Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Wrapping Up the Black Moment #MFRWauthor Writing #Black moment


When you believe you have the Black Moment nailed down, the time has come for you to check to make sure the moment is really dark. There are things to consider and to check.

Which character has the most to love? This makes for a strong black moment. Of course there can be two characters in the story to have this moment but save the strongest one for last.

Which character has the most to gain? This may not be the same character and is stronger when the one who has the most to gain is the one triggering the black moment.

Have you built up to the moment throughout the book? Throwing the moment without the proper foundation will make it fall flat.

Has the moment come from the character's experiences, inner fears and desires? This makes for a strong theme.

Are the motivations strong? Has someone stepped in and added a new problem? Have I used coincidence?

Here's an important thing. Was the moment triggered by a misunderstanding that could have been solved with a few words? Makes for a weak moment.

Have you milked the scene for the greatest impact?

Monday, July 30, 2018

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #BWL Publishing #Poem #Writing

Meander 1  Zombie Living

Marching, marching, row on row.
Painted faces, frozen smiles.
Listening to the drums of living
Being safe and being led
Zombie bodies that move in rhythm
Never breaking the treadmill patterns
Arms that swing in a self-same pattern
Back and forth and back and forth
Swelling voices chant a chorus
Dead dean voices expressionless.

Meander 2 Weather - I remember reading somewhere that this was to be a hot, dry summer. It has definitely been hot. Also wet. We just finished a four day stretch of rain. Yesterday, the sun shone and then clouded up and more rain appeared. Today the sky is blue in spots but there are clouds. Will it rain today? i hope not.

Meander 3 Writing. I am working hard to finish a book. Due before September first. Not sure I'll make it. This is the last time I'm going ot set a deadline. From now on, I'm going to wait until I'm almost finished with a book and then let the publisher know she can schedule it whenever. I like that plan.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Sunday's Book Moon Pool ##MFRWauthor #Zumaya #Jane Toombs #paranormal #romance

Moon Pool


In the center of the maze at an Adirondack resort lies a spring-fed pool. Legend says that if you look into the serene depths under a full moon, you’ll see the face of your true love. In this collection of four novellas, the magic of the Moon Pool touches the lives of eight people for whom love seems to be a dream that can never be reality:
Thea — who lost her one true love because she couldn’t bear the scorn of others.
Faith — who has given up on love in the face of responsibility.
Lynn— who settled for practicality when she yearned for poetry.
and
Cynthia — whose reputation for selfishness was no match for love.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books by Caroline Warfield #MFRWauthor #Historical #Canada #Bengal #China

The Renegade Wife (Children of Empire Book 1)
My current series is called Children of Empire.

Series Blurb
Children of Empire
Three cousins, driven apart by a deceitful woman rebuild their lives in the far corners of the Empire. Love will bring them home, if only they have the courage to embrace it.

The Renegade Wife, Book 1
Desperate and afraid, Meggy Blair will do whatever it takes to protect her children. She’d hoped to find sanctuary from her abusive husband with her Ojibwa grandmother, but can’t locate her. When her children fall ill, she seeks shelter in an isolated cabin in Upper Canada. But when the owner unexpectedly returns, he’s furious to find squatters disrupting his self-imposed solitude.
Reclusive businessman Rand Wheatly had good reason to put an ocean between himself and the family that deceived him. He just wants the intrusive woman gone, but it isn’t long before Meggy and the start breaking down the defensive walls he’s built. But their fragile interlude is shattered when Meggy’s husband appears to claim his children, threatening to have Rand jailed.
The only way for Meggy to protect Rand is to leave him. But when her husband takes her and the children to England, Meggy discovers he’s far more than an abuser; what he’s involved in endangers all their lives. To rescue the woman who has stolen his heart, Rand must follow her and do what he swore he’d never do: reconcile with his aristocratic family and finally uncover the truth behind all the lies. But time is running out for them all.

***NOTE*** To celebrate my new release, this book will be free July 24-16

The Reluctant Wife, Book 2
When all else fails, love succeeds…
Captain Fred Wheatly’s comfortable life on the fringes of Bengal comes crashing down around him when his mistress dies, leaving him with two children he never expected to have to raise. When he chooses justice over army regulations, he’s forced to resign his position, leaving him with no way to support his unexpected family. He’s already had enough failures in his life. The last thing he needs is an attractive, interfering woman bedeviling his steps, reminding him of his duties.

