Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Revision - Points to Consider #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Revision #Points

Once you have a solid beginning, there are other points to continue when revising. Thisis a list of areas where you must really think about.

Characters - look at the people in your story. They are the backbone. Poorly developed characters make a poor story.

Dialogue - This may be tied up with character. Making sure each of the people in your story speaks with their own voice and doesn't sound like every other person.

Point of View - This is important. Who is telling the story? Are there more than one character telling the story? Each scene may call for a different character's voice.

Showing versus telling - An important bit here. When we were children most of the stories we heard were telling but as adults we want to be shown through action and reaction within the characters.

Story and Structure - This is where you consider how everything comes together. Is the story one ride to the top and then a swift decline? Does the story have a lot of hills and valleys? There are a number of things to consider here.

I'll look at each of the elements of the story in later posts.

Monday, June 29, 2020

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Writing #Reading #Thoughts

Meander 1 - Reading - I'm presently re-reading Jennifer Probst's books. Since I'm writing a fantasy with some dark elements, these sensuous romances provide a break from the evil I'm confrontine.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - Walking to my own drummer - Since this Black Lives Matter, I've been thinking about past moments.  I probably was out of step with the world for most of my life. I remember one incident from my childhood. Summer and Bible School. We were told to invite friends. I did, twice. One was my Catholic friends and they came but weren't welcome. The next summer, i tried again by inviting two black girls who were friends. They weren't made welcome either. Now this happened in the 1940's. One of the Bible school teachers told me after the second incident. "At least they're Christians." So being out of step could be ahrd when you are growing up.Those thoughts have remained through my life. Walk to what you think is the right thing, not what others think.

Meander 3 - Writing - Moving alone with the new book. Am working on it a bit differently but still the same. Doing segments sort of like moon segments. The title has become Moon Rising Nilos. Like that a lot and have the first four chapters almost to the revision stage, outlined the second section and have planned the third. Soon will be planning the fourth. There may be a fifth but it will be only one chapter. We will see.

Sunday, June 28, 2020

Sunday's Book The Taurus Scorpio Connection #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #romance

The Taurus Scorpio Connection (Opposites In Love Book 2)

Her mother was a hired nanny and her father the Mellwood Bank. This is the way Taurus Laurel Richmond describes her family. After burning out as a nurse with an international health agency, she returns to Eastlake, the one place she where she felt connected. She studied nursing here and made a number of friends. Her one problem is her wealth. Soon she will receive a fortune. But money hasn’t given her the things she wants, a home, a family and love. Since a chance visit after summer camp with a friend made there, her idea of a man to love has been Alex Carter.

Alex Carter is a Scorpio, a single dad with a five year old son. He’s a general practitioner at Eastlake Community Hospital. While attracted to Laurel, he has one problem. His ex and now dead wife had a lot of money and little sense. Drugs and her fast friends were her life. She abandoned their son who cried for hours until his father returned. Alex has no love for women with money. Attraction or not he refuses to admit he’s falling for Laurel.

With the help of Alex’s son, Laurel sets out to prove to Alex she’s in town for the long haul and she will make the perfect wife and mother.

Review:
Janet Lane Walters has written a charming tale.
As a child, Laurel Richmond was trapped in a car with her dead parents for hours. After losing them, Laurel's next of kin was a bank. Laurel hides her immense wealth, traveling internationally as a nurse, helping the sick. She decides to settle in Eastlake, a small community.

She once summered with her friend Megan, developing a huge crush on Megan's brother, Alex, who is now a divorced doctor raising his young son Johnny. Alex is leary of wealth because his rich ex-wife had no time for him or Johnny, but Johnny takes to Laurel right away.

The glimpses of a family life that Laurel experiences with Johnny and Alex leave her longing for her dreams to become reality. Can she get Alex to realize that money may bring power, but love offers peace?


Rosemary Morris
5.0 out of 5 stars A Wealthy Orphans Need for a Home and Family
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2018
Verified Purchase
Ms Lane-Walters is conversant with hospitals and hospital procedures. In this interesting medical romance, she returns to Eastlake Community Hospital in which the first of the series was set. Exhausted, Laurel,whose star sign is Taurus, is an heiress orphaned in tragic circumstances when she was three-years-old. She leaves India, where she has been working for International Health Rescue Mission as part of a team following disasters, dispensing care and training health workers. She has fled from Neil Browne who asked her to marry him, but she did not want all he has
 to offer her, a roving life. When she arrives in America with the hope of finding a permanent home, Alex Carter, her friend Megan’s brother collects her from the airport. Within next to no time she collapses and is admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia. Alex, a doctor, father of five-year-old Johnny, is still angry after his divorce and his former wife’s death. There is no room in his life for another spoiled, selfish rich woman so it’s useless for Megan to match make. This is an intriguing novel about two characters with problems which need to be resolved, and Alex’s
 delightful, but insecure young son, who adores his father and is traumatised by the loss of his mother. The Taurus Scorpio Connection is a story to relax with and enjoy it.

