Happy New Year

Another year has come and gone. The older I get the quicker they fly by. Lately, I've become more melancholy and reflect more and more on past Christmases and New Years.
Well, mostly Christmases. New Years was always fun, but Christmas, let's just say Christmas was special. It was a time spent with family, full of laughter and fun.
I think back to Christmases from my childhood. We always spent Christmas Eve at our house. Mom made a traditional Christmas Eve dinner and my uncle, aunt, and their four kids came over to share it with us. After dinner, everyone piled into their cars and we headed for Grandma's house.
Eventually, we kids grew up and the Christmas Eve dinners with my aunt and uncle stopped. With six kids in our family, it wasn't long before we filled the table on our own. I tried to remember when we actually quit the dinners, but we never quit going to my grandparents - well, not until they passed away that is
Christmas Day, after all the gifts were opened, found us at my uncle's for dinner.  They did it that way because my aunt didn't know how to make the traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Thanksgiving they alternated between our house and theirs.
Funny, we had many other aunts and uncles, but for some reason my mom's brother was always the one we shared dinners with. They were very close. Partners in crime some would say.
Ah those years were so much fun. I have many fond memories, not of gifts received, but of the good times. The years my uncle played Santa - long after many of believed.
Then there were the Christmases shared with my brothers and sisters - We always celebrated Christmas Eve. In the beginning my mom made the traditional meal for all of us, but as our families grew that ended. There were 14 adults, counting my parents and our spouses, and eventually 24 grandchildren. A bit much to make a meal for. As my parents aged, we kids decided to take turns having Christmas Eve at our houses. Oh what fun when we all got together. Kids and adults in the kitchen, dining or living room. Sometimes the kids went off to the bedrooms, or basements. Anyplace we could find room.
Of course, our kids grew up, married, and had kids of their own, with their own places to visit. My brothers, sister and I (a brother and sister have since passed along with my parents) still get together Christmas Eve. This year, there were only 3 of us as one brother went to Florida for the winter. We missed him, but understand. Some of our children join us as their spouses's parents have passed on also. This year there were actually 20 of us at my house. It's fun to celebrate the holiday with everyone.
As far as New Year's Eve , we never did much through the years. Sometimes we got together with my siblings and went out, other times with friends, more recently at one of my children's homes. New Years Day has always been a quiet day. One spent at home. Everyone always had to work the next day and after staying up and celebrating the night before, no one wanted to do much. Besides, the parade and all those football games were on TV.
So, as I look back over the years, it brings fond memories. This past year has been good to us in many ways. We camped - although not as much as I wanted to - and we bought  a house, which I love. So I look forward to the year ahead and wish all of you a very Happy, healthy, wealthy, and successful new year.

Check out  Books We Love to see where to purchase them from your favorite online retailer. 

Another Christmas

Here it is - another year gone by. The years seem to fly by now. I mean seriously, I'm still waiting for February 2016. They say time flies when you're having fun. (Whoever "they" are.") I've got news for them. The older you get, the quicker time goes by no matter how much fun you're having.
Not to say life isn't fun. For the most part it is. Or at least as much fun as you make it. But let's face it, life's complicated. It's full of ups and downs, peaks and valleys. You're rolling along and things are good. Suddenly it changes, Life's not always easy.
It's full of conflict. How we react to it is what's important. Me - I have my faith. With God all things are possible.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13
Sometimes I forget.. But I know deep down - ....All things work together for good.... Romans 8:28.

Okay, I didn't mean for this post to sound preachy.  Back to how time flies. Seems like just yesterday  I was putting up the tree and suddenly it's a year later and time to put it up again,
So much has changed this season. For starters,  I didn't put up my big tree. There are several reasons.

