Featured Author Nancy M. Bell

BWL Featured Author Post   Nancy M Bell
http://bwlpublishing.ca/bell-nancy/

Hello! Welcome to the BWL Publishing Inc. Blog. I’m privileged to be a BWL Publishing Inc. author. It’s a wonderful and supportive publishing house. You can find out more about my titles at BWL Publishing by following this link. http://bwlpublishing.ca/bell-nancy/   There is lots information and buy links to my books.

Right now, I’m working on Book 2 of The Alberta Adventures. Book 1 is Wild Horse Rescue which features Laurel Rowan and friends, she’s the main character from The Cornwall Adventures series. The current series is set in southern Alberta in and around Pincher Creek. My work in progress is Dead Dogs Talk, while Wild Horse Rescue centered around saving a herd of wildies, Dead Dogs Talk delves into the dark realm of dog fighting rings and puppy mills. It’s not all dark and gruesome, but because I work in animal rescue it does deal with helping those who have no voice of their own. There’s some adventure, some romance, some danger…well you get the gist. 

Just to whet your whistle, so to speak, here’s an excerpt from Dead Dogs Talk to be released in September of 2020.

Dead Dogs Talk

©Nancy M Bell 2020

Laurel surveyed the buckskin prairie rolling away from her toward the purple hued Rockies in the distance. She inhaled the familiar scent of dry grain stubble and dust with underlying notes of cool brought on the wind from the west.

“I know it sounds lame, but have you ever seen anything so beautiful?” Laurel turned and spoke to Carly, her best friend.

“I love this time of year. The sky is just so…so…blue and the aspens are all turning gold.” Carly nudged her mare up beside Laurel’s Sam, the saddle leather creaking as she shifted her weight.

Laurel grinned at her. “Let ride down by the river under the trees, the sun’s just about the right angle to turn those leaves all gold and sunstruck.”

The girls turned the horses away from the harvested barley field and followed the worn path along a fence line toward the coulee. The track snaked around and followed the gravel range road before detouring around a stand of aspen crowding the fence near the road. Laurel turned Sam toward the path that dipped down the slope of the coulee.

“Hey, Laurel, wait up!”

Laurel pulled up and twisted in the saddle to see what was holding Carly up. “What’s wrong?” She pivoted Sam on the narrow trail and moved back to where Carly was sitting motionless. “What? You okay?” Laurel drew even with her friend and let Sam halt beside the mare.

“Look…” Carly motioned toward the aspens and low bushes. “Is that what I think it is?” her voice choked off.

“I don’t see…” Laurel nudged Sam a few steps closer and leaned down trying to see what was upsetting Carly. “Oh my God!” She piled off her horse, dropping the reins to ground-tie the gelding. Shoving her way through the tangled bushes, she halted by a bent aspen tree. Tied by its neck to the lowest branch was a brindle dog. Blinking back tears, Laurel reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out her jack knife. Muttering words her father would frown at, she started to saw at the thick rope.

“Who would do something like this?” Carly’s voice trembled as she pushed through the long grass and brush. “The poor thing, I hope it didn’t suffer.” She stuffed a hand against her mouth.

The dog’s head flopped to the side when the rope finally parted, and the limp body collapsed onto the trodden grass. Laurel dropped to her knees and began working at loosening the noose around the thick neck.

“It’s dead, Laurel. What are you doing? Let’s go, we should tell someone. What if whoever did this comes back?” Carly started edging back toward the horses.

“I don’t care! The least we can do is take this damned rope off her.” She pulled the noose free and sat back on her heels. “Poor baby. Look at the scars on her face, and the wounds all over her. Makes me so mad I could just spit.”

“Shit!” The limp body gave a shuddering convulsion and the unfocussed eyes fluttered. Laurel scrambled backward. “Carly, she’s alive! The dog is still alive. Come help me.”

“We should go and get help, Laurel. What if the thing is vicious? Or has rabies?” Carly hesitated at the edge of the trees.

“We can’t leave her like this. She might run off before we can get back once she’s recovered a bit. She needs a vet. And we need to take pictures of everything. Damn, I should have thought of that before I touched anything.” Laurel pulled her phone out of her pocket and took pictures of the rope and the dog and the area while keeping an eye on the dog who panted in rasping breaths. “Keep breathing, girl. Keep breathing.” She edged closed to the dog, reached out cautiously and straightened out a front leg that was twisted under a broken tree limb. The dog lifted her head and Laurel froze with her hand still on the leg.

