Celia Yeary ~*~ Romance...and a little bit of Texas

Why Aren't eReaders Standardized?

2012-01-29T09:23:00.000-06:00

This is probably a foolish question, because many items in our world are not standardized . But they should be. We all know hot dog buns come eight to a package, but the wieners come ten to a package. I could name numerous examples of such annoying practices, but at least we, the customers, are not restricted from purchasing either.

My complaint is with e-readers: Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Sony, Diesal, and Apple.

This is a huge problem, if you ask me. I bought a Kindle, but I also have books on B&N, the Sony Store, and a few scattered others. I only buy books from Amazon, though. Why? Because I have a Kindle. If I preferred to buy the book from B&N, then I would need to buy a Nook. Right?

This is grossly unfair, and very tacky, in my opinion.

We can buy gasoline from any station we want and pay for it in any manner. I carry three credit cards, but prefer to use one particular card. I've not been turned down yet when I pull out that card at any station. Suppose Shell required the driver to have a Shell credit card to purchase a tank of gas?

The same is true with our televisions. We pay for a server, but that server doesn't mind if I have a Motorola, a Sony, or a Samsung television. All's fair and everyone plays nice.

Cell phones. I have T-Mobile as my server, but I don't need to buy a certain phone, do I, to have T-Mobile?

I'm finding the electronic reader problem more and more aggravating. Yes, Amazon carries every book known to mankind, but need they be so exclusive with their eBooks? I'm not picking on Amazon, because all of them are the same way.

Should this problem be addressed in Congress, so that The People will have a voice in this matter? Forget I even mentioned such an absurd thing. What am I thinking, trying to get Congress to make a decision?

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

What I Did In Church Today When My Mind Wandered

2012-01-22T15:22:00.001-06:00

I SWEAR, THESE BABIES LOOK JUST LIKE THE REAL ONES IN CHURCH TODAY

Today in church, we had a double blessing--the baptisms of two babies. These little ones are close to the same age...about five months old. Just adorable, both of them. Both sets of parents had numerous family with them, so the entire service was joyous and uplifting.

One baby was a beautiful, black-haired angel, a little girl, and the other was a sandy-haired little hunk, a little boy. The female wore a white lace dress and white lace bonnet, and the boy wore little dress-up pants and shirt.

Ah, so what did my writer's brain do during the process? I wrote a romance novel, of course. Forward, oh, say about 25 years and they are in love. Certainly, they have been their entire lives, having been reared together, attending the same nursery, then the same Sunday School classes, youth group, and young adult class.

And now, I see them standing before the altar, she with her "raven" black hair and he with his dark blonde hair, both dressed for their wedding.

Stop! I cannot move them right into matrimony. Every couple must go through the fire, so to speak, and emerge strong and determined that no one or no earthly entity can break them apart.

Hmmm, what conflict can I hoist upon them? Every romance novel must have a huge conflict between the two prospective lovers. Right? The service ended before I moved very far along with my outline.

You can be sure, though, that my story will be: Girl meets boy at Baptismal font in their diapers and baby clothes and fall in love; Boy loses Girl, maybe due to something stupid he did, or maybe an outside force tore them apart; and then Boy gets Girl back, and they Live Happily Ever After.

Writing a romance novel is so easy, a child can do it. Right? I bet you've heard that many times-- a romance novel plot is just too simplistic. Oh, but the fun of it all is creating a scenario that will push them apart, and then find an emotional, satisfying way to bring them together at the end.

I can hardly wait to begin my next novel.

So, what are you working on?

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

Page 99 Test for "Crystal Lake Reunion"

2012-01-16T15:34:00.000-06:00

Page 99:

"Excuse me, sir. Excuse me?"

The banging ceased and two young men in coveralls, stained with oil and dirt, popped up.

"Yeah? Whadda ya want?"

"Do you own this building?"

The tall one walked loose-limbed toward her and pulled a dirty red kerchief from his back pocket. After wiping his face, he looked her up and down before he spoke. "Yeah. Me and my brother here. You need a car fixed?"

"No, I only wondered if you knew the previous owners."

"Nope. But if you’re looking for the graveyard, it’s back yonder a ways—behind that stand of trees." He pointed to the far back of the lot. "Somebody comes by once in a while to find it."

Dana swayed before she felt Grant’s arm around her waist.

Grant spoke. "You mean a cemetery?"

"Same thing, ain’t it? ’Cept no one’s been buried there as far back as twenty or so years ago. That’s all I know. The kids play up there sometimes. It’s cooler than down here."

"Thank you," said Grant. He turned to go, but Dana asked to walk back there. The owners agreed that would be fine.

As Dana held Grant’s hand, they began to walk up the hill toward the stand of trees. When they had taken several steps, the owner called after them.

"Not much up there. Just a few of those babies' graves."
~*~*~*~
So, would you consider reading this book?

The beautiful cover for Crystal Lake Reunion is one of five finalists for EPIC's ARIANA awards coming up. The story has also received wonderful reviews!

I invite you to visit the small Texas town of Crystal Lake:

Premise: Twenty-five-year-old Houston realtor, Dana Dawson, has no reason to believe her life is not as it seems. When Ruth Dawson, her mother, travels thirty miles to Crystal Lake for her twenty-fifth high school reunion, she becomes ill. Dr. Grant Adams summons Dana to the small town she has never seen. There Dana begins to unravel a secret about her past she did not know existed.

Dana keeps her suspicions to herself and remains in Crystal Lake when her mother goes home. During the next week, she becomes acquainted with the charming young doctor and elicits his help to discover her true birthplace. There she finds a shocking truth that not only changes her life, but also almost destroys her mother and another entire family. ******

AMAZON KINDLE:

http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Lake-Reunion-ebook/dp/B0056BC41G/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308922072&sr=1-13

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS:

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=883&zenid=b510de951c68d62fb3a3bfbe779acd47

Thank you!

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

The Avoids, Part III: Melodramatic Words, Foreign Words, and All That Jazz

2012-01-13T11:51:00.000-06:00

AND...

My last "Avoids" blog was quite some time ago, and I felt a need to clarify a few more items. Remember, no hard and fast rules exist for these, but our sources do urge us to beware. The experts I most often use are Strunk and White, Speechmastery.com, and my all-time favorite, Elmore Leonard.

AVOID FOREIGN LANGUAGES: Best advice--write in English. That is, if your first language is English and you live in an country in which English is dominant, then stick to what everyone knows. If--in a desire to show off--you throw in foreign words or expressions with abandonment, you will only succeed in annoying your readers. And we simply must not annoy our readers. (No further explanation is needed about that.) However, remember: rarely will you find a definite rule for this, so by all means use a foreign word or phrase if it is fitting for your story.

AVOID MELODRAMATIC WORDS: Beauteous, prodigious, inchoate, fulsome, austerity. Now, there's simply nothing wrong with these words, but how many in your audience can immediately recall the definitions? How many of your readers will stumble over the word, which makes him stop reading? Trust me, you do not want your reader to stop because of something he cannot understand. Most all adults, though, can understand, beautiful, enormous, incomplete, flattering, or severe.

