Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - The Value of Mirroring Characters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Mirroring #Characters

Why would a writer want to mirror a character? A mirror character can bring to light a specific characteristic you want to have the reader discover. Serring up one can find you showing rather than telling about a particular trait. You can also show something that can be helpful or destructive by mirroring. Since you don't want to destroy your main character in some manner by such as death or loss of something valuable like money or position, you can show the mirror character experiencing these things.  

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Monday, November 29, 2021

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

 Meander 1 - Reading - After reading a spate of books by many authors and enjoying the journeys I tookm, I came to the end of the new books. Back to Mary Jo Putney for some Regency romances. One Perfect Rose among them remains one of my fvorites. This book always brings tears and was a great help after I had cataract surgery to keey my eyes wet.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - Some of the things I ordered have arrived andiwth luck the others will be here soon and I'll be able to begin the gifts for my critique group. This will be an interesting experiment. Hope it works.

Meander 3 - Writing - Have sloweddown on Committee. It's the time of year when other things take presidence. I'll be back full steam soon.

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Sunday, November 28, 2021

Sunday's Book Moon Summoned #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Fantasy

 

Three Moon Summoned women. Ashiera the Seer who controls the winds and sees into the thoughts of others. Dian the Warrior who controls fire and fights with the sword. Egeria the Healer who controls fluids and heals those who are injured. They are joined in their battle by Sieper a sailor who knows the winds, Kobe once sworn to the Lord of Shadows and Jetan a healer of animals. These three vow to help the three women against those sworn to Evil.

Lugal the Cabal reads the winds and thoughts. Sargon the Gladius controls fire and the armies of the Lord of Shadow. Lugal the Cabal has knowledge of herbs and uses them for evil. These three with their cohorts will face the three and three sworn to the Mistress of the Moons.

Editorial Review: Janet Lane Walters has written a story that will take you to another time and place. She gives vivid descriptions of her characters and their role in this story. Ms. Walters has constructed a civilization so real that you will feel its very existence. A place where men rule women as chattel for their sexual needs, and three evil rulers who drain their bodies of their very essence for spells and to gain power. There is betrayal and treachery inside of plots, as each priest plans to rule alone. Ashiera, Egeria, and Dian are bound to the spirits of the ones who came before them. They discover a truth that will astound them, and have them doubting their chosen path. They will experience a love that is forbidden and discover that two stand together better than one. I could feel the emotional struggle between love and destiny, described so passionately by the author. I hope Ms. Walters plans to continue this story. I could feel that this is just the beginning of this tale. Janet Walters book, Moon Bright, Moon Dark will go on my keeper shelf, beside such authors as Charlotte Boyett-Compo and Nancy Gideon. I give this story Five Hearts and recommend it highly. Enjoy!





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Saturday, November 27, 2021

Saturday's Blurbs Feature Books by Augustina Van Hoven #MFRWAuthor #Christmas #romance

 


The Christmas Kiss

What happens under the mistletoe…

When a sledding accident catapults governess Annabelle O’Sullivan ninety-four years into the future, she panics. She doesn’t know how to get back to 1925, and she doesn’t know how to survive in the twenty-first century. Annabelle must depend on the kindness of a stranger and his daughter, and she repays that kindness the only way she knows how: by making a home. The longer she stays, the less she wants to leave. But can she trust this stranger with her life?

Since the death of his wife, Daniel Wagner has shut down his heart to everyone except his daughter, Olivia. Other women—including some of his employees at the ski lodge he manages—have angled for his attention. But Daniel found avoidance easy, until he was forced to rescue an unconscious woman lying in a snowdrift by the side of the road. Although the stranger seems to have no past, Daniel soon finds himself thinking about a present—and a future—with her.  

