Diane Bator's Blog, page 58

Maggie Petru talks about Love, Obey & Betray and The Widow Lindsay

Escape with a Writer Sunday welcomes Maggie Petru!

Born on an Ontario dairy farm with no siblings or neighbour children for playmates, Maggie Petru discovered story telling (no, NOT fibbing) before she entered public school. By the time she outgrew paper dolls, she had learned to write. Writing became her hobby and preserved her sanity from that time onwards.
She attended Toronto Teachers’ College directly out of Gr. 13 and spent eight years between full time and supply teaching. By the time her own three children had all entered school full time she wanted to go back to work, but definitely not as a teacher. She’d been writing during their afternoon naps and now had a firm grip on how to handle her language. She went off to Sheridan College for the journalism training which led to 30 years of reporting for Ontario daily and weekly newspapers and the Canadian Press wire service, as well as awards for both agricultural writing and investigative reporting.
In her last years at a small weekly, she began dividing her time between reporting and taking notes for deaf students at the University of Toronto. During those same years she began dusting off story ideas and hooked up with Guelph’s Sun Dragon Press to produce three novels.After a brief attempt at retirement, she discovered Sheridan College was offering degree courses with the U of T. The Honours Bachelor of Creative Writing and Publishing program seemed a perfect fit and offered the potential to expand her knowledge of her chosen third career. One year almost down. Only three more to go.

1. At the moment my life has gone haywire. Last year I discovered Sheridan College was offering an Honours BA in Creative Writing and Publishing and I enrolled. As a retired journalist with three published novels, how hard could it be? Well, let me tell you, it involves topics I never even dreamed of -  such as writing video games and movie scripts, in addition to research essays and dissecting “literary works” word by word. And this is only year one. There’s 3 more to go. It consumes so many hours I have no time for my own writing and all those other hobbies I enjoy - knitting, sewing, crocheting, quilting, smocking, embroidery - have completely fallen by the wayside. I may not even get a sweater done for my youngest great-granddaughter’s second birthday unless I cut back to part time. I love to travel too, but you can bet that’s not happening again any time soon. Even my cats are complaining they’re neglected when I shoo them off my lap to finish a piece of homework. I keep questioning why I’m doing this but I know I’m simply too stubborn to let it beat me. If only everything didn’t have to be done on a computer I’d have assignments finished in half the time.
2. I am actually working - sort of - on three books. One will eventually be a collection of short stories. That’s waaay down the road since I only have half a dozen of them so far.A second book is half done and stalled. I’ve found my police/security source to help me with how money moves from a Canadian bank to the Caribbean and eventually to China but we haven’t sat down and really talked yet, so that book is also at least three or four years in the future.The one that’s in revisions is getting hung up with my class work. I never expected working on my degree to entail as many hours of homework as it is turning out to be. Maybe this summer I’ll be able to clear my head enough to sit down and re-do all the sections that don’t suit me at the moment.
3. The only thing I consistently have difficulty with is adding emotion to my work. Anger, sure. Flows like water but other emotions take a lot of work. I now recognize the need for them, but I still struggle to add enough to keep my beta readers content. Never saw myself as a buttoned up person but I guess I must be since it wouldn’t naturally occur to me to cry or scream over things that apparently move others and apparently my heroines too, to such reactions.
4. Since I only write mysteries of some sort, research is usually a matter of coming up with a situation I can twist into a mystery. I expect my stories to be accurate so I have a couple of ex-cops in my circle of family and friends that I can turn to when I need authentic methodology. Since I hate technology, to date I have set my stories in the 1900s in order to avoid it. This is also my era so research is pretty much my own memories or a quick scan on Google to find a precise date, etc. That’s largely what’s holding up my current books. They’re both set since 2000 and that involves a bunch of stuff I’d prefer to avoid. Unfortunately, the thefts couldn’t have happened without the web and the internet so I’m stuck with this. 
5. I love history and mystery. Romance gets an occasional nod but only by virtue of being part of something else, like a mystery. Favourite authors would fill your whole page, Anne Cleeves, Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson, Giles Blunt, Baldacci, Vince Flynn, Greg Isles, John Sanford, Jonathan Kellerman, Louise Penny, Michael Connelly, John Lescroat and more.
I have to confess that while I love the work of a lot of mystery writers, I wouldn’t call any of them particularly inspiring. On the other hand, I see a lesson from almost all of them. They have marked out a particular type of story - a setting, an era, a profession, something that is unique to their work and it’s taught me to look for something that will mark my writing as mine and only mine. Not sure I’ve found it yet, but I’m hunting.
6. I think the only person who hinted that I should keep writing was my Gr. 13 English teacher. She used to tease me about good stories - if only I could remember I was writing in English and stay away from French spellings. Unfortunately she also thought I’d be good at teaching so she badly missed the mark. 

