Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters - #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Vacation #Thoughts

Meader 1 Reading - Not as much last week as usual since I was on vacation. Did read several of Mary Balough's Regencies while on the plane and waiting for luggage to arrive.

Meander 2 = Thoughts - Had a great visit with my daughter and grandchildren in Florida for six days. So great to see them again. COVID meant three years since I saw my daughter and son-in law and five years for most of the grandchildren. They are doing wonderful and having good lives. All are working and moving forward in life. Was great to have hugs galore and also being taken care of by the children. Hopefully they';; come here. I'm eighty six and traveling isn't like it used to be. Went to Gatorland and saw creepy creatures. Interesting day. Went to Universal and went on a lot of sort of rides. Some were good and some strange and one or two not good at all. Then had a down day when all wevt to a water park. Not wanting to risk sunburn I stayed at the house and slept and wrote. Was nice. On Wednesday ate at a Chinese buffet. Great food with an enormous selection of many dishes. Several great crab ones. Ate too much but that was all right.  On Wednesday at Universal ate with daughter and son-in-law at an English pub. I had fish and chips. Really good. On Saturday evening we ordered from an Italian deli. I love pepperoin pizza but not as good as what i get here. The crust was burned so took some of the taste away.

Meander 3 - Writing - Even though I was away, I managed to write a scene and start another.  This is good. Bit I'm back and will be hitting the pen and pencil as well as the computer. 

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #poetry

Meander 1 _ Poem - Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday

The soul rides in celebration.
Hosannas ring within
Holding back the shadow
That lurk and slink about.
Reach for jubilation.
Cry osanna! Cry in joy.
Cry triumphantly!
The cheering voices flood
The wounded battered soul.
Today is exultation,
Forgetting day, forgotten grief
Hidden beneath a veil.
Come waving palms and tossing them
In carpets on the ground
Cushioning the soul
From trampling heavy feet.
Feel the loud hosannas
Throbbing in your heart Singing songs of love
Expectantly and free.
Forget for just today
The pain that lies ahead
When triumphant Jubilation
Becomes a crown of thorns.

Meander 2 - Grandchildren are a blessing. I do enjoy hearing what the grandchildren are doing. This year there are those finishing their college degrees and one graduating from high school. Amazing how the time has gone. There are grandchildren who are having their First Communion and those who will be dancing in a recital. So I look as each of them reaches a threshold and smile.

Mender 3 - Writing moves slowly and maybe fast. Not sure. Am busy writing a story for a friend that I hope to have finished soon - well a month or two. I'm typing in the last of six in a series and then will have only one right's back book to conquer before I decide what to do about the other ones with another publisher so I can gather them all into one publisher. There are but two that can't be taken from a publisher who neither gives any feed back and that's because they're written with another author. Haven't had a bit of money from them. Not even sure they're selling. Not sure what to do but I'll worry about that at another time.

Tuesday's Inpiration by Janet Lane Walters #aminspired

Today it'll be a very different inspiration. First Happy Holidays to all.

Inspiration number one - Just enough snow to cover the brown grass and light up the trees. That's what I found last night when I left son's house after watching grandchildren while their parents sang at church.

Inspiration number 2 - Those grandchildren who were on their best behavior even letting Grandma watch Jeopardy. Then came the test. To read to them The Night Before Christmas. Book chosen had the first page printed black letters on dark blue background. Fortunately I can recite the first part of the powm, even more than I thought I could.

Inspiration number three - Having the courage to trash an entire chapter of my new work in progress because I muddied the high point of the chapter with talk instead of with reactions.

Tuesday's Inspiration - People

Today I've been thinking about people who have inspired me to write. To write you must be a reader.

When I was a very young child, my grandfather used to read to me. He would put his finger under each word as he read. When I was three, I began to read back to him. From him I learned the love of books. He also taught me to observe people when we were out at interesting places like the circus and the zoo or just walking about.

My father was the next one. There were always books in the house and we were encouraged to read. I'm afraid I was the one of the children who wanted to read every book on the shelves. In third grade I wrote a book report on Anna Karenina and horrified the teacher for two reasons. One bacause I read the book and the other because I wrote an alternate ending.
My father confronted the teacher and said "She can read any book on the shelves of my house. Did she understand what she read." The teacher had to agree. About changing the ending, he thought that was cool. When I published my first book, he read every word and he showed the book to everyone whether they were interested or not.