One - and the one I use most - I added a rocking chair to our living room. In order to put up the tree, either I or my husband would have to take the chair up or downstairs.
Since he has COPD, I knew he couldn't do it, and I just didn't have it in me to do it. It would have been a struggle, but I would have managed. Of course then I would have to bring it back after Christmas. I didn't relish the thought.
I could have asked one of my sons, but they have their own things to do. I didn't want to bother them. Besides that, I'm not a patient person. When I want something done, I want it done now. I hate waiting for things or someone. LOL
Usually I put my tree up right before Thanksgiving because the kids all came to our house either for dinner or later for dessert, and we do Christmas at someone else's house. Hence, if I wanted everyone to see my tree (not sure why that's important) I put it up before.
Another thing that changed this year, my youngest son hosted Thanksgiving. That was fine, I didn't mind.
Of course I made my own turkey the day after just so I could have leftovers, and I really did miss cooking. It's the first time in probably 30 years that I've not made Thanksgiving dinner.
Anyway, back to the tree.  I sat here and thought about it for a long time. I finally told my husband we were going with a little tree this year. I really wasn't keen on it, but it beat the alternatives. One of the stores had a 3 ft tree on sale, so off I went to purchase it. I came home, opened the box, and set it up on the table in front of the window. I wasn't all that crazy about it, but it was inexpensive and would serve the purpose.
Of course, I had to haul down the boxes, no easy feat, but hubby grabbed them about half way down so I didn't have to do a lot of running up and down. I didn't bring everything down. It was just too much and my heart wasn't in it.
I put 2 strings of lights on the tree - one white, one colored. I love  the combination. I had several boxes of smaller ornaments - remnants of my pencil tree days (that only lasted a couple years. Give me a big tree any day.) Of course that meant my star didn't fit on this small tree, so it remained without a topper. No problem, I knew I'd pick one up eventually.
A week later, I found the perfect star at the dollar store. It was actually an ornament, but the perfect size for the smaller tree. I wired it on and pulled a couple white lights behind it to shine through.
And then I lit the tree.
I stared at it, unbelieving. The bottom half of the tree looked great. White and colored lights sparkled. However, the whole top of the tree remained dark. Neither white nor colored lights were lit. Okay, if it was just white lights I could understand it. I'd pulled on them a bit and maybe loosened a bulb. Of course, I searched for a loose bulb and couldn't find it. Besides it made no sense at all that the colored lights weren't lit.
Thoroughly disheartened, I wanted to throw the whole thing out the window. I wasn't thrilled with it to begin with. I really wanted to cry. Silly, I know, after all it was just a tree, and there was an easy solution, get new lights. Right?
Not so easy. In order to string new lights, I had to take all the ornaments off (not that there were many, after all it was a small tree) then remove the lights, then restring new lights - which I'd either have to dig through all the boxes upstairs or buy new.
You'd have to see my stairway to know how difficult going upstairs is. It's just an attic for storage and I seldom go up there. Lacking storage in the kitchen, I use the steps as shelves for potatoes, onions, paper towels, crock pot, dog food, etc. Yeah, about six steps are full of stuff.
So, I sat and stared at the tree, debating about what to do. I got up and played with it a few times, wiggling the lights, hoping they'd work. No such luck.
Finally, I opened my laptop, put Home Depot and then Lowes in the search engine and found 4 1/2 ft pre-lit trees. They happened to be on sale at Lowes. Perfect solution! Still not my big tree, but I wouldn't have to move any furniture and I wouldn't have to fool with this tree. Like I said I wasn't overly thrilled with it. Since hubby didn't want to take me, off I went by myself.
Of course, when I looked at the trees all I could find were the big ones and had to ask at the service desk. A nice man took me right to them - on a shelf that I couldn't reach. I picked up a string of colored lights since it already had the white lights and headed home.
It didn't take long to move the little tree (decorations and all) and set this one up. I added the string of colored lights, took the ornaments off the little tree, and decorated the new tree. I was going to add more ornaments, but after I sat back and looked at it, I decided it looked fine. Hubby agreed, of course he agrees with most things.
I felt much better with the new tree and my mood lightened.
I know Christmas isn't about the tree or the gifts, but for some reason the tree really bothered me. Maybe it's the fact I'm getting older and can't do as much as I used to. I even cancelled our traditional Christmas Eve dinner that I make the week before Christmas (everyone can't get together on Christmas Eve and there's too much going on that day anyway).
After almost falling down the basement steps,  and there would be so much running up and down just getting the room ready for everyone, I decided not to risk it. The basement was a mess and needed a good cleaning before I even set up the tables. Plus,  I'd have to borrow chairs again. It was just too much.
It saddens me to have so many changes this holiday season, from not having Thanksgiving dinner to not having our traditional meal. Last year, I had Thanksgiving, the traditional dinner, and Christmas Day. It's probably the last time I'll be doing any of it.
I'm not really ready to give it up. At least not mentally and that really affected me. I didn't even decorate the whole house, my heart wasn't in it. But I feel better now with the newer tree. God's given me the peace to deal with it. I'll celebrate the real meaning of Christmas - the birth of Christ.
Wishing every blessed and Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays (whatever you celebrate) and God's richest blessing to all, or as Tiny Tim said, "God bless us, everyone!"