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Saturday's Blurbs feature books by P J MacLayne #MFRWAuthor #Mysteries #librarian



The Marquesa's Necklace (Harmony Duprie Mysteries Book 1)

The Marquesa's Necklace, Book 1 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries


Harmony Duprie enjoyed her well-ordered life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove—until her arrest for drug trafficking. Cleared of all charges, she wants nothing more than to return to the uneventful lifestyle of a historical researcher she once savored.

But when her beloved old car “George” is stolen and explodes into a ball of flames, it sets off a series of events that throws her plans into turmoil. Toss in a police detective that may or may not be interested in her, an attractive but mysterious stranger on her trail, and an ex-boyfriend doing time, and Harmony’s life freefalls into a downward spiral of chaos.

Now she has to use her research skills to figure out who is behind the sinister incidents plaguing her, and why. And she better take it seriously, like her life depends upon finding the right answers.

Because it might.


Her Ladyship's Ring, Book 2 of the Harmony Duprie Mysteries

Harmony Duprie is back, and so is trouble in Oak Grove.

When a man is murdered in the back yard of the old Victorian house she is remodeling, Harmony is determined to locate his next-of-kin so he can be put to rest properly. But with her ex-boyfriend Jake out of prison, back in town and one of the suspects in the murder, she takes on the challenge of solving the crime.

With Eli, her current love interest, in Florida and Jake close by, old emotions come back to haunt her. Can Harmony clear Jake's name and solve the mystery of her own heart?


The Baron's Cufflinks, Book 3 in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries

What starts as Girl's Night Out ends in murder, and Harmony Duprie is a suspect.

She's innocent, of course, but with no alibi, the sheriff's department won't remove her from the list of suspects. It doesn't help when a waitress from the bar gets beaten up and the only clue is a slip of paper with Harmony's name on it. Throw in a rookie deputy dead set on building his reputation and Harmony must tread carefully.

But caution isn't Harmony's middle name and she plunges head first into danger to defend her honor.
What she finds is a web of half-truths and suspicions implicating several law enforcement agencies, with Jake, her ex-lover, stuck in the middle of it all.

Can Harmony rescue Jake and find the real culprit before she becomes the next victim?

Friday, June 26, 2020

Friday P J MacLayne Is visiting and talking about Who She Was Before #MFRWAuthor #Mysteries #Librarian


1. What were you before you became an author? Did this influence your choices as a writer?

I've done a lot of different jobs in my life. I've been a waitress, a librarian, a secretary, an executive for a not-for-profit organization, an information technology specialist and more. But I've always been a writer in one form or another. I started with poetry, wrote articles for a company newsletter, and moved into fiction about eight years ago. Unfortunately, my writing had never supported me financially, so I'm still working a day job.

And yes, I've drawn on all of those experiences for my writing. My characters have worked in many of those same professions. I have no problems with my heroes and heroines being computer programmers or security analysts. Or an ex-librarian, like Harmony, my amateur female sleuth.


2. Are you genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but subdivisions or romance, mystery or paranormal.

I have both a mystery series and an urban fantasy/paranormal series, so I have to say general. And while the Harmony Duprie Myteries are more light-hearted, I'm prepping for a much grittier female private investigator series. That may be a year or two away, depending upon how quickly I get the next Harmony story finished. The original story is one I wrote several years ago, but it needs a total rewrite before it ever leaves my computer.

3. What is your latest release?

My latest release is The Samurai's Inro, the fifth book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries. Here's the description:

Trouble has a long memory and is stalking Harmony Duprie.

Harmony Duprie has it made. Or so she thinks.
New job.
New routine.
A quiet life in the quiet little town of Oak Grove.
Oh, and Eli.

But trouble has a long memory and it’s playing a deadly game. 
Friends' cars stolen.
Her apartment ransacked.
The duplicate of a stolen Japanese antique carved box left behind.

Trouble follows wherever she goes, including the parking lot of the police station. Not even the want-to-be bodyguard brought in by Police Chief Sorenson can end the harassment. And all her research leads to dead ends.

Can Harmony identify the face of trouble before she loses and the winner takes her life as the final prize?

Let the games begin.

I love  getting Harmony into trouble and figuring out how to get her back out again. She often surprises me with the answer when I least expect it.


4. What are you working on now?

I'm working on The Ranger's Dogtags, the sixth (and probably last) book in The Harmony Duprie Mysteries. I don't have a description pulled together, but I've taken Harmony out of her comfort zone and her hometown and thrown her simple life into chaos.

5. Does your reading choices influence your choice of a writing career?

 I love reading romances. I'm bad at writing them. But all of my stories have a major romantic subplot and that satisfies my need to make my characters happy. I also read science fiction but can't imagine ever tackling that genre. Truth is, I'll read almost anything but I know my limitations when it comes to writing.

