Mara, is a clanless desert dweller and faces life as the abused plaything of a future clan leader. She flees into an unknown future. On the winds, the crystals call this pair.
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
For mechanic Billie, repairing cars is easier than perking up her love life. https://books2read.com/Finding-Billie
1 Tell me about the book you wish to feature
contemporary romance Where the Heart Is, set mostly on a subtropical Caribbean island where he lives and works, and she's visiting on business
The
black-robed wizard slipped through the doorway leading to the Queen's chamber.
He paused and studied the wan woman propped against the black silk pillows. As
he approached the bed, his robes rustled.
The
Queen grasped the Black Jewel, symbol of her reign. "Be gone, I say. I
have no need of you."
"Your
time has passed. 'Tis time to cede the Jewel to your successor."
"Not
yet." She raised the Black Jewel. Dark rays pulsed in its heart. "Be
gone and let me be."
He
evaded the dark beams. "What of the White?"
She
laughed. "Do you think I fear that thing? My sister failed to find the
gem. For generations, there has been no sign of its existence. There have been
but myths and rumors."
He
smiled. "The White stirs. I sought and I found."
"Where?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"'Tis
where it has always been, waiting for the one who can hold the jewel. But fear
not. 'Tis not your battle. Soon you will be gone, and I will have the training
of the one who is to follow you. This time there will be no mistakes. As Holder
and
"Be
gone, dark wizard." The Queen raised the Black and poured her anger into
the gem. Thunder roiled the silent night and a great display of colored
lightning brightened the sky above the palace.
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
Join the authors at #MFRWHooks here http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com for some great excerpts. Mine is found at eclecticwriter.blogspot.com and shows the Seers from Nilos
BLURB:
Return to the world where Midra and Midran rule. The god and goddess have two faces. Midra is Mistrees on the Moon and also Mistress of the Dark. Midran is Lord of light and Lord of shadows. Rons ago, the Three and Three rose, Seer, Warrior, Healer defeated the Lord of Shadows, though remnants of his worshipers remain. As generations pass in the four nomes of the land only a few remain to honor the Mistress. Once again the followers of Midran prevail, leaving trouble to roil beneath the surface. Prophecies abound and many point to change. Will the Three and Three come again?
In Nilos, Healwomen have become only midwives. Their hodara lies in ruins on the bank of the Nilos River in the city of Memphos. Only a few women come for training and remain in the city. Others serve in the highlands and on the desert. The Eldest, she who rules the midwives, sets upon a scheme fo bring the Three to life and to rule the nome.
What will happen when the Eldest sets her plan into action? Will there be just three women or will they find their opposites becoming the fabled Three and Three? Who will rule the changes to come
EXCERPT:
When Koben woke all was dark. During the night he’d been
awakened by loud crashes but he’d rolled over. The total darkness of the cave
shocked him. Should be morning. He
drew his sword and called a flame. His eyes widened. Where the mouth of the
cave had been he saw a wall of rock. The noise he’d heard must have been
produced by an avalanche.
Trapped. The refuge
a grave. His runaway thoughts sent him into a panic. The sword and flame
wavered and danced. He drew a deep breath. The sword flame steadied. This
wasn’t the time to give up. This problem called for work.
Dianan sat. “We’re trapped.”
“For now.” He hoped his voice showed confidence he didn’t
feel. “We need to work.”
“How?” she asked.
“We must start removing rocks and stones from the
blockage.
They walked to the wall. She turned. “While you hold the
sword aloft, I’ll start. When I tire, we can switch.”
“Sounds good.”
For a time they alternated their jobs. They stacked what
they removed on the sides. Twice they nearly started an inward fall.
Dianan dropped a rock on the floor and slumped to the
ground. “I have to rest. I ache everywhere.”
Koben nodded. “Makes two of us.” He drank from the flash
and wondered how long they would have to work. Would their water hold out?
Would they grow too weak and tired to continue? “A short rest.”
“For now.”
“Might be good to concentrate on one area.” He closed his
eyes.
When he woke, he felt a light breeze. He sat and saw a
small hole had appeared. Dianan moved away from the wall.
“I’ve done all I can for now.” She sank on her blanket.
“See what you can do.”
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
The adventure plot and the quest plot have much in common. They also have some differences. The Quest plot is the story of a character in search of a person, place or thing. The Adventure Plot is definitely an action plot. Sometimes knowing the difference is just a grain of throught.
The Adventure plot focuses on the journey rather than the characters who take the journey. Adventure takes the reader to interesting places and to find interesting exploits. The adventure plot takes the characters to the edge of danger and brings them home. Will they be changed, perhaps or perhaps not. The adventure plot is all about exploring the unknown and in seeking fortune not found at home.
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
Meander 1 - Reading - I've finished reading the books for March from BWL. Enjoyed three out of four and that's a fairly good average. The book I had trouble with was confusing and after five chapters, I had no idea what kind of book I was reading. I couldn't read much more and dis a skip and read bit. I won't do a review on this book. That's my choice. Also was back to Monk and Anne Perry for some intense reading.
