Thursday's Second Scene -- Rekindled Dreams #MFRWauthor #Romance #cop

Dana Collins laughed and dropped the phone in the cradle. Though she wanted to spin and twirl in a victory dance, movements like that had to wait. Client number five had signed the contract for her billing service for people in health care. This client had passed the info to a friend.

Yes. She rubbed her protruding belly. “We’re on our way, baby.” She could work at home and never return to nursing, the career she’d spent four years in college to earn a BS.

With a groan she pushed against the arms of the office chair. One hand went to her back to ease the nagging pain. Being nine months pregnant and seven months divorced should make her feel anything but happy. This morning the last of the documents had arrived officially returning her to her maiden name. As Randy had demanded during the negotiations, his name wouldn’t appear on the birth certificate. His ugly words still hurt.

“No child of yours is fit to wear the Grantlan name. Melanie’s baby will.”

Those words had crushed her and she had agreed.

Bastard.

Her memories flashed to the day she’d told him about the pregnancy. “We’ll be a real family.” She’d been wrong.

“Get an abortion.”

Stop it. Don’t go there. She’d soon have the family she wanted. Randy Grantlan was history.

Dana stretched. The nagging backache had come and gone all day. Was labor about to begin? Though she had book knowledge about pregnancy, other than at school, she’d never worked in obstetrics.

Her stomach growled. Dana groaned. She’d been so focused on her new venture she’d forgotten to eat lunch. She glanced at the clock on the mantle above the fireplace. Four o’clock. She needed to eat. As she left the family room for the long walk to the kitchen at the other end of the house, she smiled. She couldn’t wait to sell this place.

The doorbell chimed. Who?

She reached the foyer and nearly tripped over the small suitcase and the infant seat. Though she could drive to the hospital, she Knew Dr. Scott wouldn’t let her drive home after the delivery. The hospital parking lot was the last place she wanted to leave her car. When the moment arrived, she would call a cab.

Dana opened the door to find her birthing partner on the doorstep. The green scrubs meant Madge had come straight from work. “Don’t tell me they’ve changed your hours again.”

Madge shook her head. Wispy curls the color of dandelions bounded. “Not this week. Told the supervisor no evenings or nights until you have the baby.” She frowned. “Haven’t you heard?”

“About what?”

Madge hesitated. “Do you ever read the paper or listen to the local news?”

“Don’t have a paper delivered and spent the day on the computer.” Dana stepped aside. “Come in. I just signed client number five. I was about to have a late lunch or an early supper.” She let her friend down the hall past the huge living and dining rooms to the kitchen filled with every appliance needed to create a gourmet meal.

Madge sat at the table. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Wait until I make a salad. I’m so hungry I feel faint.” Dana’s stomach rumbled so loud she blushed.

“You need to take better care of yourself.” Madge said. “You’re eating…”

“For two," Dana finished. She grabbed and opened a bag of salad greens, diced a tomato, added some strips of ham and chicken, plus two slices of hard-boiled eggs with some light dressing. After pouring iced tea for Madge and fruit juice for herself she joined her friend. “I need to do some grocery shopping before I go into labor.”

Madge looked up. “Your due date’s tomorrow. Make a list. I’ll shop for you.”

“I’ll do that this evening.” She dug into the salad and sighed with pleasure. After she’d eaten half the food she looked at Madge. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing on my end. Since you didn’t read the paper or listen to the news, I’ll tell you. Randy died in an automobile accident sometime yesterday. The staff was buzzing with the news.”

“You’re kidding.” Dana wasn’t sure how she felt about the news. Though she’d tried, the marriage had ended long before she’d stopped trying to form a family with Randy.

Madge shook her head. “It’s true. Big splash in today’s paper. About the loss and about State Senator Blan’s daughter.”

“Where?”

“On that narrow road from the Club.”

Dana drew a deep breath. She’d been a passenger in Randy’s car down that road. “Was he drunk?” She knew the answer. He’d never known his limit.

“Nothing about alcohol was mentioned,” Madge said. “The nursing home was filled with gossip and most agreed he’d been drinking.”

Dana made a face. “I’m sure his father quashed any reports of alcohol levels.”

