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Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Time to Tell #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writer's Tip #Tell #Time

When you're writing, one warning you always hear is show don't tell. Is this always the case. There is a time to tell and that is done by exposition. A bit of exposition will give the reader a break from the ongoing action. Done well this break can be welcome. Think of a movie you've seen. The setting and other things are shown through pictures. Not possible when writing a story of book unless it amy be a comic book. Telling is different from showing and necessary for a story. When I began writing, an editor once wrote, "Your characters are existing in a vacuum. You may know the setting but the reder has to have clues. Another pointed out the lack of cody language and physical descriptions of the characters. While the reader may use their imagination, some find it hard to stretch that far. So a bit of exposition can add spice and detail to a story.

Of course you can go overboard and suddenly there is more telling that showing. Finding the right balance is hard but is worthwhile. This is one of the secrets so don't totally avoid esposition and send your reader off on a journey od detatched scenes, Also don't have so much exposition, the story becomes lost in description.

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Monday, March 29, 2021

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

Meander 1 - Reading - Just finished a large collectionof Andre Norton's stories and there are many more to go. The collection spurred me to fine others in the series thus touched on in this collection. I enjoyed most of the but two, a short story and a longer word weren't as wonderful as I remember. That's so few books that aren't great in this large body of work. I'll be adding more to my Kindle though I have most of the books on my shelves in paper.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - On Violence. Once again we have a mass shooting. I just don't understand what drives people to do this. Is it a need for fame? Is it trying to prove they are men? Gun violence troubles me. I have no problem with men and women having guns for hunting but not for hunting men. I hear them scream about their rights. Do the innocent they kill have no rights? We need ways to channel this aggression and hate into better ways. Will it happen. Doubtful and that saddens me.

Meander 3 - Writing - Have begun the final draft of the story and there are many places where I needed a re-write of a scene or an expansion of an idea or words that somehow missed being tyepd in. The question mark problem continues though I try to be more careful So do the words that are words but not the right ones like our instead of right. Persistence in editing it essential.

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Sunday, March 28, 2021

Sunday's Book Murder and Tainted Tea #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Mystery #cozy #Santa Fe #Family troubles

Katherine heads to Santa Fe, New Mexico along with a Maine Coon Cat kitten to spend New Year’s Eve with Lars. Her guilty feelings over the organist’s death has her needing an escape. When she reaches Santa Fe, she discovers Lars is missing. She seeks and finds him and steps into another mystery.

Lars’ daughter dislikes Katherine but when the young woman is kidnapped, they are puzzled. The murder of Lars’ daughter and one of his employees makes solving the mysteries necessary. Can she learn before Lars becomes a victim.

Editorial Review
With every book, I think the Katherine Miller Mysteries can't get any better. I'm always wrong, because they always do. ~ Writer Gail Roughton

Joe-Anne

Hidden gem of a series.

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

What a fun read. Well written and I love the cat!

Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

Enjoyed it. It held my interest to the end.

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Opposites Ignite: Bangers Tavern Romance 2

Saturday, March 27, 2021

Books by Sadira Stone are featured as Saturday's blurbs #MFRWAuthor #Tavern #Bangers #web designer #beach vacation #Christmas

A mismatch sparks the hottest flames.

Blue-haired, buxom, and bodacious, server Rosie needs her job at Bangers Tavern, where her work family adores her weirdness and supports her hunt for a tattoo apprenticeship. When too much New Year’s bubbly tumbles her into a sweet, shy coworker’s bed, she craves more. But guys like Eddie never stick with girls like her.

Strait-laced, soft-spoken, and skinny, barback Eddie has a huge crush on his curvy, tattooed coworker. Their New Year’s surprise is a dream come true—until grandma walks in on them. Eddie begs Rosie to fake-date him to appease his old-fashioned family. He’s already keeping secrets, so what’s the harm in one more? But the longer he pretends with Rosie, the deeper he falls.

Their boss lays down the law: No relationship drama at work, or you’re fired. Rosie’s everything Eddie ever wanted—but to keep her, he’ll have to drop a terrifying truth bomb on his loving but stifling family. And Rosie must trust her bruised heart with the guy who nearly crushed it.

