Thursday's Opening Scene from Shortcut To Love by Janet Lane Walters

SHORTCUT TO LOVE

Chapter One

            The mob of creatures waving signs circled him, leaving no room for escape. His frustration level soared. No matter which way he turned, he faced another sign.

            "College debts. Medical school loans. Credit cards. Condo. Car. Money for the house he planned to build."

            A deep voice, akin to his father's, chanted words that gradually rang clear. "You must pay the debts. You must pay the debts."

            The strange creatures joined the chorus. They twirled the ends of Dali-like mustaches.

            From a distance, his mother's voice added to the cacophony. "Michael when will I see grandchildren? You know how badly I want little ones to hug."

            Michael West bolted upright and stared at the clock. He rubbed his eyes. This wasn't Saturday or Sunday. He was going to be late for his first day as the junior partner of Grandvue Hospital's premier group of surgeons. He threw back the covers and strode to the bathroom.

            As he showered, the nightmare circled in his thoughts. "Sorry Mom," he whispered. The stack of debts had to be liquidated before he chose a wife.

            He grabbed a towel and briskly dried. He had a plan. Five years would see it to completion. Then he'd be ready to give the woman he selected for marriage the things he believed she deserved. He dressed in new gray slacks and a black blazer,  grabbed his medical bag and headed out the door.

            Though he wished he had time for a hearty breakfast, on the way to the hospital, he stopped at the deli for coffee and a croissant.  Ten minutes later, he sat in the doctors' parking lot and ate his meager meal.

            After stuffing the trash in the take-out bag, Michael pulled his long frame from the car and strode toward the entrance. Just as he reached the door, the senior partner of the practice called his name. "Slow down."

            Michael waited for Dr. Probst. "Good morning, sir. I didn't expect to see you here this early."

            The gray-haired man smiled. "Always first in. Good to see you're of like habits. Three cases on the schedule this morning."

            "Will I assist with them all?" Michael asked.

            "Eager to get your hands in?"

            Michael grinned. "Sure am, sir."

            Dr. Probst chuckled. "How well I remember those days. Before we head to the O.R., we’ll make rounds and I'll show you around the surgical unit.”

            “Sounds good.”

            “Then I'll introduce you to the new nurse manager. Young woman's a marvel. Been here six months. Shaped up the place and the staff. Not only smart, but quite a looker, too."

            Michael's grin broadened. In November when he'd interviewed and toured the hospital, the nurse manager had been a starched older woman whose cold glare and thin-lipped smile made him think she detested young doctors.  Young and pretty was more his style, especially if she was a woman who would be content with the company of a man with a five-year plan.

            They left the elevator on the second floor and strode around the corner. When Michael saw the nurse seated at the long counter surrounding the open station, he abruptly halted.

            "No," he whispered. “It can’t be.” He nearly bolted.

            "Something wrong?" Dr. Probst asked.

            Michael cleared his throat. "Nothing. I never expected to see--"

            "Zelda, come meet the latest addition to the group," Dr. Probst called.

            "Zelda." Michael groaned. The bane of his youth sauntered toward them.

            His throat tightened. So did his gut. "You work here?"

            He could have kicked himself. Why else would she be here dressed in a white uniform? A uniform that fit her slim body to perfection.

            Dr. Probst beamed. "Michael, this is Zelda Carter, the miracle nurse manager."

            Figures she’d find a way to plague me, Michael thought. The man was right about one thing. Zelda was attractive and probably efficient, but she was also a disaster attuned to Michael West MD. Like the visions seen by a drowning man, incidents flooded his memory. She had dynamited his high school romance with Ann and dive-bombed his summer fling with Bette.

            Every time Zelda neared his vicinity, strange things happened. He tripped over invisible cracks in the sidewalk, dropped drinks and fumbled plates of food. In her presence he became an accident primed to occur.

            He glanced at Zelda. Boy had she changed. Short, curly, brown hair. Blue eyes. Slender figure. His gaze lingered on her kissable lips, and he felt an urge to taste them. He sucked in a breath. Zelda? He jerked his eyes away from her mouth and forced himself to concentrate on his partner's briefing on the patients on the unit and the cases awaiting surgery.