Madge nodded. “Robert Grantlan would do that. The Grantlan family has no faults. One of the orderlies ran into Patricia this noon. She’s accusing every woman Randy ever slept with of joining a conspiracy.”

“Even me.”

“Afraid so.”

Dana thought of her confrontations with Randy’s twin. Patricia had been angry about the engagement, the marriage and the divorce. Dana had stopped attending dinners at the Club long before the divorce. “What are you holding back?”

“He and Melanie Blan were celebrating their engagement.”

Dana met her friend’s gaze. “I know. That’s one of the reasons he wanted a divorce. She was fit to be a Grantlan and have Grantlan babies.”

“The jerk.”

“I agree.” She didn’t completely blame Randy. Much of his attitude had been instilled and cultivated by his father. Robert Grantlan had been furious when all she’d received after her parents’ deaths was twenty-five thousand dollars. “Is there a viewing? Will the coffin be open or closed?”

With a click Madge set her glass on the table. “This evening. All day tomorrow. Funeral the next day.”

“Where?”

“Fern Lake Funeral Home.” Madge leaned forward. “You aren’t thinking about going?”

“I might, especially to see May. She’s kept in touch. Look at the layette and cradle she sent for the baby.”

“Don’t go. Call her. Send a card.”

“Maybe I need to see him.”

“Why?”

Dana gulped a breath. She wasn’t sure. Though she felt a bit of sadness about his death, she wasn’t grieving.  Any grieving had ended the day she told him about the pregnancy and how she’d been lured into marriage.

Madge shook her head. “I think you’re crazy to step into that wasp nest but if you need closure, go ahead.”

Dana didn’t know what she needed. She had her life on track and there was nothing those people could give her now. She pushed the rest of the salad away.

Madge rose. “Just to let you know. Jim and I have a dinner date and then the movies. I’ll leave my phone on. The minute you have a contraction, call.”

“Will do.”

After Madge left, Dana studied the shelves and began a list she put on the fridge. She leaned against the cool surface. Should she go to the funeral home? Madge thought she was crazy for considering a visit but she felt a need to see her former mother-in-law. How was May handling Randy’s death? May had often quarreled with her younger son about his drinking and the stormy relationship hadn’t been good. Still, May was his mother. Losing a child must be dreadful.

Dana placed her hand on her belly. “Should I make an appearance? Your daddy’s dead, not that you can ever claim him.” A thought stabbed. When the baby was old enough, how would she explain Randy’s rejection or the threats he’d made if she ever tried to name him as the baby’s father? She’d no doubt he would have carried out those threats. Being called a whore and an opportunist would have caused her to leave Fern Lake. She wanted to live and raise her child here where she’d grown up.

The baby kicked. Dana nodded. She would go, speak to May and express her sympathy. The older woman needed to know someone understood mixed feelings.

Dana walked upstairs to change into the only dark maternity dress in her closet. The dark green color made her eyes greener and flattered her coloring giving her the courage to face the other members of the Grantlan family.

As she brushed her hair one thought nearly made her change her mind. Would Simon come for the funeral?

Why consider the possibility? He hadn’t made an appearance in Fern Lake since the day after high school graduation. There have been no tidbits of news about him in the local paper. Also, though he and Randy were cousins, there’d been enmity between them.

A memory from her wedding night arose. Randy had gloated over getting what Simon hadn’t taken. Her virginity.

She grasped the railing and walked downstairs. Ten years had passed since she’d seen Simon.

Forget the past. All she wanted was to make a quick appearance at the funeral home and speak to May.

Wednesday - Hooking Heart Throb MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor #Medical romance

When she saw the man on the steps leading to the apartment level, she sucked in a breath.  Neighbor or mover?  Married or single?  A rush of excitement rose.  Wouldn’t take much to learn his status.

            Denim cutoffs provided a view of tanned muscular legs.  Her gaze traveled to appraise flat abs, broad shoulders and a well-developed chest.  A slow smile changed his features from merely handsome to rugged and fascinating.  The streak of white in his jet hair looked like a lightning bolt had seared a path.

