...And the Saga Continues

On Friday January 29th, my second Texas novel, Texas Blue, will be available in both eBook and print at The Wild Rose Press. In this story, Marilee Weston meets Buck Cameron when he locates her in the forest, where her father had banished her to live with her baby girl. Here's the blurb:

She wasn’t a fit mother…

So said the county judge who hired Buck Cameron to retrieve his little daughter. But when Buck finally locates the pretty mother and child, he finds the judge's claim very hard to believe. Now, he faces a dilemma. Should he obey the order? Or should he defy the judge and rescue Marilee and her child from isolation?

She’d been banished…

Rejected and abandoned by her father, Marilee Weston used the pain of betrayal to survive. Now, she needs a way out of the forest, where she and her daughter have lived for five years. But the towering pines and fear of the unknown imprisoned her. How could she begin a new life for herself and five-year-old daughter? Will the alluring stranger free her, or prove to be even more dangerous?

In this novel, the hero and heroine from All My Hopes and Dreams—Cynthia Harrington and Ricardo Romero—first appear in brief cameos. I wrote Texas Blue first and was so interested in Cynthia and Ricardo I submitted their story first.

In September 2010 and April 2011, the next two Texas stories will be available from Desert Breeze Publishing under the series name "The Cameron Sisters," Texas Promise and Texas True.

I'm so pleased that all four Texas novels will be published.

I hope you enjoy Buck and Marilee's story—Texas Blue.

Buy Link:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/texas-blue-paperback-p-3824.html  

Celia Yeary

http://www.celiayeary.com/

TEXAS BLUE-eBook and Print

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-eBook and Print

Published by: The Wild Rose Press

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

New Release by EPPIE Finalist Cheryl Pierson

 Congratulations, Cheryl! Just in time for the New Year, you have the distinct honor of making the EPPIE Finalists’ list for your debut novel Fire Eyes. How does this make you feel? Does it make a difference in your writing goals?

CHERYL: I am thrilled to be an EPPIE finalist. I am not a “competitive” person—don’t do a lot of contests and such, so to final in this one was a real surprise for me, and very exciting. I wouldn’t say that it makes a difference in my writing goals, per se, but that it does add another bit of satisfaction and reliance to my own personal goals. I always strive to write the best thing I can, using what I know and trying to make it interesting and a good storyline. Gleaning another little bit of self confidence never hurts.

Celia: In December, your newest release, Time Plains Drifter from Class Act Books, hit the market. The novel is a paranormal romance not confined to one year, or even two…but three. It begins with an exciting train robbery in 1879 Nebraska and the action never lets up. The hero Rafe and his brother Cris are assigned to prevent the robbery. But others interfere, and in the melee, something very strange happens. The cast consists of: angels (good and evil), US Marshals, a modern-day teacher and her high school students, and…a Comet!

I know you love Western Historical Romance. So, where did you get your unique ideas for Time Plains Drifter?

CHERYL: That is a good question! LOL I think the idea came when the agent I had at that time said, “Can you write something with time travel? That’s really hot right now.” Up to that point, I’d written a story that was far too long, one that was shorter but still had a lot of “broken rules” in it (head hopping and such) and was working on yet another historical western. I think my agent wanted something more contemporary; he was not a big fan of historical westerns but liked my writing style. I think we always need to stretch ourselves creatively, and this was a way of doing that. I didn’t want to use werewolves or vampires, so making it a paranormal was, I felt, equal to making it an ultimate “good vs. evil” battle. I wrote a paranormal time travel historical western romance…about as hard to say as it was to do.

Celia: Will we see more Paranormal Romance from you? The genre seems to be the hot ticket right now. I think you made a wise choice to write this one.

CHERYL: Thanks, Celia. Yes, I have a sequel in mind featuring Rafe’s older brother, Cris, and Jenni’s younger sister, Tori. But this time, Cris will be going forward in time to bring Tori back with him to 1895. I think time travel will always be of interest to a broad range of readers. There are so many ways to do it and so many possibilities once the hero or heroine (or BOTH) are displaced from their own time period.

