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Monday, January 17, 2022

Being a Blog Host or Guest by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #BlogHost #BlogGuest

I have an active blog eclecticwriter and often have guests. I’ve been guesting on other people’s blogs. Since the first of the year, I’ve been noticing some things about the blogs I’ve visited. They all did something I often do not do. So I’m making a note to let the person pposting to know when their material will go live. Hopefully I’ll remember. Now for some questions from people who have blogs and those who visit other people’s blogs.

How do you promote your own blog when you have guests? Do you let them know? Do you post the appearance on Facebook, Twitter or other places that allow promotion? I try to do them all.

Do you go to your won blog when there’s a visitor and read the comments and make your own if needed? This is something I hope to do better with.

Now for those who are guesting, a few questions. Do you visit the blog and let the author know you’re glad to be there? Do you promote your appearance on sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other places that allow this type of promotion? Do you check periodically for those who have visited and made comments? Do you dialogue with those who have commented?

When I visit, I do promote the blog I’m visiting on the day I appear. I also chack for about a week to see if there are any comments and also to comment if needed.

Other people’s blogs can give you venues and find readers and writers you may not know.

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Wednesday, November 17, 2021

There's a Dragon Watching me by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Dragons #Romance #Fantasy

I've been fascinated by stories of dragons since I was a child. In those days most of the stories made the dragons the creatures the heroes killed. I always thought that was less than wonderful though these dragons usually breathed fire and attacked villages, I always thought there might be some who were wonderful.

Much later I discovered the Pern novels by Anne Mc Caffrey and met dragons I could really like. One day when I was attending a Science Fiction conference, probably thirty or more years ago, I found some cloth dragons and I bought several. At that time I had three grandchildren so I bought three small ones and two large ones. They are now part of the collection on a shelf above my computer.

In the very back you can almost see the very small one my grandson made in nursery school. This was some kind of art one did. The old yellow dragon became the inspiration for the yellow dragon in Dragons of Fyre and also the amber dragon in the Amber Chronicles.

Here's better view of the yellow dragon plus the green one my granddaughter gave me for my last birthday.

There is a dragon lamp that doesn't work since I haven;t put the batteries in. The lightis very dim.\

In the very corner of this picture is the dragon clock along with some glass ones and a very small jade dragon.

I have more but they're for another day since they are ornaments for my Christmas tree. I believe there are about fifteen. So this is just a bit of my study and yoy can't see the cluttered desk.

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Sunday, October 17, 2021

The Front Porch Is Decorated by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Granddaughter #decorating #Halloween

My one book with a Halloween scene. Written for my black adopted daughter andfour of my grandchildren. Wonder when my eldest grannddaughter will undecorate so we can be ready for Christmas.

The last week in September arrived. My granddaughter came downstairs. "The porches in the neighborhood are boring." Not that on our block the ten houses all have porches. Five do and five do not. I just shrugged. "Do you mind if I decorate a bit? she asked. "Go ahead." I thought of something for fall. Well Halloween is fall but what my porch has become since the end of September is quite stunning, I guess. If I can get the pictures to hit this post, you will see what she has done. Halloween is still weeks away. Her furious decorating spree was completed before September ended.

Notice the rose garden still in bloom.

An over view of the entire porch.

The cemetery in the rose garden

Even the front door didn't escape

Creatures taking up space on the furniture,

All the witches brooms. Notice there are two one for her and one for me.

Now the month is half over, she's already planning the Christmas display. I figure before November ends, there will be Christmas on my porch, A big thanks to Ashley for providing me with these many pictures.

If you want to locate me in cyberspace or take a gander at my books, the following will help.

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Friday, September 17, 2021

Treasure or Trash - Partial manuscript found #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Partial Manuscript

Treasure or Trash

When finishing up a manuscript before sending it off, I look through my files at the manuscripts begun and not continued to write. This time I came across one and sat to read the words. I decided this was really good and wondered why all I had was three chapters and a synopsis. This is a book akin to Code Blue, thus the reason for that cover. A medical suspense again hopefully with twist as different as Code Blue.

Not being able to decide whi I’d gone no further, I took the thought to bed with me. With a blinding flash, the reason came to me. Committee of Angels came about in a number of ways that fit together like a tapestry being woven.

The first thought was because of an article I read that opened with these lines. 5 to 10 percent of the physicians in this country are unfit to practice medicine. For days those words percolated. At the time I was working at a local hospital as a nurse. Several times I ran into situations where I realized the doctor was incompetent. So did my colleagues. We spent several lunch times in the break room talking about the latest incident. This was added to what was simmering in my head.