            His gaze and his attention strayed toward her. She kept her gaze on his partner. Zelda discussed the cases with Dr. Probst. Michael realized she was ignoring him more effectively than he ignored her. Still, he felt sure plans for destructing his life roiled in her head the way they always had.

            A note, he thought. He'd write one and leave it in her office. Strong words designed to head her off. He pulled out a pen and scribbled on his prescription pad.

                                    Dear Zelda, Nice to hear you're doing so

                                    well. Let's work to keep our relationship

                                    strictly professional. Unless you need to                                                           

                                   talk to me about a patient, ignore me.

                                                Your former neighbor, Michael.

            After rounds, Michael followed Dr. Probst to the stairs. He paused at the door of Zelda's office. "Just a minute. I need to drop something on her desk."

            Dr. Probst arched a brow. "Something brewing between you two already?"

            "We used to be neighbors."

            "Aha, the girl next-door."

            Michael nodded. He wasn't about to explain the tangled past he shared with Zelda. He stepped into the office and placed the note on her desk. That should stop any problems, he thought.

            As he and Dr. Probst reached the stairs, the stairwell door opened. A tall, gorgeous redhead exited. "Dr. Probst, good morning."

            Her throaty voice, not to mention her voluptuous body, captured Michael's attention.

            "Morning," the older doctor said. "Grace Lubke, this is Michael West, the newest addition to our team."

            "Pleased to meet you, Dr. West." Grace's smile held interest and promises.

            "Same here." Michael would have stayed to explore the possibilities, but his partner headed down the stairs. Michael started to follow and turned. "Grace, I'll see you around."

            "I'll make sure you do."

            Michael caught up with the older man. "Grace seems nice."

            "She's a looker. Smart, too. Clinical Psychologist for the Mental Health unit."

            Now I know where to find her, Michael thought. He intended to look her up very soon.

Saturday - More blurbs of books by Janet Lane Walters

I believe I now have covered all my publishers with a blurb,

Moon Pool Janet Lane Walters and Jane Toombs - 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.


Shortcut To Love - Zelda has loved Michael for most of her life, but he seems to be working through the alphabet in his search for a wife. She's a Z and it will be years before he reaches her. Besides, when they're together, strange things happen, usually to him. How can this nurse show the doctor, she's what he ordered to make him complete? The author calls this a "doctor nurse spoof" and we think you'll really enjoy it!

Affinities - Escape - In Affinities, Escape, a Books We Love Young Adult Fantasy, 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


Jewels of the Quill - Anthology VI - Chose this one since it has a favorite of mine The Amber Dragon -

