Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Writing ABC - I Is For Image #MFRWauthor #amwriting

I had to think about this one a bit since I wondered what I considered Image in writing. There are many ways to look at image. Often an image is a thing and that's one way I use it. I spent time looking over my writing and realized there were several images I use often. One is gems. Many of my books have gems, not all are precious stones or even semi-precious but gems that have other powers. This makes them images of the paranormal. They can also be concrete. Another thing I realize occurs frequently in my books are caves.  Caves can be used to symbolize a number of things but we're not speaking of Symbols, just of the things that appear frequently in my stories.

How about you? Do you have recurrent images in your stories? One of my favorite writers has towers in many of her stories. Another has swords of many kinds. So think about your body of work and think of what your images are. I also try to understand the why of my use of these images. Caves is fairly easy since they're dark, mysterious and can be dangerous. I've used them to show each of these situations. Gems has been more difficult to decide the why of them. Perhaps one reason is the hypnotic quality of gems. Also there is their reflective quality. Gems can also be mysterious.

So look at your stories and find your images.

Tuesday's Inspiration - Cooler weather #MFRWauthor #Hibernation # writing

I've heard it said "Bears hibernate in the winter." I understand their metabolism goes way down and they enter a coma like state. Not this writer. I hibernate in the summer." During the heated days my brain grows sluggish and my writing speed slows. I don't enter a coma like state but something similar.

Then the change in temperature comes. The first frost sends electricity to my brain and I come up with words that were such a struggle during the summer. Mt pen flies across the page and the computer keys and it's almost like there was another person who emerged from a summer's sleep. Not sure this happens to other people. I know those who have summers off seem to have a lot of energy, I don't. I hibernate in the summer.

How about you. Does the cooler weather spur you to become more creative and able to think with flashes of inspiration coming at lightning speed? For me the cooler weather spurs me to create. How about you? Do you hibernate in the summer?

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #poem #writing

Meander 1 _ Poem - Myths

The gods of yore have passed away,
And in their steads have come today,
A kind of blankness in our souls.
No longer do we hear the belling tolls
That take us to the breathless heights.
And when we are alone at night
We find ourselves just that. We cry
Aloud but now our souls are dry.

Meander 2 - Thanksgiving. On Thursday I baked a turkey. There's nothing odd about that since it was Thanksgiving. The interesting bit was I cooked the turkey in my grandmother's roasting pan. The pan must be somewhere between 70 and 80 years old. The pan is great and when I use it, I find myself thinking about my grandmother and how she loved to make Thanksgiving dinner. What I really remember is that she ate very little of the dinner she cooked. I wondered why and realized after cooking all that food she wasn't hungry. I was the same on Thursday and ate just a taste of everything. But the food was good as the family and our guest testified.

Meander 3 - Writing - I'm continuing with Cancer-Capricorn Connection and the book should be done by the middle of January. I did the art sheet for this book and also begun the one for Past Betrayals. Hopefully it also will be done by the end of January. Then it will be off to something new and that is the Leo-Aquarius Connection and the planning on the Virgo-Pisces Connection and that series will be done.

Sunday's Book - Seducing the Chef - At First Sight Series #MFRWauthor #romantic comedy #food

Seducing the Chef - Allie Blakefield, editor of Good Eatin' wants to do a feature on Five Cuisines a restaurant across the river from NY City. Her father forbids the feature and won't say why. She's not one to sit back and be ruled by someone. She borrows a friend's apartment. 

While leaning over the balcony she sees a handsome dark haired man doing a Yoga routine. He looks up and she is struck by the Blakefield curse. Love at first sight. 

The pair start a hot and heavy romantic interlude. She visits the restaurant and is recognized by Greg, the chef's mother. The woman goes ballistic and the affair is broken. Can Allie learn what's going on and rescue her love?

Reviews:

4.0 out of 5 starsThe chef and the reviewer deal with family drama

ByElf2060on July 25, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

3.75

“Seducing the Chef” by Janet Lane-Walter is part of the ‘At First Sight’ series. This contemporary romance centers around chef Greg Ramsey and review magazine editor Allie Blakefield whose searing attraction threatens to become disrupted by a tragic family feud between their respective parents. Navigating the tricky challenges to find a way to be together may require a very special dish…of crow.

This relatively short story is a quick and breezy reworking of the traditional family feud theme a la Romeo and Juliet but given a wonderfully sensual twist. I had trouble believing that the offspring could be so ignorant of the feud and would have liked a bit more depth to the characters but I enjoyed the descriptions of the culinary journey (yum) and appreciated the setup for the next story in the series, in addition to the very long preview. The author has nice imagery and I think this was an enjoyable light story.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review

3.0 out of 5 starsGood Reading

ByLAS Revieweron July 19, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Smoking hot!

Wow … when the blurb says “love at first sight” it isn’t kidding. The relationship between our hero and heroine goes from zero to 60 in about two pages.

