Sunday, June 30, 2019

Sunday's Book Confrontations Affinities Book4 #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing Inc #Fantasy #YA

Confrontations: Affinities

In Confrontations by J.L. Walters, a Books We Love Young Adult Fantasy, Ash, Bran, Ky and Jay along with their friends have now mastered their affinities. They now control their ability to use Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The time has come for them to face Dom Senet and He Who Walks with Evil. They have learned a disturbing fact. He Who Walks With Evil is able to exchange an old body for a new one. Dom Senet wishes to obtain the secret and he is willing to sacrifice even his own son to gain this power. The four sets of companions set off to rid the doms and domas of Dom Senet’s bonds and to defeat the two evil men. Can they or will they become pawns to evil?
May 11, 2016
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Awesome world building.


Saturday, June 29, 2019

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Rosemary Morris #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing LTD #Romance #Historical



False Pretences
Yvonne Lady of Cassio by Rosemary Morris


When Yvonne and Elizabeth, daughters of ruthless Simon Lovage, Earl of Cassio, are born under the same star to different mothers, no one could have foretold their lives would be irrevocably entangled.
Against the background of Edward II’s turbulent reign in the fourteenth century, Yvonne, Lady of Cassio, contains imaginary and historical protagonists.
It is said the past is a foreign country in which things were done differently. Nevertheless, although that is true of attitudes, such as those towards women and children, our ancestors were also prompted by ambition, anger, greed, jealousy, humanity, duty, loyalty, unselfishness and love.
From early childhood, despite those who love her and want to protect her, Yvonne is forced to face difficult economic, personal and political circumstances, during a long, often bitter struggle before she finds true love.

Tangled Love
By the age of eighteen, Richelda’s beloved parents are dead. She believes her privileged life is over. At home in dilapidated Belmont House, her only companions are her mother’s old nurse and her devoted dog, Puck. Clad in old clothes she dreams of elegant gowns and trusts her childhood friend, a poor parson’s son, who promised to marry her Richelda’s wealthy aunt takes her to London and arranges her marriage to Viscount Chesney, the new owner of Field House, where it is rumoured there is treasure. If she finds it Richelda hopes to ease their lives. However, while searching for it her life is in danger.

False Pretences
 “Five-year-old Annabelle, who does not know who her parents are, arrives at boarding school fluent in French and English. Separated from her nurse, with few memories of her past, a shadow blights Annabelle’s life.
When high-spirited, eighteen-year old Annabelle, who is financially dependent on her unknown guardian, receives an order to marry a French baron more than twice her age, she refuses. 
Her life in danger, Annabelle is saved by a heroic gentleman, who promises to help her discover her identity. Yet, from then on, nothing is as it seems. To protect her captivating champion, broken-hearted, she is forced to run away for the second time.
In spite of many false pretences, even more determined to discover her parents’ identity, Annabelle must find out who to trust. Her attempts to unravel the mystery of her birth, lead to further danger, despair, unbearable anguish and even more false pretences, until the only person, who has ever wanted to cherish her, reveals the startling truth, and all’s well that ends well.”

Mediaeval Novel Yvonne Lady of Cassio. The Lovages of Cassio Book One
Early 18th Century novels: Tangled Love, Far Beyond Rubies, The Captain and The Countess
Regency Novels False Pretences, Sunday’s Child, Monday’s Child, Tuesday’s Child, Wednesday’s Child. Thursday’s Child and Friday’s Child.

Rosemary Morris’s novels are available as e-books and paperbacks from:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Facebook and other online retailers.






Friday, June 28, 2019

Friday Rosemary Morris is Visiting and Talking about Writing #MRWAuthor #BWL Publishing LTD #Panster #Plotter



1.      Are you a panster or a plotter or perhaps a bit of both?

Some novelists plot every chapter. I don’t write detailed plans. Instead I choose a theme For example, in my novel False Pretences, the heroine is desperate to find out who her parents are.

I admit that I’ve struggled more than usual with the plot and theme for my new novel, Saturday’s Child. I considered rejected many ideas before I chose a theme and jotted down a few notes about the plot.

So, to answer the question, I am a bit of both.

2.      Which comes first - characters or the plot?

Sometimes the characters come first. While I read a non-fiction book about Jacobites who followed James II to France after he was forced to flee, I asked myself what would happen to their children. Who were they? I chose names for the hero and heroine Richelda and Alban, then wrote detailed character profiles. While I got to know them, the plot evolved.