6. Where can we find you?

I can be found here:

Website: http://pjmaclayne.com
Newsletter http://eepurl.com/cL73Cz


Thursday, June 25, 2020

Thursday's Second Scene featuring Forgotten Dreams #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor


Chad strode to his car. He wasn’t toeing any line, not as Storm. Hollywood no longer held the glamour he’d embraced ten years ago when he’d arrived. He could have chosen a different road. His athletic abilities could have earned him a college scholarship but the acting virus had invaded his life. Four years of drama in high school and multiple roles in the local theater group had brought him here.
He’d followed that dream but there had been other dreams. Could he find them again? Smiling chocolate eyes in a lovely face surrounded by dark curls flashed in his thoughts. Had she found a dream different from the one they’d shared and he’d forgotten? He slid behind the wheel and drove to his large and lonely home behind stone walls. There were decisions to be made but not tonight. He would remember her…Emma.
In an unusual move, the moment he reached the house, he mixed a second rum and cola.


Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Wednesday Forgotten Dreams #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #romance contemporary #Hollywood

Forgotten Dreams (Moonchild Book 5)

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here   http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  for some great excerpts Mine is from the Moon Child series

BLURB:

Chad Morgan is tired of his Hollywood life and his role as action hero Storm. He's ignoring the contracts for two more movies in the franchise. He wants to take a different direction and make a movie of his friend's book. He has bought the rights. But his agent and the studio want more Storm. His personal life is also bouncing from one woman to another. His thoughts have turned to Emma Grassi, the woman he left behind in his quest for fame. He decides to return to Fern Lake and speak to his friend and renew his friendship with Emma.

Emma is now a nurse practitioner sharing an office with her doctor friend. She has waited for Chad to return and has decided this isn't going to happen. She's decided to confront him and put an end to the dream she has remembered and he has forgotten. Life takes a twist when Chad 's auto accident on the outskirts of Fern Lake bring them together. She wants out. He wants in.



Excerpt:
Chad strode to his car. He wasn’t toeing any line, not as Storm. Hollywood no longer held the glamour he’d embraced ten years ago when he’d arrived. He could have chosen a different road. His athletic abilities could have earned him a college scholarship but the acting virus had invaded his life. Four years of drama in high school and multiple roles in the local theater group had brought him here.
He’d followed that dream but there had been other dreams. Could he find them again? Smiling chocolate eyes in a lovely face surrounded by dark curls flashed in his thoughts. Had she found a dream different from the one they’d shared and he’d forgotten? He slid behind the wheel and drove to his large and lonely home behind stone walls. There were decisions to be made but not tonight. He would remember her…Emma.
In an unusual move, the moment he reached the house, he mixed a second rum and cola.

My Places

Buy Mark

http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/


Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Revision - Beginnings #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Beginnings

When beginning a story, one must start at the beginning and also when revising this is a good place to begin. You want these opening lines to draw the reader in to read what you have written. There are some things to look at.

When I began writing I often started the book and finished the rough draft and went back to revise. One thing I had trouble with was finding the right place to begin. I often had to restart the beginning, sometimes in a different place or from a different character's eyes. Another problem I had was starting with descriptions of the character or the setting and forgetting about what would draw a reader inside. One bit of advice I heard from a writer years ago was to begin either when a change is about to happen to a character, in the middle of the change or moments after the change has occurred. Of course in the opening, you do need to give the reader a senseof what the story will be about and the genre you're reaching for.

The length of the opening matters. Too much description of places or people make the reader scratch their heads. Or to open with a huge cast of characters all talking about something can confuse the reader. Whose story are you telling? Another kind of beginning starts with the character waking up. This can be fine but going through every moment of him or her getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, dressing and you get the picture can bore the reader.

Overdoing the opening. Writing and re-writing the opening scene of a story can suddenly amke this too long and too detailed. I once had a writer friend who came to critique group and read the same opening every day for nearly a year. The opening had gone from a few pages to about fifty. Didn't leave a lot of room for the rest of the story.

Monday, June 22, 2020

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters $BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Reading #Writing #Thoughts

Meander 1 - Reading - Finished Shatter by Jay Lang Enjoyed the story but there was something that bothered me. First person I can enjoy, especially since in a way this was a mystery sort of suspense but had ahard time with the present tense writing. Kept throwing me out of the story to rewrite in my head. Also finished Tena Stetler's An Angel's Unintentional Entanglement Nice adventure feel to the book and a great romance. Am in the process of rereading Jen Probst's Searching for series. Since I'm writing fantasy, I will be reading none for a time.

Meander 2 _ Rearranging the House - Son had knee surgery and he endedup in my living room sleeping in the recliner. Odd having someone living there but it's on one floor. His house has multiple levels and lots of stairs. He'll be here about a week. So far little trouble and I do get to see my grandchildren. The girls whose birthdays are in February and April received their birthday gifts. This virus thing has kept life at bay.

Meander 3 - Writing - Am moving forward with Nilos the third book in the Mistress of the Moon series. In August I need to send a new CAF and talk about doing the covers for the first two books over again. Something edgy, I think. The story is progressing fairly well and I'm doing it in sections for the initial write. Many characters but I do enjoy writing ensemble stroies.