I read this story knowing it was short, so I understand that it’s tough to fully develop a plot or characters in so few pages. I’ve tried to figure that into my feelings about the book, and into my rating. The author is definitely talented. Her skill is undeniable and her voice is fun and easy to read, and I have no issue with that at all. And, although there were a few editing errors and wrong word use, technically, it was a good story.

My issue was the speed of the relationship development. “Love at first sight” doesn’t have to mean leaping into bed moments after meeting someone (and before knowing anything about them … integral to the story is the fact their families are enemies, but since they barely get each other’s first names before getting naked, they have no idea). They progress quickly to a little very light bondage, which felt out of place since that requires a bit of trust and how do you build real trust in a day? I’m not adverse to a story with plenty of sex (especially well-written sex, which this was, though a bit less descriptive than erotic romance), so it wasn’t that abundance that was frustrating, just that I felt as if the plot suffered because so much space was given to sex instead of story.

Still, I really did appreciate the author’s voice and I would definitely pick up another one of her books to try. And if you prefer lots of heat in your stories, this may be a great choice for you to read.

originally posted at long and short reviews

3.0 out of 5 starsRomeo and Juliet with less drama, more sex, and a happy ending, all with a tad of fairy tale magic thrown in

ByEmilyon July 19, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

This was a fun, short, and sexy read. While there isn’t a whole lot of character development, the story moves quickly, pulling the reader along. There is a lot of sex in this, to the point where I would categorize this as an erotic romance novella, which I wasn’t expecting. There was a plot, but the romance and passion between the two characters were definitely the main focus. Plus, certain elements of the plot had me scratching my head in confusion or needing to suspend belief. In other words: Romeo and Juliet with less drama, more sex, and a happy ending, all with a tad of fairy tale magic thrown in. Oh, and some amazing and delicious sounding dishes.

My only big complaint about the book is that it needs editing. There were quite a few comma mistakes, not to mention other grammatical errors, which kept pulling me out of the story. The grammar errors aside, this makes for a fun quick summer read, and I am interested in seeing what happens with Meg in book 2.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

4.0 out of 5 starsQuick read loosely based on Romeo and Juliet

ByLiz Gavinon July 11, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

***I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review***

I’m not a grammar freak so the few typos I found didn’t make me shave off one star in my rating. However, some story line issues did. I don’t like spoilers so, as an example, I’ll just say that bondage requires intimacy and trust, which partners only achieve as a relationship progresses. Also, the blurb mentions a Blakefield curse: love at first sight. That wasn’t exactly how things happened so I was a bit disappointed.

Because this is a short-story, I expected things to progress fast so the timeline of Greg and Allie’s affair didn’t bother me. After all, I could see many elements from Romeo and Juliet in Seducing the Chef. It’s almost like a modernized version where you’ll find the balcony, instant passion, an old feud, and misfortune fueled by misleading information. Although it isn’t a tragedy as the classic story of the star-crossed lovers, it’s also not a romantic comedy as its category describes it. But it’s a story that will make you feel good, hot, and bothered in the best way possible. The sex scenes are mouthwatering just as I like them. After all, being an erotica writer, sex scenes are my domain and I know how hard it is to write good ones. Janet Lan-Walters did a great job here. Kudos.

I recommend Seducing the Chef if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining read to heat up your summer nights.

5.0 out of 5 starsA Great Romance!

ByCatherineon March 16, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

I loved this book. It's one of the those books you can't put down and before you know it, you have the read the entire thing. It was a feel happy kind of book that leaves you feeling good. The characters are likeable and I would recommend this to all romance lovers.,

Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books By Barbara Donlan Bradley #MFRWauthor #science fiction #romance

Dominated by Desire Book 1 Of the Vespian Way Blurb:

Heather can’t believe she is the only person on Earth that can protect Storm, the ambassador from Vespia. It has something to do with some pheromone the Vespian male exudes. Although everyone tells her she is immune she doesn’t agree. There is something about the man that makes her desire skyrocket whenever she is around him.

Storm finds the Heather fascinating, bright violet eyes that hold a world of emotions in them. He finds himself drawn to her, wanting her with a depth he never experienced before. When she becomes the focal point of several kidnapping attempts he realizes she’s going to need his protection, the perfect excuse to get to know her better.

Animal Desire Book 3 of the Vespian Way Blurb:

Heather is now six months pregnant and finds her mate a bit overprotective. She can’t help if she glows when she is frustrated. Things get a little more complicated when she is called home because of Ialog. He released information, making it look like she is being mistreated by the Vespians. How is she going to hide her pregnancy? She left Earth sterile.

Storm isn’t happy about her leaving the safety of Vespia, but wants to show that Heather is happy and safe under his care. He knows Ialog and is worried the man is going to try to take his mate from him again. His fears become very real when Ialog kidnaps her. Now he has to find a way to bring her home.

