Showing posts with label series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label series. Show all posts

Monday, July 17, 2023

The Characters in the Stories by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #characters


 Once the Idea is in order and the Plot is decided upon, the characters must be found for your stories. There are a number of ways characters have ventured into my stories. The oddest one happened about a month ago. As I was falling asleep, a voice spoke in my head. "Hi. I'm Valentina Heartly. With a name like that I should write a romance novel." I haven't found a story for her as yet but the ideas are slowly forming.



Often when developing characters, I use Astrology. Now I don't cast their entire charts but I look at the Sun sign, the Moon sign and the Rising sign and combine these to make a person come to life. Then I use one of the many baby name books to find the right name.



Sometimes the characters are well established and are part of a series. At present I'm working on Murder and Iced tea staring Katherine Miller, now married. Along with Robespierre, he Maine Coon cat, I know her almost as well as I know myself. This time I am using many of the characters from the other stories in the series. There are also new ones. There's the Mayor, his wife, his two children and his "yes" man.



I once found a character in a research book on Egypt from a single sentence. "Mermeshu was his name." Amazingly he took form and set forth on a time travel story.

How do you find and name your characters? Sometimes, for me, this takes the msot time but I love Plots and they come fairly easy.

My Places

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 https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f

bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

A Lit Interrogation of My Co-Author by Vanessa C. Hawkins

 

 

 Vanessa Hawkins Author Page


      My bad. I forgot to post last month. But I have good news! I've finally gotten around to interviewing my co-author: Tara Woodworth! You know... that *other* name on a few of my book covers? She's real! And after a few libations, what started as an interrogation ended in a character development and shenanigans that somehow mapped out book 3...


Are you curious? Of course you are! So without further ado, here is our interview, which she may or may not remember having... 


 1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, Tara? (This is a boring arse question, I know, but bear with me, it gets better)!

Tara: When my friend Vanessa sent me a text message saying that we should write a book. 

*interviewers footnote* We used to write together back and forth. Some call it RP. Some of it was crap. The bulk of Shad and Scarlet was pretty good.


2. How long does it take you to write a book?

Tara: *she blinks and tries to ask me the same question. I tell her it is not I who is being interviewed* About a year depending on how often we write, which is about two or three days a week for a few hours per session. Right?

*interviewers footnote* This is correct.


3. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? 

Tara: Sometimes I lay awake at night thinking about a conversation between characters or how a scene will play out until I fall asleep. 


4. What does your family think of your writing? 

Tara: They think it's great, but they also don't think of me as a real writer because I'm writing fiction/fantasy

*interviewers footnote* Cries** So true...


5. Do you have plans to ever write a book on your own or with another author besides me?

Tara: *She is of course thinking: No way! Vanessa is the best there is! How could I possibly think of writing with anyone other than this amazing genius of fiction and fantasy?* 

What she says: I mi-i-i-ight write a book on my own eventually, but I have no plans to write anything with any other authors. I won't talk about my idea though, or I'll lose my gumption to write on my own, so don't ask about it!


6. Hardest thing about writing with Vanessa C. Hawkins (if any :D) Did I ever frustrate you to no end?

Tara: Vanessa spells pajamas weird and uses weird colloquillisms that I edit out when she isn't looking...

*interviewers footnote* Yeah well, I edit all your adverbs out. Tara is an adverb queen. Also, it's spelled pyjamas. *sticks out tongue*   


7.If you could meet any character in Ballroom Riot which one would it be? 

Tara: Shad. Coz he's a dragon. 


8. Let's talk about Shad. If he could, for whatever reason, only keep one thing from his hoard, what would it be and why? 

Tara: Shad would be so heartbroken that I can't even picture how he would react. He probably has a dragon bug out bag that contains his most precious treasures. So... like, a necklace with the most expensive diamonds, or something with a giant gemstone. Whatever it was with the most monetary value. But if he is thinking of Scarlet as part of his hoard, then he'd take her...

*interviewers footnote* and probably whine about it later...


9. How would Shad break up with someone? 

Tara: He wouldn't. He'd always be the person who was broken up with. Maybe... maybe he would ghost a person... maybe... 


10. Would Shad think fart noises were funny?

Tara: What? Omg. No... if Scarlet tooted he wouldn't say anything, he'd probably just pretend it didn't happen. Scarlet probably would though... she's that kind of woman, and if Shad farted she'd tease him endlessly... if she wasn't blown away by noxious dragon gas.