3.      What are you working on now? Is this a book in a current series or something totally new?

I am writing Saturday’s Child, Heroines Born on Different Days of the Week, Book Seven.

When I wrote Sunday’s Child, I didn’t plan to write one with a title for each day of the week based on the nursery rhyme that begins: Monday’s child is fair of face. After it was published, I decided it would be fun to write six more novels based on each line of the rhyme.


4.      Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books? I use gems a lot, hospitals and caves.

I neither have a specific object or place but the food, clothes, furniture, jewellery etc., from the eras in which my characters exist’ are important.

5.      Do you write every day or just when the spirit hits?

To meet the deadline to submit my novels to BooksWeLove, my publisher, I must be self-disciplined. I wake up at 6 a.m. and work until 10 a.m. with a break for breakfast – usually a healthy one of porridge, sweetened with organic honey and mixed with three handfuls of soft.

Later, although the time is flexible, I write and deal with ‘writerly matters’ from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.

6.      Where can we find you?

You can find out about me and my novels at:


You will also find me at:


And you may follow me on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Rosemary.Morris.Historical.Novelist

Thursday, June 27, 2019

Thursday's Fourth Scene from Searches Affinities Book3 #MFRWAuthor #BWL Publishing Inc #Fantasy #YA


Kylandra

Ky and Zand spent the morning fusing the broken glass panels for the growing house. The rest of the group busily fitted the pieces together. When all the panels were in place, the covered area would be three times as large as the one they had found in the Cedris garden.
     “Ky,” Jay called. “I’ve finished another one.”
     She crossed to where he sat and knelt beside the pane he had assembled. After calling fire to her fingers, she traced the cracks and watched the glass shards fuse. With a grin, she rose. “Once we finish the panels, all we’ll need to do is repair the beds and find plants to fill them.”
     Zand looked around. “Where will we find the plants?”
     Ky walked to his side. “Jay, Geni and Dyna already have cuttings in the stillroom. They’ll also search the fields and forest.”
     Bran waved her over. “Another one is ready. We have some seeds the doma bought from the Rovers, and they promised her more.”
     Ky ran her finger over the glass and watched a solid sheet form. She rolled her shoulders. “I need a rest.” And a change. Doing the same thing again and again was boring.
     Doma Jandia appeared in the doorway of the growing house. “The midday meal is ready. Go wash your faces and hands.”
     With a shout of joy, Ky dashed outside and splashed cold water from the trough on her face. After finishing two bowls of soup, toasted bread and cheese, she decided Zand could finish the dozen glass panels needing to be fused. She wanted to work in the large barn. She stayed in the kitchen to help with the dishes.
     After she emptied the dirty water, she sauntered to the large stone structure that abutted the rear wall of the keep. The walls seemed solid and so did the beams of the roof and loft. Something about them puzzled her. How had the builders made the wooden stalls and troughs look like stone?
     Along the walls, she noticed a number of places where bits of the mortar had crumbled. If she used fire to melt the white material when it hardened, the walls should be solid. Before that happened the debris from the loft had to be removed.
     She ran her hands along one of the stalls and formed a ball of fire to take a closer look. Wood and not wood. The smooth surface felt like porcelain or polished stone yet the grain of the wood was visible. What had the former occupants of the keep used to produce the smoothness and the longevity? She climbed the stone steps to the loft and began flinging down the matted leaves and other things. There was less debris than she had expected. She inched along the beams finding the same type of preservation. Why hadn’t they treated the loft floor and the roof?
     Ky laughed at her questions. They couldn’t be answered. The people who had produced such wonders were lost in the past.
     Once the last of the waste matter was on the ground, she climbed down and raked the material into a heap. To her surprise, the floor was stone with channels to aid in cleaning the stalls. She loaded a barrow and pushed it to the pile outside the gate. Then she returned for another load. She felt as tired as if she had used her sword in a battle. She sank to the ground and leaned against the wall. Would the keep ever be ready for winter?
     Don’t be so negative. Jay’s comment flowed over the twin bond. Dragen’s cutting saplings to use as flooring for the loft.
     A sharp pain jabbed her hand. She screamed. Flames spurted from her fingers. Ky jumped to her feet. What? Then she saw the barbed tail of a scorpon poised to strike again. The creature was larger than both her hands placed side by side. She seared the scorpon with fire. A mass of smaller creatures emerged from the cracks in the wall. Ky turned and ran.
     The poison from the barbed tail of the scorpon burned a trail up her arm. “Help! Scorpon,” she shouted. Her stomach clenched and threatened to erupt. Dizziness caused her to stagger. She struggled to keep on her feet. If she fell the rest of the vermin would attack.
     Dragen dashed into the barn. Zand followed. He sent lashes of flame into the milling mass of creatures. Ky fell to her knees. She tried to stand. Bran appeared.
     “Be still,” he ordered. “Running makes the poison move faster. Val and I will take you to the keep.”
     They lifted her. The jarring movement increased her nausea. By the time they reached the kitchen, she opened her eyes. The room spun. She swallowed to keep from spewing her lunch. The burning sensation had traveled past her elbow. Her fingers were numb. The pain was akin to what she had felt when she’d cleared the web from the tunnel during the escape from the henge, and a strand had wrapped around her wrist. Had Dom Senet found a way to weave scorpon poison into a web?
     She heard voices, but they were blurred. Her eyelids seemed too heavy to raise. Her thoughts swept away as though captured by the wind.
     Ky opened her eyes to find Doma Jandia and her siblings seated around her sleeping mat. “My arm.” Her fingers barely moved.
     “Will be weak for a day or two.” Doma Jandia gestured to Bran. “Raise her head.” He propped pillows behind her back. The doma held a cup to Ky’s mouth. “Drink.”
     The liquid was cool and so sweet she grimaced. “What is that?”
     “A stimulant.”
     “You were really sick,” Jay said. “I couldn’t find you on the twin bond.”
     Ky swallowed the rest of the drink. “You really couldn’t hear me?”
     Ash nodded. “You’ve been ill for three days. Even your thoughts were absent from the winds.”

