Thursday - My Heroes, Heroines and Villains - The Doctor's Dilemma #MFRWauthor #medicalromance

The Doctor's Dilemma is a sweet romance. The heroine wishes for a settled life. The hero believes in being a rolling stone.

Nora is the heroine.

Streams of people eddied around Nora Harte, the pile of luggage and the double stroller.  She scanned the faces of the crowd.  A babble of voices filled the air.

      Where was he?

      He knew the flight number and the time of arrival.  The plane had landed on time.  Since Thursdays were almost a universal doctor's day off, the trip had been scheduled for today.

      She groaned.  This simple baby run had become anything but easy.

      The loudspeaker crackled.  "Would passenger Nora Harte pick up one of the courtesy phones?"  She looked around.

      The second time the words blared, with a start, Nora realized the message was for her.  "Yeah, right."  She stared at the four suitcases, two diaper bags, and the pair of car seats.  She'd need a multitude of New York minutes and the arms of an octopus to fulfill the request.  What had kept Dr. McKay from the meet?

      One of the twins puckered his mouth and added his screams to the cacophony in the baggage claim area of the Dallas airport.  Nora crouched and stroked the baby's cheek.  "We'll be out of here soon, honey."  At least, she thought they would.  "It's just a short delay."

      The strident voice issued the command again.  "How?"  she asked.  The logistics of the move defeated her.  She couldn't abandon the twins and the luggage to search for a phone.  She'd been deputized to deliver Molly and Tod Jamison to their guardian and she took this duty seriously.

      The sight of a man in a gray uniform pushing an empty baggage cart solved the problem.  "Sky cap, over here."  She used the voice that had parted crowds on busy New York sidewalks.  The one she hadn't used since she had moved upstate.  "Take these bags and the infants."

      "Don't load babies on the cart, ma'am."

      "I know that.  I meant the infant seats.  I have to answer the phone."

      "Excuse me."  He stared and his expression projected the idea he thought she'd flipped.

      Maybe she had.  "The page.  Nora Harte.  That's me."

      He nodded and pointed to the far wall.  "It's over there.  The blue phone."

      "Thanks."  Nora gripped the stroller handle.  She pushed through the crowd like a subway rider aiming for the last seat.  The noise level made her wonder if she'd be able to hear the message.

      An easy trip, she thought.  A way to add to her dream house account.  Just fly to Dallas and deliver the babies to their guardian.

      So far nothing about the trip had been a snap.  Why had she thought her experience as a nurse would make the mission a breeze?  A three month tour of duty in a busy city hospital nursery hadn't prepared her for the reality of caring for twins.

      She hadn't counted on the surround-sound screams the twins had raised in protest of being airborne.  Or of juggling two infants in the compact airplane bathroom.  Not finding their guardian at the airport had been the final episode in her nightmare of the week.

      She lifted the courtesy phone receiver.  "Nora Harte speaking.  I believe you have a message for me."

      The voice on the other end of the line explained that Dr. McKay had been unavoidably detained.  Nora was to proceed to the car rental desk to pick up a car and the directions to the doctor's house in Prairie, Texas.

      She gritted her teeth.  The deviation from her agenda added another problem she should have expected.  Why had she believed anything about this trip would work?

      A touch of anger rose.  If Dr. McKay had attended his foster sister's funeral, this disaster would have been avoided.  He could have taken custody and faced the journey from hell on his own.

      She waved to the sky cap.  "Where's the car rental desk?"

      "This way, ma'am."

      He pushed the cart with the finesse of an obstacle course champion.  Nora threaded the stroller through the gaps he opened.  Tod's cries changed to gurgles.  Molly's began.

      Nora patted the infant.  "Please, honey, no more tears."

      She groaned.  Now she sounded like a commercial, but life had no easy solutions like the ones found in an ad campaign.

      The sky cap halted in front of a counter.  "Want me to wait?"

      Nora nodded.  "Until I learn where to find the car."

      He grinned.  "You sure have cute babies and they sure favor you, what with that yellow hair and them big blue eyes.  Their daddy sure must be proud of them.  Bet he can't wait to see you all."

      Right, Nora thought.  "They're not -- I'm not --"  She closed her mouth.  She was only a courier on this baby run but there was no need to explain this to a stranger.

      She stooped and wiped Molly's tears.  In coloring, the babies did resemble her.  What if -- An ache of longing filled her chest.  She shook her head.  Not these babies.  Someday, she'd find a man who wanted the same things she did -- a family, a home, roots.  As yet, she hadn't found a man who made her heart rate accelerate or one who brought dreams of forever.