11.  What would Shad think was the most annoying thing about Scarlet? 

Tara: When Scarlet gets mad at him, she walks too fast on purpose so he has to hobble to keep up. That's annoying... but also, despite being a graceful and loving person, she'll take out something with packaging, open it, use it, and leave the packaging wherever in the hell is convienent for her! She doesn't throw it out! Done using these clothes? Wham! Thrown on the back of the couch! Can't find an ashtray? Cigarette butt in the fruit bowl! 

*interviewers footnote* I think we've hit a nerve here...

Well, Tara, thank you for the interview! Before we end though, is there anything else you'd like to say?

Tara (who may or may not have actually said this): Book three is in the works! Hoping for a release of next year or so, but be sure to keep an eye out on the Books We Love webpage or Vanessa's blog for updates! We promise, it won't take ten years for us to write it... we aren't buttheads like... 

Till next time, folks!
 

Friday, April 8, 2022

Holidays by J. S. Marlo

 

 

 

Seasoned Hearts
"Love & Sacrifice #1"
is now available  
click here

 

 
The Red Quilt
"a sweet & uplifting holiday story"
click here




I started a new series titled Fifteen Shades. The series consists of holiday tales inspired by colours. The first book The Red Quilt was released in December 2021. The Red Quilt takes place at Christmas and features fifteen shades of red.


I started the second book. It is supposed to take place during Canadian thanksgiving and feature fifteen shades of blue. Now, in the last few weeks, I’ve been rethinking the setting, so I’ve been looking at other holidays celebrated in my home country.


Valentine’s Day (St. Valentine’s Day):

 

Valentine’s Day celebrates romantic love, friendship, and admiration. It is celebrated on 14 February in over 28 countries. In the Philippines, 14 February is the most common wedding anniversary day.

 

St. Patrick’s Day (The Feast of St. Patrick):

 

St. Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. It is celebrated in more than 50 countries.

 

Easter:

 

Easter is both a pagan and a religious holiday. It is referred to a as a moveable feast. Its date varies according to the calendar originally used (Gregorian vs Julian) and the day of the last full moon (either astronomical or Julian). In Western countries, it can fall on any Sunday between 22 March and 25 April, but in some Eastern parts of the world, it can fall on any Sunday between 4 April and May 8. Around 95 countries celebrate Easter, but traditions vary by countries.

 

Canada Day:

 

Canada Day is celebrated on 1 July.

 

Thanksgiving:

 

Thanksgiving celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year. There are roughly 17 countries that celebrate their own version of
Thanksgiving. The date and traditions varies by countries. In Canada, it is celebrated on the second Monday of October, and in the United States, it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

 

Halloween:

 

Halloween is a combination of pagan and religious rituals, and is believed to be one of the oldest celebrations in the world. It is celebrated toward the end of October/beginning of November (mostly on 31 October and 2 November) in around 40 countries.

 

Remembrance Day:

 

Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed on 11 November throughout the British Commonwealth since the end of WW1. It is also known as Armistice Day or Poppy Day. The day is also marked by war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries.

 

Every year since 1919, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we observe a moment of silence to mark the sacrifice of the many who have fallen in the service of their country, and to acknowledge the courage of those who still serve.


Christmas:

 

Christmas is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. More than two billion people in over 160 countries celebrated Christmas. It is the most celebrated holiday in the world, but the day (see map) and the traditions associated with this holiday vary by countries.

 

New Year:

 

The New Year celebration is a global event with different types of celebration. The Pacific Islands of Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati were the first to welcome 1 January 2022 while Baker and Howland Islands were the last.

 

Happy Spring! Happy Easter! Stay safe!

JS

 



 
 

Thursday, February 17, 2022

February is for Lovers and Chocolate by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #romance books

 

In a curious moment, I started looking at all the series I've written and how many of them are strictly romance. Part of this was done in connection with how many series I've written. There are seven of them but not all are romances. While doing this research, I enjoyed a mug of mocha. Thus the chocolate.

Opposites in Love is the oldest of my series. These stories follow six young women who trained as nurses together. Each story is different but some appear in each others books and each finds their opposite - Astrologically,

Haunted Dreams is from the Moonchild series. There are a variety of careers but all the characters live in the same town. The heroines are all born under the Astrological Sign of Cancer.

