Saturday, September 30, 2017

Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Kryssie Fortune #MFRWauthor #romance #paranormal

To Wed a Werewolf – Book one of my Scattered Sibling’s series.


Blurb
Sylvie's more human librarian than half-blood Fae princess and she definitely prefers books to men. Then, she learns her unwanted Lykae fiancée is marrying someone else. If she doesn't stop the wedding, the Fae will resume the border war with the Werewolf nation. A high-handed Lykae security guard blocks her every move, and when her plans go awry, she's kidnapped, stripped, and bound for his pleasure.

Caleb the Cold, King of the Lykae, will do anything to make his younger brother's wedding special--even pretend he's a security guard and kidnap his brother's former fiancée. Punishing her is pure pleasure, until he realizes she's his mate. Now he needs to woo the woman he's tormented to the edge of madness, but is it too late to claim her heart, and make her his?

Buy Links

Loose id      Amazon US     Amazon UK     Kobo

Marriage, Mobsters, and the Marine – Book One of MY Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge Series


Blurb
Abigail Montgomery, a small-town schoolteacher with zero self-confidence, dreams of the Dickensian Christmas her family never enjoyed. Each month she attends a masked BDSM club, but her next visit will be her last. If she doesn’t marry within the next year, her brother won’t inherit Montgomery Hall. Desperate, she advertises for a husband.

Jared Armstrong, a former Marine sharpshooter and occasional Dom, needs $125,000 to get his family out of a hole. His solution--to marry Abigail Montgomery for her money. His only regret is his wife won’t accept his spanking lifestyle.

Soon, Abigail dreams of making their marriage real, but she promised Jared a divorce two years after their wedding. Can they share some Christmas magic as their relationship faces extortion threats, a kidnapping, and an attempted murder? Or will Jared walk away and break her heart?

Buy Links

Loose id        Amazon US      Amazon Uk      Kobo

Submission, Secrets, and the Soldier – My current release and book 4 of my Heroes of Westhopre Ridge Series.  (A Stand-alone romance)








Blurb
Luke Roberts, a former army mechanic, has a new sub. She's shy and inexperienced, but willing. As he teaches her about sensation play, she fears he'll really hurt her and screams her safewords at him. Her reaction causes Luke to have a flashback. Although he's clawing his way back to normal, he suffers from PTSD. Determined to get well, he contacts a PTSD specialist in Westhorpe Ridge.

Kathryn Johnson has visited a BDSM club three times. When she hooks up with Luke Roberts, he unintentionally terrifies her. She swears off spankings and goes home to Westhorpe Ridge. The last person she expects to see there is Luke Roberts.

Circumstances force them to share an apartment. Can Luke protect her when danger threatens? Or is she just a temporary sub in residence?

Buy links


Loose id   


Friday, September 29, 2017

Friday's Guest - Kryssie Fortune #MFRWauthor #Interview #romance

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

A working mum. Mostly I worked as a purchase ledger clerk, but my last few working years (Yes, I’m retired) I worked on Emmerdale – one of the UK’s three big soaps. I started out importing scripts onto the in-house program but eventually technology made me redundant. Emmerdale is like a family.  I had the option to stay on and work in other departments. Naturally, that’s what I did. Obviously, I got to read amazing scripts. I think that helped with the dialogue in my books.  

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. 

I write whatever idea shouts loudest. I love my Scattered Siblings series. It’s centres around werewolves and their mates, but the Fae King is the one looking for his brothers and sisters.
My Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge series revolves around retired military men building their civilian lives in the coastal North Carolina Town of Westhorpe Ridge. Each fall for a local woman, but true love never runs smooth. The stories are as much adventure as romance. 
All my books are hot sexy reads 

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

I read anything, but I prefer whatever I read to have romantic elements. Maybe because I grew up reading Mills and Boon, or maybe because I’m a softy at heart. Vampires and Werewolves? Bring them on. Is the hero a former soldier? So much the better.

4. What's your latest release? 
Submission, Secrets, and the Soldier. It’s the fourth stand-alone romance in my Heroes of Westhorpe Ridge series. There’s no need to read the preceding romances, but if you have, it’s a chance to catch up on old friends and to make some new ones.

5. What are you working on now? 
My first ever Regency Romance. I’m not even sure which publisher to send it to yet since it’s a niche market. Fingers crossed I find a perfect fit.

6. Where can we find you? 

Kryssie loves to hear from readers. Here are her social media links:

Facebook  
Twitter    
Blog      
Website   


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Thursday's Third Scene - Searches - Affinities Book 3 #MFRWauthor #YA #Fantasy

Sydli

Who?

