New Release and A New Move #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Contemporary

NEW RELEASE AND A MOVE

 

Two reasons bring Cancer heroine Janine Rhodes to Fern Lake. The first is the Masters and Doctors program at the nearby university. The second is a letter from a dying woman. Since the courses she takes are weekend ones, she finds a job for the Grantlans a writer and a nurse practitioner caring for their toddler niece they recently adopted. While here, she is able to observe the son she gave up for adoption eight years ago and his attorney father. She is content just to watch until tragedy strikes.

When Virgo Nate Quinn learns about his son’s medical condition, he can barely hold on. Just a year ago, he lost his wife to cancer. His adopted son has become his entire family. When the doctor asks him about the child’s birth parents, he has no idea. He agreed to the adoption but only signed papers and took no other part in the process. Now he needs to locate two people.

Then he learns the identity of his son’s birth mother and knows she has been in the periphery of life. He acts rashly and then must find a way to make amends, especially when he learns more about her.

This beek finished very close to the deadline. The problem was two fold. I became so interested in the story that I forgot to look at the romance and also had a screwy time line. At the beginning of May when I was revising I discovered both problems and had to rewrite all but four chapters. But I finished and the bookis released.

Now for the move. I haven’t left my home of many years. When my husband became very ill, we moved him to what way my study for his bedroom and I migrated to the second floor. This meant many trips up and down the stairs.

When he died in January, the process of moving took a lot of time and with the coronavirus the move was slow. I am now back to my home base and happily learning the new routing. I do miss having the large screen TV across from my recliner but that’s probably a good thing. I don’t waste time watching TV. But my dragons are arrayed above my computer and so is the dreamcatcher, my epee from my fencing days and family pictures.

Tests and Interview for Science - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #Testing group #Sraying home

 

About ten years ago, my husband and I were part of a testing group. The group consisted of normal people older than 70 and those with Alzheimers and other such conditions. The last results I have are from 2012. These tests were fun. I used to call it game day and this happened once a month. I will say I went from average to well above average on some of the tests. My husband and I stopped going when he needed dialysis and wasn’t available to do the tests. I went once alone, though.

What does this have to do with a long phone interview I did? The reason I was called was because this goup of researchers at the Nathan Kline Institute were basing their interviews on the Covid virus and the effect it was having on people. They had done a study of younger people and thought they should look at the elderly. They called and asked if I would participate. “I told them yes.

When the interviewer called, the first thing she asked was about my emotional state with having to stay at home and not seeing people. I told her, I was rather unique as I had a career I was pursuing and that I wrote every day, usually from nine to five. That sort of threw her for a moment.

There were about 7 sections of questions with a variety of ways to answer. Some sections were yes and no, some wanted you to rate from one to I believe five on a scale and some wanted longer answers.

When we finished, she said my answers were very different in many areas that both the younger and older people, especially in the section that dealt with death of others and of one’s self. Not sure why the difference unless it’s because I’m rather a realist and I had recently dealt with the death of a loved one. I remember when she asked me if I ever got angry and of course I do, but she said in the last two weeks. My answer was yes. This was concerning my husband’s pension which he arranged that I would receive after his death. I have been filling out papers since the first week in February. The last form I sent in hopefully is the last one I’ll have to do. The kicker was, If you don’t hear from us in 60 days contact us. That makes this the middle of July.

At the end of the session she asked if I would like to play games at the institute again. I said I would since I’m curious to see if or how much I’ve deteriorated in eight years.

Saluting All Health Care Workers - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor, #MFRWAuthor #Nurses, #Doctors #Respiratory Theripists

Saluting All Health Care Workers

During the past few weeks, we’ve been keeping apart from other people. The nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and other health care workers have been close up and personal with others. As a former nurse, long retired, I can understand how they feel. They are afraid and have to face death after death. This will make a large impact on their lives and how they live when this is over. They are our warriors and deserve our respect and prayers. I’m sending healing thoughts to them and to those they care for.