      She gave her name, driver's license and credit card to the clerk behind the counter and received the keys to a four door sedan and a detailed set of directions.  Prairie, here we come.  Dr. McKay had better be waiting.  Her plans called for her to be in Santa Fe by tomorrow.

      The sky cap pushed the baggage cart outside.  Nora and the twins followed.  A breath of hot air seared her lungs.  In New York, the temperature had been in the seventies.  Here, it must be near ninety.

      Once the luggage had been stowed in the trunk and the car seats in place, Nora looked at her watch.  Before starting the trip, the twins needed to be changed and fed.  She pushed the stroller inside and found the nearest rest room.

      She picked up Molly, changed and cradled the little girl.  Then she did the same with Tod.

      Adorable, sweet, loveable.  She sighed.  She couldn't let these babies steal her heart.  In two hours, she'd be in Prairie and on her way out of their lives.  She pushed them to the door.

      Thirty minutes later, Nora strapped the twins in their seats.  She studied the map.  Seems like a straight shot south and west, she thought.  Maybe something about this trip would go right.  She backed out of the parking space.  "Babies, we're on our way."

Neil is the hero

Neal McKay put the last suture in the jagged cut on his patient’s calf. He stripped off his gloves and stepped back from the table. He glanced at the clock. Nearly three PM. He should have been home an hour ago, but the day hadn’t gone as planned. As the only doctor in town, this was the norm.     

            As usual, his day off had been filled with emergencies. A fractured tibia, a case of congestive heart failure, an acute allergy attack and now this.

            They -- his wards -- should be at the house. He groaned and felt no more prepared for parenthood than he’d been the day he’d learned about his foster sister’s death -- a week after her funeral. Even if he’d known, he wouldn’t have been able to leave his patients to attend the service.

            He groaned. The thought of being responsible for the twins’ care brought waves of insecurity. None of his experiences in the past had prepared him for this day.

            “Do you want to do the dressing?”

            Neal looked at the red-haired nurse. “He’s all yours.”

            “Thanks, buddy. I owe you one.” Jack Gardner glared.

            “If you’re talking about the patch job, just doing my thing.” Jack’s reaction made Neal chuckle. In college, they’d spent hours one-upping each other. He missed the days when they’d been like brothers.

            Jack raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem you need solved?”

            “You might say that.”

            “I’m not sure I’m qualified.”

            “I don’t know about that.” Neal watched Patty Sue Crawford’s gaze center on his friend. He grinned. Maybe today was the turning point. Since his arrival in Prairie ten months before, she’d pursued him like a wrangler after a runaway steer.

            “Can I go back to the ranch?’ Jack asked.

            Neal frowned. “Only if you promise to avoid horses and cattle until the stitches are out.”

            “How long?”

            “A week.”

            “I can do that.”

            Neal doubted the truth of the statement. Since Jack’s return to the ranch last month, he seemed bent on proving he was Cowboy of the Year.

            “I’d rather admit you for the night. Give you some intravenous antibiotics and injections for pain. Once the local wears off, you’re going to know you’ve been hurt.”

            Jack slid to the edge of the table. “No hospital. What if I stay at my grandmother’s?”

            “Might work, especially after I tell Miss Hattie to tie you to the bed. Your injury is nothing to take lightly.”

            Jack laughed. “Grandmother will see that I obey orders. She should have been a general. You coming to the barbecue Saturday?”

            “I wouldn’t miss it,” Patty Sue said.

            Jack looked away. “Honey, your presence is a given. I meant Doc here.”

            Neal shrugged. “I’ll see how things go. My wards arrive today. I’ll probably be too busy learning how to be a daddy.”

            “I can’t imagine you with a pair of doggies.”

            Neither could Neal, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “I don’t have a choice.”

            “Guess not. I kind of envy you. You’ve achieved fatherhood without the M word.” Jack chuckled. “Bring the doggies with you. The ladies will love them.” He shook his head. “Never thought you’d be saddled with kids. They’ll make big changes in your life.”

            Patty Sue opened a dressing kit. “I think Neal -- Dr. McKay will be a wonderful father.”

            How did she manage to make a deliberate slip of the tongue seem natural?  “Thank you, Ms. Crawford. See that Jack has a copy of the discharge instructions and make an appointment for Friday.” He waved to Jack. “I’ll call the prescriptions to the pharmacy and have them delivered to Miss Hattie’s.”

            “See you and the doggies Saturday,” Jack called. “I’m sure Grandmother expects to see you there.”

            Neal nodded. He’d be at the barbecue with the twins or Miss Hattie would come for him. The town’s matriarch was used to having her way.