            Brilliant blue eyes captured her gaze.  Steam flowed through her veins.  No attached man sent those kind of signals unless he was out for a fling.  In that case, she’d pass.  Only the unattached need apply.  She didn’t do married or engaged.  She saw no wedding band, but these days, the absence meant nothing.  Still her plans for a quiet evening began to change.  She started up the steps.  He followed.

            “Hello, neighbor.”

            His deep voice acted like a jolt from the cardiac conversion paddles and sent her imagination into overdrive.  How would his sensuous lips taste?  And those strong hands and long fingers.  How would they feel on her flesh?  “Welcome to Rivertown.”  She paused at her door, turned and smiled.

            He reached for her hand.  “Damon.”

            “Magda.”  She liked the laugh lines around his eyes.  Must be about my age.  Perfect.

            His thumb stroked the back of her hand.  More than perfect, she thought.  Life had taken a turn in the right direction.  Her nipples contracted.  She glanced down.  The bulge beneath his fly seemed to swell.  Attraction -- mutual -- instant.  “So nice to meet my new neighbors.”

            “Neighbor,”  he said.  “I live alone.”

            “Same here.”  Her tongue played along her lower lip. 

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.

Buy Marks:
Heart Throb


  http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com

Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Time and Scene Length #MFRWauthor #Writing #Scenes

How long should a scene be? That's a question that involves maybe words or page length. There are other factors. Scenes have a number of uses. One is to give information. A second is to define the characters? A third is to advance the plot. But time works on two levels. One is literal and the other is emotional.

Think of this. When you're waiting in the doctor's office for an appointment, that twenty minutes can seem like hours. When you're excited about something the same amount of time can seem to be seconds. In your book this holds true.

A love scene may take pages to bring from the beginning to the end. I once read in a friend's book, a single kiss lasting a chapter of about thirty pages. Too long or too short. You as the writer has to decide how you're going to employ time. A sentence or a paragraph can cover years.

Why? Nothing of emotional importance happened during that time. There was nothing to do with any of the functions of a scene.

So the answer I've always heard from other writers and teachers of writing is "A scene takes as long as it must." Sort of vague but when you decide how much emotional impact the scene will have, the length usually seems right. Stopping a scene before all the emotional impact is gone will leave the reader wondering and if carried too far, the reader might become bored. It's all a matter of timing and purpose of the scene.

Meandering on Monday with Janet Lane Walters #MFRWauthor #corn silk #writing

Meander 1 - Poem - Man's Inhumanity

Let us sing a song today
Of man's inhumanity to man.
Let us raise our voices high
In praise of violence and fear.
We must accept these murder ways
For we never speak against them.
With eager curiosity we gaze upon the sights
Of napalm hurning children and
Murdered athlets row on row
Of slaughter done by automobile
And other haunted sights.
So let us sing a song today
And make it a mournful tune.

Meander 2 - Corn Silk - This is the season of summer meals where corn on the cob is the star. Unfortunately when one has corn on the cob, there is corn silk. Thin strands usually light yellow and sometimes dark. If any is left on the cob it finds a nesting place between your teeth. Corn silk seems to multiply with each ear you husk. The darned stuff clings to your fingers, spreads over your clothes. When the corn silk season ends I won't be sorry. Unfortunately I know if will be with me next year and next and next.

Meander 3 _ Writing - I'm working on Murder and Sweet Tea. Third draft and there aretwo more drafts to go. I've hit the middle of this draft with writing since I do this with pen and paper. Typing is a bit behind but I will catch up one of these days. I'm not tired of the twists and turns of the story yet and that's good. When I am, the book will be done and I'll be off on another project.

Sunday's Book - Rekindled Dreams #MFRWauthor #contemporary #romance

Returning to Fern Lake after ten years for the funeral of his cousin and teenage enemy, Simon Parker learns his high school sweetheart is nine months pregnant and seven months divorced from his cousin. Their meeting is complicated by her labor and driving her to the hospital. An attempted cheek kiss lands on her mouth and those old feelings resurface. Dana Collins responds to the kiss but Simon walked away ten years before when she refused to go all the way. In those ten years he has never tried to reach her. Her marriage to his cousin lasted less than two years and she knew she’d made a mistake. Can this pair put the past aside and let the embers of an old love be rekindled?