That year I went to a writer’s conference and managed to snag an appointment with an editor. We talked about the book I was currently working on but then out of the blue, I thought of Committee. I spoke about the idea behind the book. “Send me three chapters and a synopsis.”

I sat down and finished the mterial for the proposal and sent it off and waited. One day the material came back with a rejection letter I still have in a box with enough rejection letters to paper a room. Here goes.

Your writing is great and the idea is very interesting. I have one problem with the story. One of the nurse characters is frankly a slut. Nurses would never behave the way she has in the story.

I laughed. Having just interrupted a fellow nurse and one of the new doctors making out in the stairwell that afternoon made me wonder about the editor. So I had in the meantime gone on to a different story and I put the partial in my file cabinet and forgot it until I decided I was looking for a new story. I’ve decided to pursue this book and see what I can make of it.

Another little comment about the book. I was talking about the idea at the nurses’ station when I doctor overheard what I was saying. “You can’t write that book,” he declared and stomped off. Since thirty years has passed, I decided to try again.

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Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Let There Be Dragons - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Dragons Collection

Let There Be Dragons

I have been interested in dragons for many years. Not sure why but probably from stories read as a child. Then I discovered books by Anne McCaffrey and I found myself reading book after book about dragons.

One day I went to a science fiction convention across the river from my house and I began my collection of dragons. This was about 25 years ago. My first five were cloth. Two large ones in red and blue and three smaller ones blue green and gray. At that time, I had three grandchildren and bought one for each. They gladly years later gave them to Gram for her shelf.

Collecting has been fun and my friends and family got into the act. I have oriental dragons, wingless and also flying ones with rings. Glass, metal and plastic dragons in various colors and sizes. There is one very small jade dragon a friend gave me. There’s a dragon cloch and a dragon light. Some have gems they are guarding. I even have dragon pens and book marks. There is also one on a chain that’s a necklace. My latest one is a scholar dragon with glasses and a book.

Eleven years ago, I found Christmas tree ornaments that were dragons and of course I bought one and have continued the practice every year. I shared my love of dragons with Jane Toombs, a fellow writer and a fellow BWLAuthor. She had at least one of the Christmas dragons, I sent her one year. I miss her very much.

So every day when I set out writing I look at my dragons and think I’m so glad there are dragons even if they are only in my imagination.

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Saturday, July 17, 2021

Experiment ala Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Mint Tea series #Opposites in Love series

Opposites in Love

THE EXPERIMENT

Jude and I decided to do an experiment with my books. Since I write series, a lot of them we decided to start with one series. The Mint Tea series

So far, the series has done great, especially with my Amazon numbers. Murder and Mint Tea is free and what has happened is the rest of the books are being purchased. Also the number or ratings has climbed and some reviews added. Not all are great but reviews often aren’t.

We have decided to do another series and see what we can do. The Aries Libra Connection is now free everywhere and finally hit Amazon. Now we will see what happens With this grouping.

With some luck they will take the same path that the Mint Tea Series ahs done. Then I will try a third time, this time with one of the fantasy series.

Such a nice birthday present for this 85 year old. Though as I tell the family, I am only one day older than I was yesterday.

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Thursday, June 17, 2021

A Fond Memory #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Memories #Indian reservation

A bit of the past

Many years ago, my husband was a doctor in the Public Health Service. His first assignment was to an Indian Reservation. Not your usual one. On the grounds were the hospital, a meeting place and the houses for the two doctors. I was thinking about this the other day and had to laugh at one of my experiences.

Several young men helped us move in. At that time I had long dark hair, and I do mean long. One of the young men said when you hear the drums at night, they’ll come for your hair. I laughed.

Two nights later, the drums began. The young man came to the house and asked us to come. I knew they weren’t going to take my hair but I was curious as to what they wanted. We took our small son in his little seat and followed. Part of this was a welcome ceremony for my husband. The other was to give gifts to a young man leaving for the army. My son loved the drums and rocked his seat in time to the beating. The women clustered around him. This presented problems later when I would put him outside for some fresh air and sunshine. He tanned easily and the sun bleached his hair blonde. I had to keep a close eye on his because he would be stolen. :The “Blonde Indian,” the pwople called him.

But back to the gift giving. The gifts weren’t given directly to the young amn but made their way through the gift being given to someone who then gave the gift to someone else. Always as a thank you. Finally all ended up with the young man who was leaving. This really impressed em, and I saw how close the community was to each other. I will never forget my time in the small town and the friends I made there and the stories I heard.