            He strode down the hall to his office. Parties at the Gardner mansion were events to be experienced, but he wasn’t sure he could handle an evening of listening to the benefits of life in Prairie.

            He had to go -- home. But there were things he had to complete before he left. He welcomed the delay in facing this new responsibility and sat at his desk to phone the drugstore and write a note on Jack’s chart.

            Home -- the twins -- his legacy. He groaned. Jack was right.

            Two babies would force changes in his lifestyle that he wasn’t ready to make. He wasn’t even sure where to begin.

            Instead of heading home, he reached for a stack of letters he’d received in response to his queries about another temporary position. The time to move had come. A year was long enough to stay in one place.

            But he had a family now. His choice of where to head next had to include them.  How could he make a home for the twins?  He’d been raised as a foster child in a series of placements. A football scholarship had allowed him to escape the last foster home where he’d endured three years of being treated as an outsider. He slammed up barriers against the memories of those days.

            Those memories brought no answers to his current dilemma. His lifestyle didn’t lend itself to an instant family. The longest he’d stayed in one place had been the four years in college and the same amount in medical school. Every time he considered staying in one place, his anxiety level peaked.

            He shoved the letters in a drawer and left the office. He’d do his best for Sherri’s babies but he couldn’t promise them a stable life and a real family. With this thought firmly in place, he left the clinic and jogged down the street toward his rented house to face his foster sister’s attempt to turn him into a family man.

Patty Sue is the villainess.

He heard his name called.  His shoulders tensed when he recognized the voice.

            Why of all the Prairie residents had she picked today to visit the mall?

            He ignored a second hail, ducked into the paint store and grabbed the stroller.  “Nora, are we ready?”

            “Oh, Neal, whatever are you doing here?  Are these your babies?  Aren’t they the cutest thangs?”  Patty Sue chucked Molly under her chin.

            The baby girl let out a shriek that brought Nora running.  She picked up Molly.

            Patty Sue grabbed Neal’s arm.  “I didn’t mean to scare the darling little thang.”

            “Don’t cry, Sweetie,”  Nora crooned.  She glanced at the woman who looked like she wanted to inhale Neal.

            Get your hands off him!

            The thought thundered in her head.  She gasped.

            Are you bonkers?

            Neal was her employer, nothing more.  She had no reason to care if twenty women surrounded him.

            He looked like a boy who’d been forced to ask a girl to dance.  Nora smiled and patted Molly’s back.  “Would you sign for the paper?”  she asked.  “You know we have a busy evening planned.”

            The redhead eyed Nora and then turned to Neal.  “You must have had a good laugh on us.  Thought you were their guardian.”

            “I am.”

            “So who is she?  Anyone can see she’s their mother.  Why is she dumping them on you?”

            “Nora is the nurse who flew with the twins from New York.  She’s staying until Emma returns from El Paso.  She’s not their mother.”  He looked at Nora.  “This is Patty Sue Crawford who works at the clinic.”

            Patty Sue’s expression registered disbelief.  “I see... Guess you’ll both be at Miss Hattie’s tomorrow.  Of course, Nora might be uncomfortable seeing how she’s a stranger and not the babies’ mother.”

            Nora put Molly in the stroller.  “Mrs. Gardner invited me when we had dinner with her last night.  I didn’t think I’d be here, but since I am, I’ll see you there.”

            She looked for Neal and saw him at the counter.  He lifted the rolls of paper and headed for the door.  Nora picked up the bag with the curtains and followed. 

            Once they were outside, she laughed.  “She’s quite taken with you.”

            “And with every available man in Prairie and the rest of the state.  Thanks for the save.”

            “Any time.”  Nora strapped Tod in the infant seat and reached for Molly.

            Who was going to save her from the things this man had made her want?

Wednesday's Writer's Tip - Characterization Tips #MFRWauthor #Amwriting

Finding ways to show the reader your characters can sometimes be difficult. The easy way is to tell them about the character but that doesn't make the character come alive. What you must do is show the character. There are manyways to do this. Today, let's look at four of these ways.

Put your character in conflict with his environment. He wants to escape where he lives, or he wants to change the place where he lives. Bringing this conflict into the open can give the reader ways to learn the character. I think of one of my stories where the main character is a nurse. She takes over a poorly run hospital unit. She is in conflict with what she sees. She doesn't want to leave she wants to change the environment. This is jsut one of her conflicts in the story. In another story oneof the main characters whats to leave his environment. Sometimes he seems to be beating at stone walls. Does he manage to leave? Maybe or maybe not. He might need to change,

Show your character in action. Not just doing something but show him thinking about what he must do and why he must do this specific action. Much about how he will act in a situation will show bits of his character. I'm working on a story right now and the villain is showing his nature with the actions he takes against the hero and the heroine. Shows a lot about his character but also shows a bit about the other characters.

