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Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - More on Subplots #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Subplots

An important thing to remember about subplots is like the plot, they need a beginning, a middle and an end. During the middle should be the scenes that elad up to the ending of that particular subplot. Try to show waht's happening in the subplot has an effect on the plot nd viceversa. Build in connections but don't let the subplot become more important than the plot. This does become tricky but it can and should be done. So try to match the mood and tone of the subplot to what happening in the main plot. The story will become much richer.

In my current WIP, one subplot is the three sisters must fine each other and while this is important to the main focus of the story, the main plot needs to be shown. This often happens not in the three female characters POV but in the scenes of the male characters. Tying the knots between the subplots and the plots is important

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Monday, June 28, 2021

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

Meander 1 - Reading. Have finished Katherine Kurtz's Deryni series and am sad since there are no more books to read about the characters I've learned to enjoy. Read the Queen of Second Chances by D. M. Barr and enjoyed this rather sweet romance. The story also deals with senior problems and is handled in a way that adds to the story.

Meander 2 _ Thoughts - Voting Rights. What puzzles me is why any woman Senator would not be in favorof this. Women haven't been allowed to vote for that many years. Why should any citizen have to go through hoops to be allowed to vote. Shame on the Republicans for their stance. Is power more important than fairness?

Meander 3 - Writing - Am closing in on the second rewrite of Incal. One more rewrite to do. Most people don't work this way but I feel the words flow better when I write them out. Also takes time andmakes me think about what might be missing.

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A fast-paced and enjoyable read.

Sunday, June 27, 2021

Sunday's Book Seducing The Photographer #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Photographer #magazine editor

Meg is sure she’s made a mistake when she agrees to pick up and Injured Steve, the magazine group’s photographer from the airport. The first moment she saw him, the Blakefield Curse took effect. She fell in love and she was a forever woman. He wasn’t. Spending time with him over the weekend only cements her feelings. She has rules of life and she breaks everyone of them even the new ones she added that weekend.

Steve has been intrigued by Meg and he enjoys her blushes. He’s found ways to raise them but something more is happening here. When she leaves abruptly, he wants to track her down but his broken leg makes pursuit difficult. Now he must find a way to win her over and that takes some time and clever moves.

JP Wright

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2016

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Meg is a forever woman. Steve is a for now man. When they spend a passionate weekend together, Meg breaks all her own rules, falling deeper in love with Steve. He wants Meg in his life...for now. But something has changed, and he must come to terms with his deepening emotions, and convince Meg he is a forever man.

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Saturday, June 26, 2021

Saturday's Blurbs featuring Books By Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #romance #mysters #paranormal

Murder and Mint Tea

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

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

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

Bast's Warrior

Tira flees a threat to her life and encounters two elderly women who offer her the chance to be sent to an alternate ancient Egypt with no thought of return. She has had a fascination with Egypt and can even read hieroglyphics. Once there she will be given a task. Failure could mean death. Dare she take the chance and can she find the lost symbols of the rule before an enemy finds them?

Kashe, son of the nomarch of Mero is in rebellion. His father desires him to join the priesthood of Aken Re, a foreign god. He feels he belongs to Horu, god of warriors and justice. He decides to leave home, meets Tira and joins her in the search for the symbols of the rule. Will his aid bring good fortune and will their growing love keep them from making a fatal mistake?

Previously published as The Warrior of Bast

"This engaging voyage into an ancient Egypt that includes power-hungry priests and hazardous treasure hunts entertains from page one. Familial intrigue heightens the tension, as does a kidnapping or two. The cast of characters is dynamic and complements the well-conceived plot." ~ 4 Stars, Susan Mobley, Romantic Times Magazin

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Friday, June 25, 2021

Friday Join Janet Lane Walters as she talks about her newest release #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Haunted Dreams #Romance #Attorney #child psychology

My 1. Tell me about your latest release? Genre?

Haunted Dreams is a contemporary romance and is the seventh book of the Moonchild series. Once again the action takes place in Fern Lake and centers around a Cancer Libra connection. The hero is an attorney with custody of two sons and a nephew and has haunted memories from his past serive in Afghanistan. The heroine also has her haunted dreams of a bad relationship that when she broke the engagement estranged her from her father and led to almost two years of being stalked by the former fiance. Together, they must also del with the haunted dreams of his two sons.