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Kiss-Love-Through-Time-ebook/dp/B07XXHKKNW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1GAM5M2EWLTYB&keywords=augustina+van+hoven&qid=1575257078&sprefix=Augustina%2Caps%2C489&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1133591279?ean=2940163689958

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1480184864

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-christmas-kiss-3


 The Last Christmas on Earth

Blurb

What if you had to make a choice, your lifelong dream or your soul mate?
Scott Southerland has his dream job and his dream woman. What could go wrong? With his mother around, plenty. Scott’s on his guard, and his soon-to-be fiancĂ©, Harper Castille, is, too. Scott has no interest in the other women his mother dangles in front of him, but can his relationship with Harper survive the destruction of his dream?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Last-Christmas-Earth-Frontier-Book-ebook/dp/B07B9WJY1J/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1521404782&sr=1-4&keywords=augustina+van+hoven

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-christmas-on-earth-augustina-van-hoven/1128145828?ean=2940155037538

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1360478283

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-last-christmas-on-earth


The Discovery

 

Humans aren’t safe in Avalyn’s paranormal world, but to one man, that doesn’t matter…


Karl Hansen’s greatest skill—besides his ability to develop illegal concoctions—is his instinct for survival. When Karl’s position as head chemist in a drug cartel looks like it might turn deadly, he goes on the lam. Karl’s working as a barista in a small Oregon town—legal concoctions this time—when he meets Avalyn. He’s felled by her, fairy wings and all. She vanishes into the mist, and he’ll brave any danger to find her.

Saving fellow refugees from the hidden magical world is all that matters to Avalyn of the water Fae. She is on a mission to help the shifters, vampires, elves, and other members of this community who have managed to escape that dangerous world. Then she meets Karl. Though they see each other only once, and only for a moment, she cannot get him out of her mind. But he’s human. He’ll die. Is she willing to spend the rest of her immortal life alone?

 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B2QDMS6/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3GZG4ZGSW7TQV&dchild=1&keywords=augustina+van+hoven&qid=1627012434&sprefix=augustina+van+hoven%2Caps%2C688&sr=8-4

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-discovery-augustina-van-hoven/1139889650?ean=2940165549434

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1577651068

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-discovery-18

 

 

Friday, November 26, 2021

Augustina Van Hoven is visiting and talking about her latest release. #MFRWAuthor Christmas #time travel #romance #fashions

 

1. Tell me about your latest release or the book you wish to feature? Genre?

The book I’d like to feature is my Christmas time travel romance novella, The Christmas Kiss. It tells the story of Annabelle O’Sullivan, a governess, who accidently goes through a crack in time and ends up in modern day Vermont with no idea how she got there, how to get home or how to survive in this strange time.

 

2. Where did the idea arise?

I was going through the Downton Abby series for the umpteenth time and I wanted to do a story about someone from 1925 coming to our time. The rest of the story just flowed from there.

 

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

I researched what things were like in 1925, from life in a manor house to the popular music and books of the time. I really got lost in the fashions and had to drag myself away. 

 

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

It took a little over two months to write the book.

 

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

I’ve been writing since elementary school, short stories and poems. My first book was published in 2014. My sun sign is Cancer.

 

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

I write time travel romance, paranormal romance, futuristic romance, supernatural suspense, and I’m currently working on romantic suspense.

 

7. Where on the internet can you be found?

Website: https://augustinavanhoven.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/augustinavhoven

FaceBook:  https://www.facebook.com/Augustina-Van-Hoven/

Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.co.uk/augustinavhoven/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/augustinavanhoven

BookBub page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/augustina-van-hoven

Newsletter sign up: https://augustinavanhoven.com/join-newsletter/

 

Thursday, November 25, 2021

Thursday's Opening Scene from Moon Pool #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Paranormal #Full moon

 July 1994

            The full moon dappled the shadows beneath the massive oak with patches of light.  Thea caught Luke’s hand.  He spun her to face him.  Their gazes locked.  His dark eyes mirrored her eagerness to be together, to make love.  Thea wanted to laugh at the joy flooding her spirits.

            His lips found hers.  He pulled her into a tight embrace.  She felt the hardness of his erection and opened her mouth to his questing tongue.  His touch, his taste, the aroma of his skin made her desire blossom.  There wasn’t time for what they craved.  With a sigh she broke the kiss.