4.0 out of 5 starsYoung Lovers Reunited

ByRosemary Morrison October 8, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Orphan, Simon Parker, walked away from his dysfunctional uncle, aunt and cousins, as well as Dana his childhood sweetheart. He joined the marines, and the police force. After an incompetent superior officer made a mistake that resulted in Simon’s partner being killed and Simon being shot in the leg, Simon resigned.

Simon’s aunt asks him to return to the town where he grew up for his cousin Randy’s funeral. When he does, he meets Dana whom he has never stopped thinking about.

Dana and Randy have divorced but, when Simon meets her, she is pregnant. Randy, the father, wanted nothing to do with her or the child. He claimed he was not the father.

When his cousin Randy’s daughter is born Simon falls in love with her, and wants nothing more than to marry her mother and become the baby’s stepfather. But Dana doesn’t know if she can trust him.

I hoped this spicy novel would end happily for Simon and Dana in spite of threats made to Dana concerning the 

Old loves and new dreams

ByLaurel Freemonton October 9, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Simon Parker walked away from Dana Collins, the love of his life but he never forgot her. Now he has come home to Fern Lake for his cousin's funeral, the cousin who married Dana and had a child with her. Family dynamics, old and new, drive this story with some surprises along the way. A good fireside rising 

4.0 out of 5 starsReunion romances are my favorite kind of stories

ByKat Tayloron July 23, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition

Reunion romances are my favorite kind of stories. The chemistry sizzled from the beginning and never lets up. Nice escape for a summer nigComment

4.0 out of 5 starsA story of immature love, heartache, and heartbreak.

ByRoseanne Dowellon January 4, 2014

Format: Kindle Edition

Can Simon Parker right the wrong and pain he caused Dana Collins? When he drives her to the hospital to deliver her baby, the attraction is still there between them. Can Dana learn to trust Simon again? Will her ex husband’s twin sister complicate their lives? If I say more I’ll give away the entire book. Ms. Walters weaves a tale of a dysfunctional wealthy family, compassion, and love.custody of her daughter.

Saturday's Blurbs - featuring Books by Barbara White Daille #MFRWauthor #romance #cowboys

Since I was asked to share three books, I mixed things up a bit and chose a book from each of my series. As I said in my post yesterday, all my books, even in series, are standalones.

The latest release:

The Rancher’s Baby Proposal – The Hitching Post Hotel, Book Six

Her Secret Cowboy Crush

Ally Martinez has always been known as a fun and flirty kind of gal. But deep down she’s never forgotten the cowboy who left town. When her crush Reagan Chase comes home after a five-year absence, Ally knows this is her big chance. The guy I’ve always wanted. Only Reagan has something different in mind…

Still reeling from his last relationship, Reagan needs a babysitter for his month-old son. With Ally’s help, he can get his family’s ranch ready for sale and get out of Cowboy Creek. The problem? Ally is one seriously cute distraction. But Reagan will do whatever it takes to keep his heart safe. Even if it means losing the only place—and the only woman—he can call home.

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ranchers-Baby-Proposal-Hitching-Hotel-ebook/dp/B01LLPCDXY/

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ranchers-baby-proposal-barbara-white-daille/1124564570

Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Ranchers-Baby-Proposal/Barbara-White-Daille/Q92625305?id=6809026813830

Harlequin http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=70354

IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373757596

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rancher-s-baby-proposal

A Rancher’s Pride - Flagman’s Folly, Book One

His Whole World Is In Her Hands

Sam Robertson’s life just changed. In one short day, he found out that he’s a daddy; that his beautiful little girl, Becky, is deaf; and that her aunt, sign language teacher Kayla Ward, intends to fight him for custody.

There are plenty of reasons Sam shouldn’t fall for Kayla. A city girl like her has no place on his ranch, particularly when she’s his ex-wife’s gorgeous sister. But thanks to the judge’s orders, Sam’s spending a lot of time with Kayla, trying to give Becky the stable home she’s never known.

Despite their ongoing custody battle, Sam and Kayla’s love for Becky brings them closer than they ever expected, and Sam knows that no matter who wins in court, he could still lose—Kayla or his daughter.