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Monday, May 17, 2021

New Book and other news _BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Pre-release #Sale

Haunted Dreams – On Pre-Order plus other news

For some reason I can't get the picture of the cover to copy

Haunted Dreams is available for pre-order. Plus M&MT is now free on Amazon which will hopefully give us a bunch of sales for the other books in the series. Be sure to promote it on your blog posts. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DMVYN5

Haunted Dreams – Blurb:

Rachel Lange is a Cancer and a student in a Master’s program in Child Psychology. Her dreams are haunted by an abusive relationship and by an estrangement from her father, her only close relative.

Zach Majors is an attorney and a Libra. His dreams are haunted by his experience in Afghanistan and by the problems of his young sons, one who has nightmares nearly every night. He has come to Fern Lake to try to help his sons grow and to feel safe.

Between Rachel and Zach, the attraction is instant but they each have problems to overcome before they can think about the future. She has formed a rapport with the angriest of Zach’s sons. Together this pair must find peace within themselves and bring healing to their families.

A BIT FROM THE STORY

“They’re here.” Davey pointed and ran toward the blue sedan.

Rachel turned. Beside her friends, she saw a tall man with blonde hair. He must be Nate’s new partner. She closed her car door and followed Davey.

* * *

Zach walked to where Janine and Nate waited. He watched Davey running toward them. A dark-haired woman followed. Who? He reached the couple. “Where are the trees?”

Nate laughed. “Open your eyes.”

Zach saw rows of trees in the distance. There were none cut for him to choose one.

Davey grasped his hand. “Mr. Majors, see all those rows. You walk to the ones that the trees as tall as you want and pick one. Then a man comes and cuts it down. Didn’t you ever do that?”

Zach nodded. “The only Christmas trees I ever saw for sale were already cut and standing in a lot. How do they know which one you want?”

Nate cocked his head. “The rows are marked by heights.”

“That tells me nothing.”

“I believe you need an eight to nine footer. That’s the size I want. I’ll point them out.”

The dark-haired woman reached them. “Sorry bit I couldn’t keep the impatient one at home. He locked himself in my car. When I tried to program my GPS he read the directions."

“How did he know?” Janine asked.

Davey’s grin widened. “I looked on the internet and printed the directions. I used my little flashlight to read them.” He waved the paper.

“Clever,” Zach said.

Nate groaned. “My fault, I showed him the site.” He turned to his son. “While I admire your cleverness I think there’ll be no computer tomorrow.”

Davey nodded. “That’s fair.” He clasped his father’s hand. “Rachel had to come. She needed a tree so she bought one in a pot. When we come home from Disney I’ll keep it until spring. Then we can plant it.”

Janine turned to her friend. “Good thought. She indicated Zach. “Rachel Lange, meet Zach Majors.”

Zach reached for Rachel’s hand. “Good to meet you.” The moment their fingers touched he felt a jolt that made him catch his breath. He studied her. What had just happened? He forced himself to release her hand. He wasn’t ready for an attraction to any woman.

Rachel stepped back. A few snowflakes sprinkled her dark brown hair. “Have fun finding a tree. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

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Saturday, April 17, 2021

Off With The Old and On With the New - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Haunted Dreams #Incal #Books

Off With The Old – On With The New

Was going to paste the new cover for Haunted Dreams Book 7 of the MoonChild series but I have no clue as to how to do this? Some day before I grow too old to learn new things I’ll master the challenge.

I am into the final typing and adding all the things I forgot to put in during the other drafts. This can be a slow process but I’m half finished. Another week or two and the book will be ready to be send off to the editor. So, it’s off with the old and on to the new.

I write all my drafts by hand but I have what I call writing drafts and reading drafts. The reading drafts look at several things, settings, characters, plot lines and finally language. I end up after each go through with more written comments on the printed pages than typed words. That is an exaggeration but there are always a lot. The final read through may have me making notes to re-write scenes for flow but I enjoy doing this.Then comes the final type. I don’t go in and make the changes in the printed copy but carefully type each word. When I try just adding them in without this retyping process, often they interrupt the flow of the story. This is where I am with Haunted Dreams scheduled for June and I will have it to the editor well before that date.

Now it’s on to the new. Since I’m in typing mode, now, I’ve just finished the planning for Incal, Book 4 of the Moon Rising series. For a month, I’ve been carrying the characters for this quest kind of story when I go to sleep and the pattern of the book has come into being. I am ready to begin the rough draft. I’m rather an odd duct when writing since I have writing drafts done with pen and paper, typing drafts when I type these in and print the pages and reading drafts when I read and put in notes for revisions and re-writing. These drafts are alternated until I finish the book.