All widowed Clare Armbruster needs is her brother’s signature on a legal document to be free of her past. After a failed marriage, and still mourning the loss of a child, she’s had it up to her ears with the assumptions she doesn't know how to take care of herself, that what she needs is a husband. She certainly doesn't need a great lout of a captain who can't figure out what to do with his daughters. If only the frightened little girls didn’t need her help so badly.

Clare has made mistakes in the past. Can she trust Fred now? Can she trust herself? Captain Wheatly isn’t ashamed of his aristocratic heritage, but he doesn’t need his family and they’ve certainly never needed him. But with no more military career and two half-caste daughters to support, Fred must turn once more—as a failure—to the family he let down so often in the past. Can two hearts rise above past failures to forge a future together?


The Unexpected Wife, Book 3
The Duke expects work to heal him. He doesn’t expect to face his past and find his future in China

Charles Wheatly, Duke of Murnane, accepts an unofficial fact finding mission to the East India Company’s enclave in Canton, China on behalf of the queen. He anticipates intrigue, international tensions, and an outlet for his grief over the death of his young son. He isn’t entirely surprised when he also encounters the troublesome offspring of his mentor, the Duke of Sudbury, but the profound love he discovers for the determined young woman is unforeseen and untimely. Charles certainly doesnt expect to also face his troubled marriage in such an exotic locale. The appearance of his estranged wife in the company of their enemy throws the entire enterprise into conflict, and tensions boil over when the woman he loves is put at risk by his wife’s scheming—and the beginnings of the First Opium War.

Zambak Hayden seethes with frustration. A woman her age has occupied the throne for over a year, yet the Duke of Sudbury’s line of succession still passes over her—his eldest—to land on a son with neither spine nor character. She follows her brother, the East India Company’s newest and least competent clerk, to Macau to protect him and to safeguard the family honor—if she also escapes the gossip and intrigues of London and the marriage mart, so much the better. She has no intention of being forced into some sort of dynastic marriage, and she may just refuse to marry at all. The greed and corruption she finds horrifies her, especially when her brother
succumbs to the lure of opium. She determines to document the truth. When an old family friend arrives she assumes her father sent him. She isn’t about to bend to his dictates nor give up her quest. Her traitorous heart, however, can’t stop yearning for a man she can’t have.

As an epic historical drama unfolds around them, both Charles and Zambak must come to terms with a love that neither expected.

Launches on July 25. Pre-order now:


Friday, July 27, 2018

Friday's Guest - Caroline Warfield #MFRWauthor #Who She Was Before #historical #China


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

I have been a variety of things in my life: traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. I spent thirty years working in library shared services and IT, a task that require diplomatic and people skills linked to a knowledge of technology. I always say I have four great passions: faith, family, travel, history. All of that informs my writing. How can it not?

2. Are you genre specific or general? Why? I don't mean genres like romance, mystery, fantasy etc.

My published works are all historical romance. All my novels and most of my novellas have interrelated characters. However, I have also written middle-grade historical novels, straight up historical fiction, and an unpublished historical romance.

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

Absolutely! History has always been my reading preference, even when I was very young. I think historical periods are my fantasy world. I read historical romance, historical mysteries, historical fictionyou get the picture.

4. What's your latest release? 

The Unexpected Wife, set in China in 1838, will be released on July 25.  It is the story of a charming, impish duke. A secondary character in the previous two books, he almost took them over. He’s had a tough time. Trapped into marriage by an ambitious harpy, Charles raised their disabled son alone. He sees no way to create the life he wants and throws himself into work, but love surprises him.

The trailer is here:

Readers can find more about it here:

5. What are you working on now? 
I’m currently polishing a novella to appear in a boxed set in November. It is set in 1919, when the hero, a Canadian soldier, is struggling with the Spanish flu while desperately searching for the heroine, a French widow whose love gave him reason to live in the dark days of trench warfare.  It is a sequel to “Roses in Picardy,” a novella I published last year.

