1. I hear you have a Maine Coon cat in your cozy mystery series. Tell us about the series.
The opening book in the series (soon to be seven) was written and published many years ago. Murder and Mint Tea has earned many reviews mostly good but some not. When I wrote Murder and Mint Tea, I had no thoughts of writing a series. The heroine is quirky and mothers her neighborhood. The cat, Robespierre, is based on a real cat, my companion for many years.
These are small-town mysteries, though Katherine Miller, a retired nurse, visits friends in Santa Fe and also in Vermont. She lives in a Hudson River village in a Victorian house, known as a Painted Lady. She has recently retired from the hospital where she worked for years. She is also a former church organist. The first book, Murder and Mint Tea, deals with her new tenant and the woman’s children. The woman is murdered. Many readers express the idea that it’s about time.
The second book, Murder and Poisoned Tea, brings [in] Katherine’s organ music and the search for a new church organist. His playing mastery is wonderful, and she craves him for the church not realizing he brings poison to the choir.
The third book, Murder and Tainted Tea, takes Katherine to Santa Fe with a Maine Coon cat kitten as a gift for her friend’s granddaughter who has recently lost her mother. Once again murder raises [its] head.
The fourth book, Murder and Bitter Tea, brings Katherine a new tenant, a girl who is at odds with her family. When Katherine learns about deaths at a local nursing home, she takes a job as a nurse there to find the truth.
The fifth book, Murder and Herbal Tea, shows Katherine’s wedding to her widower friend Lars. A friend who has moved to Vermont misses the wedding. Katherine makes a phone call, learns what happened and sets off for her friend, leaving Lars a note to manage the reception.
The sixth book, Murder and Sweet Tea, shows Katherine in her new house on the banks of the Hudson River. A new neighbor arrives and, of course, there is a murder for Katherine and Robespierre to solve.
There will be a seventh–a novella this time–Murder and Iced Tea. The mayor of the village where Katherine lives cancels the Halloween parade, a tradition. This upsets many people, including her friend, Sarah.
2. Why did you add a cat to this series?
I didn’t add a cat to the series. He inspired the first book and even the others. Robespierre and I were friends since the day my sons found him in the wire rims of my car and brought him inside. After taking him to the vets up the street, I learned he was probably two- to three-weeks old. I fed him with a baby doll bottle. He sat on my shoulder until he became too heavy. Then he had a perch on the windowsill in my study and was always there when I was writing.
He loved the snow and during the winter, he would wait at the door to be let out so he could roll in the snow. Since the heroine was partly me and partly imagination, Robespierre belonged in the books, and so he figures in most of the books.
I am a cat person and have a love for all cats from small to tigers, lions and other large cats. As a child, when I went to the zoo, I ran to the cats area and seldom left.
3. What other books have you written?
I’ve been published since 1968, but my writing career had some interruptions. First when I had 4 children under the age of eight. The second time was when I returned to nursing to help put those children into college. I began writing short stories and poetry and was published in both areas. Then I turned to novels, with four novels being published. Then came electronic publishing, and my career took off. My first eBook came out in 1998 and there were many more.
As to the genres, I write contemporary romance, romantic suspense, fantasy–both romance and young adult, a bit of historical and some nonfiction.
For the contemporary romance: The Aries-Libra Connection is the first book in my Opposites Attract series.
The Aries-Libra Connection blurb:
Jenessa is Aries, a nurse, union advocate and likes a good fight.
Eric is Libra, Director of Nursing, and believes in compromise.
Can these two find a way to uncover the underhanded events at the hospital? They’re on opposite sides, but the attraction between them is strong. Jenessa’s a widow who fought to save her husband’s life during a code. She feels guilty because the love she and her husband shared had died before his death. Eric assisted at the code, but he feels guilty since he was the one who was responsible for the short staffing the night her husband died.
Now they face falling in love and trying to solve the problems between the nurse’s union and the president of the hospital’s Board, who wants a takeover of the hospital by his hospital group. Is their connection strong enough to survive?
For Fantasy and Paranormal books I’ve written, Seppal is book 5 of the Moon Rising series.