            Luke slid his hands to her waist.  She sighed.  “I want to be like this with you forever.”

            He kissed the corner of her mouth.  “I’d rather be skin to skin.”

            “That, too.”

            He groaned.  “I’d better head back.  My turn to set the tables for tomorrow.”

            “And I’ve beds to turn down.”

            “Meet me at the reflecting pool in an hour.”

            “I’ll be there.”

            He tugged her closer.  Their mouths met in a searing kiss.  “You’re driving me crazy.”

            She nodded.  “An hour will seem like forever.”

            He released her and dashed toward the kitchen entrance of the sprawling inn.

            Thea leaned against the tree.  What a wonderful summer.  Until now she’d never thought she would find love.  Luke was wonderful and he was hers.  For longer than the summer, she prayed.

            She glanced at her watch.  The luminous dial showed she had a few minutes before she needed to be at her duties.  The moon gleamed like a golden coin.  She had time to test the legend of the reflecting pool.  The words the hostess had said to each group of arriving guests flowed into Thea’s thoughts. 

            Should a man or a woman come to the pool on a night when the moon is full, the face of their true love will be revealed.  Should they reject the vision, a life of lonely sadness will follow.  There is a second chance to find this love.  If the seeker returns to the pool when the moon is full and blue, true love will be recovered.

            Thea ran to the garden.  She paused beneath the trellis entrance and listened for voices.  When she heard none, a wave of relief made her smile.  She stepped into the boxwood maze and quickly made her way along the gravel path to the pool.  She knelt and stared at the water.  Dancing beams of moonlight coalesced.  Thea stared at the unfolding pattern.  When Luke’s face appeared, her laughter pierced the silent night.

            Holding the promise close, she hurried to the Lodge.  Wait until she saw Luke and told him.  Happiness threatened to erupt.  Thea, grind, nerd and all those other names her peers called her, had found her true love.  Thea who had never had a date until this summer had found her perfect mate.

            Luke was the best-looking of the Lodge’s summer employees.  Tall, dark-haired Luke was hers.  They had so many common interests.  When they weren’t making love, they talked and seldom disagreed.

            She thought of the way the other female employees and some of the younger guests had flirted with him.              Thea laughed.  From the moment their eyes met, they had been a couple.

            Thea hurried back to the inn.  She arrived on the second floor and began her evening routine.  She opened the first of her assigned rooms, folded down the covers and placed a chocolate on each pillow.  She entered the bathroom to make sure there was a good supply of fluffy towels.

            “Thea.”

            She walked to the door.  Her friend leaned against the wall.  “You finished already?”

            “Just.  You’re running late and I know why.”  Sue giggled.  “Saw you and Luke sneak off.”

            “For ten minutes.  No big deal.”

            Sue cocked her head.  “I wanted to catch you before you two disappeared to make-out.”

            The knowing look in Sue’s eyes caused Thea to stiffen.  They had been friends since grade school.  Thea had often wondered why the friendship had continued through high school and into college.  Sue was pretty and popular.  Her attention was flattering and brought Thea into the center of events.  Thea still helped Sue with her studies.  She’d even written papers for her friend.  Sometimes Thea wondered if being on the fringes of the in-crowd was worth the effort.  If she dropped Sue, where would another friend be found? Thea smiled.  There was Luke.

            Thea closed the door and walked to her next room.  “Luke and I do more than make-out.  We talk about serious matters.”

            “Sure you do.”  Sue grinned.  “Just wanted to let you know there’s a party in the guest lounge to celebrate Luke’s birthday.”       

            “He never mentioned one to me.”

            Sue’s smile turned sly.  “For good reason.  Guess he didn’t want you to know today he turns seventeen.  Surprised me when I learned.  He looks and acts our age.”

            Thea swallowed.  Luke was only seventeen.  She’d be twenty-two in November.  “But he’s a junior in college.  He’s pre-med.”