Then for a little different take is the Island of Fyre fantasy series. Here each of the heroines belongs to one of the princedoms of the world. There are magical jewels, flying dragons and evil magicians.


Finally comes the Seduction series. The first four books in this series are two sisters and two brothers. The last two of the books belong to friends of the four siblings.

Now, I have other books that could fit into this category but they are trilogies. I don't consider those as series. For me there has to be four.

My Places

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bid=113639528680724

 http://bookswelove.net/

 http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/

 

Buy Mark

https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/



Monday, November 8, 2021

The Red Quilt by J. S. Marlo

 

 

 
The Red Quilt
 
Paperbacks are available now at Amazon
Ebooks will be released on November 15, 2021
To pre-order, click here




As I promised months ago--I know I skipped a few months somewhere--this is the book cover for my newest novel "The Red Quilt", a sweet romantic suspense novel taking place on Prince Edward Island during the Holiday Season.

A book makes a great Christmas gift. It's easy to wrap, and you can place it under the tree or hide it in a stocking...along with a pack of 'happy' tissues.

 How horribly wrong, or right, could a last-minute Christmas trip go? Well...

A last-minute Christmas trip goes horribly wrong for Eli and his five-year-old granddaughter, Ruby. On their way to a Bed and Breakfast on Prince Edward Island after a kitchen fire forced them out of their house, they get caught in a blizzard and end up in the ditch.

Retired Military Nurse, Lana, lives on a potato farm with the ghosts of her husband and son. She welcomes into her home the marooned Eli and the young child he raises alone. The storm outside rages on and problems arise as Eli faces the demons and mistakes of his past, Lana becomes entangled in her neighbors’ illegal activities, and Ruby wishes for something Santa cannot give her.

 

The resulting mix offers hope for a second chance even as it threatens their lives. Can Eli and Lana survive another storm to enjoy the love growing between them? And will Ruby’s wish be granted?

"The Red Quilt" is the first book in my latest series "Fifteen Shades". So, what is the Fifteen Shades Series and  how did I come up with?


The Fifteen Shades Series are holiday tales inspired by colors.
As the mysteries unfold and romance blossoms, intriguing new shades are unveiled.

Way back when I could meet my friends in person, before the pandemic turned me into a hermit, Jody and I were talking about book covers and titles. During our conversation, she made a comment about colors and the different meanings associated with them. It sparked a crazy idea, an idea that has been rattling around my brain ever since. What if I pick a color then introduce a shade of that color in every chapter of my story? The more I thought about the concept, the more interesting it became.


Finding fifteen shades of a color was easy, finding the meaning or origin of each shade involved more research, but finding a storyline in which I could seamlessly lace these different shades together proved challenging.

I was wrapping presents with my little granddaughter last November when inspiration struck. What about a sweet Christmas story with an adorable little girl and a dog? As the story came to life in my mind, a red glow settled over it. I had found the right storyline with the right color.

I wrote The Red Quilt in four months, which is a record speed for me. It is a standalone Christmas novel that will make you feel all good and toasty inside--after many twists and turns.

Next, I will tackle the color blue. A storyline is currently taking shape in my mind, thanks to my son's recent wedding. All the elements aren't in place yet, but I may borrow a minor character from The Red Quilt, and turn him or her into the main character of The Blue Ribbon.

The Red Quilt is available in print at Amazon now & at Barnes & Noble on Nov 15.

The Red Quilt  will be released in ebook on Nov 15, but it can be pre-ordered now at your favorite retailer. To pre-order/purchase, click here.

 Happy Reading & Stay Safe

JS

 


 
 

Saturday, August 17, 2019

What About Series - Janet Lane Walters #BWLPublishing #MFRWAuthor #Series #Writing


What About Series
 Forgotten Dreams (Moonchild Book 5)

I once had a discussion with a friend about trilogies versus series. She believed trilogies were series. I thought series should be beyond three books. Though we never settled the argument, we did talk a lot about series. One of my favorite authors has a long and wonderful series. There’s another book due in this series in January and I did a pre-order for a lot of money. I believe this is book 20 or maybe 21.