There was a teacher in school and I don't remember her name but she encouraged my writing and thought I should go to college for journalism. I did not do this but as a nurse many of my patients became inspirations for the characters in the books I write today.

The last inspirations are my grandchildren. They are found at various ages in many of my stories. Just bits and pieces of them. I remember using the oldest twice in one story. As the stubborn funny two year old and as the bright seven year old. They are the characters in my YA fantasy series. Not every part of them but their personalities come through.

Who were your inspirations to write? Think outside the box when you're looking to identify them.

Excerpt of the Week -- The Henge Betrayed -- Flight

The Henge betrayed Flight is available from Mundania Press in both print and ebook formats. This book is the first of a series about children with affinities for the elements, Earth, Fire, Water and Air. The characters are loosely based on my grandchildren whose astrological signs are Air, Water, Earth and Fire.

THE HENGE BETRAYED
BOOK ONE FLIGHT
ONE
ASHLEA

A flash of lightning brightened the sleeping chamber. Ash woke with a start and burrowed into the pillows. The scent of trouble rode the air currents that threaded through the open window slats. Her heart thudded in her chest. Like the beating of a giant’s club against a massive drum, thunder sounded. Again, lightning flashed and cast green, red, white and blue slashes across the sky.

The air held no threat of rain. ‘Twas like the heat storms of summer, unnatural at this time of year for the waning days of autumn marked the season.

Ash calmed her racing thoughts and tasted the air for that was her element. A frown formed within and without. From the land beyond the four walls of the henge, she caught the odors of fires, animals and men. From inside the keep, there was little except the aromas of her parents and siblings. Something was wrong. Where were those who served the Dom and Doma of Wesren? Ash propped herself against the pillows. If she had her younger brother’s affinity for things of earth, she could read the stones of the ancient tower and know what had passed while she slept. Where were the men servants and maids? ‘Twas as though the henge had been abandoned by those who lived within the four walls.

The chamber door creaked. Ash froze until a familiar scent reached her. “Mama, what’s wrong?”

The Doma Calanda slipped across the room and sat on the bed. “Ashlea, still your thoughts.”

Ash struggled to obey the sharp command. Her mother seldom spoke this way. “Why?”

“Thoughts travel on the wind and may be read by those who wish us ill.” She grasped Ash’s hand. “Dress in your warmest clothes. As soon as you’ve finished, go to the inner room.”

The urgency in her mother’s voice raised fear. “What’s happening?”

“We’ve been betrayed. An army surrounds the henge. Your father and I believe the secret of the openings in the walls is known by those who seek to force us to use our powers for their ends.”

“Who has done this? Do I know the enemy’s smell? Have I seen his face?”

“Several years ago, your father’s step-brother came to the henge. He’s one of those who stand against us.”

Ash thought about her step-uncle. His face slipped into her thoughts. Prince Zedron had brought gifts for her and her siblings. He’d seemed nice, but she had a vague memory of hearing voices -- his and her parents’ -- raised in argument.

Why would he want to destroy the henge? When Papa had shown affinities for the elements, he’d given up his claim to Wesren. Zedron of the House Wesren had been
named prince. As well as being papa’s step-brother, they were distant cousins.

Ash grasped her mother’s hand. “Why did he send the army here? Doesn’t he know what you and Papa do?”

“He doesn’t believe or care. Greed, envy and a lust to rule where once four henges held the land in balance drive him. He doesn’t act alone. Your father and I fear he’s aided by one of the Doms.”

“Kin?”

“The one I suspect has no ties of kinship to us.”

“Why not someone from the low lands?”

Her mother sighed. “Though at times, those with affinities like your father are born in the low lands, I believe someone from the high lands has allied with darkness.”

Ash swallowed. “Why would anyone who could do good want to do evil? “Where are the people of the henge? Their scents are gone.”

“Away to safety.”

“Mama, what will we do?” Ash caught the edge of a thought and feared the Doma’s answer. She held back tears and hoped she’d misheard. After all, her talents was just emerging as were those of her siblings.

Ash and her twin would celebrate their fourteenth name day on Winter Day. Her younger siblings had seen their twelfth on Summer Day. How could they stand against one whose talents were fully developed?

“You and your siblings will leave the henge.”

This time, the thought behind the words was clear. “Alone?”

“You must. Your father and I will remain lest the destruction of the henge brings complete disaster.”