Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Tuesday's Writer's Tips _ Story Pattern in General #MFRWauthor #amwriting #Story
In general, the story has three parts. Beginning, Middle and End. When all the parts work and are connected, the story is successful. If one goes awry, then there is a problem. A story has a duration and that is the distance between the opening when the threat or change is evident until the end when the problem is resolved.
In the beginning, tension is built. The characters are introduces. One of these characters becomes the one who can gain or lose the most. Sometimes this become separated when one character can be the one who gains the most and the other the one who stands to lose the most. The beginning aslo brings in the general and specific settings. All this must be done while showing how the danger (large or small) will change the character.
The middle is the place where the character acts and reacts to various segments of the danger. Here the tension must build and the character needs time to digest what is happening. There can be gentle of sharp rises and falls in the material shown to occur but the tension in each new scene must build to a higher level.
The end is the resolution. The character either obtains his goal, realizes the goal he thought he wanted isn't what he really needs or loses the battle for the goal. Once this happens, the story should end.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Poetry #Writing
Meander 1 Poem - Woman
Woman
Woman with a thousand faces stares at you with widened eyes,
Changing in cameleon patterns.
Woman with mercurial guise.
Madonna calm, she holds her children
Eyes veiled -- hidden knowledge
Gamin face sparks with laughter
Teases, flirts joyously.
Smiles a smile like Mona Lisa
Cryptic.
Can you touch her soul?
Sick with live, never ending, ever giving.
Torn as the faces of Picasso's women
Watching war,strife, hatred - fragmented on a battleground.
Rides as Godiva, naked, battles for an inner cause.
Shy and bold. Cold and warm.
Venus from the ocean comes.
And Diana strides the heavens, bow in hand.
She, the woman, of all ages.
Goddess, whore and all between.
Woman with a thousand faces.
Stares.
Meander 2 - The flitting mind. All week I've thought of a dozen meanders I might do but the flitting mind has thought and sent them all away. So the second meander is just that like the stream that wanders about the books I've been reading, the things happening in my life but nothing can be caught. The flitting mind strays and strays.
Meander 3 - Writing - Am on the last draft of Murder and Sweet Tea and I'm ready to be done and to see the story end. There's cleaning up to do and the story to be proofed. That will take me the rest of the week and into the next but I will be ready to write The End. The next story is gearing up to be begun.
Woman
Woman with a thousand faces stares at you with widened eyes,
Changing in cameleon patterns.
Woman with mercurial guise.
Madonna calm, she holds her children
Eyes veiled -- hidden knowledge
Gamin face sparks with laughter
Teases, flirts joyously.
Smiles a smile like Mona Lisa
Cryptic.
Can you touch her soul?
Sick with live, never ending, ever giving.
Torn as the faces of Picasso's women
Watching war,strife, hatred - fragmented on a battleground.
Rides as Godiva, naked, battles for an inner cause.
Shy and bold. Cold and warm.
Venus from the ocean comes.
And Diana strides the heavens, bow in hand.
She, the woman, of all ages.
Goddess, whore and all between.
Woman with a thousand faces.
Stares.
Meander 2 - The flitting mind. All week I've thought of a dozen meanders I might do but the flitting mind has thought and sent them all away. So the second meander is just that like the stream that wanders about the books I've been reading, the things happening in my life but nothing can be caught. The flitting mind strays and strays.
Meander 3 - Writing - Am on the last draft of Murder and Sweet Tea and I'm ready to be done and to see the story end. There's cleaning up to do and the story to be proofed. That will take me the rest of the week and into the next but I will be ready to write The End. The next story is gearing up to be begun.
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Sunday's Book - Seducing the Chef #MFRWauthor #contemporary romance #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:
Saturday, October 28, 2017
Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Eileen Charbonneau #MFRWauthor #suspense #romance
I’ll Be Seeing You (Code Talker Chronicles Book 1)
Luke Kayenta and his childhood friend Nantai Riggs are young shepherds of the Navajo reservation in Arizona. They volunteer for an experiment: to come up with an uncrackable code based on their language to be used by the US as it enters World War II. They fly into New York to join the spy agency the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). While on the airfield, Luke catches sight of a young woman. He is first enchanted, then heartsick when he finds that Kitty Charante is the devoted wife of his Canadian RAF pilot and instructor in espionage. Their paths will cross again.
