Find most of my BWL titles HERE |
Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats
http://www.vijayaschartz.com
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Find most of my BWL titles HERE |
Find all my books here on my BWL author page |
Not this girl’s that is for sure. I
have never understood the weird fascination some members of the human race
possess for shiny objects brought up from beneath the earth’s crust.
Personally, the only so called precious substance I have or have ever possessed
is my wedding band made of gold, and a small pendant with an opal drop
purchased for me by my husband in Broome where all the best pearls come from. I
think pearls are ugly to be truthful—and feel sorry for the poor old oysters
forced to grow them.
As for diamonds, the ugly truth of
diamond mining is the horrendous tally of folk who died over the years while
working in the mines. Two of my most treasured pieces of jewellery are a dainty
marquisette watch and a ring given to me by my mother and a sister on my 21st
birthday a long time ago. The watch gave up working years ago as it is one of
those wind up versions, but is still tucked away amongst my other pieces of
memorabilia. Marquisette is practically useless these days but these pieces are
more precious to me than all your diamonds or gold.
I wear rings and earrings of course
I do, but none of them are worth more than a few hundred dollars, if that, but
mean a lot to me as they were given to me by special people in my life and are
treasured. Fact is I would be scared to walk around with expensive objects on
my person. My husband bought me a really nice ring with a topaz stone in
Singapore and sad to say I lost it while on holiday at Broken Hill years ago—so
it seems I am not to be trusted with expensive stuff anyway, and so avoid it.
Find excerpts from my books here on my web page
(Haha yes, I
once again have succumbed to my love of alliteration for the title of this blog
post!)
Lobelia is one of our favorite summer annuals for its delicate flowers and tendency to spill over the edge of the containers, particularly hanging pots. The other thing we love about it is its vibrant blue color, especially the Crystal Palace variety. Blue flowers are rare in garden flowers, making up less than 10% of the plant world. As an aside, other blue flowers include blue hydrangea, blue sea holly, blue daisy and Siberian larkspur. However, Lobelia also comes in shades from white through pinks and purples. Sometimes the flowers will have a white dot in the middle.
They are a group of
flowering plants that are native to North America. There are more than 400 species that include upright and mounding
lobelias, annuals, half-hardy annuals, perennials, and even shrubs and aquatic
plants. Considered an annual herb, Lobelia likes full sun but will
tolerate part shade. It prefers rich, moist soil.
My experience has been that the plants last longer in cool, wet weather. We live in a dry climate so during hot spells, I make sure to water the containers frequently. They don’t always last the entire summer, but we enjoy them while they do. I fertilize every couple of weeks with a 20 20 20 mix. They don’t need deadheading as they are self cleaning. Although I’ve never tried this, apparently you can cut them back by as much as one-half to two-thirds which will spur new growth. If you like bushier plats, you can also pinch them back.
When filling
mixed pots, I always go by the rule of a thriller, a filler and a spiller. I
find Lobelia works nicely as both a filler and a spiller. These plants also
work as hummingbird havens, in borders, as ground covers, along creeks or ponds
and containers, especially hanging baskets. As you can see by the pictures, we really do enjoy the vibrant blues!
I was interested to discover that Lobelia has some health properties and has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. It’s also called Indian tobacco because Native Americans once smoked the plant to treat asthma and muscular disorders. It’s also known as pukeweed as it was once prescribed by doctors to induce vomiting although high doses can be fatal. Lobeline, its main ingredient may protect against depression, improve memory and concentration and help treat drug addiction. It can treat symptoms such as coughing, chest tightness and wheezing because the lobeline may relax the airways, clear mucus from the lungs and stimulate breathing. Lobelia may also help with ADHD. However, human research is limited. For more info on the health benefits, check out this website: Lobelia: Benefits, Dosage, and Side Effects (healthline.com) For research, I used the following websites:
Lobelia – How to Plant,
Grow and Care for Lobelia Plants | Garden Design
Growing
Lobelia: Tips For Care Of Lobelia (gardeningknowhow.com)
*****
You can find my books on the BWL Publishing website HERE. Perhaps some of the miners in Barkerville were treated with Lobelia! Find Barkerville Beginnings HERE.
Janet Lane-Walters has been writing and having her books published since the days of the typewriter. She
has more than 40 novels and dozens of novellas plus four non-fiction
books published. Janet lives in the scenic Hudson River valley. 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.