Celia: Just for fun, Cheryl, name two things people might be surprised to know about you.

CHERYL: I think most people would be surprised to know that as a child and adolescent I was terribly shy. To know me now, you would never think that. Another thing people might be surprised to know is that I am a classically trained pianist. Although my two sisters and I all took piano lessons, by the time it was “my turn,” they were both ready to leave the nest. We had moved to a new place, another small town in Oklahoma. My parents were not wealthy, but they wanted good things for all of us girls, and I seemed to have a lot of manual dexterity and an aptitude for the piano. In our small town, it was amazing that I was able to study under a teacher who was so well trained. I sometimes think about what I might have been able to accomplish had I appreciated it more at the time…but who thinks of that when they are a kid? I would much rather have been outside playing with my friends than inside practicing the piano.

Celia: I know the cover for TPD is very special to you. Will you tell us why?

CHERYL: My daughter, Jessica, created it! She always wanted to do one of my book covers from the time she was about 9 or 10 years old. She is an accomplished artist/illustrator and I was so excited that we had this chance to work together on a project.

Celia: Cheryl has an imagination that transcends time—literally! If you're intrigued and like Paranormal/Time Travel Romance, without a doubt you’ll love Time Plains Drifter. I promise—you will thoroughly enjoy this clever, well-written story. Here’s a brief excerpt to showcase Cheryl’s writing:

In this excerpt, Rafe has prepared himself to be honest with Jenni and tell her who and what he is, fully expecting her to reject him. But she surprises him with her understanding and acceptance, and he realizes he's fallen a lot harder than he ever intended.

FROM TIME PLAINS DRIFTER:

He closed his eyes, letting the pleasurable feel of her wet mouth on his body wash over him, along with her voice. “Some things never change,” she’d said earlier. Her Oklahoma accent was a slow waltz to his mind, its lilting cadence urging him to accept what they had between them. Still, he couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t ever be dishonest with her, of all people.

“Don’t you want to know—”

She stopped him, placing two cool fingers across his lips, smiling at the tickle of his moustache against her skin. The smile faded as she absorbed the worry in his expression, the smoldering fire in his eyes, and made it her own.

“Not now, I don’t. You asked me—earlier—if I felt it. Whatever it is between us. I do.” Debating with herself, she hesitated a moment before coming to a decision. “I want you, Rafe,” she murmured. “I trust you.” She nuzzled his neck.“It doesn’t matter now, who—or what—you are.”

His hand closed in a fist around the shimmering satin of her copper hair, his chest filling with a sweet peace at her quiet words.

Dead...alive...Mexican...American...man...ghost...angel...

His mind churned as Jenni kissed him once again. Accepting him, for whoever he might be. She loved him. She hadn’t said it yet, but he knew it by the gentle way her lips grazed across his, then claimed his mouth completely, as if that was the only way she had to let him know how she felt. They breathed together, as one.

He answered her wordlessly, his tongue going into her mouth, fingers splaying and tightening against her scalp as he pulled her to him.

She came across his bare chest, the stiffness of the material of her own blouse gliding with gentle abrasion across his nipples. He groaned in pleasure and felt her smile against his mouth. She made the move again as she lifted her lips from his, emerald eyes sparkling into his searing gaze.

“We’ll talk later,” she assured him.

“It’ll be too late to change your mind about me then,” he said, half-jokingly.

“I won’t change my mind, Rafe.”

The sweet sincerity in her voice and the promise in her eyes reassured him. He pulled her down silently. As their mouths melded once more, he rolled, taking her with him, changing their positions so he lay atop her.

You may purchase TIME PLAINS DRIFTER here:

http://www.classactbooks.com/bkpgtimeplainsdrifter.html

Thank you so much, Cheryl.