My website - Maggiepetru.com
Love, Obey and Betray
Vladymyr Horbatsky emigrated to Canada at the end of WWII in search of safety and security. Over the ensuing 20 years steady work and a Canadian family create his personal paradise. Then an American Defense Department consultant comes to work for his employer and Vlad discovers that the man was his wife’s boss in her days as an Allied spy. Memories of his childhood escape from Communism and enslavement by the Nazis flood back, alerting his Cossack instincts to the fact that paradise has just developed a huge viper.
Buy here at:  Amazon. com

The Widow Lindsay
Newly widowed, her Manitoba home and family wrecked by WWI, Lydia Lindsay envisages a fresh beginning at ShadyBrae, the Ontario family farm she inherits from her soldier husband. One hundred fertile acres, a solid barn, a stone house verging on a mansion. What more could she want?
Until she encounters her brother-in-law, Jacob, who has no scruples about using murder, arson, and his own little daughter to coerce Lydia into a marriage that will get him the farm over which he has obsessed since childhood.
While her neighbour Roddy McCullough will risk both their reputations to protect Lydia, they need ShadyBrae's old ghost, Aunt Agnes, to cope with kidnapping.
Buy here at Amazon. com

Rita Lee Chapman talks about The Poinciana Tree

Escape with a Writer Sunday welcomes Rita Lee Chapman!

Rita Lee Chapman was born in London and moved to Australia in her early twenties. It was only when she retired that she wrote her first novel, Missing in Egypt, the first in the Anna Davies Mystery series. Missing at Sea is Book#2 in the series and Missing in London is Book #3. All can be enjoyed as stand-alone books.
Winston – A Horse’s Tale was written for horse lovers like herself. “It was the book I had to write.”
Dangerous Associations and The Poinciana Tree are crime mysteries.
When she’s not writing or reading, Rita enjoys playing tennis, walking and entertaining.

Website: www.ritaleechapman.com



Tell us about your life outside of writing.I am retired and I live on the coast of Queensland, Australia with my husband. We play tennis three days a week and walk our beautiful beaches, the river and the lake.  We are fortunate to have a great group of friends through tennis and we entertain regularly, hence the need to walk!Do you have a work in progress?No.  I’m still busy promoting my last book, The Poinciana Tree but I do have a couple of ideas brewing. What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?My first book was the hardest.  The problem was I could write about anything I wanted but what was it going to be?  In the end I fell back on the old saying “write what you know” and I combined some of my working life with a holiday I had recently taken in Egypt.  As I am self-published it was also a huge learning curve.What sort of research do you do for your work?A lot of my information comes from having lived to retirement age and from my travels, but Dr Google is an amazing source for research.Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author that inspires you?I read quite a wide variety of books, from memoirs and biographies to mysteries, murders and horse books.  Was there a person who encouraged you to write?I had a teacher in junior school, Mrs Jolly, who encouraged my essays and my mother has been a great support since I started writing.

Round Robin Blog Fest March 21 2020

Happy Spring 2020.... such as it is! I truly hope you're all healthy and staying self-isolated as is the buzzword of the year. In any case, welcome back to yet another Round Robin Blog Fest!
I've been away for a while with work and writerly type things as well as picking up my youngest from college due to the Covid 19 virus. Since the world seems to be coming to a standstill, this is great time to catch up on some blog posts!
This month's question is:  What draws you into a story? 

With all the uncertainty and surrealism in the world right now, a good story is anything that takes our minds off the craziness!

I enjoy a strong opening that makes me curious about what comes next. The story should not only make a reader ask questions, but give them tidbits of information about the characters without overwhelming them with information. I don't mean the laundry list of height, weight, appearance and full backstory all in one lump. Those sorts of long, rambling paragraphs can make a reader's eyes glaze over! For me, I prefer to learn that sort of information along the journey as I read.

A well-written story should flow. Not only with a solid story with a timeline that makes sense to the readers from start to finish, but also one that moves along well from scene to scene. Writing with long, slow sections then dialogue with no tags tends to be confusing and jarring. A smooth blend of dialogue woven with description and action makes for a nicer read.

One of the best ways to draw me into a story, is to have a strong main character with a compelling plot. Whether it's a plot that's overdone or not, there can always be fresh elements or great lines. 

I'm a sucker for good humor. Not so much the slapstick and inane, but clever one-liners and puns. I enjoy characters (and writers) who don't take themselves too seriously. But enough about me! 

Stop by and visit my fellow writers. They're a talented bunch with a lot of great humor and amazing stories to tell!Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-1RR
Fiona McGier http://www.fionamcgier.com/
Marci Baun  http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