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Wednesday Confrontations Affinities Book 4 #MFRWHooks #BWL Publishing #Fantasy #YA

Confrontations: Affinities

Join the writers at #MFRWHooks here  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  and find some great excerpts. Mine is the final book of a fantasy series.

BLURB:
In Confrontations by J.L. Walters, a Books We Love Young Adult Fantasy, Ash, Bran, Ky and Jay along with their friends have now mastered their affinities. They now control their ability to use Earth, Air, Fire and Water. The time has come for them to face Dom Senet and He Who Walks with Evil. They have learned a disturbing fact. He Who Walks With Evil is able to exchange an old body for a new one. Dom Senet wishes to obtain the secret and he is willing to sacrifice even his own son to gain this power. The four sets of companions set off to rid the doms and domas of Dom Senet’s bonds and to defeat the two evil men. Can they or will they become pawns to evil?



EXCERPT:

The time has come. Ash bolted upright. Her heart pounded with a beat reminiscent of one created by a mad drummer. Her gaze swept the room. She saw the other young women slept. Had someone spoken on the winds or had the words been part of a dream she couldn’t remember? When her racing heart slowed she cautiously opened her senses to read the winds of the keep. Using her affinity for Air she searched. The only person awake was the doma and the cry hadn’t arisen from the elderly woman.

Fingers of moonlight slid through the shuttered windows. She moved to the edge of the bed and pushed her feet into her house boots. Ash crept to the window to peer outside. She knelt on the stone bench and opened the shutters a crack. A gasp pushed past her lips when she saw the birds, one light and the other dark. The pair circled the keep.