6. Where can we find you? 

Im so glad you asked! I am here:

BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/caroline-warfield

(Embedded Versions)


Thursday, July 26, 2018

Thursday's First Scene - The Leo Aquarius Connection #MFRWauthor #BWLPublishing #Medical #romance #Leo #Aquarius


As Caleb Winstone rode the elevator to the fifth floor of Eastlake Community, the familiar aromas shouting hospital engulfed him. Though slightly different than the scents of his last placement, they smelled of coming home. Exhaustion threatened to swamp him but he had places to visit and things to accomplish before he sought sleep.
The indicator flashed five. The doors parted and he stepped out to face the nurses’ station. A half dozen women stared and collectively sighed.
“Enter the handsome doctor.”
Gasps and giggles greeted him.
Caleb felt his face heat. Had he really said that? He considered a strategic retreat but the elevator doors had closed. Though he’d been called handsome often enough, he had no reason for the blatant announcement.
A burst of male laughter interrupted his swirling thoughts. “Hello, Caleb. You certainly know how to make an entrance.” A tall blond man rounded the end of the desk and offered his hand,
“Alex Carter, good to see you again.”
Alex clasped his hand. “Are you in town for good?”
“Looks that way. I’ve joined Joe Grogan’s practice.” Caleb grinned. “Blame my announcement on jet lag. Arrived this morning from London where I spent three months studying respiratory diseases in children.”
“Have you been home?”
Caleb shook his head. “Came straight here. Decided to complete the paperwork and get my parking pass and then go to the office before I go home. I’m meeting Joe at one thirty at the office. Actually, I’m in no hurry to reach the stone mansion.”
Alex nodded. “Are they still upset over your career choice?’
“Naturally. They equate my straying from the financial sphere as a betrayal like they did when I chose swimming over football in high school.”
“Shame. Let me introduce you to today’s crew. Alex walked to the desk.
The nurses smiled. Were they hiding laughter? He felt sure his appearance and words would make the rounds.
Alex grinned. “Ladies, this is Caleb Winstone the newest addition to our staff. He’s joining Dr. Joe and vying for the handsome doctor award.”
Caleb shook his head. Years ago Alex had been a tease. His first wife’s behavior had soured him. The second marriage had brought a welcome change. “I’ll get you.”
Alex mentioned name after name until they reached the tall brunette at the end of the desk. Her lab coat marked her as the unit’s nurse manager.
“Caleb, Jenessa Bradshaw, acting nurse manager. Her husband is Director of Nursing.”
“Glad to meet you,” Caleb said. “Sorry about the grand entrance.”
She laughed. “You said what we were thinking.”
“Don’t encourage him,” Alex said. “Half the girls in high school followed him around.”
“The other half followed you.” Caleb turned to Jenessa. “Why are you just acting nurse manager?”
“Our newly hired one was to start two months ago but a family emergency intervened. She’s starting on Monday.”
“She must be special.”
“She is. She’s a nurse practitioner.”
“I’m impressed.”
Jenessa smiled. “Let me give you a quick tour.”
Caleb walked beside her. “Is the name of this new nurse a secret?”
“I forgot you weren’t here during the selection process. She’s a friend from my class at Grantley.”
Alex nodded. “She’s one of the infamous Grantley Gang. You were seldom home back then to know about their antics.” He turned to Jenessa. “Are we holding a welcoming party to celebrate the event?”
“I would tell you to ask your wife but just the Gang minus Rick,” Jenessa said. “She’ll be tied up at Rehab getting her brother settled.”
Caleb halted. “Just who is this person?”
“Suzanna Rollins,” Jenessa said. “She worked at City.”