Hesitant Desire Book 5 of the Vespian Way Blurb:

Heather swore she’d never go back to Aruka after a mission had gone bad. The planet had an archaic view of women and Heather fought against those views, angering one man to the point of whipping her. Now Earth has requested she rescue a missing woman on that planet. She wants to say no, but Storm has already accepted for her, as long as he accompanies her. They hoped it would be a quick in and out assignment but didn’t expect to run into the man carrying such hatred for her all these years. Now they have to try to finish their mission while evading the man who’s only goal is to make Heather pay for her crimes.

Hidden Desire Book 8 of the Vespian Way Blurb:

Heather wants to fight beside her people, not watch from a safe distance. So when her brother comes up with a way to disguise her she jumps at the chance. Now she can try out for an elite team to help defeat Reasta, who has a stronghold on their planet. No one knows who she is, including her mate, who has also been disguised. They must find each other, qualify for the team and help rescue the elders without being found out.

Timeless Desire Book 9 of the Vespian Way Blurb:

Someone keeps altering the timeline and only Sam and Skye are aware of the change. The culprit doesn’t want Heather and Storm together, yet they keep finding each other, no matter how many times it is changed. Everything needs to be righted and the person messing with it needs to be stopped. It’s up to Sam and Skye to get things back the way it should be.

Friday's Interview featuring Barbara Donlon Bradley #MFRWauthor

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

Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices?

Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

I mostly write SF.Futuristic (hot) romance with a fantasy short story thrown in for fun. But...I have published time travel, fantasy and a straight historical. I love reading SF of any kind and when I found the romance novels in that genre I read as many as I could get my hands on. I find them fun to write. As far as what I wouldn't write I don't think I'd write a murder/mystery right now. It's not something I see myself writing.

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

This is a tough one. I do have fun with my villains, but love my heroes and heroines too. Can I say all of them?

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?

Wow, this is a good one. My heroes are part of plain imagination. I don't use pictures or real life people. I normally have my characters and a basic idea for the plot when I start writing. My books are character driven so they'r always the first thing I create when coming up with a new story.

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

My answer is pretty much the same as it was for the heroes. I'm not one to look for people who look like my characters. These characters whisper in my ear and they're never happy with anyone I think that they could look like.

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?

They basically come out of my plot. I'm a pantser and don't have much more than a blurb in my head as I start my books. It's kind of weird to other authors because I write linear. I start at the beginning and keep going until the book is done. I don't jump around and write different scenes then string them together. I'm not sure why I write this way but it does work. So as I write (I normally have two to three upcoming scenes worked out in my head as I write the rough draft) my way of plotting will work out who the villain is and why they are after the hero/heroine. 

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

My latest release is the 9th book in my series The Vespian Way. Timeless Desire features Heather and Storm, my main hero and heroine of the series. In this book they find Susan (a character from book 3) keeps changing the timeline. She has never liked Heather and wants what she has. Skye and Sam weren't effected by the timeline change and have to fight to get everything back the way it was.

7. What are you working on now?

Right now I'm working on the 10th book of the series. Heather and Storm have declared war on Reasta and Earth has volunteered their help so I have humans on Vespia which has never happened before. I'm about halfway done - that's when I got that aha moment to my plot so have gone back to the beginning to add a few things before I continue to write that rough draft.

8. How can people find you?

Like most authors I've got a lot of social media links - pinterest, facebook, twitter and my blog  - which I try to post to twice a week - one in an interview of other authors - it's so much fun to see the answers, I also do one one the art of writing and have been toying with the idea of doing one on my writing. I keep getting aksed how I find time to write so thought maybe I should try to show how I get it done. Here's the links - 

Blog: http://barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Donlon-Bradley/118673448173249

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbbradley

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/barbaradbradley/

Thursday's Second Scene from Confrontations - Affinities 4 #MFRWauthor #fantasy

VALCON

With a shrill nagging voice ringing in his ears Val signaled his three companions forward. He closed his mind to the muttered complaints of the youngest member of the quartet. Why me? Was it because he was more than a year older than any of the halflings that he had to ride herd on the most impetuous of the Fire affinities? He groaned when Ky’s courser sprinted into the lead.

“At last,” she shouted. “Come on. Hurry We’ve a long way to go.”

Val shook his head. “We won’t reach our destination any faster if your courser falls and you smack your head.”

“Hah! I’m a better rider than that.”

Val felt a strong desire to scream and return to the keep. Would he ever see the elderly pair who had become almost parents again? He closed off those thoughts before his emotions tangled with regret. With Water as his affinity his emotions and those of others sometimes swamped him.

The quartet rode past fields that wouldn’t be planted this spring. As they entered the forest Val noticed how the road they’d widened when they first came to the keep had narrowed. The Rover wagons would never pass the tangle of weeds, briars and saplings now.

He paused and waited for Kirlon. “Can you read the winds of the forest and ride? We need to be sure there are no homeless men lurking nearby.

