ladies. They wore dresses, stockings and sensible heels and they wore hats to church and sometimes just to go to town. I've reached the age and maybe beyong the age of these ladies. My hair is gray, I want blue hair, but I don't fit the picture of the Blue Ladies. Dresses are hated things since one has to wear stockings and sensible shoes with a little heel. I like sneakers and slacks. But I really want Blue Hair. I've found the perfect solution. There is this bit of hair I've had to find a way to pull back since it gets in my face since the day the woman at the beauty shop cut my hair. I said shoulder length. When she finished the length barely covered my ears. So that lock of hair is going to be turned Blue and I won't have to give up slacks, sneakers and socks. But I can consider myself a Blue Lady since I'm old but I'm not dignified.
Meander 3 - Writing - The edits came for Wizards of Fyre and have been done and sent back to the publisher. Easy ones. Just one thing. I'm sure the editor put in the punctuation marks I didn't but that's all right. What puzzled her was weed instead of wood. Those were words but not the ones I really wanted. Other writing is going well. Nearly finished the re-writes on the fifth book of At First Sight series. Waiting for the edits on the first book since it needs to be put into Amazon by the 24th of this month. After the sixth book is rewritten I will begin the secret project that isn't all that secret.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Sunday's Book - Temple of Fyre #MFRWauthor #fantasyromance #fantasy
Wizards of Fyre
Ari was abandoned as a child and found by two elderly firestone miners. He has pursued this and is the best of the finders. He goes to the temple to sell the stones he has gleaned. On leaving, Ria attempts to steal the fyrestone he has worn since the day he was found. He thinks she is a boy and a thief and he takes her to his room at the inn. On discovering her identity, he refuses to turn her over to the priestesses and they leave town. They are searching for the fabled blue fyrestones. They also learn to use them they must be bonded physically, emotionally and spiritually. Can they learn to master the blue stones and defeat Malera so they can rule the temple with love and understanding?
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Saturday's Blurbs - Books by Gianna Simone #MFRWauthor #Vikings #Medieval
Warrior's
Possession:
** Wed on the king's command, she finds an unexpected passion!
**
Upon
her father's death, Lady Gillian Marlowe is ordered by King Edward I to wed
Royce Langley, the Earl of Montchester. Worried she is being offered up as
little more than a sacrifice in a political game, Gillian is surprised to find
herself intrigued by her arrogant and infuriating husband.
Tasked
with ridding the border along Wales of rebels who seek to unseat the king,
Royce finds subterfuge and secrets everywhere, even with his beautiful wife.
Though he only agreed to the marriage because of the king's order, he finds
himself both fascinated and incensed by Gillian at every turn. She tries his
patience, defies his orders and places herself in danger. To keep her in line,
he spanks her, binds her to his bed and dominates and torments her, not only to
ensure her submission, but also to coerce her into revealing her secrets. But
even that is not enough to subdue her stubborn determination to stand beside
him and defend her home and people.
Discovering
his wife enjoys the same dark pleasures Royce does stirs more confusion. He has
sworn never to fall for a woman's wiles, but his wife captivates him in ways he
never expected and she stirs a desire deeper than any he has ever known.
Trusting her is another matter, as he fears Gillian may bring about his
downfall with her continued secrets, which he views as an attempt to undermine
his authority.
The
rebel attacks increase and danger lurks everywhere. Gillian falls under
suspicion as the traitor, despite her vows of loyalty. Royce must overcome his
mistrust and find a way to maintain his possession of Gillian as they battle
the enemies both within and without, if there is any hope for them to save each
other.
** Featuring
A Kinky Twist on History! Includes male domination, bondage, spanking, anal sex
and so much more!
Amazon
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AYF21PC
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/609611
Norseman's
Revenge:
* Kidnapped on her wedding night might be
a blessing from the gods. *
Geira Sorensdotter awaits her new husband, but she's filled with doubts
about the man and the marriage. Those doubts are forgotten when the village is
attacked, her husband is struck down and she is tied up and carried off amidst
the raid.