Allow the character to have a bit of learning about himself. What does he learn from the action? This can reveal what kind of character he is. Give him a test of a kind. How does he react? What discovery about his own nature is shown both by his action and my his inner dialogue.

All characters have motivation that carries through the story. Even the smallest actions can have a reason for the character to act in a certain way. This may or may not be part of the character's motivation to reach the goal at the end of the story. The motivation to act in a single incident may be different from the character's main motivation. Think of the murderer who saves the life of a dog or even a child. The motivation for this may be different how he acts during the entire story.

Tuesday's Inspiration - My Father's Advice #MFRWauthor #Inspired

My father was a steelworker who finished high school at night but he was a man who loved books and writing. When I published my first book, he was dying but he carried that book to the hospital and told all the nurses and anyone who would listen that his daughter wrote the book. Amazingly, I sold more books than the advance and actually made some money, also seeing the book serialized in a newspaper. Remember this was in 1972.

His advice is something I've carried all my life. "Aim for the stars but if you only hit the garden fence you've tried."

What does this mean for a writer? It's about dreams and possibilities. A NY Times best seller. A movie contract. A lot of great reviews. Any of these may seem like the stars. For me, it's knowing people are buying and reading my books. Occasionally there's a review from someone I don't know who liked my book.

It's also about working every day to put those words on paper and not giving up no matter how many rejection slips collected. So aim for the stars and know no matter where you land, you've tried.

Meandering On Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #amreading #amwriting

Meander 1 - Having a good time reading books by authors I mainly know only on the net. There have been romances, a cop adventure that was really great, and at present a paranormal that's sort of a time-travel but is more like the ones I write as reincarnation. I've been writing reviews, something I rather don't enjoy. There are people who write reviews and do long things. This I can no longer do. Once I did. I would rather just rate the books but I won't do that.

Meander 2 - Surprises can be fun. I received a notice that today I'll have an interview up here. http://sonnetodelldustypages.blogspot.com/2015/09/meet-writer-monday-presents.html  I don't remember writing the review so it should be as new to me as it will be to those who read it. I'll be promoting it tomorrow after I see what I've written. These kind of surprises are always lotsof fun. I really should do more of these sort of things but I so seldom do,

Meander 3 - My writing. Wizards draft is finally typed in and now comes the fun where I mark all the places where there needs to be expansion and to put in what I failed to do when writing the first two drafts. I'm about half way there as far as word count so there's a lot to do and I may need to do a thirteenth chapter since the end one seems to cover too much time. I'll be typing in the Seducing the Chef and hope wordwise I've added enough to make what I want the book to be. Then it will be on to the Cancer Capricorn book for the Opposites in Love series. and then to push forward with the At First Sight series so when I get them all back I'll be able to start pushing them out one at a time.

Sunday My Book - Heart Throb #MFRWauthor #medicalromance

Review:

This was the first book I've read b

 Heart Throb ,  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartthrob-564447-149.html, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-throb-janet-lane-walters/1104225587?ean=2940011380525 ,

Magda Malone likes men and has no desire to marry. She’s been there, done that and got burned. She’s happy with her position as coordinator of the cardiac unit at the hospital. A new neighbor promises many nights of steamy sex. Damon also has no desire for marriage. He had too many steps as a child and sees marriage as a serial sort of game. He doesn’t want to play. When Magda learns he’s a cardiologist, she blows him off. The problem is Damon has fallen in love and he must convince Magda there’s more between them than sex.

Review:

This was the first book I've read by Janet Lane Walters, but it definitely won't be my last. As you can see the cover is eye-catching and the story did not disappoint. Heart Throbs is steamy, exciting, enjoyable and entertaining. . .

Love & Lust at First Sight

By Sheiglagh on January 18, 2012

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

This book totally surprised me. I was expecting the usual boy meets girl, they fall in love and then spend time in the bedroom. But from the first chapter until the end, Magda and Damon are more often than not, in their birthday suit.

The surprise is that instead of something salacious, "Heart Throb" turned out to be a beautiful love story about two people who are afraid to fall in love but found themselves falling in love anyway. And yes, the sex scenes sizzle, but somehow, I cannot call this book erotica. There is something sweet and lovable about Magda and Damon that spending time under the sheets is a natural progression of things.