As more than one expert has said: "Don't use a ten dollar word when a ten cent word will do." Oops, I think I just used a metaphor--or at least, one of the below.

AVOID METAPHORS AND ALL THAT JAZZ: Idioms, colloquialisms, metaphors, aphorism, metaphors, simile, hyperbole, and personification. All these words can be categorized under a more familiar term: Figures of Speech. Lest you think I know the meanings and uses of all these, think again. I certainly do not. However, I can detect one in a text, although I couldn't correctly categorize it. All I know is if I read, "Quick as greased lightning," or "Hanky panky," or "Reading him the riot act," or "The apple of his eye," I will usually shudder slightly but continue to read.

Yes, I know I'm guilty. In one book I wrote, "All hell broke loose." Well...it did, and those are the only words I could write.
~*~*~*~
Questions:
1. Why, then are there so many versions of one word? Maybe because the one that is used the most is the familiar one. I suppose if we'd begun to use "inchoate," then we wouldn't understand the word "incomplete."
2. What's wrong with using a few foreign words here and there? Nothing, except the reason I gave--your reader may stumble over the word. We want our words to flow and move easily, not slow down to a crawl, as the reader wonders about their meaning.
3. When is it more appropriate to use figures of speech?
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Can a Story About Ordinary People Hold Your Interest?

2012-01-07T19:42:00.000-06:00

As readers and authors, we don't want all material to be the same. That would be like eating the same meal every day, three times day. We like variety, yes, but still we pick and choose those foods that appeal to us from a wide variation of the same kind. I love tomatoes, and I'll take any kind or variety of tomato that I can find. However, some are often tasteless or too mushy or too acidic, making my stomach churn.

But I wouldn't eat a raw oyster on a bet. First, they're distasteful looking, slimy, and just plain awful. Plus, I've seen too many things under a microscope, and trust me...you might think twice about eating one. However, I've seen people eat them with gusto and enjoy every morsel.

To each his own.

The same is true with my reading and writing material. There are certain genres and styles I enjoy, and there are others I wouldn't read....well, on the same bet.

Often I crave "just stories," nothing contrived, but a tale about...Ordinary People. Yes, I think many of my stories are about ordinary people. (I'm omitting my 99cent Western Trail Blazer shorts--those are a little overdone, but all in the name of fun.)

My favorite kind of movie, too, is often about ordinary people. (Here, I'll exclude the James Bond movies with Daniel Craig. I know they're totally unrealistic, very loud, and often brutal. But...that's my one foray into a secret vice--I LOVE his James Bonds movies!)

But back to movies about people, with their angst, their longings, their heartbreak, their loneliness, their phobias, and yes, even their weaknesses. Dysfunctional people and families can make the most interesting and emotional movie or book.

Here are four Storylines--Have you seen the movie? Hint: these are not new.

STORYLINE I:

Beth, Calvin, and their son Conrad are living in the aftermath of the death of the other son. Conrad is overcome by grief and misplaced guilt to the extent of a suicide attempt. He is in therapy. Beth had always preferred his brother and is having difficulty being supportive to Conrad. Calvin is trapped between the two trying to hold the family together.

~*~Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch,

Timothy Hutton~*~

STORYLINE II:

Lester and Carolyn Burnham are on the outside, a perfect husband and wife, in a perfect house, in a perfect neighborhood. But inside, Lester is slipping deeper and deeper into a hopeless depression. He finally snaps when he becomes infatuated with one of his daughter's friends. Meanwhile, his daughter Jane is developing a happy friendship with a shy boy-next-door named Ricky, who lives with a homophobic father.

~*~Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley,

Mena Suvari~*~

STORYLINE III:

In the Salinas Valley, in and around World War I, Cal Trask feels he must compete against overwhelming odds with his brother Aron for the love of their father Adam. Cal is frustrated at every turn, from his reaction to the war, to how to get ahead in business and in life, to how to relate to estranged mother.
~*~Julie Harris, James Dean, Raymond Massey, Richard Davalos~*~

STORYLINE IV:

Aurora and Emma are mother and daughter who march to different drummers. Beginning with Emma's marriage, Aurora shows how difficult and loving she can be. The movie covers several years of their lives as each finds different reasons to go on living and find joy. Aurora's interludes with Garrett Breedlove, retired astronaut and next door neighbor are quite striking. In the end, different people show their love in very different ways.
~*~ Shirley Maclaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Jeff Daniels~*~

All of these feature dysfunctional individuals and families or how a family copes with tragedy and heartbreak. To me, they are some of the best stories ever written. Movie goers and the movie industry think so, too. All four movies were blockbusters, and all four earned multiple Academy Awards.

Still, I don't care for a steady diet. Occasionally I yearn for a good loud, outrageous Western, or a comedy such as The Bridesmaids or Sex and the City.

What about you? Steady diet or variation?

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

THINGS YOU SHOULD THROW OUT ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

2012-01-01T07:28:00.000-06:00

Instead of resolutions, I like to clean up my space. It's a kind of starting over, a new beginning, and a second chance to do better. So, what surrounds me, whether physically or mentally, that needs to be removed?

#1-Clean out the refrigerator. Case in point: that little dab of bean dip in the square bowl, no one is going to eat; the month-past-due single carton of yogurt; the two limp carrots, now trying to re-sprout; the four bags, each holding about 1/2 cup frozen vegetables, now frozen into a solid mass I never got around to using; the 1/3 package of six month old Chinese noodles which now taste like cardboard; shall I continue? No, you get the picture.

#2-Thin out your closet. I once read a column by a fashion consultant that claimed any article of clothing in your closet that you have not worn for two years, should be given to Goodwill, or perhaps burned. She claims you will never wear it. (I have reservations about this...I have found a couple of sweaters stashed toward the back I hadn't worn for five or more years...and now I'm wearing them.)

#3-This is related to #2. Please, by all means, get rid of any article of clothing with shoulder pads!

#4-Like clothing, throw out old make-up. For one thing, foundation and mascara, especially, become contaminated with bacteria and can cause eye infections. Besides, this is a very good time to take advantage of the new "look" in make-up, whatever it might be. If you don't use make-up, then disregard this advice.

#5-Writing supplies- This one I love! First, go through all your pens and pencils and throw out all that skip when you write, are dry, are ugly, have Super 8 Motel or Weir's Insurance written on the side, and anything else that generally doesn't make a mark that is pleasing. Me? I prefer a fine-point pen, like the Roller Ball pens, and if I can find the Super Fine, then I'll grab those. I'm very picky about this, but still...there are those others I really should use. But no...this is New Year's and I get to throw them out.

#6-Stupid story ideas and old partial manuscripts-my files have many such items, and I know in my heart none will ever turn into The Great American Novel. Now is the time to delete all those so I won't stare at them and wonder...how can I make that plot work? Out, out it goes! No, wait. Maybe I was a bit hasty. Perhaps I'll just create a new folder titled "Manuscript Dump." That way, when a good idea does come....yes, that's a better idea.