            “Heard he’s a genius.  Double major, too.”  Sue stepped back.  “You two are quite the topic in the staff lounge.  Some of the girls call you a cradle-snatcher.  I told them if you’d known his age you would have cut him cold.”

            Thea felt her face flame.  How could she have made such a fool of herself?  Luke was seventeen.  She could be in real trouble.  Everyone knew and laughed at her.  “Look, we’re just friends.  We talk about medicine and surgery.”

            Sue arched a brow.  “With a few anatomy lessons thrown in.  Don’t blame you one bit.  I wouldn’t mind a night or two exploring his body.  He is one gorgeous hunk.  See you.”

            Thea waited until Sue vanished down the rear stairs.  She quickly finished her rooms and fled to the staff sleeping quarters.  Tears stung her eyes.  Why hadn’t he told her before she’d become the staff’s joke of the summer?

            She splashed water on her face.  Luke would be at the reflecting pool.  She intended to let him know how she felt about his deception.

 

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Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Wednesday Whispers Yesteryear #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #Romance #Time travel #Twins

 

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks Here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great excerpts. Mine is found @https://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

Blurb:

“Not the children.” Willow Carey is awakened by the remnants of a dream she hasn’t had for years. Today she is to return to Indian’s Sorrow, a house she inherited from her aunt. The inheritance has caused a rift with her twin sister. Her father and stepmother have died in an accident. Though she doesn’t want to go to Indian’s Sorrow, she must take charge of her young half-sister and brother.

Reid Talbot, a man she once loved lives near the house with his family. Now a widower, he lives with his sons. Learning to trust him again is difficult but he also has dreams.

Together, they must learn the meaning of the dreams before the whispers of yesteryear destroy their newfound happiness.



Excerpt:

As she moved among the trees, she stopped to gather medicines -- birch leaves, bloodroot, ginseng, bee balm. Slowly, she made her way to the stream where chill waters swept down the hill to join other streams and form a river.

The leaves of the willows had darkened from pale spring green to the darker hues of summer. All the catkins had dropped away. She pressed her hands against the largest of the cluster.

"Sister Tree, one who shares your name has need of your bark. Will you let me cut your skin?" She pressed her forehead against the tree and waited for an answer.

The scream that sounded in her head caused her to stagger. Her legs refused to hold her erect. She slid to the ground. With a terror that matched her sister’s, through the link between them, she witnessed the destruction of the Long House. The faces of the enemy burned into her head.

"Not the children!" The scream caused the earth beneath her body to shudder.

*****

July 2000

"Not the children!"

Willow Carey jerked into a sitting position. Her heart thudded in her chest. Waves of terror flooded her thoughts. She gulped deep breaths of air.

She stared at the familiar surroundings and wondered why the bedroom seemed alien. Like a shroud, the sheet had twisted around her legs. She tugged it free. Her sleep shirt, soaked with perspiration, clung to her skin. She shook her head to dislodge the fragments of the nightmare that had awakened her. Terror, grief and rage had followed her into consciousness. What? Why?

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Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Mirroring Characters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Mirroring #Characters

 Mirroring characters is something that can be effective. Think of Twain's Prince and the Pauper and see how effective this can be. Two characters with much that's similar except for something that's different. He's rick and he's poor. He's honorable and he's dishonorable.  She's selfish and she's giving. Showing them as mirror images can bring a depth to the story. Try it some time. I haven't yet but I just might soon.

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Monday, November 22, 2021

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

 Meander 1 - Reading - The past week has been a great one for reading new books. Read Bishop;s Peace by Roberta Grieve - the third bok in a trilogy and a fitting end to the series. Samantha and Misty Hollow Mail-Order Bride by Margaret Tanner - were sweet romances of the West. Crucible 13 by James Rollins. Amazing the destruction the man wreaks in fiction. This time a city - Paris. Read the Red Quilt by J S Marlo, a lovely romance. Evelyn's Beau by A M Westerling - a prequel to her Regency series and a great book. Snowflakes and Kisses by Barbara Baldwin - a great romance. All these books were well written and some of them I will read again.