Kirlon nodded. “I’ve been checking. Other than animals I can hear none but our group. How far will we travel today?”

“I hope to reach the plains.” Val urged his courser into a trot.

At moonrise they emerged from the gloom beneath the trees. Val stared at the grassy plain. A memory slammed into his thoughts. Here, his party had been confronted by a group of homeless men led by a dom. Zand and the dom had dueled with Fire. The flames had spread along the grass. Only by using his affinity to pull rain from the clouds had Val been able to prevent a disaster.

Ky jumped from her steed and cleared some turf away. She piled some wood in the center and called fire to ignite the kindling. “Will we visit the Rovers?”

Val shook his head. “I would enjoy seeing the children but that would add too many days to our journey.” Regret filled his voice. The four children rescued from the streets of Cedris had been like younger siblings to him. “We must reach our focus as soon as possible.”

“I know.” Ky erected the metal stand over the fire and hung several pots of water on the hooks. “Do you think we can cleanse Easren?”

He patted her head. “Doma Jandia believes we can.” He rose and lifted several sacks from the panniers. He added dried meat and vegetables to one and grain and fruit to a second. Kirlon and Geni joined them.

“How long before we reach the Ruran River?” Geni asked.

“Three or four days of long travel,” Val said.

“We’ll pass near the site of the buried Soutren henge,” Kirlon said. “Do you think that’s where our group will go next?”

“Maybe,” Ky said.

Val stirred each pot. “We won’t be that close. We’ll be on the other side of the river and a seven day of travel from that henge. When we reach the first bridge we’ll cross into Easren.”

Geni filled mugs with tea. “We should leave at dawn.”

“And travel until moonrise.” Val watched the pair of forstcats bound into the high grass. “Will they be back before we leave?”

Ky reached for a bowl. “One whistle and they’ll come running even if they’re unsuccessful in their hunt.” A squeal sounded. “They have their dinner. Tomorrow I’ll have them scare some grass hens. We’ll have a feast.” She tasted the stew. “When we reach Easren because of the rain we’ll have little chance to hunt.”

Val dished some of the stew for himself. After eating he went to his sleep saque. Tomorrow and the next few days would be long. How bad were conditions in Easren? Soon he would learn. He yawned. He must remind Kirlon to read the winds frequently. Not only did they need to avoid doms and domas but all the people of the princedom. Until the web of evil over the land was cleansed little could be done for the inhabitants.

At midmorning of the fourth day of travel Val rose in the stirrups to peer ahead. Mist blurred the view but he could hear the rushing water of the river. Before long the hazy outline of a bridge emerged from the gloom. Wind driven droplets of water bathed his face.

Ky trotted ahead and then returned. “I hope the bridge remains solid until we’re across.”

Val urged his steed forward. “If a crossing here is impossible we’ll find another way.”

“We can use our affinities,” Ky said.

“How?”

“We’ll think of a way.”

When they reached the bridge Val groaned. The span had to hold until they crossed. The banks were too steep and to far apart for the coursers to swim. Even if they could climb down the riverbank he couldn’t imagine using his affinity to form a clear path between walls of water. The strong current would thwart their passage even if all four with an affinity for Water were present.

Ky halted at the entrance to the wooden bridge. She waved to Kirlon and Geni. “Hurry, we must cross before the bridge collapses. If we don’t cross here we’ll have to ride almost to the highlands before finding a ford.”

Kirlon reached then. “That would take us days out of the way.”

“And we’d encounter swamps,” Geni said.

Val helped Geni dismount. “Use your affinity for Earth and see if the bridge will support us.”

She nodded and strode forward to press her hands against the wood. “For now but we must hurry. There are some missing planks and pieces of the railing are gone. If we remain in the center we should be fine.”

Val stepped to her side. Water washed over the boards. He gulped deep breaths of air and reached for a calm center. “We’ll cross now and in this order. Ky, Geni and Kirlon. I’ll go last. Ky, when you reach the far end be prepared to control the steeds. Kirlon, see if you can use Air in some way.”

“Will do.”

Ky grabbed the reins of her courser. As she stepped onto the bridge the forstcats yowled. The felines she’d raised since she found them in the forest soon after their birth had no fear of water but they hated remaining in the panniers.

The mist became a steady drizzle. Geni pulled her courser onto the planks. Val used his affinity to drive the water from the wooden surface.

Kirlon paused at Val’s side. “Let me keep the water from the boards. See if you can slow that mass of debris and trees from slamming into the supports.”

Val drew a deep breath and stared at the churning water. He focused on the raging current. While slowing the flow he noticed Ky and Geni’s slow progress. Ky reached a section where the railing had been swept away. How easily she could tumble into the river and be swept away. He wanted to shout for them to hurry and feared to startle them. Kirlon led his courser onto the bridge.

Val began the crossing. The boards creaked and groaned. A small tree slammed into a support. Val gasped. His courser squealed in fear.