 Below is one of my medical romances.

March Is For Murder

March Is For Mysteries

 

Though today is St. Patrick’s Day and I have a smidgeon of Irish in my blood, I would rather talk about writing mysteries and suspense. Murder and Mint Tea was my first ebook and still remains one purchased. 1998 is a long life for a book. I did have to do some updating when I reissued the book. House phones and station wagons area thing of the past. So I had to give my heroine a cell phone, something she reluctantly uses and give her friends new rides. I’ve lost track of how many copies of the book were sold over the years but the number is many.

I’ve written only one romantic suspense. Code Blue began as Code Blue but the first publisher changed the name to Obsessions. When Book We Love took over the story we went back to the original title. That pleased me. This is another book that has been around for a long time and has also had some updating. Not enough according to one reader but that’s all right. The interesting thing I discovered is the rough draft of another medical suspense put away after my long ago critique group and some doctor friends were upset with the subject. I’m going to rework this story because I really enjoyed reading what I wrote and so some day you can read Committee of Angels.”

February Is For Romance Ala Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Romance #Medical #Nurses #Doctors

February Is For Romance

 

Most of my books have some romance in them. Many have characters who are in the medical field.  The Doctor’s Dilemma was one where I stepped away from my northeast centered focus and set the action in Texas where I had once lived for several years. This was a fun book to write.

 

Pursuing Doctor West was another fun book to write. I had great fun finding new ways to thwart my heroine, Zelda, in her pursuit.  Most of the time, this story made me laugh as I planned new scenes and turned the tables on the heroine.

The Gemini Sagittarius Connection is another fun book to write. Like the first book on this page, this one has a set of twins. What I really had fun planning was the hero. As a Sagittarian, he can suffer from “foot in mouth” disease and finding ways for him to show this side of his character were fun.

 

All of these books and other’s which are romances visit me at one of these places.

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

 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/

Looking At The New Year - Janet Lane Waltres #Romance #Fantasy #Fire #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor

Looking at the New Year

 

This year began with a release on January first. And I also began the seventh book of the Moon Child series. The rough draft is going well. I don’t know how other writer’s work though sometimes on my blog, they are able to tell me a bit about it.

I am a draft writer and the rough draft is one only a writer can love. I belong to a critique group and reading five to ten pages of what one is working on aloud is done. When I read the pages of a rough draft, the critiques come fast and furious. “There’s no emotion.” “I don’t understand the setting.” Or “Just where are your characters.” These questions will be answered in subsequent drafts. I have one for plot, one for setting, one for characters and one language.

There are times when I wish I could be one of those writers who gets everything down at once. They revise each scene as they go and don’t continue until they are satisfied. I’ve tried this method and I found the story never was written. I need to know the end before I can make sure the beginning works.

I have other friends who just write scenes. They might write a scene from the middle of the book followed by one for the opening. This would never work for me. When they try to explain what they do I really can’t see the purpose. From beginning to end is my way.

On my rough draft I am finally nearing the end. Then I’ll go back and slowly add all I’ve left out. How about you? How do you craft your stories?

My Places

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

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

bid=113639528680724

A Christmas Story -- Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Christmas Story #Children

I wrote this story many years ago. At that time my children were young and I was into reading stories to them. They always asked me to write them a story and so I did.

 

The Urn of Fate

Pedro tossed a stone down the hill and sighed. He felt a tugging at his woolen scarf and turned to stroke Blanca, his pet merino sheep.

“Si, Blanca, soon it will be time to go down but I must think now. Jaime’s coming for a few days. Can you imagine, he’s to be my special friend until next Christmas?”

Pedro put his arm around Blanca and she settled beside him. Christmas hadn’t been good this year. Pedro frowned as he remembered how excited he’d been when his grandmother, Abuela, had picked up the Urn of Fate and started to draw names. Pedro had held his breath.