Meander 2 - Thoughts - It's that time of year again and I've been busily working on buying stocking presents. I'm almost ready to start filling the stockings. Sixteen  this year. What fun that will be.  Want to get them in the mail as soon after Thanksgiving as I can.

Meander 3 - Writing - Working on Committee. Am finally ahlfway through the rough draft. There are a few glitches I'll have to cover. This is a romantic suspense but also more. It deals with a divorcedcouple who still have feelings for each other as well as the medical suspense. Tht's a bit different in some ways. Let's hope I can bring it off.

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Sunday, November 21, 2021

Sunday's Book Features Moon Pool by Jane Toombs and Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #Romance #paranormal #blue moon

 

In the center of the maze at an Adirondack resort lies a spring-fed pool. Legend says that if you look into the serene depths under a full moon, you’ll see the face of your true love. In this collection of four novellas, the magic of the Moon Pool touches the lives of eight people for whom love seems to be a dream that can never be reality:
Thea — who lost her one true love because she couldn’t bear the scorn of others.
Faith — who has given up on love in the face of responsibility.
Lynn— who settled for practicality when she yearned for poetry.
and
Cynthia — whose reputation for selfishness was no match for love.

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Saturday, November 20, 2021

Saturday's Blurbs @https://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com features books by Ruth Casey #Pirate, Regency, Knight, Romance

 

Pirate

The Lady and Her Quill   


Amazon Kindle Unlimited - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HX46D3B

 

Her mind kept telling her to stop loving him, but her heart couldn’t let him go.

Renowned author Lady Alicia Hartley has lost her muse after a bad review. She blames it all on the author JC Melrose. A chance encounter with a handsome, witty Justin Caulfield has her heart racing, and her muse seemingly back. Is he her savior or her worst nightmare?

He didn’t see the turbulent ocean. He was too busy dealing with a different tempest.

The recently retired Captain Justin Caulfield is facing his own demons. As gifted author JC Melrose, his stories honor men who died at the hand of one man. His only focus is to avenge their deaths, that is, until he meets and falls in love with Lady Alicia.

The two authors take on a writing challenge based on a story of stolen gold taken from the newspaper headlines all to determine the better writer. While researching the story, Lady Alicia is captured by the thieves’ ringleader. Can Lady Alicia turn this mystery into an award-winning story? Can Justin save his real-life heroine? Can they both overcome their own challenges for a happily ever after?

 

The Pirate’s Jewel

 

Amazon Kindle Unlimited - https://www. amazon.com/gp/product/B07M81Y7HM

 

Deception and family honor are at stake in this grand Scottish pirate adventure!

 

Wesley Reynolds will do anything to avenge his family’s banishment from Dundhragon Castle - even throw in with the notorious pirate, MacAlpin. His plan: ruin Lord Ewan’s trading network. He has an even more devious plan for his father’s best friend, the man who abandoned them at the eleventh hour. He’ll ruin the man’s most precious jewel, his daughter Darla. Wesley comes so close to succeeding he can almost taste it, but revenge is not nearly as sweet as Darla’s kisses.

 

Lovely Darla Maxwell has no prospects of marriage. Her father and Lord Ewan search to find the right husband, but Darla’s special gift frightens her prospects. She is a young woman with visions that often come true, and the murky image of a man haunt her. She is certain that it's Lord Ewan’s soon-to-be son-in-law, but the vision changes when she meets Wesley. To her, the meaning couldn’t be any clearer.

 

But all is not well. Revelations surface, indicating that Wesley has been deceived and his revenge misplaced. Will he find the truth of what happened to his family in time to stop the pirates? Will Darla forgive him? Most of all, will he ever forgive himself?

 

Knight of Runes

 

Amazon Kindle Unlimited - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08923C4S8

 

She was his witch, his warrior, and his wife. He was her greatest love. Four centuries couldn’t keep them apart.