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Sunday's Book Forgotten Dreams #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Movies #nurse

Forgotten Dreams (Moonchild Book 5)

Chad Morgan is tired of his Hollywood life and his role as action hero Storm. He's ignoring the contracts for two more movies in the franchise. He wants to take a different direction and make a movie of his friend's book. He has bought the rights. But his agent and the studio want more Storm. His personal life is also bouncing from one woman to another. His thoughts have turned to Emma Grassi, the woman he left behind in his quest for fame. He decides to return to Fern Lake and speak to his friend and renew his friendship with Emma.

Emma is now a nurse practitioner sharing an office with her doctor friend. She has waited for Chad to return and has decided this isn't going to happen. She's decided to confront him and put an end to the dream she has remembered and he has forgotten. Life takes a twist when Chad 's auto accident on the outskirts of Fern Lake bring them together. She wants out. He wants in.

Saturday, June 20, 2020

Saturday A Book by Birdie Song is featured on Saturday's Blurbs #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Flowers


A floral sprig on a wooden table. Text in image: The Guy From The Flower Shop

The Guy From The Flower Shop, a sweet romance short story by Birdie Song

Su-Li's had her fair share of dud dates and bad boyfriends, and when her cousin sets her up on a blind date, she doesn't know what to expect. But despite his awkwardness, Chris from the flower shop shows his true colours, proving romance can blossom for anyone, with just a little care.

Available as a free download for Birdie Song’s newsletter subscribers. Get the book now.

Excerpt from The Guy From The Flower Shop

Su-Li wasn’t sure about this. Even after chewing it over for a month before agreeing to this blind date, then spending the last week making peace with her decision, she still wondered if she should have said no.

But Rachel just wouldn’t shut up about how lovely this Chris guy was. She campaigned so hard, Su-Li wondered if her cousin was secretly working on commission. She knew next to nothing about him, except that he worked in the fancy flower shop in Greenmount. And, if she was being honest, posh florists weren’t really the kinds of guys she went for.

But what convinced her in the end was Rach’s blunt and painful truth. That all the guys Su had ever dated or gone out with—aka. gone up in flames with—had one thing in common besides being jerks: Su had chosen them herself.

Fine, so she was attracted to a certain type. If the dates didn’t end up turning into debates, it was his self-absorbed “I’m always right” attitude that ended up eventually killing her attraction to the guy. She thought she’d picked a winner with Mike, her last boyfriend, the one she’d crossed the four-month mark with. But that ended badly too.

Su took a deep breath and put away the pang in her chest, distracting herself by chipping old paint off the park bench where she sat. Mike had said some hurtful things when they broke up, things she struggled to forget. Even as she waited for Chris to arrive, she contemplated texting her ex to ask if he wanted to meet up later.

But when she opened her messaging app, she pictured her cousin, stern-faced and shaking her head, telling Su off once again for picking a loser and letting him get under her skin. Good ol’ Rach, always looking out for her.

“Excuse me, are you Su-Li?”

About Birdie Song

Birdie Song is an Asian-Australian writer of sweet stories about people falling in love. Right now, she’s working on The Guy From The Wedding, a sweet contemporary romance about two jaded individuals finding honesty and healing as their relationship blossoms. If you like, you can follow the first draft on Wattpad, available for a limited time.


Friday, June 19, 2020

Friday Birdie Song is Visiting and talking about Who She Was Before #MFRWAuthor #Waitress #Sweet romance


1. What were you before you became an author? Did this influence your choices as a writer?

I’ve worked in a few different jobs. My first job ever was as a waitress with a friend at her dad’s restaurant. We were paid peanuts, but we were about as capable as monkeys. I’ve also worked as a gardener, web designer, office admin, marketing person, IT support person. I was a professional blogger for a little while too. There have also been heaps of jobs I’ve never done, but always wanted to try.

As an author, these jobs and my personal career curiosities influence the characters in Somerville Downs, a collection of sweet standalone contemporary romances featuring 20-somethings falling in love (or opening up to the possibility of love).

2. Are you genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but subdivisions or romance, mystery or paranormal.

Gosh, I love a good story in general. I’d try any genre, to be honest. But right now, I’m focusing on sweet romance with a contemporary Australian setting.

3. What is your latest release?

“The Guy From The Flower Shop” is my first release, which only just came out last month as a free gift for my newsletter subscribers. It’s a first date short story about a girl named Su-Li who’s still getting over her last boyfriend, when her cousin sets her up with Chris, a guy works at the upmarket florist in the Downs.

Previous to this date, the types of guys Su-Li usually goes for have a history of being bad for her, but she still can’t help herself. But upon meeting Chris, she gets a glimpse of what things could be like if she stepped outside her comfort zone. I wanted to explore this kind of internal conflict in the context of a first date. I’m really happy with how it turned out, and hope readers like it too!