Last year, Tio Carlos had been his special friend. Tio Carlos had given him Blanca and had taught him many things about being a shepherd.

This year, Abuela had drawn Jaime’s name to be Pedro’s special friend. Pedro wondered what Jaime would give him. Jaime always had his nose in a book.

Pedro had been so disappointed he had run from the room, saying he had to feed Blanca and the chickens. His eyes had burned with tears. Abuela had planned the whole thing but it wouldn’t work. He and Jamie could never be special friends.

“Pedro, Pedro, come quickly,” his mother called.

Pedro rose slowly and untied Blanca’s rope. “We must go, little one.” He and Blanca made their way cautiously down the hill. Blanca was going to lamb soon and Pedro took special care of her. She was his future. Someday, he would have the largest flock of sheep in Spain.

“Pedro, I want you to take some eggs to Abuela.”

“Si, Mamacita,” said Pedro. “First, I must put Blanca in her pen.”

“Let Jaime do that while you gather the eggs.”

Pedro hadn’t noticed Jaime standing in the doorway. “Hello, Jaime,” he said. “I’ll get the eggs and you put Blanca in her pen. Be sure the door is shut.”

“May I pet her?” asked Jaime.

“Sure.”

As the boys started down the hill to their grandmother’s, Jaime said. “Blanca is a merino. I read they produce fine wool.”

Pedro grinned. Maybe Jaime wouldn’t be so bad after all.

When they reached their grandmother’s house, Pedro carried the eggs in. Jaime followed him.

“Good day, Abuela,” said Jaime.

Abuela took the eggs. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m glad Jaime could visit you. It will do you good to be outdoors more, Jaime.”

“Si Abuela,” Jaime said.

“And you, Pedro, Jaime can interest you in books. The schoolmaster has been talking to me.”

“I don’t need books. I’m going to be a shepherd.”

“Some knowledge might help.”

“Si, Abuela,” said Pedro. “Come, Jaime, Mamacita will have supper ready.”

The sky was growing dark and the wind had begun to blow.

“Hurry, Jaime,” said Pedro. “It’s going to snow and Tio Carlos said Blanca might have her lamb any time. I want to be with her.”

“Can you only think of that smelly sheep,” said Jaime. “Tio Carlos always smells like sheep.”

“So will I. I’m going to be a shepherd.”

“And I’m going to be a school teacher.”

When they reached home, Jaime went to the house but Pedro headed for Blanca’s pen. A few minutes alter, he burst into the house. “Blanca’s gone! It’s all your fault, Jaime. The door wasn’t closed tight.” He ran out.

“Pedro, wait for me,” called Jaime. “I’ll help you.” He pulled on his coat and tried to tuck the loose ends of his scarf in as he ran after Jaime. “I’m sorry I didn’t do it right.”

“I should have done it myself,” said Pedro. “Blanca, Blanca!” He tried to follow the tracks Blanca had left.

The wind began to blow and snow swirled through the air. Finally, Pedro stopped and slumped to the ground.

“It’s no use. The wind has hidden her tracks.”

“Pedro,” called Jaime. “Here’s a bit of wool on this bush. We must search like the American Indians do. I studied them in English class. We’ll find her.”

Pedro stumbled after Jaime. Each time Jaime found a new sign of Blanca’s travels, Pedro was amazed. The storm was so thick he could hardly see Jaime.

“I must rest,” Jaime said.

“But look, there’s a big lump in front of those bushes over there.”

Pedro ran forward. “We’ve found her. Oh, Blanca, why did you run away?”

He knelt beside Blanca on the ground.  His eyes widened when he saw the two lambs nestled against her. “Jaime, come quickly. Blanca has two lambs. We must get them home.”

“Pedro,” Jaime screamed.

Pedro turned and saw Jaime lying on the ground. He ran over.