2. Where did the idea arise?

Since thisis part of a series where the characters interconnect. The hero and heroine made an appearance in the book before this, Tangled Dreams. I also wanted an attorney for the hero and decided Libra was the perfect sign for this attorney. Libras believe in balance and often can see both sides of a problem. The heroine is a Cancer as are the heroines in this series. I used the Cancer love of children and family as the focus of her character,

3. How much research was involved? Did you stay on point or be distracted by wanting to look at just one more thing?

Research meant looking up bits about child psychology and PTSD as well as reading the other books in the series to find restaurants and other pleace of interest that would add to the story and also nmention characters who were in other books.

4. How long did you take to write the book?

About four months.

5. Now a bit about you. How long have you been writing? What is your Sun Sign?

I've been writing since the days of typewriters and carbon paper. Published for 50 plus years. I'm now a widow but managed to remain married to the same man for more than 50 years. I have four children. The youngest is a biracial adopted daughter. I have seven grandchildren - four are black and three are Chinese. I was born under the sign of Cancer

6. Do you write in a number of genres of stick to one?

I write in a number of sub genres of romance, contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, sweet and spicy,. Also have written non-fiction and YA novels. I began with short stories and poems and graduated to novels.

7. Where on the internet can you be found?

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Thursday, June 24, 2021

Thursday's Opening Scene from Seducing the Chef #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Chef #Romance

Morning sun streamed through the wide windows of the lower floor office of Five Cuisines. Greg Ramsey typed the last item on the week’s menus. He checked the list of supplies needed and sent orders to the various venues. Monday mornings when the restaurant was closed had become his planning day.

He loaded the heavy paper in the printer and began the process of producing the menus for each of the five rooms. As the papers slid from the printer he heard a light tapping at the door.

“Come in.”

When his mother entered he rose and lightly hugged her. “Your timing is perfect. Just finished creating the menus for the week.”

Stella Ramsey, tall, slender with a gray streak in her dark hair, kissed his cheek. “How is my handsome son?”

“Pleased with our success.” Six months ago they had opened the restaurant and they were on their way toward becoming a profitable venture. For the past month there had been few empty tables at either evening seating. Even on Wednesday and Thursday they’d been solidly booked. The weekend brunches were gaining the attention of people who came to browse in the antique shops and other unusual stores in the Hudson River village.

He reached for the letter that had arrived last week. The offer could make or break his dream. He knew little about the magazine Good Eatin’ other than a spread was eagerly sought by the nation’s restaurants. As his silent partner, his mother had a voice in whether they should chance a bad review.

“What was so important you asked me to cancel my lunch date?” She smiled. “Please tell me you’ve found a weekend hostess.”

He shook his head. “The job is yours until you say you’ve had enough.”

“Might be soon.”

He arched a brow. “Something serious happening in our life.”

She laughed. “You’ll be the first to know. What about you? Have you met the woman of your dreams and the one who will make me happy?”

“When do I have time?”

“Make time. Several of the sous chefs are young and attractive. Ask one of them out.”

He held up a hand. “Not going there. They’re taken and I only poach eggs and a few other foods.”

She sat on the chair beside his desk. “So what’s the news you’re bursting to tell?”

He handed her the letter. “This arrived the other day. The offer could be a sweet opportunity”

As she read he studied her face. Her expression changed like the weather. His mother’s beauty always made him smile. He’d always wondered why she hadn’t married again. Had she mourned her father for fifteen years? He recalled the nights when he’d been awakened by their angry voices raised in accusations.

She touched the silver streak in her dark hair. She scowled. “You will not let those people near Five Cuisines. I won’t have them here.”

The venom in her voice surprised him. “Why not? I hear a feature in Good Eatin’ will place us among the top restaurants in the country.”

“I won’t let him use his magazine to destroy you the way he ruined your father’s dreams.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Peter Blakely, editor of Good Eatin’ of the Good Magazine Group, deliberately used his wife’s magazine to destroy Le Provencal.”

Greg rose and went to her side. He’d been sixteen when the tragedy had occurred. His father’s suicide had brought drastic changes in their lives. “Why would this Blakefield do that?”

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Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Wednesday Tangled Dreams #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #romance #Astrology #Cancer #Libra # attorney #child psychology

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great excerpts. Mine is from Tnagled Dreams the sixth book 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.

Excerpt:

“Ms. Rhodes, Dr. Chou’s office calling. Could you come to the office at seven this evening?”

Davey. What had gone wrong? Would she have to take the bone marrow test this evening? She stared at her watch. Six forty-five. She could make the appointment. Why had she turned off her phone?

She dashed into the bedroom and changed from jeans into slacks. She took her keys and shoulder bag, grabbed a jacked and headed to the doctor’s office. She parked in the nearly deserted lot and headed inside and upstairs.