“Steady,” Val urged, not only the steed but himself. He wished for Ky’s ability to control animals. He glanced upstream. The roaring of the water deafened him. His heart stuttered when he saw a massive oka tree tumble toward the central support. “Ky, Geni, Kirlon, hurry.”

Val tugged on the courser’s reins. He jumped across a gap in the boards where a plank had washed away. The animal balked. Val jerked on the reins. The effort he expended to restrain the tree’s progress sapped his strength. Fear rose and added to the panic churning inside.

A gust of wind-driven rain slapped his face. Kirlon had lost control of his element. The slap pushed Val toward a gap in the railing. For a brief moment he tottered there and caught his balance. His heart pounded in heavy thuds against his chest. He moved past the broken rail. The courser refused to move.

“Come,” he called. The steed tossed its head and snorted. The reins slipped from Val’s hands. He continued forward and hoped the animal would follow. Thoughts of the supplies they would lose and the time lost if he had to walk brought a rush of anger and a tinge of fear. They could fail to reach their destination and leave their part in the cleansing undone.

He looked up. The massive tree sped toward the bridge. “Ky,” he shouted. “Control my steed.” Had she heard him? His eyes widened. The oka would hit the middle support. He ran.

From behind he heard dull thuds of the courser’s hooves. He felt hot breath on his back. With a leap he cleared the end of the bridge, staggered several steps and fell. His breath whooshed out. The hooves of the steed nearly clipped his head. He hugged the ground. When he tried to raise his legs shook.

“Val.” Geni grabbed his arm. “Get up.”

Kirlon pulled on his other arm. The three half-ran and half–staggered to where Ky stood with the coursers. A loud boom sounded. Val turned his head.  Born by a jet of water, pieces of wood shot upward.

When the three reached the steeds, Geni released his arm. “We need to ride now. The ground isn’t stable here.”

Val climbed into the saddle. With Ky in the lead the four coursers galloped through the rain pouring from the sullen sky.  Val turned and stared at the shattered bridge. His eyes widened in alarm. The riverbank slid into the gorge. Great cracks appeared on the road’s surface.

For a time they maintained the headlong pack. Val felt his steed falter. Ky held up her hand. The four slowed to a walk.

Pools of water collected on either side of the road. The saturated soil could absorb no more. Though the spring equinox had occurred several days before, the farmers couldn’t plow or plant for the seeds would rot.

What would happen if he and his friends couldn’t undo the harm the doms and domas had wrought? Uncertainty stained his thoughts. Ahead he saw a cluster of houses. When Ky turned into a side lane Val released his held breath. He had no desire to ride through a village and be bombarded by the emotions of the people. His affinity for Water gave him the ability to experience the emotions of others.

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Writing ABC - H is for Humor #MFRWauthor #Writing

 H could stand for a lot of things like hero, heroine, honesty and at least one of the genres of writing - Horror. What struck me as I was sitting down to write this today was the need for humor.

I'm not talking about slap-stick bits though they can be fin written into a story. Like an inept man who must change a baby's diaper. Or a heroine who is a klutz. Humor is this but there are those little bits of humor that fit into a story for other reasons.

Sometimes when the writing of scene after scene where dramatic events are always life-threatening the reader may need a breath. Just a short scene that's brings a smile to the reader's face can make him or her want to finish the story. So think of light humor as a way to allow the reader to take a breath.

Children often can perform this purpose. They can allow the drama to take a break for a bit of time.

Do you put those little bits of humor in your stories? Not the ones that make the reader roar with laughter but the ones that bring a smile and release the tension for a short time.

Tuesday's Inspiration - Honing Talent #MFRWauthor #Inspiration

Years ago, I wrote poetry, some of it not bad and some not good. I wasn't writing poetry to set myself up as a poet but to hone my use of words. The other day when I was looking through the dozens of books I have on my shelf, I found the book that I read then and practiced some of the techniques. What I learned was about rhythm and developing my writer's voice. I'll use this book to glean some of the things that inspired me back then. The book is The Poet and the Poem by Judson Jerome. In looking over the first bit of the book several things struck me that apply to both writing fiction and poetry.

One is talent. Talent is a must. The forms can be learned so can the grammar and things like that but there must be a spark of talent somewhere to cause the words to have an effect on the writer. A thought on talent. Talent can be honed. I've met writers who can tell a story but fumble with putting it on paper. There are other writers who can drown you in words. There are ways to hone these skills.

The second is practice. If one is going to write a story one has to write and often re-write. The overnight success is rare and perhaps nonexistent. There are people I know who think they can write a story but they never sit to put the words on paper or type them into the computer. There are those who write a story but who would revise their stories. Never them. Practicing is one way to hone a story and to learn the rules to go along with the talent.

A writer needs to write. Practice belongs with persistence.

Here's a quote. "The best prose is chaos threatening to become order."
And so often my stories start out chaotic and gradually become order. What about you? Do you enjoy making order out of chaos, searching for the form that best suits what you want to say?