4. What are you working on now?

A few things! I’m first drafting a novella, “The Guy From The Wedding”, on Wattpad, updating as I go. Readers can follow along for free for a limited time.

I’m also writing another short story, “The Guy From The Library”, which explores a meet-cute and how it develops into a first date.

And finally, I’m editing another novella, “The Guy From The Internet”, which I hope to release sometime in the next few months.

5. Does your reading choices influence your choice of a writing career?

That’s a great question—I’m not really sure! I don’t write in nearly as many genres as I read, but I do find I’m more creative when I read more. Maybe it’s more accurate to say that reading in general influences my ability to write, which makes it easier to write as a career!

6. Where can we find you?

I’m most active on my Facebook page and in my monthly newsletter, but you can also find my website at http://birdiesong.weebly.com.



Thursday, June 18, 2020

Thursday's Fifth Scene from Tangled Dreams #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #romance #contemporary


On an impulse, before heading to Pediatrics, she stopped in the gift shop. On a table she saw a selection of books for children. One titled Escape Affinities Book interested her. She read a bit and wondered if the reading level was right for an eight year old.  Would Davey like the story? Hints of magical powers fascinated her. The book was part of a series. She purchased the volume and wrote a note inside.
With the book in hand, she rode the elevator to the fourth floor and stopped at the nurses’ station. One of the women waved. “We’ve a new admission. Davey Quinn, room 401. He might be perfect for your study. I can give you his father’s contact information. Mr. Quinn should be here soon.” She paused. “Man was a wreck. He filled out papers and left in a rush.”
“I’ll wait, I guess.” Janine said. No sense asking for details. Because of the HIPPA regulations, the nurse couldn’t say much. Janine turned away. What now?
When the nurses became busy, she walked down the hall and stopped at the room. She glanced inside. Davey sat against the pillows staring at the television. She tapped on the door. “Are you Davey Quinn?”
“Yes.” He met her gaze.
Janine swallowed. His eyes were the same shade of blue as hers. His blond hair was a shade darker. A vise gripped her heart. All she could do was stare.
“You okay?” he asked.
She smiled. “Do you mind if I visit for a few minutes?” She didn’t want to leave. If his father’s arrived while she was here, so be it.
“Sure.” He flicked off the television. “Boring here.”
“I brought a book you might enjoy.”
He grinned. “I like to read. I’m in the advanced class at school.” He took the book. “Wow, it’s big.”

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Wednesday Tangled Dreams #MFRWHooks @BWLAuthor #Romance #Lawyer #Child psychology

Tangled Dreams (Moon Child Book 7)

Join the authors for #MHRWHooks Here   http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  for some great excerpts. Mine is a new release Tangled Dreams Book 7 of the Moon Child Series

BLURB:
Two reasons bring Cancer heroine Janine Rhodes to Fern Lake. The first is the Masters and Doctors program at the nearby university. The second is a letter from a dying woman. Since the courses she takes are weekend ones, she finds a job for the Grantlans a writer and a nurse practitioner caring for their toddler niece they recently adopted. While here, she is able to observe the son she gave up for adoption eight years ago and his attorney father. She is content just to watch until tragedy strikes.

When Virgo Nate Quinn learns about his son’s medical condition, he can barely hold on. Just a year ago, he lost his wife to cancer. His adopted son has become his entire family. When the doctor asks him about the child’s birth parents, he has no idea. He agreed to the adoption but only signed papers and took no other part in the process. Now he needs to locate two people.

Then he learns the identity of his son’s birth mother and knows she has been in the periphery of life. He acts rashly and then must find a way to make amends, especially when he learns more about her.

2019 Book Hooks

EXCERPT:
. Before she had a chance to check the monitor, the loud rapping sounded again. She opened the door.
A tall man she recognized brushed past her. “Mr. Quinn, is something wrong?”
“Where’s Rob?”
“In his office. I’ll let him know you’re here.” Her employer’s attorney’s green eyes flashed. Anger or fear? His hair looked as if someone had run fingers through the thick dark hair.
“Don’t bother.” He strode toward the bedroom wing.
Janine watched him rush away. Was there trouble at the movie studio?
Tammy rubbed her face on Janine’s shoulder. She patted the child’s back. “To bed.” She entered the hall.
She heard Nate shouting. Janine sighed. Though from the first time she’d seen Nate Quinn, she’d felt an attraction but she knew there was no chance for any relationship. He still grieved for his wife who had died a year ago. An impossible dream. There were too many tangled threads to unravel.
Tammy popped her thumb into her mouth. “Bear.” Janine entered the bedroom wing.
Rob’s office door stood open. Nate Quinn’s near shouts flowed into the hall. “What am I going to do? I can’t lose him to that damned disease.”
Though she shouldn’t remain and eavesdrop, Janine froze in place. Curiosity gripped like an iron glove. Did he mean his eight year old son was ill?
Her arms tightened around Tammy. She should leave but she had to know what made him sound angry and defeated.
“He’s been tired lately so two days ago, I took him to see Andi. She ran some tests and called me around noon, wanted Davey admitted to the hospital. She asked Dr. Chou to see him.”
“Did you?” Rob asked.
“Yah. I just left him there and fled in a panic. I can’t endure anything going wrong.”
Janine edged along the all and stared at the open door. Nate Quinn looked ready to collapse or cry.
“Dr. Chou is excellent,” Rob said.
“That’s what Andi said.”
“What’s the diagnosis?”
“Leukemia.”