Please leave a comment for Cheryl—I know for a fact she LOVES to talk!

Interview by:

Celia Yeary

“Romance…and a little bit o’ Texas.”

www.celiayeary.com

TEXAS BLUE-eBook and Print-Jan. 29

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook--now

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-eBook and Print-now

All available here: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

SEVEN-About Me and About You

Our blogs are our "brand" as much as our books. So, there's a lovely little award going around that encourages readers to at least take a peek at our blogs. The award doesn't come with a banner or a sticker—it's an honorary thing.

First, I'll tell seven things about myself. Then, I'll list seven blogs I believe are worthy of a visit from you—any of you. My seven blogs consist of several I read on a regular basis, and the others are new blogs I have recently discovered. Next, I'll contact each of my seven authors and tell them their blog is on my list. Hopefully, each will do the same thing.

Seven Things About Me:

1. I'm the middle daughter—enough said.

2. I have a killer instinct which I call "a competitive nature," but it's quietly buried until I need it.

3. I still have no idea why I'm writing romance novels.

4. I save every scrap of fruit and vegetable matter and feed it to my deer.

5. Politicians make me as angry as I ever become about anything.

6. I haven't washed a dish in ten years. Can you guess why?

7. Of all the traits we humans possess, I most especially hate dishonesty—in all forms.

Seven Worthy Blogs:

http://sueperkinsauthor.blogspot.com/

http://sgcardin.blogspot.com/

http://dianecraver.com/blog

http://nicolezoltack.blogspot.com/

http://lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/

http://janerichardsonhomethoughts.blogspot.com/

http://www.tinapinson.blogspot.com/

Take a moment and look at these blogs if you haven't already. Some are new friends, and some are old, no, I mean, good friends.

Celia Yeary

Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas 

http://www.celiayeary.com/

TEXAS BLUE-eBook and Print

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-eBook and Print

Published by: The Wild Rose Press

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

1835 Journal Entry-Texas-Elmira Ingram

Journal Entry: Fall, 1835, Brazoria, Texas

Today is my 16th birthday! Mama and I have prepared for this most wondrous occasion for two months. She wanted a beautiful, grown-up dress for me to wear to my party, so she sought the services of Miss Emilie Milam to create a very special gown. No longer shall I wear calico, nor style my hair in braids, nor run and play with my brothers. Ladies do not act in such a manner in our household, for each member is born to a role, and best we carry out our duties or most likely face the wrath of Papa.

Secretly, I shall miss the days of riding my pony bareback across the coastal plains, through our plantation, chasing my brothers, for all four of them can out-race me every time. Ah, well, such is the lot of females. Now, my brothers believe they are my protectors, especially when young gentlemen look my way. Brazoria County fairly bursts with bachelors, young men, some wealthy, some poor, but each one seeking a bride to ensconce in his home.

One young man, Mr. Randolph Long, nears my person at every opportunity, at church services, all-day dinners, and when Mama and I shop in town. Papa forbids me to speak with him alone; as a result, our conversations become awkward, as each of us stumbles on words we know perfectly well. After my party—of which he will attend!—I plan to speak with him as any grown woman may do with any gentleman she wishes.

But worrisome events have surfaced over this part of Texas. Papa hears tales in town, at the saloon, the community hall, and the warehouse, and he brings the stories home to share with Mama and my brothers. Of course, they all believe they have protected my delicate ears, but I listen and they do not know. It seems a crisis of some sort has arisen in Anahuac, a small place not far from our home. I am uncertain of its exact location, but the news is that General Santa Anna sent a small detachment of soldiers to Anahuac to enforce the collection of customs there and in Galveston. The merchants and the wealthy landowners—such as my papa—object to this unfair treatment, and when Papa speaks of the Santa Anna’s Mexican army and their ways, he becomes red in the face and begins to pound on the table!