But, don't even think for one moment that this is PG 13. It is definitely Rated R. In fact, while I was reading the book, I had to check the product description if it was under Erotica. It is under Contemporary Romance. And you know what, Amazon classified it correctly! 

Thoroughly enjoyed it

By BevHarro on June 28, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition

What a couple Damon and Magda were. Lust at first sight. I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read. There were quite a few typos where I had to stop and think what word was it meant to be, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

 BE READY

By L R Dinsdale "Rae" on January 30, 2013

Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase

This is a hot and fast story that had me wanting to met a guy like that and be as bold as her. She was amazing in her prowlessness and made her way known, he was all for it and added to the delight of the story. great read!!! 

Saturday's Blurbs features Books by Stuart West #MFRWauthor #Paranormal

Blurb for Ghosts of Gannaway:

Ghost whispers echo through the mines of Gannaway. They have a story to tell. It’s the story of a town torn apart by greed, pollution and vanity, by racial discord between the Native Americans and the invading miners, by the Great Depression, by the violent union strikes of the 1930’s. That’s not all that brought Gannaway to its knees, though. Not by a long shot. Because something—else—lives in the deserted tunnels of the mine, something dark and evil. Something that breathes life into the Ghosts of Gannaway.

Excerpt from Ghosts of Gannaway:

When the casualty whistle shrilled across the street, she felt it reverberate all the way into her teeth. She bunched her skirt up in one hand and broke into a run. Tommy. My God, Tommy!

On the other side of the fence, miners gathered. Raised voices, pregnant with panic. Men racing to and fro with no discernible destination. A group of them stopped in the center of the grounds, peering down into a hole. Around Tommy’s mine.

Claire bypassed the man at the gate, running past him before he had a chance to raise any objections.

Two men propped up a young man between them. Slack-bodied, his head bounced with each hurried step the men took. Immediately, Claire thought it had to be George Kendricks. His eyes remained closed, as if sleeping. Or dead. A circle of miners formed, shuffling alongside Kendricks and the two men. Claire overheard snippets of questions, tidbits of conversation. Just enough to whip her tizzy into a tornado of fear.

“The boy’s dead.”

“He ain’t dead!”

“Was it a cave-in?”

Claire ran past them, yelling, “What happened? Tell me what happened!” She didn’t slow to hear their answer. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have heard anything over the hellish pitch of the casualty whistle. Her heart galloped in her chest as she hurtled toward the shaft.

Jim Reaper sat in his perch, showing about as much emotion as Claire had ever seen from him. For once, he looked uncertain, nervous, his eyes brighter than his usual reserved demeanor. Gripping the bucket’s rim, she climbed onto the platform.

“Um, Mrs. Donnelly? You can’t get in the bucket.”

“Jim Reaper, you just watch me! Where’s Tommy? Is he all right?”

Jim scratched the back of his neck. Claire didn’t like the way his lips twisted. “I ‘spect he’s fine, ma’am. Reckon he’s still down below.”

Claire struggled to hike her legs into the bucket. Her long skirt impeded her movement. She failed at tearing it, then hitched it up. She rolled into the bucket and fell onto her hands before climbing to her feet. “Well? What’re you waiting for? Lower it!”

“Can’t do it, ma’am. Against regulations.”

“I don’t give a hang about your regulations! I need to see how Tommy is. You lower me right now before I go up there and smack some sense into your thick head!”

Jim’s hand wavered over the lever. Finally, he said, “But…you’re a…”

“A what?”

“You’re a red-head, ma’am.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Don’t give me that superstitious baloney! Lower me. Now!”

Jim took off his hard hat, studied it like he didn’t realize it had been on his head. “Yes, ma’am. But at least wear this.” He tossed it to her. Catching it, Claire flipped it on.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The bucket lowered, Claire’s stomach rising. Every time the bucket clanged against the wall, her heart jumped faster. Please, God, let Tommy be fine. Let him come home to me again.

Claire had one leg hanging over the rim before the bucket landed. Clutching the cable, she hoisted herself out.

Several miners stopped what they were doing. A chorus of groans went up.

“Woman down below!”

“Red-headed woman!”

“We don’t need no more bad luck!”

“You boys best be showing this red-headed woman some proper respect. Now hush and tell me where Tommy is!”

A miner she didn’t recognize knew when to shut up and pointed down the drift.

“Is he fine?” she called back.

“Yes, ma’am.”

More cries of outrage flared as Claire entered the stope. One miner high-tailed by her, averting his eyes as if afraid he’d turn to stone if he met the intruding red-head’s gaze. When Big Ed saw Claire, he nudged Tommy. Tommy’s eyes widened. He tilted back his hat and came at her, arms open.