For more information about Janet's books including blurbs, reviews and purchase links, please visit her blog: http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
BWL PUBLISHING FREE NOVEL DOWNLOAD
Janet Lane Walters is the author of this month's free download. Visit our website at https://bookswelove.net and click the book cover of Murder and Mint Tea to download your free copy of this first book in Janet's Mrs. Miller Mysteries series.
Katherine is a retired nurse and a retired church organist. The
small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted
Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon
Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families.
When amoral
Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house,
trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her
fear for her friends and family. Finding the killer becomes her goal.
Editorial Review
Murder
and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic
American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel.
Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that
makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to
the villainess themselves. ~ Writer Gail Roughton
Here are just a few of Janet's many series published by BWL Publishing Inc.
https://bookswelove.net/walters-janet-lane/
At the beginning of a writer’s career, three things are made abundantly clear. First, of course, you need a great story. Next, an engaging opening line or lines with an intriguing hook. But perhaps, most of all, a great cover to attract a reader in the first place. The story comes alive in the author’s imagination. The opening hook may be honed to perfection with the help of critique partners and beta readers. And the cover? For historical authors look no further than Period Images.
As they promise on their website: ‘From custom-made attires, to hair, make-up, and set design, each shoot is fully staffed with designers, professional stylists, models and actors, to depict scenes and capture the essence of the era.’
The image for my book Hester Dymock comes from them and is beautifully enhanced by Books WeLove’s artistic director, Michelle Lee. What more could an author ask for? Well, a few things actually and one of Period Images models agreed to satisfy my curiosity. Please welcome Mike Foster to my blog this month.
Michael Wayne Foster |
VC. When
and why did you start modeling?
MF. I started my actual modeling career in 2014 but had done fitness shoots previously.
VC. How
did you become a cover model for romance novels specifically and were you ever
a fan of Fabio?
MF. Fabio! I was a fan of his commercials for sure! I became a romance model because I have a sense of humor and don’t take myself too seriously. I take my work very seriously, just not myself. That served me well when I saw an ad for a modeling shoot that asked for a picture. It was for tall guys with long hair. I knew that most (if not all) of the models were going to send in the ‘duck lips’ and pouty face look, so I did the opposite. I sent a recent photo of a commercial I did for Virgin America Airlines where I was dressed up like a pro-wrestler and I was ‘hulking out.’ It kind of made me chuckle, and thankfully it made VJ and the group at PI chuckle as well. They said I had a sense of humor and asked me to come to a day shoot. That got my foot in the door and here we are talking about it seven years later.
VC. How
much time do you have to spend in the gym to keep your trim look?
MF. I always do morning cardio for about an hour and then alternate between weights and yoga/Pilates for an hour later in the day.
VC. How
much grooming/make-up is required for a shoot and do you use body oil with an
open-shirt or shirtless photo?
MC. Because of my long hair, it tends to take a good hour to get the hair and make-up completed before a shoot. Yes, they apply coconut oil on the exposed body parts, and I try not to break too much of a sweat and ruin my make-up when I am lifting light weights to pump up right before I go on.
VC. When you are getting ready for a shoot, do you do your own hair and make-up, or do you have stylists and make-up professionals?
MF. I have a team of amazing hair and make-up artists work on me before I shoot, courtesy of PI.
VC. What
does your working day look like and what would define a perfect working day for
you?
MF. Every day on set is a perfect working day for me. I can’t think of a time I had a bad day at work. But the perfect day? Being in top shape for the shoot and then going to a Korean BBQ after the shoot with no care’s given.
VC. Were
you ever asked to wear a costume or outfit that you refused to put on?
MF. Never. Now, there may have been a few that didn’t fit, but that’s another story.
VC. Have
you ever really disliked a book cover on which you appear, or are you not
involved once the shoot is over?
MF. Once the shoot is over, I am not involved at all. Hell, sometimes I don’t even realize new covers are released unless an author tags me. It kind of bums me out because I know there are so many covers out there that I do not know about and I would love to help promote them but can’t because I’m unaware.
VC. When
you are not working, what are your favourite sports or hobbies?
