Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Our guest author today is Janet Lane Walters, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.
Janet lane Walters was born in Wilkinsburg, Pa on July 17, 1936 reported to be the hottest day of the summer. She has been a published author since 1968 beginning with short stories and moving into novels when an editor told her a short story sounded like a synopsis for a novel. In the 197os and 1980s she published 4 sweet nurse romance novels. Then she returned to school to earn a BS in Nursing and a BA in English. Returning to work as a nurse to help put four children through college she put her writing career on hold. In 1993 she retired from nursing and began writing again. A new nurse romance followed in print. Then she discovered electronic publishing and since 1998 has been electronically published.

Janet calls herself an eclectic writer since she moved from genre to genre. There are mysteries featuring Katherine Miller a former nurse who seems to stumble over bodies wherever she goes. Using her interest in Astrology, she has several series that use Astrology as a premise for the stories. Once she earned enough money to travel to Ireland by casting charts for people. She has many books in the romance genre, some of them are contemporary and are nurse romance, and others fall into the fantasy or paranormal forms of romance. Interested in reincarnation, she has used this as a jumping point for at least two novels. Two of her novels deal with alternate worlds using a love affair with Ancient Egypt.

Under her other name J.L. Walters she has written a YA fantasy series called Affinities. She has also written a non-fiction book when her co-author Jane Toombs that won the EPIC Award in 2003 for best Non-fiction. During her career she has received other awards and has a number of great reviews.

Besides her four adult children, she has seven grandchildren. Five of them are the models for the YA series. The other two arrived too late to play a large role in the series. Four of her grandchildren are bi-racial and 3 are Chinese so the eclectic even invades her family. She has been married to the same man for more than 50 years. He's a psychiatrist who refuses to cure her obsession for writing.

MELODIC DREAMS  

Five Secrets

1. You may learn things about me as well as Melodic Dreams. I really like writing medical kind of romances and was questing for something other than nurse/doctor as hero and heroine. My daughter who is an Occupational Therapist popped into my head and so I picked her brain for some of the details. Problem was I almost became lost in all the information and ended up with much more than I really needed. Maybe another book will find a few of the interesting things I discovered.

2. In the past I composed music and even had some pieces I'd written performed. My experiences with composing music went into developing Jay's working habits and the pain of not being able to make the fingers move without pain. Jay the hero is a driven man. He has put nearly everything and everyone out of his life except his child. The arrival of his supposed child troubles him. The boy looks like Jay's dead wife except for the eyes. He feels he doesn't have time for this since he wants to concentrate on the music he's been commissioned to write.

3. When casting for a name for the four year old child I was reading a note from one of my publishers and the boy was named Jamie after her. Choosing names is very important. Finding the right name makes the character pop. Often wished I could have done this with my children. Fitted their name to what their personality became. Jamie is very important to the story. He wants a father and he decides his father is "sour" a term his grandmother used to call him when he was tired and grouchy. Jamie decides his father should have candy to sweeten him.

4. Maria loves her nephew but she has been involved with him since his birth as a premature infant. She strongly feels he should have a connection to his father, Some of the feelings found here were triggered by family members who either did not know their father or their fathers had no time for them. Maria turned out to be a very stubborn woman and able to take on a stubborn man.

5. The town created for these early stories doesn't actually exist. I'm not even sure I know where it is other that in the northeastern part of the United States and several hours from a large city. The town needed to be large enough to support a hospital, have the kind of landscape I wanted so instead of taking a place I knew and changing the name, the town is totally a fictional place.

Blurb from MELODIC DREAMS

When Maria and a child she says is his arrives on Jay’s doorsteps, he is in the middle of composing a musical. Though the four year old has his eyes, Jay can’t be sure this isn’t a scam. He believes his dead wife took steps to rid herself of the child. A need for his assistance to help with childcare while she works is Maria’s reason for arriving in Fern Lake. She also believes her nephew should know his father. Can Jay accept and learn to love his child and deal with the attraction to a woman who physically looks like his dead wife? Can Maria deal with his trust issues and a threat from her own family?

