Decades by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthors #MFRWAuthors

 

Today has allowed me to finish nine decades of living here.  Have enjoyed and not-enjoyed much but overall, it's been great.

Decade 1 1936 to 1946 - Busy time for me growing up, learning how to read and write. Also during this time, I learned how to tell stories as evenings found the neighborhood children gathering on the porch and steps of several houses. We told ghost stories. Also learned Morse code and messaged a friend at night from my porch roof to hers until the neighborhood watch stopped us. This was during WW 2.

Decade 2 1946 - 1956 - The time of learning, Became a nurse and started writing. Moved around a bit with my husband to Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas and back to Pittsburgh. Started a family during these years. Four children. Three by birth, One by adoption.

Decade 3 1956 - 1966 = Moving around a bit . Settled in Nyack a town when i first came to visit a friend knew this was where I must live.

Dcade 4- 1966 - 1976 = Wrote my first novels and went on to pen many more. Children growing up.

Decade 5 1976 - 1986 Mainly writing and joined a group of local writers who became my friends. Group has changed over the years but some have been with us for a long time.

Decade 6 1987 -1997 - A lot of writing and meetings with other writers here or at conferences around the country. Florida, Virginia, California, Chicago among other places

Decade 7 1997 - 2007 - much writing done Children moving and changing their lives.

Decade 8 2007 - 2017 - Mainly writing man making friends with other writers.

Decade 9 2017 - 2026 - Much the same with writing and being with family and friends.

Artificial Intelligence vs. characters coming to life

As most experienced authors will tell you, their characters become old friends and much of the book is nothing more than recording their conversations. Yes, this sounds a little like I should be put on a 72-hour psych hold, but it's true. I have a vision for the book, often in outline form, which provides a sequence of events in the plot. Sometimes that's formal, like a door covered with Post-it notes. making me a "plotter". Other times it's more informal and little more than ideas bouncing around inside my head, making me a "pantser". Whether plotting or flying by the seat of my pants, the character's conversations lead me in unexpected directions. When my son-in-law asked why I didn't use an artifical intelligence program to write my books, the answer was simple: artificial intelligence doesn't know how to bring the characters to life, nor does it know a plot twist to be revealed by a conversation. Nope. AI uses what it's seen. My son-in-law said it can mimic my style, if it scans a few of my books. However, AI doesn't know what it hasn't seen. For instance, in "A Bourbon To Die For" my lead character perceives that a lot of the towns secrets are revealed to a lowly cemetery caretaker who everyone ignores because they think he's a stupid drunk. By treating the caretaker like an accepted member of the community, my protagonist is invited to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He meets a few of the other colorful town characters, but learns little from their meeting chatter. HOWEVER, they go out for coffee and within the kidding and laughter, they key to solving the murder of a local businessman is revealed. It's not an "AHA!" moment. There's a passing comment from a bus driver about seeing the victim's car turning into the site of the murder, as it does most afternoons when the schoolbus driver is passing that location. To be honest, the bus driver doesn't realize he's just revealed a key bit of information. Nor did I understand the value of that tidbit until later in the book. I sincerely doubt the Aritifical Intelligence program would walk through the series of events, and create the group interaction among the AA members which led to that one nugget. I told my son-in-law that story and he mulled it, then explained how I would have to teach the AI program that series of events, provide the backstories of the AA members, and the outcome of their discussion. He nodded emphatically. I said, "If I'm going to do that, why don't I just write the book?" I have a weekly lunch date with a group of friends who became the AA group. I can't imagine how ChatGPT could accumulate the background I've experienced over five or six years of lunch banter, then distill it down into a few pages buried among 320 other pages. Maybe their people can put a microphone in every corner of every North American cafe, then build a hundred data centers to filter, sort, and arrange the conversations to fit a plot. Or, maybe I'll just tap into my experience and use modified versions of what I've heard and learned over several decades. My buddy Gene (a retired bus driver) thought the AA scenes were darned good. He told me he's interviewing people to play him when the book is made into a movie. Check out "A Bourbon to Die For" on the BWL website, or at your local bookstore or on Amazon.Trust me, there's no AI involved, it's all original. https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/p/a-bourbon-to-die-for?rq=dean%20hovey https://www.amazon.com/Bourbon-Die-Doug-Fletcher/dp/0228635764

And so... the end is near, by J.C. Kavanagh

The award-winning Twisted Climb series can be found here: 

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/series/the-twisted-climb

Well, my year's long sailing adventure is coming to an end. 

Am I sad... or relieved? Hmmm.  

I guess it's a bit of both.

Me and my partner, Ian, sailed from our home port in Ontario last July. Since then, we've travelled 6,500 nautical miles (10,461 kms) to the Bahamas and back. Our journey has taken us through Nor'easters, gale-force winds, ocean thunderstorms, dirty/slimy canal locks, hordes of nasty knats, gazillions of biting flies, non-functioning toilets (that was NOT FUN), anchoring and docking systems that failed, etc., etc.

The challenging parts:

Storms. Batten down the hatches! (But check out that water colour :)

What?
Swimming/snorkelling/foil-boarding activities take on a new meaning when you discover
that the Bahamas is famous as the shark capital of the world...  

Winds and winds and more winds. Our boat is the green dot in Bahama's Eleuthera chain of islands. Normal winds are bluish or green in colour. Dark red denotes gale-force winds. The white streaks show the wind direction. Oh, the excitement during those few days!

Beauty after the storm. I've never seen an X-shaped rainbow before.

