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Thursday, November 26, 2020

Thursday's Opening Scene from Escape Affinities Book 1 #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Epic fantasy #@ sets of twins #Magic #Astrology

A flash of lightning brightened the sleeping chamber. Ash woke with a start and burrowed into the pillows. The scent of trouble rode the air currents that threaded through the open window slats. Her heart thudded in her chest. Like the beating of a giant’s club against a massive drum, thunder sounded. Again, lightning flashed and cast green, red, white and blue slashes across the sky.

The air held no threat of rain. ‘Twas like the heat storms of summer, unnatural at this time of year, for the waning days of autumn marked the season.

Ash calmed her racing thoughts and tasted the air, for that was her element. A frown formed within and without. From the land beyond the four walls of the henge, she caught the odors of fires, animals and men. From inside the keep, there was little except the aromas of her parents and siblings. Something was wrong. Where were those who served the Dom and Doma of Wesren? Ash propped herself against the pillows. If she had her younger brother’s affinity for things of earth, she could read the stones of the ancient tower and know what had passed while she slept. Where were the men servants and maids? ‘Twas as though the henge had been abandoned by those who lived within the four walls.

The chamber door creaked. Ash froze until a familiar scent reached her. “Mama, what’s wrong?”

The Doma Calanda slipped across the room and sat on the bed. “Ashlea, still your thoughts.”

Ash struggled to obey the sharp command. Her mother seldom spoke this way. “Why?”

“Thoughts travel on the wind and may be read by those who wish us ill.” She grasped Ash’s hand. “Dress in your warmest clothes. As soon as you’ve finished, go to the inner room.”

The urgency in her mother’s voice raised fear. “What’s happening?”

“We’ve been betrayed. An army surrounds the henge. Your father and I believe the secret of the openings in the walls is known to force us to use our powers for their ends.”

“Who has done this? Do I know the enemy’s smell? Have I seen his face?”

“Several years ago, your father’s step-brother came to the henge. He’s one of those who stand against us.”

Ash thought about her step-uncle. His face slipped into her thoughts. Prince Zedron had brought gifts for her and her siblings. He’d seemed nice, but she had a vague memory of hearing voices—his and her parents’—raised in argument.

Why would he want to destroy the henge? When Papa had shown affinities for the elements, he’d given up his claim to Wesren. Zedron of the House Wesren had been named prince. As well as being papa’s step-brother, they were distant cousins.

Ash grasped her mother’s hand. “Why did he send the army here? Doesn’t he know what you and Papa do?”

“He doesn’t believe or care. Greed, envy and a lust to rule where once four henges held the land in balance drive him. He doesn’t act alone. Your father and I fear he’s aided by one of the Doms.”

“Kin?”

“The one I suspect has no ties of kinship to us.”

“Why not someone from the low lands?”

Her mother sighed. “Though at times, those with affinities like your father are born in the low lands, I believe someone from the high lands has allied with darkness.”

Ash swallowed. “Why would anyone who could do good want to do evil? Where are the people of the henge? Their scents are gone.”

“Away to safety.”

“Mama, what will we do?” Ash caught the edge of a thought and feared the Doma’s answer. She held back tears and hoped she’d misheard. After all, her talents was just emerging, as were those of her siblings.

Ash and her twin would celebrate their fourteenth name day on Winter Day. Her younger siblings had seen their twelfth on Summer Day. How could they stand against one whose talents were fully developed?

“You and your siblings will leave the henge.”

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Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Wednesday Nilos Moon Rising #MFRWHooks #Pre-order #Epic fantasy #Sword and Sorcery #BWLAuthor

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great excerpts. Mine is from Nilos, Moon Rising and is available for pre-order

Synopsis

Excerpt: The Eldest arranged for three pregnancies and is sure all the babies will be girls. Here is the first of the births.

She walked to study Mother One. Her eyes were closed. A scrape on the side of her head had been cleaned. The Eldest turned to the women. ‘You can go. I’ll handle this.”

Once they were gone, she donned a smock to protect her clothes, placed her hand on the young woman’s abdomen and felt the strength of the contraction. Good. She slapped the girl’s face. Mother One’s eyes opened. “Stay with me. When I say push, you must obey.”

“I will.” The Eldest could hardly hear the murmured response. She prayed the young woman would remain alert.

The Eldest washed her hands in the herbal scented water. She slid the cutting knife in the water and sat on the stool at the foot of the table and examined the laboring woman.