“Get back!” Carly’s voice was shrill.

“It’s fine, she’s not even growling. I think she’s too weak to do much more than lie there.”

“Now what do we do? It’s getting late, you know. Look at the sun.” Carly waved an arm toward the western horizon where the sun hovered a hand’s width above the shorn barley.

“Call Chance. He can bring the truck.” Laurel released the dog’s leg and stood up.

“I don’t know if he’ll even come,” Carly was doubtful. “You know how he gets.”

“Call him, will you? I’m going to call Dr. Sam and let him know we’re bringing in an injured dog.” Laurel scrolled through her phone to the vet’s number. She glanced at Carly and scowled. “Call your damn brother, Carly. If he says no, we’ll figure something else out. He can’t bite you over the phone.”

“Hi Marg,” she responded when the vet’s receptionist picked up the phone. “It’s Laurel Rowan. I’ve got an injured dog that’s in pretty bad shape here.” She paused to listen. “No, no, not one of mine. Carly and I found this dog while we were out riding. It’s in pretty bad shape, she was tied to a tree, half strangled and looks like she’s been in a fight. What? No, there’s no one around that we saw. As soon as we can get a ride, I’ll bring her in. Thanks.” Laurel ended the call and shoved the phone back in her pocket.

“Chance is coming.” Carly joined her under the aspens.

“Good. Hey, did you bring any water? I bet she’s dehydrated.” Laurel squatted beside the dog again and reached out a hand. When the big dog did nothing more than roll an eye toward her, she stroked the dog’s shoulder. Running her hand gently over the ribs and down her spine, Laurel’s gut clenched. Her exploring fingers found bumps and contusions, along with matted blood and open wounds. “Hey baby girl, it’s okay now. We got you,” she murmured.

“Here.” Carly shoved a half full bottle of water at Laurel. “It’s all I’ve got on me.” She hesitated before kneeling beside Laurel. “How bad is it?”

“Bad enough. Looks like someone beat the crap out of her before they dumped her here.”

The growl of tires on the gravel heralded an approaching vehicle. Laurel glanced through the trees toward the road. “Is it Chance? Stay down, Carly, until we’re sure it’s him.”

“Oh God! You don’t think whoever did this would come back, do you? What about the horses? Anybody could see them from the road…” Carly turned pale.

“Don’t freak out on me, now. Just stay in the trees until we’re sure it’s Chance. I don’t think whoever did this cares enough to show up again.”

The crunch of tires on gravel slowed and a beat up brown pickup slowed to a halt where the horses stood ground-tied on the opposite side of the fence.

“Carly? Laurie? Where the hell are you?” Chance stepped out of the truck, sounding annoyed.

“Here!” Carly pushed through the trees toward her brother. “The dog’s in the bushes here. It’s too heavy for us to move. Laurel’s with her.”

Chance reached inside the truck and killed the engine before he stalked down the ditch and swung a long leg over the top strand of barb wire. He followed his sister through the low brush and halted beside Laurel.

“What a shittin’ mess. You sure it’s alive?” He nudged the dog with is boot.

Romantic Tropes, a Shocking Parody by Diane Scott Lewis

Warning: Romance Authors, please don't take offence. What you do and do well is wonderful for your eager audience. This is my own experience and feelings.

When I first read Romance Novels, they were racy, sexy, and a woman could have more than one lover. Now they follow a strict formula, and are toned down, unless it's Erotica.
The man and woman must meet in the first few pages; they can't be apart during the story for large chunks of time; and there must be a HEA: happily Ever After.

I read several, but the formula wore me down. I wanted surprises, better historical details, in other words, I wanted straight Historical Fiction with Romantic Elements.


Finally, I decided to write a romance parody, using all the tropes, but making fun of them. The Heaving Breast, Bodice Ripper, but all presented as Tongue-in-Cheek.
I tried to parody all the tropes writers are supposed to avoid: The arranged marriage. The Alpha make who's a jerk, until our heroine tames him. He's in a position of power over her. He insults her (but in my story, she insults him right back). She's devastatingly gorgeous. He's handsome and brooding There's so many, the list could go on.
But I do give them a HEA.