To Buy MELODIC DREAMS go to: Melodic Dreams (Moon Child)  

You can find Janet on Twitter JanetL717
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com/ 
Website http://janetlanewalters.com/home 
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_fbid=113639528680724

Thanks for checking out Janet and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions, Janet will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book. 

Monday, April 28, 2014

DO YOU WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW?

For years people always said “Write what you know.”  

I’m sure people must have said that to you at sometime. My problem is I write murder and suspense. Personally I don’t know anything about that, and I wasn’t prepared to go out and stalk someone or kill them.

So I do research. I take workshops at conferences with FBI, Police, Coroners, etc. and also online. I have books on WITSEC, The Body Farm, serial killers, forensics and poisons, just to name a few. I use Google and research online for information on murder and also for settings. You can find almost anything about a town or city or the area. And you can also ask about things on loops and get great information.

I asked a friend who writes historical, didn’t she find she had to do a lot of research. She laughed and said once you had the basics for a period in time – clothing, food, customs and language it didn’t change a lot. She said she couldn’t write contemporary because of the amount of research involved.  And she’s right. Things keep changing. A few years ago no one had cell phones and tablets.

So – do you write what you know? Do you do research?  Do you go to the library to do research? Or do you do most of your research online? Or maybe you’re lucky enough to travel to all your settings.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on research for today’s writer.

Friday, April 25, 2014

You Want to Throw the Book Against the Wall – Why?

 
 
Welcome to our Round Rhobin where we all post our thoughts on the same topic. I love reading everyone else’s take on the topic. It amazes me how we can all come at it from so many different viewpoints. I always learn something from everyone’s blog. I’m off to see that the rest of our group has to say. I hope you enjoy my post.

Has this ever happened to you?
You loved the blurb. The first page sounded interesting. You bought the book.

You took it home, excited to be drawn into the story and spend the next few hours with characters you loved, following them on their journey.  (Or if it’s an e-book, you curl up in your most comfy place with your e-reader expecting the same experience.)

You read the first few pages.
Okay, not quite what you expected but maybe it will get better. You force yourself to read another chapter. Hope is fading. How did this book ever get published?

There must be some redeeming features. You paid for the book so you plow through a few more pages and then (if it’s a paper book) throw it against the wall, stomp on it and go find another book.

Why? What were the reasons you couldn’t finish the book? What happened to the promise to carry you off into a wonderful read?
 
This has happened to me. There are many reasons why a book disappoints. You might not relate to the characters and find you don’t care what happens to them, or the characters are “to stupid to live.” You know – there’s a killer in the house and the heroine decides to look for him herself and goes down into the dark basement alone. Arghh!
 
Or maybe the story doesn’t start in the right place and you have pages and pages of back story. You know what her mother had for breakfast and that the heroine painted her toe nails pink.  Or here might be too much detail and description. There are pages of furniture, curtain styles and patterns, flowers or details of each course of food eaten.  You’re either falling asleep or banging you head against the wall. (Okay, I’m exaggerating a little, but you know the books I mean.) And none of these details move the story forward.
 
Maybe there’s little or no conflict or the conflict could be resolved if the h/h sit down and talk to each other. The end – and it’s only page 10, but no, the author won’t let them talk and the story continues to drag on.
 
I could probably think of a few more things but I’d rather here what drives you crazy and could make you throw the book against the wall. Why do you quit reading a book before you finish it?
 
Now please check out the rest of our wonderful group and their blogs about why they might throw that book against the wall. Next up is Rhobin Courtright - http://rhobinleecourtright.com
Check them all out.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

5 SECRETS (What No One Knows About My Book)

Our guest author today is Angela Smith, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.