Reed Stirling talks about

Welcome to this week's author Reed Stirling!!
Reed Stirling lives in Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, and writes when not travelling, or painting landscapes, or taking coffee at the Drumroaster, a local café where metaphor and metaphysics clash daily. His shorter work has appeared in Maple Tree Literary Supplement, Nashwaak Review, Valley Voice, Out Of The Warm Land II and III, StepAway Magazine, PaperPlates, Eloquent Atheist, Senior Living, Green Silk Journal, Fickle Muses, Fieldstone Review, Ascent Aspirations, Feathertale, Filling Station, Hackwriters Magazine, Dis(s)ent In Words, The Danforth Review, Montreal Writes Literary Magazine, and Humanist Perspectives. Shades Of Persephone is his first published novel, 2019. Lighting The Lamp will be published in March, 2020. He is presently working on a third novel tentatively titled Square Saint-Louis.
1.LIFE OUTSIDE OF WRITING
Before retiring and taking up writing fiction as a past time, I taught English Literature. (Several talented students of mine have gone on to become successful writers.) My wife and I built a log home in the hills of southern Vancouver Island, and survived totally off the grid for twenty-five years during which time the rooms in that house filled up with books, thousands of student essays were graded, and innumerable cords of firewood were split. Life outside of writing now includes painting landscapes, reading, fishing, cycling, skiing, and travel.
2. WORK IN PROGRESS
I am working on a first draft of a work tentatively titled Square Saint-Louis, where the troubles in a contemporary family mirror those of the tragic poet Émile Nelligan.Brendan Young, a Calgary based businessman who travels more than he’d like, admits to having absolutely no patience for the intransigence of his music-obsessed, teenage son, Elliot. Ongoing domestic disputes have intensified over the years: antipathy now verges on hostile rejection. Elinore, an equally conflicted wife and mother, is threatening separation, a source of great anxiety for Brendan who turns to alcohol for the understanding that eludes him on the home front. His sojourn in Montreal, a city not unfamiliar to him, leads him incident by surreal incident, towards greater understanding through familiarity with the tragic story of Émile Nelligan, who, as a nineteen year-old, enjoyed a successful entry into the artistic community of Montreal in the last decade of the 19th century, and then fell victim to madness. Reconnecting with Emery St James Montesquieu, among old antagonists he encounters at a Yamaska College reunion, proves not only enlightening for Young in its mirroring effect — the troubles in his family are reflected dramatically in those of the young afflicted poet — but also redemptive. Elliot, the musician, will have his apotheosis.
  3. MOST DIFFICULT PIECE
The most difficult piece I’ve had to deal with, a chapter, in fact, from Lighting the Lamp titled “Glorious Disorder,” was published in Humanist Perspective (Fall 2019).On the one hand, the selection deals in a straightforward manner with the nature of metaphysical belief, which can be a very sensitive topic for some readers. On the other hand, my characters have to come to grip with the destructive nature of the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Deeply conflicted about the whys and wherefores of the devastating illness his granddaughter suffers, my protagonist explains that the tragic situation facing the family is not divinely sanctioned but “is simply a disorder arising out of the seeming randomness of the evolutionary process that the cosmos contrived, one that brought us into being, and one that can take us out.”In reality, my neighbours’ young daughter suffered for months at the hands of this insidious affliction. The whole family was displaced and suffered much. In time, the girl recovered, as does my imagined character.
4. RESEARCH 
More recently I research things online. However, the reference books I consult (be they literary, mythological, philosophical, architectural, psychological, historical, scientific, geographical, linguistic) I find on my own shelves or on those of our local library. Most enjoyable is research done in situ, Greece for Shades Of Persephone, for example, and Montreal in large part for Lighting The Lamp and the novel I’m presently working on. Reading other fiction can also be a source relevant information. Simple observation of people helps in many ways, verisimilitude being the objective of the observation whatever the setting. I lean towards mystery in my writing, with romantic entanglement an integral part of the plot development. Greek mythology and literary allusion underpin a great deal of what unfolds. Irony is pervasive.  
5. BOOKS, AUTHORS, & SOURCES OF INSPIRATION      I read widely, and have done so for decades, the classics included. At present, works by Ian McEwan, Julian Barnes, and John le Carré await. The muse visits me most often when I read the novels of John Banville.My reading has definitely influenced my writing. Lawrence Durrell’s The Alexandrian Quartet provided the impetus for Shades Of Persephone. John Fowles’ The Magus gave me the Greek setting. Joyce’s Portrait inspired more than one scene in Lighting The Lamp, as did the philosophical musing of Percy Bysshe Shelley. Marcel Proust plays a part here as well, as do Richard Dawkins, Emily Dickinson, and Albert Camus. The poems of Émile Nelligan are working thematically into Square Saint-Louis.Teaching literature has had an influence on my writing. When you introduce young minds to the great works of great artists, (e.g., Hamlet, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Portrait of the Artist As A young Man, Gulliver’s Travels, The Handmaid’s Tale), you are constantly challenging yourself to get it right, to understand not only who, what, and when, but also how, and to elucidate on these considerations as discussion ensues. In your own writing, you want to emulate, difficult though it is to do so, but you have to try.  
6. ENCOURAGEMENT      Greatest support and understanding comes from my wife, travel guide and firewood organizer supreme.
WEBSITE & LINKS: reedstirlingwrites.comreedstirling@gmail.comBooks We Love Publishing — http://bwlpublishing.caBWL authors group Facebook

Shades of Persephone Shades of Persephone is a literary mystery that will entertain those who delight in exotic settings, foreign intrigue, and the unmasking of mysterious characters. Crete in 1980-81, more specifically the old Venetian harbour of Chania, provides the background against which expat Canadian Steven Spire labours in pursuit of David Montgomery, his enigmatic and elusive mentor, who stands accused in absentia of treachery and betrayal. The plot has many seams through which characters slide, another of them being the poet Emma Leigh, widow of Montgomery’s imposing Cold War adversary, Heinrich Trüger. In that the setting is Crete, the source of light is manifold, but significant inspiration for Steven Spire comes from Magalee De Bellefeuille, his vision of Aphrodite and his muse. “Find Persephone,” she directs him, “and you’ll find David Montgomery.”  Her prompts motivate much of the narrative, including that of the Cretan underground during the Nazi occupation, 1941- 45.             Shades of Persephone presents a story of love and sensuality, deception and war, spiritual quest and creative endeavour. The resolution takes an unanticipated turn but comes as no surprise to the discerning reader. Like Hamlet who must deal with his own character in following the injunctions of his ghostly father, Steven Spire discovers much about the city to which he has returned, but much more about himself and his capacity for love.
Buy links:http://bwlpublishing.caShades Of Persephone/Amazon.ca/Reed Stirling/Books            https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/bookswelovewwwbarnesandnoble.com>shades-of-persephone-reed-stirling            wwwgoodreads.com>Reed Stirling            wwwchapters.indigo.ca>Reed Stirling
Lighting the Lamp
 Lighting The Lamp dramatizes the efforts of Terry Burke, a sympathetic, at times caustic and critical, but ordinary old guy, to come to grips with who he is and what his life has been. His struggle to accept retirement and to interpret the iterations of the voice in his head spreads to concern over the mysterious death of a wanderer. Terry’s obsession to solve the mystery fuses directly with his personal history and leads him in and out of fascinating, half-remembered mythological landscapes. 
A restive Terry is enjoined to revisit the haunts of his youth. Family dynamics of the present, mirrored in Irish heritage of the past, come into play as do contrarian opinions encountered among cronies, distant friends, and lost loves. Motivated by his muse to tell all, what he seeks in addition to understanding is truthful voice and the purest possible point of view. Aware that remembrance of things past in not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were, this quixotic Everyman eventually reaches beyond self, beyond mystery, and beyond theodicy to a philosophical embrace of cosmic apotheosis. In Lighting The Lamp, Montreal provides more than a background for potential jihad-sponsored terrorism, or ghosts out of the past, or a romantic trip down memory lane; the many-layered city takes on the function of a defined and demanding character and declares in a voice Terry hears clearly: “Know me and know yourself!”