Come back to Bangers Tavern for a steamy, laugh-out-loud, opposites-attract romance that ignites in all the worst ways—and the best!

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/u/m0wjvP

Christmas Rekindled: Bangers Tavern Romance 1

When two Scrooges unite to save a bar in trouble, a kiss under the mistletoe sparks the sexiest Christmas miracle ever.

Bartender River Lundqvist has a damn good reason for hating Christmas. Bangers Tavern is the perfect place to lay low over the holidays—until Charlie walks in. His first encounter with the saucy server nine years ago was utter humiliation. Her reappearance stirs up powerful desires and hopes for a new start. But the timing is all wrong.

Back in Tacoma to care for her estranged dad over the holidays, freelance web designer Charlie Khoury braces herself for the suckiest Christmas ever. A temporary job at Bangers Tavern gives her a chance to escape Dad’s criticism and blow off some steam. But why does the hunky bartender seem to hate her?

A pretend girlfriend is just what River needs to keep his family off his back—until a kiss under the mistletoe flares hot enough to melt the North Pole. When greedy developers threaten Bangers Tavern, River and Charlie must team up to save it. Their sizzling chemistry feels like the real thing—but everyone knows rebound relationships don’t last.

Come to Bangers Tavern for an enemies-to-lovers tale of reconciliation, found family, holiday cocktails, and the steamiest Christmas miracle ever.

Universal book link: https://books2read.com/b/3JjPxP

Gelato Surprise a standalone beach romance novella.

She came to the beach to find herself—and found him.

Forty-two-year-old divorcée Danielle Peters ends up alone on her family's annual beach vacation. Maybe time to herself is exactly what she needs. That and gelato from her favorite ice cream shop. But when the owner's intoxicating young nephew offers more than sweet treats, she's tempted to indulge in a hot summer fling before returning home.

Thirty-one-year-old Matteo Verducci craved a fresh start to mend his broken heart, and he's found almost perfection in Ocean View, where he scoops gelato by day and crafts furniture by night. But when a sexy older woman stops to sample his wares—Mamma mia! He only has two weeks to convince her their passion is more than a delicious surprise.

Universal book link: https://books2read.com/u/m0VDry

Friday, March 26, 2021

Join Sadira Stone as she visits and talks about Who She Was Before #MFRWAuthor #Germany #Teaching #Pacific Northwest #Contemporary romance

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

Na ja…vielleicht… (Well…perhaps…)

For about thirty years, I lived in Germany, first as a legal clerk in the U.S. Army, then again as a teacher on U.S. military bases. My teaching experience definitely fed my well of character ideas. Living overseas sharpened my powers of observation, since I was an outsider figuring out how social systems work—and the phone company, and getting an internet connection, and what to do if your car breaks down…

Teaching literature and composition all those years deepened my understanding of story structure too. You’d think I’d write lots of books set in Germany, right? Actually, I’ve only written one, an as-yet-unpublished murder mystery. I tend to focus my stories on where I am in the moment—and at the moment I’m living in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, so all my contemporary romances are set here.

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

So far, I’ve only published steamy contemporary romances, but I do plan to publish a romantic suspense series—think cozy mystery with a romance arc.

3. What is your latest release?

Opposites Ignite is Book 2 in the Bangers Tavern series, set in a neighborhood bar in Tacoma, Washington, my hometown. In fact, the neighborhood where this series plays out is just up the street! Alas, I started writing about Bangers Tavern just before the pandemic hit and the bars shut down.

I adore the Bangers crew, a fun and supportive found family group with lots of potential for pairing up characters. Book 1 in the series, Christmas Rekindled, featured Charlie (Charlotte), a freelance web designer who had to move home when her estranged dad was badly injured in a car crash. She takes a temporary job as server at Bangers to give her a little breathing room and earn some extra cash. River is the jaw-droppingly gorgeous bartender whose flirtatious smile is all for show—until he meets Charlie.

Opposites Ignite stars Rosie, a curvy, blue-haired aspiring tattoo artist and server at Bangers, and Eddie, the bar’s skinny, shy, strait-laced barback who’s been crushing on Rosie forever, and hopes to open his own bar—a secret he’s been keeping from his family, who expect him to take over their dry-cleaning business. Their story revolves around Valentine’s Day.

