Friday - Some blurbs of books by Janet Lane Walters

Since I was out of computer reach most of yesterday and today, I didn't ask anyone to do a 2 day sting here so I thought I'd share some blurbs of books that are mine. I'll do the same tomorrow.

Murder and Mint Tea Katherine Miller has retired from two careers, one as a nurse and the other as a church organist. Though she has no desire for a third career, she may be forced to become a detective. Her latest tenant has brought trouble to the neighborhood. When Rachel's body is found in Katherine's garden she recognizes the murder weapon and knows any of her near and dear could be the killer. She refuses to accept that a friend or relative could be a killer and seeks to find the culprit.

Code Blue - the medical suspense Code Blue by Janet Lane Walters, published by Books We Love and previously published as Obsessions, nurse Susan finds the body of the hospital’s “gossip queen” in the orthopedic storage room. She doesn’t realize this is the first of a series of murders involving her colleagues or that her life is in danger. She is a widow and is exploring a new romantic relationship that promises love but she fears the man she is falling for is as controlling as her dead husband. The arrival of courtship gifts, at first, seen as innocuous soon takes on a sinister note.

A Surprising Seduction - Tony Carlin learns what making an assumption makes him. Lauren Grant has made her own assumptions. The deaths of his brother and her sister bring them together to become guardians to 10 month old Jamie. He bases his view of her on their first and only meeting 4 years ago. Lauren was a teenage runaway who traveled across the country to find her sister. Back then she had nose and lip rings, streaks of green and blue in her blonde hair, and her skirts left little to the imagination. Tony knew what she was. Lauren knew he was a lawyer and a playboy with eyes for every woman but her. The attraction ignored in the past flares to life in the present and turns their worlds spinning out of control. Lauren has a plan. She will finish her BS/Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and find a job. Until then she has no time for a man in her life. Tony likes women and multiple is his choice. His father showed him love was false so he had no desire for a relationship that lasts longer than a night or two. What happens when there's an infant in the mix, especially since his promise to his brother is one Tony refuses to give up. The attraction between them sizzles and draws them into bed. She says no more though the times have been wonderful. Tony realizes he has fallen in love and needs a way to show her he won't derail her plans for her future.

The Warrior of Bast - Circumstances and finances have kept Tira from becoming an archeologist, and her future is shattered by her older sister, Luci’s, murder by a drug dealer. A crumpled flyer offers an escape…The answer is in your stars.




Tira flees her pursuers where she is offered refuge, but must undertake a dangerous quest. She will be unable to speak of her world, or anything alien to the culture she enters and… she will remain there forever.



Kashe is the unloved middle son of the nomarch of Mero. Though Kashe wants to become a warrior of Horu, his father has other plans. To see his eldest son, Pian, as pharaoh, the nomarch plots with the priests of Aken Re.



The pair sets out on the quest for the symbols which will save the Two Lands; the flail, the crook and the double crown. Tira learns this Egypt has many differences from the Egypt she has studied. They must face nearly insurmountable challenges as they pursue their sacred quest.

Saturday's New Direction. First of three Chapters

At present I've published all the first chapters of the books I now have available. What I will start to do now is to put the first three chapters of many of them on the site doing three chapters on three Saturdays. I would rather not post anything that isn't out yet since this can cause problems with those who think it's fair to take other people's writings and turn them into their own. I do have two books coming soon but I'll wait until they're officially printed to post chapters, so now this will be the featured book of the next three weeks. The Warrior of Bast published by Vanilla Heart and available in both electronic format and print.

Chapter One
Tira wanted three things in life and she had little chance of gaining any of them. She wanted to be financially independent. She wanted to go to Egypt and study the ancient ruins. And she wanted her sister to stop using drugs.

The last desire brought memories of this morning‘s quarrel. Luci had taken the money Tira had squirreled away to see them through the rest of the month. ―Luci, why?‖

―You don‘t understand,‖ Luci screamed.

True. Tira didn‘t understand why her sister needed to escape into a drugged stupor instead of studying and working to step onto the road leading from the slums.

Tira‘s hands stung with the memory of slapping her sister. And the words she‘d shouted as she slammed out of the apartment echoed in her thoughts. ―I hate you. I wish you were dead.‖ Tira shuddered. She hadn‘t meant those words. As soon as she reached the apartment she would tell Luci.

With a sigh she turned back to the museum display. The Egyptian artifacts awed her. For a short time she allowed the beauty of the objects to carry her into dreams of pyramids and temples, of gods and pharaohs and of digging in the earth to uncover treasures of the past.