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Poetry

Meander 1 - Poem - Melody

A melody should be sweet and ripe,
Designed to catch and entice,
Flowing from note to note in evenness,
Heady as a breath of spice
Used in cooking a gourmet's delight.
A melody should be breathless
As a fist upon the land.
It should soar in time
As a rocket lifts from earth,
Seems to pause,
Then onward goes in a trail of flame
To reach a fabled world.
A melody should contain
The elements of life,
The singing of our souls in time.
A melody should sing and be.

Meander 2 - A week of trying to organize myself. The past week has been one of planning for what's coming soon - Thanksgiving and Christmas. Knowing I will send stockings off to the children and grandchildren in Florida sent me shopping. I don't like to  shop but if I must I will. Hopefully there's not too much to buy for the Florida ones but then I must also think of those at home and closer than Florida. So little of the other things I wanted to do got done.

Writing - Still working on the Cancer Capricorn Connection and on Past Betrayals. Also reformatting another story and hope to have it ready to send out by Monday. I'm just slogging along.

Sunday's Book - Confrontations - Book 4 Affinities Series #MFRWauthor #fantasy #Young adult

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?

Review

3.0 out of 5 starsThree Stars

By Debi Sullivan on May 11, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

Awesome world building.

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Caroline Warfield #MFRWauthor #history

The Renegade Wife 1832

Betrayed by his cousin and the woman he loved, Rand Wheatly fled England, his dreams of a loving family shattered. He clings to his solitude in an isolated cabin in Upper Canada. Returning from a business trip to find a widow and two children squatting in his house, he flies into a rage. He wants her gone, but her children are sick and injured, and his heart is not as hard as he likes to pretend.

Meggy Blair harbors a secret, and she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her children safe. She’d hopes to hide with her Ojibwa grandmother, if she can find the woman and her people. She doesn't expect to find shelter with a quiet, solitary man, a man who lowers his defensive walls enough to let Meggy and her children in.

Their idyllic interlude is shattered when Meggy’s brutal husband appears to claim his children. She isn’t a widow, but a wife, a woman who betrayed the man she was supposed to love, just as Rand’s sweetheart betrayed him. He soon discovers why Meggy is on the run, but time is running out. To save them all, Rand must return to England and face his face his demons and his family.

Book 1 of Caroline Warfield's Children of Empire Series, it is free on Kindle Unlimited or buy the ebook at https://www.amazon.com/Renegade-Wife-Children-Empire-Book-ebook/dp/B01LY7IRT6/

A Dangerous Nativity 1815

A lonely earl, a competent heroine of dubious origins, family secrets, and three mischievous boys—plus a goat on the roof, kisses in the barn, and mischief in the parlor...

The Earl of Chadbourn feels trapped managing his widowed sister’s ruined estate and grieving son. Loneliness overwhelms him, but the woman who handles the neighboring farm brilliantly draws him like a moth to flame. Catherine Wheatly has her own problems. With Christmas coming, can they repair the damaged estate and far more damaged family? Dare they hope for love in the bargain?

A prequel to both Caroline Warfield's Dangerous and Children of Empire Series, it is FREE on various retailers

Amazon US http://amzn.to/1TPyXTs

Apple  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-dangerous-nativity/id1131714520?mt=11

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-dangerous-nativity

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dangerous-nativity-caroline-warfield/1124073935?ean=2940153113289

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/647944

Dangerous Secrets 1820

Major Lord James Heyworth fled to Rome. Behind him lie disgrace, shame, and secrets he is desperate to keep even from powerful friends in London.  He accepts employment as an interpreter just to have money to eat. Nora Haley, his employer is a widow. She came to Rome to help her dying brother and protect his daughter. She can’t trust any man who drinks. She had enough of that in her marriage. She fears deception will destroy everything she desires. Either one, however, will dare anything for the tiny girl in their care. They will even enter a sham marriage to protect her. Will love—and the truth—bind them both together?

Book 2 of Caroline Warfield's Dangerous Series, it was a 2016 RONE Award winner and is free on Kindle Unlimited, or buy it here:

Amazon  (ebook or print) https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Secrets-Caroline-Warfield-ebook/dp/B00UPFPC3A/

Barnes & Noble (print only) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dangerous-secrets-caroline-warfield/1123132545?ean=9781682910139

Friday's Guest features Caroline Warfield - What She Was Before

. What were you in your life before you became a writer? Did this influence your writing?

As near as I can pinpoint that time, I had a full time career and three teenagers, a challenging time in any family. My background is in library and information science, and the bulk of my career focused on information technology for libraries. While I found work absorbing and satisfying, family drained the kind of energy I need for creative writing. Madeline L'Engle once observed that she wrote an entire novel in dressing rooms while on tour with a play, but she could not write with children in the house. That seemed to be the case for me also. Most of my prose in those days consisted of technical documentation, business communication, and articles for professional publications.  It took forever to write that first, long-forgotten, novel, and courage to have it critiqued. By the time my nest began to empty (at least between college semesters) I joined the Central Ohio Fiction Writers and began to take myself and my fiction seriously.