4. What are you working on now?

I’ve been asked to write a short story for a charity anthology, so I’m working on a second-chance romance tale that starts off during Bangers Tavern’s Anti-Valentine’s Day party. Imagine meeting your ex at such an event!

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

Absolutely! Since diving into Romancelandia five years ago, I read mostly romance, mainly contemporary and historical, though I’ve loved some alien romances lately. That guaranteed HEA buoys up my spirits in these dark times.

6. Where can we find you?

I’d love to hear from you! Please visit me on all the socials.

Author Website Facebook Twitter Goodreads Bookbub Amazon Author Page Pinterest Instagram Author Newsletter

(Here are the long-form links in case embedded links don’t work on your site)

Visit Sadira on All the Socials!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadirastone/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SadiraStone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/

Author newsletter: https://eepurl.com/dKLMP2

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Thursday's Opening Scene from Murder and Poisoned Tea is featured today Katherine and Robespierre find an organist for church #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Cozy mystery

On Groundhog day when Robespierre, my Maine Coon cat, jumped from his place on the window seat, one thought popped into my head. Company. Who? After following him to the kitchen, I watched him push his bulky, brown and black body through the hinged opening at the bottom of the door. Moments later I peered down the dimly lit stairwell. Robespierre had sprawled in the center of the third step and blocked my visitor’s progress.

“Good grief, Katherine, I hope he’s not planning to bite me again.” Edward Potter, pastor of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, glared at the cat. His voice had risen to a high pitch. “Whatever do you feed him? He’s ever so much bigger than Bitsy.”

The temptation to say my pet fed on pastors was strong. I refrained and fought to control a grin that threatened to blossom. Teasing Edward usually results in a lecture delivered in an indignant voice.

With an air of disdain, Robiesperre stretched. His back rippled in a way I envy. Then he slithered around Edward.

When Edward reached the top of the steps, he turned and peered at the cat. “He’s becoming more brazen.”

“Only toward selected guests. He ignores most people.” I turned my head and Edward brushed my cheek with his lips.

Edward is a dapper little man with an ear for gossip and a penchant for turning even the slightest event into a fiesta or a disaster. He’s astute about church politics. The coffers at St. Stephen’s are filled through his ability to cosset and cajole the elderly population of the church, mainly wealthy women. I partially fit the category, being over sixty-five, and while not rich, I’m at least comfortable.

When he entered the sunlit kitchen, the expression on his face announced a problem. He walked into the living room. Unlike most of my guests, he considered chats at the kitchen table for commoners. In the living room, he perched on the edge of a Queen Anne chair, purchased years ago before antiques became the rage. In the past twenty years, stores selling every manner of old things have spread plague-like in the business district of the Hudson River village where I live.

“You’re tense. How about a cup of mint tea?”

“Not all the tranquilizers in the world will calm me. It’s a disaster, a complete and utter tragedy.” His hands fluttered. The words rolled out like a sermon promising hell and damnation. “How will we maintain the quality of the services? Easter will be a disaster.”

My forehead wrinkled. What in the world had stirred him into this state? The last time had been when one of the altar boys had spilled the communion wine. Had there been a fire at the church? A flood? A plague? The strident fire whistles had been silent for days. What had occurred? Knowing a full and dramatic scene would develop, I wanted mint tea.

“I’ll heat the water. Then you can tell me about this tragedy.” Mint tea is my all-purpose remedy, calming nerves and stimulating the mind, bringing alertness or sleep.

I retreated to the kitchen, filled the kettle and stuffed a silver ball with an assortment of dried mint leaves. While the water boiled, I assembled the pottery mugs, sugar and spoons on a wooden tray.

“Why will Easter be a problem?” I set the tray on a Duncan Phyfe table.

“We may have to cancel the season.” He patted his thinning light brown hair.

I swallowed a laugh. “How can we cancel one of the main reasons for St. Stephen’s existence?”

“Are you making fun of me?” His voice rose in pitch. “I’m absolutely serious.” He accepted a mug. “Mary’s husband has been transferred. It’s a disaster.”

I mentally sorted through all the Marys in the congregation and tried to decide which one’s leaving would cause Edward to fall apart. Who had triggered the word of the day? On another level, the need to giggle soared. Perched on the edge of the chair and holding a tea cup with both hands, Edward looked like a child.