Did you ever have a feeling something bad was about to happen?

 Kind of a premonition, intuition, omen or whatever you want to call it? I’m sure at some point in your life you’ve experienced ESP. I mean we all have, haven’t we? Especially with a spouse or sibling. I bet sometimes you even finish each other’s sentences. Nothing unusual in that, is there? Not at all.

But I experienced something even stranger. Oh, I’m Rebecca Brennan. Can’t expect you to read my mind, can I?  I have this rare connection with someone’s mind. I feel what he feels, hear what he hears, and even know what he’s thinking. Not all the time, just sometimes. Thank God for that. I’d hate to know what he’s thinking all the time.  I even feel his pain.  Trust me, that’s not good. In fact, none of it’s good. I mean seriously, how would you like to wake up in the middle of the night, screaming in pain and there’s absolutely nothing physically wrong with you? Trust me, you wouldn’t.

That’s exactly what happened to me in Entangled Minds. I have these strange visions about someone else’s life. Some might think it’s a unique gift. Believe me, it’s not. Determined to find out who shared my mind, I visited a parapsychologist on the advice of my best friend. We finally resorted to hypnotism to see if that would reveal the answer. Problem was, once I discovered who it was, my life

became endangered too.

Entangled Minds is available from Amazon and only 99 cents for a limited time,  Get yours today, makes an excellent Christmas gift.

Here’s an excerpt from my book.

“No!” Rebecca sprang up in bed. Hot searing pain bore into her shoulder. What was happening to her? A warm sticky substance flowed from her shoulder. Oh God, there was going to be blood. From the feel of it, lots of blood.  Half afraid to look, her hand trembled as she slowly brought it in front of her face and looked at it.  Dry, no blood.  What was going on? These kinds of things happened way too often lately. Okay, they were dreams but still. They were so damn real.

Rebecca eased off the bed. Her feet felt like lead weights as she walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. After a big gulp, she hurried back to bed. Shivers racked her body even with the blanket pulled up to her chin. A minute ago sweat soaked her skin. Now she couldn’t get warm. Someone’s life had invaded her mind. She didn’t know who or where they lived. And she sure as heck didn’t like it. These were more than dreams. Most of her visions happened while she slept, but they were real. Besides, too many occurred during the day.

The pain eased, but fear and danger lingered. Curling up, she pulled the blanket tighter, closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep. Strange visions played in her mind. Red, white, and blue flashing lights, fire engines, ambulances, and police rushed around calling instructions, trying to control panic and hysteria at the scene.

Rebecca rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the visions.

“If only I knew how to find this person. Maybe then I’d find out what these dreams and visions mean.” Her voice startled her in the quiet room. Snuggling deeper in bed, pushing the thoughts away, she tried to sleep.

But sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind wouldn’t be still. The visions persisted.  Was she going crazy? Maybe Allison was right to force her to see a parapsychologist.

Summer's Almost At an End

I always feel sad this time of year. School's about to start and another summer will come to an end. I've felt this way ever since my own kids started school. Back when I was a kid, we didn't start school until after Labor Day.
Not sure why they changed it to starting in August and I swear they start earlier and earlier every year. Not that it affects me directly, I no longer have school age kids. But I still feel that sadness every year.  Darned if I know why - well maybe I do. I know what comes next.