The dream hovered beyond her grasp. Her chances of gaining a position on a dig in Egypt were slim. Positions were avidly sought by students who had chosen the right colleges and the right professors. Those choices had been beyond her financially. She sucked in a breath. Instead of adventure, when the summer ended, she would take her place in front of a classroom teaching history at an inner city high school.
A glance at her watch said dreamtime was over. She had to reach the apartment in time to change for her evening shift at a restaurant several blocks from the cramped fifth floor efficiency she shared with her older sister. Once again flashes from the morning‘s quarrel exploded in Tira‘s thoughts. She‘d been so upset she‘d missed her martial arts session at the local center.

Tira cast her dream self aside and donned the role of practical sister. She hurried to the exit and stepped from the past into a steamy August day. Heat shimmered from the sidewalk. The air hung heavy and carried the odors of the city and the noises of traffic. She strode along the crowded area taking advantage of every opening.
Ten days to dream. Ten days to walk the halls of the museum. Ten days to study the artifacts that had become her lodestones. She breathed the aromas of real time, spices of cooking foods, metallic scents of passing traffic and the odors of people, some pleasant and some not.

Several blocks from the apartment building the crowds thinned. In an alley she glimpsed furtive movements in the dark shadows. She hurried past. On the corner across the street a group of gang members gathered. She sucked in a breath and held her head high. For all her twenty three years she‘d avoided the gangs. As she strode past she heard the usual crude remarks about her body and her attitude.
Get a life, she wanted to scream.

When she saw the ambulance and two cop cars in front of the building where she lived she halted so abruptly she stumbled. A hand caught her arm. Tira saw the gray-streaked beard of one of the winos who slept in the doorways or the alley. ―Get your hands off me.‖

―Don‘t go home,‖ he whispered. ―Lose yourself in the crowd and keep your head down.‖

Tira saw a keen intelligence in the man‘s dark eyes. Who was he? He wasn‘t as old as she had imagined either. ―Why?‖

―Your sister‘s dead. Cops‘ll be looking for you. They heard about the fight.‖

Tira‘s stomach clenched. She blinked away a rush of tears. Though hearing about her sister‘s death wasn‘t unexpected another dream shattered. There would be no rehab for Luci. ―Junkies O.D. every day,‖ she said.

―She was murdered.‖

A chill slithered down Tira‘s spine. A rush of acid burned her throat. What? Why? Who? Keeping her eyes on the ground she inched away from him.

―Murder. Murder.‖ The murmured word spread through the crowd gathered on the sidewalk and stung like attacking wasps.

The EMTs wheeled a gurney from the building. When Tira saw the body bag strapped to the frame her nails bit into her palms. Despite the heat of the day she felt chilled. A wave of guilt made her knees buckle. She stuffed her fist against her mouth to keep from crying aloud.

What now, she wondered. The apartment was a crime scene. Until the cops finished their investigation she wouldn‘t be allowed inside. An officer stepped from the building. ―Move along, folks. There‘s nothing to see here.‖ He stepped from the stoop. ―Anyone seen her sister? We have some questions for her.‖

―Most evenings you‘ll find her waiting tables at Louie‘s,‖ someone said.

Tira hunched her shoulders. As people dispersed she slunk away. All her life she‘d avoided trouble. Even if she wasn‘t a suspect she knew too much about Luci‘s friends and suppliers to be safe. She needed to hide and think. Where could she go?
As she retraced her steps she noticed the home boys had vanished from the corner. Show‘s over or just about to begin, she thought. She feared she was destined to become the star in a life or death drama. She continued the slow amble away from the apartment building.

Every instinct urged her to run but that would attract the attention she didn‘t want. As she passed the alley someone grabbed her arm and dragged her into the shadows. The man who held her arm and the other at his side were large and scary but not as menacing as the slender man who joined them.

Tira fought to control rising panic. She felt as though she would faint. Center. She had to escape. All she needed was an opening. Her muscles tensed in preparation. ―What do you want?‖ Had her voice remained calm or had fear coated the edges?

―My drugs. My money.‖

―I know nothing about either.‖

The slender man laughed and the sound chilled her. ―She was your sister. She told you everything.‖ His smile turned feral. ―Her last words were, ‗Tira knows.‘‖
Anger flared and slashed the fear and grief holding her immobile. ―And you believed her?‖

―Why not?‖

His silent companions edged closer. One held a knife. The other reached for her. Tira sucked in a breath. She whirled and kicked. The toe of her sneaker caught the knife holder‘s arm. Her sudden movement pulled the second man off balance. She grabbed his arm and knocked him into the knife man. They landed in a tangle.
Tira ran. As she darted around the corner something whizzed past her. She didn‘t stop to learn what. Where to go? Just ahead she saw the steps leading to the subway. She pulled her Metro card from her pocket and bounded down the steps. A shout sounded. She kept running. At the gate she swiped the card, ran onto the platform and into a waiting car. A bell dinged. The doors closed.