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.

My two interests and passions are history and family. My published works are all historical romance, and all involve family in some way. However I also have a historical novel outlined in detail; the research for that is partially done. In addition, I have completed  three middle grade novels set during the great depression and World War II—completed, but not published. I'm finding the pace of publishing historical romance has put a temporary hold on the other two genres. I have little interest in fantasy generally, but steampunk tickles me. While I love historical mysteries as a reader, I don't have enough of a detailed plotter in me to actually write those.

3. Did your reading choices have anything to do with your choice of a genre or genres?

Absolutely. Even as a child I gravitated toward biography, history, and historical novels. As a young mother with a busy household I fell in love with historical romance because it was comfortable, easy to read, and emotionally satisfying. I liked what I called "bathtub books," historical romance just the right length for a bubble bath. At some point I began to think, "I can do that!" Of course it is much harder than it looks and the learning curve was steep.

4. What's your latest release?

The Renegade Wife is the first of a new series called Children of Empire. Since most of the books in my Dangerous Series involved children, I thought it might be interesting to imagine what might happen to them as adults, during the height of the empire in the early Victorian era. Renegade, the first, actually takes place in 1832, just before Victoria. The era bristled with social upheaval, reform movements, and changes in women's lives; it is ripe with material for stories.

The heroine escapes an abusive relationship. The existing laws, which gives her no right to her own children, were on the brink of change in 1832.  The hero, who first appears as a boy in my Christmas novella, A Dangerous Nativity, is a reclusive businessman living in Upper Canada. Circumstances, however. force him back to England, or what is more important to me, back to family. 

5. What are you working on now?

The hero of the next book in the series, The Reluctant Wife, is the brother of the hero of the first. He is a officer with the East India Company. His story is in progress now.

6. Where can we find you?

Since I retired to the urban wilds of Eastern Pennsylvania (ok ok—suburban Philadelphia) I spend my time in an office with windows on three sides and bookshelves under the windows.

You can find me on the Web at:

My Website http://www.carolinewarfield.com/

LibraryThing http://www.librarything.com/profile/CaroWarfield

Amazon Author Page  http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/

Good Reads http://bit.ly/1C5blTm

or contact me through: 

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7

Twitter @CaroWarfield or https://twitter.com/CaroWarfield

Email warfieldcaro@gmail.com

My Newsletter:   http://www.carolinewarfield.com/newsletter    

Thursday's Second Scene - Searches - Affinities Book 3 #MFRWauthor #fantasy # YA

ASHLEA

            Ash helped carry the long granite slab the three with Earth affinities had carved from the cliff behind the keep. Dragen opened the door so they could enter the large kitchen. The nine placed the slab on the square pillars fashioned into legs. Though the original table had shattered, the stone benches and chairs had remained. She stepped back and scanned the massive room.

            She and Kirlon had cleaned the large fireplace and used currents of air to clear the chimney. The braziers on either side had been scoured and repaired by Ky and Zand. Val and Bran had scrubbed the floors, the stone worktables along one wall and the shelves of the cupboards.

            “What else is there to do?” she asked.

            “Dragen is using wood from one of the wagons to make storage places in the pantry,” Jay said.

            Dyna rubbed the surface of the table with a cloth. The stone gleamed. “We can use the mounds of straw in the entry way to stuff sleeping mats and pillows. A sevenday of sleeping on the stone floor is enough.”

            Ash smiled. During the days since they’d arrived at the keep, they had worked hard. She thought of the other things they needed to do. Before long autumn would arrive. Besides having a safe place, there were quests they must complete before they returned to master their affinities. Only then could they train to face Dom Senet and his followers.

            She wondered how much time remained before they could confront the evil man. What was he doing? Could she learn? Was she brave enough to search the winds for him? A chill rolled over her arms and she gasped.

            Kirlon turned. “What has frightened you?”

            Ash drew a deep breath, “Dom Senet.” She walked to the door and stepped into the courtyard.

            He looked startled. “Has he tried to speak to you?”

            “No. I was wondering if I should check on him. I can do that, you know.”

            Kirlon clasped her hand. “Though I’ve never had a meeting with him, he scares me. I wonder if he was responsible for the disappearance of my father and my uncle. When they left for the highlands, they promised to return. They didn’t. Then illness struck the village and Dyna and I became orphans.”

            “He and his friends could have killed them. We were sent to Cedris to meet the teachers our parents had spoken to. They never arrived. Just before we left the town we learned the dom had them killed.” She sighed. “I believe we must discover where he is and what he plans before we leave on our quest.”