“Claire, what are you doing down here?”

“Tommy Donnelly, you darn near gave me a heart attack! That whistle goin’ off and the Kendricks boy dying and…and…” Sweet relief drained her adrenaline rush. Her eyes filled with tears as she fell into her husband’s embrace. “I thought…”

“It’s okay, Claire. I’m okay. And George isn’t dead. Just…an accident. I don’t know why they set the whistle off.” She looked into his eyes. Saw hesitation, an edgy shift. Withholding the truth. But they’d talk tonight. He wouldn’t get off that easy.

“Told you I’d come down here, didn’t I?” Claire wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Yep, you surely did,” he said with a chuckle. “Come on, let’s get you outta here.”

Tommy wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She heaved a sigh and looked about her. Miners still grumbled, but soon took up their posts again.

“That’s right, you big ol’ tough miners! Look out for the scary red-headed woman coming through!”

She could tell she’d embarrassed Tommy, but it didn’t stop him from grinning. Even if he did turn ten shades of red, deeper than her hair color.

Friday - Stuart West - Talking About Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms?

Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices?

Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

Janet, I do like to vary genres up, making things interesting for myself, and I hope, the readers. The first book I wrote was a YA supernatural, mystery, comedy dealing with bullying. Since then, I've written suspense, thrillers and horror. Even children's books! My first book with BWL is a historical ghost tale, Ghosts of Gannaway. My upcoming book is Killers Incorporated, a clowder of cats and mouth suspense thriller with a dark streak of humor coursing through its veins. In the future, I'm chomping at the bit to write a romantic comedy set in the near future (nothing too sci-fi, though...I don't know enough about science!).

As far as genres I wouldn't take on? Don't think I'd tackle erotica (not that there's anything wrong with that!). I just don't think I have enough writer in me to constantly come up with different ways to describe sex!

 

2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write?

Definitely villains. Everyone knows what to expect out of heroes and heroines, a comfy knowledge in you're eventually going to get what you signed up for: heroism. But I find villains fascinating, particularly when they don't necessarily think of themselves as villains. It's fun to try and get into their heads, make them human.

 

3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

 

Story usually comes first. Then I start thinking about characters to drop into the mix. Once I get both set, boom, the book practically takes off on it's own. In Ghosts of Gannaway, there're two heroes: Dennis, a troubled, recovering alcoholic environmental scientist in 1969 (his redemption arc was a blast to write, even if harrowing at times); and Tommy, a mine foreman in the '30's looking after his men, hoping to unionize. Captain America, pretty much, everyone's idea of a true hero.

Where'd I find them? They found me, Janet! Plus the novel's based on true, sad events that took place in Picher, Oklahoma, a ghost town devastated by corruption, pollution and greed. Someone like Tommy Donnelly had to balance it out.

4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

Okay, my heroine of Ghosts of Gannaway? Claire Donnelly, Tommy's wife. One of the most fun characters--and strongest heroes--in the book. I consider her one of the first feminists. She'll do anything to protect her husband, her family, a true lion. At one point, the mine's warning buzzer goes off, heard across town. Bucking the odds, she barrels through all the men at the mine, hops in a bucket and gets lowered into the mine, seeing if her husband's fine. Back then, a woman'd never set foot in a mine, let alone a (gasp!) red-headed woman (considered bad luck back in the day).

 

5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do you make them human?

 

Kyle Gannaway,  the bad guy in Ghosts of Gannaway, considers himself a hero. In many ways he is; he created the town of Gannaway, single-handedly responsible for the mining boom taking place there, supplying the greater percentage of jobs. It's just his methods of "taking care" of his town sometimes leave a lot to be desired. He'll kill, if necessary, for the "good of his town."

6. What are you working on now?

Killers Incorporated. It's a thriller about a corporation that funds serial killers. My "hero", Leon, is a killer who only takes out abusers. He has his reasons. But the company, Like-Minded Individuals, has put a target on his back. And he doesn't know why.

Yeah, I know, right? Crazy premise, a challenge, but a lot of fun to write (even given the dark subject matter). Hope readers will find it fun as well. I always try and incorporate some humor in my books, mostly through character.

 

7. How can people find you?

Just holler and I'll be over to anyone's house for dinner and an extended stay-over.

No, how about my blog: http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/

My twitter account: @StuartRWest

Email: texthewitchboy@gmail.com

And my books are all over the place. Start with my Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-R.-West/e/B00B419X5C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Thursday's Characters - Some from Choices - Medical Romance #MFRWauthor #Medicalromance #Hospitalpolitics.