As she peered through the smudged glass she saw one of the thugs reach the platform. She breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment she had escaped. Where did the rattling car take her?

Was there a way to get the things she needed from the apartment? The drug dealer‘s men would keep watch. Who could she ask? Not the cops who either believed she had killed Luci or wanted information she didn‘t have. She barely knew the neighbors. She and Luci had moved into the building in June. Could she sneak into the building after the cops left? Doubtful. Her few friends from college wouldn‘t be willing to enter the scene of a murder.

Tira sank on a seat. Once again tears threatened. Why had Luci lied? Tira swallowed convulsively. When she understood the reasons for the betrayal she could grieve. Now wasn‘t the time.

For seconds or minutes Tira blocked the groping fingers of fear. At the moment she was safe but she couldn‘t ride the subway forever. She considered her options. She had some change, her Metro card and the twenty she always kept for emergencies. Not enough to rent a room. Going to work at Louie‘s was out. Until her first pay check from the teaching job arrived she was broke.

Think. Plan. Where was the nearest homeless shelter? Sure they could be dangerous but she could protect herself. Tira wiped her hands on her jeans. Even if she could hang out for ten days she couldn‘t begin her first day as a teacher wearing dirty jeans and a sweat-stained tee shirt.

On the seat beside her she noticed a crumpled piece of paper. Curiosity stabbed. She smoothed the wrinkles and read the words twice.

Life got you down? Have you unsolved problems?
Looking for escape? The answer is in your stars.
A counselor is available night and day.
Dial 1- 800 – 555 – ASTR

Tira frowned. She could answer yes to all the questions. Had the paper been left for her to find? She smiled at her magical thinking.

When the car stopped at the next station she grasped the paper and rose. She followed people to the street. Should she take a chance? Did she have a choice? Across the street she saw a coffee shop. She had to consider her options.

She jogged to the small restaurant and entered the dingy place with the paper clutched in her hand. A flutter of nervousness settled in her chest. What to do? Call or not call? Go to the cops?

Find a shelter? She sat at the counter and ordered coffee. As she sipped the bitter brew her thoughts raced. The answer to the last two options was a definite no. She frowned. If the answer was in her stars they certainly hadn‘t brought her a sliver of luck. Would making the call produce a change?

Tira swallowed the last of the coffee. She would make the call. If the paper was a hoax she would devise another plan. She stepped outside and opened her cell phone. In the fading light she read the number and dialed.

―Can I help you?‖ a woman asked.

―I can answer yes to all your questions.‖

―Do you need help?‖

―Yes.‖ She wasn‘t sure what this woman could do. By accepting the offer she would be off the street and buy time to plan.

The woman gave an address. Tira repeated the street and house number.

―We‘ll be waiting for you. Ring the bell. Remember, the answers are in your stars.‖

At the corner Tira looked at the street sign. Fourteen blocks. Not that far. Unless a bus came along she would walk. Though the neighborhood wasn‘t the greatest, hers was worse.

She walked briskly and directed her attention to the surroundings. Occasionally she glanced over her shoulder to check for followers. Once she glimpsed a large man and nearly froze. Her heart skittered but the next time she looked he had vanished.
Her imagination took fire. The drug dealer might not know where she had left the subway but the route was known. He could have snitches everywhere. He believed she knew where his drugs and money were hidden. Luci, what did you do?

She glanced at the numbers on the buildings she passed. Would the drug dealer‘s men try to discover where she went? Probably a given. By the time she neared her destination her heart pounded. She saw three men behind her and knew she‘d been made.

A rush of heavy footsteps sounded. She dashed up the steps of the brownstone. With a staccato rhythm she pressed the bell. Hurry, she thought. She glanced over her shoulder. One of the men was the knife wielder from the alley.

―Tira,‖ he called.

The door opened. An elderly woman pulled her inside. ―Welcome.‖ She closed the door. ―Why have you come?‖

―The answer is in my stars.‖

The woman‘s eyes held kindness. ―What is your name?‖

―Tira.‖ The woman‘s eyes, her voice and smile eased some of Tira‘s fears. No matter what happened here she would rather face this woman than the men outside.

―Follow me. We have time to find your proper place.‖

As Tira walked down the hall she noticed a series of photographs on the wall. One caught her attention. A temple with statues of cats perched on plinths and a crook behind them. Hieroglyphics were carved above the feline. She traced the figure.

