Finding Ideas by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #writing #ideas

 

Before a writer can create a book, there must be an idea. I've written a number of books using Katherine Miller and Robespierre. Then the ideas for more stories about her dried up and so I retired her. Then one night as I was falling asleep, and thinking over all the political news and trying to calm myself, an idea. How about involving Katherine in some kind of politics. After all, she is now married to a rich man who might move in those circles.

I tossed this idea around for a bit and knew I really didn't know enough about politicians on the national level of government or even the state area. Put the idea aside for a time. Slowly, I began to think about the mayor of Katherine's town. Yes, I decided. Let's think this over. So I thought and went from her being the mayor's friend and his political rival being the victim of the crime. That didn't suit me. So I put the idea aside.

As I was falling asleep one night, I heard this voice speak. "What do you mean there'll be no Halloween Parade this year." These words began to form other ideas. The COVID epidemic has been declared over in the acute phase. What if the mayor decided not to start the tradition of the Halloween parade now people could move about. This brought to mind Katherine's neighbor and friend, the one with children and foster children. She would certainly be upset about no parade since her children always dressed for the parade and theyhad won a contest one year.

Slowly the ideas came together and I've outlined the plot for Murder and Iced Tea with some new and many old characters. The overweight mayor has a token wife, one daughter who avoids him and a son who thinks father is always right. The mayor also has a friend who acts as a bodyguard. This cast of characters is slowly forming scenes in my head. Someday the book will be written.

All this thought gave me an idea for another mystery series. But that's for another day.

Happy Anniversary - Murder and Mint Tea by Janet Lane Walters #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #mystery #25 years #Robespierre

 

Though today is Saint Patrick's Day and i'm wishing all those who are Irish and who are Irish today, I have another these for the blog.  Twenty-five years ago Murder and Mint Tea was published. Katherine and Robespierre are still out there for people to read and this is happening.

I remember the day when I first saw the electronic version of Murder and mInt Tea. Wow, I thought. We made it. The search for an editor had taken a few years of sending the mss out and being rejected, mostly kindly but sometimes not. I had discovered electronic publishing and found a publisher. Then came the fun of promoting and also looking for reviews.

The first review was rewarding. I don't know the name of the magazine any longer but I do remember the first few words. Move over  Miss Marple and Jessica Fletcher, Katherin Miller is in town. That really gave me chills since I enjoyed both of the above sleuths.

Murder and Mint Tea is either loved or hated by the readers. Though there are more favorable reviews than unfavorable, I enjoy reading both once. This book has earned me money every year for those twenty-five. I've not kept a running total but I've been pleased.

Katherine and Robespierre ahve gone on to enjoy other visits and there's one more she's toying with. Not sure when she'll give me the murderer so I can write the book. Here's a hint. The victim is the town's mayor. COVID has lessened but he decides the village won't have their Halloween Parade this year as well as the COVID years. Needless to say there are many people who don't like his decision.

So once again, happy anniversary to Murder and Mint Tea. Twenty-five years and still counting. One little bit of information, Katherine retired from the hospital at sixty-two. If she existed in reality, she would now be sixty-seven the age I'll be on my next birthday.

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

Series and How They Began

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.



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.