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Reminders! Two open contests, one giveaway!
Friday, February 8th, 2019

I’ve had my head down, pushing through three editing jobs over the past three weeks—but they’re all done! Whew! Tomorrow, I get to start on a new project! I’ll be staring at that blank page and writing and rewriting that pesky opening sentence. I swear I could write three or four chapters in the time it takes me to write an opening scene!

Anyway, I’m tired and ready to put my feet up in front of the TV. I think I have some Chicago Fire episodes saved. Need me some Severide! Here’s hoping you have a relaxing evening as well!

Reminders, before they’re gone!

  1. Get your FREE story!
  2. Flashback: Between a SEAL and a Hard Place (Contest–2 Winners)
  3. Cover reveal for STRANDED! Plus hints of what’s coming! (Contest)
Cover reveal for STRANDED! Plus hints of what’s coming! (Contest)
Tuesday, February 5th, 2019

UPDATE! My winners are…Laura, Colleen, Buttons, Debra and Sheryl!
*~*~*

I just finished laying out my release schedule through June, and I’m super excited! I have tons of pages to write, but the stories are going to be so much fun! What do you have to look forward to? These are just a few in the works!

Big Sky Wedding (Montana Bounty Hunters #8) — coming this month!
Stepbrothers Stepping Out: With His SEAL Team Part 6 — coming in March
Gilded Cage
(a dark ff vampire story) — coming in March
Adventure Girls box and print set! — coming in March
Stranded (A Boys Behaving Badly Anthology) — coming in April

My wonderful cover artist (aka Elle James) has been hard at work giving me some very inspiring covers for the new stories. I can’t wait to share them all, but for now, have a look at Stranded!

I’m still making my final run through the stories some wonderful authors have submitted for this collection! I’ll be putting together my final lineup this week before announcing who made the cut! I’ll also be including a short story of my own, something related to my Montana Bounty Hunters. Someone who will get the full-size treatment very, very soon in his own story!

Stranded will be a nice, hefty compilation, filled with juicy erotic romances from some authors you know and some you’ll be excited to meet! You can preorder your copy now! Best news? The anthology sells for only $0.99! So go ahead and reserve your copy now! Get your copy here!

Contest

For a chance to win a free download of one of these previously released anthologies, tell me what you’re excited to see in the lineup or what you wish was there!

Rogues Blue Collar Pirates

Flashback: Between a SEAL and a Hard Place (Contest–2 Winners)
Saturday, February 2nd, 2019

UPDATE! My two winners are…Eileen and Sheryl!
*~*~*

I hope you haven’t forgotten my Uncharted SEALs stories! I do have quite a few of these action-packed stories for you to enjoy—12 of them! And I’m not saying I’m done with them either. In fact, one of the stories, Big Sky SEAL is about to have a sequel inside the Montana Bounty Hunters series, Big Sky Wedding!  I’ll have that story to you before the end of this month!

Uncharted SEALs spawned my Montana Bounty Hunters, and soon, MBH will spinoff to another series, but I’m not talking about that yet! Just know I love my military heroes, and I don’t plan to stop writing them anytime soon! I love writing them! They’re fast and funny. I make myself giggle when I write them.

And why write if you don’t have fun doing it, right? My Motto, always!

Here are all my currently available titles in Uncharted series.
Peruse these lovelies…

Watch Over Me Through Her Eyes
*~*
Baby, It's You Before We Kiss
*~*
Hard SEAL to Love   SEAL Escort

Click on the covers to learn more!

Contest

I’ll choose two winners! Tell me whether you’d love to see more Uncharted SEALs or Montana Bounty Hunters, or both for a chance to win your choice of an Uncharted SEAL story!

Between a SEAL and a Hard Place

The last person world-class sniper, Wolf Kinkaid, expected to see in the crosshairs of his rifle during an operation to take down a drug cartel assassin was his pretty, bounty hunter wife. He takes the shot, disarming the bad guy, but the assassin wasn’t working alone, and now, Piper is a target for revenge.

Solution? The two of them hole up in a safe house while his team tries to find the assassin’s psychotic brother. Piper and Wolf have issues to resolve, and all that time alone gives them something they haven’t enjoyed in excess for a while—each other. But while they get close, the enemy closes in…

Excerpt…

So many things were the same. Merciless heat beating down from above. Staring through the scope of a Macmillan Tac-50 from a dusty perch. Spotter at his elbow. Familiar chatter from the mission commander in his ear. And yet, everything was different.

For Wolf Kinkaid, the differences made the experience surreal. Yes, the air was hot, but he wasn’t wearing a heavy helmet, which would have cooked his brain.

His position was on a high-rise rooftop rather than amid rocks in a lonely mountain pass. The spotter at his elbow was dressed in SWAT black rather than a uniform of woodland camouflage, as was he. And the commander providing updates of what was happening inside the building entrance he surveilled wasn’t talking about insurgents. He gave details about an Assistant District Attorney, a “suit” who was about to exit the law building they watched.

Yup, he was a long, long way from Afghanistan.

“Suit’s taking the elevator,” Deke Warrick, the mission commander, said quietly over the comm in his ear.

Wolf checked the pictures he’d taped to the wall he knelt behind. One was of ADA Ben Souther who had a hit on him from a Mexican cartel, primarily for the fact he was preparing to prosecute a high-ranking cartel member for murder and racketeering. The second photo was of the assassin that the team—which consisted of FBI, ATF, and Charter agents—was trying to take down. They wanted to arrest the bastard and maybe milk him for names of other members residing in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Wolf’s particular talent was needed to implement Plan B if the assassin got too close to Souther.

Outfitted with a Kevlar vest, Souther was accompanied by two bodyguards, both provided by Wolf’s new employer, Charter Group. They’d trained for this mission for a week in another city with a similar topography, all while keeping Souther in a safe house. Souther’s office had hired the company to provide added protection and, hopefully, nab another cartel member, because the cartel lieutenant they’d captured had, so far, remained uncooperative. After weeks of lying low, Souther had grown restless and suggested they end the impasse by allowing him to act as bait.

He was a gutsy bastard, an ex-Marine who’d used the GI Bill to complete his education and become an attorney. So, Charter had agreed, figuring he knew the score and could handle himself should shit go sideways. A situation which chatter from paid CIs said was about to happen.

“Get ready,” said Deke. “He’s about to come through the doors.”

His sights already set, Wolf looked through his scope, noted Souther’s set jaw, his short buzz-cut. Determination and fearlessness radiated from the man. He wasn’t a SEAL, but the man was a warrior, no matter he now wore a suit and tie. His battlefield was a different kind of minefield, a courtroom.

The doors swung open, and one of his guards preceded him, glancing left and right before turning to usher Souther through them. His second guard kept close to his back, glancing behind then taking in the sidewalk and the armored car placed behind a barricade that stood in front of the doors.

“We have movement from the West,” said Deke.

Wolf pivoted his weapon on its tripod. A slender figure with an impressive rack, wearing a ball cap, moved forward at a fast clip. But she wasn’t the target. He recognized that long, fit frame. Her brown and copper hair was drawn back in a ponytail that bobbed behind her. He noted a cord extending from her ear to her collar.

Damn, his fears were confirmed, the little twit was on the job, and likely looking for the same target they hoped to capture.

“Wolf, is that—”

“Southwest corner of the building,” came another urgent voice.

Again, Wolf sighted down his barrel. No time to wonder why she was here or how she’d discovered their plan. A man wearing blue jeans, a cowboy hat drawn low over his forehead, and wearing a casual jacket also made his way down the sidewalk from the opposite direction.

“God dammit,” he whispered as he took a bead on the man, ready to pull back the trigger at the first sight of a weapon—should the team closing in on him not get there in time. He glanced to the left, hoping the damned woman wasn’t about to get in the way of his bullet. Then she glanced up to the rooftop where he perched, mostly hidden, and he cussed again. She knew he was there, but she was still coming fast.

She reached behind her and drew a handgun then kept it hidden against her thigh.

“Dammit, he’s got a gun!” Deke said. “Wolf! Take him out!”

Wolf adjusted, aimed for the middle of the cowboy’s thigh, drew a breath, held it for a split second, and then pulled the trigger. Blood spurted from the wound.

Piper sprinted the last few feet and took the assailant down at the knees. His cowboy hat fell away, long black hair spilled, a dark hard-edged profile was revealed. They had their man.

Or rather, Piper did, pressing into the wound Wolf had made while shoving her Glock hard between the bastard’s legs.

The man reached out his hands and dropped his weapon to the pavement at the same moment the first of Souther’s guards took position over him and Piper, his stance wide and his weapon pointing downward.

Blood pounded in his ears. Wolf cussed again and put down his weapon.

“Want me to pack up for you?” his spotter drawled.

Wolf shot him a deadly glare. “Not a fucking word.”

The man smirked and took up position behind the weapon, likely to watch the fireworks through the scope.

Wolf headed to the stairwell and hopped the steps two at a time, racing downward. At ground level, he hit the bar on the exit door with a bang and sprinted across the street.

The team was converging. Souther had been moved to the armored car. Piper was still on the ground, but now lying face down beside her “collar” with her hands cupped behind her head.

“I have paperwork in my pocket,” she said, annoyance in her voice. “He’s mine to return to Houston on an outstanding warrant.” Frowning, she glanced behind her shoulder. “Is this really necessary?”

Deke shook his head then spotted Wolf bearing down on them. “Mind explaining how she knew to be here at this exact moment?” he bit out.

Wolf shook his head, too furious to get out the words. She’d promised him she’d be taking easier jobs, ones close to home. And although she’d never promised to stay completely out of harm’s way, something that would have been impossible for a bounty hunter to do, she had said she wouldn’t be seeking the most dangerous, high-value jobs. At least, she’d kept the first promise about staying closer to home. He bent and tugged at her earpiece, dislodging it.

When she looked over her other shoulder at him, she ventured a thin smile. “Hi, there, hon. Thought that might be you on the rooftop.”

He brought the device to his mouth. “Calvin, hustle your ass down here. Now,” he gritted out then dropped it. She began to open her mouth. “Just shut up.” He glanced at Deke, wanting to know if he had a preference for how this should be handled.

“Bring her along. I’d like to hear her sorry excuse, too.”

Several of the team turned as a large man barreled down the walkway, huffing. “Damn, Piper,” Calvin said, pausing beside her, then bending, hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. “Told you this was a bad idea.”

“I took him down,” she said, her voice gruff. “He’s mine.”

“Don’t think they’re gonna agree, baby girl, and your man looks ready to pop an aneurism.”

She glanced back again. “Can I get up?”

Barely able to keep his motions contained, Wolf reached behind his back, drew out a set of cuffs and snagged her wrists, drawing them down to the small of her back, and quickly snapping on the cuffs. Then he gripped her upper left arm and levered her to a stand.

Deke handed him her piece and the keys to the vehicle they’d come in. “See you back at HQ.”

Wolf grunted and goose-walked his wife to the underground garage.

January, going, going, almost gone! (Contest)
Thursday, January 31st, 2019

UPDATE: The winner is…Laura LeCapelain!
*~*~*

Can you believe January is almost gone? I’m old enough I still can’t believe we’re 19 years into the new century!

January zipped right past me! And what did I accomplish? Not as much as I’d hoped, but I was still pretty darn productive…

January’s Work

First, I wrote and published Animal! Woot! Book 7 of the Montana Bounty Hunter series! Feels so strange to say that because I feel like I just finished Reaper (Book #1!).

Animal

I edited two fellow authors’ stories. One a novella, one a very long novel! I’m actually wrapping up that one today!

I’m teaching a plotting bootcamp with some very shy authors who haven’t taxed me nearly enough with questions!!!! So, time-wise, I guess I’m getting off lucky there.

And lastly, I’ve been reading, reading, reading stories for my Stranded anthology. Wish I could say I have my decisions all wrapped up, but I don’t. That may take me another week. 🙁

So, it was a busy, productive month for this very tired and stressed-out author-editor-teacher… I did manage to make time for some fun treasure-hunting trips (thrift store shopping!) with my dd, so it wasn’t all work and no play!

February’s Goals

February looks horrendous!!!! I’m almost scared to turn the calendar page to think about it. I have one novella to write (Big Sky Wedding), another to finish (Hot Zone). I have at least three editing projects booked. (Doesn’t sound like much, but when I bookend them with my own writing schedule… Gah!) And I have to finish a short story before the end of the month, because I want to wrap up the With His SEAL Team mini-series. We’ll see… And I do have to wrap up the Stranded stories and begin editing that whopper of a book!

Aside from the writing/editing gig, I want to re-open my Etsy store, so I’m hoping to make time to sit in my craft room and make pretty things. I don’t make any money doing it—certainly, not enough to pay for my passion—but it’s stress relief, and I need more of that! I want to add things other than jewelry to my Etsy store, like painted boxes, junk-store refurbs, etc. Fun things that will help make some of my thrift store hoard dwindle!

I hope your January is ending with a bang and that you managed to check off some of the items on your To Do list!

Contest

Tell me what things you checked off January’s To do list for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Janet Lane Walters: Let There Be Dragons (Contest)
Monday, January 28th, 2019

Dragons are creatures of myth, Do you wish there were really dragons. Of course, in the early stories about dragons, they’re not the good guys. We read those old myths and learn dragons were evil creatures who gathered treasures they fiercely protected. In those tales, dragons also kidnapped and feasted on young women until a hero came into the picture and slew the dragon and rescued the maiden, often a princess. St. George slew the dragon, so it’s been said.
Where did these myths appear? There are fables about dragons on every continent. Asian dragons have no wings. Those from Europe and other places. Dragons can breathe fire. Many can fly. They can be found inland or flying over the oceans. Dragons hoard treasure.

Years ago, I found a coffee table book called Dragonology by Ernest Drake.

I used this book when designing dragons for my stories. There are many stories about dragons these days. I’ve read many of them. My favorite being Anne McCaffrey’s Dragons of Pern. Naomi Novak used the Regency period for her dragon stories. Mercedes Lackey also has a series featuring dragons. There are many more.

On the shelf above my computer are about forty dragons. All manner of dragons. Ones from cloth, glass, metal and plastic. Every year I receive a new dragon ornament for my Christmas tree. I finally delved into writing about dragons. The first is a novella where a snooty princess is turned into an amber dragon. This story is found in a series of novellas in The Amber Chronicles. The second and third are part of a series about the island of Fyre. The Dragons of Fyre and the third is still under construction hopefully for release in March—The Children of Fyre.

Question. What are your favorite dragon authors and books? Let me know and I’ll enter you in a contest to receive a print copy of one of my books about using dragons as characters. You’ll have to let me know your email address so I can contact you.

MY PLACES
https://twitter.com/JanetL717
https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
bid=113639528680724
https://bookswelove.net/
https://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com

BUY MARK
https://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/

A little morning inspiration… (Contest Reminder!)
Sunday, January 27th, 2019

Just a reminder that the following contests are still open! Be sure to enter before they close!

  1. Mary Marvella/M. M. Mayfield: Her Deception (Contest)
  2. Sierra Brave: Bridling Lucy (Contest)
  3. What’s bubbling? (Contest)

I hope you’re having a lazy Sunday! Here’s a little puzzle to keep you from being bored… 🙂

What’s bubbling? (Contest)
Saturday, January 26th, 2019

UPDATE: The two winners are…Jeanette Whetzel and Charlene Michael!
*~*~*
 

I’m in the doldrums. That space where, as a writer, I stall for a bit before the wind picks up and I’m sailing fast again.

Last week, I finished a story. One I had to push hard to reach The End. Adrenaline helped, because I was staring at an immoveable deadline. As soon as I wrapped up production and uploaded the sucker, I revised my plan and my bullet journal, and aimed at the next couple of hard deadlines, but then the wind died down. Ugh.

Lots of things are percolating, bubbling up like a fictional witch’s green, smelly goop. Stories I want to write, stories I have to edit. I took a bit of “me” time to hang with my daughter, which included a couple of days of shopping and junking. I played at cleaning up my workspace. Now, I have to get serious. Make myself afraid I’ll miss my dates. That’s the only way to motivate myself. I am an adrenaline junkie, and I’ve convinced myself over the years that I’m most creative when I’m riding that high. Huh. I need to change that internal narrative, because someday, I do want to be that plodding, methodical writer, who has “balance” in her life—not that I’ve ever met her.

Now, so many days have passed since I revamped my plan, that I have to revamp again, increasing my daily writing and editing page counts, in order to meet those hard dates. Here goes again…

Offer your thoughts for how I can goad myself into pushing through this slump to get back on track, and I’ll offer two stories, to two winners, readers’ choices!