Thursday, June 18, 2009

Why I Write the West



The first Western Romance novel I read was “This Calder Range” by Janet Dailey. Before that, my adult reading material came in groups. One genre kept me busy for months or years, until I moved on to another. The first genre was Science Fiction, and I read dozens over a period of a year or so. But I cannot remember one author or one title. The plots and otherworldly creatures fascinated me, but I soon selected something else. So many books—so little time! I began Willa Cather’s books, and when I’d finished all those, I selected a new kind of novel I’d not seen—women’s fiction. Maeve Binchy, Rosamund Pilcher, Belva Plain. Each author received my undivided attention until I’d read all I could find. Next, westerns. Plain old shoot-’em-ups, cattle drives, rustlers, outlaws, and lawmen. Oh, I loved these novels, and Louis L’Amour became my favorite because he often had a little love story in there.

Romance? Didn’t read it. None, zip, nada. Too trite, I’d heard—the novels always ended the same way—happily-ever-after. Same plot, boy meets girl, they fall in love, have a falling-out, make-up, get married. What’s wrong with that? I asked a cynical friend who only read literary works. And in my ignorance, I thought all romance novels were published by Harlequin.

Then, one day in 1990, I visited a used-book store and bought a paperback by Janet Dailey titled This Calder Range. I couldn’t put it down. Remember, I love Westerns, and this had the requisite HEA. I fell in love. I searched the used-book stores and eventually the library until I’d found and read all ten in the Calder series. Her latest, I believe was released a couple of years ago. From there, I discovered LaVyrle Spencer, a master of romance writing, Dorothy Garlock, Maggie Osborne, Linda Lael Miller, and Jodi Thomas—plus many more. I still search for new authors who write exciting, satisfying Western Romance.

In 2003, I sat down and began to write a story. And yes, it was a Western romance—a historical. Probably I’ll never be in the same category with other favorite authors, but each one has been an inspiration and a benchmark for me.

My first release, All My Hopes and Dreams, takes place in West Texas, in the far western edge of the Texas frontier. The year is 1880.
BLURB:
To escape an arranged marriage, beautiful, proper Cynthia Harrington from East Texas impulsively marries Ricardo Romero, a striking, sensual Spaniard who ranches on the far western edge of the Texas frontier. Innocently, she steps into a hotbed of anger, rivalry, and strong wills. As she struggles to gain a foothold in the hostile household and foreign ranch community, she finds that her biggest challenge is to make her husband love her.

Ricardo creates his own problems by marrying an outsider, angering his mother, father, and his jealous ex-lady friend. Then, the Texas Rangers arrive looking for a killer, and Cynthia saves Ricardo’s mother in a confrontation with the wanted man. Ricardo realizes that his delicate bride has more grit and spunk than he thought, and his greatest trial becomes a race to pursue his own wife and persuade her to stay with him.
Read about their adventures and how they fall in love. Purchase the eBook here:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/celia-yeary-m-366.html

Or purchase the print here: http://www.amazon.com/books-used-books-textbooks/b/ref=sa_menu_bo0_b?ie=UTF8&node=283155

Thank you, Celia Yeary


21 comments:

  1. Hi Celia,

    I have the same kind of reading habits - I stick on one author, reading every word I can find until I run out of that person's work. An author you mentioned at the Spa yesterday, Dorothy Garlock was my first introduction to romantic westerns. I bought a good many of her books before I moved on to another authoress.

    I had a story arc of reading, like you. Starting with a bite of everything as a teen, but favoring suspense stories, then transitioning into sci-fi and fantasy, and from there into epics. I came down through the Maeve Benchy stories too. It wasn't until I was laid up with a spinal injury that my husband brought home a bag of books from the grocery store for me, god bless 'em. One of the titles Prisoner of my Desire by Johanna Linsay had an embarassing cover. I read it last in the stack of books, but then I read it straight through, twice. I'd found what I was looking for. I was a sucker for romance even then, realizing that the love story angle had been my favorite parts of all those other genres.

    oh goodness. this has turned into a ramble. I'll hush now...

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  2. Maggie--I love rambling! Book covers are a touchy thing. I also read Johanna Lindsay, but always tried to cammoflauge the cover. Such a prude I am.Good comments--thanks for stopping by. Celia

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  3. Hi Celia,

    I didn't discover Louis L'Amour until just a few years ago. After I read the first few in the Sackett series, I gave them to my dad, who caught up with me and was soon asking, "Have you finished the next Louis L'Amour book yet?" I finally just gave them to him to read FIRST. LOL I feel like I've been so limited in my reading time for the past many years that I sometimes resent it. I wish I was on an island with nothing but notebooks, pens, my computer, BOOKS, and an endless supply of Coke and ice. Great post!
    Cheryl

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  4. CHERYL--Can I go with you? Celia

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  5. What a lovely post, Celia,

    I've always loved the cowboy historicals probably because I grew up on all the cowboy shows. Your story made me think of Cisco Kid. Remember that one? Grin.