During her senior year in high school, Angela Smith was dubbed most likely to write a novel, and that has been her dream ever since her mother read Brer Rabbit to her and her sister so often that they were able to recite it back to each other before actually learning to read. She’s always enjoyed stories about the adventure of love, and getting involved in the legal field developed her love of suspense. A certified paralegal, work gives her perfect fodder for her romantic suspense stories. When not caring for her small farm or spending time with her husband of two decades, she enjoys creating, reading, and dreaming of the places she’ll visit one day.

FATAL SNAG

1. My husband gave me the idea of the groom being kidnapped at his own wedding. Of course, he thought someone should die and I argued that I couldn’t allow a hero, or past hero, to die in my second book.
2. I tend to add tidbits in my stories about things that interest me, For instance I have always been infatuated with Native American history. I used to write book reports on American Indians and read just about every American Indian romance novel back in my younger years. Although Fatal Snag is not an American Indian romance, Chayton learns about his Sioux heritage and meets his mother for the first time.

3. I had to re-write the last climatic scene during the editing process with my editor and it is not the original I had written. It is better, though.
4. Fatal Snag is the 2nd in a stand-alone series and the characters in this novel were first introduced in Burn on the Western Slope.
5. Fatal Snag was not the original title of this story before I submitted. I had a long list of possible titles and had originally intended to l keep my standalone series with similar titles, but Fatal Snag overtook all the others.


Blurb for Fatal Snag

Hollywood fashion consultant Naomi Fisher is happy to use her obsessive-compulsive planning to assist with her cousin's wedding, but her history with the sexy and sullen Chayton Chambers, the groom’s brother, terrifies her. When the groom is kidnapped at his own wedding, Chayton and Naomi rush to find an important relic to satisfy the ransom before her cousin becomes a widow before a bride. Naomi trades garters for guns as survival, and love becomes a deadly game impossible to resist.

To Buy A Fatal Snag go to:
Crimson Romance: http://goo.gl/84nFbt
Amazon:  http://ASIN.cc/sPcNqL
Barnes and Noble: http://www.bn.com/s/9781440580628
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781440580628

You can contact Angela at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAngelaSmith
Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelaswriter
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173505.Angela_Smith
Website: http://www.loveisamystery.com
Blog: http://www.loveisamystery.com/my-blog
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/authorangelasmith
Email: angela@loveisamystery.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/104911226706379689979/posts?partnerid=gplp0
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/asmithauthor/
Crimson Romance: http://www.crimsonromance.com/crimson-romance-ebooks/crimson-romance-books-by-author/angela-smith/

Thanks for checking out Angela and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions Angela will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book. 

Monday, April 21, 2014

HAPPY 88TH BIRTHDAY, QUEEN ELIZABETH II

April 21st is the actual birthday of our beloved HRH Queen Elizabeth II. She was born in 1926. She also celebrates an official birthday on a Saturday in June, which she will celebrate publicly. At 88 years of age she continues to rule our country along with her consort and husband, HRH, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is almost 93 years of age. She celebrated her birthday today quietly at home.

By now most of you know I’m Canadian. Instead of a President we have a Prime Minister and the monarchy. Our present queen is Queen Elizabeth II, who became our queen on Feb 6, 1952 and has ruled for 62 years. Her representative is the Governor General of Canada at the federal level and by a Lieutenant Governor in each of the ten provinces. The prime minister and the ministers in his cabinet are all appointed by the Governor General on behalf of Queen Elizabeth.

In the political world, our Queen doesn't do that much - she's not supposed to. She's the personification of Canada and remains neutral on political matters.

The Queen herself has a very personal involvement with Canada. This involvement is based on a deeply held affection for and loyalty to a country that she first toured as Princess Elizabeth in 1951 and to which she has returned over twenty times since. She has often stated that it was her 'second home', feeling totally at ease in Canada, meeting as many Canadians as possible from all walks of life and backgrounds in the communities where they live.

The Queen retains a special relationship with The Canadian Armed Forces, acting as Colonel-in-Chief of various regiments.