The question rang in Sydli’s thoughts and brought a gush of fear. Sydli. She answered before she decided whether the voice belonged to a friend or enemy. To muffle her mind, she quickly slammed the barrier her mother had taught her to erect.

She sank on a chair and covered her face with her hands. Though she had given her name to a stranger, she had kept her location secret. Cautiously, she opened the bond to her twin. Emli. Be careful at dinner tonight. We don’t want Lodar to know which of us can hear his thoughts.

Emli grinned. He is fun to confuse but I don’t like or trust him. He makes me feel itchy.

You’re right to feel that way. I have listened to him when he sits at Father’s side. Mandir constantly speaks of Wesren and how wealthy that princedom has become. He hints the reason is because no female or halfling can be the ruler. He also argues that as Father’s oldest child, though his mother was never a spouse, he should be named as heir.

Emli frowned. Father was pleased when Lodar returned. What will we do if he is named heir?

Sydli grasped her twin’s hands. We will pray spouses are found for us in other princedoms.
If Father does that, we will be separated.

Sydli caught a hint of eagerness in her twin’s thoughts. Did Emli want to have a life apart? The possibility troubled Sydli. Before their mother’s death, she had asked Sydli to protect her twin. The promise had been sworn. We could have twin spouses.

Emli laughed. How many high-ranking sets of twins are there? I know of no others. She rose. “Let me be the friendly one tonight. Do you think Lodar knows which of us is the true heir?”

Sydli shook her head. “Doubtful. Prepare to be charming. I will be nasty.” She finished braiding her hair. They had inherited their pale hair and green eyes from their mother. Their copper-hued skin was like their father’s. Being halflings had held them apart from the people of Nortren.

The summoning bell chimed. Emli walked to the door. “We should hurry.”

They sped along the corridor toward the throne room. Sydli paused at the door to catch her breath and to read who was inside. Emli reached for the handle. Sydli’s forehead wrinkled. “Lodar is here. Father’s thoughts show he is pleased. What has Lodar told him?”

Emli made a face. “Who knows?”

“I could learn.” Sydli felt a brush across her thoughts. Beware. Shield. There’s a stranger in there who can read thoughts.

My blocks are tight. Could this stranger be one of our half-brother’s friends or one of our relatives?

I don’t know.

Emli opened the door. “Father, we are here.”

When Sydli saw the tall man whose fair hair hung in a braid down his back, her skin prickled. She pulled her barriers too tight she could barely hear spoken words.

The stranger rose. His black leather clothes made his skin appear as pale as newly fallen snow. His coloring and manner meant he was from the highlands. Who was he? A miasma of evil surrounded him. Sydli knew he was no friend.

The man turned to her father. “Pedron, your daughters are as lovely as any I’ve seen.”

His intense glare made Sydli’s shoulder muscles tense. She clasped Emli’s hand. They crossed the room and curtseyed to their father.

Prince Pedron smiled. “You may rise. Dom Senet, my twin daughters, Emli and Sydli.”

Sydli kept her gaze lowered. She caught a glimpse of Lodar’s sly smile from the corner of her eyes. In that instant she knew the dom was her half-brother’s ally. Take care. She sent the message on the twin bond.

Always.

The prince held his arm for Emli to clasp. “The evening meal awaits.”

The dom held his arm for Sydli. She touched the tips of her fingers to his sleeve. They walked toward the great hall. She felt his attempts to penetrate the barrier over her thoughts. Small needles jabbed. She wanted to push him away, but she dare not show she knew of his intentions.

In the great hall, Dom Senet held her chair. “I knew your mother. She was one of my students. Did she ever tell you how she was brought to your father’s attentions?”

Sydli shook her head. “I know she came here after Lodar’s mother tried to poison Father.”

“I brought her,” Dom Senet said.

He lied but why? “I don’t understand. Mother said Doma Jandia sent her here.”

The quick freezing of his expression made her wish she dared read his thoughts. She couldn’t lower her barriers for an instant while in his presence. Did he think her mother would have kept her romance a secret from her daughters? The moment dinner ended she planned to use the hidden ways to spy on him. The dom could be one of the men her mother had warned her daughters not to trust.

All during the many courses of the meal, Sydli felt subtle brushes against her barriers. When the last course arrived, she managed to gain Emli’s attention. Has he tried to break your barriers?

Once or twice. What does he want?

I don’t know but I will learn.