During the discussion, we discovered there are many kinds of series. One type focuses on a group of friends and their lives. Many of these are romances.  My series Opposites in Love and the Seduction series fall into this category.
 The Leo-Aquarius Connection (Opposites in Love Book 5)

Opposites in Love and Moonchild series fall into something different. They have Astrological Signs as a foundation. Moonchild also has the same large town or small city, not sure what it is. The use of Affinities in the basis for the YA Series.
 Affinities Escape

Murder and Tea all belong to the same character. So does the YA fantasy series Affinities. But this is many of the characters as they grow and come into their powers.

 Murder and Sweet Tea (Mrs Miller Mysteries Book 6)
So series can be based on a single character and continuing adventures. There are series placed on location. All taking place in the same general area. There are series based on something like astrology, or other like kind of subjects. The great thing about series is keeping them fresh and also knowing when a series might end.

Now some questions I’d like you to give your opinion.

Are trilogies series?
What are your favorite kind of series?
Do you have a series to plug?

Monday, July 17, 2017

Series and How They Began

Murder and Mint Tea (Mrs. Miller Mysteries)


Murder and Mint Tea started the mystery series featuring Katherine Miller, retired nurse and retired church organist. Though she doesn't wait a third career, bodies seem to find her. This began as a short story that was rejected with this comment "This sounds like the synopsis for a novel." I then had to learn how to write novels. For a number of years the short story and the letter sat in my file cabinet gathering dust. Then I found the story and soon had the story broken down to an outline for a book. The book sold well, even had a version on tape. Because of this, I set out to write a second and a third. I'm now working on the sixth to be released when it's done. Murder and Sweet Tea.


The second series I'll talk about is a four book YA written under J. L. Walters. This was a bit different for the start. I tell myself stories as I'm falling asleep. The written plan for the book came to over 100 pages so I knew I had to write what I thought was a trilogy, except it turned into four books. The story followed the coming of age of two sets of twins from the destruction of their home to the ending of the villain.
Product Details


I do have other series but they're not complete. There is the Moon Child series based on six women who have July birthdays and how they meet the men of their lives. The second is Opposites where the opposite signs of the Zodiac women meet the men of their dreams. There is the Seduction series that is complete.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Angel of Lusignan - Myths and history - by Vijaya Schartz

It's always a little sad to write the last book in a long series. I've been working on the Curse of the Lost Isle medieval fantasy series for twenty years, off and on, and Book 8, ANGEL OF LUSIGNAN, will be the last one, bringing Melusine's curse to its conclusion.
curseseries 
In the historical chronology, this book takes place before Beloved Crusader and Damsel of the Hawk (portraying the other two sisters and set during the Crusades), but it is the most well known legend of Melusine, the myth scholars have been studying for centuries... particularly in Europe.

melusine 2 This book is set in Lusignan, the town Melusine created according to legend. Lusignan is also the name of the family she started in Aquitaine. Melusine is first featured in Book 2, PAGAN QUEEN, as a child. She reappears in Book 3 SEDUCING SIGEFROI, Book 4 LADY OF LUXEMBOURG, and Book 5 CHATELAINE OF FOREZ.

Previously, from her Luxembourg family, after marrying Sigefroi, she gave birth to a line of kings and emperors who lived in Germany, Flanders and Austria. In Forez, her initial success was later crushed by religious cleansing.

guydelusignanIn Lusignan, she gives birth to a powerful family. Her descendants Guy of Lusignan and his brother became kings of Jerusalem and Cyprus during the Crusades. Another descendant of hers is the famous and infamous Eleanor of Aquitaine, twice queen, and mother. King Richard mentions more than once the stain upon his family, his evil ancestress through the centuries, the cursed one. That was Melusine.

melusine-basreliefBut beyond the myth and the legend, I wanted to find the heart of these characters. Remembering that history is always written by the victors, and Paganism was crushed by Christendom. So it made sense that the Pagans of the time would be reviled and presented in a negative light, even accused of horrible deeds.

In my research, I strive to peel the layers of superstition to find the truth of these fascinating characters, and bring them to life in a favorable light, with their hopes and struggles. I hope you will enjoy reading their story as much as I enjoyed writing it. 

HAPPY READING!

Vijaya Schartz
  Blasters, Swords, Romance with a Kick
  http://www.vijayaschartz.com
  Amazon - Barnes & Noble - All Romance eBooks -

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

BUILDING A MEDIEVAL CASTLE - by Vijaya Schartz



DAMSEL OF THE HAWK
standalone in the Curse of the Lost Isle medieval fantasy series

99cts for a few more days in kindle
https://amzn.com/B01CH93SNM 

As I am writing the last book in the Curse of the Lost Isle medieval series, ANGEL OF LUSIGNAN (Book 8) set in Aquitaine, I am thoroughly enjoying the research, as much as the story and the characters.