Those words brought a rush of tears to Janine’s eyes. Tammy wiggled. Before the little girl cried, Janine loosened her hold and stepped into the child’s bedroom. Janine’s knees buckled. She drew deep breaths to calm her raging thoughts. She bit her lip and focused on her charge.

My Places

Buy Mark
http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Revision - Where to Begin #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #amwriting #Revision

When you're revising your story, you look at all those pages and wonder where to begin. Probably at the beginning unless you're someone who revises as they go. Still, there needs to be a final read to see where you've gone right and wrong. Somethings to keep in mind no matter how you begin the revision process will help. Let's look at them.

Check the organization. Is this scene in the right place? Do you need the scene? The sequence of the story matters. Recently I had to rewrite seven chapters of my latest release to get the sequence right. I had things happening in scenes before they happened to the characters.

Have I left things unsaid? That can be a problem. Some scenes are harder than others to write and if you're like me, often I write things like. Fight here. They make love. Then even in rewrites I skimp these scenes. So when reading for revision, I have to keep these events in mind.

Are the words I've chosen the right ones to convey what I want the reader to take away from the scene? Sometimes you can throw in a word and think about the right one later. Revision is the place to find if the words are right.

What about adjectives and adverbs? Am I using too many. I usually use too few and that should be rectified, too. I once read a sentence describing an object with at least twenty adjectives. By the time I reached the end, the picture was so muddled I never knew what the object was

Are my sentences raried or are the the same length. You don't want to hypnotize your reader or make them fall asleep. Also avoid run on sentences when looking at the structureof your prose.

Do I sound like me or the writer of the last book I read? This can be hard to know in the beginning. One thing i've found to help prevent this is never to read books in the genre I'm writing while I'm writing that book.

I'm sure there are other things to be aware of as you're revising. After awhile, you'll learn where your weaknesses lie and soon you'll be alert to them while you're writing.

Monday, June 15, 2020

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Reading #Thoughts #Writing

Meander 1 - Reading - This week I finished Dean L Hovey's Devil's Fall. Each book in this series gets better and better. Also read the PIck-Up Wife by Lynn Chantale - a nice sensuous romance. Also read Malicious Intent by Elizabeth Dearl - What a great imagination like a bit of Poe and a bit of Saki but all her own. This is a collection of short stories.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - The Covid epidemic is still going strong and the protests continue. Black Lives Do Matter, especially since four of my grandchildren are. Why are some people so dense. The murder of George Floyd is but a symptom of what's happening in the USA. No one seems to really take the epidemic serious. I don't mean no one but some of those in power don't seem to care. Let people die as long as we can go where we want and not wear masks the world is a great place. Hopefully some day this will change.

Meander 3 Writing - I've started the new book called Nilos and have it more than half blocked and a rough draft of the first chapter. I believe there will be thirteen of fourteen when the book is done. Some are longer than others but it's fun to write about a place that doesn't exist.

Sunday, June 14, 2020

Sunday's Book Tangled Dreams #New Release #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Lost child

Tangled Dreams (Moon Child Book 7)

Two reasons bring Cancer heroine Janine Rhodes to Fern Lake. The first is the Masters and Doctors program at the nearby university. The second is a letter from a dying woman. Since the courses she takes are weekend ones, she finds a job for the Grantlans a writer and a nurse practitioner caring for their toddler niece they recently adopted. While here, she is able to observe the son she gave up for adoption eight years ago and his attorney father. She is content just to watch until tragedy strikes.

When Virgo Nate Quinn learns about his son’s medical condition, he can barely hold on. Just a year ago, he lost his wife to cancer. His adopted son has become his entire family. When the doctor asks him about the child’s birth parents, he has no idea. He agreed to the adoption but only signed papers and took no other part in the process. Now he needs to locate two people.

Then he learns the identity of his son’s birth mother and knows she has been in the periphery of life. He acts rashly and then must find a way to make amends, especially when he learns more about her.