Excerpt:

“How is your sojourn in London, my lady? A sudden urge to travel, had you?” Griffin smiled at the rising anger in her blue eyes.

     “How dare you follow me, sir. And drag me into bushes.” Miss Pencavel pulled away from him, chin jutted out. “I told you my wishes in Cornwall. You have wasted your time if you’re here to change my mind.”
         “Truth is, I did have business in town, so it’s not a total waste.” He rocked back on his heels, arms now behind his back. His actions were irrational, and totally alien to his usual demeanor. “You intrigue me, Miss Pencavel, such as a wasp might intrigue one. You wonder how close you may hover before being stung.”
          "You will feel my sting, sir; but nothing else of my person. I will buzz away from your distasteful reach." She slowly licked her ice cream spoon, her breasts heaving.

He laughed and enjoyed baiting her. This slip of a girl provoked him, and that was disconcerting. Most females he understood as connivers or simpletons. Miss Pencavel appeared to be neither. Her eyes shone with an innate intelligence. Why had he followed her into the garden—he had little use for marriage? A wife like her would only get in his way.

He'd provoke her further.

“I've long wanted to ask, are you like your mother, partial to servants and other low-lifes?”

“I might be partial to whoever takes my fancy, a sailor, a groom, a particularly handsome nightsoil man.” She scrutinized him closely. “I’ve heard you have sinister inclinations, not that such things would bother me, being the free-thinking person I am, but I’d rather not be troubled with you.” Yet the wanton glint in her eyes spurred him on.
 

The response I received in reviews shocked me. People were insulted. They left mean reviews on-line, even though in the blurb at the beginning I explained it's a parody, a farce, etc. Here was my Author's Note:

all clichés, redundancies, startling coincidences,

and anachronisms are presented here on purpose.

Don't be offended, I want you to laugh.

To purchase this novel for farce and parody, and my other BWL books: BWL  or Lady Pencavel

Find out more about me and my novels on my website: Dianescottlewis

Diane and husband, at former navy base, Greece

 Diane lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.

Celebrate Sneak Some Zucchini Into Your Neighbor's Porch Day!

             

Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose

Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium bed? Investigating mysterious murders? 

These are not the usual calls in a Florida retirement community for volunteer first responder Jim Hart.

Click here to find more mysteries by J. Q. Rose at BWL Publishing

Zucchini
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay 

#SneakSomeZucchiniIntoYourNeighborsPorchDay

Celebrate Sneak Some Zucchini Into Your Neighbor's Porch Day!

by J.Q. Rose

Be ready! Zucchini season is here in our part of the world anyway. And the zucchini in our garden is flourishing. I look at them and think YUM, zucchini cake, bread, stir fry, casserole. Then I realize it is impossible to use up all of the fruit on the vines. But then, I recall a fun way to get rid of it--National Sneak Your Zucchini IntoYour Neighbor's Porch Day is on August 8. (I imagine this year we will be sneaking around and leaving zucchini everywhere way before August 8.)

Be ready to duck if your neighbor catches you at it and throws the zuke at you!

Zucchini is good for you. It is low in calories and high in fiber and water content so it keeps you satisfied after enjoying the green fruit. Recipes abound with yummy ways to prepare it. My friend, Carole, collected fifty recipes years ago using zucchini, There Must Be 50 Ways to Fix Your Zucchini (with apologies to Paul Simon.) She includes recipes for pickles, relish and jam, pancakes, fritters and frittatas, bread, soups, stews, meatless dishes, meat entrees and desserts! Whew. What a versatile food! Go ahead and Google zucchini and see how many recipes you will find. Try one to change up your menu and enjoy!

Do you like zucchini? Would you throw it at me if I snuck some on your porch?

Click here to connect online with J.Q. Rose.

Featured Author Vijaya Schartz

Hi. My name is Vijaya Schartz, and I write mainly science fiction and Celtic legends with a little romance for BWL Publishing Inc. Find my books on my BWL page at: https://bookswelove.net/schartz-vijaya/ 

Maybe I have a different outlook on life because I was born and raised in France, but I traveled all over the world and found out I'm just a little different. Period. I think I come from the future. I can't be satisfied with today's limitations of the human race. We are bigger than all our petty differences. I get frustrated when people do not behave like the kind and noble creatures we all are inside. 