“Are you Ms. Rhodes?” the receptionist asked.

“I am.”

The woman rose and opened a door. “Go right in.”

Janine slipped inside and nearly bolted. What was he doing here? Nate sat in one of the chairs facing the desk. Her heart pounded. She grasped the knob. She couldn’t stay here.

Dr. Chou rose. “I’m glad you came. Mr. Quinn and I have some questions.”

“I told you everything the other day.”

Nate stood. Red stained his cheeks. “I was out of line this morning.”

“Yes, you were,” she snapped. “If that’s all you want to say, I’m out of here.” Instead of looking at him, she stared at the diplomas on the wall.

“How can I make this right?” Nate asked.

Janine pressed her back against the door. “You can’t.” Tears threatened. She swallowed. She couldn’t cry.

“You can help us,” Dr. Chou said.

“How? I can’t think of a way.”

Tell us about your parents,” Dr. Chou said.

Her chest ached like a sword had been thrust into her body. Her hands fisted. “I told you before I know nothing about them.”

Nate slumped in the chair and turned to face her. “I have a friend who could trace them. Their names must have been on your birth certificate.”

A bitter laugh escaped. “You know what it says. Mother unknown. Father unknown. Even the date was a guess. I was dumped in a basket on church steps. Wrapped in a blanket that could have been bought anywhere.” She choked back a sob.

Dr. Chou rose from behind his desk. “Did you ever consider doing a DNA search for family connections?”

For a moment a surge of anger kept her from answering. Keep cool. “Why would I want to find them? They threw me away.” Tears edged closer to the surface.

Nate leaned toward her. “What about Davey’s father?”

Anger banished the sadness. “That was a bad time. I don’t want to talk about him.” She bit her lower lip to stop the trembling.

“What was his name?” Nate insisted.

“Why are you doing this? I won’t call him. The selfish SOB would only laugh. He paid me to get an abortion.”

“I’ll call him,” Nate said.

“He’ll know I told you his name.” She reached for the knob.

“Just his name.”

“Chuck Grafe.” She turned the knob and bolted from the office. As she ran into the hall tears blurred her vision. She reached the stairs and stumbled down them. Please no. They would find him and he would come after her. She wouldn’t be beaten and battered again. She grabbed the railing to keep from falling.

* * *

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Tuesday's Writer's Tip Plot and Subplots - Braiding #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Plots #Subplots #Braiding

Subplots in longer stories are a must but finding a way to bring them into the story without having one of them make the main plot seem weak takes some tricks. Braiding them into the story helps for they bring depth tothe story.

In my current WIP the main plot is the quest. All six main characters are drawn to travel south and a mysterious prediction binds them together. Each of these six characters have subplots. One of the subplots is in finding each other but this is fraught with problems. And each of these characters has some worries that are only theirs. There is rivalry between the male characters. Each of these male characters also has to come to grips iwth their emerging talents. The female characters also have similar problems to solve. They also must find each other since they were triplets but were separated with they were six years old. Juggling all the subplots without making the main plot weak is an interesting challenge.

So look at your stories and think about the main plot. Make sure it's strong. And the subplots, make sure they can be interwoved in the main plot of the story by braiding them together.

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Monday, June 21, 2021

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

Meander 1 - Reading Katherine Kurtz Deryni series and am almost finished. Love this group of books. When I finish the last one I'll be reading some books by my friends and colleagues.

Meander 2 Thoughts - Pn the news. There have been so many mass shootings lately. I hate the thought of going on line of listening to the news to hear about another one. Surely something should be done about guns. I thought we were civilized people but there seem to be amny who are not. There should be another way.

Meander 3 - Writing - Soon I'll reach the halfway point of my current WIP. Then there will be more revisng and more rewriting. Have solved several problems encountered in the rough draft, like one of the chapters being a repeat of the one before. Straightened that out but I surely will have to rewrite that chapter to make it flow.

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Romeo and Juliet with less drama, more sex, and a happy ending, all with a tad of fairy tale magic thrown in

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Sunday's Book - Seducing the Chef #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Chef #Hudson Valley #Romance

Seducing the Chef - Allie Blakefield, editor of Good Eatin' wants to do a feature on Five Cuisines a restaurant across the river from NY City. Her father forbids the feature and won't say why. She's not one to sit back and be ruled by someone. She borrows a friend's apartment.

While leaning over the balcony she sees a handsome dark haired man doing a Yoga routine. He looks up and she is struck by the Blakefield curse. Love at first sight.