He frightens me.

Me, too.

When the courtiers and their ladies gathered in clusters, Sydli and Emli slipped from the room. Though Sydli wished they could use the inner ways, the presence of so many people in the halls prevented this escape. They reached their suite and she bolted the door.

Emli slumped on a chair. “Lodar was so smug. Told me he believes I will make a good spouse for his half–brother.”

Sydli pulled her dress over her head. “And me?”

“Actually he said which ever of us the dom doesn’t claim will become Mandir’s spouse.”

“I’ll flee before either happens.” Sydli dressed in a tunic and divided skirt. “I caught several of Lodar’s thoughts. He believes the dom will help him become heir.”

Emli grimaced. “We have to know how they plan to achieve this. Should I come with you?”

“Not this time. Stay here in case someone comes to check on us.”

“What should I tell them?”

“That I went to the stillroom. You need a potion for a headache.”

“If the dom is allied with Lodar and helps him become heir, what will happen to Father?”

“I don’t know.” She would worry about their father once she knew her twin was safe. “I won’t be long.”

“Be careful.”

“Always. We’re the only ones who know of the inner ways. Remember what Mother said. The passages were created when the highlanders helped build the palace so they could have access if needed.”

Emli nodded. “Do you think the dom knows about them? He is from the highlands.”

“I pray not.” Sydli stepped into the wardrobe and opened the door into a dark passage. Emli handed her a candle.

As Sydli hurried along the narrow hall, she hoped Dom Senet knew nothing about the hidden ways. She moved forward and listened for voices. Loud ones came from Lodar’s suite. She peered through the small viewing hole and swallowed a gasp. The dom was there. Cautiously, she extended her talent to hear both their spoken and their silent words.

“I should end your life,” Dom Senet said. “When you shattered the gem, you and your brother may have killed Alizand. I had a use for him.” Though his voice remained calm, his thoughts churned with rage. Death will be your lot when you complete the task I set.

“He got in our way,” Lodar said. “We just wanted to kill the war steed.” Does he think he scares me?

“And that gave you permission to attempt to kill Alizand?” Dom Senet raised his hand. A spurt of fire caressed Lodar’s cheek. “I can mark you or I can destroy you.” But not until your usefulness ends.

Lodar backed away. Fear scrambled his thoughts. “Wasn’t me. Mandir is to blame.”

“Was he?”

The question in the dom’s voice increased the fear Sydli read in Lodar’s thoughts.

“We didn’t know he would die. We wanted the steed dead and to have the jewel.”

The flame died. “Fools. Did you not know the gem would become gray and dull if one of you touched it?”

Lodar laughed. “You’re wrong. Mother had a necklace of red jewels.”

“That was nothing like the one Alizand wore. No matter. You will pay for that action by obedience. This time you will heed my instructions.”

Lodar nodded. “I promise.”

“Spend time with your half-sisters. One of them has an affinity for one of the elements. I need to know which one.”

“Why?” Lodar’s thoughts raced with ways to turn the order to his advantage.

“Not for you to know.” Dom Senet raised his fist.

“How do I learn what you want to know?”

“By skillful questions. By observation. When you have the answer, report to me.”

“What are these affinities?” Lodar turned his back on the dom.

Dom Senet laughed. “You have seen me and Alizand use Fire. Air pulls thoughts from a person’s head. Water senses emotions. Earth makes plants grow.”

“How do I report to you? You’re leaving in the morning.”

With a sudden movement, the dom placed his hands on Lodar’s head. Commands came too fast for Sydli to hear them all. She feared if she probed deeper Dom Senet would discover her. As she closed her mind, she heard a voice.

Seek the Rovers. If you are in danger they will help.

Dom Senet spoke again. “Not the Rovers, you fool. There are two doms living in town. Seek them.”
Sydli stepped back and managed to avoid hitting the wall. The voice giving the command hadn’t sound like Dom Senet’s, but she had no idea if the speaker was friend or foe. She and Emli were in danger. Plans for an escape were essential. Where could they go? She knew nothing about any place except Norla and little about the town except for the palace and the market. Could she and Emli find safety with the Rovers?


Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Wednesday Hooking Romancing the Nurse #MFRWBookHooks #MFRWauthor #Medical #Romance

Product Details

This is a new release and one I'm very proud of. My granddaughter is on the cover as a shaded figure. The book is for my adopted biracial daughter and her daughters. Since I can't remember how to do this, while the blurb is PG, the story is spicy.