A scream pierced the air. “Push. Push.” She commanded. Slowly the babe appeared. The Eldest caught and lifted the child. She muffled an angry cry.

A boy. Should be a girl. What now? She cut and bound the cord and placed the child in a basket. After the afterbirth appeared, she drew a deep breath. She knew what she must do.

When the infant cried, she glared. You are misbegotten. She must take care of this one who shouldn’t exist. Could she persuade Mother One to lie with her son again? Failure landed on her shoulder. She placed a hand over the baby’s face.

The curtain rattled. “Eldest, a man from the Voice has arrived and demands you come. His First Woman is in labor. I can send another midwife.”

Relief brought a plan. “I will go.” She wrapped the babe in a blanket and carried him from the room. “I will care for this child in my rooms. I sense a problem. Care for the mother. She’s passed out again. I need a flask of goat’s milk.”

One of the women bustled away. The Eldest walked to her sleeping chamber. The woman handed her the special flask. “Will the child be safe in your room?”

“She will. I will give her medicine so she will sleep.”

The Eldest reached her room. She lifted her large leather pouch from the hook. After feeding the baby several drops of sleeping herbs she tucked him and the milk flask in her midwife’s bag.

Thus equipped she left the house and followed the young servant who waited in the inner court. She smiled as she thought about her problem. If the Voice’s child was a girl she would make the switch. If not, the Voice had two sons.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Story - Is it a fair fight #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Story #Fight

One thing when you're designing your story is to ask yourself is it a good fight? Who wants to read about the man or woman who has everything, has a glide through life with no problems? This would make for a very boring story. Now if that man or woman came up with something they couldn't have you might have the seeds for a good story. Of course the person or persons opposing him must have as strong motivations to bring the story to the fore.

Having a sweet young person and a overbearing bully don't make for a good story. Your characters must have backbone and strong motivations whether they are the good guy or the bad guy. So make sure it's a good and fair fight with the opposing forces as strong and their motivations are clear. Don't make your hero or heroine a victim. Give them strength. Don't make your villain totally evil. Give him a reason for the choices he makes. These things will make your story grab the reader.

Why? Because the fight is fair. Each character has strengths and they will use them.

By making the battle even, the outcome will be in doubt and keep the reader turning the pages. Of course we all want the good guy to win but keep the tension going and your story will shine.

Monday, November 23, 2020

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

Meander 1 - Reading - This week reading has been different in a way. Since I started a new book in a long series, I decided to read the six prior books looking for characters and also for the places in the town of Fern Lake. This was an interesting journey but I did finish and now know the places in the books. I need to write a chart of relationships. I also began reading some books by Selena Montgomery. What a great writer and I'm sorry her life has taken a different turn but one I really admire. The name oo the books is't her real name but I shall read all she's written. Her plots are intricate but very logical. The characters are dynamite. She handles sexual tension so handily it grips the reader. Hats off and I hope some day there will be more from her.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - Power - Been thinking lately due to the political stuff going on in our country. There are some politicians who will do anything to hang onto their power including lying and trying to cheat. Not sure what goes on in their heads but also wonder why they behave in this way. Is the truth too much for them to handle. People are dying. People don't have the money to live well yet these men and some women sit there and do nothing. They don 't care for the people who voted them into office. Just hang on totheir power and to being in the public's eye. All they care about is themselves and what they want. This sickens me. I wish I had been able to vote in dozens of states to defeat these men. At least I voted for several who might do something about this mess that has the health and economics of my country in such a mess. Years ago, I told a local politician that none of the political figures I ever saw did anything useful and being in power was what drove them. That hasn't changed.

Meander 3 - Writing - After reading the six books in the series I'm working on, I have begun again to configure the book once again. The other thing i discovered is that while I know where the story is headed and I know what the major scenes will be, I tend to find my way through each chapter and things happen I didn't plan upon. There are bits in other books that sent my thoughts for this story not in a different direction but in a deeper direction.

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Sunday, November 22, 2020

Sunday's Book - Escape - Affinities Book 1 #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Fantasy #Swords #Sorcery #Twins

Two sets of halfling twins, Ashlea, Brandien, Jaydren and Kylandra sent away from their home by their parents to protect them from trouble, search for mentors to teach them how to use their affinities.

Each of these young teens has an affinity for one of the elements. Ash for Air, Bran for Water, Jay for Earth and Ky for Fire. During the escape, they face many problems forcing them to use their affinities by trial and error. They also meet Alizand, the son of the ruling prince of Wesren. Zand has an affinity for Fire and this will keep him from gaining the rule.