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  6. The blurb for All My Hopes & Dreams is fabulous. And I love your reader's journey. I had a similar experience and fell in love with westerns through Penelope Williamson's Heart of the West

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  7. Sandy--Cisco Kid? Of course, I remember him! I grew up watching black and white westerns on Saturday afternoons with my little sister--we each had two dimes--one for admittance to The Rose Theater and one for popcorn.Celia

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  8. Susan--oh, I forgot about Penelope Williamson--I loved her books, especially Heart of the West. Thanks for reminding me. Celia

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  9. Hello Celia!

    It's so much fun flipping through genres, isn't it? I'm so glad you found your niche. Very much looking forward to reading your book. I'm buying it now.

    Smiles,
    Chiron O'Keefe
    The Write Soul: www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

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  10. Chiron--You're a good friend. Thanks--yes, i love this niche--but I'd like to get a women's fiction book published, too. Just another dream. Celia

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  11. I'm lucky to get 3-6 novels a year read any more. How I miss the days of reading everything a single author wrote! Loved the Calder series, myself. And LaVryle Spencer is an all-time favorite. Many of hers on my keeper shelf. And I always thought Louis L'Amour books could be about what happened to our cowboy heroes "before" they met our heroines and fell in love "forever". I found them fascinating. Great blog, Celia!

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  12. I'm lucky to get 3-6 novels a year read any more. How I miss the days of reading everything a single author wrote! Loved the Calder series, myself. And LaVryle Spencer is an all-time favorite. Many of hers on my keeper shelf. And I always thought Louis L'Amour books could be about what happened to our cowboy heroes "before" they met our heroines and fell in love "forever". I found them fascinating. Great blog, Celia!

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  13. Sounds like a great story! I grew up reading Zane Grey, but never aspired to write a western. I ended up doing so, but just because I wanted to tell my grandmother's story.

    Good luck with your book!
    Heidi
    http://www.heidimthomas.com

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  14. You certainly have a wide reading background, which is good. I only question your habit of total immersion in one author and then moving on. The danger is the lack of comparative analysis. Having more than one author in mind, can be very stimulating and often leads to more satisfying appreciation of several. Still, it is understandable, your focus.

    You betray an intensity of attitude toward literary communication that would have benefited students mightily. Too bad you left teaching.

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  15. Celia, I loved hearing about your reading influences and how you gravitated toward the West. Just wanted to let you know I got your book, 'Hope & Dreams' in the mail yesterday and was able to tackle a chapter last night at work. I love your descriptions! They're very vibriant and I could easy picture your setting in my mind. I'm looking forward to reading more.

    Smiles,
    Steph

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  16. Celia, did you read the Jubilee Trail when reading those westerns? I loved that book and they later made a movie of it. I read a lot of books like The Winthrop Woman, Katherine, etc. as a teenager and didn't start reading romances until after I married. Like you, I covered some of those covers up.

    I thoroughly enjoyed All My Hopes and Dreams. Look forward to the next one.

    Linda
    www.lindalaroque.com

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  17. Linda--thank you so much. I do remember Jubilee Trail--only vaguely.I haven't gotten to yours yet--I don't know how I got myself in this fix--I have seven books--some pdf's some paperback in line to read. I won a paperback of Return to Wayback--Lynda Coker, Mallary Mitchell, and Anne Carrole. I just started that--but it's go fast. Celia

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  18. Steph--you have just made my day. Thanks so much--Celia

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  19. Ahhh, Carl--thank you??? I think--not sure. You might be pleased to know, that I now, in my mature years,do read a wider variety of books at one time. But I now have the annoying habit of beginning 3-4 books, scattered about the house or on my computer, and reading a little on one, switch to another.A long history with a University Book Club has helped by offering a varied and sometimes odd choice of books. Celia

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  20. Liana--writing takes reading time away, doesn't it? Still, I read 25-30 books a year. I start many more times that, whihc makes me realize how many really bad novels there are out there. Thanks for our comments--Celia

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  21. Heidi--Oh, I'd love to write a story aobut one of my grandparents. I do use places and ideas from my grandparents' homeplace, though. One of my friends has told me the story of HER grandmother--now that would make a good novel. Maybe I'll use her grandmother. Thanks for your comments--Celia

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