Blurb:
Ginny’s new job as patient care coordinator at a suburban hospital is a dream come true. She can raise her daughter and young niece away from the city. 

The older orthopedic surgeon who recruited her helps make the move easier. His stroke brings his son, another surgeon home to take over his father’s practice. Unfortunately, Ginny remembers him from an evening encounter at the city hospital where she worked. They had words. He also remembers that night. 

They clash but beneath the anger, there is an attraction. Blake wants her in his bed and attempts to romance her. Then he discovers he wants her forever and must eat a lot of crow.

Excerpt:


When Ginny turned the corner, she stopped short.  A barely contained urge to run in the opposite direction caused her to approach the desk with slow, measured steps.  Young Dr. Marshall was tall, handsome -- and black.  He was also the resident who two years ago had questioned her nursing judgment.  Though she had been vindicated, a patient had suffered needless pain.
            Her hands curled into fists.  Dr. Marshall laughed at something Val said and then turned to Lisa.  The knot in Ginny’s abdomen swelled into her chest.  No way, she thought.  She wouldn’t allow this man or anyone to detour her from her chosen road.  She plastered a smile on her face that she knew didn’t watch the hostility she felt.
            “Dr. Marshall, I’m Ms. Barr, Patient Care Coordinator for the unit.  Welcome to Hudson View.”
            Lisa strolled away.  “See you around, Dr. Marshall.  You’ll soon discover Hudson View is nothing like the University for interesting and exciting cases.”
            Ginny stiffened.  Why did Lisa constantly bad mouth the hospital?  If she felt bored, she should have stayed at the University.
            A slow smile curved Dr. Marshall’s lips.  His dark brown eyes appraised Ginny with the intensity of a scientist peering through a microscope.  He held out a hand.  She resisted the desire to thrust her hands behind her back.  Instead, she held her arms stiffly at her sides.
            “Ms. Barr, Blake Marshall.  My father speaks highly of you.”  He rested the hand she had refused to touch on the counter that separated the nurses’ station from the hall.
            “Then I must thank him.  He has been eagerly awaiting  your arrival.”
            She held back a groan.  Stilted conversation had never been her forte, but this morning and with this man, she’d become an expert.  The knot edged into her throat.  She gulped a breath.  Why did the air between them smell of ozone as though a bolt of lightning had struck nearby?

            She saw a question in his eyes and wondered if he remembered the night they’d met.  She had called him twice and the third time had demanded he come to assess a patient.  She would never forget because that had been the night Joey had left Manda.  Angry thoughts swept her into the past.

Buy Mark: Romancing The Nurse 

Visit these blogs and perhaps discover new authors. http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Following the Scene - What next #MFRWauthor #Amwriting #BWL

The scene has finished and it definitely hasn't shown the focus character how to reach his or her goal. What comes next? According to Dwight V. Swain in Techniques of the Selling Writer, you need a sequence. This is defined as a bridge between one scene and the next.

The main character hasn't reached his goal. He or she has faced a defeat or been pushed into a side track. What does he or she do? A way must be found to push the story further. This is the sequence.
A sequence has several goals. One is to push toward the goal. Two is to move the story forward. Three is to control the tempo of the story.

For me this is the time when the focus character reacts to what has happened and to think of what he or she must do next to reach that illusive goal. It also gives me time to allow the reader to absorb what happened and to root for the character's success.

The character may set a different goal. Time enters into this. No one can make a decision in a moment. There needs to be time to think about what happened and why the goal needs to be changed. Now this doesn't mean theis should take pages to come to this decision. Something like for a week he or she struggled to find a way to reach the goal. He had a new plan to find an answer to the conflict. This can be done by summary of the time and the new thoughts on where the character is going and how he will reach the goal. This leads into the next scene.

Monday, September 25, 2017

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Poetry #Writing

Meander 1 - Poem - Haiku - Autumn

Spread across the land
Blazing trees in autumn found
With their glory crowns.

Meander 2 - Book Talk - Went to a library with three of my friends to give a talk on The Road To Publication. Though the turnout was small. There were just three spectators, they did listen and ask questions. I'm sorry there were so few attending but perhaps the next one will be better attended. One of the attendees talked a bit about her story. Sounded like a great idea and I do hope she decides to come to our meeting.

Meander 3 Writing - Am halfway through the last of the writing drafts and made a change. I turned one of the three strong villains into a week, cowardly one. I think it will make the story stronger in the end. I'm slowly getting to the point where I am sick of the book. Let's hope the next week allows me to progress faster.