“I tripped on a tree root,” said Jaime. “My ankle hurts. I can’t stand. Now we’ll never get Blanca and her two lambs home.”

“You found Blanca and I will get us home,” said Pedro.

Pedro found some stout branches and put one on either side of Jaime’s injured leg. He tied them with his and Jaime’s scarves. Then he carried Blanca and the lambs to Jaime.

“Put the lambs in your coat to keep them warm while I try to make some kind of sled with some of these pine branches. I’m glad you didn’t take Blanca’s rope off. We can use that.”

After Pedro wove the branches together, he put Jaime and Blanca on the makeshift sled. He tugged on the short rope and started down the hill. The sled bounced over the uneven ground and Pedro thought it might fall apart before they got far. He hoped he could find some shelter for Jaime and Blanca so he could continue home for help.

“Pedro,” said Jaime. “Sheep are soft. Can we be friends?”

“Didn’t the Urn of Fate choose us?” said Pedro. “Maybe you can find me some books about sheep.”

“Pedro, look. There are some lights moving up the hill.”

Pedro looked up. Mamacita must have called men from the village to look for us. We’re almost home, my Blanca, my two lambs and my special friend. Here we are,” he shouted.

The End

Wanderings - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor , #MFRWAuthor #Writing #Reviews

Learning new things can be a real hard and interesting challenge. Lately I’ve been trying to master Book Bub. I’m not sure I have but lately I’ve received a number of new followers. I invested a little bit of money and have new followers every day. I’m going ot do the same for December, I think. I keep trying to recommend books but haven’t done well at that. The problem is time. I have several posts saved to do different things there. I’m not sure what will come of this.

I would rather be writing. I even have a tee shirt that says that and I wear it frequently, especially when something takes me away from my chair and clipboard. As it’s almost Thanksgiving, I will say I’m thankful for having a great publisher and a lot of co-writers whose books I enjoy. There’s also the aide who comes in five morings a week to get my invalid husband ready for be. There’smy granddaughter who helps around the house, my six other grandchildren who I don’t see as often as I would like. My children are part of this.

I’ve also been doing some reviews. They are not wonderful but I never give lower than a four. I think I’ve done what I’ve read for October  and September. I’m working on November as I’ve been reading them.

Now if I could just master all the promotional things out there, I would be pleased.

I’m also thankful for Katherine Miller who starred in my first ebook. Hard to believe that was about 20 years ago.

After You've Sent The Book Off - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #Writing #MFRWAuthor

After You’ve Sent the Manuscript Off.

 

After you’ve sent the manuscript off to the agent or editor, what do you do? Wait patiently for a report of start something new?

Since this is my latest release, I’m already well into the next story. Different sub-genre, This afternoon, I spent time with a friend who is fairly new to writing thought she has published several books. As we sat at a table in the mall waiting for people to ask questions about our organization, we talked about writing.

One thing she said gave me pause. She said she’d finished the edits on the book and sent it off. I asked her if she had started something new. She told me this was the first time she’d been able to do that. Usually when she sends a book out, she sits and waits to hear from all the agents or publishers before she starts on something new.

This sent me thinking about the other new writers I have known. Some of them have written that first book and sent it out. THEN THEY WAITED and waited. A few of them never wrote a second book. I really wonder how many writers wait to hear about the book that’s finished and off to an agent or editor and don’t write something new until they hear from all possible places.

I decided I was the odd one. Even while I was finishing the revisions and such on the first book I wrote, I was thinking about the next one. Now remember the first book I wrote made the journey from the house in a box with return postage included many times. By the time I finally did the very last revision using editor’s suggestions, I had three more books ready to send. Those were the days of snail mail.

These days things are different. Books are submitted electronically and can get a yes or no fairly quickly, most of the time. Still, sometimes it’s months between. Why do writers stay dormant? Puzzles me. My thought is when you type the end, you should have a good idea about what the next bok will be about. I’m at the midpoint of my recent write and I already know the opening lines of what will come next. So send out the book and start at least to plan the next one.