Seppal blurb:
In Seppal, the prophecy has been heard and the Three and Three are awaited.
Ranal’s dead mam once told him one day he would learn why he had been born. He has found two companions–boys like himself who have no home and became seaweed gatherers like he has been. His two friends are developing strange skills. He can see no change in himself, but he desires a sword. Then they will be three–Seer, Healer and Warrior
Amera returns to the clan after spending the summer with the king windsteed stallion and six yearlings. What she finds is the slaughtered herd and also the clan. Only one person remains barely alive and tells her Bethera, her cousin and almost sister, has been taken by the priestesses and their guards. Not knowing what to do, Amera follows the king stallion to a sheltered glen and a huge cave complex. When the stallion calls her, she follows him to the priestesses’ keep and manages to rescue her cousin and another young girl.
During the next few years, her friends develop talents and are becoming the Seer and the Healer. Amera wants to become the Warrior, but she can’t imagine how she can gain a sword.
Now the Three and Three must join to bring justice, healing, order and change to Seppal.
4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.
I’ve been one of Books We Love LTD’s top earning authors for a number of years. In 2003, along with my writing partner for Becoming Your Own Critique Partner, we won the EPPIE award for best Nonfiction How To Book. Over the years, I’ve garnered awards and some interesting kudos from magazines. Murder and Mint Tea has 840 ratings. Many of my other books have many reviews. Some are great and some are less so.
5. How do you promote your books?
Since I’ve been published since 1968, my promoting has changed over the years. When I first hit eBook publishing, there were dozens of places for reviews, and I took advantage of them all. These days, I have a certain number of people who buy my books, so I advertise less. What I do have is my Eclectic Writer blog, and three days a week I promote one of my books. I do MFRWHooks [Marketing For Romance Writers Hooks] almost every week. I also go to other people’s blogs to talk about writing and my books. Occasionally, my publisher has a promotion going, and I also take part in these.
6. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?
My Places Online:
Eclectic Writer blog: https://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
Book We Love author page: https://bookswelove.net/Walters-Janet-Lane
Book We Love home page: https://www.bookswelove.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanetL717
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.l.walters.3?v=wall&story_f
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/shadyl717/
JANET’S BLOG COMMENTERS CONTEST:
Janet is offering an autographed print book to one lucky U.S. or Canadian commenter on this blog interview! So don’t forget to comment!
MARCIA: Thank you, Janet, for being my December interviewee! I love cozy mysteries and look forward to reading yours!
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Each month, I’ll randomly pick one commenter to win. To leave a comment and/or a photo, click on the word “Reply,” which is just below the social media icons for THIS interview. (Don’t scroll past this interview to the next interview.) Go Pets!
Brenda and Rusty
The Deep Well of Love and Murder is the fourth book in my Wild Horse Peaks novels. Laura is running from a criminal ex-husband. She meets the foreman of the ranch where she’s serving as a nanny. Randy is still nursing a broken heart after many years, but also fighting to hold on to his own small ranch. Perro is Randy’s deaf and mute dog friend. There are villains aplenty in this romantic suspense.
Trick or Meet Blurb: In Holidaze, New York, nearly every day’s a holiday–but Halloween is the best time of year for practical, straight-laced Hannah. Her work as a ghostwriter picks up, her candy addiction becomes socially acceptable, and the line between the living and the dead is so thin, she can feel the spirit of Justin, her late husband, in a way she can’t the rest of the year.
Since childhood I’ve always had cats, and they’re such a comforting, steady link to different phases of one’s life. When I was finishing kindergarten, we adopted a tiny kitten that my sister named Marbley (she was all black like Ghost and looked like a little marble)–and she lived until a few months after I graduated from college! Marbley was with me through all the highs and lows of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and was such an affectionate and loyal friend to the end.
Kiss Kringle, my second book in the series, is a Christmas romance, and I’m now working on a Thanksgiving romance. Every book features a pet or animal of some sort. Kiss Kringle has a very sleepy dog named Blitzen, and my Thanksgiving romance will feature a couple of pet turkeys.