MF. Skiing is my favorite thing to do. I am terrified of heights, so I decided to try skiing and overcome that fear. I not only overcame, but I got hooked on the sport. Plus, it’s like getting a workout inside of a Bob Ross painting. It’s always so beautiful in the happy little mountains. I am a foodie and love cooking and trying new recipes (especially on the grill). Traveling is also something I enjoy, and I started a YOUTUBE channel based on exploring our American culture and I call it America’s Pit Stops. I go by the moniker the AmericanSIZEDTravelGuide.
VC. Is being a
model a full-time career for you? If not, what other career interests do you
have?
MF. I am a full-time actor that also models. Acting is the reason I am in LA and modeling is a “happy little accident.” See what I did there? (If not, see above.)
Next, I asked Mike some fun questions.
MF. I wanted to be a teacher like my dad as well as actor as long as I can remember. I wanted to do action and WWII movies. I taught high school English for nine years and I have achieved so much in my acting career that I can’t help but to be proud of accomplishing what I had always dreamed about as a kid. With the upcoming WWII movie, Wolf Hound, coming out soon; mission accomplished.
VC. What
is the best or most memorable compliment you ever received?
MF. My freshman year of college I just started lifting weights. I was a fat kid my whole life, so I always got the OPPOSITE of compliments. I was hanging out with a girl watching TV and as I sat on the floor and had my arms behind me, she felt my triceps and said, “Wow, you have really nice arms!” Needless to say, I didn’t miss a workout ever again. I’m not a victim or going to cry about being bullied or teased because of my weight. It made me the man I am today (sympathetic to the bullied) but I sure liked hearing a compliment much more than “Fat Foster.”
VC. What
holidays do you most like to celebrate?
MF. HALLOWEEN. Everything else is a distant second place. It might stem back to my childhood because my birthday is November 2nd, so Halloween was always a good time of the year for me. Plus, I love scaring the bloody hell out of people.
VC. Are
you a glass half full or half empty kind of person? Or is the glass just
malformed?
MF. I don’t deal in glass or stemware. I deal in lemons. When I have a basket full of lemons; I make lemonade.
VC. Which
of the four seasons do you like/dislike the most and why?
MF. I LOVE the fall. It probably is because my favorite “holiday” is smack dab in the middle of the fall. The leaves changing colors, the cool temperatures and apple fritters and cider all are part of why I love the fall so much!
VC. If
you were marooned on a desert island and could only have four things, what
would they be?
MF. I feel like I am on Naked and Afraid with three bonus items. Probably a knife, a pot to boil water, a gun and a cannabis plant. (for medicine, clothing, oil/fuel, food, rope and many other uses.)
VC. What
is your idea of perfect happiness?
MF. Being with my family and close friends, a bonfire and light beer.
VC. What
is your greatest extravagance?
MF. I’m not a big spender of stuff. My motto on my IMDB page is “I’ve never seen a hearse with a luggage rack.” I drive a Chevy, wear my old clothes and shop at the Grocery Outlet. I would do all of this even if I was a billionaire. I suppose I spend the most money on 80’s themed T-shirts.
VC. Which
do you prefer and why – the city or the country?
MF. COUNTRY ALL THE WAY!! (but I like the cuisine in cities).
VC. You
are offered a free vacation, one a beach destination, the other a sight-seeing
tour, which would you choose and why?
MF. A week in the Italian Alps or the Chilean Andes skiing would work just fine as sightseeing. I have always loved the beaches of Alabama and Florida’s panhandle.
And now for some straight(ish)speed questions. Yes/No answers, qualify with a few words if you wish.
Annoyed
a photographer by goofing around?
Gee…I’m not sure. I’d like to
hope not. I always do what’s asked of
me, so I think that’s a NO.
Called
in sick to work when you weren’t sick? YEP (yeah students, Mr. Foster played
hookie to go to a concert.)
Won a
contest? Yes.
Locked
yourself out of your house? Frequently.
Gone
paragliding? No.
Taken an
enormous risk? Yes.
Prefer
cats or dogs? Dogs.
Surprised
a friend or family member with a gift when it wasn’t their birthday or
Christmas? Yes.
Been to
Peru? No.
Worn odd socks? Frequently.
So now we all know a little more about Mike, I'd like to thank him again for taking part in my Q & A and also Period Images for the photographs. And here is my latest cover which I love, featuring Period Images model, Rachel. Thanks to Books We Love's artistic director Michelle Lee for once again working her magic.