England, 1605. When Lord Arik, a druid knight, finds Rebeka Tyler wandering his lands without protection, he swears to keep her safe. But Rebeka can take care of herself. When Arik sees her clash with a group of attackers using a strange fighting style, he's intrigued.

Rebeka is no ordinary 17th-century woman - she's travelled back from the year 2011, and she desperately wants to return to her own time. She poses as a scholar sent by the king to find out what's killing Arik's land. But as she works to decode the ancient runes that are the key to solving this mystery and sending her home, she finds herself drawn to the charismatic and powerful Arik.

As Arik and Rebeka fall in love, someone in Arik's household schemes to keep them apart, and a dark druid with a grudge prepares his revenge. Soon Rebeka will have to decide whether to return to the future or trust Arik with the secret of her time travel and her heart.

 

 

Friday, November 19, 2021

Friday Ruth Casey is Visiting @https://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com #MFRWAuthor #Panster #Plotter #Writing

 Panster or Plotter

 

Day 1

 

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

I proudly consider myself a plotser. I outline my story and the pages are challenging. You’ll find bullet points, scene descriptions, even dialogue. I can have 10,000 words in an outline for a 50,000 word story. But once I start writing, the story takes off. I clearly remember when I was writing my first story. I was three-quarters of the way through it when brother and sister supporting characters ‘told’ me they were twins. What a great opportunity. I had to go back and do some rewriting.

 

2.       Which comes first - characters or plot for you?

I knew my new story The Lady and Her Quill would be about a women author in Regency England. Knowing the era and the thoughts about women, I had a good idea about the conflict my main character would face internally and externally. So for me, it is a combination of plot and character.

 

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

I am currently working on the second book, The Lady and the Spy, in my new Regency series, The Ladies of Sommer-by-the-Sea. Each book in this series is about one of the graduates of the Sommer-by-the-Sea Female Seminary. Each lady drives to break from the constraints of the era and strives for independence and self-expression. Mrs. Bainbridge, the head mistress encourages her students best skills and teaches them, the author, the doctor, the business woman how to succeed within their societal confines.

 

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

This is a great question. Each book has a piece of jewelry that is important to the story. In book one, The Lady and Her Quill, it’s an amber pendant the heroine wears and is a worry stone. In The Lady and the Spy, it is a diamond and ruby pin that plays an essential part to finding the secret code. In The Lady and the Duke, it is a locket.

 

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

I write every day, early in the morning. To me, 8:00am is early). About lunchtime I do email and marketing. Sometimes I spend time with the grandchildren. (I have four) Then back to writing before dinner. When I’m on a deadline, I will also write after dinner, but I try to relax and read or else I’m taking fight scenes to sleep with me.

 

6.       Where can we find you?

You can find me at my website https://ruthacasie.com/ where you can sign up for my newsletter

http://ruthacasie.com/contact.html#newsletter  http://bit.ly/RuthsNewsletterSignUp

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

Facebook private reader’s page, Casie CafĂ©: https://www.facebook.com/groups/963711677128537/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/RuthACasie/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RuthACasie

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ruth-a-casie

Amazon: https://amazon.com/author/ruthacasie

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4792909.Ruth_A_Casie

 

7.       Who are your favorite authors? What about a book you’ve enjoyed?

At the moment, I am knee-deep in Regency research. The book next to me is… Regency Slang Revealed. When I’m not doing research I enjoy Elizabeth Peters, Phillipa Gregory, Tasha Alexander, Kathryn LeVeque, Eliza Knight, and (wait for it) Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy

Thursday, November 18, 2021

Thursday's Opening Scene features Words Perfect - Becoming Your Own Critique Partner #MFRWAuthor #Writing

 Tonight is your critique group's meeting and you're psyched. You've worked hard on your story. You expect nothing but compliments. Then you read your scene and your high is brought low.

Partner One folds her hands. "The scene is beautifully written. You have such a way with description. But is the scene necessary?"

"Too much description?" you ask.

Partner One shakes her head. "Not exactly, but before you write, remember the three purposes of a scene are to define character, to give added information and to advance the plot."