The cat Blarney has a big part in the story

JOHANNA SAT AT THE kitchen table and cradled a mug of coffee. Most summer Sunday mornings, she would be at work in the yard. A yawn stretched the corners of her mouth. The night had been a restless one and she wasn’t sure why she’d taken Blarney upstairs. Except, his mournful cries had made her feel guilty. Then his explorations had roused her several times. She’d rescued him from the closet, the bathtub and from beneath the bed.

            The black-and-brown kitten skittered across the brick-patterned linoleum and ended at her feet. He stretched to bat the dish towel draped over the edge of the table and landed on his back.

            She scooped him from the floor and held him so they were eye to eye. “Do you realize what an expensive house guest you are?” She thought of the size of the check she’d written to the vet and shook her head. Worse than a visit to the doctor since the kitten wasn’t covered by her health insurance.

            Why me? she wondered. There’d been no logical reason for the rescue beyond some foolish desire to recapture a fleeting moment of happiness from her past. Did she really want to retain custody? Was there a choice? Probably not. Blarney had leaped into her life and lifted her spirits.

            The kitten’s purr lulled her. For a short time, she’d been able to forget the hospital and its problems. Dylan Connelly’s charming smile and laughing eyes flashed in her thoughts. She’d felt at ease with him. He’d promised to call, but she couldn’t understand why a stranger would want to foster a chance encounter. What would she say if she heard his voice?

            Small feet kneaded her robe. The kitten wiggled in an attempt to escape. She felt a warm, wet spot on her lap. “No.” She carried the kitten to the litter box. “If you expect to stay, you’ll make your messes here. The least you can do is cooperate.” She paused to take a breath. “There’s always the animal shelter.”

            The kitten stared at her with eyes too large for his small face. Johanna grinned. “I’m joking. For better or worse, the two of us must learn to live together.”

            He blinked and scratched the litter. Small pellets scattered across the floor of the hall near the basement door.

            With a shake of her head, Johanna walked upstairs for a quick shower. She added her robe and pajamas to the heap of towels she’d used to wipe up his accidents during the night. If he was to spend his nights upstairs with her, she’d need a second litter box—or more towels.

Johanna's best friend and wife of the hospital CEO

Abbey’s hands rested on her fleshy hips. “This is the third time his office has been redecorated. He’s so concerned about appearances...his. Abbey’s bitterness hovered in the air.

            Johanna looked away. “He wonders why the nurses complain. Just what does he want?”

            Abbey shrugged. “Who knows? I certainly know nothing of his agenda. He doesn’t tell me anything. He’s even accused me of favoring the nurses. Richard always takes care of himself. What will you do?”

            “Cut non-essential expenses. It’s sure going to be hard for the staff to understand. How can anyone believe there are deficits when the board leases luxury cars for every department head and spends money in other non-productive ways? “

“And today, Richard tried to bribe the lab with a new centrifuge. Jim refused.” Johanna shook her head.

Abbey frowned. “Why would he do that?”

            “I imagine he’s looking for support for some plan he’s devised.”

            “Sounds like him,” Abbey said.

Johanna shook her head. “I don’t mean to carp.”

            “You do and you should.” Abbey rose. “My husband’s out for anything he can grab.  Lord knows, I’ve protested often enough.”

            The anger in her friend’s voice chilled Johanna. For years, she’d wondered what kept the Jamisons together. Since Richard had come to Hudson Community, her questions had multiplied. 

            “Are you all right?” Abbey asked.

            “I will be.”

            “Ready for lunch?”

            “I’m eating here. With Ellen gone, there are things I need to handle.”

            “Anything I can do?”

            “No...Wait...Look over these incident reports. What are we going to do about the increase?”

            Abbey reached for the stack. “Cut down on overtime. Order Carla Grant to earn her salary by  giving some staff education programs addressing the problems. A month ago, I handed her a list of suggested topics, but she’s too busy attending conferences and looking important.”

Johanna's Old boyfriend - Blaine

She stepped into the elevator and shoved her dislike of the staff ed coordinator in a corner. Several minutes later, she tapped on the door of a private room.

            “Come in.”

            Was the tenor voice the one she remembered? She paused inside the door. The dark-haired man seated in a chair near the window put his book down.

            “Johanna Gordon, how are you?” He rose and walked to her side. “You’ve hardly changed.”

            “I’m older.”

            “So am I and, maybe, wiser,”

            His ebony hair showed no trace of gray. She studied his eyes and wondered why he appeared weary. “I saw your name on the list and wondered...”