Another form of involvement is her support for the work of Canadian charities and public organisation such as the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Nurses' Association, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Royal Canadian Humane Association, and Save the Children - Canada.

While there are some who feel we should separate from the monarchy, most Canadians, myself included, love our beloved Queen Elizabeth II.

              Happy Birthday, Your Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.
 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

5 SECRETS (What No One Knows About My Book)

Our guest author today is Joanne Myers, who is going to share some tidbits about the writing of her book that no one knows--until today.

I have been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint. My original canvas paintings, can be found at: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com                                               

When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dog Jasmine, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill's Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams. 

LOVES, MYTHS AND MONSTER (an anthology of 11 stories)
5 Secrets (and more) from each of the anthology stories

-For my fantasy stories, I used my love for monster movies to contrive a collection of unusual tales of mystery, danger, twists and turns. My love for monsters came from my childhood, from watching Count Drakula and Werewolf movies.
-Welcome To Anna came from my love of the Twilight Trilogy. Instead of the leading lady being pursued by a vampire and a werewolf as in Twilight, the leading lady in Welcome to Anna, is pursued by a Chupracabra; a large hideous creature that transforms between being a coyote and a beast that kills at will. What happens next is a series of chilling mysteries, and unsuspecting friendships and love.
-The Hunter's Bride was derived from searching the Internet on various legends and myths from different countries.
-Moon People came from my imagination of how I believe Mermaids came to exist. Since they are part human, I imaged superior beings living on the Moon, and one fell off, landing in the Earth’s ocean, and being swallowed by a passing fish.
-he Pack is my version of how werewolves evolved.
-he Bidding I got from watching an episode of The Twilight Zone as a child. It takes place in Circleville, an actual town in Ohio, close to my home.
-The Agreement takes place in Roseville, an actual small town in Ohio. I thought it would be interesting to find out what happens to an arrogant city slicker when he meets a no-nonsense country sheriff.
-For The Love Of Ginnie, a tale of adventure, and a roller coaster ride of joy and perils for the hero. was conjured up by my love of American history and the Civil War.
-Is It Only A Myth? With the legends, myths, movies made of it, and reported sightings of this elusive but deadly creature half man/bat/rat, I had to write about the Mothman.
-The Proposition - I wrote this tale of love conquers all, because I love cowboys, and strong minded women.
-The House On Shady Lane is based on historical facts of a family from the 1870’s believed to be the country’s first serial killer family. They were even hunted by the famous Pickerington Detective Agency.
-Love's Curse takes place in a real town famous for local resident John Holmes, the King of Porn, and of the local college’s actual mascot.


Excerpt from For the Love of Ginnie from LOVES, MYTHS AND MONSTER:

I don’t know why I wanted to save the life of a person I never
met.
Maybe it was because I was tired of bachelorhood. Maybe
 it was because I was a chemist and the unusual, and                                 unexplained, fascinated me. Or, maybe, it was because I was                 obsessed with this twenty-year-old, dark-haired beauty named                    Mary Virginia “Ginnie” Wade I had read about.                          
These questions filtered through my mind as I drove to the bar
to meet my best friend Will.  Will’s favorite hangout was “The
Bling,” originally an old truck stop on State Route 93, in                     Nelsonville, Ohio. The place became a restaurant/lounge/                           dance hall and brothel when semis no longer became a necessity                   for long distance hauling. The invention of the transporter also replaced
many other primitive jobs such as mail delivery and travel. 

"The Bling” was best known for the large flashing lights suggesting
scantily clad women in seductive positions above the front
entrance, and its “bulldogs,” monster-sized bouncers in 

Armani suits who patrolled its two-block perimeter, inside and out.
 “The Bling,” just another joint with a sleazy atmosphere, like
all alcohol-serving establishments, differed only in that it
catered exclusively to class “A” clientele. Politely—or maybe
not so politely—everyone called it the “Whorehouse for the
rich and bored.” Its reputation grew. Its income grew

even faster. 
I pulled up in front and exited my vintage DeLorian, tossing
the keys to the baby-faced valet, by-passed the doorman
with no questions asked. Just an exchange of large smiles
between us. Will was also part-owner.  