Dom Senet, an advisor to his father, and once a friend of the quartet’s parents suspects Zand’s affinity. He wishes to corrupt the teen and use him to gain control of the four princedoms of the land and of the highlands. The evil dom has all four affinities. The four must reach a secret place and find teachers before the evil man discovers them

This book is the first of a series and is on sale for$1.49. I wrote this book for my grandchildren. Actually I've used variations of their names. When I began the series there were five and two were added. Their names come up in the other books. Because the first four grandchildren were born under Sun signs of Air, Fire, Earth and Water, this gave me an Astrological focus for the books. I enjoyed creating the world and putting the characters into action.

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https://books2read.com/Prairie-Grass

Saturday, November 21, 2020

Saturday's Blurbs feature Books by Joan Soggie #BWLAuthor #Historical novel, Prairie, homesteading

Gabby Mackenzie knows little and cares less about prairie people or their history. She sees her assignment to interview a hundred-year-old settler as nothing more than a bump in her hazy career path.

But as she gets to know old Mr. Tollerud and the land that has been his home, she finds herself drawn into the interwoven stories of the settlers, the Metis, and the First Nations who came before them. And her own life changes.

Review: Residential school survivor and life-long educator Dr. Cecil King says of Prairie Grass “a dynamic piece of work … Yes, it is a good read.”

Prairie Grass is available on Amazon and Kobo, paper copy or digital form, as well as in several Saskatchewan bookstores. I can also be found on Goodreads and 49^th Shelf and BWL Publishing author page.

My Facebook page called Looking for Aiktow (the title of my nonfiction regional history) carries blogs, comments, current activities and interests. I will post information there about upcoming Zoom readings or YouTube events.

Unfortunately, I let my WIX website lapse and haven’t decided on a new format. Suggestions, anyone?

7) Who are your favourite authors?

My perennial favourites are Jane Austen and JRR Tolkein and C.S. Lewis. But I also enjoy a good murder mystery or detective story, a long-winded and complicated classic novel, poetry, and modern masters of historical fiction.

What about a book you’ve enjoyed?

Currently I am enjoying the historical fiction of Ken Follett who has a written marvelous series set in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England. Pillars of the Earth, World Without End, A Column of Fire. Only through fiction like this can we get a sense of how individuals can build or tear down a civilization.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Friday Joan Soggie is visiting and talking about Panster or Plotter

) Are you a Pantser or Plotter?

Pantser or Plotter, you ask? Well, I think I know what a plotter is. But what on earth is a Pantser?

Google told me. A Pantser is a writer who flies by the seat of her pants, like a bush pilot. A Plotter, on the other hand, devises a careful plan and follows it, the way an architect or engineer would.

I guess that as a writer - and probably in most other ways - I am both.

I start with a concept, an idea or a character. Prairie Grass had its inception in a story my Dad told of an incident from his early childhood. It happened in Saskatchewan homesteading days, while he and his parents and baby sister still lived in a sod house. He was only 3 years old - so young that he probably had no clear recollection but remembered it instead as a bit of family folklore. That 1915 settler vignette took root in my mind. I wondered why it was important to him, a farmer who would freely discuss The Land but avoided talking about himself.

Of course, that little story was only one of the questions that tickled my curiosity bone. Living all my life in the prairies had made me keenly aware of the many mysteries that clouded our past. When I dug into the pre-settlement history of Saskatchewan, I was troubled by the cursory treatment given monumental personalities and events outside the mainstream political scene. It became clear that our official history was written to suit the colonial narrative. It also became clear that everything that had happened here connected to the land. Prairie Grass began to take shape.

Time for the Plotter to step in!

An historic novel that spans a few centuries takes a lot of planning, I discovered. Timelines plotting characters’ life stories were just the beginning. Next came timelines of historical events spanning two centuries and thousands of miles. My “plotter” side worked overtime, locating events and characters in the prairie landscape. The basic plot was re-written multiple times, but the original fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants images remained key.

2)Which comes first? Character or plot?

For my novel Prairie Grass, the characters came first. I was fascinated by the 19^th century Cree Chief Maskepetoon, the Peacemaker, and by bits and pieces I’d come across or heard in conversation about a Metis family in the area of Saskatchewan where I grew up. I thought about how the qualities of their personalities matched the strictures of the land. The prairie climate - physical, social and political - shaped them, just as it shaped my father and others like him. I began with the notion of these characters having this common bond, the land that was their home. The plot grew out of the history of that land.

3)What are you working on now? Current series or something totally new?