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Sunday's Book - Searches Affinities Book 3 #MFRWauthor #YA #fantasy

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

Having found a safe place in a tower fortress, the four and their companions set out to find what they need to defeat Dom Senet and He Who Walks With Evil. They divide into three groups. The first group seeks the focus stones that enhance their affinities. The second group looks for the remaining artifacts, the swords, the staffs, the flutes and the scrying bowls. The third group sets out to find those with their affinities to round the groups to four of earth, four water, four air and four fire. Their strength will be needed in the final battle.

Available from Books We Love  http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/

JL Walters – Affinities Series

Affinities Book 1 – Escape
Affinities Book 2 – Havens
Affinities Book 3 – Searches
Affinities Book 4 – Confrontations

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Stuart West #MFRWauthor #mystery #humor

Peculiar County BLURB:

Growing up in Peculiar County, Kansas, is a mighty...well, peculiar experience. In 1965, things get even stranger for Dibby Caldwell, the mortician's fifteen year old daughter. A young boy's ghost haunts Dibby into unearthing the circumstances of his death.

Nobody—living or dead—wants her to succeed. James, the new mop-topped, bad boy at school doesn’t help. Dibby can’t get him out of her head, even though she doesn’t trust him. No, sir, there's nothing much more peculiar than life in Peculiar County…except maybe death in Peculiar County.


Chili Run BLURB:

When Wendell Worthy decides to blow off laundry for the day, he has no idea he'll soon be running across downtown Kansas City in his tighty-whities.

But a murderous, psychotic drug dealer has his brother and the ransom's a cup of chili that has to be delivered within two hours. The catch? There are rules in place: no rides, no money, no help. And Wendell has to do it in his underwear. Regardless of the rules, he knows he can’t go it alone.

The only person downtown who might help is Alicia. Too bad their one and only date ended in disaster. Wendell can run like the devil’s on his tail, and he’s gonna’ need to, because all sorts of hell’s about to break loose.

Chili Run: The perfect thriller for the reader on the go.


Bad Day in a Banana Hammock BLURB:


Zach wakes up with no memory, no phone, and no clothes except his stripper g-string. And oh yeah! There’s that pesky naked dead guy in bed next to him. Problem is Zach's not gay. Or a murderer. At least, he doesn't think so.

Only one person can help him, his sister, Zora. Of course Zora's got problems of her own—she has three kids at home and is eight month's pregnant with the fourth. So she’s a bit cranky. But that’s not going to stop her from helping her brother.

With kids in tow, the siblings set how to find the true killer, clear Zach's name, and reassure Zach he's not gay.

Friday, September 22, 2017

Friday's Guest - Stuart West #MFRWAuthor #writing #YA

We all know there are six elements of fiction. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. I believe the first five lead to the sixth which for me is plot. What's your take on this?
Janet, for me it varies for each different genre. For instance, for my latest book, the YA ghost story, murder mystery, Peculiar County, I had a very specific time and place in mind--a small Kansas town in the mid-sixties. And I had an idea for the lead character, a fifteen year old tomboy, daughter of the local mortician, torn between other-worldly happenings around her and her father's starkly scientific approach to life. Once I had that set, the plot unravelled on its own. So, yes, this book definitely followed the theory you laid out.

Other books? Not so much. For instance, in the Zach and Zora comic mystery series (the third one, Nightmare of Nannies, out in October) started with a dare to write the dumbest, most vain and vapid lead character ever. Everything fell into place after that.
1.      How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific method?
 No method. As I said above, I'm not beyond creating a character out of a dare. (Oddly enough he's a lotta fun to write, too!). Other characters I crib from taking traits here, inserting habits there, eavesdropping on people, dreams, random thoughts, lots of "What If" questions. You name it.
2. Do your characters come before the plot?
Most of the time. Not in Chili Run. Chili Run was hatched from a silly nightmare, the kind that seems deadly serious at the time, and one probably born from a particularly potent batch of chili consumed the night before. I had no idea what my lead character would be like until I started writing (in the dream, of course, it was me). But Chili Run was the exception to the rule. Once I get a solid character, they practically write themselves.

3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?
   
Never! Just like the reader, I'm along for the magical mystery ride! During the course of the book, I'll get a better idea, but a lot of times, that changes. I've saved many a character from the gallows and have even changed the identity of mystery murderers before book's end. The fun part of writing!
4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?
Nothing's planned, at least to the point of being put down on paper. Although, for Dread and Breakfast (my psycho-thriller taking place in a bed & breakfast joint), I actually had to sit down and chart out a blueprint of the building. The place was so integral to the interconnected plot-lines, practically a character in itself, I had to have it firmly in mind at all times.