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/Ranchers-Pride-Barbara-White-Daille-ebook/dp/B004U73TFC

Barnes & Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ranchers-pride-barbara-white-daille/1100382659?ean=9781459202337

Harlequin  https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781459202337_a-ranchers-pride.html

Kobo  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-rancher-s-pride

Snowbound with Mr. Wrong – Snowflake Valley, Book One

Worst. Day. Ever. After Lyssa Barnett’s sister tricks her into reprising her role at Snowflake Valley's annual children's party, she doesn’t think anything can be worse than squeezing into her too-small elf costume. Then tall, dark, and way too handsome Nick Tavlock shows up to play Santa…and an unexpected storm leaves them snowbound in the isolated lodge.

The last thing Nick wants is to spend a cozy Christmas Eve with a trio of kids and the woman who dumped him. But as much as Lyssa frustrates him, he can't stop thinking about her. And soon, he's fighting very un-Santa-like thoughts of kissing a certain sexy Miss Elf under the mistletoe. As Nick starts to fall for Lyssa all over again, he knows it will take nothing short of a miracle to have Lyssa in his arms on Christmas Day.

Entangled  http://bit.ly/swmw-pg

Amazon:  http://bit.ly/swmw-amz

Amazon Australia:  http://bit.ly/swmw-au  

Amazon Canada:  http://bit.ly/swmw-ca

Amazon UK:  http://bit.ly/swmw-uk   

Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/swmw-bn    

iBooks:  http://bit.ly/swmw-ibooks  

Kobo:  http://bit.ly/swmw-kobo 

Friday's Guest - Barbara White Daille Who She Was Before #MFRWauthor #contemporary romance #smalltown

1. What were you in life before you became a writer? Did this influence your writing?

Before I started writing, I was a kindergarten and grammar-school student, which definitely influenced my writing. All my early reading from The Bobbsey Twins and Encyclopedia Brown to Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys led me to write mysteries. The first “published” short story—hand-printed with an illustrated cover—released when I was in the fourth grade. I wrote my first novel in the eighth grade and by then had graduated to mysteries with romantic elements.

 

2. Are you genre specific or general? Why? I don't mean genres like romance, mystery, fantasy etc. There are many subgenres of the above.

Right now, I’m genre-specific, writing contemporary category romance on the sweeter side for Harlequin and Entangled, because that’s my favorite type of romance to read. My books are all small-town, family stories—some with cowboys and some without.

3. Did your reading choices have anything to do with your choice of a genre or genres?

Absolutely. When I went on to write that mystery-with-romance mentioned above, I fell in love with the relationship that developed through the book. Originally, I gravitated toward romantic suspense, and while that’s still a big love of mine, I found my writing home in contemporary romance.

4. What's your latest release?

The Rancher’s Baby Proposal, Book Six in the Hitching Post Hotel series. I’ll be sharing the blurb for that book tomorrow. And I always like to add that all my books, even in series, stand alone as far as each hero and heroine resolving their conflicts and making a commitment to each other by the end of their story. 

5. What are you working on now? 

I’m working on two additional books in my Snowflake Valley series, which began close to the holidays last year with Snowbound with Mr. Wrong. I’m also working on a brand-new series with cowboys.

6. Where can we find you? 

Thanks for asking!  I have a website and am on Facebook and Twitter and love to chat. Also, readers can sign up for my newsletter if they’d like to get the latest news on my writing life. Here are a few places they can find me and more info about my books:

Website  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Blog  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/blog

Newsletter  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille

Twitter  https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

Amazon author page  http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ

Harlequin author page  https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/23759_barbara-white-daille.html

Thursday's Second Scene - Shattered Dreams #MFRWauthor #Romance #medical

“Manon!” Rafe Marshall leaped from the examining table in time to catch her before she hit the floor. He cradled her against his chest. “Didn’t mean to scare you,” he whispered. Why did she think he was dead? He knew news of his accident had been kept quiet because the police believed he’d been deliberately forced off the road. Who had told her? Had the informant been the driver of the dark car his rescuer had seen speeding from the scene?