Caleb held in a groan. Not her. Not here. He prayed his face didn’t show his feelings. Of all the women in the world to invade his space. Suzanna Rollins had no use for him. Their days of dating hadn’t ended well.
“Do you know her?”
Caleb shrugged. “I may have seen her a time or two.” Or more. They had dated for several months until the night he’d asked her to give up her job and move in with him. All her expenses would be paid. All she had to do was warm his bed.
His cheek still stung with the memory of her reaction. She’d walked away. He’d managed to avoid her and had leaped at the chance to spend three months in London on Respiratory Problems in Children seminar.
He covered a yawn with his hand and followed Jenessa on a tour of the patient rooms. Most were semi-private. Two nurseries held four cribs each. There was one isolation room. She pointed out the playroom where children could escape their rooms. She pointed out the patients being cared for by his new partner. Several of them had respiratory problems. He needed to see their charts and decide what  new ideas he could suggest. Of the twenty patients on the thirty bed unit, nine belonged to his new practice.
Before he left to have lunch in the cafeteria he reviewed the charts. As he ate, he thought of the irony of working with Suzanna.  He was being drawn into a whirlpool with no escape. Could he see her every day knowing she was not his to touch? Not to mention facing the contempt he knew she felt.
He cleared his tray and drove to the office he would share with his new partner. According to the information Joe had sent him, the second floor of the five story building was theirs. Instead of using the elevator, he opted for the stairs.
Before heading home to crash, he wanted to spend several hours organizing his office and learning about the practice. He exited the stairwell and entered the waiting room. Several patients waited with their mothers.
The receptionist looked up. “Dr. Winstone, welcome. Dr. Joe is waiting.”
“Thanks.” Caleb walked down the hall and paused outside the room with his partner’s name on the door. He knocked and stepped inside.
Dr. Joe looked up. “Glad you’re here. Welcome.”
“Glad to be here.” Caleb sank onto the chair before the desk.
“You look like hell. When did you arrive?”
“Six AM. Then through customs and claimed my car. I drove straight here and headed to the hospital. Put in my paperwork and have my parking pass. What do you want me to do?”
The older man rose. “I’ll have Gloria show you around. Then, set up your office. There’s a stack of boxes that have been here for months. How was London?”
“Great and I learned a lot.” Caleb paused at the door. “I can see patients and I want to talk to you about the asthma kids.”
“No need to see patients. It’s a light afternoon.” He reached for a chart. “The asthma kids are yours.” He paused beside Caleb. “Suppose you’ve heard about the new nurse manager. Bright young woman. Her being a practitioner is a plus.”
“I’m sure she’ll be an asset.” Though working with Suzanna would be a challenge, he must manage each encounter with grace. He pushed to his feet. “Let me organize my office and take the tour.” He yawned. If he sat any longer, he would crash.
“Do that, then go home.” Joe grinned. "You can make hospital rounds tomorrow and skip office hours.” He paused. “There’s a teenage boy arriving at the Rehab Center tomorrow. Multiple fractures and burns. Rick Somers is handling the orthopedic side of his care.”
Caleb found his way to the office that would be his. For several hours, he unpacked boxes, hung his licenses and diplomas. He fitted reference books on the shelves and hooked up the computer sitting on the extension of the mahogany desk. When he finished, he found Gloria. She showed him the treatment rooms and supply closets.
When the tour ended, he walked to the door. Time to go home where he really didn’t want to be.