Stuart West talks about "Bad Day in a Banana Hammock" and "Peculiar County"

Welcome to featured author Stuart R West!  Before we get to the nitty gritty, I have to admit I've read  and reviewed a couple of Stuart's books (Nightmare of Nannies and Murder by Massage.) They are definitely not what I expected, but a thrill-a-minute ride with a quirky sense of humour! Zach and Zora are two of the most entertaining sleuths I've read in a long time! Stuart writes about Zora and her kids in such a way that I could totally related to all the crazy things they do, especially after raising three boys! Cheers, Diane

Stuart R. West is a lifelong resident of Kansas, which he considers both a curse and a blessing. It's a curse because...well, it's Kansas. But it's great because, well, it’s Kansas. Lots of cool, strange and creepy things happen in the Midwest, and Stuart takes advantage of them in his books. Call it “Kansas Noir.” Stuart writes horror, thrillers and mysteries usually tinged with (the darkest of dark) humor. (P.S., if you read all of this in a Morgan Freeman narratorly voice; we’ll get through this process easier.)

Stuart spent 25 years in the corporate sector and now writes full time. He’s married to a professor of pharmacy and has a 27-year-old daughter who’s dipping her toes in the nefarious world of banking, working for The Man.
To be one of the cool kids on the block, visit Stuart’s Amazon page at: http://bit.ly/StuartRWestBooks
If you're still reading this far, you may as well head on over to Stuart's blog at: http://stuartrwest.blogspot.com/
BAD DAY IN A BANANA HAMMOCK blurb:Zach wakes up with no memory, no phone, and no clothes except his stripper g-string. And oh yeah! There’s that pesky naked dead guy in bed next to him. Problem is Zach's not gay. Or a murderer. At least, he doesn't think so.
Only one person can help him, his sister, Zora. Of course Zora's got problems of her own—she has three kids at home and is eight month's pregnant with the fourth. So she’s a bit cranky. But that’s not going to stop her from helping her brother.

With kids in tow, the siblings set how to find the true killer, clear Zach's name, and reassure Zach he's not gay.





PECULIAR COUNTY blurb:
Growing up in Peculiar County, Kansas, is a mighty...well, peculiar experience. In 1965, things get even stranger for Dibby Caldwell, the mortician's fifteen-year-old daughter. A young boy's ghost haunts Dibby into unearthing the circumstances of his death.
Nobody—living or dead—wants her to succeed. James, the new mop-topped, bad boy at school doesn’t help. Dibby can’t get him out of her head, even though she doesn’t trust him. No, sir, there's nothing much more peculiar than life in Peculiar County…except maybe death in Peculiar County.




UPDATED LINKS:*Stuart R. West’s brand-spanking new website!
*Amazon author page.
*Stuart R. West's (totally inconsequential) blog: Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley
*And the rest (like on Gilligan's Island): Facebook, Twitter

Skye Taylor talks about Bullseye and Worry Stone

Escape with a Writer Sunday welcomes Skye Taylor!
Skye Taylor, mother, grandmother and returned Peace Corps Volunteer, loves adventure and lives in St Augustine Florida where she enjoys the history of America’s oldest city and walking on its beautiful beaches. She posts a sometimes-weekly blog and sends out a bi-monthly newsletter, volunteers with the USO, and is currently working the next book in her new Jesse Quinn Mystery series. Her published work includes: Bullseye, The Candidate, Falling for Zoe, Loving Meg, Trusting Will, Healing a Hero, Keeping His Promise, Worry Stone and Iain’s Plaid. Visit her website: www.Skye-writer.com to read her short stories and essays about her time spent in the South Pacific with the Peace Corps. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Florida Writer’s Association, and Women’s Fiction Writer’s Association. She loves hearing from her readers at Skye@Skye-writer.com




      I live in a sunny, warm, little piece of paradise in a fun little neighborhood perched on the edge of a barrier island so I spend a lot of my time walking the beach, or just watching and enjoying the ever-changing ocean. I also volunteer at the USO lounge at the Jacksonville Airport on a regular basis and sometimes get dressed out as an 18th century Spanish wench and join in the reenactment activities in the old part of St. Augustine, the oldest European city in the US. I also have fifteen grandkids so there is a lot of travel to attend important events in their lives. My most recent adventure was a trip back to the South Pacific to visit the family I lived with while serving in the Peace Corps that included dodging a tropical cyclone and an unexpected layover in the capital of Tonga. My next trip out of the country will be Scotland with my daughter and two granddaughters next year.