My current project is brand new – the story of a pioneer immigrant woman. Rikka is loosely based on a real person, my husband’s grandmother, who immigrated to Canada from Norway with her husband and small children in 1903. Her story is replete with tragedies as they struggled to adjust to conditions in a new country. So, in a way, Rikka is a continuation of the same theme, our connection to the land and how it moulds us.

4) Do you have some kind of object or place that figures in most of your books?

Because the prairie is innate to my life, it naturally plays a big part in everything I write. This was not intentional. It just grew out of my own experience. In every season I walk the prairie, listen to the birds, notice coyote and deer tracks in the snow. I love learning about the plants and animals, the history and folklore. What I once took for granted becomes unique and precious as I learn more about it.

Native prairie is one of the most threatened ecosystems on the planet. Understanding how we humans can relate to it is key to its survival.

5) Do you writ every day or just when the spirit hits you?

Every day is my ideal. Sporadic writing is my reality.

6) Where can we find you?

https://bookswelove.net/historical-literary-fiction-authors/soggie-joan/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50375672

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Thursday's Scene from Nilos - book available for pre-order #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Sword #Sorcery #Fantasy

Where she stood had once been a cleansing pool where the ill and injured had come to bathe in the herb scented water. They had waited for a Healwomen to assign them to one of the treatment houses. She should have been one of those women.

The change had happened in ages past. As the last of a long line of women bearing the title of Eldest, she was a failure. To her disgrace she had only one child, a son. When he reached his fifth year, his father had taken him away. Though she had tried, she birthed no daughter. Failure honed her determination to bring change. She had dreams and plans to restore the reputation of the Healwomen. And bring them to their proper place. She must succeed.

She stumbled and when a rock shifted nearly fell. A scrap of parchment showed from under the stone. She crouched and carefully removed the tattered fragment. She held it to the light to read the few words.

The Three…Seer, Warrior, Healer…Come again…Unite with…

Those few words rocketed in her thoughts. They pointed the way. Her brow wrinkled. She had a command from the goddess. Why else had she found this shard?

The Eldest sat on a rock. Plans circled in her thoughts. Three young women must be found. She could create them and erase her failure. She slid the scrap into the pocket of her dark green divided skirt. Was there more knowledge hidden beneath the rubble? Could she find more information from the few remaining scrolls as the house?

Though she spent the rest of the morning overturning rocks and stones in what had been the scriptorium, she found no more fragments. A triumphant laugh emerged. The bit of parchment had been a gift from Midra.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Wednesday Nilos Book 3 Moon Rising up for pre-order #MFRWHooks #BwlAuthor #Fantasy #Sword and sorcery

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great excerpts and find a new book or author to read. Mine is up for pre-order Nilos, Moon Rising it the Third book in at epic fantasy story.

Blurb:

Return to the world where Midra and Midran rule. The god and goddess have two faces. Midra is Mistress on the Moon and also Mistress of the Dark. Midran is Lord of light and Lord of shadows. Eons ago, the Three and Three rose, Seer, Warrior, Healer defeated the Lord of Shadows, though remnants of his worshipers remain. As generations pass in the four nomes of the land only a few remain to honor the Mistress. Once again the followers of Midran prevail, leaving trouble to roil beneath the surface. Prophecies abound and many point to change. Will the Three and Three come again?

In Nilos, Healwomen have become only midwives. Their hodara lies in ruins on the bank of the Nilos River in the city of Memphos. Only a few women come for training and remain in the city. Others serve in the highlands and on the desert. The Eldest, she who rules the midwives, sets upon a scheme fo bring the Three to life and to rule the nome.

What will happen when the Eldest sets her plan into action? Will there be just three women or will they find their opposites becoming the fabled Three and Three? Who will rule the changes to come?

Excerpt:

Though the heated air hung heavy, he must approach the midwives’ house. He strolled along the road the ancestors had created. The dark surface never changed and showed no signs of decay. By the time he saw the wall surrounding the house sweat covered his face and slid over his body beneath his robe. He saw the ruins of the hodara. Heaps of rubble destroyed eons ago lined the road toward the river. Tales his grandfather had related about the day of destruction of the hodara arose. One of the women had poisoned a Voice and triggered the wrath of the priests. Those women had lost their position as Healwomen in caring for the ills of all. Now they were only permitted to care for women who were about to give birth or one wanting a child.

He paused for a moment beneath a palma tree and wiped his face. Then he strode up the low steps into the inner courtyard. He pulled the cord of the bell dangling from one of the pillars. The clang startled him.