5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?
On line, of course! I don't know how in the world ye olde writers used to do it! For my one historical paranormal tale, Ghosts of Gannaway, I actually researched through a stack of books. Took more time than the writing! Never again.

6. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why? Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

Draft writer! The first draft flies by, practically a subconscious race toward the end. Lots of fun and always surprising as the characters dictate what happens. Then comes the drudgery of going back through (Ugh. Did I actually write that?) and trying to make sense of it (Ye gads! What was I thinking?).

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Thursday's Third Scene featuring Havens - Affinities Book 2 #MFRWauthor #fantasy #teen

Jaydren

With a burst of speed Jay turned from the hut and raced toward the camp where his siblings waited.  Ky’s call had held an urgency that spurred him to hurry.  The path he took wound in a serpentine manner around clusters of firs and stark stands of hardwoods.  Towing the sled through the maze would be difficult.

He passed the first place he’d noted as a possible shelter.  The fallen trees and bushes formed a space resembling a cave.  Dead leaves lay in a thick mat on the ground.  There was room to pitch the tent but he was glad he’d continued past.  The abandoned hut could shelter them for days while they decided where to go.

Jay sighed.  If only Ash would search the winds for signs of people they could have formed an idea of where they were.  He understood her fear.  With the twin bond he had experienced some of Ky’s panicked reaction when she’d been Dom Senet’s prisoner.  Being separated from her siblings had been hard, but when the two-way conversation had been cut off, her hopes must have vanished.  His had.

He caught the scent of burning wood and then saw a great cloud of smoke.  Finally he was close enough to see leaping flames.  Why had they built the fire so high?  If there were people nearby they would come to investigate and they might be enemies.  He stretched his legs into longer strides.  “What happened?”

Bran looked up.  “Ash … Ash.”

Ky put her hands on Bran’s shoulders.  “She broke through the ice on a pond and was soaked and chilled.  She needs a warm place.”

“The abandoned hut isn’t far.”

“What kind of hut?”

Jay shrugged.  “Made from logs.  Could be a woodcutter’s place.  There’s a big stack of cut wood and a fireplace.  Took a glance inside.  Saw some bunks.”

Ky rose and walked to the sled.  “Then let us hurry.”  She dropped the folded half of the tent inside.

Jay nodded.  “We’ll be there before midday.”

“Come and help.”  Bran reached for the head of the sleep saque.  “We need to lift her into the sled.”

Jay and Ky joined him.  They carried Ash to the sled and managed to lift her over the high side.  Jay heaped snow over the fire while Ky and Bran made sure they’d left nothing behind.

While Bran and Ky pulled the sled, Jay followed and stirred the snow to obscure their trail with a fir branch.  Light flurries had begun to fall.  Jay smiled.  With luck, the snowfall would continue until all signs of their passing vanished.

They wove a path around bushes and trees.  When they passed the tangle, Jay pointed to the way the growth formed a cave.  “We could have used that but the hut is better.  Not much further to go.”

“Good,” Bran said.

Soon the dark structure appeared.  Jay dropped the fir branch and began to push the sled.  He studied their destination.  Gaps between the logs had been sealed with yellow clay.  Once they had the fire started the small structure would soon warm.  He ran ahead and opened the door into a square room.  “How will we get Ash inside?”

“On the sled,” Bran said.

“Will it fit?”  Ky asked.

Without spilling Ash, Jay wondered.  He moved to help.  Bran pulled.  Jay and Ky pushed.  The runners squealed on the wood.  Then like a cork pulled from a bottle, the sled popped into the room.  Jay and Ky landed in a tangle on the floor.  He freed himself and lay back to gulp deep breaths of air.

“Jay, help us lift Ash onto one of the bunks,” Bran called.

He pushed to his feet and took hold of the foot of the sleep saque.  The three struggled to lift Ash onto a lower bunk closest to the fireplace.  Jay rooted in the sled, found the brazier, the firebricks and the flasks of tea and broth.

“Ky, light the bricks.” 

“Be right there.”  She emerged from behind a door he hadn’t noticed before.  “The necessary,” she said.  “Kind of small.”

Once his twin lit the fire, Jay found two pans and emptied the flasks into them.  He placed journey bread and cheese on a cloth and set them on the small table.  There were only two rickety chairs so they would have to take turns.

Bran sat beside Ash and opened the sleep saque.  “Just as I feared.”