Seven Jewels of the Quill authors offer new, short, exciting Tales from the Treasure Trove! The Amber Dragon (The Amber Chronicles, Book 3) {a love story} by Janet Lane Walters (Dame Amber): Enter the world of the amber orb and learn the fate of the first prince to face the witch’s curse and be cursed to live out his existence inside the orb. When she learns her challenger is a prince who does not know her history, can she entice him to kiss her? If he does, will she learn her lesson? Jordana’s Chair (Kaleidoscope Series, Book 4) {romantic suspense} by Karen Wiesner (Dame Amethyst): Kaleidoscope Office Building provides employment to nine hot, young singles—all about to make a love connection. Working 9 to 5 has never been so complicated…or so much fun! The Nonesuch Curse (North of Nonesuch Series, Book 8) {gothic historical romance} by Jane Toombs (Dame Turquoise): “My name is Falana, I am a fae, and Ruthven blood I curse this day...” For five generations, the wood witch’s curse has killed all Ruthven males on their thirtieth birthday. When Trilla Pasanen falls in love with Rom Ruthven, she discovers that the only way to save him is to believe in the power she hasn’t been able to accept as her own. If she fails, Rom will die at thirty just as every Ruthven male has since Falana pronounced her evil curse. Choices (Aquamarine Series, Book 3) {romantic suspense} by Dee Lloyd (Dame Aquamarine): In the midst of the laughter and dancing at the Jameson/Donatelli stag and doe party, life-changing choices are made. One choice could lead to lasting love, another to violent death... The Incomparable Miss Scarlet {Victorian romance} by Nancy Pirri (Dame Sapphire): In 1851 London, Scarlet Warden stumbles upon her brother-in-law making love to a woman who’s not her sister. But when Scarlet reveals the truth to Emma, her sister wants to turn a blind eye to the entire affair because divorce simply isn’t an option, since the laws of the land could leave her penniless and without custody of her children. Scarlet’s sleuthing leads to several other female acquaintances begging her to spy on their husbands and she gains governess positions in various households in her quest to prove their unfaithfulness. Garnet Hills {romantic suspense} by Liz Hunter (Dame Garnet): It’s a dream come true when Julianne Harrison inherits a horse farm from her estranged father. But is she strong enough to handle the problems...and dangers...that come with the property, especially when one of them comes in the package of one gorgeous cowboy? The Topaz Guard {swashbuckling romance} by Carrie S. Masek (Dame Topaz): Set in Orléans, France, 1585, in an era when Catholic and Protestant vie for control of France, eighteen-year old Lisette Mercer is on the brink of her lifelong goal—acceptance into the Abbey of Paraclete and a life of monastic study—when a young nobleman, Charles de Verney, crashes into her life. Charles is handsome and charming—and a member of the Topaz Guard, the same guard that murdered Lisette’s parents during the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre thirteen years earlier. Genre: Romance /Anthology

Writing Tip -- The senses - Third book in contest

Before I hit the senses I'll announce the winner of book 2 in this mad contest. Cindy has won The Warrior of Bast. The next book up has a change of pace since it's a contemporary romance that;s actually a farce. A nurse/doctor romance written with tongue in cheek. Remember all you need to do to win is either be a member or post a comment on one of the blogs.

Here's a bit about Shortcut To Love. Zelda has loved Michael for most of her life but he seems to be working through the alphabet in his search for a wife. She's a Z and it will be years before he reaches her. Besides when they're together, strange events occur, usually to him. How can this nurse show the doctor shes' what he ordered to make his life complete?

There is no first chapter of this up as yet. Sometimes my ideas happen faster than I can make them happen.

Using the senses when writing adds depth to the prose. While there are 5 senses, those who write fantasy or science fiction can come up with 6. But I won't get into that this time. Maybe someday in the future I'll look at all the sixth sense encompasses. Think of the senses as the spice added to a soup or roast to enhance the flavor. Try not to get carried away and over spice your fiction though. This is like modifying too much.

Of the five senses, the one most used by writers of fiction is sight but often this is used in a pedestrian way. Such as he saw the old man. What you need to do is to add touches. suck as instead of she saw whatever, think something like this. She jumped back. The creature crawling on the sands reminded her of a giant spider. Gives a picture that could enchant or frighten.

Taste is another sense to use. Not only when the characters are eating food but there are other tastes. The acridness of the air puckered her mouth. This is probably a cliche, when his lips met hers, the bitterness of coffee startled her.

Smell. This is a great sense to use. Smells often bring memories to mind. The antiseptic hospital aroma made her sneeze and brought to mind other times, other hospitals and other tragedies in her life. The aroma of fresh baked cookies wrapped around her and sent her back to the days of her youth. Her nose wrinkled at the odors wafting from the unwashed body.

Touch. Often ignored but think of running a hand over the soft nap of velvet or the crisp stiffness of starched cotton. Think of the softness of a baby's skin or the roughness of a worker's hands. Feeding touch into the story can help the reader envision the characters, the setting and thus the story better.

Sound is another scent that can often be used in a pedestrian way. He heard footsteps. How much better is the scuff of leather on the concrete alerted him. Someone followed. Friend or foe?

So remember to use the senses in both dialogue and prose scenes. The senses can give a character flavor, advance the plot or to slip in a bit of needed information.

My Writing Life October 18

Sometimes I think it takes forever to write a book. Perhaps that's because I finished blocking in the last segment of The Henge Betrayed Confrontations and realized I had to rearrange the I suppose one could call them chapters. I knew where I wanted to end the story and how but the getting there has been a battle. I now know what has to be done and someday I can write finis on this.