Though not the cover for the next one, this cover is for the first book in the trilogy.

 

Contemporary or Fantasy Janet Lane Walters #MFRWAuthor #BWLAuthor #Fantasy #Contmporary

Fantasy vs Contemporary

 

I recently finished a contemporary romance and am now working on a fantasy. Bothof these books are either part of a series or part of a trilogy. Been thinking about what happens in my head when I enter these worlds. What changes?

When writing contemporary stories, I’m familiar with the world. Much depends on finding a location for the stories but… I generally use a fictitious town I’ve created. One for each group of stories. I seldom use places that exist. Once I did and that was Santa Fe but I only used enough to give a sense of being there.

When writing fantasies, the worlds are completely made up. Here is where creativity and research comes into play. There are features in ancient civilizations that can be turned into fantasy worlds.

So the difference between the two is working with the familiar and with the imagined world.

The characters’ names and language are things that can be different when going between contemporary and fantasy. I try to make the names sound not of this world but I don’t do what some fantasy writers do and mane the names of the characters unable to pronounce. With the language, I try to make things common to the contemporary world easy to identify. Like choca for cholate and kafa for coffee. My entomology and my foreign dictionary often come into play here. In some of my fantasies, things exist that don’t occur here such as bihorns rather like huge horses or dragons.

So slipping from the modern world to the fantasy world means creating things that are unusual and also familiar to people.

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

What About Series

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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?

My year in Books Janet Lane Walters #BWLPublishing #MFRWAuthor #Books #Romance

Another Year

Every July, I sit and try to decide what I’ve accomplished during the past year. For many people, their year begins on January 1^st but mine begins on July 17^th. So I decided to look at what I’ve accomplished as a writer. Not talking about big bucks earned but about the books I’ve been able to write.

 

Forgotten Dreams will be out soon. It’s part of a series and I didn’t realize how long it’s been since I last wrote a book in this series. I believe that was 2015. How did I wait so long but that’s because there were so many other books pushing at my boundaries. There are only 7 books to write in this series so perhaps I’ll concentrate on them this coming year.

Murder and Mint tea came out in audio this year and I was pleased to see this. The book was one of my first and has done well for years. Glad to see it has a new life.

 

Finished up the Island of Fyre series and was a fun book to write since there were four dragons. I’m kind of partial to dragons especially when they talk.

 

This was the first of the ones published during my past year of writing. And finished a series Opposites in Love

Hearing Your Book

Hearing Your Story

 

Recently my book Murder and Mint Tea came out in an audio version. Now I’m the kind or writer who sits and reads out loud the final draft of the mss to make sure there are no awkward places. The problem is that while I’ve been reading aloud, I haven’t been listening to more than pacing and flow. I also have trained to read my words loudly and without expression.

Hearing the book read by a professional reader was a surprising treat. There were times when I wondered if I’d really written those words. Several times I had to look in the print copy and those words were there but somehow they took on a different meaning. Sometimes the meaning was more sinister than I thought and sometimes showing an undertone I hadn’t realized was there.

Many thanks to Virginia Ferguson for her reading skills. Now I’m hoping for more reviews like the one that’s already there from one of the prior editions of the book.

The Value of Blogging - Janet Lane Walters #Blogging #Promotion

The Value of Blogging

 

It’s all about promotion and there are many ways to get your name out there but a lot of them are expensive. Sure you can promote on Twitter and some of the other frees sites but think of the chances someone will see the post about your new release or your back list books. I’ve found blogging is a great way to go.  At present I have three blogs where I post at least once a month. My own, I do every day but I also promote other people there as well. It’s fun meeting new authors and while I might not read all of their books, I’ve found several new authors to read this way. The Books We Love Blog is one of my regular beats as is Sweet and Spicy Divas. Then once a month, I post on another blog. Usually on Marketing For Romance there are opportunities for blog appearances. Now this may seem like a lot but it takes me not long and that’s because I keep the blog posts short. I once read that if they’re over five minutes people won’t read them. Sometimes mine are longer but these are excerpts.