MY PLACES

BUY MARK
http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/



Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Wednesday Murder and Mint Tea #MFRWHooks #BWLPublishing #MFRWAuthor #Cozy mystery #Maine Coon Cat

Murder and Mint Tea (Mrs. Miller Mysteries Book 1)

Join me and the other authors at  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some interesting excerpts and perhaps find a new book to real. Mine is up at http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com and is a cozy mystery and about a neighborhood's troubles. In this excerpt you'll meet Kathrine's new tenants



BLURB:

Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families.

When amoral Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house, trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her fear for her friends and family. Finding the killer becomes her goal.

Editorial Review
Murder and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel. Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to the villainess themselves. ~ Writer Gail Roughton

EXCERPT:

     When Ted Thomas’ silver Mercedes with a rusty trailer in tow pulled in at the curb, a giggle escaped.  Andrew’s best friend always considers his impression on others before he acts.  The sight beyond my window was enough to shatter his suave playboy image.
     A blonde woman left the car.  Two children erupted from the van and tore across the year running through one of the flower beds.  I raised the window in time to hear their name-calling.  Two men opened the door of the van and carried pieces of furniture to the house.  A couch, two easy chairs, a dinette set, several dressers, a bed, mattress and some tables.  I thought of the odds and ends of furniture in the attic.  Would the offer of beds for the children offend my tenant?
     As soon as they unloaded the van, the man carried boxes from the trailer.  The children dashed up and down the walk.  Ted and the blonde stood like Siamese twins joined at the hip and watched the progress.  Tem had attempted to disguise himself by wearing dark glasses.
     The phone rang.  Without missing a second of the unfolding drama, I answered.
     “Just me.”  Sarah said.  “What’s she like?  Are the kids nice?  Is that Ted Thomas?”
     “It is.”
     “Is that all?”
     “You know as much as I do.”
     “Didn’t they come for the keys?”
     “Andrew must have given them a set.”  A black Lincoln drove past.  Ted turned his back to the street.  I laughed.
     “What’s so funny?”  Sarah asked.
     “Ted.  He’s acting like he’s about to be caught performing an illegal act.  He’s wearing dark glasses.  Maybe he’d like a false beard.”
     “If he’s afraid of being seen, why offer to help?”
     “I can’t answer for him but I’m sure I’ll learn.”
     “It’s not like he can’t be seen with her.  He’s divorced and so is she.”
     Sarah was right.  Ted has been divorced for five years.  Though he and Andrew are buddies and Ted’s ex-wife is a member of Sr. Stephens, I’ve never learned the details of the split.  “Talk to you later.”
     “Good enough,”  Sarah said.  “Shame you’re an invalid.  Otherwise you could make a neighborly call.”
     “Goodbye.”  None of my family or friends knows how far toward independence I’ve traveled.  Yesterday before Bessie left I’d reached the landing.  Today I intended to go to the first floor.
     The van backed out of the driveway.  Ted got into his car.  As the Mercedes and trailer pulled away the blonde blew a kiss.
     Curiosity as strong as the cat killing kind egged me into action.  I rubbed Robespierre’s head.  “Too soon to go down.”
     An hour later, Robespierre pawed my face and startled me awake.  He jumped from my side and padded to the kitchen.  The cat door flapped.  I hobbled to the kitchen and took the tray from the refrigerator and set it on the table.  Then with extreme caution I started down the stairs.  After a brief rest on the landing I continued.  In the foyer I wiped my sweat-drenched forehead and felt as if I’d worked hours in the garden on a sultry day.  I rang the bell to announce my arrival.
     After a short wait, the door opened a crack.  “Who’s there?”  a child asked.
     “Katherine Miller from upstairs.”
     The crack widened.  Eyes the blue of summer skies seemed to be the only feature on a dust streaked face.  A mass of tangled brown hair hung down the girl’s back.  Her gaze focused on the crutches.  “What did you do to your leg?”
     “Slipped and broke it.”
     “Susie, who is it?”  A woman’s voice, strident with anger, echoed in the near empty apartment.
     “The lady from upstairs.”
     “Can’t you ever do anything right.  I told you not to open the door.”  The girl seemed to shrink.  Her shoulders hunched as if expecting a blow.  “Find out what she wants and get back to work.”
     “There’s a platter of cold cuts and salads for you.”  I raised my voice in an attempt to remove the child from the communication line.  “Moving day can be hectic.  I wanted to welcome you.”
     A boy sauntered to the door.  “Snoop.  That’s what you are.  You come to snoop. You’re an ugly old witch.”
     His verbal attack stunned me.  “This is my house.”
     He pushed a lock of honey blond hair from his forehead.  “Don’t believe you.”
     “Bring the tray in,”  the woman called.  “Susie, put water on for coffee.”
     “She don’t have anything,”  the boy shouted.
     “The tray’s upstairs.  I’m on crutches.  I came down to see if one of the children could fetch it.  Don’t bother with coffee.  I know you’re busy.”
     “Stay.  I need a break.”
     “Then I will.”
     Planting my crutches firmly on the slate I crossed the foyer and entered the living room.  The few pieces of furniture seemed lost in the L-shaped room.  Years ago a concert grand had dominated the space.
     “Be just a few minutes.  Lord, I’d forgotten what real neighbors were like.  In the apartment complex where I lived, I was lucky if anyone spoke.”
     “You’ll find this is a friendly neighborhood.”  Hoping she would appear I continued through the living room.  A conversation with a disembodied voice is eerie.
     “Snoop,”  the boy whispered.  He sat on the floor in front of the Television and ate chips from a bag.  Why wasn’t he helping?

My Places

BUY MARK
http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Black Moment Gone Awry #MFRWauthor #BWLPublishing #amwriting #Blackmoment

When the black moment goes awry, the search for what has gone wrong has to be discovered. A flat black moment can't bring the reader any excitement. So just what can go wrone.

In your book, you may have a number of important characters. Choosing the wrong one to have the moment when they believe all is lost makes the moment fall flat. yes, you can have more than one character have this moment but they shouldn't be back to back. Having say the hero, the detective or whoever have the black moment and then have their opposite have one at the same time. We'' as a reader, I would believe the story was totally boring. So choose the right time as well as the right character. Then that character can decide to try a different approach to his or her goal. Only then can the opposite character have their momentof belief.

Other things is basing the black moment totally on the outside force. The black moment has to address something in the main character. If the character is poorly motivated the black moment will fall flat.

Another way to go wrong is to use coincidence to bring the black moment about. Coincidences happen in real life but shouldn't in fiction. If you're going to use what looks like a coincidence, you'd better plan it carefully. Misunderstandings give the same result as coincidences. A misunderstanding can be used for a minor bit but clear it up quickly.