In the mountains between Spain and Nazi-occupied France, Luke and Nantai practice the code between radio stations while helping on Allied missions.
But off the coast, German SS agent Helmut Adler hears something crackling over the radio lines. When a young soldier of World War I, an American Indian language helped bring down his regiment in the Battle of Meuse-Argonne. Adler swears it will not happen again. He sets his sights on the code talkers.
The hunt has begun.
Watch Over Me (Code Talker Chronicles Book 2)
It’s the summer of 1942 in New York City. War widow Kitty Charente’s night on the town with a man she thinks is her company’s visiting salesman turns into a hunting ground. Luke Kayenta is a Navajo code talker, and a Nazi agent is in pursuit. American isolationists are searching for Luke too. And his superiors at the the U.S. Office of Strategic Services want to know if he’s cracked under torture in Spain. Kitty and Luke must evade capture from one enemy and death from another as they race from the Lower East Side to the Savoy Ballroom to Coney Island, aided by unlikely allies in the Canadian and French spy networks, a Harlem baker, and even Weegee, the city’s most famous tabloid photographer.
Waltzing in Ragtime
As the 20th century turns, San Francisco is a far cry from its gold rush days. The railroads have ushered in an era of rapid change and industrialization in California. In the mansions on Russian Hill, powerful men build financial empires by pillaging a landscape rich in natural resources.
The daughter of a lumber baron, Olana Whittaker is struggling to make it on her own as a journalist for the Gold Coast Chronicle. Covering the grand opening of Sequoia National Park, Olana meets forest ranger Matthew Hart, who speaks with passion on the need for protecting nature. Hart has little time for people, especially those who destroy forests. But when the pair are trapped in an early blizzard, Olana learns to appreciate both Hart and the land he is fighting to protect from men like her father.
Over the years that follow, Olana and Matt will part - and come together again - as they live through the turbulent early years of the new century and learn the heartbreaks and joys that come with living, loving, and pursuing their destinies.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Friday's Guest featuring Eileen Charbonneau - Writing #MFRWauthor #writing #characters
1. How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific method?
Characters are the most mysterious part of my process. I get them started...generated from someone I know, or a profession, or historic persons in my general research. Then they take on a life of their own! I've learned to let them go, even as they make unexpected twists and turns and sometimes wreck havoc on my plot!
2. Do your characters come before the plot? Not always, but the plot and story cannot gel without characters becoming known and deepening into three dimensions.
3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one? Yes, I usually know how the story will end. When there's a big event at the end it has a nice way of focusing the mind, like: San Francisco Earthquake: these characters live, these die, and all differences gets put into perspective!
4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around? Sitting around?? Writers never leave anything sitting around (unlike the state of our housekeeping)! Sometimes I use settings I know well. Watch Over Me became a love song to the city of New York of my mother's youth (1940s). I loved revisiting a place I lived and worked but in another time. In I'll Be Seeing You the plot dictated a whole section needing to take place in the mountains of northern Spain. I've never been there, so I became an armchair traveler through guides and non-fiction accounts of life there. I am very grateful to writers who engage all the senses when they write about place, because that is what good fiction does too!
5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books? Both. And on-site for settings. I am SO grateful to the internet for quick, specific questions I may have. But both books and the net can become a rabbit's warren of wonderful, interesting twists and turns that pull me away from that simple piece of information I needed! On the other hand, those twists and turns sometimes lead to whole new characters or plot possibilities.
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? I'm a many draft writer. I need to write to find out what I'm thinking and give my characters free reign to help me find the deeper substance of my story. After that expressive draft, I work on the best and most clear way to communicate the story to my reader. Then I try to make it beautiful. Three main drafts, with many inside each!
7. Where can we find you on the net? website: eileencharbonneau.googlepages.com Facebook: EileenCharbonneauAuthor Twitter:@EileenC1988 At BWL: www.bookswelove.com/authors/charbonneau-eileen-espionage-suspense-usa/
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Thursday's Third Scene - Heart Throb #MFRWauthor #contemporary romance #medical
Magda shoved the last folder in
the drawer and made a series of phone calls to check for pending problems on
the units she supervised. All was calm. She flipped the calendar to Monday,
slung her bag over her shoulder and left the hospital. As she strode to her
convertible she uncoiled the chignon at her nape and combed her fingers through
the strands. Freedom.