* * * * *

  In the Twelfth Century, castles sprouted all over Europe. In England the first castles were mainly built in a hurry, out of wood, by the Norman invader to secure conquered territory. They were motte and bailey castles, with a keep, earth works, wooden fences and sharp stakes. Later, the keep and walls were rebuilt in stone.




Meanwhile, on the continent, like in Aquitaine, castles were already made of stone. The Romans had built stone roads and forts centuries earlier, leaving solid foundations in prime locations. Just out of the dark ages after the barbarian invasions, the central power fractured into smaller estates, the local lords rebuilt and expanded these stone forts for protection. Not only they fortified their castles, but also their entire cities.

Medieval building technique. Notice the crane.

The new cities and castles were generally built on a promontory, a plateau or a hill, surrounded by water, at an estuary, a confluent, or on a cliff overlooking a river. A body of water protected the castle from attacks by land, but rivers could also be highways for enemies invading by boats. Occasional Viking and Norman raids were still common.

Fortified city and castle of Carcassonne - Southern Aquitaine

The lack of a strong central power also encouraged greedy land owners and bands of rogue knights to appropriate territory by force. Stone walls offered the best protection.

 
Building a castle was expensive and required a great amount of gold to pay the many skilled workers needed for the monumental task. A lord would hire a taskmaster, overseers, a master mason, architects, an army of masons and stone cutters, carpenters, blacksmiths, lead beaters, barrel makers, potters, candle makers, and other craftsmen. He also needed diggers and general workmen, as well as water carriers.

Castle of Lusignan - Aquitaine - Original design

First, the trees around the site would be felled and peeled, then sliced lengthwise to provide lumber for the scaffolding, and the giant beams to support the wooden ceiling of the upper floors. Meanwhile, the stone had to be extracted from the surrounding rock, then cut and chiseled to size. Often the stone was extracted from the excavation for the moat. Secret passages and underground storage rooms and cellars would often be dug from the rock before erecting the walls, with arched ceilings and thick columns to support the edifice above.

Arrow slit in a castle wall

And do not think castles were uncomfortable. Although the external defense walls only had arrow slits, the buildings inside the enclosure had windows to bring in the light. They also had amenities, like giant fireplaces to provide heat during the winter, large kitchens with bread ovens, to cook for hundreds of soldiers, and skilled chefs to prepare meals and special feasts for the nobles. There was wine and cheese aplenty in the cellars.

medieval toilet - or garderobe
 
The castle even had toilets called garderobe, simple sitting holes at the outer side of the wall, allowing automatic disposal of human waste straight down into the moat or the river below, which conveniently eliminated odors.
Castle of Tiffauge - Aquitaine - France
Also important to the castle was a permanent source of fresh water, so if there was no natural spring on the premises, digging a well would constitute a first priority. In case of a siege, the castle must be self-sufficient.

Mock up - castle of Lusignan - Aquitaine - France
 
A great castle would include several courtyards, including one for weapon practice. Also inside the walls would be stables for the horses, a barn for the hay, barracks for the guards and soldiers, sheds and work places for the artisans, blacksmiths, etc. The kitchens would have their own buildings and storage rooms.

Castle of Lusignan - Aquitaine - France
 
Very few of these early stone castles have survived a thousand years of warfare, and those that did survive were updated and modified over the centuries, but we have lithographs and drawings, as well as mock ups to show us what the original construction looked like.

 
Click here to get it in kindle
Start reading the series with the boxed set of the first four novels. Seven are already published, and the last one will be out for the holidays.

From history shrouded in myths, emerges a family of immortal Celtic Ladies, who roam the medieval world in search of salvation from a curse. For centuries, imbued with hereditary gifts, they hide their deadly secret, stirring passions in their wake as they fight the Viking hordes, build mighty castles, send the first knights to the Holy Land, give birth to kings and emperors... but if the Church ever suspects what they really are, they will be hunted, tortured, and burned at the stake. 5 stars on Amazon "Edgy Medieval. Yay!"



Vijaya Schartz
Swords, blasters, romance with a kick
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
Amazon - Barnes & Noble 

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