The last way a black moment may feel forced or wrong is to have it happen abruptly. Black moment in three paragraphs or less isn't going ot convince your reader that the hero or heroine believes all is lost.

So plan for your black moments and when they occur play them out to the full.

MY PLACES

BUY MARK

http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/

Monday, July 23, 2018

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

Meander 1 _ Poem  Birth Pangs

Labor's contractions wrack my soul.
The blow of pain is pulsing,
Roaring, filling me with fear.
And yet it will not stop.
I need a midwife to aid the birth
But there is no one to hear.
I must bear down
And birth myself
To still my cries of pain.

Meander 2 _ Reviews - Writing them is what this is about. I seldom write long ones. Just stating if I liked the book and maybe a bit about the characters or the plot. To me many reviews are too long. At one time I write reviews for several sites and they had to be at least one paragraph and preferable more. I also have a problem writing a review. If I can't be favorable and maybe have only one nit to pick that's fine. I recently read a book. The beginning was great. The ending was great. But the middle - the writer got on a soapbox and bored me to tears. The nit I found was too big for me to write this review. Sad since the writer had some good movement at the start and at the end. I kept think move this story alone. I don't need sermons. So I won't write the review.

Meander 3 - Writing. Am coming to the end of the plot draft and the time is coming to turn this book into a great story. We'll see but I keep slogging along.

MY PLACES

BUY MARK

http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Sunday's Book - The Leo Aquarius Connection #MFRWauthor #BWLPublishing #romance #medical #Leo #Aquarius

The Leo-Aquarius Connection (Opposites in Love)

The nurses stare as he exits the elevator on the Pediatric Unit. “Enter the handsome doctor.” Those are Doctor Caleb Winstone’s words as he steps off the elevator. Though he’s embarrassed, this Leo doctor rolls with the punches. 

He’s returned home to join an older doctor in the practice. Before long he learns the new nurse manager of the unit is a woman he knows. Of all the women in the world, she is the last one he wants to see. How can he manage to work daily with her? Before the day ends, he discovers his mother has decided who he should marry and the woman is quite willing. Not for him.

Suzanna Rollins is an Aquarian and now the guardian of her half-brother who was badly injured in a car accident. She takes the position as nurse manager of the Pediatric unit for several reasons. One is the move from the city re-unites her with college friends, the Grantley Gang. The other is for the excellent Rehab Center. On the day of her arrival, she encounters Caleb. What is he doing here and why? Can she work with the man she fell in and out of love with the night he offered her less than marriage?

Caleb’s interest in helping her half-brother gives them more together time than they imagined.

MY PLACES

BUY MARK

http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Sydell Voeller #MFRWauthor #BWLPublishing #romance

The Fisherman̢۪s Daughter


THE FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER

Psychology professor Vanessa Paris receives word that her father has disappeared from his fishing boat in Puget Sound and rushes to her childhood home in the San Juan Islands to try to help find him. Tragedy has been no stranger to Vanessa--years ago her mother died and more recently, her brother. The possibility of losing her father now is almost too much to bear. 
But when Vanessa arrives at the family owned tourist lodge, she meets Lowell Maxwell, who offers to help her search for her father. Back in high school, Vanessa harbored a secret, unrequited crush on Lowell. Now, he's a tough, jaded cop on leave from L.A., working for her father as a carpenter on a temporary basis, and even more dangerously appealing. 

Vanessa and Lowell are like sunshine and darkness. Despite her losses, she focuses on positive action and the good in people. Lowell, however, chases down the bad guys, flirts with danger, sometimes even death--and he's determined he'll soon return to the force in L.A. 

Is there still a chance of finding Vanessa's father alive and well? Can she take a chance on loving Lowell, risking the possibility of his dying too? And what is the dark secret that has driven him back home, a secret that has convinced him there's no longer any room in his heart for love? 

Amazon buy link: 

Barnes & Noble (Print Book)



THE HEART LEADS HOME:

Sarah Pendleton, a first grade teacher in Portland, Oregon, feels duty-bound as she returns to her hometown of Mistletoe Valley--and to her conflicted past. While growing up in her small, rural community Sarah lived with her grandparents, who served their community well--especially her grandfather, a pastor. Yet Sarah despised being the “perfect preacher’s kid” in a small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. Rebellious, she fell for a stereotypical “bad boy” during high school and after graduation, they married. When they learned she was pregnant, he left her for parts unknown. Unable to support the baby, Sarah gave her up for adoption, yet ever since, guilt has consumed her. She believes she doesn’t deserve to have a second chance at being a mother.