She rubbed her arms to banish the chill of the late winter night. “Mama, Papa,” she whispered. “What does your arrival mean?”
Since the destruction of the Wesren henge the birds had appeared at auspicious moments. Sometimes the pair signaled safety and other times they brought a warning of danger. What was the meaning of this sighting?
“The time has come.” Softly she whispered the words. Like a jolt of lightning a thrill of excitement swept through her. Did that mean her and her halfling companions were ready to leave the safety of the keep and venture forth against their enemies? There were more opponents than she cared to face. She considered the number of doms and domas who followed Dom Senet, the four halflings he’d trained plus Zand’s former step-mother and her two sons. A shudder rolled through her body. There was also the voice of evil she’d heard on the winds.
Two years and a season had passed since the return from the quests for the remaining halflings, the heirs and the talismans. The sixteen companions had worked hard to gain mastery of their affinities of the elements. Four whose element was  Air, four Fire, four Earth and four Water united in four mixed quartets. A sliver of fear stabbed. Were they ready? She fought a desire to return to her bed and pull the covers over her head.
As the edge of the sun appeared above the distant mountains Ash closed the shutters. She thought about the birds and knew hiding was as impossible as a return to sleep. Not while her emotions rose and fell in waves. Should she wake the others and tell them about the birds? She frowned. If she did Ky, her younger sister, would scold and rouse everyone in the keep.
Ash grabbed her clothes and dashed to the necessary to wash and dress. Before she stirred the others into action she had to speak to Doma Jandia. Perhaps their teacher could interpret the meaning of the words and the arrival of the birds.
As she hurried down the stairs she quested for the doma. The elderly woman wasn’t in her room on the fourth level of the keep. The doma’s mind scent rose from the stillroom. When Ash dashed from the third level to the second she heard stirrings from the chamber where her brothers and the other male halflings slept. Since she wanted advice before those with affinities plied her with questions she grasped the railing and sped downstairs.
On the first level she scurried along the hall and opened the door of the stillroom. Shelves on one wall held jars of various herbs, spices and flowers. Ash tasted the air as she’d been taught and isolated attars of roses, lavender and the scent of rosemary.
The elderly woman who had taught Ash and her siblings since the day they’d found refuge with her sat on a bench at a stone table. She rested a pestle in the mortar, turned and smiled. Hair turned to silver by age framed the doma’s lined face. The gaze from her brilliant green eyes met Ash’s. In contrast to the copper-hued skin of the halflings, Doma Jandia’s was as pale as linen bleached by the sun. Until this moment Ash hadn’t realized how much the doma had aged.
“You’re astir early,” Doma Jandia said.
Ash nodded. “I heard a voice and saw the birds.”
The light of knowing flashed in the elderly woman’s eyes. “Tell me the entire story.”
In a few words Ash spoke of her awakening. “Do you think the time has come for us to leave the keep?”
The doma nodded. “I believe so. Though I would rather keep you here and safe you young people have a destiny. You have learned all I can teach you and more since you aren’t afraid to try new approaches. Yes, you’re ready to begin cleansing the princedoms. Once that is accomplished you can confront Senet and his allies.”
Those words caused Ash to straighten her shoulders. Fear and excitement slithered through her thoughts. Her breath caught. “Are you sure?” The time had come but she wavered between action and retreat.
The doma left the table. “Senet is on the move. I don’t know what he plans but the air in the highlands shimmers with strange energies.”
Ash’s hands clenched. “How much danger do he and his cronies pose for us?”
Doma Jandia grasped one of Ash’s hands and uncurled the tightened fingers. “He has full use of all four elements. Alone he can overpower any two or three of you unless you are joined in quartets of both mixed or a single element. When you are he cannot overcome the meld formed even when you are distant from each other. Know that to be the truth.”
Some of the churning in Ash’s gut subsided. “Where should we go first?” The desire to avoid Dom Senet was foremost in her thoughts. She fought dark waves of fear threatening to engulf her. She couldn’t forget the times he had invaded her thoughts in attempts to lure her into his web. A vision of a huge black spider with the face of the dom made her shiver.
He’s not here. You have barriers against him.
What if he can break them?
Doma Jandia stroked Ash’s hand. “You are safe. Though in the days to come you will face danger you are strong enough to defeat him."
“I pray you’re right.” Ash swallowed. “Where must we go first?”
“The four princedoms must be cleansed. Begin in Easren, then Soutren, Nortren and Wesren in that order. By the time the four are cleansed the sixteen of you will be ready to face Senet.”

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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Tuesday's Writer's Tip A Bit More on Using Details #MFRWAuthor #BWL Publishing LTD #writing #Details

Don't use the information garnered too soon or too late. Too soon might do a number of things like give the plot away or make the character's actions seem foolish. Being too late may already have lost the reader if the information they need to understand what's going on comes after all the action is completed.

If you're writing about a career you know nothing about take the time to find someone involved in that career and talk to them. There are also other ways to find this material if you can't find a person nearby or have not found one who will answer your questions. Search the internet. When writing about a chef, I spent a lot of time watching the Food Channel and listening to what the chefs said.
As well as talking to food people I knew.