Another opportunity for getting out there is to do the monthly BookHooks on MFRW. This brings more exposure and perhaps a sale or two. This is a blog hop and I let my twitter followers and my followers on Facebook know about my appearances.

I also try to visit the blogs where my friends have been interviewed or featured in another way and leave a comment. I always learn something when I read the blog posts. I also know a little bit of feedback helps boost an author’s spirits. If I’m featured on someone else’s blog, I promote my appearance on the day of the event. Also I try to go in for a few days after the posting and read the comments and give a thanks.

So if you have a chance to blog somewhere, do it. And if you have a blog, think about opening it to other authors. I know some of you do. The trick these days to selling books seems to be exposure.

A Little Romance or a Lot

  

These are the areas where I write and I discovered something while looking at the books. There is romance in all my books. In some, there is a lot and in others, there is little.

Of course the ones titled romances have a lot but there is more to them. Most of my full length novels have something a bit more than just being romances. The romance underlies the other problems and I enjoy writing them.

My cozy mystery series has a romance that begins with just a mention of the romantic interest’s name. Each book the romance grows stronger until they are married. Both being in their sixties and a second marriage for both. The funny thing is I didn’t realize this was a romance until I reached the third book.

Even the YA fantasy series has a bit of romance. While the main characters become great friends, some of the minor characters have a bit of romance.

Why romance to flavor the stories. Probably because I’m a sucker for happy endings.

Rosemary Morris talks with Janet Lane Walters by Rosemary Morris

To learn about Janet Lane Walters and Whispers of Yesteryear click on the cover above.

Whispers from Yesteryear by Janet Lane Walters is the novel I most enjoyed reading this year. The tale slips backward and forward from 1755 to July 2017. The past cast long shades over the lives of twin girls in their next reincarnation and those of those they knew in the past. The author led me by the hand through the ups and downs of their lives. Engrossed in the twin’s story I finished reading it in less than twenty-four hours desperate to find out how the havoc wrought by a heartless villain was resolved.

Janet Lane-Walters has been writing and published since the days of the typewriter. She has 30 plus novels and seven novellas plus four non-fiction books published. Janet lives in the scenic Hudson River valley with her husband, a psychiatrist who has no desire to cure her obsession with writing.
She is the mother of four and the grandmother of five with two children expected to arrive soon from China. Janet writes in a number of genres - Romance from sweet to sensual and from contemporary to fantasy and paranormal. She has published cozy mysteries and medical suspense. She also has a number of YA fantasies published.

Blurb
Not the children.” Willow Carey is awakened by the remnants of a dream she hasn’t had for years. Today she is to return to Indian’s Sorrow, a house she inherited from her aunt. The inheritance has caused a rift with her twin sister. Her father and stepmother have died in an accident. Though she doesn’t want to go to Indian’s Sorrow, she must take charge of her young half-sister and brother.
Reid Talbot, a man she once loved lives near the house with his family. Now a widower, he lives with his sons. Learning to trust him again is difficult but he also has dreams.
Together, they must learn the meaning of the dreams before the whispers of yesteryear destroy their newfound happiness.



I hope you enjoy this taste of Whispers of Yesteryear.

