Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #amwriting #amreading #MFRW

Sleeping in is a luxury I seldom indulge in but today it happened. The choice was getting up at six fifteen or going back to sleep for what I thought would be an hour. Wrong. Nearly three hours later I awoke again. Somehow doing this sets the day off slowly. Does this ever happen to you. There seems to be so much to do these days. But I'll get onto that a bit later. Hopefully the extra sleep will give me energy to move along with my projects.

As to writing I'm typing the last draft of A Spicy Seduction and noting where changes should be made. Two more drafts and I will be done. I'm working on the rough draft of Rekindled Dreams. How does one do both. It's because I write all rough drafts by hand and usually one or two more. This way I can type them and set the next project in motion. The First of the Moon Child series brought a Cancer hero and heroine together in Shattered Dreams. The second is a Cancer heroine and an Aries hero. The third is just a thread bringing a Taurus hero into a Cancer heroine's life again. At this point, it's called Melodic Dreams. Then I'll want to work on The Amber Chronicles since I have the rights back to four of the short stories and there should be two more to round out the series and it will go in a single book.

Reading or rather re-reading a fantasy series. When I'm rough drafting, I like to read something I've read before and something that's not in the genre I usually write. There are a few books on my Kindle to read, one was free and one I bought. Will perhaps mention them when I reach the point of reading them.

3 Blog Visit Sunday discovered by Janet Lane Walters

http://www.plotmonkeys.com/2013/02/28/why-authors-should-read/

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/what-writers-need-to-know-about-goodreads_b62204

http://www.livewritethrive.com/2012/06/11/coming-clean-about-my-twitter-success/#more-1368

3 Blog Visit Sunday discoveries by Janet Lane Walters

http://anitaphilmar.blogspot.com/2013/02/keep-me-turning-those-pages-turning.html

http://penelopemarzec.blogspot.com/2013/02/old-romance-authors-never-die.html

http://www.karendocter.com/blog/karens-killer-fixins-chocolate-cheese-mousse.html

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #amwriting #amreading

Last week was interesting. Heard a reviewer give a talk on trends in writing. She aslo said something like this, If you write a book you will find others who want to read it." Maybe yes and maybe no. There are some books I would never want to read and I do tend to read a lot. But the advice seemed good. Following what's hot this year may be cold next year. We've all seen the way the market leaps on a story that hits the charts running. Then everyone wants to write that book or a variation of it. The market is drowned and the market dies. People start to say, Not another book like book A or B or C." For me I write what I want to write and I do find people to read them.

I also volunteered to be part of a committee for a conference. Took on a project that interests me. Fewer baskets but ones with greater value so things won't be left behind. A good idea. Was looking at some facts. The group has about 150 members. If each one would donate five dollars or ten dollars to buy quality things for the baskets. We could have ten or twelve really great ones. Will think on this some more.

I've been reading several of my friends' first books and now their latest. I've had my fingers in a number of other writers' careers and what really makes me feel good to to watch their improvement.. A lot of people can write one book and never grow as a writer. So my hat's off to those of my now and former critique partners who have constantly improved with their writing.

As for myself. Still working on two projects. One without a title but there are some ideas brewing. Now it's off to write and type.

Thursday's Who Janet Lane Walters Has Been Reading #amreading

While sorting through some paperback books to alphabetize them I came across a book I hadn't read. Must have put it on the shelf and forgotten I'd bought it but I sat down and read the book. The two others read this week were both on the Kindle. Love the diversity of what venue a person can choose for reading.

A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh - This is a really good Regency romance and Ms. Balogh never fails to satisfy my reading tastes and give that warm feeling.

Betrayed Countess by Diane Scott Lewis was an interesting read and the heroine a woman in development. The story begins during the French Revolution and sends the heroine off to England to a life of toil. I do hope there will be more of her adventures since the book left me hanging in mid-air hoping for a happy ending.

Fatal Deception by Marie Force - Really enjoyed the action and adventure in this romantic suspense. I should have begun with book 1 of this series so I could follow the development of the main character. That will happen and I feel I won't be left unsatisfied.

Thursday's What Janet Lane Walters Is Reading #amreading

Still in re-read mode and checking books on Kindle to see which ones remain but am also re-reading print books. So a bit about these.

Just finished Kat Attalla's Sex and Key Lime Pie - still love the book since I heard parts of the story in critique group. A nice sensual read and the secret baby plot with a troubled hero and some snappy dialogue which is Kat's special forte. Highly recommended.

Re-read Charmaine Gordon's Reconstructing Charlie - Remember this from critique, too. The opening line will stun you. This is a sort of coming of age story and introduces some characters who deserve their own stories. My favorite guy wasn't the hero and I wish he had been but I think Charmaine is working on his story.

Am re-reading Leslie Roy Carter and Margaret L. Carter's Adept series. Have finished the first book. Wild Sorceress and truly admire the way they have woven magic and army life. There are n the series and they're on my next list. Loy and this is one of the best.

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #amwriting #amreading

Another week. Meander today is about the wierd comments sometimes found on the blog. All are written by Anonymous. At least it's easy to get rid of them. Just hit Spam and delete. They're there for as long as I need to find them. Leaving one's name is easy. Though I do have some followers who are anonymous. Would like to know who they are if I should decide to give away something in a contest.

Second meander is about the approaching holidays. Writing always slows down when that happens and I feel frustrated. One would think after all the years of writing I would accept that there is a time when the writing slows down. I know of at least one other writer who is suffering from the same slowdown. How about the rest of you. Do the holidays impede output?

As for my writing. Have learned The Micro-Manager Murder will be out in March. Can't wait. Releases have been a bit slow but that will change. In January I'll be able to reoved another book from a publisher that I was a wrong fit for. Not my problem or theirs. Was just like a marriage that didn't work. Sure wish I could retrieve the third book in the series.

Am still doing edits to Lines of Fire and working on The Goddesses of Er. They will see some progress this week. Hope to finish the edits and do at least two chapters on the other. Had an idea for a series of short hot pieces. Must work the idea out and then decide what to do with them. So n work and to baking cookies.