Remember the time period and keep the characters in sync with that time. I've done some books with ancient Egypt as the background and spent a lot of time looking at things such as food. There were no things like tomatoes and corn to name a few. Putting something that doesn't belong will turn your reader off and they will wonder how much you pay to attention.

Monday, June 24, 2019

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Writing #Weather

Meander 1 -50 Years Published - Some time in 1968, I received my first check for a story I'd written and saw the story in print. Now, this doesn't mean that's when I started writing. That first sale took a few years but I will admit it was the first story I'd written. I'm not sure how many rejection slips I received on the story. Those were the days when you sent the story out and waited, sometimes for months. Most of the time there was a little printed slip but sometimes there were little comments that kept the dream alive.
        I've seen many many changes in the publishing field. When I began writing there were many magazines that took mss over the transome. Some paid very well and some 5 to 25 cents a word. You also had to mail the manuscript and hope when it was rejected there were no coffee stains, cigarette burns of other things plus rumpled and needed to be retyped. Postage was also much less but you still had to also include a SASE for the return. Agents weren't necessary for submitting. And for novels, the publishers wanted the complete manuscript.
      My first published novel didn't happen until 1972 but the book had made the rounds. Back then editors tried to help you. I received so many little notes about what needed to be done with the mss that led me to rewrite the book each time it came back. I believe 17 times is the number of publishers who saw the mss and made comments. Actually the 17th one bought the manuscript.
     During those early years, I saw magazines disappear. Two of my short stories were purchased but never published. Boys' Life and American Girls' Magazines paid but never printed the stories. I felt sad about that but I was allowed to keep the money.
     I took a break from writing to return to work as a nurse to help educate four children. I didn't stop writing but I'd put things away for the time being. I had received a rejection for a short story when the author said this sounds more like a novel. The story was a short mystery and back around 1970, I didn't think I knew enough about mysteries to use that material. I did later and Murder and Mint Tea but before I wrote turned that story into a novel, I studied novels and began to write what I knew about. Hospitals, doctors and nurses.
     My return to the writing life gave me a shock. Editors wanted synopses and partial manuscripts. Many of the larger publishers, the few who hadn't been folded into other publishers wanted agents. There weren't as many small publishers either.
      Then came electronic publishing and I'd found my niche. Not all the publishers I started with survived but it was a learning experience. I'm mostly with Books We Love LTD out of Canada and am very happy to be with them.

Meander 2 - Weather - Seems like the monsoon have left for a time but the ground is still boggy beneath the surface. Found some Peony roots to add to the bushes down the sides of the walk. Hopefully they will take and next year there will be beauty again.

Meander 3 Writing -- Moving forward with the Forgotten Dreams. Three chapters to clean up. Hopefully will finish within the next two weeks

Sunday, June 23, 2019

Sunday's Book Searches Affinities Book 3 #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing #Fantasy #YA

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.

Saturday, June 22, 2019

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Liese Sherwood Ferber #MFRWAuthor #Essays #Sherlock Holmes

Saving Hope


Villains, Victims, and Violets: Agency and Feminism in the Original Sherlock Holmes Canon

A woman’s fiancé disappears into the night fog and is never seen alive again. A woman escapes mob life for Norfolk, England, only to find notes in the secret code of her mobster suitor. The last: “Prepare to meet thy God.” A maid is brought on a midnight hunt for a long-hidden treasure that turns out to be a few pebbles and rusted metal. Their common denominator: Sherlock Holmes.

Modern writers have reconsidered every subject under the sun through the lens of Sherlock, often echoing Holmes’ fictional biographer Watson’s surmise that Holmes has an aversion to women. Is this consistently true? The overlooked subject is agency—the opportunities available to these women for independence and self-determination. What we find all too often are silences around the women. And yet, women in the stories—clients, villains, victims, and Violets—are pivotal in the world of Sherlock Holmes. These essays apply a modern lens to the women who engage Holmes.

Coming July/August from BrownWalker Press and will be available wherever eBooks are sold.