On
the way home she stopped at the supermarket, picked up her birth control
packet, bought strawberries, raw sugar and sour cream and rented a movie. She
planned to spend the evening with a kick action flick and dreams of the coming
vacation.
The
warm breeze carried a hint of rising humidity. As she sped toward the condo the
wind whipped her hair. Her laughter rose above the classic rock throbbing from
the speaker.
Years
ago she’d been dumb but her divorce attorney had been shrewd. The car and the
luxury condo were courtesy of her ex. Still the settlement she’d received
hadn’t made her believe she was a woman for the long haul. Did it matter? Short
term presented many challenging adventures.
As
she drove into the complex the guard leaned from the booth. “Ms. Malone, new
tenant alert.”
“Where?”
“The
other unit in your building.”
“Thanks.”
Magda waved. He’d said tenant. Did that mean single? Male or female? Dare she
hope for a male, attractive, interesting and available?
She
pulled into the garage beneath her unit and noted the empty boxes at the curb. After
grabbing her packages she headed to the foyer. Maybe she would drop by to
welcome the newcomer.
When
she saw the man on the stairs leading from the apartment level she sucked in a
breath. Neighbor or mover? Single or married? Excitement rushed in with
hurricane force. Wouldn’t take much to learn his status.
Denim
cutoffs provided a view of tanned muscular legs. Her gaze traveled to appraise
flat abs, a muscular chest and broad shoulders. A slow smile changed his
features from merely handsome to rugged and fascinating. The streak of white in
his jet hair looked as if a lighting bolt had seared a path.
Brilliant
blue eyes captured her gaze. Steam flowed through her veins. No attached man
sent out those signals unless he was primed for a fling. In that case she would
pass. Only the unattached male need apply for her attention. She didn’t do
married or engaged. His hand bore no wedding band but these days the absence
meant zilch. Her plans for the evening began to morph. She started up the
stairs. He backed up several steps.
“Hello,
neighbor.”
His
deep voice zapped like a jolt from cardiac conversion paddles. Her imagination
soared like a geyser. How would his sensuous mouth taste? She imagined those
strong hands and fingers stroking her breasts. “Welcome to Rivertown.” She
reached the landing and paused at her door.
He
reached for her free hand. “Damon.”
“Magda.”
She liked the laugh lines around his eyes. Must be about my age. Perfect.
His
thumb rubbed circles on the back of her hand. More than perfect. Life had taken
a turn in the right direction. Her nipples contracted. She glanced down. The
bulge beneath his fly seemed to swell. Attraction – mutual – instant. She felt
an itch she wanted to scratch. “So nice to meet a new neighbor. Is your wife
inside?”
He
grinned and inched closer. “No wife. No recent women in my life.”
“I
see.” Her tongue played along her lower lip. Interest darkened his eyes. This
man was as hot as molten lava and she wanted to burn. “Have you met any of the
other neighbors?”
“Just
arrived this afternoon. You’re the first.”
“Do
you have plans for this evening?”
He
stepped closer. She held her ground. “If
I did they’re forgotten. Any suggestions?”
She
met his gaze. “How about dinner. My place at seven. After wards … we’ll see
what develops.” She inhaled the scent of the man. Masculine. A hint of spice. A
touch of desire. A potent drug laced with aromas that teased her hormones.
“I’d
like that. I’ll bring the wine. Do you like champagne?”
“What’s
not to like?” She smiled. “Hope you have a healthy appetite.”
He
touched her lips with a finger. “That’s one thing I have in good supply.”
She
flicked her tongue along his skin. He tasted like a sin she planned to commit. “See
you at seven.” She opened the door of her unit, stepped inside and bled a kiss.
“Until later.”
“Oh
yeah.”
He
growled the words. She nearly asked him for a taste of instant gratification. Except,
anticipation made the juices flow and brought the appetite to a peak.
She
leaned against the cool metal surface of the door. Her thoughts raced. She
could make more than a meal of this man. Could she parlay dinner to extend for
the entire weekend?