“What?”  Jay asked.

“Come and see.  I fear her feet are badly frost-bitten.  Her hands, too, but not as bad.  She could lose her toes.”

Jay stared at the blanched skin of his sibling’s feet.  He gently touched one.  “I feel a faint pulse.  How can we help her?”  He couldn’t imagine Ash being crippled.

Bran looked up.  “Find Ky.  I need her help.  We have to warm Ash’s hands and feet and bring more blood to them.  I’m glad she’s sleeping.  The restoration will be painful.”

“What can Ky do?”

“Remember what she did when we healed Zand?”

Jay nodded.  “I’ll get her.”  He ran to the door.  “Ky.

“Here,” she called.  “By the woodpile.  The top layer and some of the sides are covered with ice but the rest is all right.  There’s enough for at least a sevenday, probably longer.”

“Bran needs your help with Ash.  He wants you to bring fire sort of like you did with Zand.”  Jay walked to where she stood.  “I’ll fetch the wood.”

Ky thrust the logs she held into his arms.  She sprinted to the house.  Jay followed.  He piled the logs beside the fireplace and returned with two more loads.  Finally, he laid a fire and with his knife shaved some scraps for kindling.

Bran and Ky stood beside the bunk.  Curiosity drew Jay across the room to watch and add his strength if needed.

“The hands were easy,” Ky said.

“We should have done her feet first,” Bran said.  “What if we waited too long?”

Ky shook her head.  “We had to be sure we knew what we were doing.  I’m ready.”

Bran cradled one of Ash’s feet in his hands.  Ky placed her fingers over his.  As Jay watched, the skin color changed from near-white to pale brown and finally to bronze.

Once they finished, Ky slumped and nearly tumbled to the floor.  Jay caught her and pushed her beside Ash.  Bran slumped at the foot of the bunk.  “Jay, some tea.  Add a lot of honey.”

Jay rushed to the brazier and scooped tea from the pan.  He added a liberal amount of the sweetening and carried the mug to the bunk.  After helping Ky sit, he held the cup so she could drink.  With a grin, she finished the tea and dangled her legs over the side.

Jay fixed a second cup of tea.  Bran drank, then left the bunk and searched in his pack.  He sprinkled herbs in a cup of tea.  Ash groaned.  Jay supported her while she drank.

Though they were protected from the wind, the hut was cold.  Jay searched for the fire starter Dragen had given them.  He sat on the stone hearth and struck sparks until one caught.  He blew on the spark and added shavings.  The flame grew.  Carefully, he added larger scraps and then a small log.  He groaned.  Instead of the smoke flowing up the chimney, it eddied into the room.  Jay’s eyes watered.  Ash began to cough.

“Do something,” Bran cried.

“Something’s blocking the chimney.”  Jay grabbed a poncho and dropped his cloak on the chair.  “Leave the door open.  Most of the smoke will escape.”

Jay went outside and stared at the roof.  Only a thin plume of smoke rose from the stone chimney.  He studied the trees around the hut and saw one of the hardwoods had a branch that hung over the roof and nearly touched the shingles.

He jumped, caught the lowest limb and pulled himself up.  After sliding to the trunk, he climbed until he reached the branch he wanted.  Several times his feet slipped and he clung to the bole until his heart steadied.  He straddled the limb and inched forward.  The branch narrowed and he hoped it would hold his weight until he reached the chimney.

As he prepared to drop to the roof, the branch cracked.  He sprawled on the roof.  Snow slid toward the edge threatening to take him along.  His breath exploded in a cloud of vapor.  He grabbed the stones.  His heart thundered.  He felt tears on his cheeks.

Once he caught his breath he pushed to his knees and peered into the chimney.  A ragged bird’s nest plugged most of the opening.  He tore the straw and twigs away.  Smoke poured from the opening and spiraled into the air.

Jay slid to the edge of the roof and lowered himself to the ground.  He saw Ky carrying in an armload of fir branches and went to cut more.  When he entered the hut the smoke had dissipated.  He hoped the vapor rising from the chimney wouldn’t betray them.


Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Wednesday Hooking Seducing the Attorney #MFRWBookHooks #MFRWauthor #attorney #romance

Seducing the Attorney (At First Sight Book 5)

Blurb:
Lauren Grant’s first meeting with Tony Carlin happened four years ago at her sister’s wedding to his older brother. There’s been an attraction but a wary one. The handsome arrogant attorney had showed disdain. At that time Lauren had been a troubled teen with streaked hair and piercings. Now, she’s working toward her Master’s in OT and has no time for more than school and her infant nephew. The death of Jamie’s parents has left Tony and Lauren as joint guardians of the baby.