Saving Hope

Steve Berry, NYT Bestselling author, describes Saving Hope as “a tantalizing premise that toys with the most basic of emotions—a parent’s drive to save their child.”
In one of Siberia's formerly closed cities, Alexandra Pavlova, an unemployed microbiologist, struggles to save her daughter’s life. When she turns to Vladimir, her oldest friend, for help, she's drawn into Russia’s underworld. His business dealings with the Iranians come to the attention of Sergei Borisov, an FSB (formerly the KGB) agent. Alexandra finds herself joining forces with Sergei to stop the export of a deadly virus in a race to save both her daughter and the world.
BUY: Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Amazon Paperback | BN Paperback | iBooks | Walmart | BAM
Virtual Harmony and Other Short, Sweet Romances
Love can bloom in infinite ways.
Eleven short romances follow love through cute meets to taking friendship to the next level to rekindling a marriage. Feelings can be sparked by an errant computer file, a hunt for diamonds, or even a fortune teller's tale. All that is needed is to open one's heart to let it in.
Search, find, and deepen love along the way in these sweet romances.
Available through Amazon Barnes and Nobles | Kobo | iBooks



Friday, June 21, 2019

Friday Liese Sherwood Fabre is visiting and Talking about Who She Was Before #MFRWAuthor #Sherlock Holmes


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

I have worked for the US both in the US and abroad in a number of different professional positions. Most often I was a project officer, overseeing the work of contractors in complex programs designed to provide services to the population—usually health-related. My first attempts at writing occurred while living in Mexico. I had a subscription to the Isaac Asimov magazine and after reading several volumes, I thought “I can do this,” and submitted a science fiction story that was quickly rejected. But I learned from this effort. First, that I could do it, and second, that I needed more practice if I were to succeed.

Many of my stories in my early days involved places or situations I observed while living overseas. Being exposed to Latin American and Russian culture certainly provided some great fodder. My first completed novel was about bi-cultural marriages—based on what I had observed while living in Honduras and Mexico. My second novel, and the first to be published, is a thriller set in Russia. Again, a lot of the events were grounded in what I observed around me.
    

  Are you genre specific or general? Why? I don't mean genres like romance, mystery, fantasy etc. There are many subgenres of the above. 

My early writing was pretty eclectic (appropriate for the blog, don’t you think?). That’s a major advantage of not having published yet—you write about whatever strikes your fancy. When I returned to the states after being abroad for 10 years, I enrolled in writing classes at my local community college. As part of the classes, we had to produce—short stories, chapters from novels, or screen plays. The result for me was stories that included a lot of literary fiction (usually not a happy ending) and some science fiction, horror, and magical realism. My third novel was a contemporary women’s fiction with a Latina heroine that was a finalist in the Golden Heart.

My choices follow advice I have heard at many writing conferences and panels—write what you like to read. I have always been drawn to vampires and werewolves (both appearing in short stories), Latina chick lit (loved “Dirty Girls Social Club.”), and contemporary thrillers.

If I were to select a particular theme throughout, it would “belonging.” Most of my characters, and most often the main character is a strong female, are seeking their place in their family, their community, or the world.

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

Again, my reading has been rather eclectic—like my writing (Winking face with no fill). I enjoy any number of different genres. I would say I enjoy more hopeful and humorous stories than I do something very dark. I enjoy reading about, as well as writing about, strong female characters who overcome different adversities.

I have also always enjoyed reading about different places and times, and that had led me to the stories I’m working on now.

4. What's your latest release?
While not fiction, I have two essays appearing in a collection that examines the role of women in the Sherlock Holmes stories. I’m one of twenty-nine authors who examine Holmes’ world through the lives of the women who lived in it: the villains driven astray; the victims he rescued; and the strong, pivotal Violets from his most unforgettable cases.

It comes out in July/August from BrownWalker Press.

5. What are you working on now? 
As it might appear from the above book, I have been focusing on a series about Sherlock Holmes as a young man—what happened before he met Watson.
In the first, his father calls him home during his first year at Eton, and Sherlock is grateful—whatever the reason—for his return to Underbyrne, the family estate. Even his mother’s arrest for the murder of the village midwife can’t completely diminish his relief. He and his eccentric family must solve the crime to avoid the family scandal and get his mother released from jail.
6. Where can we find you? 
Also all the ebook stores.