            “So you came to see.” He clasped her hands. “I gather you’re a supervisor.”

            “Director of Nursing.”

            “Congratulations. At least one of us has fulfilled the dream of doing something useful for society.”

            “Some days I wonder.” When he released her hands, she jammed them in her pockets. “What are you doing here?”

            “Selling my father’s hardware stores and regrouping.”

            “Is your wife with you?”

            He shook his head. “Divorced. And you?”

            “Never married.”

            His smile faded. “Do you have time to visit?”

            She could almost touch the raw currents of loneliness she heard in his voice. “I’ve time.” She looked at the barely touched lunch tray. “I hope the food isn’t that bad.”

            “No appetite.” His gaze met hers. “I’m sure you know why I’m here.”

            “I don’t. Since I’m not directly involved in your care, I’ve no right to read your chart.”

            His smile was sheepish. “I’d forgotten how much you value privacy.”

            She shook her head. “It’s not privacy. There’s such a thing as patient confidentiality. The hospital recently escaped a law suit when one of the nurses spoke out of turn in the elevator.”

            He nodded. “I’m in for tests. Something about an abnormal blood count coupled with tiredness and weight loss.”

            She closed her eyes. Was he seriously ill? “What has your doctor told you?”

            “You know how it is. The doctor talks, but you don’t hear.”

            “Why Hudson Community?”

            “I was in town...My old family doctor sent me to Radeno and...going back to the city didn’t seem...I don’t know...I just decided to stay here and figure what I want to do with the rest of my life.”

            Johanna sat on the arm of a chair. “Is there anything I can do?”

            “Seeing you is a real boost. Do you remember the grand dreams we had?” His eyes seemed to be focused on an other time.

            “Hardly possible when one enters the real world. How are your parents?”

            “Enjoying New Mexico. And yours?”

Wednesday's Writer's Tip -- More on Character's Traits #MFRWauthor #amwriting

Last week I covered three of these General Trait categories. Today I'll do some more.

Group General Traits- This looks at traits found among groups of people like doctors, nurses, teachers criminals and more. As a writer I look at these and take and discard some because if I made a doctor fit all the traits we think of about this group, I'd be creating a stereotype and I don't want my doctor character to be such a thing. I may use some of the traits and I have in some stories. Doctor's are notorious for having horrible handwriting. In one of my stories a doctor does but now with the advent of computers this may not matter any more. This gave me problems when revising an old book and I hd to find a way around the problem since here the handwriting was essential to the plot. So when you're creating a character who is part of a group think of how they fit the group traits and also how they differ from this norm.

Physical traits - hair, physique, eyes and all that goes into a person. This is where you can play a bit. Are all heroes tall and good-looking. Could they be ordinary? Could the heroine iwth red hair not have a temper but be a mild and gentle sort. These are some way to look at physical traits to make your hero, heroine or villain different from the norm.

Personal traits - here we have what differs one person or character from the others. Is he or she brave, cowardly, cold or loving. here is where the writer must choose what other characters or even the character sees about a characters nature. I use Astrology to find these kind of traits, looking at a character's Sun, and Rising signs to discover how the character reacts.

Emotional traits - How does the character react under stress, in danger, in a relationship. Here again I look at Astrology and give the character a Moon sign. Gives me insight into the character's emotionsl self.

Tuesday's Inspiration - You Need A Plan #MFRWauthor #amwriting #aminspired

I'm always amazed when other writers say, "I just let the characters tell the story." They insist they don't plan. Now I've been critiquing beginning writers for years and I can tell the ones who have no real plan. What they show me is a series of incidents that lack the cohesion to write the story. I don't believe in pansters. What I think there are people who are more in tune with the characters than the plot and vice versa. Whether these writers do the plan on paper or in their head, they do have a plan. Knowing how the story will end is always a good idea. This can be general. Such as romance - the hero and heroine fall inlove and live happily ever after. Or in mysteries - The good guys catch the bad guy and the good guys are happy. There can be twists and variations. But the road to finding that satisfying ending takes a plan.

So whether you plan in your head as your characters move toward an illusive goal the author knows what that goal is. They may not know the time and the place where the story ends. They have to find the road to get the characters to that point. Though they insist they don't know where the story is going when they begin, they know the kind of story they want to write.

Having a plan is easier for a plotter especially through the middle part of a book. Before they introduce their characters they know where they are going. Then the characters are chosen and they explore together those plot points the writer had written down.

So if you are plot or character oriented I do think you have a plan that solidifies as the characters move through the story. The plan may change and often does but the end is usually the one thought of in  the beginning.