Although I love Fall and the beautiful colors it's a sad time of year to me. A time when everything

starts dying, leaves begin to fall, flowers turn brown and wilt and before I know it the trees are bare. Not to mention all those leaves someone, namely me, has to rake. Next thing you know, we'll be shoveling snow.
I used to hate when my mom said that. There's still a lot of summer left, let me enjoy it, I used to answer. Now here I am saying the same things my mother used to say. Silly, I know. There's still a lot of summer left, especially for me since my husband and I are retired and can go anywhere any time we want.
I'm thinking maybe another camping trip is in store sometime in August. We already have one planned with the kids for September and I'm hoping to get one more in sometime in October, before we have to winterize it.
I wish we could afford to go south during the winter months and travel a bit. Social Security checks don't afford us that pleasure. So we'll enjoy the time we have here during the summer months.

We just came off our annual camping trip with the kids and grandkids. Would have been a bit more fun if I hadn't broken my ankle a month before and had to wear a boot, but I still enjoyed spending time with them.

Welcome Suzanne de Montigny

1: Thank you so much for being here, Suzanne de Montigny.

You’re most welcome. I’m honoured.

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

 

About nine years ago. Well, that’s not actually true. I loved writing as a kid and wrote my first novella in grade 6. But then life got in the way, and I forgot about writing until I was 47.

2: Seems to happen to all of us. So, tell us, what inspired you to write?

My dear old dad died of a very dreadful type of cancer, the kind you get from breathing in asbestos. It was a slow, horrible death, and when I came through the other end, I had this tremendous need to write. I remember at his funeral saying, “I feel like writing a book,” over and over again. I like to think he put the idea in my head from the other side.

3: I’m so sorry about your dad, but I believe he did put the idea in your head. Tell us, what do you like the most and least about writing?

I love pushing words around on the page. I hate marketing. It steals time away from my writing and my family.

4: I seem to get similar answers from all authors, me included.  What do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

Glad you asked. You see, I have this child that lives within that doesn’t want to stop playing. I learned to snowboard at 47 and am crazy about the sport. I also play fiddle.

5: Fascinating! Playing the fiddle I might be able to learn, but I’m afraid I’m beyond snowboarding.  Which authors do you like to read?

I just finished reading the Harry Potter series, so JK Rowling is definitely on my favourite list. Then there’s Stuart R. West. If you haven’t read any of his stuff, you simply must. He’s hilarious! I mean ROFL hilarious. His latest novel, Bad Day in Banana Hammock had me bursting out into giggles so loud my family asked me to keep quiet. Apart from him, I like Kurt Vonnegut too as well as James Thurber and Lucy Maude Montgomery.

6: I’m afraid I’ve not read any of those authors.  I’ll have to put them on my list. Tell us the one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I have dreadful vision and have had several surgeries to my eyes. That’s why I donate half of my proceeds from my Shadow of the Unicorn series to the Third World Eye Care Society, a group of eye specialists who travel to third world countries delivering thousands of pairs of used eyeglasses and performing surgery for free. It was thought, a few years back, that I was developing macular degeneration. But because I live in Canada, I had such excellent care that today I can see fairly well. So why not return the favour, right? Pay it forward. Actually, when I do author visits, I collect used eyeglasses from the kids.

7: That’s fantastic. I’m glad your vision is better and what a worthy cause. Tell us about your current novel, where I can find it and your website/blog.

Books We Love has just relaunched Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy which became a bestseller on the first day! Book 2, The Deception will be released on Feb. 14^th. And I’m presently negotiating my novel, A Town Bewitched.

Here are the blurbs:

Shadow of the Unicorn: The Legacy:

Azaria, a unicorn colt, is intrigued when the young, clairvoyant dinosaur, Darius, foresees a terrifying change to their world. When a giant fireball smashes into the

earth, the unicorns struggle to survive the hurricanes and starvation that follow. But nothing compares to the danger when the creatures-that-walk-on-two-legs settle in the valley, and their leader discovers the healing power in the unicorns’ horns. Greedy and ruthless, Ishmael will stop at nothing in his pursuit of wealth – even the complete extinction of the herd. Azaria must find a way to outsmart Ishmael before it’s too late.