Thursday, June 20, 2019

Thursday's Fourth Scene Havens Affinities Book 2 #MFRWAuthor #BWL Publishing INC #YA #Fantasy


Valcon

     Valcon pulled a knit cap low to hide his hair and wrapped a scarf so his mouth and nose were covered.  He opened the door of the stone house and peered across the barren garden.  Only a skim of snow lay on the ground.  The weather had been strange this winter.  The heavy snowfall that had aided his friends’ escape had melted.  Since that day only flurries had fallen.  He’d heard the farms in the northern section of the princedom had experienced one storm after another.  The bitter cold made him shiver.  Leaving the warmth of the house hadn’t been his idea.  Svana’s begging to visit Cook for sweets had finally pushed him to the door.
     He checked to see the little girl was bundled before he lifted the basket of fruit and vegetables that had been gleaned from the growing house this morning.  Svana danced outside ahead of him.
     “Hurry, Valcon.”  She used her heavy stick as a sword.  Finchon and Larkea waited near the wall.  Larkea pressed the stones in the proper sequence and a segment of the wall slid inward.
     “Do you have the list?”  Valcon asked.
     “In my head,”  Larkea said.
     “Make sure to take care when you return.”  Valcon followed the three children into the lane.  “We don’t want anyone to suspect the wall isn’t part of the city’s enclosure.  Make your purchases and hurry back.”
     Finchon nodded.  “I’ll be careful.”  He turned to Larkea.  “So will she.”
     Larkea watched the gate close.  “Keep an eye out for guards.  They seem to favor Cook’s tavern.”
     “Do you blame them?”  Valcon asked.
     Finchon laughed.  “If I could I would  eat there every day.”
     Svana tugged on Valcon’s hand.  “Come on.”
     Larkea made a face.  “You need to teach her caution.  Ever since you and Bran fixed her foot, she doesn’t listen.”
     “And you’re so obedient.”  Finchon danced away from her raised fist.
     Valcon hated the heat of anger he heard in Larkea’s voice and saw in her eyes.  How could she be envious of the little girl?  The mite was their joy.  Lately Larkea had been moody, especially since he and Genira had been rescued from the palisades and their friends had left.
     “We’ll be fine,”  Valcon said.  “The most we have to worry about is the pack of hounds that hang about the alley.  They’re becoming bolder.  I’ll beg some meat scraps or bones from Cook and toss them into the pack.”
     Larkea laughed.  “Clever.”  She ran after Finchon.  “See you.”
     When Valcon and Svana reached the alley leading to the rear door of the tavern, he and the little girl waved to the others.  Svana raced to the door of the tavern and knocked.  Just as the door opened, Valcon reached the stoop and took her hand.

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

Wednesday Searches Affinities Book 3 #MFRWHooks #BWL Publishing Inc #fantasy #Young adult

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

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great reads. Mine is a fantasy and the third book of a series.

BLURB:
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.



EXCERPT:


     The midday sun of the late summer day beamed on the caravan consisting of three Rover wagons, several extra coursers and eight riders. Val tugged off his neck cloth and wiped his sweaty brow. Today he rode as rear guard and used his affinity for Water to search for emotions that spoke of strangers. As yet, the group seemed to be the only travelers for miles.
     He scanned the horizon. The grassy plains stretched to the east and the west of the old rutted road leading toward a distant grove of trees. The forest could hide attackers, but as yet he sensed no unknown enemies.
     The heavy loads stored in the wagons caused the slow progress. Val had to admit Doma Jandia was the best trader he had ever encountered. Not only did they have extra mounts there was enough food and grain to last a month or more along with the tools they needed to repair the abandoned keep. He grinned. They still had credit with the Rovers.
     An outburst of angry emotions impinged on his peace. Val’s hands clenched. Four days of travel beneath a hot sun had brought tempers to the fore, especially from those whose affinity for Fire guided their actions.
     Ky and her courser tore toward him. With one hand she held the reins. The other hand held a raised sword that blazed with flames. Behind her, Zand galloped. His sword showed a plume of fire. “Take that back,” he shouted.
     Val rode toward the pair. “Enough,” he cried. “Dampen those flames. Do you want to set the grass aflame and endanger us all?”
     “She called me a baby,” Zand said.
     Val sucked in a breath. “What did you say to her?”
     “That I was better with a sword.”
     Val nodded. “Since you have been practicing with one since you could hold a blade, how else could you be? I say you’re both acting like children.” In some ways they both were, not only in age but in experience. “Why don’t the pair of you spar after evening meal when Dragen can watch and comment?”
     The flames on Ky’s sword died. She turned to Zand. “A good idea.”
     “Just blades. No flames,” Zand said.
      The pair wheeled and rode off. Val watched them go. Sometimes he wished he could use his affinity for Water to empty a cloud on his friends’ heads. A longing for shade and coolness arose. Would they reach the trees in time to make camp for the night?
     Why were there no farms or villages in this area? Was this part of the highlands? He knew the Rovers’ camp was in the neutral ground between the lowlands and the highlands. How much further must they travel to reach the deserted keep Dragen knew? The abandoned dwelling was to be a refuge where they could learn to use their affinities. This meant another change in his life.
     His thoughts slid to the many times his life had undergone an upheaval. He had no recollection of his mother’s death and few from the years he and his father had lived off the land before joining the Rovers for several seasons. Those days had been ones of learning and of belonging.
     Then his father had been drawn to Cedris. Flashes of memories from the day his father had died at the hands of Dom Senet made Val’s hands shake. He pushed his grief aside and tried to smooth the raw places.
     One area remained abraded. He knew the children who had lived with him in Cedris were safe with the Rovers. They had been his family until his affinity had forced a chasm to separate them.
A shudder rolled through his body. A member of his adopted family had envied his talent. Had that been the reason for Larkea’s betrayal or had her dislike of Geni spurred the angry reaction? Larkea’s actions had resulted in his and Geni’s capture by Dom Senet and had placed all their friends in danger. When he recalled the coldness of the dom’s green eyes, Val felt ill.
     “Val.”
     He had been so deep in thought he hadn’t noticed Bran’s arrival. Val smiled at his friend. With their pale blond hair, green eyes and the deep copper of their skins they could have been siblings except their features were different. Even Bran and his twin had little facial resemblance. Val halted his courser. “Is there a problem?”
     “Sort of. Your emotions are so loud I can’t block them. Ash and Kirlon said your bitterness scents the air. We’re worried about you.”
     “Sorry.” Val stroked his steed’s neck. “I was thinking about all the changes in my life and lost control. I also miss the children.” How could he explain his losses to anyone?
     Bran nodded. “About the children. You haven’t deserted them. Leaving them with the Rovers gives them chances they didn’t have in Cedris. It’s also better for them not to be with us.”
     “I know.” Val smiled. “Larkea thrives 


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Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Ways to Avoid Detail dumps #MFRWAuthor #BWL Publishing Inc, ##Writing #Details

You have all that lovely research. You've pages of descriptions of the house, the garden, etc. ready for your story. You've described your characters from head to toes. How do you keep from swamping your readers with all these details;

One way is to intersperse the facts with fiction.  Show the characters interacting with the facts and each other. Use dialogue. Use a character's curiosity. Find ways to pur the information in bit by bit instead of long passages.

Cut down those fact filled bits. This comes under revision. As you're revising and you come to a long prose passage filled with facts and information. Look to see which ones are vital to the story. I know how wonderful all these new facts you've learned and taken notes about are but think of the poor reader forced to read on and on before the story returns. Think of those commercials, not an informational when you're laying on the facts.

Don't turn your character into a teacher. Having one of the characters run on and on about something that interests them is one way to have the reader put the book aside. A long sermon on dieting or on cutting a gem into shape or any number of things slows down the story not to mention the reader's patience.

Next time I'll show a few more ways to keep from turning your story into a marsh waiting to suck the reader down with facts.

Monday, June 17, 2019

Meandering On MOnday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #BWL Publishing INc #Poem #Triffids #Writing

Meander 1  Poem -- Books --

Bought some books 
Just today.
Books are friends
That will not fail. 
They don't change
Like people do
Me, we, you

Meander 2 - Triffids - I once read a science fiction book about Triffids. There was also a movie I didn't see. This came to mind when these plants appeared in my farden. They grew from a few inches to several feet in a few days. A friend who had seen the movie told me they looked just like the plants she'd seen. Those plants shot needles and then devoured all they hit. I am keeping my eyes on these plants. Though they seem to progress toward the house, they have no needles yet.

Meander 3 _ Writing - Moving forward with Forgotten Dreams. Am to the draft where I look to see which scenes need to be rewritten and what changes must be made. I'm looking forward to finishing and starting something new.

Sunday, June 16, 2019

Sunday's Book Havens Affinities Book 2 #MFRWAuthor #BWLPublishing Inc. #Ya #Fantasy

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.


March 8, 2014
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Do not miss this exciting and dynamic series. An escape for young adults as well as adults with a passion for
 fantasy. Janet Lane Walters creates world like no other writer I know.