The citrus aroma of her shampoo brought memories of years ago when he had buried his face in her sunlit hair before they made love. His body responded to her presence and the sensual recollections. Thank heavens the gown was cloth. The urgent rise of his cock would have punctured paper.

Carefully, he placed her on the table. He stroked her face with his fingers and brushed his lips over hers. Any anger remaining from the past vanished beneath the heat of desire.

Manon was beautiful and his. The knowledge rang true. Even if she wouldn’t admit the strength of the bond, he knew. How could he explain why he’d taken so long to find her? Would she believe that any trace of her had vanished in Europe three years after she’d begun touring with her father?

He stepped back from the table. He had many things to tell her. Some of the revelations would cause anger, denial and pain. At this moment, he didn’t know where to begin. She wasn’t the teenage girl who had loved him. Had her love morphed into hate? He could handle that but not indifference.

Why hadn’t she answered the letters he’d written after the amnesia had cleared enough for him to remember her? Those notes had been sent months after her eighteenth birthday. Had she received the messages? That was one question he intended to ask. He needed to clear the past so he could move forward.

He had to tell her about the accident, the multiple injuries, the surgeries and the months of rehab. He wanted her to know though he’d left on their prom night, he’d decided to come for her after her eighteenth birthday.

Those days after the accident had been filled with frustration, especially after he remembered who he was and why he’d left Fern Lake. After discharge from rehab, he’d stayed for several months in his step-grandmother’s house and then her vacation cottage. No one had known he was in town. The suspicions surrounding the accident had forced him and Gran to keep news of the accident a secret. Besides, Manon had left for Europe. He wondered how she had escaped her father’s plans for her life.

Manon opened her eyes. Blue-gray like the waters of the lake on a cloudy day. As she sat up, a flush spread across her face reminding him of a younger Manon.

Rafe watched her slide from the table. Her dark blue skirt slid over her thighs. He held in a groan of regret. Shame to cover those incredible legs. A moment of memory of her legs wrapped around his hips flared. He couldn’t repress a groan.

“Did you hurt yourself catching me?”

“I’m fine. That wasn’t the way I intended to greet you. I should have had your nurse warn you.”

Manon shrugged. “She must have had reasons for keeping quiet. She didn’t put your name on the intake sheet. A warning wouldn’t have helped.”

Rafe stared at the way her chest moved when she took a deep breath. Was she reacting to his presence the way he reacted to hers? There was no way to learn. Her lab coat acted as a barrier.

“Told her not to mention my name.” He looked away. “Maybe next time.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She reached for the chart. “She’ll hear from me.”

“Don’t blame her. Told her I was an old friend you haven’t seen for years and wanted to surprise you.”

“You did that. Why are you here?”

He grinned. “After losing track of your existence, I heard you were in town. I always though you’d found someone in Europe and married. You disappeared.” He met her gaze. “Where’s your father?”

“He died in January.” She turned away. “I stayed on the concert tour for three years. Those were the most miserable of my life.”

“How did you escape?”

“On my twenty-first birthday, I gained control of the money my mother left me. I came back to the states and enrolled in college using her maiden name.” She strode to the counter and opened the folder. “Enough about me. I would like the nurse practitioner at Employee’s Health to do your physical and for you to find another physician. I’ll give you several names.”

“Why?”

“How can you ask that?”

Thoughts of her hands on his body sent a rush of blood to his groin. “Wouldn’t embarrass me. You’ve seen me in the raw.”

Her face flamed. Her shoulders straightened. “That was in the past and will stay there.”

“We need to talk about that time. There are facts you should know.”

She turned toward the door. “There’s nothing you can tell me I don’t know.” She glared. “What job are you applying for? Maintenance?”

Rafe laughed. “I start tomorrow as CNO, better known as director of nursing. Actually, I’ll be working with Gran Ruth, uh, Mrs. Patton until September.”

“What?”

Her reaction startled him. “Men can be nurses just as women can be doctors.”

“I know that. What made you decide to become a nurse?”

“An accident. Happened the night I left.” Did she believe he had remained that teenager more in tune with motorcycles than with people? “Gran plans to retire and she recommended me. Since I was finishing my doctorate and a consulting job, I had a Skype interview and was hired.”