As I entered the twenty-four carat gold, electronic doors, Will
immediately spotted me and motioned me toward the bar
with
his diamond embellished hand.
I loved sitting at the bar. It was the perfect place to see the
shows. “Two double scotches and water,” Will said, as we
shook hands, and I slid into my seat beside him, just as the
tall, leggy waitress produced the drinks in an instant. I
immediately recognized the “girl” as one of the latest “do-
everything-like-a-wife” robotics. Robot manufacturing had
become a booming business since the last war destroyed
the immune and reproductive systems in most humans,
especially females.                                                                                       “I don’t know why you waste your time flirting with 

non-humans,” I said, cautiously sipping my drink. The                      immense emptiness of not being able to acquire a wife and soul mate,               I felt at this age in my life, almost drove me to alcoholism, but
my boss and mentor, Doctor Obar Gabry, intervened, saving
my life and promising career. 

“Because, dear friend,” Will began, “beggars can’t be
choosey, and ladies are in scarce supply. Beside, these
‘girls’ are all pink inside.” 

Ugh!” I said, gulping down a large swallow of alcohol as if
it could wash away my friend’s vile mental picture from my
mind. 

“Come on, Alex, loosen up. Live a little.” Will motioned to
the waitress for another round of drinks. “You’re alive, so
act like it. Don’t let your beautiful mind go to waste. This
world needs people like you. People started treating me
like a god once I became an entrepreneur, and I love it.” 

I had to laugh. Maybe my self-pity stage had outlived its
use. Only I can find a wife for myself. I certainly won’t ask
Will to hook me up. His sense of values are as artificial as
the women he beds. 

The pain and loneliness I felt at times from yearning for a
life-long partner and family wasn’t easy to accomplish.
Scientific and Medical technology still could not reverse the
sterilization effects on the female species. 

Sure there were some human women to date. But most
were either sterile, too old, too young, or there was just
no chemistry between the two of us. I wanted that spark
that unites between two people madly in love...like my
parents. I never met any couple happier with one another
then my beloved parents. That’s the kind of love I want…
never ending. 

The emptiness and frustration of not finding companionship
at times made me want to die. But that was the loneliness
talking. I know that now. I love life. I want to live, and I
know who I want for a wife. It’s just that meeting her
would be a little tricky. 

Abruptly, I asked, “What do you think about time travel?” 
“Are you serious?” Will asked. “Scientists have tried to
conquer time travel for hundreds of years, and failed.” 

"Maybe they failed because they weren’t Doctor Gabry
and me.” 

Will looked at me in awe. “Oh, my god, you’re serious!”                                   "We discovered something today in the lab,” I said, giving
him an arrogant smile. “We believe this is the answer.”
“So who is to be the Guinea pig?”
“Me.”                                                                                                    Silence came from Will, then a gasp.
“That could be suicide.”                   
“Or the biggest discovery of the thirtieth century." 



 To Buy Love, Myths and Monster go to:
MELANGE IN PRINT AND EBOOK:
http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/LMM.html
LULU in print
http://www.lulu.com/shop/joanne-myers/loves-myths-and-monsters/paperback/product-21546632.html
AMAZON KINDLE STORE
http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Myths-Monsters-Collection-Urban-ebook/dp/B00JL3J4P4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1397151617&sr=1-1&keywords=Loves%2C+Myths+and+Monsters


You can find Joanna on https://www.facebook.com/pages/JoAnne-Myers/102807546537783
https://twitter.com/Joanne_Myers

Thanks for checking out Joanna and her secrets. If you have any comments or questions Joanna will be around to answer them today.

And don’t forget to check back next Thursday to find out even more author secrets about their book.