After a bit of research, I learned that the animal-shaped Native burial mounds in the park are extremely rare, and nearly impossible to visualize from the ground. The park service didn't grasp the number and arrangement of the animal shapes prior to an aerial survey. More than one writer has suggested that the original mound builders, working long before the invention of the airplane, had assistance from aliens in spaceships. Add to that the large number of modern UFO reports in the area and an abundance of regional alien conspiracy advocates.
After weeks of research, my characters started screaming at me to stop digging and start writing. (Their voices will be the topic of a future blog.) I wrote an outline for the Burnt Evidence, then the characters got involved and I lost control. Doug and Jill Fletcher were living a quiet life as law enforcement rangers at Padre Island National Seashore when their superintendent got a call requesting their assistance in Iowa. A 911 call had been cut short by a scream. A melted cellphone, and metal remnants of clothing were later found in a burned circle inside Effigy Mounds National Park, suggesting an alien abduction.
Then, I thought, uh oh, you've started a science fiction novel. Add sightings of glowing lights over the Mississippi River and college students investigating the abduction site, and the plot sounded like Robert Heinlein.
I wrestled control of the plot back from the characters and put them on track to solve the mystery of the abduction. Working through the plot, they deal with Doug's ex-wife who's an anthropology professor, an Air Force UFO expert, and a scientist from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. They enlist assistance from a Navajo colleague to help sort the Native lore from the science fiction. Jill's spiritual side emerges as she tries to rationalize the apparent alien abduction, UFO sightings, and ghostly apparitions, with her scientific background and religious beliefs.
It was a fun book to write, and I tapped the knowledge of numerous people including an anthropologist, a veterinarian, a police/horse resource and muse, a retired director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a tuba player (don't ask), and a retired scientist. Combined, they steered me toward the unexpected events and revelations that add the twists and turns to the plot. My BWL publishing colleagues edited and improved the manuscript. Michelle Lee designed the intriguing cover.
It's different from my previous stories, but it is a mystery, not science fiction. The characters are stretched, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. All that leads to an unexpected ending as they race through a moonlit park, trying to pull the last pieces of the puzzle together.
Dean Hovey is the award-winning and best-selling author of the Doug Fletcher mysteries, the Pine County mysteries, and the Whistling Pines cozy series.
In my upcoming novel, Ghost Point, Luke Trowbridge ducks Maryland's ruthless Oyster Police, and strives to keep his marriage together in 1956. He grew up tonging for oysters on the Potomac River. The town of Colonial Beach, Virginia, once a grand resort for the wealthy 80 miles south of Washington D. C., is now a struggling community of watermen who brave the elements to feed their families.
The tradition since colonial times is tonging for oysters during the cold winter season, with long rakes that gently pluck up the oysters without ruining the beds. But illegal dredging brings in far more oysters, the baskets scraping the beds. The habitats destroyed.
Luke must stand up to his bullying father, and the Maryland Oyster police who shoot to kill. He fears losing his wife and little boy. Will he make changes in attitude and occupation, or endanger his own life?
For more adventure, another couple who take their future in their own hands, delve into On a Stormy Primeval Shore. Set in New Brunswick, Canada, in 1784, a fight to form a colony. One of the award-winning Canadian Historical Brides series. A Night Owl Romance Top Pick: "a fabulous tale of life and hardship in historical Canada."
To purchase my novels and other BWL books: BWL
Find out more about me and my writing on my website: Dianescottlewis
Diane Scott Lewis lives in Western Pennsylvania with her husband and one naughty puppy.
Broccoli and cabbage like cool temperatures. |
Gardener Ted watering his spring garden |
Vertical gardening |
Fresh tomatoes |
J.Q.
Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/
Windmaster Legacy |
The weather is warming. The birds are returning from their winter migrations and the first ladybug of the season has been spotted. It is time for another traditional herald of the season, spring cleaning. Today spring cleaning is a time to open the windows and give the house a thorough sprucing up. But it once was a real necessity and continued to be so until well into the 20th century. After months of cold weather during which the house was closed up and heated with wood or coal and lighted with kerosene or whale oil, furnishings were laden with soot and reeking of stale air.