Rescued is the true story of Dancer, the dog who began my “career” in rescue. It’s a saga of recovery, not only for the dog, but for me! Trying to recover from loss, I decided one day to go to my local shelter and adopt a dog…you know, some cute cuddly little thing…not a pit bull. We all know how that goes.
2. Tell us about your dog rescues.
4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.
I have also started another series, “Holidays in White Oaks Valley.” There is only one book at this time, A Grand Slam Kind of Christmas.
Dog of Thieves features stolen treasures, a cane-whacking elderly woman and a couple of dead bodies.
My first published mystery was Mahu, the first of my Mahu Investigations, about a Honolulu homicide detective who is dragged out of the closet while investigating a dangerous case. In thirteen books so far, his detective work has illuminated his gradual coming out, to the point where now he is a loving partner and dad to twins. Since then I’ve written over fifty other books in mystery, adventure and romance.
MAX: Thank you for asking. I’m a very cute and lovable (I’ve been told that too many times to count) one-year-old big puppy. Born in a service dog training center, my mom, Goldie, is a beautiful Golden lab. One sunny afternoon, using her nose, she lifted the latch to her pen and took a wonderful free run to a local dog park. At the time, she was in heat.
MARIAH: That’s too easy. Max’s character is based on my own late dog also named Max. He loved everyone he met, including other animals, manatees, and dolphins, and did not have a mean bone in his body. He visited nursing homes where he was loving and kind to the elderly patients. His doggy smile made them smile, as did his hand kissing and tail wagging. Max loved kids and visited our local island rec center and summer day camp where he performed a magic show as Max the Magnificent just like the show in the book.
Left in a basket by the side of the road with his sister when he was but a few weeks old, my Max was rescued and cared for by our county Humane Society. I happened to be there on the first day he was placed in the adoption program. Max, I was told, was his happiest when he was surrounded by people. I held him for the first time when he was eight weeks old and as he snuggled in my arms, I knew I had adopted a smart, happy, and loving puppy.
At that time, I owned a video store on the beautiful island where we lived and served on the board of directors for a no-kill animal shelter. When a speaker from the shelter came to tell our local school kids about the importance of adopting a pet, Max served as his demonstration dog and afterwards the kids lined up to pet him. He had quite a long line of admirers and wagged his tail with each pet and hug.
Max came to my video store with me and positioned himself at the front counter facing the entrance so he could greet everyone who entered. What a hugger! What a lover! He was so cute, he modeled for my store ads and I do mean modeled. When he saw the camera pointed in his direction, he loved to pose.
Another time I walked him along our seawall. He was about one year old then and was very aware of dolphin sounds and sightings. A dolphin suddenly surfaced near the wall, and Max leaned down to greet it. Their noses were so close they could have kissed. I wished I had my camera with me, but that beautiful picture will stay in my memory forever.
It’s the holidays and Jessica Munroe seems destined for misery. Nonetheless she is trying to make the best of it. Her fiancé Jake, an emergency room doctor, dumped her for his nurse and just two weeks prior, she had to put her dog, her best friend Mazy, to sleep.
The character of Dukey, Duchess Amelia’s very spoiled dog, is based on my best friend’s regal King Charles Spaniel Prince. An elegant and beautiful dog, Prince could steal a person’s heart as easily as the thief in this story stole The Duchess’ Necklace.
I’ve written 21 fiction books. I’ve written action/adventure with a heavy sensual romance focus, gay M/M stories, a trilogy with psychic elements, plus short stories, two cartoon shorts, movie screenplays, T.V. pilots, and non-fiction books. I wrote a sci/fi fantasy novella, which is high on the sexy heat level.
6. Tell us about your latest book. What motivated the story? Where did the idea come from?
I promote my books primarily in three ways: on social media, through my twice-monthly newsletter, and with Book Funnel. I’ve also used a few paid promotions, including the Fussy Librarian, Book Raid, Bargain Booksy, and Romance Devoured to promote special sales of my romance books. [Readers] can also join my newsletter through this link or via my website.
When Love Comes Home