Other neat things. My daughter read my suspense novel Obsessions on her phone and she really enjoyed the book. The ending that some people tried to talk me out of to her seemed absolutely right. What is the ending, you'll have to read it and learn.

Also learned that Shortcut To Love my tongue in cheek nurse doctor/nurse romance is now available in a number of places. Loved writing this story but keeping the tone light and amusing was hard and different from my usual kind of story. Written on a challenge to see if I could turn a man who seemed to be a Lothario into a real hero. I think I managed.
http://www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com/Instant_Downloads.html
Another plus is my newest publisher Vanilla Heart Press has put my books up on this site and it looks good. Granddaughter is reading The Warrior of Bast. Soon Mistress of the Moons will be out in print.

Was a good week in some respects and a slow one in another.

Six Sentence Sunday

Since I've been looking at Shortcut to Love I've decided to post sentences from that book here.

Zelda wanted to pinch herself but she knew she wasn't dreaming. The bustle of her co-workers, the crackle of the public address system and the ringing phone told her she was fully conscious. Michael had returned home to practice surgery. She would see him every day. Maybe things would be different this time. Maybe she could find a crack in his stone heart and he'd know she was just right for him.

Two Sentence Synopsis Saturday

Since Shortcut To Love is now available from many places, I thought I'd show the two sentence synopsis I did for this one. The story is one of my favorites and is told rather tongue-in-cheek. It perhaps may be a satire.

Since she fell over the back fence into his yard, Zelda has loved Michael, first as the older boy and later as a man but when they encountered each other, disasters happened.

How can Zelda manage to show Michael she's the one when he seems to be working his dating ways through the alphabet and is only on D when she's a Z?

Writing Tip - The First Chapter

What needs to go in the first chapter? The writer wants to enchant the reader and make their book interesting enough for them to continue writing. I know I've started some books and was so bored by the first chapter I've wanted to give them a pass. Some I continued forward and the story became more interesting. There's a lot of things I've learned about writing from reading books both fiction and non-fiction. In Structuring your novel, I found a number of things that should be in the first chapter. In honor of a book I wrote years ago that's not on Kindle, Nook and other places with a new cover, I thought I'd look at the list of ten things and see if I managed to get them all in the first chapter.

1. The event outside that triggers the story. In Shortcut To Love, this was the return of Michael, not a surgeon to his hometown and home hospital. This sets off things in both his and the heroine's life.

2. The setting. Here, the hospital, the condo complex where they both live and the town where they grew up are shown in brief sketches to show the setting.

3. One big scene where the conflict is shown. Here the big scene is the meeting between Zelda and Michael at the hospital, her determination to snare this man and his determination not to be snared.

4. One or two small scenes to show the nature of the characters. The first shows Michael's arrival at the hospital. The second with Zelda's reaction to the other female staff's reaction to him.

5.Show at least one of the main characters including approximate age and physical description. Here both Michael and Zelda are shown through each other's eyes.

6.Let the reader know who is narrating the first chapter and if restricted or unrestricted viewpoint. In my story, there is a scene from his point of view and one from hers.

7. For exposition, narration and description depends on how much information the writer wants to give out. Because Shortcut To Love is a comedic story, these things are woven through out each of the scenes.

8. Give a clue about the time limit. Not sure I did this. For Zelda, the time wanted to gain her goal was short and for Michael the time might seem like forever.

9. Catch the reader's attention by showing major complication. Here it's Zelda's desire to find a shortcut to the love of her life since Michael seems to be going through the alphabet while dating women. Small scenes showing a minor complication that relates to the major one. Michael's interest in a woman with the letter D.

10. Establish the type of novel. Here one has to remember what genre they're writing on. In Shortcut To Love this is done by using a sly bit of humor, some tongue in cheek and making the scenes light.

What does this tell you. I think I once succeeded in following all the guidelines for developing one story. This book has sold steadily since it was first published and with the new cover, I hope it will continue.