My world is the universe. In my books, many of my characters transcend human limits and develop extraordinary abilities. The abilities I think everyone has but never sharpened. In my dreams I can fly and travel to other planets... and so do many of my characters. Whether medieval or futuristic, most of my heroines are very strong women, handy with a sword or a blaster, and they do not hesitate to kick evil's butt.

I decided long ago not to write about people's failures, mistakes, and shortcomings, but about what they could be in their best version. Everyone has potential. In my definition, heroes are ordinary people, who, at a critical time, realized their full potential.

Of course, for heroes to realize their potential, they have to face villains, and mine are often pure evil. A reviewer once wrote: "Captain Kavak (Ancient Enemy sci-fi series) is by far the worst (read best) villain in science fiction." I have since written many equally evil villains, and Admiral Mort Lowell, the villain in my September 2020 release, MALAIKA'S SECRET, Byzantium book 3, is no exception.

I also have an affinity for cats. I love all cats, big and small, and they do appear on my book covers, and in my novels as secondary characters. Some of these cats are telepathic... as I believe most cats are.

My latest series are: 
AZURA CHRONICLES, set on a forbidden planet where angels roam. Books 1 and 2 are out. Book 3 is coming next year.

There is a planet out in the universe, emitting a strange turquoise glow. A long time ago Azura refused to join the Trade Alliance. The Alliance sent their military fleet to destroy the Azurans, but their powerful supernatural abilities spread fear even among the fiercest Devil Dogs. Since then, records have been erased. Rumors and legends all but died. Azura is strictly forbidden, and the daring few who ventured beyond the warning space beacons were never seen again...

The BYZANTIUM series, set on a human space station. Books 1 and 2 are out. Book 3 is coming in September.

Hovering at the edge of conquered space, in orbit around a dying star, sits an aging space station under the control of the Galactic Trade Alliance. Byzantium, once a thriving commercial hub, is turning into a den of crime, drugs, and debauchery, where anything or anyone can be bought or sold. The maximum-security penitentiary at its core, the Fortress, is a pit of despair and holds the most dangerous felons in the galaxy. For over a hundred cycles, the GTA has annexed worlds and plundered their resources. It now controls most of the galaxy, except for a few useless rocks and a small number of rebellious planets, who still manage to challenge their military might. But something is coming to upset the balance of power... something the GTA did not foresee.

Both series above are set in the same universe and in the same far future. I like each book in my series to be a complete story, but a few characters do pop out in more than one book. 

There is also the CHRONICLES OF KASSOUK, a six book sci-fi romance series (complete).

Noah's Ark, a transport full of human settlers equipped to seed a new planet with life, crashes on the wrong world, a cold orb beyond the confines of the known universe. Seeking refuge in the abandoned alien fortress of Kassouk, the settlers and their motley crew fight for survival, against hostile natives, and advanced galactic races who consider them cheap labor and research material for their genetic experiments.

Stranded with no hope of rescue, deprived of their technology by the ruling aliens, the humans of Kassouk reverse to a medieval farming society with slight differences. Besides horses and swords, they keep large felines as pets and train them for battle. They also proudly adopt big cat names as warrior names, and women often strive as military leaders.

As they fight their alien rulers to keep their freedom and their pride, as well as the right to freely choose their mates… other, more insidious dangers lurk. Generation after generation, as the people of Kassouk evolve and secretly learn from the alien races oppressing them, a few start developing extraordinary abilities…

If you like medieval knights and ladies and Celtic legends, you may want to try the CURSE OF THE LOST ISLE , an eight book series (complete) derived from authentic legends, with immortal ladies related to Morgan the Fay. 

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, 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.

I have more series and books out there. Find them all on my author page on your favorite retail sites.

Hope you enjoy the read.

Building the Backdrop by Nancy M Bell

To discover more about my titles please click on the cover above.

Creating a backdrop, for me, is a bit different that world building. World building is more complicated like building something out of Lego where every little bit counts, while creating a backdrip is more like a broad sweep of the brush using water colours. Still needs to be taken seriously, but not as granular as world building.