Perhaps this is slow but that’s the way I work. I do love the rough drafts but I also enjoy doing the other drafts and hopefully by the time I’ve finished I’ll have tied up all the loose ends and made the story sing.

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Wednesday, March 17, 2021

St. Patrick's Day Parade - Janet Lane Walters 3BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #St. Patrick #Parade

St. Patrick’s Day On Hold

Though today is St. Patrick’s Day there will be no parade in NY City or in the town not far from my house. Though I’ve never gone to the one in the city, I understand it’s quite the affair. The one in the town near where I live is also a fun time. I usually don’t go because it’s too cold but I love watching the pictures in the paper and ones friends have taken. I have a trace of Irish in me but not on the green side. Doesn’t stop me from feeling a bit of festivity on that day. Just heard from my daughter that the parade in Savannah has also been cancelled.

I think of the stories I’ve been told about the country and of how my great-great came to this country and lived in a town called Fall River, Mass. I also had a chance to visit Ireland and spent a few hours in the town where she was born. A rugged hilly area and a small town tucked among the hills in northern Ireland. The greens of the countryside were stunning and the people friendly though at times I had trouble understanding them. Mr friend had a harder time with the language. I still have pictures from that long ago visit.

One of those pictures brings back memories of the collie and how the shephers showed us how the god herded sheep. What a fascinating thing to watch. No voice commands, only hand and body signals were given.

I also remember the rapid tour we took with my friend’s mother seeing so many sights and so much green. The Giant’s Causeway was a magnificent sight and the bus ride on the steep road quite a thrill. So this year, I’ll celebrate by looking at some of those pictures my friend and I took without the parade.

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Wednesday, February 17, 2021

All the Little Chores - Janet Lane Walters @BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Affinities Series #series blurbs

All the Little Chores

Sometimes I forget when I’m writing about all those little chores that seem to creep in. I’m not talking about housework since long ago I relegated that to the status of hobby. A hobby is something you do when you have time. That’s my take.

The little chores that appeared these weeks seem not so much but they had me raking my mind for ideas. Writing blurbs for series. Unfortunately I have a lot some venues seem to consider series. There are eight listed as series. So I began. The first four were fairly easy. It’s the last four I’m struggling with but I will conquer them soon. The covers are for books in the series I’ve done.

Then came another little chore that was to me rather massive. Four of my books are going into a second edition with new covers and under my name rather than J. L. Walters. Sincethese books have been edited before, I thought this would be easy. And it was, sort of. I seemed to have had a questionmark problem. I lost count of the number of question marks omitted in the four books. I’m sure the numbers hit the hundreds. This seems to be a recurring problem with me and one I really must learn to remember how to end a question.

The chores haven’t finished yet but one day, I’ll have them all put aside and will be able to focus on the new story. Hopefully by the time this goes live I’ll be finished.

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Saturday, January 16, 2021

Living With A Rough Draft - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #Rough Draft #twists and Surprises

Living With A Rough Draft

Starting a new story is always an adventure. While I generally have a rough idea of where the story will go, things occur during the writing. I begin with a rough draft and look at what I’ve planned to have happen. Sometimes the story moves flawlessly through the roughing in of the scenes and some times there are little twists and turns that pop up unexpectedly.

My latest book has taken a few of these turns and I write them in as they occur. Soon the rough draft will be finished. Then comes the fun. This time several twists happened and I must when I go back to the beginning find a way to accept or reject them. For this story, I will probably accept most of them. Yes, it’s a romance but it’s also a story of the dreams haunting not only my hero and heroine but at least one of his children. Though I’ve a few more chapters to finish the rough draft, hopefully all the twists have been found.

How about you, do you plan your stories and then sit down and let the words flow and embrace all those strange and new twists never thought of when the idea for the story arose?

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Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Christmas Stockings - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Christmas #Traditions #Stockings

Christmas Stockings

I don’t have any one book completely dedicated to Christmas but Christmas is a feature of the Leo Aquarius Connection. It’s also coming up in my next Moonchild story – Haunted Dreams. But Christmas Stockings is what I’m talking about this month.

My father was a steelworker in Pittsburgh, PA and often during the years after WWII there were strikes and many of them extended over Christmas. In our house, this meant money could be scarce so my parents spent the year finding things to put in the stockings for their children and themselves. My mother loved to knit and so she made us stockings. These were magnificent and able to stretch to massive proportions. Unfortunately most of them have disintegrated over the eyars and I believe there are two and maybe three left. Those were stockings, she mad for my children and not of woolen yarn. Perhaps the kind still have some of them

The tradition continued with my parents filling stockings for children and grandchildren until first my father and then my mother died. I’ve taken on that chore and I really enjoy doing this. Finding odd and different things for each person. Often in all the stockings, there were socks. I still continue this tradition. I stopped sending oranges when the stockings had to be mailed. This was after the year one of the orangers was flattened in the mail.