Shadow of the Unicorn: The Deception:

Sixty years after the unicorns’ narrow escape from extinction, Azaria's Legacy has gone wrong. The new generation barely exists, hidden in the depths of the forest. Their cruel and ruthless leader, Icarus, threatens them daily with Jaresh, an invisible being capable of taking away their powers. Angry, the young colt Ulysees and his friend Téo rebel, following an old, abandoned trail where they’re discovered by humans. Now the entire herd must flee. But Ulysees learns there’s a far greater danger than humans when he meets a giant creature who warns him of impending doom…

8: Great! Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Write what impassions you and be a perfectionist.

9: Great advice. Do you base your characters on real-life people?

Oftentimes, but not necessarily. Many of my characters have a bit of this person, a bit of that person, etc. And of course, a lot of me.

10: Seems to be the consensus with most authors. Where do you get your ideas and what inspired you to write this book?

My ideas are always swimming around in my head. This series was based on the novella I wrote back in grade 6. I actually intended it as an exercise when I began writing. I didn’t expect it to go anywhere at all.

11: We never know when an idea will turn into something more. I love when that happens.  What are you currently working on?

Why, book 3, of course. Shadow of the Unicorn: The Revenge. Here’s the blurb.

Born deep in the forest, far from the others, Damien is kept a dark secret by his parents until his father, Samuel, decides the colt must join the herd to be initiated. But the unicorns are horrified by Damien’s birth defect. They see him as a freak despite his astonishing abilities. Then when Samuel is pushed to his death by a rival, Damien’s talents turn deadly. Can anyone stop him before he destroys their world?

12. I should have known. LOL Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?

Sure. Here are my links:

www.suzannedemontigny.com 

https://www.facebook.com/unicorngirl52?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/sfierymountain

http://suzannesthoughtsfortheday/blogspot.ca

And if you’re interested in downloading an ebook copy of The Legacy, voila! It’ll keep your tween, boy or girl, reading for hours

Bit.ly/azariabook1

Available Now - Book 2 in the Family Affair Series

I’m Beatrice Lulu Eberhardt. Some of you know me from my niece Callie Johnson. Callie’s the new Chief of Police of our little town and I first appeared in her book, All in the Family.

Callie doesn’t know it, but she’s my favorite. I annoyed her  sometimes because I tried to fix her up with a nice young man, well several nice young men. I didn’t want her ending up an old maid like I almost was. If Ed hadn’t come along – well I shudder to think what my life would have been like. Callie didn’t much care for any of the men I introduced her to. Praise God, she finally met a nice young man on her own.

But that’s neither here nor there. This story isn’t about Callie. It’s about me. That’s

right, me and pretty much no one else. I’m a bit of a sleuth. Some call me nosy or a busy body, but honestly, I’m only trying to help. I don’t mean to interfere.

It all started when Ed and I bought a cabin. It’s a beautiful place with its own lake. Ed loves to fish. We thought it would be fun to have a place just for us, away from everyone. You may not remember I’m from a large, crazy family. Crazy in a fun-loving way, of course. So Ed and I wanted a place to relax, not that it’s turned out that way. We’re seldom alone. Guess it’s because we genuinely like people. So now days when we go up there, someone always comes along. Usually Ethel and her husband, Greg. Ethel’s my sister, by the way. I have two other sisters, also – Charlotte, we call her Lottie,  and Lillian. Lillian is Callie’s mother, and we have a brother, Clyde, but we don’t see him as often.

Anyway, we bought the cabin and Ed and I went up there to clean it up. No one had been in it for years. Cobwebs filled more than the corners I’ll tell you that. It was going to take days, if not weeks, to clean it. But Ed promised we could fix it up and Ed never breaks a promise. That’s one of the things I love about him.

So there we were looking around, deciding what to do, and Ed decided to build a fire to take the chill and damp out of the air. The place smelled musty, the way empty houses smell after being locked up for a long time.

Well there I was, thinking about where to start when I heard a strange clattering noise. I thought Ed fell or something. I turned around and lying on the fireplace hearth was an arm – well what was left of the arm, bones and tattered flannel from a shirt, I assume. Although I’ve been told never to assume anything.

If you want to know what happens next you’ll have to read about it in All’s Well That Ends Well soon to be released from Books We Love.