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Wednesday Hooking Murder and Tainted Tea #MFRWBookHooks #cozy mystery #Santa Fe
Today I'm joining other authors to share excerpts from their books. Join the hop.Stop here and see what's being offered. http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
Blurb:
Katherine heads to Santa Fe, New Mexico along with a Maine Coon Cat kitten to spend New Year’s Eve with Lars. Her guilty feelings over the organist’s death has her needing an escape. When she reaches Santa Fe, she discovers Lars is missing. She seeks and finds him and steps into another mystery.
Lars’ daughter dislikes Katherine but when the young woman is kidnapped, they are puzzled. The murder of Lars’ daughter and one of his employees makes solving the mysteries necessary. Can she learn before Lars becomes a victim.
Editorial Review
With every book, I think the Katherine Miller Mysteries can't get any better. I'm always wrong, because they always do. ~ Writer Gail Roughton
Excerpt:
Robespierre now lay on the kitchen floor and stared at
the case containing my belated Christmas present for Lars’ granddaughter. I
plugged in the electric kettle, this year’s gift from one of my neighbors,
selected an assortment of mints and stuffed a tea ball.
Once the tea had steeped, I poured a mug and headed to
the living room where I settled on the window seat. The lights from the Tappan Zee Bridge
vied with the moonlight dancing on the dark waters of the Hudson
River . Stars formed patterns in the sky. I’m never tired of
watching the river and my early morning walks often end at the river’s edge
The shrill ring of the phone startled me. I grabbed
the receiver. “Hello.”
“Kate.”
“Lars, is something wrong?” Why was he calling when
he’d see me tomorrow? Had something happened to make it necessary for me to
postpone my visit?
“Jitters. Afraid you’ve changed your mind. You’ve
never come before. And...there is something...” His voice drifted into silence.
Something was bothering him, but extracting a story
long distance is hard. Face to face is better. “My bags are packed and the
tickets are in my purse.”
“Good. I’m looking forward to having you here.” He
paused. “What are you doing with the cat?”
“He’ll be staying with Maria and the baby.” I chuckled.
“At this moment he’s peeved. He tried to use my suitcase as a bed and I chased
him.”
Lars laughed. “Guess he wants to come along. You could
bring him.”
“Are you out of your mind? You want me to bring the
creature who hates cars and being confined? He’ll be fine at the Prescotts
“He does tend to act like a dictator. Kate, we’ll have
a grand time while you’re here. I’ve so many things planned for us to do.”
I set down the mug. “That’s not why you called. What
is bothering you?”
His deep sigh rumbled in my ear. “The problem is...I’m
not sure what’s going on.”
“So tell me what you can. Are Don and Megan all
right?”
“They’re fine.”
“And...” I hesitated to ask if his daughter had staged
a scene when she learned I’d accepted his invitation. “Is there a problem
because I’m coming?”
“No.”
“Something else?”
“I’m not sure there is a problem.” He paused. “It’s just...vague...and...You
know I plan to retire. I’ve been avoiding all the paperwork necessary for
months. Last week I looked at some of the companies I’ve seeded. Something odd
is going on.”
For years Lars has looked for new and sometimes unique
businesses and provided funds for expansion and promotion. Most of these
ventures have been successful and repayment of the loans with interest has made
him a wealthy man.
“Someone’s stealing.” The words just popped out.
Buy Mark:
Buy Mark:
http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/
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http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
http://www.bwlpublishing.ca/authors/lane-walters-janet-romance-fantasy-usa/
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Tuesday's Writer's Tip - What is a story? #MFRWauthor #Writing #story
One of the things I found when re-reading Techniques of the Selling Author by Dwight V. Swain again and again was the definition of a story. Each time I read these words, I have to stop and think. "A story is the record of how someone deals with danger."
What does he mean by danger? Danger is many things and each danger is specific to the someone you create to show in your story. I just finished typing an old, old story of mine and the danger the hero faces brings him face to face with his past. The danger comes when he faces the same situation though changed by time and place. Danger could be for a character the refusal of a girl for a date, the laughter of friends or enemies.
What does this situation do but create tension. Tension brings danger. This tension will drive the story forward. Then comes change. Any change in a situation produces tension so how does the character see the change. Can it be a challenge, can it mean failure. Will the character fight or fly from the change.
Much of the reaction of a change is triggered by past experience or knowledge. So this can alter the character's reaction and then action to the change.
So remember each story starts with a change, small or large that forces the character through tension to act or flee.