#7-Throw out or consolidate notes- old sticky notes or single note sheets scattered in various places on my desk must go. Useless newspaper articles, quote of the day, all kinds of words on paper that mean nothing. I do have one spiral notebook that I keep a running list of things to do that concern writing or promotion, and that system works well for me. However, I cannot break myself from scribbling these nonsensical notes. Out!

#8-And while we're at it, let's throw out our negative thoughts about our ability to be a good writer, or our jumbled thoughts about the possibility of changing genres, or maybe even our sense of failure...or at least, our sense of not accomplishing as much as we would like.

New Year's Day gives us a good re-set point, a do-over, or a back to basics routine.

New Year's Day gives us a chance to look ahead...not back.

New Year's Day gives us a chance to Delete old thoughts, old feelings, and old failures.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

IS IT OVER YET?

2011-12-29T15:06:00.000-06:00

At times, it seems as though Christmas has been going on for months, especially since it all began before Thanksgiving. The Christian community understands the meaning of the day, but even we become immersed in the commercial part of the season, too. And why not? It's a time for joy, sharing, caroling, food, and gifting. Even Santa Claus has a part in all the trappings. After a while, though, it all becomes wearying.

I must take after my daddy because he could not wait until it was all over. He always began trying to dismantle the tree to remove it from the living room as soon as the last gift was opened. In addition to the tree, he became tired of the rich food--abundant in my mother's kitchen--and begged her to cook a pot of pinto beans and make cornbread.

When I was in sixth grade, my older sister decided to marry her sweetheart on Christmas Day. Mainly this was due to the fact he was in the Army and wouldn't be home long, but also because our grandmother and grandfather--my daddy's parents--were married on Christmas Day. Daddy began to fume long before the day arrived, wondering how we could get that tree out of the living room so my sister could have her small family wedding in that same room.

On the big day, we got up earlier than usual to open gifts. Daddy kept saying, "Y'all hurry up, now...we don't have all that much time. So, rush we did, through the opening and oohing and aahing, with Daddy pacing and muttering. Soon, it was over, and Mother brought in big trash cans for the boxes and paper. She left the room to tend to the kitchen, Daddy went outside to do something, and my sisters and I went to our bedrooms to dress.

Then...we heard a crash and a tinkle of breaking glass. We all rushed to the living room. The big tree, now bereft of its presents, had fallen over across the living room carpet. Shattered Christmas balls lay about, and the icicles were strung out, and the lights had come loose from the electric plug, so those were dark and dead. So pathetic, this tree looked, as though it had become tired of the yammering about it being in the way.

So, the tree just up and died, falling on its face.

There are some who love to keep the Christmas trappings up and lit as long as possible. I've seen some homes that were decorated the first of November and stayed that way until March.

CRUMLEY'S GROCERY

Halfway between San Marcos and Austin on Interstate 35 on the west side, Crumley's Grocery sat on a lot between a few older houses. The building was many decades old, and it was weathered and cluttered and really not too clean. The inside was absolutely stuffed with all kinds of vintage articles and stuffed animals. The owner was an icon of absurdity and eccentricity.

Most of all, Mr. Crumley outlined the front with Christmas lights decades earlier. Each year, he added more, and never took them down nor turned them off. It became an icon and was featured in the Texas Monthly magazine, a popular periodical filled each month with Texas stories. Just a few years ago, for some reason, it closed and the entire thing was bulldozed. But there was a man who loved Christmas.

On Ranch Road 12 from our house into town, a house sat off to the left. Long ago, the owner had created a peace sign on his roof, outlined with Christmas lights. Once it got it up, he left it... and although the lights didn't burn year round, they were turned on for a few months each year.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

A Few of My Own Favorites For Your Holiday Reading

2011-12-24T11:48:00.002-06:00

A CHRISTMAS WEDDING
What could go wrong?
$3.99

http://www.amazon.com/A-Christmas-Wedding-ebook/dp/B006JEECFA/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323815877&sr=1-12

~*~*~*~

ADDIE AND THE GUNSLINGER
Do you think she's afraid of him?
99 Cents
http://www.amazon.com/Addie-and-the-Gunslinger-ebook/dp/B006LXB6GW/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324161074&sr=1-13
~*~*~*~

WISH FOR THE MOON
Will Annie McGinnis get her wish to see what's just over the county line?
$6.99
http://www.amazon.com/Wish-for-the-Moon-ebook/dp/B004Z8LX5E/ref=sr_1_7_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324748193&sr=1-7
~*~*~*~

HEART OF A HERO
Maybe a handsome soldier decorated for bravery isn't the only hero in this story!
$5.99
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-of-a-Hero-ebook/dp/B0059WEBUO/ref=sr_1_8_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324748592&sr=1-8

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

Skate 'Til the Sidewalk Ends

2011-12-17T15:38:00.000-06:00

When I was a child, my little sister and I always got the same thing. We were very close in age, and about the same size--she grew to a nice height, and I remained shorter, so that we were about the same size. Mother dressed us as twins, same clothes, same shoes, same hair. Uh, no, not the same hair exactly. My little sister had naturally curly hair and I had naturally straight hair. In order for us to look more alike, then, by age four I had permanents on a regular basis. Otherwise, my short hair looked like Buster Brown, while my sister's short hair was all curly and cute. There is no justice in this world.

Christmas was always good, although we spent many of my young years moving about, transient, if you were, following oil camps. Still, my mother did so well on the one income, and managed to give us a good Christmas. I suppose we bordered on poor, but we sure didn't look like it and had everything we needed.

I remember getting a doll every Christmas, and what I got, my sister got. There were the bride dolls. Mine had blond hair, my little sister's had dark hair, and she proceeded to dunk her doll's head in mud so that it lost all its hair. I still have my doll to this day.

We got bride and groom dolls, baby dolls, Margaret O'Brian dolls, baby buggies, cap pistols in a holster, bandanas to wrap around our necks, jeans, but no boots. One year, we found tiny boxes up in the small Christmas tree that contained little gold lockets. Oh, I loved my locket. Whatever happened to it?

For years, we got packages of panties. Yes, those folded and wrapped tightly in a cellophane package, colored and slick and very pretty. As we got older, we always laughed about the fact we knew one gift we'd receive--a package of new panties.

All through elementary school, we wished for bicycles. We never got those, and I have thought perhaps they were too expensive. But no...it would be difficult to move with two bikes, since everything we owned for all those years had to fit into the trunk of a 1940 Ford for the next move to another oil camp.

In fifth grade, though, we got skates. Remember those old metal skates with a key? I placed my foot on the skate, and used the key to tighten the clamps around the toes of my shoes and the heels. Now, I was mobile, and that began a new life of seeing the world on my skates.

There was a problem with that plan, though. I could only skate on a sidewalk, and the sidewalks invariably did not go very far in small West Texas towns. We had a big space of concrete behind the house where as many as four cars could park--if need be. I skated around and around there, then on the driveway to the front sidewalk. To the right, the sidewalk ended past the house next door. To the left, the sidewalk ended past two houses.

Oh, I loved those skates! Even though I fell sometimes and skinned my knees, I still adored them. I yearned to skate farther and farther, but one can only skate 'til the sidewalk ends. It was frustrating, stifling, even, and sometimes maddening that I could go no farther. I dreamed of soaring along a very long sidewalk, maybe across town! It was never to be.

Maybe if we got everything we ever wanted, our yearnings and desires would diminish. Then we would stagnate, stop growing and learning, and become soft and lazy. And dull.

What was the best Christmas gift you ever received?

Merry Christmas to all!

Celia

Book Signing Adventure in San Marcos

2011-12-12T10:50:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, December 10, I gathered my courage and had a book signing. It was like giving a party and fearing no one would show up. The venue was a popular coffee house, Mochas and Javas, a "home-grown business" owned by local resident Brian Carswell. He owns three MJs, and he is as popular as his businesses.
My writing group--The Write Girls--meet every Tuesday morning at nine o'clock at MJ at the intersection of Wonder World Drive and Hunter Road to discuss grandchildren, the weather, our families, the economy, congress, global warming, and yes, writing topics, too.

WISH FOR THE MOON
The book I sold was Wish For The Moon, a 1901 Texas story about Annie McGinnis, just on the verge of womanhood, whose life is changed when a stranger walks to the farm.

Available on Amazon in print and ebook

http://www.amazon.com/Wish-Moon-Celia-Yeary/dp/1466452382/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323706760&sr=1-7

Please note the required attire for Saturday outings in San Marcos--jeans. Even I wore jeans, as did my husband. Jeans and athletic shoes and ball caps for the guys.

Rt. to left: Carolyn Goss, Celia Yeary, and Jini Etten

You see why this is the perfect place to meet friends? Very cozy.

TapDa! The Girls! That's what we call these lovely young woman who run the place, the "Baristas." Aren't they pretty? And as nice, sweet, and polite as any southerner would appreciate.

A vintage book, a vintage table, and a vintage author.

My soulmate, my life--Jim

I was pleased to sell 19 books here, and 5 the day after. If past experience holds, I may be lucky enough to have customers for all of them. I hope, I hope.

I think the book would make a good Christmas gift.

Thank you, everyone, who visited that cold day. You helped make it fun for me.

Celia

Clearing Emotional Clutter

2011-12-03T08:45:00.000-06:00

These days, I find myself immersed and sometimes drowning in the busy-ness of the days. When I stop and reflect, though, I find that the unsettled, tense feelings are due more to Emotional Clutter than actual mundane, physical tasks.

Listing our priorities is one thing, but clearing out Emotional Clutter is another.

After all, I can look at my numbered list of "things to do" and carry through with those...at least eventually.

But the emotional mess in my brain and heart is often more difficult to clear out. So, I find myself talking to myself more often.

How can we, as busy authors, mothers, grandmothers, wives, friends, and general community volunteers quiet the unrest in our souls, in our hearts, and in our minds?

And just what are these "emotional issues?"

Direction: Maybe I'm going in the wrong direction. Writing, editing, and promoting goggles up time. I do wonder sometimes if this is all worth the effort and the emotional turmoil it often causes. But if I were not writing, what would I do instead? Is there something more worthwhile? Or do I even need to find "something more worthwhile?"

Isolation: Generally I am a social person. But over the years, my social groups have disintegrated or they have merged into something else. As a result, I tend to stay home more, isolating myself from those I love and care about. Writing has filled the gap, yes, but it is an isolating type of venture, isn't it?

Tension: I'm not an overly emotional person, tending to bottle up tense, unhappy, unsettling feelings. Some people cry, others throw something, and someone else might just scream. I don't do anything like that...but maybe I should.

Worry: What, me worry? I'm the world's champion worrier. I worry about my grandsons, I worry about the world economy, I worry about students and the loans they can't pay, I worry about all those hungry children out there, I worry about homeless people, I worry about everyone's health. No wonder I'm an emotional wreck at times.

What do you do to calm yourself in the midst of overwhelming duties and tasks, either self-made or something that barges in from outside your realm?

I can't claim to have any magic potions or spells, but there are some things you might do.

~*~*~My best calming method is to lie down, flat on my back, on my bed, cover up with a light quilt, and close my eyes. In those moments, I concentrate on breathing, and I may think of something lovely and pleasant...waves crashing on the shore, a slow walk through a dense, dark, quiet forest, or a very hot, aromatic bath. Soft, soothing music might help some, but me? I love complete quiet.

~*~*~I do like to write, so I might say, "Celia, you are having problems here. What is wrong? Write down your feelings, things that might be causing your agitation." I like this exercise because I often find myself writing something I hadn't even been aware of. When I do become aware of this thing, then I'm able to say, "Well, I can fix that," or, "Well, I can just forget that."

~*~*~Don't agonize over things you cannot control. Recently, I learned I can say, "I refuse to agonize over this." And you know? It worked fairly well. I'm in a small group that has the responsibility of seeking out persons for leadership. This is very difficult, but from the beginning I said to myself--"I'm not going to worry this to death. I cannot make something happen, so I'll carry out my duties and things will either fall into place...or they won't." Now, that removes quite a lot of stress.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

SWEET SUNSHINE COOKBOOK--for charity

2011-11-30T15:17:00.000-06:00

"Sweet Sunshine Charity Cookbook" is now available on AMAZON.

CELIA DAVIS YEARY-AGE 8

Fifteen authors have not only contributed recipes for the Cookbook, each one has written a "cooking memory" with someone she loved. I wrote about making biscuits as a little girl with my Grandmother. She cooked on a big kerosene stove and of course, made everything from scratch. She tolerated my "helping." Some of us also wrote a children's story—mine is titled "Making Mud Pies for Mommy."

Each author also has added two childhood photos.

I love those photos!

AUTHORS:

Betty Dravis, Celia Yeary, Diane Craver, Melinda Clayton, K. G. Summers, Joselyn Vaughn, Diana Castilleja, Danielle Thorne, Ruth J. Hartman, Maggie Toussaint, Jennifer Shirk, Adelle Laudan, Katharina Gerlach, Stacy Dawn, Sharon Sullivan-Craver, Gemma Halliday.

The Cookbook is illustrated and the cover is fantastic.

It also contains coloring pages for children,

in addition to some very good recipes.

If you would like to add another charity to your list, I invite you to order one of these cookbooks—or more if you like!

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE CHARITY. NO AUTHOR GAINS MONETARILY FROM THESE SALES.

Below are:

BUY LINK:

The Cookbook is now live on Amazon. The cost is $14.95.

http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Sunshine-Baking-Memories/dp/0987725637

LINK :

The editor and producer of the Cookbook, Adelle Laudan, created an intro page on her website for an overview and examples of stories and photos.

http://adellelaudan.com/Sunshine.html

The charity is The Sunshine Foundation of Canada

http://sunshine.ca/

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Linda LaRoque and her novel A Marshal of Her Own

2011-11-27T14:35:00.005-06:00

LINDA LAROQUE

A Little History on the Feed sack

Life on the prairie for women in the 1800s was hard. Fabric was scarce so every available piece of cloth was used until it fell apart. When the backs of skirts wore out, the panel was either turned around, or the piece was cut out. Sometimes the garment was cut down to make a garment for one of the children. Material was never thrown away, but recycled until it could only be used for cleaning rags.

Until around the 1840s foodstuffs, as well as animal feed, were packed in boxes, barrels, and crates which made it hard for a farmer without a wagon to get from the store to home. When the sewing machine was invented, double lock stitching made it possible to sew fabric secure enough to keep from spilling. Bags of flour, feed, etc. could be loaded on a horse.

The first feed sacks were made of heavy white canvas printed with the name of the flour or other product. The farmer could bring empty bags back to be refilled. When mills in America began producing inexpensive cotton fabrics in the later 1800s, these cheaper fabrics were used.

Not as durable, they weren’t refillable so women used them for quilt pieces and to make dish towels, curtains, pillowcases, sheets, and other items for the home. The manufacturer’s name was stamped on the sack in vegetable dye so the homemaker could remove it, often a difficult chore, and return it to pristine whiteness. Humorous stories about garments made with the stamp remaining abound.

In 1925 manufacturers began to realize how popular these sacks were to women and started to compete to have the most desirable patterns and colors. Here is a picture of a print representing Gone With the Wind.

Soon pattern makers were creating patterns, even evening wear, specifically for feed sacks.

The Woman - August 1953 Cover: Olga Nicholas, photographed by Dirone Studios, wears a feed-bag formal and matching stole., McCall's pattern #9121. Jewelry by Trifari.

Women often gathered to trade pieces so they’d have enough for a dress or the quilt they were piecing. Imagine how valuable they were to homemakers during the depression. It was hard enough to manage to provide food, fabric was an extravagance.

My cousins and I loved the feed sack dresses our Aunt Jewell made for us. Grandma Riley saved the sacks until there was enough for a dress. There was one in particular I’ll never forget. It was a floral pattern with muted oranges and yellow, like a watercolor. The skirt was full and of course I wore a petticoat or two underneath. I have a picture but it isn’t in color and not sharp enough to post.

For further reading, check out this link. http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/feed-sacks-a-sustainable-fabric-history/

How about you? Did you ever wear feed sack dresses? If so, tell us about your favorite one. Feed sacks are in vogue again. Maybe you’re a crafter and enjoy making items to show off their unique characteristics.

References:

http://www.quilthistory.com/feedsacks.htm

http://www.planetpatchwork.com/feedsack.htm

A Marshal of Her Own – Blurb and Excerpt

Blurb:

Despite rumors of “strange doings” at a cabin in Fredericksburg, investigative reporter Dessa Wade books the cottage from which lawyer, Charity Dawson, disappeared in 2008. Dessa is intent on solving the mystery. Instead, she is caught in the mystery that surrounds the cabin and finds herself in 1890 in a shootout between the Faraday Gang and a US Marshal.
Marshal Cole Jeffers doesn’t believe Miss Wade is a time traveler. He admits she’s innocent of being an outlaw, but thinks she knows more about the gang than she’s telling. When she’s kidnapped by Zeke Faraday, Cole is determined to rescue her. He’s longed for a woman of his own, and Dessa Wade just might be the one—if she’ll commit to the past.
Excerpt:

Dessa stood still and watched as they conversed. Something stank to high heaven about this entire situation. Why were the cops chasing robbers on horseback? It’s not like Fredericksburg was that isolated. She glanced at the captured men. The boy moaned, and she made a step to go over and help him. The Marshal spun, and the expression in his eye froze her in place.

“He needs first aid.”

“He’s fine. The Doc will tend to him when we get to the jail.”

“You could at least call 911 and let them patch him up for you.” She nodded to the man lying so still with his eyes closed. “Your other prisoner doesn’t look so good. He’s going to die on you if you don’t start CPR or get him some help.”

“Lady, no one is going to hear a yell from out here. Never heard of any 911 or CPR.” He propped the hand not holding the shotgun on his hip and threw her a disgusted look. “Are you blind? That man is dead, shot through the heart.”

Her head swam for a moment, and she struggled not to give in to the sensation and faint. She drew in deep gulps of air. “Well...well..., what about the coroner and the meat wagon, not to mention the CSI folks? If you don’t get them to record the scene, how are you going to cover your butt? The authorities might say you shot him in cold blood.”

He looked at her like she’d sprouted an extra head. “I don’t know what the hell you are talking about woman. No one will question my authority. I’m the law in this county. Now, be quiet, or I’m going to gag you.”~*~*~*~

A Marshal of Her Own is now available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and other online book stores. It is the sequel to A Law of Her Own available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble.com and other online book stores. I’m awaiting a release date for A Love of His Own, the third story in the Prairie, Texas series.

For my release contest for A Marshal of Her Own, I’ll be giving away this vintage typewriter pin.

To enter the drawing, go to my website or blog and sign up for my newsletter. If you already receive it, email me at linda@lindalaroque.com with A Law of Her Own contest in the subject line.

Linda LaRoque is a Texas girl, but the first time she got on a horse, it tossed her in the road dislocating her right shoulder. Forty years passed before she got on another, but it was older, slower, and she was wiser. Plus, her students looked on and it was important to save face.

A retired teacher who loves West Texas, its flora and fauna, and its people, Linda’s stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. She is a member of RWA, her local chapter of HOTRWA, NTRWA and Texas Mountain Trail Writers. ~*~*~*

Thank you, Linda! Visitors, please leave a comment.
Today, Linda will be giving away an ecopy of A Law of Her Own.

Celia

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-22T17:05:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving Day 2011

Let's give Thanks for the Blessings bestowed upon us,

Undeserved, yes, but those with open hearts and kind souls

will gratefully understand what great gifts we have.

For me and my house, we Thank the Lord for loving us,

His mortal creations, His weak and often sorrowful creatures.

Let's be thankful for our time on earth,

Our health, even though possibly failing and weak,

We still breathe and therefore can love and laugh.

Let's be thankful for this great nation in which we so

fortunately live.

Let's give thanks for our loved ones, those gone before us,

and those in our midst.

Let's be thankful for the simple things in life--

Trees and grass, the bright blue sky, the life-giving rain

that falls on the parched earth, the wind in our face

and at our back, the beauty of newborn creatures,

Both great and small, for the Lord Jesus Christ

Has made them all.
I'm grateful for my many friends, both in my personal life,
and those on-line whom I'll probably never meet,
and for the special one who is my mentor and soundboard.

Thanks for my family, my husband, our daughter and her family,

our son and his family,

our three grandsons, our sisters and brothers,

aunts and uncles.

BLESS YOU.

Celia

First Things First...and that would be Thanksgiving

2011-11-17T15:02:00.000-06:00

Why do we love both Thanksgiving and Christmas? Both holidays are about giving, receiving, and being thankful. Right?

So why don't we take time to savor them one at a time? Stores are geared up for Christmas, and we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet. I'm tired already. But it happens every year.

We walked into WalMart Wednesday, and right there in the wide walkway between McDonald's on the left and the beginning of the checkers' stations on the right was a gigantic display of pumpkin pies--almost as tall as I. I suppose this is because the bakery is next to McDonald's--close to the front entrance. The pies were on a three-tiered temporary structure, and I hoped no one bumped the corner, because all those cardboard props would not hold up, and WalMart would have about fifty pies on the floor.

We got a cart but had to skirt all those pumpkin pies, to the right or to the left. The pie display took up more room than was left for shoppers to pass by. They were almost daring me to walk past without picking one up. Not to denigrate WalMart--I actually call it Utopia--but the pies did not look appetizing. First, they were in aluminum pie plates. Do not serve a pumpkin pie in such a dish. Very tacky. Second, the pies were dark and thin and had depressions in the middle. Ewww. Not the kind of pumpkin pie I like.

A CLOSE IMAGE OF MY PIE

Keep reading to the end, and I'll tell you how to make a gourmet pumpkin pie.
When we did successfully maneuver around the display, we almost ran into a decorated Christmas tree! All the fruit and vegetable bins had Christmas trims around the edges, too. Don't they realize that shoppers might be completely befuddled? I was, I can assure you. Orange vs. Red. Pies vs. Candy. Turkey vs. Ham. Stuffing vs. Potatoes.

Celia's Pumpkin Pie--baked and served in a heavy white ceramic fluted 9" pie plate:
Line the plate with Pillsbury refrigerated unbaked pie dough. This comes two rolls to a box in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. Don't use a store brand. Be sure to flute the edges as artistically as you can.

Beat together with an electric mixer:
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin
One 15 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup of hot water--not boiling...just very hot.
Pour into pastry-lined pie pan.
Bake at 375 degrees
Time: 50-55 minutes
To serve: top with a dollop of real whipped cream sweetened with a little sugar.

Disclaimer: This recipe is from a 1956 Second Edition of a hardback ringbinder Betty Crocker Cookbook, held together now with duct tape and hole reinforcements.

Enjoy!

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

Jane Richardson-my UK Theatrical Friend

2011-11-15T15:52:00.001-06:00

I have a list of on-line friends I'd love to meet in person. Jane is on that list. Anyone who has a Twitter account called "Gimmeahugyou" is sure to be very special, and she definitely is. She is a unique individual, and from my perspective, funny, emotional, very talented...in more ways than one...and loyal. What more could one ask? I call her my "UK theatrical friend." Now why do I use that term? Because she has worked as a deputy stage manager in the world of opera. How can you top that? Jane is Scots-born but lives in England--perhaps near Edinburgh?

Jane, do I have your place of residence correct? If not, where do you reside?

Hi Celia! I’m not sure I deserve that amazing introduction, but it’s just so lovely of you – and so typical of you – to be so kind. So, you were asking about where I live, and while you’re a few miles out, I’m sure that’s nothing in Texas terms! I’m about 500 miles away from Edinburgh now. I live just outside the wonderful, historical town of Hastings in East Sussex – I’m sure you’ve heard of the famous battle of 1066, one of the most significant dates in English history. It’s a beautiful – quite bohemian and arty but in a great ‘let’s get on with it’ sort of way. I’m very fond of my adopted home town.

If the area is "bohemian and arty," then I see why you love it so! But why is Edinburgh special enough to place your characters?

You’re referring to a story I wrote called ‘Edinburgh Fog,’ I would think, which is set in a city bar-bistro. Well, Edinburgh is and always was a very special place. You’ll know it’s steeped in history, from the days of the ancient Scottish kings, through to the seventeenth-century flowering of art, philosophy and literature in what was called The Age of Enlightenment, right up to its present day incarnation as the home of the Scottish Parliament and a truly European centre of business, finance, fashion and culture. On top of all that, the people are some of the funniest, kindest and most down-to-earth I’ve ever met – hopefully that’s reflected in the way I’ve written about them and the city itself. I lived there for about ten years or so, and while I don’t get back as much as I’d like these days, I have so many great memories of my life and work there.

I'd love to visit that city! See? Your creative writing makes Edinburgh immensely appealing.
You also worked as a "holistic therapist." What in the world is that? Remember, I'm from Texas...I don't know about such things.

Right, holistic therapy….well, anything that’s ‘holistic’ is looking at a person as a whole entity and not just a collection of symptoms. So for example, a person might be suffering from recurrent headaches. The holistic approach would take into account everything about that person’s life, from their living and working environments, their medical and psychological history, things that are worrying them or causing them anxiety, anything in their present and their past which might still be affecting them, and so on. Holistic therapies can work in isolation to help someone, or as something that works in a complimentary way to conventional medicine – for example, many people with long-term medical conditions which are being treated conventionally also find enormous benefit in, say, a regular massage with some deeply soothing aromatherapy oils. The therapies I’m trained to use are aromatherapy, foot reflexology, Indian head massage and classical Swedish massage.

The process sounds tailor-made for me. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have a Swedish massage or a Indian head massage right now. I believe I am now a convert.
Back on track...next question.
What are some of your favorite things in the whole world?

Just some? Okay! Roses – big, blousy, old-fashioned roses with incredible scent. Food! Cooking it and eating it with family and friends. Oh, and some great wine to go with it. Walking the dog on our cliff-top country park, and I don’t mind what the weather’s like – wind and rain can be as much fun as sunshine! Tea and chats with my best girlfriends. A really good movie or great drama series with an involved and exciting plot, watched with my hubbie, sitting on the edge of our seats. A Mozart opera aria sung perfectly and full of emotion – bring tissues. My kids laughing - they have the most contagious laughter! Comfy sofa, dog on one side, cat on the other and me in the middle. Browsing the antique shops and junk shops in town. Crossing a bridge over the Thames in the sunshine, drinking in the view and watching the people. The cure for Type 1 diabetes which I know is just around the corner. Early nights with a good book. Brown paper packages tied up with string…..just a few of my favourite things!

Ahhh, what wonderful favorite things. Makes life an adventure, doesn't it? Since I've known you, I remember you love one particular country in Europe, and travel there often with your family. What is that country and why is it so special?

You’re right. The country is Italy, and where do I begin to say what’s so special about it….? The people, the food, the weather, the way of life, the language, the architecture - I love everything about it. Though I have no Italian blood in me at all, there’s always a sense of something like ‘coming home’ when I visit there. Why this should be so, I have no idea – but I’ve heard other people from many other countries say the same thing, so there must be something in it. We’ve experienced so much kindness when we’re there, and of course the children are treated so well, too, by everyone they meet, so it’s the ideal place to visit with young family. My favourite places are the hilltop towns of the central and northern regions, particularly in Umbria which is called ‘the green heart of Italy,’ and I would live in Assisi tomorrow if I could! I’m also really fond of the little town of Deruta and have lots of pieces of Deruta ceramics in my home – just looking around now, I can see a plate, a coffee cup, a mirror and my pencil-pot all come from there! I would urge anyone who’s been thinking about it but never gone yet to just book that flight as soon as you can and go – you wouldn’t regret it, I’m sure.

The sense of "coming home" when you're in Italy is intriguing. I don't recall experiencing such a thing...but who knows? Maybe you lived there in a previous life.
Within your varied background, when did writing enter the picture?

I remember writing stories as a child, and I know that before I could physically write the words, I would make them up in my head and draw them out in pictures. At school, I loved creative writing, and also writing about the things I loved – an essay about a Shakespeare play was my idea of heaven! In my teens, it dropped away a lot – I had lots of other things to discover in my teens, I think! Then in later years, I worked some very busy jobs – while free-style creative writing wasn’t such a part of them, I did write training materials and video scripts, so I suppose the writing urge was satisfied that way. Then working in the theatre, well, you work such very long hours - especially if you’re working fixed-term contracts, as I did – and I don’t think I gave writing another thought in all those years. It wasn’t until after the birth of both of my children that I started to even think about writing again, for sheer fun at first, and then the way the publishing world has opened up in the last few years made me realize I could take it more seriously and learn as much as I could about it. As you know, Celia, my kids are both home-educated, so a lot of my time is spent on that, but while I may be a slow writer, I still love it and can’t imagine ever not doing it in some shape or form.

And now, your novella--Edinburgh Fog. I loved this story about Greg Morton who owns and runs a smart bar-bistro in Edinburgh. Even though he has succeeded in making Teller's successful, something is missing from his life. I'd like you to tell us who is missing and why.

Ah, who is missing? It’s the love of Greg’s life, Julia Brady. They had a passionate summer romance some years before, then both went their separate ways – Julia remaining in London to pursue her career as an interior designer, and Greg back to Edinburgh to develop what eventually became Tellers’, as you say. Well, silly boy – he’d been apart from Julia just a short while before he realized just how much he really loved her, but he heard on the grapevine that she’d moved on. He did then what I suppose a lot of us would do, and just let it be, putting it all down to experience and immersing himself in work. But one day, Julia appears out of the blue in Tellers’ in Edinburgh, and she’s just as beautiful and lovely as Greg remembers her. It takes him a while to get over the shock of seeing her, and then once he does, it looks like someone else has set their sights on her! So the question is – will Greg be a major dork for the second time in his life and let her slip away, or is a second chance with her at all possible?

The chance meeting with his lost love, Julia, in his own bar sets up a series of events that carry the reader along a fast, breathless journey. I read this story in two evenings...faster readers could finish it in one..and I'd love for you, the readers to consider adding this one to your TBR stack. I highly recommend it. You can find it on Amazon for the nice, affordable price of $2.50. Sorry...I don't know the price in the UK.

http://www.amazon.com/Edinburgh-Fog-ebook/dp/B005O0QMNU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321119114&sr=1-1

The UK Kindle price is £1.82, and here’s the link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Edinburgh-Fog-ebook/dp/B005O0QMNU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321349619&sr=1-1

Jane, where else can we find Edinburgh Fog?

You can find all the other e-formats at the MuseItUp Bookstore, here’s the link for that:
http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=193&category_id=18&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Where can we find YOU?

At my blog/website Home Is Where The Heart Is http://janerichardsonhome.blogspot.com and I’m on Twitter as @Gimmeahugyou.

Here's the blurb for Edinburgh Fog:
When Greg Morton returned to Edinburgh, it was to follow his dream of opening the smartest bar-bistro in town. Now Tellers’ is a huge success—but the truth is, deep inside, it means little without the love of his life.

Four years ago, he left Julia Brady behind in London to realize his business ambitions in his Scottish home town. By the time he’d recognized his mistake and admitted to himself he wanted her back, the grapevine told him Julia had moved on—and Greg had to face the fact that he’d been a fool.

When Julia appears out of the blue in Tellers’, he knows the only thing he should do is walk right up to her and say hello. But it looks like someone else has their sights set on her, and he’s a quick worker.

Is Julia about to disappear from Greg's life a second time - this time, for good?
~*~*~
Thank you, Jane, for visiting "A Little Bit of Texas." Come back anytime...we'll leave the gate open. Love you.

Thanks so much, Celia! Love you too, and can’t wait to have you visit my blog on December 9!

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

WHAT DO YOUR DREAMS MEAN?

2011-11-13T11:00:00.000-06:00

My nights are filled with dreams, at least it seems that way. Almost every morning of my life, I wake up and remember a dream from that night. Vivid dreams, long dreams, complicated dreams.

Some of my friends claim they "never dream." The fact is, everyone does, but not everyone remembers them.

Experts say if you want to remember your dreams, set your alarm clock 15-20 minutes earlier, and you will be more likely to recall the dream. If you awaken in the middle of a dream, you can recall it more often. That seems a little drastic to wake up earlier than you'd like, but be my guest and try it. Let me know the results.

Dream analysts have a list of common dreams:

Falling, Flying, Naked, Chase, Test/Exam, and Teeth.

None of these cover my common dream.

In most of my dreams, I seem to be searching for something. The list includes money, a person, a child, a group of people, a certain bus, a particular house, tiny bits of paper with important notes, my purse, a road, or a pet. I'll bet many people dream "searching" topics, just as I do, but it's not listed as one of the major dreams.

Some experts claim certain objects, animals, or symbols contain a specific message for the dreamer. However, this is disputed by other experts who say dreaming about a snake in your shoe may have a particular meaning for one person, but an entirely different meaning for another.

One explanation that makes sense to me is that our dreams are "messages" or "lessons" for us, and perhaps "our conscience speaking to us," or maybe "prophetic." All through history, the belief that dreams are prophetic is common.

I remember one recurring dream. The same scenario, the same colors, everything. This dream began sometime in my thirties, and it continued maybe two decades. The dream would appear often for a while, then stop. Sometime later, I'd have the same dream.

In this recurring dream, I am in a darkened theater--not a movie theater, but a stage theater. The curtain is a deep red, maybe a velvet because it was heavy and slow to open. It did open, but I couldn't see what or whom was on the stage. I always sat in the balcony, leaning forward, waiting for something to happen. Nothing ever occurred, the dream just ended.

I clearly remember one dream from my childhood. When we visited Granny and Papa in the country, I got to sleep with Granny on her big feather bed. The bed was pushed into a corner, and I slept on the corner side. When I was maybe six, I dreamed a huge ball of mice fell down on me. I don't remember if I woke up or cried, but I do remember rolling toward Granny, staying close to her the remainer of the night.

What is your most common type of dream?

Do you have recurring dreams?

Have you ever had a dream come true--a prophetic dream?

Why DO we dream?

I'll be interested in your replies.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

The Military, a Boarding School, and Me

2011-11-11T15:56:00.000-06:00

Imagine my surprise when I landed a teaching position in a co-ed military boarding school run by the Southern Baptists. I know…you’re thinking I must have been crazy. The fact was that in a university town, teachers were in abundance and the public schools wouldn’t even talk to me. Oh, they allowed me to fill out an application, but then placed it with others in a file cabinet burgeoning to the point of

exploding.

I applied at the boarding school, too, not having a clue about the workings of such a place. I talked with the Vice President in charge of hiring, and after he told me the faculty roster had filled, I went home with no job.