Kori Thorfinnson has waited years to take revenge
against the man who murdered his wife. But he soon finds the innocent young
woman he's taken as his personal slave is not his enemy, despite her marriage
to his foe. Her courage in defying him, her caring heart, and the fiery passion
she shares stirs feelings Kori hasn't known since his wife died. Afraid to lose
Geira, he binds her to him in many ways – not only with rope, but with his
body, his collar and his brand.
Geira quickly learns just how despicable her
husband was, and despite her difficult circumstances, grows to care deeply for
Kori, her captor. Still, dreams of freedom linger. But once she finds herself
with child, she must plan her escape, to save herself and her baby.
However, Kori has plans of his own.
** Contains explicit love scenes featuring A
Kinky Twist on History! bondage, spanking, ménage à trois scenes and more!
All
Romance Ebooks (ARe): https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-norseman039srevenge-1874028-147.html
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/576263
Norseman's Deception:
*He saved her life–can the gods save her heart & soul
from the mysterious loner's dark desires?*
Fearing
an arranged marriage, Thora Korisdotter flees her village, vowing never to
return. With her two pet wolves beside her, she is confident in her safety,
protected by the loyal animals. But outlaws attack, wounding one of her beloved
pets. Only a mysterious stranger saves her from certain death. Now in his debt,
she must repay him as he asks – with her body.
After
being cast out of his clan as an outlaw, Ari Hugisson has wandered for years.
The time of his banishment is nearing its end, and Ari has the proof he needs
to clear his name and unmask the real murderer – his brother. His journey is
delayed when he comes across a beautiful woman under attack. Compelled to save
her, he also knows exactly how to claim the debt she owes, using the passion
lurking under the surface of her fiery nature.
Betrayal
cuts deep with the revelation Ari has lied and knows well the man Thora was to
wed. But the passion he stirs is unlike anything she has ever known, even if he
insists on treating her as little more than a slave.
When
Ari confronts those who would see him killed, will Thora stand beside him, even
at the risk of losing her family – and her heart?
** Contains explicit love scenes featuring A
Kinky Twist on History! bondage, spanking and more!
All Romance
Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-norseman039sdeception-1958217-340.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/602702
Friday, February 12, 2016
Friday - What She Was Before featuring Gianna Simone #MFRWauthor
1. What
were you in your life before you became a writer? Did this influence your
writing?
A
reader. When I was a kid, I devoured every book I could get my hands on. When I
got older, I literally read almost a book a day. Writing stories of my own
followed almost right away. I remember writing my own short stories as far back
as third and fourth grades and wrote my first complete novel when I was a
freshman in high school. It definitely influenced my writing -
2 Are
you genre specific or general? Why? I don't mean genres like romance, mystery,
fantasy etc. There are many subgenres of the above.
Obviously,
I'm a romance writer, so all my stories will fall somewhere in there - within
that category, I write erotic stories and I tend to like various historical
periods, and prefer to write my books set in times and places in the past. Histeroticals,
I call them. lol The Dark Ages through the late Medieval period are among my
favorite eras. But I also like paranormal/fantasy and combining that genre with
historical is one of my favorites.
3. Did
your reading choices have anything to do with your choice of a genre or genres?
Yes. I
tend to read books in the historical and paranormal/fantasy genres, both for
enjoyment and learning. I like to step out of my comfort zone as well, though
and a well-written contemporary erotic romance by certain authors will always
catch my eye.
4.
What's your latest release?
Warrior's
Possession, now re-christened Book 1 in The Medieval Warrior's Legends series,
is out on February 13th. This is an updated re-release with a new cover and is
also the official relaunch of the series, of which there are many more stories
to come.
5. What
are you working on now?
Warrior's
Witch, the fourth book in The Medieval Warrior's Legends. It's one of those
combination genres I like so much, "historical plus" I like to call
it – it's a time-travel tale with a bit of a twist. I'm also plotting the
basics for the next story in The Norsemen Sagas.
6.
Where can we find you?
Everywhere!
lol
Here
are my links:
Website:
http://giannasimoneeroticromance.com
Twitter: Gianna_Simone
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GiannaSimoneRomanceAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/gianna-simone/31/567/576
Blog: http://giannasimone.blogspot.com
Twitter: Gianna_Simone
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GiannaSimoneRomanceAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/gianna-simone/31/567/576
Blog: http://giannasimone.blogspot.com
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