Meander 2 - Thoughts - No politics this week mainly because I have no idea what's happening in Congress. I'm not sure the ones who serve there have any idea either. Healthwise, I'm feeling some better but I still have fluid in my legs. Not much to do but to follow the directions of the doctor.
Meander 3 - Writing - I now have five chapters written and have three to go. The typing is behind but I'll catch up soon.
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
When the Holder of the Yellow Jewel dies, her ward Liara believes she will become the new Yellow Holder. The dying word of the elderly woman astonishes the young woman. She will hold the White Jewel. This fabled gem has been lost for years since her mother and her sister fought and her aunt took hold of the Black Jewel.
Liara, accompanied by her foster brother set forth to find the jewel, escaping the soldiers sent by the Queen and Black Jewel Holder. During their escape, Liara meets Valmir who saves her and her foster brother during a shipwreck. During their journey, they meet other holders of the Jewels, including Reena, daughter of the now dead Queen. Though she has the Black Jewel, Reena has no idea how to use the gem.
My Places
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
Buy Mark
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
Three blurbs
#1
I’m moving full steam ahead up three
flights of stairs to my office. Speed is not second nature to me. Given my
innate state of being, caution is synonymous with survival. The faster you
move, the more likely you are to misstep. Generally, that’s something I can’t
risk.
I’m reaching for the hallway switch when I
notice a light three doors down. That’s Norm Bedwell’s office. And that’s
unusual. Our comptroller is typically among the last to arrive. Only a fresh
honey crueller from Tim Hortons has ever changed his timeline.
I’m running to Norm’s office now, tirade at
the ready. The only thing that can prevent the outside security system from
working, aside from someone hacking into our server, is if the door doesn’t
latch firmly behind the entering employee. A loud audible click lets you know
the system is armed, and then you can move forward. Employees are trained to
wait for the click; if they don’t, an alarm will sound for two minutes, albeit
relatively soft as alarms go. But at this time of day, no one is around to hear
it.
It must be Norm’s fault, which may mean the
system has only been down for minutes if he just arrived. It’s a question I’m
tossing at our comptroller even before I’ve stepped inside his office.
Norm doesn’t answer.
He can’t because he’s swinging from a rope
tossed over an open beam (the designer’s brilliant idea), a noose tight around
his neck. He’s blue, but not as blue as I believe a dead man should look. This
poses a dilemma. I need a few moments to assess my options and identify the
safest and most effective course of action. However, I am aware I don’t have
the luxury of time. I’ve seen enough Law and Order episodes to know if you
don’t call the cops immediately, the delay in time will get noticed, and you’re
more likely to find yourself on the suspect list.
Dammit. I’m a suspect.
#2
Raynes looks like he’s getting ready to
leave. Looks can be deceiving. He lingers for a second. “Have you ever had a
donair?”
Donairs are a Halifax specialty. Some
residents contend this is Nova Scotia’s official food. Aficionados spend a
great deal of time discussing the nuances of the dish, thin slices of spiced
beef on a warm pita, sprinkled with diced onion and tomato, and swimming in a
sweet, garlicky sauce. Or so I’ve been told. To answer Raynes’s question, “No,
I’ve never had a donair.”
“Let’s go.” He pauses for a split second.
“I won’t tell Tiffany.”
I’m in. We head to the Donair Queen in
Elmsdale, a play, I assume, on the King of Donair in Halifax, where the dish is
said to have originated. I let Raynes order for me. “Two donairs,” he says. Apparently,
it’s not complicated.
The decor is fast food meets comfort food.
You order cafeteria-style and either head out or grab a seat. Most people do
the former. A few plastic chairs and tables are scattered at the back of the
restaurant. Raynes and I stake out a table in the corner. Only one other person
is eating inside.
For the next 15 minutes, Raynes and I
concentrate on demolishing our donair. It’s not as easy as it sounds. The meat,
toppings, and sauce are rammed into a loosely folded pita and blanketed with a
small piece of tinfoil. No matter where you bite, something falls out or spills
over from another place. I see why Raynes grabbed a large handful of napkins.
“What do you think?” Raynes asks when we’ve
finally swallowed the last sloppy morsel.
“I think I’m in heaven. Let’s do this every
week. And if Tiffany finds out, my marriage will be over.” Raynes laughs.
It feels casual and natural. And I should
know better. “You want something, don’t you?”
#3
The parking lot, as usual, is almost empty.
It’s a large lot; we need space at the front (and back) for delivery trucks. I
walk toward the front gate, counting one black SUV, one silver SUV, one
four-door sedan, and maybe a Camry. It’s my mantra. Screw you, Neil Phillips.
I am running my card across the security
reader when I see it. Orange truck far right tucked almost out of sight. I’m
uncertain what to do at this point or what’s expected of me. I always play by
the rules, yet I almost sprint back to my car. Somehow my cell phone is in my
hand, and I’m dialing Raynes. “We have got to stop meeting like this.” I hear
the laughter in his voice.
“Orange truck.” I’m almost gasping, moving
so quickly back to my car.
“Where?” Raynes doesn’t miss a beat. I can
hear him scrambling to put clothes on in the background.
“It’s in the parking lot. Empty,” I say,
anticipating his next question.