Now a decade later, she is the sole inheritor of her grandparents’ estate. She must decide whether to sell the property, or make the painful choice of staying in a town where folks remember her rebellious past. 

She meets the strikingly handsome real estate agent Rich Stevens. He also works as a youth pastor at the church where her grandfather had served. Her attraction to Rich is immediate and powerful, but she’s faced with not one, but two prickly thorns: He is a grieving widower, and his 8-year-old daughter, Carly, is grieving too. He believes that there can never be another woman in his life, and he can succeed in raising his daughter alone. 

Sarah grapples with her own push-pull feelings for Rich. Should she hire him to sell her grandparents’ property, knowing full well he’s more than just a business acquaintance to her? Should she stay in Mistletoe Valley, or go back to her job in Portland? The truth is, if she were to fall in love with him, a man of the collar, she’d be right back to where she started as a child—struggling in vain to live up to others’ expectations. Worse, Rich’s daughter, Carly, is the embodiment of the baby she left behind, and if Sarah allows herself to get too close to Carly, that would only complicate her feelings for Rich. 
Can Sarah and Rich overcome their personal demons and making a lasting commitment to each other? Can the two of them—plus Carly--become a forever family?

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SKATEBOARD BLUES (Young Adult):

Jessica Williams wishes she were anywhere other than her small town in Oregon. All the kids there are the same except for the few skateboarders her father cannot stand. Life is pretty dull for Jessica until Cam Easton moves into her neighborhood. But when Cam teaches Jessica how to skate, and her father runs for mayor of Preston, her involvement with the skaters poses a threat to her father's campaign. Can the skateboarders prove themselves worthy of the community's support? And most of all, can Jessica and Cam resolve their differences and discover the true meaning of love?

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Friday, July 20, 2018

Friday's Guest - Sydell Voeller Who She Was Before #MFRWauthor #BWLPublishers


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

Initially I worked as a registered nurse, but I like to think of myself as a writer before I became a nurse. In high school, I was the associated editor of the school newspaper, the editor of the creative writing publication, and I kept my own journal for several years. The journal, describing my topsy-turvy teen experiences proved an excellent resource for my writing years later.  In a word, it sparked many ideas for my first published teen romances novels via Silhouette’s “Crosswinds” young adult line and Bantam’s “Sweet Dream” series.  I also wrote short stories for a church-related magazine for young teens.

Are you genre specific or general? Why?

My books are genre specific: sweet contemporary romances (both young adult and adult).  The reason I settled on writing in this genre is because that’s the type of novel I enjoy reading.  Also, my first publisher for adult contemporary romances required clean “family reading,” and so that became my writing style.

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

Yes. Not only did I enjoy reading in my genre, I used this as a tool to learn what the publishers were looking for and what they were buying.

What’s your latest release? The Heart Leads Home, a contemporary adult romance.

What are you working on now? 

The title of my work-in-progress is Echoes in Time, an adult contemporary romance set in my home town on a beach in Washington State, although the town’s name in the story is fictitious.  At this point,, I’m subscribing to the old theory that if a writer talks too much about her current project, she will lose the motivation to write it. So please stay tuned...

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Thursday, July 19, 2018

Thursday's Third Scene The Cancer Capricorn Connection #MFRWauthor #BWLPublishing #medical #romance