The woman turned back. ―So that‘s the world to hold your interest.‖

Tira smiled. ―Reminds me of ancient Egypt, a place that‘s always fascinated me.‖

―Perhaps your stars will show you the way there.‖ The woman beckoned. ―Come along. We must be ready when the planets align.‖

Tira inhaled the aromas of cooking food. Had she interrupted the woman‘s dinner? Tira‘s stomach rumbled. She‘d had nothing besides the coffee since noon when she‘d bought a hot dog from a street vendor. They entered a large room. The woman indicated a table. ―Sit. Food is on the way.‖

Tira stared at the wall across from the table. A large circle divided into twelve segments covered most of the wall. She moved closer and saw this was a horoscope wheel. She had no idea what the wheel could be used for.

―Sit, child.‖ The woman tapped a bell.

A second woman arrived with a tray of food. Plates and glasses were taken from a buffet. ―Help yourself.‖

Tira studied the tray. Rice, meat and vegetables. Once she filled her plate the second woman poured a fragrant beverage into three glasses. The women joined her at the table. Little was said until the meal was finished.

The oldest of the women smiled. ―When were you born? We need the day, the month, the year and the time as accurately as you know.‖

―May tenth, twenty three years ago. My mother said my cries greeted the dawn.‖

―Aries.‖ Both women went to the wheel. They turned an inner segment and placed colored balls in segments of the circle. ―A warrior born. Quick to anger. Speedy in action. Sometimes given to rash decisions. A seeker of justice. A lover of adventure. Now tell us about yourself and why you called for help.‖

Some quality in the woman‘s voice eased the tension and fear riding Tira‘s spirit since she had arrived outside the apartment building and learned of her sister‘s murder. Between sips of the fragrant tea she spoke. The reality of her sister‘s betrayal slammed into her awareness. Her voice broke. ―Luci, why?‖

The second woman touched Tira‘s hand. ―She did not mean for you to be hurt. She was afraid and reached for your strength.‖

―How do you know?‖

―The seeds of the betrayal were written on your chart. This aspect has passed but you must release your pain.‖

Tira drew a deep breath. Without warning the tears she had held inside gushed forth. Sobs racked her body. She cried until no more tears came. A cloth was thrust into her hands and she wiped her eyes. Another glass of a different beverage appeared.

The older of the two women clasped Tira‘s hand. ―If you could go to ancient Egypt tonight, even if the Two Lands was not the one you studied, would you go?‖
If, Tira thought. A dream she had desired but impossible. ―Maybe.‖

―Even if you had to remain there for all your days?‖

This had to be a joke. Tira could think of nowhere she would rather be. There was nothing left for her here. ―I guess.‖

The second woman stood behind her. ―Drink.‖ She touched Tira‘s shoulder. ―The price of the journey is a quest you must undertake. The only knowledge you take with you is what will fit in the time period you reach except for your fighting skills. You will be unable to speak of this world or of modern conveniences.‖

―Tell me more.‖

―Many years ago invaders swept through the Two Lands usurping the rule and spreading unrest and chaos. The army lay defeated. The pharaoh became a prisoner. The priests of the invaders brought their god, Aken Re, and sought to make him supreme. The people rejected the new god. For years the land and the people were crushed beneath the sandals of the foreigners. Twenty years ago the men of the Two Lands rose and drive the aliens away.‖

The older of the two women nodded. ―The sacred symbols of the rule were hidden and the location lost. Though the invaders were driven away some of their priests remained. They scheme to place a pharaoh of their choosing on the chair. Should this come to pass the Two Lands will be destroyed.‖

Tira felt confused. Their stories deviated from anything she had read about Egypt. Remnants of her flight, her fear and her grief coalesced. ―And if I don‘t go?‖

―You will leave this house and face whatever waits. Will you go?

Tira thought about the men who waited outside. If she left the house she would die.

―Will you go?‖ The women spoke as one. ―If so, drink.‖

Tira lifted the glass and swallowed the beverage. What choice did she have? As she drifted into a fog she saw the giant wheel on the wall spin.

Inspirations - More on the Writer's Journey

In The Writer's Journey Christopher Vogler Moves onto the Reward or Seizing the Sword. This comes after the Black mOment and for a long time I puzzled over this. In many of my books there isn't an object that comes as a result of the dark time when all is believed to be lost. Then one phrase struck me and that was knowledge. Knowledge is valuable to the writer and this is what I've taken from this part of the journey he writes about. Often my characters through a search of themselves or of communicating with other people what is true and what is not. They may also learn more about the person and discover what they believed was false.