Saturday, June 13, 2020

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Reed Stirling #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Literary #mystery


Shades of Persephone is a literary mystery that will entertain those who delight in exotic settings, foreign intrigue, and the unmasking of mysterious characters. Crete in 1980-81, more specifically the old Venetian harbour of Chania, provides the background against which expat Canadian Steven Spire labours in pursuit of David Montgomery, his enigmatic and elusive mentor, who stands accused in absentia of treachery and betrayal. The plot has many seams through which characters slide, another of them being the poet Emma Leigh, widow of Montgomery’s imposing Cold War adversary, Heinrich Trüger. In that the setting is Crete, the source of light is manifold, but significant inspiration for Steven Spire comes from Magalee De Bellefeuille, his vision of Aphrodite and his muse. “Find Persephone,” she directs him, “and you’ll find David Montgomery.”  Her prompts motivate much of the narrative, including that of the Cretan underground during the Nazi occupation, 1941- 45.
                Shades of Persephone presents a story of love and sensuality, deception and war, spiritual quest and creative endeavour. The resolution takes an unanticipated turn but comes as no surprise to the discerning reader. Like Hamlet who must deal with his own character in following the injunctions of his ghostly father, Steven Spire discovers much about the city to which he has returned, but much more about himself and his capacity for love.
Buy links:
http://bwlpublishing.ca
Shades Of Persephone/Amazon.ca/Reed Stirling/Books
                https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove
wwwbarnesandnoble.com>shades-of-persephone-reed-stirling
                wwwgoodreads.com>Reed Stirling
                wwwchapters.indigo.ca>Reed Stirling



Lighting The Lamp dramatizes the efforts of Terry Burke, a sympathetic, at times caustic and critical, but ordinary old guy, to come to grips with who he is and what his life has been. His struggle to accept retirement and to interpret the iterations of the voice in his head spreads to concern over the mysterious death of a wanderer. Terry’s obsession to solve the mystery fuses directly with his personal history and leads him in and out of fascinating, half-remembered mythological landscapes.
A restive Terry is enjoined to revisit the haunts of his youth. Family dynamics of the present, mirrored in Irish heritage of the past, come into play as do contrarian opinions encountered among cronies, distant friends, and lost loves. Motivated by his muse to tell all, what he seeks in addition to understanding is truthful voice and the purest possible point of view. Aware that remembrance of things past in not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were, this quixotic Everyman eventually reaches beyond self, beyond mystery, and beyond theodicy to a philosophical embrace of cosmic apotheosis. In Lighting The Lamp, Montreal provides more than a background for potential jihad-sponsored terrorism, or ghosts out of the past, or a romantic trip down memory lane; the many-layered city takes on the function of a defined and demanding character and declares in a voice Terry hears clearly: “Know me and know yourself!

Buy links:
https://books2read.com/Lightin-the-Lamp
            https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelove



I am working on a first draft of a work tentatively titled Square Saint-Louis, where the troubles in a contemporary family mirror those of the tragic poet Émile Nelligan.
Brendan Young, a Calgary based businessman who travels more than he’d like, admits to having absolutely no patience for the intransigence of his music-obsessed, teenage son, Elliot. Ongoing domestic disputes have intensified over the years: antipathy now verges on hostile rejection. Elinore, an equally conflicted wife and mother, is threatening separation, a source of great anxiety for Brendan who turns to alcohol for the understanding that eludes him on the home front. His sojourn in Montreal, a city not unfamiliar to him, leads him incident by surreal incident, towards greater understanding through familiarity with the tragic story of Émile Nelligan, who, as a nineteen year-old, enjoyed a successful entry into the artistic community of Montreal in the last decade of the 19th century, and then fell victim to madness. Reconnecting with Emery St James Montesquieu, among old antagonists he encounters at a Yamaska College reunion, proves not only enlightening for Young in its mirroring effect — the troubles in his family are reflected dramatically in those of the young afflicted poet — but also redemptive. Elliot, the musician, will have his apotheosis.


Friday, June 12, 2020

Reed Stirling is visiting and talking about Panster or Plotter #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Plottere #Panster


1.       I am definitely a plotter. I need to have at least a general idea where my characters are going and how they get there. What happens along the way slides to some extent into the realm of the panster.

2.       Hard to say what actually comes first, character or plot? An idea for a story takes root and then things evolve from there. Who a character is as a representative human being, say the protagonist, can determine where his or her choices lead. Plot will put obstacles in the way. Occasionally a setting will fire up the imagination, and I’ll want to see something dramatic take place there. That requires characters. Plot develops from that.

3.       At present I am close to completing a first draft of a novel. Although the setting is similar in places to that in a previous work of fiction, and with a few themes overlapping, this represents a completely new direction. It is not part of a series.

4.       Greek mythology plays a significant role in underpinning my plots. Knowing the myths helps readers grasp what is going on in the background. Allusions to art, literature, philosophy, and religion serve a similar function. Bars and cafés are preferred places for relevant dialogue.

5.       I sit down to write every day. I try to come away from the desk having achieved at least a workable page. Frequently what comes of my effort amounts to no more than a paragraph, but one I am satisfied with. Having coffee out or nursing a beer in a pub can lead to observations that connect to themes I’m developing. It could be a bearded face or the shape of a table leg or a tune playing in the background.

6.       You can find me at the following: reedstirling@gmail.com; reedstirlingwrites.com; Reed Stirling at BWL Publishing

7.       Favourite authors: Among contemporary writers, John Banville, Ian McEwan, and Richard Dawkins
Among twentieth century authors: James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemmingway, Lawrence Durrell, John Fowles, and there’s always Shakespeare to fall back on.