Partner Two leans forward. "That's where the problem lies. You have a great setting, interesting characters, but your plot has too many holes."

"Holes in my plot?"

"Your plot can be saved," Partner Two says. "You need to think about your story and select the most important elements. Look again at the who, when, where, what, why and how."

You check your work. "I forgot the what and the why."

"You've got it."

Partner Three looks at the notes she's been making while you read. "Your characters have good motivations for their actions, but I think the dialogue needs work. All your characters sound alike and they sound like you."

These three partners have given you indications of where you've gone right and where you've gone wrong. In the process you've learned something, plus discovered the value of critiques. But what happens if you can't connect with a critique partner or a group of other writers who are willing to play the role of critiquers?

Becoming Your Own Critique Partner is designed to help you find the flaws in your manuscript and correct them. The areas where less-than-sharp images can cause a rejection will be illustrated by examples of the wrong and the right ways to create images and a discussion of the various stumbling points to keep you from being led astray. It will also show you where your areas of excellence are. Checklists and exercises will aid in eliminating flaws and help to improve your writing.

 

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Wednesday Past Betrayals, Past Loves #MFRWHooks #BWLAuthor #Romance #Reincarnation #Egypt #Peru

 

Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com  For some great excerpts. Mine is from Past Betrayals, Past Loves @https:..wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com and finds Astrid visiting past loves

Blurb:

A curse sends Astrid on a journey to ancient lands. She meets deceit and betrayal searching for true love and to break the curse. The search begins in Egypt. When she touches an ancient Egyptian necklace she is hurtled through time into the turbulent life of another woman. She discovers the words spoken in anger holding her spirit captive. Seven more times she finds a piece of jewelry and returns to a distant past. In each of these lives she encounters and falls in love with a man who seems to be someone recently met in her present as do the enemy man and woman. The heat between Astrid and Duncan is instant and becomes incandescent. Her dislike of two characters grows. Eight realms await her. Eight chances break the curse holding her spellbound and to end the cycle of past betrayals and find love. Eight chances to foil the evil man and woman who follow her and Duncan from era to era



Excerpt:

Astrid frowned. Why hadn't Dad mentioned the problem? She edged toward the stand where a necklace and crown were displayed on a black velvet cloth. Where had she seen these pieces before? The necklace resembled a wide collar. Semi-circles of a pale gold metal were inlaid with lapis. From the last row, carnelians dangled. The headband of the same metal had flowers of inlaid lapis with carnelian centers.

"Are these the items you and Dad argued about?"

Clive nodded. "He wanted to put them in the vault."

"Why have you displayed them?"

"One, I can't open the vault and two, they're too attractive to hide."

Astrid brushed a finger over one of the dangles. Sadness washed over her. As though under a spell, she lifted the necklace. Waves of dizziness rocked her.

* * * *

Seshat stood at the entrance to her workroom built against the wall of the villa. She stared into the garden. Though chaos ruled the Two Lands, in this house at a distance from Thebes, only echoes of the troubles were heard. How fortunate that her father, Nomarch Sehetep, had distanced himself from the politics of both halves of the divided land.

She heard her younger sister giggle and watched her run toward the workroom. "What have you done now?"

"Spied on Father," Tiy said.

Seshat shook her head. Tiy hovered between childhood and womanhood. She delighted in mischief. Seshat left the doorway and reached for the tallies of the recent harvest.

"Don't you want to know what I heard and what I saw?" Tiy's warm brown eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Tell me."

"We have guests. From Thebes. Oh, Seshat, they are the most handsome men I have ever seen. They seek father's support. One of them wants the Double Crown. Maybe he will choose you as his wife and ignore Nefru."

Seshat sighed. If she were chosen, Nefru, daughter of their father's dead first wife, would be furious. Though Seshat's mother had been a princess of a past dynasty, Nefru denied the claim. Seshat sighed. Anyone seeking Sehetep's support would choose the oldest daughter. Since no sons had been born to the house, Nefru's spouse would claim the nome when Sehetep left this world.

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

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