A woman with graying hair stepped through the beaded curtain. “Whatever you’re accusing us of, we’re innocent.”

“Are you in charge?” He’d forgotten what they called their leader.

“No.”

“I would speak to her.”

“I’ll take you to the Eldest.” She held the curtain so he could enter and stepped in front of him. They strode down a long hall with murals of women and children painted on the walls. They passed several curtained doorways. She paused at one and rattled the beads. “Eldest, a priest to see you.”

“Enter,” a woman called.

The Voice parted the curtain and stepped into the room. A tall woman with fair hair streaked with dark strands rose. She didn’t smile and he saw caution in her deep brown eyes.

“I’m honored. What does the Voice of Midran want?”

He bowed his head. “Help. The First Woman of my inner court is unable to conceive. I fear she will harm herself.”

She moved past him and lifted a large leather pouch from a hook. “I must see her.”

“I’ll take you to her.” He walked to the door and held the curtain for her. They strode down the hall and to the outer courtyard. As they started toward his residence, he felt sure seeing the midwives had been the right choice,

They passed the small temple and walked the lane to the massive stone structure of his house. He led her along a corridor where silk weavings covered the walls. At the door of his inner court, he parted the curtain so she could enter. “I’ll await your return.”

She entered, “When I’ve finished I will give you a full report.”

While he waited he paced the long hall, stopping a time or two to speak to his apprentices. Finally she emerged. “How did you find her?”

“In good health and eager to have your child.”

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Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Tuesday's Writer's tip - On Plot - Scenes #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Plot #Scenes

Scenes are the building blocks of a story. In a short work, there may only be one scene but longer pieces of fiction usually carry a number of scenes. So learning to write a scene is good practice.

Just what is a scene? A scene is a way of showing what's happening in the story. We all have ehard the show but don't tell. Telling in a story is generally a summary. Sometimes use to get from one scene to the next. A scene shows the interaction between a character and other characters, the setting or the problem. A scene consists of showing a connecting action that will advance the plot. There can be dialogue, action, dialogue and interaction with other people or with the environment.

Think of two people talking about what they're planning to do , or arguing or gossiping about a character off stage. All of these form a scene and allows the reader to know more about the characters.

Think about a woman or a man entering a new and strange to them environment. Their actions, thoughts and emotions are a scene.

Scenes may be long or short. I have friends who write love scenes that may continue for pages and pages, sometimes chapters, I've read other scenes that are just a few sentences but bring an atmosphere into being.

Scenes aren't random. They have a purpose and when writing a scene knowing what the purpose of the scene means to the overall story is important. I've a book coming out soon that opens with a series of short scenes that begin before the real story begins. There are four short chapters, each having three or four scenes. All these scenes are waht drives the remainder of the book and become evident as the book progresses.

So take care and use your scenes to show the reader into the characters and the plot of the story.

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Monday, November 16, 2020

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

Meander 1 - Reading - Reading has been one note last week. Finished Dean Hovey's Pine Country Mysteries and enjoyed them. The characters are easy to identify with and for the most part I didn't solve the mystery before the book ended. Sometimes the clues were there but so cleverly hidden, I had to wait until almost the end. Kudos to the author.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - Keeping Safe - The Corono virus is going full steam ahead and that's a shame. People just don't seem to care about staying safe. I'm very tired of staying inside and not meeting with friends but that's what i have to do until there's no need for this to change. There's talk about a vaccine but I worry that it's being rushed into production. Yes, they reassuring us that it's 90 percent effective. How do they know this. Have they infected any of those receiving the vaccine to see the effect and how long does the immunity last. I've heard there needs to be two injections but that's never stated when they give their raves. Are they sure there won't need to be injections needed several times a year? Until I hear the answers to my questions, I'll wait to put myself forth as a victim.

Meander 3 - Writing- The third start is the best one. Of course I only have four chapters planned and I;m feeling my way into this book. I write so much different from my friends that I almost hate to read things at critique, especially when I'm in the rough draft phase. As the characters and I explore what's happening in their lives, I go from beginning to end and I won't look back until I'm at the end. Then I'll take the pile of words and make them into a story. I'm not even sure how many chapters there'll be. I know all the scenes that must be there so that's a plus.

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Sunday, November 15, 2020

Sunday's Book Nilos Book 3 of Moon Rising Series on pre-order #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Epic Fantasy #Evil versus good #Swords and sorcery

Am very happy to announce that Nilos is up for preorder.

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