I’ll probably still have a work in progress when they bury me because I have so many great book ideas. I am currently working on Framed - the second book in my new Jesse Quinn Mystery series.

The most difficult story I ever wrote was my mainstream, The Candidate (https://amzn.to/2C8Zg83). It was a story that grew in me a bit at a time, but by the time I was deep into writing it I felt like I had the reins for six horses in my fists and no experience in handling a team. But then I had the privilege to attend a workshop by T. Davis Bunn on keeping story and character arcs working together. Like a lightbulb had come on in my head, I came home with my scribbled notes and a sketch of his graphic and the story all fell together. The Candidate (https://amzn.to/2C8Zg83)is one man’s personal struggle with an event from his past that erupts in the last couple months of a hard-fought campaign for the White House that challenges everything Matt Steele thought he knew about himself. But we see into his opponent’s campaigns as well as the lives of two people tangled up in Matt’s story. It was a difficult story to write, but I feel it’s one of my best.

Research – There is always research, even when writing a contemporary story in a place you’re familiar with, unless, of course, your protagonist has the same job you do – then you’re golden. My romances were set in a fictional town in coastal North Carolina so I visited the area and dug into the lifestyle, learned the colloquialisms and favorite foods. I was already familiar with the period of American History that my time travel is set in, but it still required a lot more research, walking the streets of Boston and Salem Mass, and reading the letters and journals of the men and women who lived in that time. The Candidate (https://amzn.to/2C8Zg83), required some research into the Vietnam War and interviewing men who had actually fought there as well as paying attention to the political arguments of the current era.  My new mystery series required research into a whole new world – that of law enforcement. Not ever having been in law enforcement, nor related to anyone who is, I took the Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy and two ride-alongs with local deputies. Since these books are set right here in St. Augustine, I am already familiar with the territory, but still use Google maps to “look” at places I’ve not been, and sometimes I just get into the car and go for a drive. Thankfully, I enjoy the research part of the writing process.

Which books/authors do I read for pleasure? Dozens. Authors that have inspired me would be Diana Gabaldon, A.E. Howe, C. Hope Clark, and Tracy Garvis Graves and a whole raft of less well-known authors I meet with regularly who help me brainstorm and cheer me on. For pleasure I read all of the above, but also Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, Lee Child, Greg Hurwitz, Mark Greaney, Brad Thor, Tom Clancy, Nelson DeMille, Mark Dawson, Tony Hillerman and Michael Connelly. Actually, I could go on, but that would take all day. I used to read a lot of romance and especially enjoyed Georgette Heyer, but in the last few years this genre has become so repetitive it’s like watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel; same plot, same characters they just change the names from one book to the next. I do still read romances, but I’m always looking for authors who push that narrow envelope.

Was there a person who encouraged me to write? Along the way, there have been many, but way back when I was still in High School, I had an English teacher for both my junior and senior years who really lit the fire in me. His assignments challenged me to dig deep and think about my writing in a way no teacher had before. By the time I graduated I had learned to love creating characters, stories and places. Even essays became something I enjoyed when everyone else preferred multiple-choice exams. 

Website:  https://www.Skye-writer.com
Facebook: @Skyewriter2
Twitter: @Skyewriter22
Instagram: @Skyewriter2
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Skye-Taylor/e/...

Worry Stone
Tagline: Is love enough to heal a soul-wounded Marine?

Blurb:
Sandy Marshall has been rescuing and healing injured creatures all her life, so it’s nothing new when she jumps to the defense of a Marine recently returned from a war zone who’s being heckled by a fellow student. But when she falls in love with Nathan Cameron, she discovers that bringing home a soul-wounded Marine just might break her heart.

Cam wasn’t planning on getting involved with anyone until he put the war firmly behind him and got his life back on track, but the hope and sunshine Sandy brings to his troubled heart is as unexpected as it is irresistible.

Will Sandy’s love be enough to bring Cam back from the edge of despair and convince him to get the help he so desperately needs? Is his love for her strong enough for him to pull his life together and be the man she believes in?

Buy Links:
Amazon  https://amzn.to/2RK3as1
B&N  https://bit.ly/2XfxX6i
iBooks  https://apple.co/2Jdcdht
Kobo  https://bit.ly/301HIlv

Bullseye
Tag Line: Powerful people want a good man locked up for murder - and time is not on Jesse’s side.

Blurb:
Dan Hoffman’s wife is dead. His fingerprints are on the glass prism she was bludgeoned with, and powerful people want him in cuffs. But Detective Jesse Quinn has a history with Dan and she believes he’s innocent.

A man on the run claims the murder is tied to a long-ago cover-up over an incident in Afghanistan. Four people are dead, and two attempts have been made. A rival in the Sheriff’s office wants to take over the investigation and time is running out.

Will Jesse be able to put all the pieces together before she is sidelined and Dan arrested for his wife’s murder?



Purchase Bullseye using either of these links: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732228779
                                                                  https://amzn.to/2vvBwZl

Karla Stover tells us about Murder: When One Isn't Enough and Wynters Way

Escape with a Writer Sunday welcomes Karla Stover!!