I've been re-reading some of my favorite novels by Jo Beverly and she uses the idea of knowledge one character believes to be trus and learns it is false or the character's idea of what it means has been skewed by their own insecurities.

One of my books The Warrior of Bast really does have the heroine and hero recovering treasures after undergoing some adventures that would have ended their lives. But recovering the treasures didn't end the book. They had more steps to take on their journey.

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.

Writing Tip -- The basic conflict

We all know what conflicts are especially when it comes to characters. Sometimes the basic conflict in a story is a little different from the conflicts the characters face. We can use something like escaping an environment that smothers a person, or good vs evil. To develop a basic conflict in your story, you must give the protagonist or protagonists a chief motivating force. To me this is the why of the story. Why do they want to change their environment? What's wrong with it that makes them desire a different environment. There must be a tangible goal to reach. To me this is the what. Just what do they want. I've often gone through a rough draft of the story before I discover just what the goal is. To reach the final goal, there are often smaller goals to reach.

When writing the Warrior of Bast, Tira, the heroine, wants to go to Egypt. She is thinking archeologically. She realizes this is impossible for her at this time. Then she receives a chance to go, but not to the Egypt of the present, but the one of the past. Now her goal has shifted. Why would she want to go there? She must decide what she really wants and why she wants this particular goal. Even after she arrives there, the basic goal is muddy. She finally knows her goal is really wanting to belong and wanting someone to love and be loved by.

In the story the motivating force also changes as the character herself changes.

My Writing Life - Last week's wonderful news

Yje week began with a review of The Dragons of Fyre by Bitten By Books ad garnered a 4. Here's a snipped from the review.

The world and characters of The Dragon of Fyre are outstanding. I particularly liked the fact that the absolute hero of the story was a dragon and not the humans. He was not only the keeper of dragon wisdom but also the mentor and healer of Drakon. The story is vibrant, and the characters are portrayed as people doing the best they can and persevering in horrendous conditions. The author led the characters and reader along beautifully on the journey of healing and love.

Then came the review for Flight, another 4. Here's a snippet.

Flight by Janet Lane Walters
Publisher: Mundania Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (233 pgs)
Rating: 4 Suns
Reviewed by Aloe

"We’ve been betrayed." Those words spoken by the Dom and Doma of the Wesren henge awaken their four children—two sets of male-female twins.

Each child has an affinity for one of the four elements—earth, air, fire and earth. In secret, the young teens flee their home to seek a place of safety and teachers to hone their control. They use their emerging talents in ways they never imagined.

Will their quest succeed or will they become pawns of He Who Walks In Darkness?
Would you like to have an affinity that is magical and gives you powers? What if you aren’t sure how to use or what to do with it?

This is the story of two sets of twins that have such a talent. The oldest twins are just celebrating their 14th name day when disaster hits. Soldiers are at the gate and a rival Dom is ready to take over their henge (a castle-like structure).

Ash is the oldest and is given responsibility for her twin and two younger siblings. They are guided into a secret tunnel and sent out into the woods and on to a neighboring community named Cedris. Their parents remain behind.

What intrigued me about this story was that it included two sets of twins and magic. They are young and just beginning to understand what their abilities are, but they don’t have full control of their magic yet. And then the world they know falls apart…

The author does a good job of expressing their loneliness, fear and insecurities in the traveling they have to do and the new life they must begin. The siblings all have their strengths and weaknesses. The youngest girl is very impetuous and impulsive. There is squabbling between the siblings as well as very nasty dangers facing the group. There is good and evil in the world they live in, and they are caught in the middle with no guidance on how to proceed. The characters are resourceful, full of spirit and resilient. They also make a few mistakes along the way, which makes them seem more human.

This is a fast-paced, well-written story that grips you and carries you along, wanting to see what is going to happen next. The world this author created has richness and poverty, enslaves and tortures children and adults, and rival groups seeking power. You can feel the children’s terror, admire their ability to find food and survive, and you know they can’t trust anyone they meet.

The book indicates this is the first novel in a series, and two more are planned. I’m glad. This was an entertaining read and has just enough danger and imagination to keep your attention. I’m looking forward to seeing how the twins conquer their problems.
The last great thing is getting a pub date for The Warriors of Bast and also the great thing my new publisher did for me. You can see it here including the book cover and a chance to read an excerpt/

What my new publisher has done. Check here to see the cover and to read an excerpt.

I'm pleased to offer my book The Warrior of Bast for a free preview here - http://www.freado.com/book/7789/the-warrior-of-bast

Please read it and share the same with your other friends.

I'd love to hear your feedback on my book.