The pair start a hot and heavy romantic interlude. She visits the restaurant and is recognized by Greg, the chef's mother. The woman goes ballistic and the affair is broken. Can Allie learn what's going on and rescue her love?

Emily

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016

This was a fun, short, and sexy read. While there isn’t a whole lot of character development, the story moves quickly, pulling the reader along. There is a lot of sex in this, to the point where I would categorize this as an erotic romance novella, which I wasn’t expecting. There was a plot, but the romance and passion between the two characters were definitely the main focus. Plus, certain elements of the plot had me scratching my head in confusion or needing to suspend belief. In other words: Romeo and Juliet with less drama, more sex, and a happy ending, all with a tad of fairy tale magic thrown in. Oh, and some amazing and delicious sounding dishes.

My only big complaint about the book is that it needs editing. There were quite a few comma mistakes, not to mention other grammatical errors, which kept pulling me out of the story. The grammar errors aside, this makes for a fun quick summer read, and I am interested in seeing what happens with Meg in book 2.

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Liz Gavin, USA Today Bestselling Author

Quick read loosely based on Romeo and Juliet

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2016

***I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review***

I’m not a grammar freak so the few typos I found didn’t make me shave off one star in my rating. However, some story line issues did. I don’t like spoilers so, as an example, I’ll just say that bondage requires intimacy and trust, which partners only achieve as a relationship progresses. Also, the blurb mentions a Blakefield curse: love at first sight. That wasn’t exactly how things happened so I was a bit disappointed.

Because this is a short-story, I expected things to progress fast so the timeline of Greg and Allie’s affair didn’t bother me. After all, I could see many elements from Romeo and Juliet in Seducing the Chef. It’s almost like a modernized version where you’ll find the balcony, instant passion, an old feud, and misfortune fueled by misleading information. Although it isn’t a tragedy as the classic story of the star-crossed lovers, it’s also not a romantic comedy as its category describes it. But it’s a story that will make you feel good, hot, and bothered in the best way possible. The sex scenes are mouthwatering just as I like them. After all, being an erotica writer, sex scenes are my domain and I know how hard it is to write good ones. Janet Lan-Walters did a great job here. Kudos.

I recommend Seducing the Chef if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining read to heat up your summer nights.

Elf2060

The chef and the reviewer deal with family drama

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2016

3.75

“Seducing the Chef” by Janet Lane-Walter is part of the ‘At First Sight’ series. This contemporary romance centers around chef Greg Ramsey and review magazine editor Allie Blakefield whose searing attraction threatens to become disrupted by a tragic family feud between their respective parents. Navigating the tricky challenges to find a way to be together may require a very special dish…of crow.

This relatively short story is a quick and breezy reworking of the traditional family feud theme a la Romeo and Juliet but given a wonderfully sensual twist. I had trouble believing that the offspring could be so ignorant of the feud and would have liked a bit more depth to the characters but I enjoyed the descriptions of the culinary journey (yum) and appreciated the setup for the next story in the series, in addition to the very long preview. The author has nice imagery and I think this was an enjoyable light story.

A copy of this story was provided to me for review

LAS Reviewer

Good Reading

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2016

Smoking hot!

Wow … when the blurb says “love at first sight” it isn’t kidding. The relationship between our hero and heroine goes from zero to 60 in about two pages.

I read this story knowing it was short, so I understand that it’s tough to fully develop a plot or characters in so few pages. I’ve tried to figure that into my feelings about the book, and into my rating. The author is definitely talented. Her skill is undeniable and her voice is fun and easy to read, and I have no issue with that at all. And, although there were a few editing errors and wrong word use, technically, it was a good story.

My issue was the speed of the relationship development. “Love at first sight” doesn’t have to mean leaping into bed moments after meeting someone (and before knowing anything about them … integral to the story is the fact their families are enemies, but since they barely get each other’s first names before getting naked, they have no idea). They progress quickly to a little very light bondage, which felt out of place since that requires a bit of trust and how do you build real trust in a day? I’m not adverse to a story with plenty of sex (especially well-written sex, which this was, though a bit less descriptive than erotic romance), so it wasn’t that abundance that was frustrating, just that I felt as if the plot suffered because so much space was given to sex instead of story.

Still, I really did appreciate the author’s voice and I would definitely pick up another one of her books to try. And if you prefer lots of heat in your stories, this may be a great choice for you to read.

originally posted at long and short reviews

Ann Herrick

Hot and Steamy!

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2016

If you enjoy hot and steamy romances, here's a fast-paced one you're sure to enjoy!

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