If you haven’t read All in the Family – Book 1 of the Family Affair series, you can find it and all my books at Books We Love. Just click on the book and it’ll take you to the buy page. They're also available from Amazon and other markets. 

Welcome, Karla Stover

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

1: Thank you so much for being here Karla Stover, 

I see kids I went to school with from grade school on, and they say I was always writing. I do have some of my high school diaries, which are pretty funny reading.

2: Seems to be the standard answer for us authors. What or Who inspired you to write?

Anne (of Green Gables) Shirley, Jo (Little Women) March, and Betsy (Betsy-Tacy books) Ray. When I was lonesome, I read and reread these books and wanted to be just like the heroines.

3: Great books. What do you like the most and least about writing?

A while back, my husband and I went to Great Britain with my parents and one of the things we did was visit family in York. My mother just passed away and working on my historical novel, Wynters Way which takes place in York makes me feel close to her. What I don’t like is not having fellow writers to talk with.

4: I'm sorry about your mother.  Can you join a writing group to meet fellow authors?  Tell us what do you for fun and relaxation when not writing?

My husband and I walk our dog every morning, have coffee with friends, and garden. I am president of my garden club. This year’s drought, however, has fried my yard,

5: Sounds like an interesting life. Which authors do you like to read?

Alexander McCall Smith, C.S. Harris—she does an amazing job of creating Regency England and, since my husband and I recently visited Alaska, memoirs of the Gold Rush.

6: Tell us  one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

I’m a fun person. People think I’m super intelligent and I’m not. I just remember peculiar things. Actually it’s my gay friends who are the least intimidated.

7: Tell us about your current novel, where can we find it and your website/blog.

I am working on two books: I mentioned Wynters Way which Books We Love is publishing in late December. I already have the cover and it’s really evocative—all grays and gloomy. I am also working on a second non-fiction book of Tacoma, Washington (where I live) history. I can’t blog and keep up  website so I am at blogspot.

8: Sounds interesting. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Find a good critique group. It will keep you to deadlines and point out mistakes. Just don’t be thin skinned.

9: Definitely can't be thin skinned with a critique group. Do you base your characters on real-life people?

I don’t know where they come from; they’ve never told me.

10: Great answer. LOL Where do you get your ideas?

Usually from something I’ve read. For example, in Murder, When One Isn’t Enough, the idea came fromMadame of the House, an autobiography written by a famous San Francico madame, and things she wrote about Errol Flynn.

11: What’s one thing no one knows about you?

I prefer small parties to big ones.

12. What’s your favorite book?

Anybody Can do Anything, Betty McDonald’s memoir about being a single mom in Seattle during the Depression. Seattle hasn’t done right by her, as far as I’m concerned—too focused on Kurt Cobain L The book should be a must-read for teenagers.

The City of Destiny took shape where rails met sails on the shores of Commencement Bay. When Tacoma was chosen as the Northern Pacific Railroad's terminus, the city rose from the mudflats and took the lead as the Northwest's destination for opportunity. In this collection, discover the city's early notables and uncover the stories behind the historic landmarks. Why did city planners abandon Olmsted's vision? How many war bonds did Lana Turner's kisses buy? Why were vegetarians warned "Don t drink the water"? Who is the tiny figure with coal black hair and bound feet who haunts Old Tacoma? Local author and guide Karla Stover answers these questions and more as she spins stories from the tomes of Tacoma's past.
Available from Amazon

Welcome, Janet Lane Walters

1: Thank you so being for being here Janet Lane Walters. 

First up is the obligatory question. When did you first begin writing?

 If we don't count papers and doodling with stories in high school or care studies in nurses' training, I'd say my first attempts began in 1967. I was first published in 1968 with a series of short stories and some poetry. Then I graduated to novels when an editor said my short story sounded like a synopsis for a novel.

2:Great way to start. Tell us, What or Who inspired you to write?

Not sure anyone inspired me. I've always been a reader with a library card since I was four years old. Actually I wanted to be a journalist but college was out of the question so I became a nurse. Reading was my inspiration. We were living in a small town with a limited library leaving me with nothing to read. That's when I decided to write my own stories. Took a few years of reading books on "How to" and sending stories out in the mail, retyping them when they came back and sending them out again before I sold a short story. Then I was hooked.