Chapter One
July 1755

Willow Who Bends stood at the entrance of the Long House and stared at the sky. Though the sun shone brightly, to the west dark clouds gathered and carried the threat of a storm like the one she felt inside. She knelt beside the father of her spirit. Corn Dreamer had raised her and taught her the ways of healing. She prayed he would wake but feared he wouldn’t. Sorrow rode the beats of her heart and threatened to spill in a rain of tears.
"Corn Dreamer, must you travel to the spirit world and leave this one behind?" Her voice cracked and she caught a breath to still the ache in her throat. "The men have taken the warriors’ path in answer to Waraghuyagey’s call. The-Man-Who-Understands-Great-Things speaks for the redcoats, those men who want our help. What have we to do with the ones who fail to live in harmony with the land?”
Not all the pale-skinned men, she thought. A smile crossed her face. There was one who often stayed in the village and sat at Corn Dreamer’s feet to learn.
Near a moon ago, a message had come for Hair of Fire. He had left the Long House and journeyed west. A shiver crawled up her spine. Was he safe? In these days, danger rode the currents of the air the way carrion birds circled a kill.
She returned to her teacher’s side and pressed her fingers against his wrist. What had made him fall into sleep yet not sleep? Why did his heart flutter like humming bird wings and then slow. She wished for a way to rouse him for he would know the answer.
"Corn Dreamer, spirit father, medicine man, this woman is not ready for you to leave. What can this one do to help?"
She closed her eyes and sought among the things he had taught her. An answer arose. "This one must go into the forest to gather fresh leaves and bark."
From her sleeping place, she lifted a bark basket by the carrying strap and left the Long House. As she stepped outside, she heard the children’s laughter and the voices of the women raised in the growing chant. The sound chased her sorrow.
Across the clearing, her sister sat with the ones too young to work how hard she tried, she never remembered more than the cry.
She stepped from the shower. After pulling on a blue terry cloth robe, she stripped the bed and stuffed the damp sheets in the hamper.
What had triggered the dream? With the thoroughness of a pathologist seeking the cause of death, she examined the past few days and found no incident that could be called a trigger.
As she made the bed, she recalled the first time she’d dreamed. She’d been sixteen. She and her twin had been at Indian’s Sorrow visiting their aunt. Willow had always loved staying there. This time had been different. One memory lodged in her thoughts.
"Willow, come here. This is so neat." Brooke had opened the gate at the side of the garden.
Willow halted at the opening. She looked beyond her sister. "Get away from the edge."
"I’m fine." Brooke leaned forward. "The rocks look like a giant’s teeth. Come see."
"I can’t."
Brooke laughed. "Chicken."
"Something dreadful happened here."
"And I thought I was the one with the imagination and you were the logical one." Brooke spun around. "I love this place. Do you think Aunt Willow will leave it to us? She doesn’t have kids."
"I don’t..." Willow had turned away. She hadn’t
with the women. Though born of the same mother and on the same day, she and Willow by the Stream had been raised at different fires. On the outside, they wore a single face as reflected in a still pond, but their inner natures were different. As the first born, Willow Who Bends had been given to Corn Dreamer to learn about the ways of medicine and the spirit world. Her sister had been raised as a woman of the clan.
She drank in the sight of her sister. Soon Willow by the Stream would take a husband. That was good and right, but the change would further separate their lives.


July 2017
Chapter Two

"Not the children!"
Willow Carey jerked into a sitting position. Her heart thudded in her chest. Waves of terror flooded her thoughts. She gulped deep breaths of air.
She stared at the familiar surroundings and wondered why the bedroom seemed alien. Like a shroud, the sheet had twisted around her legs. She tugged it free. Her sleep shirt, soaked with perspiration, clung to her skin. She shook her head to dislodge the fragments of the nightmare that had awakened her. Terror, grief and rage had followed her into consciousness. What? Why?
Once her heart rate slowed, she reached for the alarm clock. Too late to go back to sleep and too early to get ready for work. As the effects of the adrenaline rush faded, her sense of uneasiness grew.
She hugged her knees. Once again, she had failed but she couldn’t remember who or how.
Moments later, she stood in the shower. Warm water washed away the sour smell of fear. The nightmare wasn’t new. Six years had passed since the last time the cry had jolted her awake. Always the same urgency and the same surge of emotions. No matter how hard she tried, she never remembered more than the cry.
She stepped from the shower. After pulling on a blue terry cloth robe, she stripped the bed and stuffed the damp sheets in the hamper.
What had triggered the dream? With the thoroughness of a pathologist seeking the cause of death, she examined the past few days and found no incident that could be called a trigger.
As she made the bed, she recalled the first time she’d dreamed. She’d been sixteen. She and her twin had been at Indian’s Sorrow visiting their aunt. Willow had always loved staying there. This time had been different. One memory lodged in her thoughts.
"Willow, come here. This is so neat." Brooke had opened the gate at the side of the garden.
Willow halted at the opening. She looked beyond her sister. "Get away from the edge."
"I’m fine." Brooke leaned forward. "The rocks look like a giant’s teeth. Come see."
"I can’t."
Brooke laughed. "Chicken."
"Something dreadful happened here."
"And I thought I was the one with the imagination and you were the logical one." Brooke spun around. "I love this place.”