The best parts:

When we arrived at our destination, well, the stresses caused by weather/boat challenges were overcome by the incredible, natural beauty that is the Bahamas. There, you'll find the bluest blue waters surrounded by the cleanest sandy beaches. The scenery is postcard perfect.  Ahh... you can't help but transition the tension out of your brain, feel it creep across your shoulders, then slither behind your back until it drops between the crack, so to speak. Yes, the Bahamas is truly a slice of paradise on earth.

A Twisted Climb moonscape.

Spectacular sunsets.

Hiking on my favourite island.

Our favourite anchorage in the Exumas.

"Is the tide going to reach my chair?"

Ian caught his first tuna! Do ya think he's happy?

In Canadian waters - the new Gordie Howe bridge is ahead.

We have so many fantastic memories from our adventure and have made so many new friends. It truly was the trip of a lifetime. We are blessed.

Until next time, stay safe, and don't forget to tell the ones you love that you love them.

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - A Bright Darkness (Book 3) Best YA Book FINALIST at Critters Readers Poll 2022
AND
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2) voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Voted Best Local Author, Simcoe County, Ontario, 2021
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young-at-heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh 
www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh
Instagram @authorjckavanagh
https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/series/the-twisted-climb

In Canada:

https://www.amazon.ca/stores/J.C.-Kavanagh/author/B01H0Q9GLA?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

In the U.S.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/J.C.-Kavanagh/author/B01H0Q9GLA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1772905830&sr=8-1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

 

https://www.bookswelove.com/shop/series/the-twisted-climb

Plot Twists

 

Find my books on bookshop.org!

In literature as in life plot twists happen.  Sometimes a character decides what you've mapped out is just not working for them. Sometimes a piece of crucial research throws your plotline off balance. Sometimes a secondary character muscles her way in with dialogue that is just so quirky or sparkling that she demands a larger role or even her own book.

Sometimes life plots and plans go awry too. Our recent summer plans were thrown into the winds when our daughter needed emergency eye surgery, and she needed our care in her recovery and with her active little boy. Family first, of course so...pivot and adjust all plans!

I love reading with my grandson!

Real life and writing life recently converged in a very unwelcome plot twist. My beloved co-author Jude Pittman died suddenly. It's still hard for me to accept that such a force to be reckoned with could be gone from Mother Earth. We were in the middle of working on an historical paranormal book set in Newfoundland, The Ghosts of Bell Island. She was so excited by her plans to write a story centered on someone a lot like herself called Maggie the Charmer. It's now up to me to write the story and dedicate it to my friend, ally and advocate.

Beloved Jude

I hope your plot twists do not stop you from making necessary pivots to keep adding your beauty to the world, dear readers.

My Amazing Research Trip: Day Two by Susan Calder

Please visit my website for author information and to read my earlier blog posts in this series

Our second morning in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, my husband Will and I took a guided walk of the central spa zone. In my historical novel-in-progress, The Water Cure, my protagonist Marie walks this route almost every day. Much of the current landscape would be familiar to Marie. Three of the city's main colonnades have changed little since 1914. They still shelter visitors who drink the local mineral spring water from taps flowing into old basins.  

Mill Colonnade - the city's largest colonnade has 124 Corinthian columns

The Mill Colonnade is a significant setting in my novel-in-progress. Our guide Barbora Volfova said that when the colonnade opened in 1881, many people disliked its classical style. I find the Mill Colonnade impressive but agree the picturesque Park and Market Colonnades might better reflect Karlovy Vary's predominantly baroque architecture. 

Park Colonnade 

Me and Barbora Volfova in front of Karlovy Vary's typical buildings 

Market Colonnade 

Of the city's five original spa buildings, the Elisabeth Spa is the only one that still offers bathing facilities to the public. Today's visitors generally "take the cure" at one of thirty accredited spa hotels that pipe in the mineral water. In my story, Marie works at the Elisabeth Spa, and I was eager to see the inside. Before my trip, I emailed the Elisabeth Spa, explained my writing and research project, and asked if I could view their historical areas. Director Miluše Bartoňková and her assistant Kristína Jabornická generously offered Will and me a tour of the building as well as complementary traditional baths.   

My protagonist Marie gets her first view of her future workplace on her first day in Karlovy Vary. She calls it a palace. Austrian Emperor Franz Josef commissioned the spa building in the early 1900s to honour his late wife Sisi (Elisabeth). 

Marie's first view the Elisabeth Spa

Miluše, Will, me, and Kristína in front of the building 

When Marie goes for her job interview, she glimpses the building's opulent interior. 

Marie's workdays as a bath attendant are spent in the spa's bathing area. I had pictured an enormous room with sculptures and ornate decorations, individual tubs scattered throughout, men on one side of the room, women on the other, soaking in bathing costumes and sometimes chatting with their neighbours. 

It turns out people bathed in plain, private rooms along corridors. Will and I bathed nude, which I gather is the tradition. After our baths, our attendants wrapped us in sheets. We lay on table beds to let the water's warmth seep through us.     

Chairs for waiting your turn in a private room
 

Miluše and Kristína took me to the basement to show me the old equipment for peat baths. These involved immersing your body in warm water infused with peat or mud. 

It all looks yukky to me, but having Marie administer peat baths would add interest to the story.  

Will and I left the Elisabeth Spa by the back entrance as Marie and the other service staff do in The Water Cure. Now I can visualize the outside lane.  

Next, we scouted lodgings for Marie within walking distance of her workplace. Will liked this building. 

I found it too large and luxurious and preferred this simpler lime green home. 

My choice will probably win, since it is my story. 

This day of research/touring provided me with many new images and descriptions for the second draft of my novel-in-progress. The numerous changes required feel daunting, but I'm excited to enrich the story and get things as right as I possibly can.