3:Ah the dreaded rejection and felling of elation from that first sale. I remember it well. What do you like the most and least about writing?

There is nothing about the process of writing I don't like. To me they're all part of the process. From the idea to blocking the story to writing and re-writing, revision I find each part has its own joys. To me all is a challenge and knowing I'll reach the end of a story always spurs me on.

4: It's definitely a challenge. Okay tell us, what do you do for fun and relaxation when not writing?

When not writing I do a lot of reading, crossword puzzles, listen to classical musicals and catch up on favorite crime show. I also spend a lot of time tending to a semi-invalid husband. Plus phone calls to distant in location grandchildren and visiting with the ones close at hand.

5:Sounds like a busy life. So, which authors do you like to read?

This is a very hard question since I read a lot and read a variety of authors. There are many of the BWL authors stories I enjoy, plus people I've been reading for years and contemporary authors. As to picking a favorite often it's who I'm reading or re-reading at the time. The list would take a page or two on your blog so I'll just say they cover every genre except horror. 

6:Great answer. I always found that question difficult to answer also. Tell us one thing you’d most like people to know about you?

Interesting question And I really can't think of much. Maybe that I'm a Cancer with six planets in that sign a Taurus Ascendant with Uranus, the planet of the unexpected sitting on the Ascendant. Makes life interesting.

7: Wow, sounds interesting. Tell us about your current novel, where I can find it and your website/blog.

My latest published novel is part of the Opposites in Love series. This one is called The Gemini - Sagittarius Connection. The heroine is a nurse with a pair of ten year old twin sons. She's a widow and has brought her sons to Eastlake to remove them from bad influences in the city. She has a connection to the heroines of the other stories in the series since they all went to the same college nursing program. Liz doesn't want another husband. Her dead husband was a hero who died rescuing children from a fire. She figures once is enough. She is a Gemini.

The hero is the Sagittarius and he often suffers from foot in mouth disease. He's a widower and isn't looking for another marriage. His first one was perfect in his eyes until she died. He is taken by the twin boys and steps in to be a male figure in their lives. Once he realizes he loves Liz he knows he must find a way to persuade her to take a chance.

The Gemini - Sagittarius Connection (Opposites in Love Book 3) 

https://twitter.com/JanetL717

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8:Sounds like a great book. I'm a Gemini. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Tips for the aspiring author. 1. Write every day even if it's no more than a paragraph. 2. Persistence pays so continue writing and sending your stories out for people to read. 3. Listen to what your editor says. 4. Remember your words aren't carved in storm. You can delete and change them at will.

9: Great advice. A question I'm sometimes asked, do you base your characters on real-life people?

Perhaps in a general way but not on particular people. Sometimes I use people I know traits but most of my characters are pulled from the air and from my observation and by using Astrology to develop their inner nature, their emotional nature and the face they show the world.

10:I love using Astrology for my characters traits. So then where do you get your ideas?

I'm not sure where my ideas arrive. A number of my stories are based on my love of ancient Egypt. Four of the YAs were inspired by my grandchildren. My work as a nurse definitely inspired other stories. I may have a twisted mind and something I read or see might trigger the idea for a story.

11:I know what you mean, it's strange where our ideas come from.  Off the topic of writing, what’s one thing no one knows about you?

I'm not sure there's anything that someone doesn't know. I've met and made friends of many people in my many years of life.

12. Who’s your favorite author and what’s your favorite book?

There are a number of books I've read more than once. One author is Jane Austen and I've read all her books more than once. Tolstoy is another. Read all his books. I really can't name a favorite author or book but Anna Karenina comes close to being a favorite. This book also nearly found me kicked out of school in the third grade.

Excerpt:

When she reached the nurses' station, she halted abruptly. Jeff Carter, the man who'd resided in her daydreams for years, stood at the unit clerk's desk. "Where's the new nurse manager?"

"Here," Liz said. "I'm Liz Jordan, and you are?"

"Dr. Jeff Carter, not to be confused with my son." He smiled.