This year with Covid in the air, and children and grandchildren at a distance, I had to make the stockings to be mailed early. So of the fifteen I do every year, 7 have been sent. The rest will be done on Christmas Eve – maybe a day or two earlier and be around the tree and fireplace for everyone. What I wonder is who will maintain this tradition started when money was scarce when I no longer can.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Thanksgiving This Year - Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Thanksgiving #These Days #Past ones

Thanksgiving This Year

As I was thinking about what to post this month, I had a strange thought. I don’t think I have any of my books that have a Thanksgiving celebration in them. I’ve used Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas but I can’t remember using many other holidays. I’m not sure what that means.

Thanksgiving this year will be a quiet one. There will be family phone calls but there won’t be any family visiting. It’s sad. But I will make dinner. Turkey is a great one. What I’ve done this year is to buy four extra legs. My son and granddaughter who live here are suckers for dark meet, leaving me to eat the white meat. This year’s turkey is a small one. Our grocery store gives a free one but that’s not my choice. We’ll take the turkey they give away to People to People, the local food pantry. Last year, the only one I could find was twenty-one pounds. Some family had a great meal. I usually include other things with the turkey. I’ll be checking to see what I have and what I need to buy.

Would be nice to have an old fashioned Thanksgiving like the ones in the past when we’ve had to add a picnic table to extend the dining room one but one can only remember the past. In these days with this Covid virus rampaging, There are many things to be thankful for and the best is knowing none of my family has been caught by the virus though friends have been. So far no one in my wide circle has died but some have been very ill. They will have my healing thoughts every day and especially on Thanksgiving.

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Friday, October 16, 2020

Past Promotions - Looking Back over the Years #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Promotions #Interviews

Past Promotions

Years ago and we’re talking about many of those years, the first promotion I received for a book sale was in the local newspaper, the Butler Eagle where we lived. I was interviewed by a reporter and the article started out with my sale. That took up two lines. Then the post went on to say I was married to Dr. Walters MD. The next two columns were all about him. I still laugh over this. He was so embarrassed.

The second took place in the same town. It was on a local television station, with phone in calls from listeners. The first thing was make-up. Since I’m very allergic, I brought mine and endured. The session was for two hours and I wasn’t sure how to fill the time. The host began by asking me questions about my writing and about selling my first of three books. We chatted about writing and how I moved from short stories to novels. Then the forum was open for questions. I thought no one would call. Surprisingly there were a number of calls. Some were from my friends but there were some serious called. I found I really enjoyed helping others find ways to write their stories. When the two hours ended, I was exhausted. I also found I’d created a problem. Though I’d worn a pants suit and boots, I wore panty hose. When I reached the house, I discovered this woman who had been complimented for being so calm during the interview had ripped out both feet of the hose. I vowed I would never do this again.

Fast forward a few years, probably fifteen. I was once again asked to do a television interview. This was in a town two and a half hours away. Reluctantly, I agreed. This was not a call in show but I was grilled by a man who thought romance wasn’t real literature. I believe I held my side very well and I challenged him to read one of my books and gave him a copy. Not sure if he read the book But a did receive a nice letter saying I had enlivened his evening.

Would I do this again. Maybe.

By the way the first books of all my series are on sale

Monday, August 17, 2020

Mad Dogs, Englishmen and Me -- Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #Exercise #Dieting

Mad Dogs, Englishmen and Me

Everyone probably knows the rest of that quote. Why me, you ask. It happened about a week ago. In the last eight months I’ve lost fifteen pounds. Well for the past two, I have remained at the same level. I would like to lose a bit more. What to do? The only way to achieve this is to exercise and walk.

Walk to me is boring. But I know I must. Now they say the early bird… You know the rest. I am not a morning oerson. I am awake and my brain works but my body refuses to exercise at that time. I spend the hours from seven AM until around twp PM convincing my self “I can do that.” Therefore, I have cone to grips with the midday sun. But I set forth, increasing the distance every day. My goal is to reach the hook and that’s three miles from my house. I figure in a year or two I will reach that goal. Then the problem will be walking back.

One good thing about doing this walk is I can think about my WIP. That is moving forward. Since the first of July, I’ve planned and now have about finished the rough draft. The total will be 40,000 words and I write tight in the beginning. I figure when I’m finished the book will be somewhere between 50,000 and 90,000 words. So every day, I hit the pavement while the midday sun is high and push myself another hundred steps forward.

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