Building the Backdrop
Nancy M Bell

Where do our stories take place, can our characters exist in a vacuum? Of course not. Our stories need to play out against a rich and engaging background. The environment our stories take place in can become as important as the actual characters and an integral part of the reader’s experience. Examples of this are Tolkien’s Middle Earth, McCaffrey’s Pern, Graham’s portrayal of Cornwall in his Poldark books, Rowling’s Hogwarts and alternate London to name just a very few.
Whether we are creating a whole new world complete with maps and exotic flora and fauna or are just setting our tale against something that exists in reality (or close to it), the behind the scenes part of our creation needs to be the layered, deep and rich foundation upon which we tell our story.
As the creator/author you need a strong concept and vision of what your world consists of. Where is it located, what types of characters live in the background to give flavour to our main characters. Consider the weather; are there seasons, is it always hot or cold, is the environment harsh or lush, are you building a backdrop in a city or a town or a more rural area. Take the time to think about these things before you begin. Draw maps if you need to in order to give you a sense of scope and ground yourself in the environment. Those maps may never get into the actual book, but it will help the author navigate through the fabric of his story and weave his characters into that fabric in bright colours.
You need to develop a 360-degree view of your characters. What dialogue will they speak? Is it cultured? Rough? Upper, middle or lower class? Consider how and what they say and what they don’t say but can be implied by their actions/reactions or movements which may be enhanced or initiated by elements of your backdrop. Sometimes what isn’t said comes across more powerfully than what is said.
Mine the stories behind the main story without distracting or overpowering your main characters. This helps create a vibrant and rich tapestry for your story. An interesting experiment is to write the same scene from different character’s point of view. This often gives a deeper view into the circumstances surrounding your main story thread and enrich your world.
Another important thing to consider is how your characters react to these four things:
Money, sex, food and sleep. This is a good way to get into your characters’ heads and will aid in your development of the characters and the backdrop against which they play their parts.
You want to evoke in your readers a strong emotional connection to your characters and to the world through which they move.
The backdrop is important to your character as it will dictate how they behave; their personal motivation should be reflected in the world you create for them.
What is the economy of your world? Supply and demand is a concept that knows no barriers as to genre or length of story. Consider how the economy you create shape and affect your characters both primary and secondary and the world dynamics. An example of this would be the Avengers and the Blue Cube (Tesseract) all you need to know to grasp the essential concept is that people want the Blue Cube and that dictates the rules of the world. The basis of this world is the Tesseract is the containment Bessel for the Space Stone, one of the 6 Infinity Stones that predate the Universe they’ve created and possesses unlimited energy. This one concept is the basis for the foundation of the that world and the fabric of the backdrop for their adventure.

Be careful not to over explain things, show don’t tell is still a rule to live by.
Consider what the character wants- this algorithm will drive your story forward.
You can draw from history for the foundation of your religious and political systems, given you’re not writing non-fiction you can mix and match from different sources, taking what works best for your story.
Your economy isn’t just based on wealth or class- supernatural powers or lack thereof can enter into it, as well as exchange of power or energy.
Don’t forget the sensory issues when creating your backdrop, what are the sounds, smells, what kind of food, what tastes do your characters enjoy, how tactile is your backdrop, can your reader appreciate the feel of your world, smooth concrete, rough cobbles, deep sand, rolling surf etc. You reader need to feel “immediate” in your world. That is to say engaged in the whole experience of your story. Give your readers physical sensations they know intimately- we all know what a paper cut feels like, or burning your hand on a hot pot etc.
Be sure your created fabric isn’t too perfect or sterile- there must be costs attached to actions, consequences for things that do or don’t happen. The reader needs to feel and enter into the tension and care about the stakes.
There are three hills to die on. Three points of high conflict which helps define your world. Know what they are before you start and work from there.
Alternatively, there is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle consisting of 8 major points to hit. Not unlike the various versions of the Hero Cycle.
Remember to write the book. Don’t get stopped or hung up by the little things. Write the climax first if that is what comes to you.
Write with a ragged edge, release control and allow yourself to be nimble.
Don’t be afraid to kill or rehome your darlings.
Always think “what is the point of this scene.”
Does it serve to drive the plot forward
Be sure your backdrop doesn’t over power your characters or story line- they need to mesh and be compatible.

You can find me at http://www.nancymbell.ca