“I’m on my way. Stay put.”
Well, so much for Raynes’s rules. After a
few minutes, I get out of my Lexus and casually saunter over to the truck.
There’s nothing casual about how I’m feeling. I keep glancing around, expecting
someone to jump out of the darkness at any moment. And somehow, I continue
moving forward. It’s the scene in every horror movie when audiences yell,
“Don’t go there.”
I snap a picture of the truck’s license
plate and all sides of the vehicle. I even get several pictures of the inside
from the driver’s side and the passenger’s side. Each snap, whirr, click is
preceded by a furtive glance around the lot. It remains empty.
I head back to my car and climb in, wishing
I had stopped for coffee. Even a McDonald’s would taste good right about now.
And in fairness to the Golden Arches, the coffee is very decent.
Turns out, it may be just as well I don’t
have any liquid to spill. A lone figure approaches the truck. I feel myself
stiffen and straighten, and then I immediately slide down in my seat. I’ve
watched enough Law & Order to know what pretend cops do.
Raynes is at least 10 minutes out. I’m
staying hidden while simultaneously getting a description of the perp (perhaps
I watch too much Law & Order) by taking his picture. It is a man.
He is now in the truck and slowly backing
out of the CCC parking lot. I turn my car on and follow. I honestly don’t know
what the hell is wrong with me lately.
Buy Marks
EBook and Print:
https://www.amazon.com/Hung-Riel-Brava-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0BWFSK9W7/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3A2SPV5F30E7Z&keywords=hung+out+to+die+moulton&qid=1677595724&sprefix=%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-1
https://books2read.com/Hung-Out-to-Die
donaleemoulton.com
1.
What were
you before you became an author? Did this influence your choices as a writer?
I
feel like I have always been a writer. In university, I wrote and published
poetry and short stories. I was a student journalist with the university
newspaper. I was also completing a Master’s degree and preparing to get a PhD
in sociology, with an emphasis on research. Two seemingly different paths. I
chose the former and for most of my career I worked in communications writing
everything from brochures to annual reports to websites to manuals. I was also
a freelance journalist writing hundreds of articles a year for online and print
publications across North America. Topics included everything from money
laundering to fibromyalgia to champagne. What I was not writing during this
time were short stories, poems, and other creative endeavors. My current path
is taking me – wonderfully – in that direction.
2.
Are you
genre specific or general? I don’t mean major genres but subdivisions or
romance, mystery or paranormal.
I’m
testing the waters. Last year, I had a non-fiction book published by Business
Expert Press. The Thong Principle: Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You
Say is a reflection of the work I did as a communications professional and
trainer. This month my first mystery novel was published by BWL Publishing.
It’s a traditional whodunit in many ways with a very untraditional main
character. I have also recently published three short stories, two traditional
mysteries and one with hints of the paranormal or the unknown.
3.
What is
your latest release?
My new book –
yeah! – is Hung Out to Die. The main character is Riel Brava.
Attractive. Razor-sharp. Ambitious. And something much more. Riel just wants to be left alone
to do his job and one day run for president of the United States. He has a
plan. Murder keeps getting in his way. It isn’t easy being a psychopath.
Raised in Santa
Barbara, California, Riel has been transplanted to Nova Scotia where he is CEO
of the Canadian Cannabis Corporation. It’s business as usual until Riel finds
his world hanging by a thread. Actually, several threads. It doesn’t take the
police long to determine all is not as it appears – and that includes Riel
himself.
Pulled into a
world not of his making, Riel resists the hunt to catch a killer. Resistance is
futile. Detective Lin Raynes draws the reluctant CEO into the investigation,
and the seeds of an unexpected and unusual friendship are sown. Raynes and Riel
concoct a scheme to draw a confession out of the killer, but that plan is never
put into place. Instead, Riel finds himself on the butt end of a rifle in the
ribs and a long drive to the middle of Nowhere, Nova Scotia.
4.
What are
you working on now?
Hung
Out to Die was a surprise for
me. I would not have expected to create a main character who was
quintessentially male. I also discovered that having a main character who is
not in law enforcement or connected to that world becomes problematic for
future books. How many murders can you stumble across if you’re not Jessica Fletcher? I have just finished a second mystery that has
three main characters, all women, who meet in a morning yoga class. So now
instead of having one character who isn’t in some branch of law enforcement I
have three. Go figure. The writing takes you where it wants you to go.
5.
Do your
reading choices influence your choice of a writing career?
Absolutely and always. As a child I read Charlotte’s Web and realized,
I believe for the first time, how powerful the written word could be – how it
could create a singular world, how it could clarify critical issues, how it
could change you fundamentally as a person. As a tween, I discovered the Nancy
Drew mystery books and was drawn into a new realm: clues, red herrings,
suspense, and fun. Today, I read as wide and varied a selection of books as
possible. I am inspired by what I read and in awe of the writers who took me
there.
6.
Where can
we find you?
Website: donaleemoulton.com
Amazon Author URL:
amazon.com/author/donaleemoulton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donaleemoultonauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/donaleemoulton
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaleemoulton/
Twitter:
@donaleeMoulton
Instagram:
donaleemoulton