Manon whirled. “Haven’t you heard?”

“About what?”

“This morning Mrs. Patton was admitted with angina. We’re monitoring her condition and ordering tests.”

He slid from the table. “How is she? Is this an emergency?”

“She’s stable.”

“Why wasn’t I notified? I’m her emergency contact.” He had been since he’d come to live with her on the day his mother had left.

Manon frowned. “I was busy stabilizing her. I’m sure one of the nurses made the call. Emma said all her attempts to reach you to change your appointment went to voice mail.”

He reached for his jeans and extracted the phone. “Damn. Forgot to charge. Are you sure she’s stable?”

Manon leaned against the door. “I wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t. She’ll be undergoing a few tests so we can determine what’s going on. Why don’t I give you the list of doctors and notify the nurse practitioner you’ll be in tomorrow for the physical. Get dressed and I’ll handle matters.”

Though he wanted to see Gran Ruth, her illness changed matters. Tomorrow he had to be ready to work. He returned to the table. “I need to be cleared for tomorrow.”

“Check with the nurse practitioner. If anything she’ll come back to do the exam.”

“Why bother her when I’m here? One thing I remember is the physical must be completed before starting to work.”

Manon scowled. She closed the door and walked to the counter. “I’ll do an EKG, the EENT exam, check your blood pressure and your lungs. If I discover any problems I’ll have to refer you.”

“Whatever works.” Thoughts of having her near stirred his cock. The flush on her face convinced him she had noticed. Though she acted like an ice maiden, he believed with luck he could warm her.

Her gray-blue eyes flashed with anger. “Why did you return?”

“For a job.”

“Is that the only reason or are you back to show everyone you’ve become a responsible adult?”

“I’m here so Gran can retire and not worry about what happens at the hospital.”

He had another goal. Until he and Manon discussed the false reports of his death and his reasons for leaving so abruptly, he couldn’t tell her why he’d returned. He wanted her in his life. He wanted to know why she hadn’t answered his letters or if she had even received them. Though he ached to kiss and pleasure her until she cried his name, he would wait.

Manon stepped toward the table. “I’ll make this quick since I think you should head to the hospital. I’m sure Mrs. Patton is worried about your non-appearance.”

“After the exam I’ll visit Gran and come back for you.” He smiled. “We’ll ride to Fern Lake and recapture memories.”

“In your dreams.”

Her scent flowed toward him. He tamped the urge to kiss her, this time with desire. He would show her his need to possess her and find the future they deserved. Before that happened, she needed to know why he’d left. The story might cause anger and denial but he had to speak.

Manon approached. He braced not to react to the sensations evoked by her scent of her hands on his skin.

Wednesday - Hook Code Blue ##MFRWHooks #MFRWauthor #suspense #medical

Guilt over her earlier anger warred with fear. She stepped closer. "Oh God!"

The streak of red on the practical's white uniform spoke of violence. Susan had seen death many times, but never like this. A soundless scream reverberated in her thoughts. Who had done this and why? She stared at Barbara's battered head and face and fought the need to flee.

In 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.

Code Blue

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Tuesday's Writer's Tip - Character's reaction #MFRWauthor #writing #characters

For the character's reaction to the stimuli work, the writer needs to know the characters. Think of it this way, a bully doesn't become kind and helpful, unless there's a reason. Now a character who has been bullied by one other of the characters had better suspect something is afoot when the bully acts out of character. His reaction to this stimuli from the bully would have a subtle difference from a time when the bully is acting in character.

Knowing your characters makes this stimuli reaction sequence an important tool for the writer.  Any reaction must mean something. If it doesn't there's no reason for that to be the reaction. As a writer, there are times when I fail to make this stimuli-reaction-action sequence work. This means a lot of rewriting.

The reaction must be timely. To have a reaction come hours or days later may be what happens in real life. There are those times when we think I should have done or said this or that. The characters in your story can't do this. They need to react and act with immediacy.

Their action or reaction needs to be in character and be part of their motive for the scene and the story. This can be tricky but it done right the reader is pulled along. This is because the stimuli=reaction-action sequence works out in a reasonable way. Once this is learned, the writing becomes easier.