Karla Stover graduated from the University of Washington with honors in history. She has been writing for more than twenty-five years. Locally, her credits include The [Tacoma} News Tribune, the Tacoma Weekly, the Tacoma Reporter and the Puget Sound Business Journal. Nationally, she has published in Birds and Blooms and the Ruralite, Internationally, she was a regular contributor to the European Crown and the Imperial Russian Journal. For fifteen years she hosted a radio program on her hometown, Tacoma (Washington). She won the Chistell Prize for a short story called, “One Day at Appomattox.” She is a member of the Daughters of the Pioneers, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Tacoma Historical Society. Her entire working career was at Merrill Lynch.


1.   Tell us about your life outside of writing.I belong to a very active garden club. In addition to our own yards, we play Flower Bingo with residents at the Orting Soldier’s Home, do community service (this year we hope to clean and plant a currently unloved garden in front of a county library. We help decorate a 19th century mansion at Christmas, run the horticulture building at the Pierce County Fair, and host several horticulture-related 4H meetings.
2.   Do you have a work in progress?In both Tacoma, WA. (where I live) and Pierce County, residents are extremely supportive when it comes to non-fiction books about the town. I’ve published three and think, this year, I’ll alternate between a novel and a third Tacoma history book. I’m making a presentation to the publisher under its “Wicked” series. So, I’m heavy into local crime, right now. But I’m also starting a book based on the story of a young woman who came here in the 1890s and while here, ended up meeting and marrying a Scottish lord.
3.   What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?I think my three novels were all equally hard but for different reasons. I set A Line to Murder in the pre-computer years because I hate it when protagonists make easy use of them (computers, not years. No misplaced modifiers for me). Using a computer to dig up information feels like a cop-out. I quit reading Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta series for that reason. That being said, there are things about the ‘80s that I don’t remember. At that time I was in a critique group and was constantly called out on things the other writers didn’t feel were accurate, things such as clothes, music, even internal feelings, and I hate gratuitous sex and don’t have a lot in my books which didn’t go over well. The Hood Canal murder mystery was easier, but Wynters Way took a lot of research.
4.   What sort of research do you do for your work?Since I am focused on Tacoma, Washington history in both fiction and non-fiction, I read old newspapers. I subscribe to Genealogybank which gives me access to most of what I want. I used to use the New York Times but they now charge to access archived articles. I also make use of “Historylink.org” and Hunt’s History of Tacoma, a very old book.
5.    Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Last week I went to my favorite used books site, “Alibris” and ordered a bunch of memoirs. I’m a sucker for what it was like to work for British aristocracy---certainly not Downton Abbey. The amazing women who, with so little education, were able to write their experiences make me proud. But, I am also reading the true story of a woman taken captive by the Indians circa 1760 and how she survived and escaped. We have three vehicles and I have a different book in each one, plus my bedtime book.
6.   Is there an author that inspires you?I can’t think of any
7. Was there a person who encouraged you to write?Okay, you can laugh, but I am an introvert and a big daydreamer—always have been. And growing up I loved Anne of Green Gables, Jo March, (Little Women) and Betsy Ray (Betsy, Tacy and Tib.) They wrote so I wanted to, also. I also wanted red hair like Anne had but that’s another story.

Costco, Amazon, Target , the Tacoma History Museum, and the Northwest Shop carry my non-fiction.The fiction is available through Amazon.
                            

J. M. Tibbott talks about The Arrival and The Healers

Escape with a Writer Sunday welcomes J.M. Tibbott!
                                                              I’m delighted to appear in Diane Bator’s Blogspot  this Sunday as her featured author. You may ask, who the heck is J. M. Tibbott and how does she know Diane?
My PseudonymJ. M. Tibbott is my pseudonym, of which I’ve become rather fond. My legal name is Marilyn J. Kleiber, under which I have published a collection of short stories, encompassing, humor, horror and a teeny bit of romance.
The day came for me to put hand hands to keyboard and produce a novel, which I had been threatening to do for a number of years.  My challenge was that my legal name just didn’t suit the myth/fantasy I had in mind. The initials J.M. are simply my legal ones reversed, so I can still introduce myself as Marilyn. The surname was  a bit more challenging. I finally settle on Tibbott, which was my grandmother's maiden name, is Welsh and you will see as I explain further, entirely appropriate.
As to my friend Diane - we are fellow authors who belong to the same writing group.
My bioI was educated in a British School system in South Africa, which stressed the use of proper grammar and spelling, and, also, we received the benefit of elocution.
When I arrived in Canada, I failed my first spelling test. When I presented the marked up paper to my parents they were astounded, because all the words I’d spelled were correct. A meeting between my mother and my teacher, revealed the challenge.  I could not understand the Canadian accent.  Imagine what might have happened if I begun school in the Bronx or in the deep south of the US. Luckily my teacher worked with me to explain the differences in pronunciations by Canadians.
I loved writing, and from the age of ten, wrote plays which my sister and I performed, insisting my parents paid a penny to attend our performances.
I have been writing ever since, and now, if I could not write, I could not breathe.
Who inspired meThe biggest inspiration was my Grade 12 English Teacher, Miss Izzard. She was a true lover of the English language, and encouraged me to enter the public speaking contest and the writing contest in high school. I won both. She fostered my love of Shakespeare, and when I was lucky enough to have a boyfriend whose father acted at Stratford, I saw some of the best performers in a variety of plays, and even had the opportunity to stand on the stage of the main theatre. 
Work in ProgressI am currently writing my fourth novel in The Pridden Saga, and each book adds to the fun.  Book One was called The Arrival, Book Two, The Healers, Book Three (which is being released at the end of this month) The Warriors, and Book Four (the title is still under wraps) is my current work.
Some of the Books and Authors I read for Pleasure  ( I have very catholic tastes)Anything written by:
Terry Fallis,  Terry Pratchett,  Brad Smith,  Gerald Durrell,  J. K. Rowling Isaac Asimov, Dick Francis,  Bryce Courtney,  Anne McCaffrey,   Peter Bayer,  Lawrence Sanders, Agatha Christie (even though she cheats), Robert Rotenberg,  Oscar Wilde — and these are just the few of my favorites
Research for my work
I use Cornish/English, Welsh/English and Maori/English dictionaries for names of people, places, geographical information and fauna. (but written phonetically)
In my current series, I’ve had to research: tapestry making, weaving, horsemanship (even though I do ride) sailing, animals, travel, wine making, architecture, gems,
For research I use the internet, books I already possess, my own photos and travel memories, travel agency information, and used book stores.
Difficult piece to write.
Because I’m a plotter not a pantser writer, I do not encounter writer’s block, but occasionally wonder about how to handle a particular piece of action. I am curious, and therefore, have done many different things, travelled to many countries, and attempted many sports. Thus, I have a wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon. But generally the things I find difficult to write are personal happenings that affected me emotionally.

My Website: www.jmtibbot.com, and www.marilynkleiber.com
Facebook:  facebook.com/J-M-Tibbott. Twitter     :  @marilynkleiber
The Arrival: The Pridden Saga: Book One 
“What happens when a solitary but brilliant video game designer is thrust into an unfamiliar world? Offered a chance to return home if she will help save the inhabitants from the winds of war, Kat must decide what risks she will take and what restrictions she is willing to accept. Beset by bizarre and ferocious creatures, narrow minded social mores, seductively erotic men, and with no idea who is friend or foe, she must wend her way through a minefield of challenges. Can she do it?”






The Healers: The Pridden Saga: Book Two  “The journey continues as Kat wends her way among the spiritual healers of Shendea, but encounters heart-stopping challenges from a ferocious cathnog and unknown and violent strangers. Still tasked with the demand by Eduardo of Kaylin to help Pridden avoid a devastating war, but without clear instructions, she is escorted by her mysterious guide, Mouse, and the glorious big cat, Shade. Despite her tendency to blunder through peculiar customs, she is astonished by a Thieves’ Guild who do not steal, a Magicians’ Guild who demonstrate no magic, and learns to sidestep the wiles of the alluring Rifellans. How will she keep her word to help Lord Rhognor, and still return safely to her own world?”  

Tricia McGill talks about Mystic Mountains and Powerful Destiny

Escape with a Writer Sunday features Tricia McGill!
 Award winning author Tricia McGill was born in London, England, and moved to Australia many years ago, settling near Melbourne. The youngest in a large, loving family she was never lonely or alone. Surrounded by avid readers, who encouraged her to read from an early age, is it any wonder she became a writer. Although her published works cross sub-genres, romance is always at their heart.
Tricia’s love of animals has always shown up in her books. Tricia devotes as much time and money as she can spare to supporting worldwide conservation groups and is passionate about supporting those who do all they can to preserve our wildlife for future generations. She volunteers for a local community group that helps disabled adults and children to connect to the internet with provided computer equipment. When people ask what she does in her spare time, she is heard to ask, “Spare time, what is that?”

Tell us about your life outside of writing.
My day always begins with taking my two dogs for a walk. I love to potter in my garden. I have recently moved and the garden here has many rose bushes that need tending. I have been a volunteer for 20 years for a local community group that provides technical equipment and ongoing assistance to disabled or housebound folk and their carers (very important people). Each day I take care of the admin side of things. Once the mail is checked and the day’s promo taken care of, then it is writing time.

Do you have a work in progress?
I am currently just about halfway (or thereabouts) on Annie’s Choice Book 4 in my Settler’s Series, Australian historical romances set in the 1800s. Book 3 was Tim’s story and when that was finished, his younger sister was determined to have her say and insisted I write about her. She kept me guessing on where she wanted to go next, and who with, but now will not shut up, hence the title. Will she make the right choice in the end? I have no idea at this stage.

What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What made it difficult?
As you probably guessed by the above, my characters tell me where they want the story to go, but my book Crying is for Babies, was the true story of my beloved sister Violet’s life, and there were days I sobbed so hard as I wrote that it grew painful. But, I kept my promise to her and wrote it all down, working through the pain and sadness. Of course, there was also plenty of laughter along with the tears.

What sort of research do you do for your work?
Tons and tons. When writing about past eras each day-to-day activity has to be researched down to the last detail. This goes for whether I am working in the early days of Australia (as now) or going back to Viking times or ancient Scotland as in my time-travels. Even modern eras have to be researched meticulously. My contemporary romances are set in Australia, so depending on the area they are set in I still need to know that place well. In the early writing days, I would spend many hours at the library (a place I love) making reams of notes, but now old Google serves me well. Luckily, I love this part, there is always something new to learn as you delve into the past.

Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an author that inspires you?
I have always loved reading time-travels, hence love writing them, and love to read historicals, but also like contemporary romance. I was inspired in my early writing days by authors like Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Catherine Coulter, Bertrice Small, LaVyrle Spencer, to name a few.

Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
My husband Bill was my biggest supporter. He went out and bought my first typewriter when he saw how eager I was to spend hours scribbling in notebooks. Soon the typewriter was upgraded to a word processor, and eventually to a computer. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1998 just before my first book was published. So encouraging was he that he took my first draft off to a publisher in the city, marched in there and presented it to a wonderful person who took the time to read it and give me a 3 page critique that led me in the right direction. Only afterwards did we learn that she was a publisher of medical journals and most definitely not a publisher of Romance books. She remarked in the letter she enclosed that his enthusiasm and obvious love for me gave her the impetus to read it.
Thanks so much, Diane, for having me as your guest and for such great questions.
Anytime, Tricia! I'm looking forward to seeing more great books from you.

Mystic Mountains (Settlers Book 1)
In the early 1800s the penal colony of Botany Bay was an unforgiving and harsh place. Isabella O'Shea is transported to New South Wales for wounding a member of the British aristocracy who raped her, so it is understandable that she loathes members of the upper class and the system that punished her; sentenced her to seven years transportation.
Tiger Carstairs is rich, ambitious and English-so is it any wonder she is determined to hate her new master. Tiger dreams of making a new life beyond the aptly named Blue Mountains, so called because of the perpetual haze of blue surrounding them.
Mystic Mountains is a story of courage and persistence-traits that were essential for the settlers who carved out a new life in a raw land where suffering and heartbreak were commonplace.
Isabella and Tiger face tragedy and many hardships in their quest for a new life in this untamed land.
Buy Link: https://books2read.com/Mystic-Mountains
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Powerful Destiny
Can love span time?
It is 850AD and Norse warrior Rolf lands on the shores of East Anglia determined to take revenge on a Celtic clan. Following a fierce battle, where the Celts are savagely killed, Rolf comes face to face with the daughter of the slain Celtic leader. So stunned by the beauty, along with the courage of Brigid, he is convinced that his Three Fates of Destiny brought them together. Resolved to make this woman his own, he spares the lives of the captured Celtic women and children and takes them back to his homeland across the ocean.
Strangely drawn to the Norseman who is so sure they are destined to be together, Brigid must fight against succumbing to the wishes of the man who killed her father. Nevertheless, to save her fellow Celtic captives from slavery or worse, Brigid must keep a bargain with the Norse leader—a bargain that will see her tied to him forever.
In present day Cornwall, naturally shy Rolf shares his secluded lighthouse with his wolfhound. An artist, he delights in the rugged scenery and ever-changing weather. While in the nearest bookshop one day, he meets a newcomer to town. Brigid’s unusual personality strikes a chord with him. Not only are both convinced they have met before, but their fascination for Viking and Celtic history forges an unusual bond between them. Outspoken and forthright, Brigid sets out to break down the barrier of reserve and caution Rolf has erected over the years. Is it simply whimsy or can lovers across centuries be reunited?
Buy link:  http://books2read.com/Powerful-Destiny

BWL Publishing Author page: http://www.bookswelove.net/romance-au...
Web Page: www.triciamcgill.com
Blog: http://triciamg.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorTricia...

New Release Dead Without Shame

I have a New Release!              Once more, Gilda considers leaving the karate school to work for her friend Happy (no one has ever called him Harvey). When three men rob Happy Harvey’s Hangover Hut and kill the woman at the front counter, Gilda is stunned to think that could have been her. Was this a mere robbery, or does someone have a vendetta against Happy, including his good friend Gary del Garda? The evidence keeps piling up while both her mother and another karate instructor come to town bearing secrets that may cost Gilda the life she loves in Sandstone Cove.
Here's a sneak peek:
Detective John Fabio, Thayer’s partner, limped out of the store. “Let me guess. They wore black masks and told you to hand over the money and the girl’s shoes.”Happy looked up. “He talk fast. Don’t know about shoes.”“One guy spoke?” Thayer raised his eyebrows. “Did you recognize him? What did he say?”Gilda patted Happy’s arm as she shot Thayer a scowl. “Maybe you should bring him somewhere warm and quiet. Having an interpreter when you take his statement would be a good idea too. I’m worried things might get lost in translation.”Thayer folded his arms across his chest. “Don’t you think I know how to take a statement?”“I’ve been the subject of one of your interrogations. You don’t listen very well.” She mirrored his pose placing her arms across her chest. “I don’t want you to misunderstand what he says.”Fabio nodded toward a police car a few feet away. “Gilda, can I have a word with you?”“That depends.” She flared her nostrils. “Am I under arrest?”“You are not under arrest.”“Then you can have a word with me.” She drew in a deep breath then kissed Happy’s cheek. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes. Don’t let Thayer get you worked up, okay?”Happy narrowed his eyes at Thayer. He pressed his lips together and zipped his index finger across them and folded his arms across his chest.Thayer groaned. “Thank you for your help, Gilda. You can leave any time.”“You’re welcome.” She flashed a saccharine smile and fluttered her lashes.Fabio limped around the police car then leaned on the trunk before he ran a hand over the side of his face then back through his hair. Exhaustion had settled over him in the form of weary eyes and a deep frown.“Looks like you’ve had a long day.” She leaned beside him against the police car and yawned. “What’s up?”“I know you, Gilda,” he said. “When things like this happen, you get caught up in figuring out whodunit and forget about everything else, like your own safety.”“But Happy needs—”He cleared his throat.“I just want to—” “Not this time.” Fabio’s jaw tightened in the flashing lights.
Silly Fabio should know better than to say no to our intrepid Sherlock!  Hope you check out Dead Without Shame to find out more... Buy your copy at  https://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/