What does he mean by danger? Danger is many things and each danger is specific to the someone you create to show in your story. I just finished typing an old, old story of mine and the danger the hero faces brings him face to face with his past. The danger comes when he faces the same situation though changed by time and place. Danger could be for a character the refusal of a girl for a date, the laughter of friends or enemies.
What does this situation do but create tension. Tension brings danger. This tension will drive the story forward. Then comes change. Any change in a situation produces tension so how does the character see the change. Can it be a challenge, can it mean failure. Will the character fight or fly from the change.
Much of the reaction of a change is triggered by past experience or knowledge. So this can alter the character's reaction and then action to the change.
So remember each story starts with a change, small or large that forces the character through tension to act or flee.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Poetry #Writing
Meander 1 - Poem Rusted Woman
Rusted Woman
I was for eons an expectant statue
cemented by suppression's rusty mold
and generation after generation,
dulled luster encrusted all my limbs.
A piece of iron turned red in sheltered service.
Silver blackened by submissive air.
Gold green stained by moistured resignation.
Patina dulled as time moved ever forward.
Thus clothed by the climate of past ages,
I stood and watched and waited patiently.
Meander 2 - Looking Back - My fiftieth anniversary of being a published author approaches. Some days I find this hard to believe. I remember the day the first acceptance arrived. Excited, I called the hospital where my husband was in his residency in Psychiatry. The secretary answered. She was sorry but he was with a patient but I could leave a message. For several years, we called my stories my children. At that time, we also had two sons. I announced that I had sold one of my children. I thought he would understand what I meant. Did the woman garble the message? Who knows. My husband called in a panic. What ahd the boys done. We had had a few interesting incidents like milk poured into the TV followed a few weeks later by soda making the lights go out. When I explained, we laughed. That is a day I will never forget. So I'm still producing children and each time one of them hits print, I feel the same excitement. And like then, I immediately begin writing the next.
Meander 3 - Writing - Sweet Tea is getting closer to the end. Once the last draft is in type, all I need to do is go through the chapters and add things I have missed. There are several scenes to be re-written. That will happen and then I can send it to the editor and start something new. The Leo - Aquarius Connection.
Rusted Woman
I was for eons an expectant statue
cemented by suppression's rusty mold
and generation after generation,
dulled luster encrusted all my limbs.
A piece of iron turned red in sheltered service.
Silver blackened by submissive air.
Gold green stained by moistured resignation.
Patina dulled as time moved ever forward.
Thus clothed by the climate of past ages,
I stood and watched and waited patiently.
Meander 2 - Looking Back - My fiftieth anniversary of being a published author approaches. Some days I find this hard to believe. I remember the day the first acceptance arrived. Excited, I called the hospital where my husband was in his residency in Psychiatry. The secretary answered. She was sorry but he was with a patient but I could leave a message. For several years, we called my stories my children. At that time, we also had two sons. I announced that I had sold one of my children. I thought he would understand what I meant. Did the woman garble the message? Who knows. My husband called in a panic. What ahd the boys done. We had had a few interesting incidents like milk poured into the TV followed a few weeks later by soda making the lights go out. When I explained, we laughed. That is a day I will never forget. So I'm still producing children and each time one of them hits print, I feel the same excitement. And like then, I immediately begin writing the next.
Meander 3 - Writing - Sweet Tea is getting closer to the end. Once the last draft is in type, all I need to do is go through the chapters and add things I have missed. There are several scenes to be re-written. That will happen and then I can send it to the editor and start something new. The Leo - Aquarius Connection.
Sunday, October 22, 2017
Sunday's Book - Heart Throb by Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #Contemporary romance #medical
Magda Malone likes men and has no desire to marry. She’s been there, done that and got burned. She’s happy with her position as coordinator of the cardiac unit at the hospital. A new neighbor promises many nights of steamy sex. Damon also has no desire for marriage. He had too many steps as a child and sees marriage as a serial sort of game. He doesn’t want to play. When Magda learns he’s a cardiologist, she blows him off. The problem is Damon has fallen in love and he must convince Magda there’s more between them than sex.
Review:
This was the first book I've read by Janet Lane Walters, but it definitely won't be my last. As you can see the cover is eye-catching and the story did not disappoint. Heart Throbs is steamy, exciting, enjoyable and entertaining.
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