When Cate saw Rick and an older man choose a nearby booth her shoulder muscles tightened. The last bite stuck in her throat and she feared she would gag. From his startled expression, she knew he’d seen Maddie and realized the child was his daughter. She prayed he would ignore them but he wouldn’t. Maddie was his only blood relative unless he’d married and had children, a distinct possibility. Why else had he chosen a house with five bedrooms?
She pulled several bills from her wallet and tossed them on the table. “This should cover mine and Maddie’s lunch. We need to hit the grocery story.”
Lauren looked up. “There’s food in the basement freezer and the fridge is stocked. My welcome present.”
“I saw what’s there but we’ll need some cleaning supplies and Maddie’s favorite cereal.” She slid from the booth and signaled her daughter. Somehow she had to solve the new dilemma without upsetting Maddie.
“Cate.” Rick’s deep voice caressed her name.
She kept walking, hoping he would realize she didn’t want to speak to him.
Maddie tugged on her hand. “Mom, I think that man knows you.”
“We went to college together.” She chewed on her lower lip. There were things she couldn’t tell her daughter. Like we were friends. We fell in love. We had sex. I was pregnant. He rode away.
“Don’t you like him? I saw your friends talking to him. He lives in the house across the street.”
Cate paused beside her car and unlocked the door. “In and seatbelt on, please.”
“I will. You didn’t answer my question.”
Cate considered her answer. “Years ago we were friends. Right after graduation he left without saying goodbye. I guess I’m not a forgiving person like my friends.”
Inside she shook. She had to tell her daughter her father had surfaced. Any questions Maddie asked should be answered in a neutral voice. She didn’t want her daughter to hate the man who had fathered her. Right now she was too angry to talk about him. Still, she’d had his name placed on the birth certificate.
Her mother had been furious. Their conversation popped into her thoughts.
“You’ll give him a way to claim her.”
“If I ever see him again, he has a right to know.”
“Does he? Just like your father he left. Do you think I enjoyed answering your questions? How will you deal with her?”
“When the time is right I’ll know.”
Cate released a held breath. Her mother had answered her questions with bitter remarks. Never had the older woman allowed a fact to emerge.
The time to tell her daughter about Rick had arrived too soon. Was Maddie old enough to learn about her father and his actions in the past? Did it matter? A way must be found before he acted.
She parked at the grocery store. She and Maddie walked the aisles selecting cereal, bread and other needed staples. Cate picked up microwaveable popcorn for the movie they planned to watch this evening.
At the house while stocking the pantry she weighed her options. Though her new job was a challenge, if Rick made trouble, she and Maddie could leave Eastlake. She had no desire to look for another job. She could tell Rick to back off and threaten to sue him for back child support. Could she do that? Or she could tell her daughter the truth in several ways. Some could be designed to raise her child’s resentment toward him.
Rick had seen Maddie. His failing to realize she was his daughter fell into the area of impossible. Every time she looked at her child she saw him. Hair and features. Only Maddie’s eyes were green instead of deep brown. She pursed her lips. She had to tell her daughter but not today or even tomorrow. She needed the right time and the right words. She also needed to know more about him. In nine years a person could undergo changes.
Maddie ran to the kitchen door. “I’m going to swing.”
“Enjoy.” Cate walked to the living room. The doorbell rang. Tension froze her. She wanted to run but there was no escape. When she saw Lauren relief nearly made her black out.
“What’s wrong?” her friend asked. “You’re as white as a sterile four by four.”
“I thought you were Rick.”
“Who is Maddie’s father.”
The clipped words helped Cate regain her inner balance. “He is and…I feel like running and hiding.”
“Don’t chicken out. Face him. Clear the past so you can more forward.”
“I wish I could.”
“Look at me. I fell in love with Alex when I was a teen. He married Rhonda. I ran from seeing them and went to work for that international health group. When I returned he was a widower. I remained deeply in love while he wallowed in the past. I stayed and found happiness. So can you.”
“I’d just like to push this all aside.”
“No matter what happens I’ll back you. So will the others. Face Rick and let him know what you feel.”
“I need to tell Maddie first and that’s difficult. We’ve never talked much about her father.”
“Don’t delay too long and don’t feel guilty that you didn’t look for him. You weren’t the one who took off for parts unknown.”
Lauren’s words struck Cate as the truth. On graduation day the well of anger and hurt. Today, tendrils of guilt entered her thoughts. She had let him go and hadn’t tried to let him know about their daughter. “Do you want to come in?”
“I can’t. On the way here Johnny fell asleep. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You did dash off. See you Monday. Have you found anyone to watch Maddie?”
“Your father-in-law enrolled her at the Community Center.”
“Liz’s boys are there as are many children whose parents work at the hospital.”
After Lauren drove away, Cate made a green bean and tuna salad for dinner. At five she called Maddie inside. Once they finished dinner, they unpacked their suitcases.
With this done Cate popped a bag of corn and they watched the latest animated feature. When the movie ended Maddie yawned. “Upstairs. Bath and bed.”
‘I had fun today. Thank you for the swing set. Johnny and the twins really liked it.” She ran off.
A short time later, Cate followed. She kissed her daughter good night. As she walked downstairs she felt thankful. Her daughter hadn’t asked about Rick.
She carried a glass of iced tea outside and sat on the swing. The moon shone brightly. As she gently rocked, she saw a car parked in Rick’s driveway. Before long she had to face him and have that talk with Maddie. She couldn’t allow anger to color either conversation. Hopefully she would find the right words.



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