Tony makes assumptions about Lauren’s current life-style. He’s as attracted to her as he was four years ago. But he’s a player and has no thought of making any commitments other than having sole custody of his nephew. He is grieving for his brother. Lauren grieves for her sister and Tony’s brother. A moment of mutual comfort sends them on a spiraling course.

Will they solve the problem of the custody and come to admit their feelings for each other?

Excerpt:
Attempting to control the gushing grief she gulped deep breaths. She cried for her nephew deprived of the parents who had adored him. The tears turned bitter when her own loss hit. Carrie and Jim had dragged her from a slide into self-destruction and helped her become a woman with a future. The sobs morphed into mourning for the couple who would never reach their potential and never see their son become a man.
As she wiped her eyes thoughts of Tony rose. He had as little family as she did. Only Jamie belonged to both of them. Her body shook. He was determined to shove her from their nephew’s life. His vision of her was based on a single meeting four years ago in California, a few months after Carrie and Jim had helped straighten her life. A few of her rebellious quirks had remained.
Not now. Not for a long time.
Two years ago she had returned to the area where she and Carrie had grown up. She’d started college. When Jim had accepted a position at a nearby research laboratory she’s been happy. Carrie had found a position teaching English at one of several local colleges. Since their arrival she’d seen them several times a week.
Grains of resentment abraded her thoughts. In the five months Carrie and Jim had lived here Tony had never visited once. Her sister and brother-in-law had trekked to the city maybe three times to see him. They hadn’t wanted to intrude on his busy work and social life.
What was wrong with him? Didn’t he care?
Stop it.
She didn’t know why Carrie and Jim had named Tony and her as co-guardians for Jamie. She didn’t know what kind of relationship Jim had with his brother. She only knew she missed them. Fresh tears began.
The doorbell rang. She blew her nose and blotted her eyes, a useless gesture. Tears continued to drip. The glass panel of the door and her tears blurred the man’s face but she knew the dark hair and broad shoulders meant he had arrived. She opened the door.

In an instant his arms enfolded her. She pressed her face against the gray wool of his overcoat. As he stroked her back Lauren fought the desire to allow the comfort he offered make her forget they weren’t friends.

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Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - More on Scenes Go Wrong #MFRWauthor #amwriting #scenes

I've probably had scenes go wrong in every book I write. Though I've made many of the mistakes, there are some I haven't.

The villain is weak - I really like villains and I love developing their dastardly natures but the villain must be the same strength of character, motivation and goals as the hero or heroine. Let your hero show his or her metal against an equally strong character.

The scene is trivial. We've all done this. Written a scene and then realize what happens does nothing to advance the plot, develop the characters or give information. Either fully develop the scene or drop it. You don't want to bore the reader.

The monotonous scene. The characters say or do the same things as they've done in previous scenes. Unless something different happens there's no reason for the scene. A twist or turn will enliven this scene.

The disaster in the scene that hopefully drives the action forward isn't strong enough. Bring your characters to their knees. And maybe hint to how they can solve the dilemma.

Or the disaster doesn't belong in that scene. This is rather like the gods stepping down from outside the story to produce a disaster. The disaster in a scene has to be logical.

Monday, September 18, 2017

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

Meander 1  - Poem - Summer Haiku

Goldfish in the pond.
Water lilies spread their wings.
Lush season arrives.

Meander 2 - The New Driveway - We're having our driveway resurfaced and there are noisy machines working. Now only our driveway but the one next door. The place will look great when we are finished. Crumbled blacktop wasn't fun to walk over.

Writing - Still working on the last writing of Sweet Tea. Then once all is typed, all I will have to do is go over make corrections and add anything that needs to be added and to re-work several scenes and the book will be done. Then it will be on to the next. But that's a month or more away.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Sunday's Book - Havens Book 2 of Affinities #MFRWauthor #Fantasy #Teen

Havens (Affinities Book 2 - Young Adult fantasy, Books We Love)


The four teens, led by the mysterious birds they believe are their parents seek a place of safety where they can learn to control their affinities. They find a place of refuge with Doma Jandia, grandmother of their friend Zand. The doma plans to take them to the highlands but news of the capture of two of their friends by Dom Senet, sends them on a rescue mission. Their powers are not strong enough to defeat the evil dom. They must find a way to succeed or their friends will be corrupted forever.

Review:
on March 8, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase