Welcome, Booklovers!
Another perfect day in May to settle in for coffee and to meet author J. L. Walters. She writes a variety of books, but today we're talking about her YA fantasy, Affinities: Escape, Book 1 in that series.
Nice to meet you, Janet. How do you take your coffee?
JLW: Sweet and light. I prefer mocha and even then I add a bit more sugar and some cream. My friends always laugh. They ask me if I like coffee with my milk.
Ally: Lol. My dad did something similar, and we gave him a hard time too. While I grab those coffee mugs, please introduce yourself to readers.
Another perfect day in May to settle in for coffee and to meet author J. L. Walters. She writes a variety of books, but today we're talking about her YA fantasy, Affinities: Escape, Book 1 in that series.
Nice to meet you, Janet. How do you take your coffee?
JLW: Sweet and light. I prefer mocha and even then I add a bit more sugar and some cream. My friends always laugh. They ask me if I like coffee with my milk.
Ally: Lol. My dad did something similar, and we gave him a hard time too. While I grab those coffee mugs, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:
Janet Lane Walters has been a published author for 50 years but not all those years were spent writing. She managed during that time to receive a BA in English and a BS in nursing. She writes many things. Among her published works are short stories, poetry, non-fiction and her favorite novels. She has difficulty sticking to one genre and has published romances both contemporary, historical, fantasy and paranormal. She has several mysteries under her belt and two Young Adult series, both in fantasy worlds. She is wife, mother and grandmother. In fact, her seven grandchildren are featured but changed in the Affinities series.
Something unique in my bio. “With a friend, I did horoscopes for people and for a fee. Earned enough to take a trip to Ireland.”
Janet’s Places are here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetL717
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_fbid=113639528680724
Publisher: http://bookswelove.net/
Blog: http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
Janet Lane Walters has been a published author for 50 years but not all those years were spent writing. She managed during that time to receive a BA in English and a BS in nursing. She writes many things. Among her published works are short stories, poetry, non-fiction and her favorite novels. She has difficulty sticking to one genre and has published romances both contemporary, historical, fantasy and paranormal. She has several mysteries under her belt and two Young Adult series, both in fantasy worlds. She is wife, mother and grandmother. In fact, her seven grandchildren are featured but changed in the Affinities series.
Something unique in my bio. “With a friend, I did horoscopes for people and for a fee. Earned enough to take a trip to Ireland.”
Janet’s Places are here:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetL717
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_fbid=113639528680724
Publisher: http://bookswelove.net/
Blog: http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Tell us about your main character and why the reader will relate to him or her.
JLW: Interesting question since Affinities Book 1 has five focus characters. Ashlea has an affinity for Air. Her twin Brandien has an affinity for Water. The second set of twins includes Kylandra, her affinity is Fire, and Jadren, who has an Affinity for Earth. The fifth of the main characters in this ensemble book is Alizand, he is the prince and has an affinity for Fire.
The five children are halflings with one parent belonging to the original settlers and the other to the newcomers. Their affinities allow them to do what seems like magical tricks. The two sets of twins are sent by their parents through underground passages to escape the destruction of their henge and they must use their affinities to find their way and a safe place when the destruction occurs. Alizand is unhappy when his guard is sent away and he runs away. During the destruction, he is injured by a falling rock. The other four unite their powers to save his life. The two sets of twins are frightened and seeking a refuge. Along with Alizand, they travel to the main city but they leave him during the night and seek a safe place and also mentors to teach them. They also must face Dom Senet, a man who has all four affinities and wishes to make them his slaves.
Ally: What was your journey to publication, including bumps and missteps?
JLW: Herein lies a story of persistence. In 1968 I published my first short story. The box of rejections I collected was huge, but then it was rather clear selling until the short story markets dried up. I had sold two that never saw publication but the money was mine. Then an editor read a short story and said it sounded like the synopsis for a novel. I was publishing a poem here and there but only received payment in cash for one. The others were paid with copies of magazines. Back to writing novels. In those days, for fiction, the writer sent the entire manuscript and this was before the days of computers. Sometimes the manuscripts came back looking like they’d been in a war, served as a resting place for coffee cups and once with charred areas. Not sure if the story bored the editor and they fell asleep dropping a lit cigarette on the pages.
But there were also good things. The editors often sent not just the formal rejection printed paper but sent remarks or even wrote all over the manuscript. I sold the first novel I wrote but this was after many revisions using the comments from these helpful editors.
Then I decided to complete my education earning a BA in English and a Bs in Nursing. I turned down several editing jobs in New York and returned to work as a nurse for the children were wanting to go to college. Writing fell to no more than jotting ideas.
In 1994, I resigned from nursing and took up writing again only to find one must write query letters, synopsis, find an agent. Fortunately I belonged to Romance Writers of America and a published friend took my synopsis when she met with her editor and amazingly I had a contract. I still gathered rejection letters from other publishers.
Then came electronic publishing. I sold my first one there in 1997 and it came live in 1998. I haven’t stopped there and have a lot of books in both electronic and print versions available. So fifty years later, I’m still as my granddaughter when she was two used to say to people when they came into the house “Be quiet. Grammy’s making words.”
Ally: What type of editing do you do, from first draft through appearance online or in bookstores?
JLW: I am a draft writer. I begin with writing a rough draft based on the chapter synopsis I have created. Often there are changes as I progress and I will stop and focus on writing the synopsis from where I changed directions. After the rough draft, I study the manuscript for the plot and plot lines to make sure they make sense. This and the rough draft are hand written and typed into the computer. Then I set forth to decide if I have all the settings down. Once an editor told me my characters existed in a vacuum so I make sure the reader can tell where the characters are. There is the character draft where I make sure the characters are in character. Finally comes the nit-picking draft where I read each line and see to grammar and other little things like italics in certain places.
The manuscript then goes to my publisher who sends it to an editor who does mostly a grammar and spellcheck for those words that are real words but not the ones needed. The editor also sees places where I should clarify something or perhaps re-write a passage. I okay the changes and send it back. Then the book is published mostly online.
Ally: How do you choose and name your characters?
JLW: Painfully. Until I have the characters’ names, I can’t begin to write the story. I have many baby name books and I probably use most of them to find the right first name. The last name is found from the phone book if I have trouble. Occasionally, a character arrives with a name and if so, there is no way I can change it. My last book, the hero announced he was Caleb. I tried but no other name seemed to fit him.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JLW: Next up on my agenda is The Virgo Pisces Connection the final book in my Opposites in Love. The story tells of Megan, an Oncology nurse who burns out after her third death of a favorite patient in a week, The last of the deaths in this story took me back to my days as a student nurse and an event that happened to me. Megan is a Pisces and a dreamer. Her opposite is Dave, a doctor who has been a fill-in traveling doctor since his residency ended. He decides it’s time to settle down. A February snow storm and an accident brings the pair together where together, they discover why each one is running. I expect the book to be released in September.
Ally: We’ll wind up the interview with these short answer questions:
Ally: Tell us about your main character and why the reader will relate to him or her.
JLW: Interesting question since Affinities Book 1 has five focus characters. Ashlea has an affinity for Air. Her twin Brandien has an affinity for Water. The second set of twins includes Kylandra, her affinity is Fire, and Jadren, who has an Affinity for Earth. The fifth of the main characters in this ensemble book is Alizand, he is the prince and has an affinity for Fire.
The five children are halflings with one parent belonging to the original settlers and the other to the newcomers. Their affinities allow them to do what seems like magical tricks. The two sets of twins are sent by their parents through underground passages to escape the destruction of their henge and they must use their affinities to find their way and a safe place when the destruction occurs. Alizand is unhappy when his guard is sent away and he runs away. During the destruction, he is injured by a falling rock. The other four unite their powers to save his life. The two sets of twins are frightened and seeking a refuge. Along with Alizand, they travel to the main city but they leave him during the night and seek a safe place and also mentors to teach them. They also must face Dom Senet, a man who has all four affinities and wishes to make them his slaves.
Ally: What was your journey to publication, including bumps and missteps?
JLW: Herein lies a story of persistence. In 1968 I published my first short story. The box of rejections I collected was huge, but then it was rather clear selling until the short story markets dried up. I had sold two that never saw publication but the money was mine. Then an editor read a short story and said it sounded like the synopsis for a novel. I was publishing a poem here and there but only received payment in cash for one. The others were paid with copies of magazines. Back to writing novels. In those days, for fiction, the writer sent the entire manuscript and this was before the days of computers. Sometimes the manuscripts came back looking like they’d been in a war, served as a resting place for coffee cups and once with charred areas. Not sure if the story bored the editor and they fell asleep dropping a lit cigarette on the pages.
But there were also good things. The editors often sent not just the formal rejection printed paper but sent remarks or even wrote all over the manuscript. I sold the first novel I wrote but this was after many revisions using the comments from these helpful editors.
Then I decided to complete my education earning a BA in English and a Bs in Nursing. I turned down several editing jobs in New York and returned to work as a nurse for the children were wanting to go to college. Writing fell to no more than jotting ideas.
In 1994, I resigned from nursing and took up writing again only to find one must write query letters, synopsis, find an agent. Fortunately I belonged to Romance Writers of America and a published friend took my synopsis when she met with her editor and amazingly I had a contract. I still gathered rejection letters from other publishers.
Then came electronic publishing. I sold my first one there in 1997 and it came live in 1998. I haven’t stopped there and have a lot of books in both electronic and print versions available. So fifty years later, I’m still as my granddaughter when she was two used to say to people when they came into the house “Be quiet. Grammy’s making words.”
Ally: What type of editing do you do, from first draft through appearance online or in bookstores?
JLW: I am a draft writer. I begin with writing a rough draft based on the chapter synopsis I have created. Often there are changes as I progress and I will stop and focus on writing the synopsis from where I changed directions. After the rough draft, I study the manuscript for the plot and plot lines to make sure they make sense. This and the rough draft are hand written and typed into the computer. Then I set forth to decide if I have all the settings down. Once an editor told me my characters existed in a vacuum so I make sure the reader can tell where the characters are. There is the character draft where I make sure the characters are in character. Finally comes the nit-picking draft where I read each line and see to grammar and other little things like italics in certain places.
The manuscript then goes to my publisher who sends it to an editor who does mostly a grammar and spellcheck for those words that are real words but not the ones needed. The editor also sees places where I should clarify something or perhaps re-write a passage. I okay the changes and send it back. Then the book is published mostly online.
Ally: How do you choose and name your characters?
JLW: Painfully. Until I have the characters’ names, I can’t begin to write the story. I have many baby name books and I probably use most of them to find the right first name. The last name is found from the phone book if I have trouble. Occasionally, a character arrives with a name and if so, there is no way I can change it. My last book, the hero announced he was Caleb. I tried but no other name seemed to fit him.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JLW: Next up on my agenda is The Virgo Pisces Connection the final book in my Opposites in Love. The story tells of Megan, an Oncology nurse who burns out after her third death of a favorite patient in a week, The last of the deaths in this story took me back to my days as a student nurse and an event that happened to me. Megan is a Pisces and a dreamer. Her opposite is Dave, a doctor who has been a fill-in traveling doctor since his residency ended. He decides it’s time to settle down. A February snow storm and an accident brings the pair together where together, they discover why each one is running. I expect the book to be released in September.
Ally: We’ll wind up the interview with these short answer questions:
- a. book you're currently reading: Foreigner Series Book Four by C. J. Cherryh
- b. an author (living or dead) you'd love to take to lunch: Jane Austin and Leon Tolstoy
- c. high heels or sneakers: Sneakers always
- d. What comes to your first - character or plot? Both
- e. something unique in your closet: my epee from my fencing days
Affinities: Escape (Book 1) by J.L. Walters
Genre: YA fantasy
Two sets of halfling twins, Ashlea, Brandien, Jaydren and Kylandra sent away from their home by their parents to protect them from trouble, search for mentors to teach them how to use their affinities.
Each of these young teens has an affinity for one of the elements. Ash for Air, Bran for Water, Jay for Earth and Ky for Fire. During the escape, they face many problems forcing them to use their affinities by trial and error. They also meet Alizand, the son of the ruling prince of Wesren. Zand has an affinity for Fire and this will keep him from gaining the rule.
Dom Senet, an advisor to his father, and once a friend of the quartet’s parents suspects Zand’s affinity. He wishes to corrupt the teen and use him to gain control of the four princedoms of the land and of the highlands. The evil dom has all four affinities. The four must reach a secret place and find teachers before the evil man discovers them.
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Affinities-Escape-J-L-Walters-ebook/dp/B0088IGADC
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/escape-jl-walters/1115410839?ean=2940016703886
Buy Link for all my books: http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/
RSS Feed