Now, just before my party, he tells of a gathering of Mexican troops, more as the days go by. But the most frightening news comes from Gonzales, where Papa said a Colonel Domingo de Ugartecha, commander of troops in San Antonio, sent five cavalrymen to Gonzales to retrieve the six-pound canon that had been provided four years earlier for defense against the Indians. The Texan officer in charge hid the canon, telling the military he had no authority to give it up. He sent out dispatches calling for military aid.

Four hundred Texans, who worked in a loosely formed military troop, heard the call, turned from their original destination, Goliad, and marched to Gonzales. One hundred Mexican soldiers were already there to seize the canon. But a Colonel Moore and one-hundred and sixty Texans loaded the canon with chains and scrap iron, and strung a banner across it inscribed “COME AND TAKE IT.” Then the Colonel and his men attacked the Mexican troops, forcing them to retreat to San Antonio. I wanted to cheer! However, I did not wish to reveal my hiding place from which I listened avidly about the exciting battles.

Dread fills my heart, now that I understand what is to come. Papa says we must prepare, put away our frivolous desires for the present, and do our part to secure Texas for ourselves. I can only pray the war does not last too long.

My party will go on, however, and I must end this writing to don my beautiful dark blue silk gown, adorned with a lovely inset of lace, and an ivory brooch at my throat. Handsome coils of braid divide the lace from the silk. Underneath, my pantalets are of the finest linen, and my petticoat is of a fine silk. Mama will arrange my hair atop my head in a manner befitting a grown young woman. I do hope I look beautiful, or at least pretty, for a photographer will capture me in my new gown.

Would it not be magical if someone two hundred years hence finds my photograph and wonders about me?

Signed--Elmina Ingram

NOTE from author Celia Yeary: The sixteen-year-old young woman in the photo is one of my real Texas ancestors, but I did not use her real name. I have no idea where she grew up or lived in Texas. I took the date from the back of the photo, 1835, and used historical events of the beginning of the Texas Revolution to write this journal entry. The story about my ancestor is fiction, however, a figment of my imagination.

“Romance…and a little bit o’ Texas.”

Celia Yeary

http://www.celiayeary.com/

TEXAS BLUE-eBook and Print-Jan. 29

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook--now

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-eBook and Print-now

All available here: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/  

My Kingdom for a Good Plot!

Maybe the holidays did it—too much indulgence in rich foods I don’t generally eat. Perhaps I’ve hit the bottom of the barrel that contained all my plot ideas. Probably, I’ve read too many good novels recently, causing me to feel completely and utterly inadequate.

I’m a failure. Or not!

When I begin to doubt every word I write, I place myself in a time-out. There’s no use banging my head against the wall or slamming the lid down on my innocent laptop. So, I pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again.

One exercise I perform sounds very easy, but if a writer is truly in the doldrums, it can present problems. You won’t know until you try. It’s called “writing bursts.” Sit down with a blank sheet of paper in front of you. For me, that would be my Toshiba laptop. For others, that might mean a pen and notebook. Think of a topic or ask someone near you—“name any topic that comes into your head.” Then, begin to write without thinking—assuming you know a little something about the topic—and continue for ten minutes. Do not stop to edit for anything—don’t worry about spelling, style, or grammar. Now. See? Isn’t that easy.

It warms up your brain.

Next, describe your plot in one three-part sentence—a story in a nutshell. Try it first using one of your published novels. Next, try it using one of your WIPs. Note: you may not use, “Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and then boy gets girl.” Now, you have an outline made of three sections—the beginning, the middle, the ending.

This makes your plot resemble a three-act play, a tried and true method.

Concentrate solely on your protagonist—male or female. What does this character want more than anything? Answer this question in detail, and voila!

You have a plot based solely on his/her desire.

Now, if only I can make this work for myself.

Celia Yeary

http://www.celiayeary.com/

TEXAS BLUE-a Texas Historical-eBook and Print-

January 29- www.thewildrosepress.com

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook—The Wild Rose Press

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Texas Historical

Print and eBook: The Wild Rose Press