Liz grasped the edge of the counter. "Since I know Alex, there'll be no confusion. Is there a problem?"

He nodded. "On Friday, there was a medication error involving one of my patients. I was told the incident report was in your office. I want to see it."

She frowned. She'd looked through all the papers that were in the basket and hadn't seen any incident report. "Let me look."

"Don't you think incident reports are important?"

"I didn't find one on my desk, but I'll check the drawers."

As they strode down the hall, he told her what he'd learned. "Someone on this unit is responsible. I spoke to the pharmacist on duty. He said a nurse had insisted she'd spoken to me, and I'd ordered penicillin on a patient who's allergic to that medicine. No one called my office. I want to know who's behind this."

"So do I." Liz checked the papers on her desk and searched the drawers. "Not here. Maybe Delores put it with the things she removed from the office."

"Find her." Ice coated his voice.

"On my way."

"One thing you'd better make clear to your entire staff. Any time there's a question about one of my orders, I expect a phone call."

Liz turned. "That's standard practice. Who signed off the order and sent it to the pharmacy?"

He shrugged. "Writing's on a par with mine."

Liz smiled. “Won’t be a problem when the computers arrive.”

“Not you, too. Find that incident report.”

Liz found Delores in the lounge. "Dr. Carter would like to see the incident report from Friday. It wasn't in my office."

Delores smiled. "Maybe I accidentally put it with my things. I'll check my locker and bring it to you."

"Thanks. He's a tense man."

Delores laughed. "Maybe he should be."

Ten minutes after Liz reached the nurses' station, Delores arrived. "Found it. Dr. Carter, I understand your patient was fortunate."

Jeff Carter's mouth formed a taut line. "Weren't you in charge Friday? Where were you when the incident occurred?"

The blonde rested one hand on her hip. "Taking some comp time. I'm sure I told the clerk to call your office."

The thin woman wheeled in her chair. "You never."

"Then I must have told the patient's nurse. These new grads let everything fluster them."

By the time the stories were checked, Liz had no idea what had happened. The incident report was no help. She frowned. Delores had signed the report, yet she denied being on the unit when the wrong medicine was given. "How could you sign a report when you weren't here?"

Delores opened a drawer. "Pre-signed forms. The nurse manager only needs to sign that the nurse made it out."

Liz lifted the forms from the drawer. "This won't happen again."

"Better not." Jeff picked up a stack of charts. "Mrs. Jordan , I'll speak with you after I've seen my patients and talked to their nurses."

Liz watched him walk away. She would rather hide, but she couldn't. She returned to her office and added more items to her growing list. How could one person sort out chaos?

"Mrs. Jordan ."

His deep voice sent chills along her skin. "Dr. Carter, come in."

He closed the door. "I know it's your first day, but do you have any idea when you'll have a smooth operation here?"

She wanted to laugh, but that would be the wrong approach. "I've a list of areas where improvements are needed and some ideas of how they can be accomplished. But to give you a date, sorry."

"I wish you luck."

"Thanks. I'll be speaking to all the doctors and asking for suggestions. Do you have any?"

He smiled. "A few hundred. We should name a time and place for a meeting."

"I'd like that." She mentally ran through a list of those who should be included.

"How about joining me for dinner on Friday?"

"Sure. No, wait . . . ." She'd answered before she thought, before she remembered this was real and not part of a fantasy. She shook her head. "Not dinner."

"Strictly business."

"We can meet here, or you could tell me now." Did he hear the panic in her voice?

"Can't today. I've office hours, and I need to organize my ideas. Not here either. Too many curious eyes."

She frowned. "Why would anyone be curious about a meeting in this office?"

"Don't ask."

"Let me talk to Eric. I'm sure we can use the conference room and ask the other doctors to come."

"Friday. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Tell me where, and I'll meet you." She'd also ask Eric and Jenessa to join them.

"You're new in town."

"Not that new. I went to Grantley with Megan." She chewed on her lower lip. Why had she reminded him? Evidently, he didn't remember how she'd made a fool of herself. Liz stared at her desk. This was the moment she'd dreamed of for years. Dreamed was the key word. Reality wasn't safe.