“There are about twenty Marys at St. Stephen’s. Which one do you mean?”

“Mary Hensen, our organist. What will our services be like without the organ and the choir? Katherine, you have to help us until we find a replacement.”

Twenty years ago I resigned my position as organist at St. Stephen’s. My husband’s sudden death had left me with a son to raise and enough money to cover three years of expenses. Once I finished my nursing course, my Sunday schedule had passed out of my control.

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A chance to overcome odds, will they take it?

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Wednesday The Leo Aquarius Connection #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #medical romance #astrology #Leo #Aquarius

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great excerpts Mine is from The Leo Aquarius Connection and brings together the hero and heroine in a hospital setting.

BLURB:

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

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

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

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

Diane Scott Lewis

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2018

Handsome, rich doctor Caleb is expected to marry a woman of status. Years earlier he fell for a nurse then asked her to become his mistress. She slapped him and left. Suzanna is a hard-working nurse who must

now care for her brother who was badly injured in a car wreck. She takes a job at a different hospital to

have access to their excellent rehab program. Too late she finds out that Caleb has transferred to the

same hospital and now he's her brother's doctor.
The two clash, but Caleb grows close to the teenaged brother. Will he ignore his parents' wishes and pursue the only woman he's ever loved, Suzanna? Will Suzanna give him a second chance?
Ms. Walter's writes with smooth authority, giving her characters heart and strength. A beautifully written story about opposites and compromise-the workings of a hospital-and the choices we all must face.

Kindle Customer

Pulls You Into The Town and Characters

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2018

Walters demonstrates her knowledge of hospitals to make the story real, but does so skillfully without

slowing down the read. For Dr. Caleb Winstone returning home means more than a new job and an

awkward encounter, it also means his parents incessant demands for him to marry the woman of their

choice. Nurse Practitioner Suzanna Rollins hopes the move will help her brother whose healing from

a car accident. To me some unresolved issues cost it a star, but it is still a worthwhile read and I

recommend it and the other books in the series.

EXCERPT:

Before heading home to crash, he wanted to spend several hours organizing

his office and learning

about the practice. He exited the stairwell and entered the waiting room.

Several patients waited with their mothers.

The receptionist looked up. “Dr. Winstone, welcome. Dr. Joe is waiting.”

“Thanks.” Caleb walked down the hall and paused outside the room with his

partner’s name on the

door. He knocked and stepped inside.

Dr. Joe looked up. “Glad you’re here. Welcome.”

“Glad to be here.” Caleb sank onto the chair before the desk.

“You look like hell. When did you arrive?”

“Six AM. Then through customs and claimed my car. I drove straight here and

headed to the hospital.

Put in my paperwork and have my parking pass. What do you want me to do?”

The older man rose. “I’ll have Gloria show you around. Then set up your office.

There’s a stack of

boxes that have been here for months. How was London?”

“Great and I learned a lot.” Caleb paused at the door. “I can see patients and I

want to talk to you

about the asthma kids.”

“No need to see patients. It’s a light afternoon.” He reached for a chart. “The

asthma kids are yours.” He paused beside Caleb. “Suppose you’ve heard

about the new nurse manager. Bright young woman.

Her being a practitioner is a plus.”

“I’m sure she’ll be an asset.” Though working with Suzanna would be a

challenge, he must manage each encounter with grace. He pushed to his

feet. “Let me organize my office and take the tour.” He yawned.

If he sat any longer, he would crash.

“Do that, then go home.” Joe grinned. "You can make hospital rounds

tomorrow and skip office hours.”

He paused. “There’s a teenage boy arriving at the Rehab Center tomorrow.

Multiple fractures and burns.

Rick Somers is handling the orthopedic side of his care.”

Caleb found his way to the office that would be his. For several hours, he

unpacked boxes, hung his

licenses and diplomas. He fitted reference books on the shelves and hooked

up the computer sitting

on the extension of the mahogany desk. When he finished, he found Gloria.

She showed him the

treatment rooms and supply closets.

When the tour ended, he walked to the door. Time to go home, somewhere

he really didn’t want to be.

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