www.rosemarymorris.co.uk
http://bookswelove.net/authors/morris-rosemary

Thinking about Books Written #BWLPublishing, #MFRWauthor #Murder

Today, I spent some time thinking of the books I’ve written and how some seem to be like the energizer bunny. They keep going and going. One of these books is Murder and Mint Tea. The book has been around since 1998 and is still selling. There have been some changes in the book but not in the story. I updated it to include minivans rather than station wagons and I gave the heroine a cell phone which she often forgets to use. Rather like the writer here. I once remember an editor wanting to make changes in the book to bring the murder up to the front and have the heroine busily solving the story. I didn’t make that change since then it wouldn’t be my books. The story is sort of Who is going ot kill her? I once had a reviewer write, if she doesn’t die soon, I’m going ot kill her. So in a way, it’s not quite a mystery. But the book continues and so do I.

Amazing to think of all the books I have out there waiting for readers. I’m funny since I don’t count how many there are. I know there are stories still to be told. Hopefully the new ones will have long lives, too. There are a number of other books that have lasted and been updated and continue to go on. That’s one of the great things about being a writer. Age ahs nothing ot do with putting the words on paper as long as the imagination is there.

Imagination is what I do when I begin a story. Right now I’ve been involved with dragons and evil wizards and battles physical and mental. My next story will be a romance. Soon my imagination will travel from a fantasy world to the one I’ve seen around me.

I Have Authoritie, How About You #BWLPublishing #MFRWAuthor #Authoritis #Nursing #Writing

I HAVE AUTHORITIS. WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Years ago when I was a young nurse, I was admitting a patient. When I asked him why he was here, he said I have authoritis. I knew he met arthritis  but the word stuck with me for years. One day when sick with pneumonia and trapped by winter and a third floor attic apartment, my sister-in-law sent me a shopping bag full of books – all nurse romances. She liked them and thought since I was a nurse, so would I. There were perhaps two I really liked, maybe three that were all right, but most of them were not to my taste. The writers knew nothing about nurses, hospital and nursing care. They saw no difference between an aide, a LPN or a registered nurse. That day I decided to embrace the authoritis that had been floating in my unconscious mind for years.

     I sat down and began to write. I’ve always enjoyed playing with words and have been known to add scenes to my supposed dry case studies. I put conversations with the patients in these. My instructors never marked me down but they did note that these weren’t stories I was telling. But they were.

     An itis is a kind of disease. Think of dermatitis. It’s like an itch and so is authoritis. There’s an itch to write down words, turning them into sentences, paragraphs, scenes and chapters. This itch must be scratched regularly. And I do. Sometimes the scenes work and sometimes they need to be reworked.

     The cover for Murder and Mint Tea is one of the first I wrote back then. So was Past Betrayals, Past Loves but that book languished for years as a yellow carbon copy until I decided to rework it.

      Now the spellchecker is telling me this isn’t a word but I know it is. So does anyone who has that itch to write.  I have authoritis. How about you? Are you afflicted, too?