A book I enjoyed reading lately is Julian Barnes’ The Sense of an Ending.





Thursday, June 11, 2020

Thursday's Fifth Scene Rekindled Dreams #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Romance #Cop


Simon stood at the counter of the car rental agency and felt as though he signed his life away. A sleepless night had found him regretting the agreement to return to Fern Lake for the funeral. He’d left so much unfinished when he’d walked away like a spoiled brat. Couldn’t change the past was a given.
He leaned toward the clerk. If the man didn’t stop the sales pitch soon, the anger bubbling toward the surface would erupt in an angry tirade.
“I don’t want a SUV.  I’m not going on a road trip. Just a regular car. The one I called about.” He slapped his card on the Formica counter surface.
The clerk smiled. “What about a luxury sedan? We have one equipped with every gadget you could want.”
Simon’s jaw clenched. “A mid-sized sedan. The one I ordered last evening.” He groaned. Why had he agreed to go back for the funeral of a man who had treated him like dirt?
“When was the last time you drove in the city?”
Since most of the drive would be on an interstate, Simon felt a burn of anger. The question was useless. “Last month. Car provided by my employer.” Former but he wasn’t about to mention that to a stranger. He wished he’d had his badge to slap on the counter.
The man ran the license and swiped the credit card. “Driving record is clean. Card is good. When will you return the car?”
“Thursday evening or Friday morning.”
The man slid a set of keys across the counter. “The gray sedan out front. Just sign and the ride is yours.”
Simon glanced over the terms and signed. He grabbed his luggage and strode outside. After loading his bag, suit and sports coat, he got behind the wheel and eased into city traffic.
Before long he hit the interstate and aimed the car for Fern Lake. Each time the odometer registered another ten miles the knot in his gut tightened. He couldn’t decide if he moved forward or back. Maybe neither. He tried not to think about his reason for leaving town the day after he’d graduated second in his class. He’d given up a college scholarship and signed up for a tour in the marines. He’d aced those tests and spent a miserable tour in the service. Dashing into situations without thinking seemed in his nature.
A memory tickled. A female he’d dated had nailed him completely. Her face was blurred but her words were clear. “You’re an Aries.”
“So.”
“Means you charge into situations sword in hand.”
She’d been right. She’s also mentioned his lack of tolerance for assholes and that he didn’t like having a boss. That was why he had no job to keep him from visiting a place he wanted to avoid.

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Wednesday Heart Throb #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #Romance #Sensual #Nurse #Doctor

Heart Throb

Join the writers at #MFRWHooks here  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com       Mine is a sensual romance with two people who don't want to fall in love
   

BLURB:
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.

2019 Book Hooks

Excerpt:

            Sucking in a deep breath, she turned to her colleague and friend.  At the moment, she wasn’t sure friend was operative.  “Would you repeat your question?”

            “Could you come to dinner tonight?”  the cardiologist asked.
            That wasn’t the portion of the original question she wanted to hear.  “I believe there was more.”
            “Like I said.  Nothing formal.  It’s not a party or anything.”
            “Come on.  Say what you said before.  I need to be sure I’m not going deaf.”
            “Lin and I want you to meet my new partner.  He’s her cousin and a really great guy.”
            Magda glared.  “Ben, I’m not letting you off the hook.  What did you want me to do with this man?”
            He studied his hands.  “Was just a suggestion, not an order.”
            “And that was?”
            “You can show him a good time.”  He joined her at the window.
            She arched a brow.  “A good time as in...”  Her voice trailed away.  She thought she had grasped his suggestion, but she wanted to hear the words repeated.  Then she would stomp.  “Does your wife know you’re soliciting?”
            “What?”  His round face reddened.  “That’s not what I...well, maybe...just...couldn’t you make him happy to be in Rivertown?  If you two don’t click, you could show him around the...dating scene.  You know what I mean.  Lin and I want him to settle here.”
            Magda shook her head.  “Spit it out, Doctor.”  Anger oozed from the dark corner and colored her voice.  “Just how do I accomplish your purpose?”
            He stared at the window.  “Anything it takes.”
            “No deal.”  She clipped the words.  Would he understand why she was so angry?
            “Mag, come on.  Wasn’t I there for you when you needed a shoulder.  I need a partner who will stay, especially now.”
            Magda sighed.  Ben and Linda had been there when she’d needed them, but he was asking for too much.  “Why me?”
            “Men like you.  You like them and --”
            “Don’t say it.”  She stalked to the desk and stared at the stack of folders needing her attention.  “I don’t want to lose a good friend, but you’re treading on the brink.”
            “I didn’t mean you had to...you know...”
            She rested her hands on the cool metal surface.  “Let us set the record straight.  I choose the men I want in my life.  I don’t need anyone, not even a good friend, fixing me up with a man.”


My Places

Buy Mark

http://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/