            He nodded. “I know there are talismans we need as well as other people with affinities. I think we should seek the talented first. The Rovers told me how those with talents for the elements are often feared by people and must flee the way Dyna and I did.” He stepped away. “Could we seek Dom Senet on the winds?”

            “We can but not alone.”

            “Then you and I will do this. What about now?”

            Though his offer pleased her, now wasn’t the time. She refused to seek the dom unless her siblings were present to draw her back. “Not now. After the evening meal, we can meet in the inner room. Bring Dyna. Though you are cousins and not siblings, you have a bond.”

            He frowned. “Why must she be there?”

            “I’d like you to read the winds with me and taste Dom Senet’s thoughts, but I don’t want you to be trapped.” She told him of the time the dom had sensed her and how he had tried to gain control of her mind. “My siblings broke me free but an echo remained. Doma Jandia had to teach me how to break free.”

            “What do you mean by trapped?”

            She shuddered. “I was sick and fevered. He was in my head laughing and making threats.”

            “I don’t want that. I’ll tell Dyna.”

            Ash returned to the kitchen. She put plates on the table. Kirlon brought the cutting boards for bread and cheese. Jay and Geni arrived with greens and scallions. Ash wished for tomatls like they’d had in Cedris. Perhaps after repairing the growing house, their larder would improve. The doma poured heated water into pots for tea and kaf. Dragen produced a smoked ham. Eleven people gathered at the table and ate.

            While she and her siblings cleaned the kitchen, she told them of her plan. “I have to do this.”

            “Why?” Jay asked.

            “We need to know where he is and what he’s planning. Soon we have to leave the keep to search for others with affinities to complete the quartets.”

            Ky nodded. “She’s right.”

            Bran clasped Ash’s hand. “I hate to agree but we need to know if he has any idea of where we are.”

            “Kirlon and Dyna will join us. Kirlon needs to learn how to search the winds for a specific person. Their bond will pull him back if the dom senses him.” Ash washed the last of the dishes.

            Bran and Jay carried the pails of dirty water to the door and emptied them. At the pump they washed and refilled the buckets. “Can’t wait until the pipes are repaired,” Bran said.

            Ash chuckled. “In time, the doma said.”

            Ky dashed to the door into the entry hall. “I’m off for some pillows. I’ll meet you.”

            Ash walked with her brothers to the inner room the doma had designated as a training place. Located behind the tower stairs there were no windows and only a single door. Ky returned with straw-stuffed cushions. She lit the candles set in sconces along the walls. Kirlon and Dyna arrived with more pillows.

            Ash positioned one beside hers. The others formed a circle around them. Ash clasped Kirlon’s hand. “Follow me.”

            “How do I do that?”

            She reached with her mind to touch his, using the way Doma Jandia had taught her. “Come.” She felt his thoughts join hers. 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?

            Instead of an answer the other voice vanished. Ash heard her siblings call her name. Dyna called Kirlon. Ash opened her eyes. “I’m all right. This is what I learned…” She told them of the plans for the princedoms and how the dom planned to replace the heirs.

            Bran nodded. “We’ve already seen the start of that.”

            “How so?” Jay asked.

            “Larin is the heir of Soutren and he’s with the Rovers,” Dyna said.

            Kirlon nodded. “What about the four young men we saw in the dom’s thoughts?”

            Ash drew a deep breath. “He plans to use them against us and he has no idea we have allies.”

            Kirlon frowned. “Who is this Sydli? Is she friend or foe?”

            “I’m not sure. She does have an affinity for Air.”

            Jay looked up. “I’d say friend. Dom Senet has no use for girls. At least that’s what those four boys said.”

            “She was frightened of him.”

            Kirlon grimaced. “I don’t blame her. One scent of his mind and I felt sick. He smelled like rotten meat.”

            Ash nodded. “You are so right.” She turned to Dyna and her siblings. “Someone needs to find the doma.”

            “I’ll go,” Dyna said.

            “Find Zand and Geni, too,” Ash said. “We’re not trained to fight the dom yet and we need to plan.”

            Bran rose and followed Dyna. “I’ll make a calming tea.” Jay and Ky went with him.

            Ash closed her eyes. The encounter with Dom Senet made her want to burrow into a cave. A thought arose. Had he really sensed her or had Sydli or Kirlon triggered his response? There had been a question in his voice. Maybe he hadn’t been sure who had searched his thoughts.

            She had to warn others like herself. She sent a call on the winds. To those with affinities for the elements, seek the Rovers. If you are in danger, they will help.

            Moments later the doma and the rest of the party arrived. Ash told them what she had done and what she had learned.

            Doma Jandia frowned. “I pray the message you sent only reaches those you need and not Senet and his ilk.”

            Ash released a sigh. “We need them. Visiting every village and town in every princedom would take too long.”

            “There is that,” the doma said. “I know you want to start your search, but the time isn’t yet.”

            Ash bowed her head. While the others talked about what had been learned and made plans, she prayed they would be granted the time they needed.