Homemade cleaning products included such diverse ingredients as salt and vinegar. Before the advent of indoor plumbing, water was hauled into the house and had to be heated before it could be used. That might mean numerous trips to the creek, the hand pump in the yard, or if you were lucky enough, the fire hydrant just outside the house.
Before the day of vacuum cleaners, all the cleaning was done by hand with a carpet brush. In good weather the rugs were cleaned more thoroughly by hanging them on the washing line to let the sun and wind get at them. And while on the line they were beaten with woven cane, rattan, or twisted wire carpet beaters sold specially for the purpose. It not only exercised the body, but calmed the mind as you took out all your aggression. If you didn't have a real carpet beater, an old broom stick or a tennis racket did the job.
Image by AnnaliseArt from Pixabay |
Even in the 1950s, every home needed at least one big clean a year; and spring is often considered the best time. It was a major task with the removal of all contents and a thorough clean of all kitchen units and cupboards inside and out. The washing of all painted and commonly-touched surfaces such as doors, window frames, and baseboards. Curtains were taken off the rods, then washed or cleaned, then after the whole room was cleaned including washing of walls, windows, and woodwork , the same curtains were rehung or swapped out for the lighter spring ones. Just this one item took a lot of effort and energy. And don't forget any blinds or shades.
Then there was the lugging of the wooden trunks of seasonal clothes out of the attic or the back of closets. Once the summer clothes were washed and aired out, the winter clothes were cleaned, mended and moth-proofed before going into storage. Repeat the same steps with the blankets, quilts, and bed coverings.
Image by Jazella from Pixabay |
Another part of spring cleaning I dreaded was not the beating of the rugs, but the washing of all dishes and bric-a-brack in cupboards and cabinets.
Spring cleaning still exists, although in a modified form. A modern list might include decluttering the home, cleaning out unneeded clothes, and tackling the junk drawer stuffed with odds and ends. While Covid-19 might have us cleaning our phones and keyboards more often, screens both big and small can be overlooked and need to be added to the cleaning list.I hope you enjoyed this somewhat nostalgic look at spring. I’m off to hang a rug on the porch rail and beat it. Then I have to tackle the backing up and spring cleaning of my computer files.
To purchase the Windmaster Novels: BWL
~Until next month, stay safe and read. Helen
Find out more about me and my novels at Journey to Worlds of Imagination.
Follow me online at Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter or Website
Helen Henderson lives in western Tennessee with her husband. While she doesn’t have any pets in residence at the moment, she often visits a husky who have adopted her as one the pack.
To find out more about Nancy's work please click on the cover.
Spring! It's almost here. Spring is always welcome after the long nights and drawing inward of winter. Now is the time to stretch our wings and welcome the returning warmth and light of the sun as it makes its way northward again. I can see it's progress by the changing shadows thrown by the trees across the lawn slowly emerging from beneath the sheltering drifts of snow.
Spring is a time of new beginnings and renewal, but as I have grown older and hopefully wiser, I have found it is also a time of letting go of the old and welcoming in the new. So, Spring in its own way, is also an ending, a wrapping up things that are no longer beneficial and removing them from my life.
Having deposited the unwanted baggage, both physical and emotional, where it belongs. It is now time to dance in the dappled sunlight, laugh at the gophers and smile at their cute little sentinels who whistle sharply at me should I dare invade what they consider 'their' territory. Time to seek out the first nubs of rhubarb, ruby red in the dark wet soil seeking the sun, the first prairie crocus, the greening of the withered grasses.
Birds are reappearing, I wait each Spring for the return of the hawks who will hover just over my head and somehow it seems we have a conversation without words. And the wind that holds their wings, ever present in Alberta, sweeps back the clouds in a wide Chinook Arch that embraces the western skies.
Welcome Spring, the Equinox, Alban Eiler, Easter.
April
Earth
I
saw the Earth breathe today
A
pale pearl vapour rising from the plowed field
She
exhaled as the east wind billowed
Her
flowing breath across the raw mud
Shimmering
in the April afternoon sun
Her
breath shed diamonds as it hung
Above
the snowy prairie
The
Earth’s cold wintry breath
Mating
with the warm spring sun
Birthing
the moist mist dancing
In
the strength of the moving air
The
Raven’s shadow flashes across the snow
As
he flies over head borne on April’s breath
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
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
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