We’d just moved to the Central Texas town where my husband had taken a professorship at the university. September rolled around, our children began school, and I had nothing to do. In previous years, I taught in a public school, and I felt lost with no students.

The next week, the Vice President of the military school called, saying they were in desperate need of a part-time science teacher. It seems a last-minute surge of students had enrolled. He asked, no, he practically begged me to take the job. School had begun and a secretary or somebody had been placed in the classroom until a teacher arrived. No one wanted to teach part-time, he said, plus…are you ready?

My students would be seventh and eighth graders.

Oh, no, I groaned to myself. Junior High kids! I’ll tell you, it takes a special teacher to enjoy this age-group, and I am not one of them. I liked the older kids, those whom an adult could actually talk to, and those who could take up for themselves, and did not require so much discipline.

But what could I do? He promised—sort of—that next year a full-time position for a biology teacher would open up and I’d be first in line. This clenched the deal, and I girded my loins for the year-long battle with 13-year-olds.

Just as the students in all grades had much to learn concerning the rules and regulations of living in dormitories run by military personnel, teachers had to learn how the entire system worked.

I first learned the meaning of “mandatory.” Wednesday morning chapel was mandatory for teachers, as well as, the student body. So was proper dress—faculty men had to wear belts with their pants, could not wear athletic shoes or jeans, and had to have a good haircut. If the boys must have their heads buzzed, at least the men could be presentable. Little was said to the females. I guess we already had enough sense to do the right thing.

Every event was mandatory, especially if the President and his wife threw a party…or reception. At least the students—male and female—learned how to dress up and mind their manners. The girls learned proper deportment and where to place her hand on her date’s arm. The dormitory personnel drilled the cadets on what to say and how to say it, how to walk with a female on his arm, and always to say yes, ma’am and no, ma’am. Oh, and they learned to open doors for ladies. Yep. That was so ingrained in them I don't think I opened a door all the years I taught there.

For receptions and holiday parties, the girls wore formals and white gloves. You heard me. The faculty also wore formal attire, and I was ready to start a revolution if white gloves for us would also be mandatory. Thankfully, we got away with that one.

Once a year, the entire corps prepared for inspection. Army personnel arrived from somewhere to conduct the three-day affair. This included every aspect of dormitory life, as well as military life. The school fell into a time-warp, where little happened while the inspection occurred. The cadets came to class carrying a polish cloth and a small can of Brasso. Instead of listening to me discuss photosynthesis, they discreetly polished their buckles to be ready on the spot. You never saw so many shined shoes, pressed and creased uniforms, and clean fingernails.

On the big day, the entire corps of four companies marched onto the football field and stood in formation for upwards to two hours. The faculty wandered out there and sat in the bleachers, watching a thorough inspection procedure that resembled something akin to paint drying.

Graduation at the school spanned three days. No, we didn’t have just a ceremony, we had parents’ breakfast, awards ceremony in the big chapel, entertainment by the choir, Senior girls’ passing the torch (green ribbons) to Junior girls, the Rose and Sabre ceremony at the senior gates, opened only once during the year; then Baccalaureate, and finally on Monday morning, graduation. The girls wore long white dresses and carried a bouquet of red roses, held just so in their arms; the cadets wore dress blues. The faculty wore the caps and gowns—interesting, huh? The only reason I worked for a master’s degree was to wear a hood instead of a little white collar, signifying only a Bachelor’s degree. Graduation ceremonies were quite impressive.

Explaining my experiences during all those years is a difficult task. Young people arrived with all kinds of baggage, literally and figuratively, and most—I say “most” because there were always those who could not obey at all--graduated with heads held high, transformed from non-performing students to grand successes. That’s what we did best—change attitudes. Loyalty to the school runs deep and powerful among the graduates as well as the faculty.

The best thing that happened to me when I left the school was to have the honor of “trooping the lines” during the Pass-and-Review on graduation weekend. An Army jeep was provided, and I stood in the back holding on to a horizontal bar, while the entire Corps stood at attention and saluted me. Oh, wow. What can I say? Those kids were great.

Successes? Oh, yes, in one form or another, and almost everyone did just fine.

I hope you’ve enjoyed a brief glimpse of my teaching career. I wouldn’t take anything for those years. Often, I look around and yearn for some young man to say, “Here, ma’am, let me get that door for you.”

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

PROMOTION: Does All This Work?

2011-11-07T15:57:00.000-06:00

Wish for the Moon is the next release in print.

My first contract was in 2007, and since then I have dutifully carried out many promotion suggestions. Each publisher requires me to join the Yahoo Group for the authors of the company, and a second Group usually called Connections--to interact with readers. For me, that's six publishers, meaning twelve groups. In addition, I joined a select few Yahoo Groups that I felt fit my style of writing. Half of these are Groups sponsored by review sites.

I've had my blog for almost three years, and I'm also co-owner of a group blog, consisting of fourteen authors. I also signed on with two additional group blogs. My website is all set up and I do try to update it on a regular basis. (I think I'm a little behind at this moment.) At least once a day, I visit a Group and/or blog to pay attention to other authors.

Over the span of about three to four years, I have guest blogged approximately twice a month. I've written a few articles. Then I joined FB and began a learning curve, which has not yet reached the zenith. I joined Goodreads, Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction, and several other .ning groups. Recently, I succumbed to Twitter..ing.

So far, I have not paid a cent for an ad of any sort, nor have I bought bookmarks or any other giveaways. However, I do have business cards which I had printed at Office Depot when they had a 50% off sale on such things. I ended up with 3,000 business cards--with 2,800 left. I forget to take them with me.

Alas, I cannot list book signings among my many duties. They frighten me to death. I did have a successful book party at my house, though.

After the first print I sold from my home, I constructed an extended email list of acquaintances. Then I made a one-page document I call a Sell Sheet to "pre-sell" the book. This attachment contains the cover, the blurb, where to buy, and a very short excerpt. Most importantly, I list the retail price for the print, the discounted price I will give them, and promise to pay the postage. In addition, I offer to buy the book for them from my publisher, using my author's discount, and deliver the book when it arrives. Among my acquaintances in town, I have sold between 25-65 copies, depending on the book and the whim of the consumer.

And now I am planning a book-signing for December. However, I will still email the Sell Sheet so I will know how many I have presold. This time I will order extras for the signing.

Where will I hold this book signing? At a local coffee house owned by a congenial young man who owns three of these establishments in this university town. He has permitted this for a couple of other authors--and does not charge a fee. When the date is set and all is ready, I will email the purchasers and inform them they may pick up their book at the coffee house--I'm hoping most of them will do this. (Note: My writing group, The Write Girls, meet at this coffee house every Tuesday morning.)

For the first time, I'll ask our local newspaper to print a press release. I have one cut out of the paper they printed for an author from another town. That one will be my pattern.

We'll see if this works. The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men... and all that.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Celia-Yeary-Author/208687145867971

Meet my guest--Kristy McCaffrey

2011-11-05T15:03:00.005-05:00

I'm pleased to introduce Kristy McCaffrey, Western Historical Romance author. To celebrate the release of her exciting Wings of the West Series, Kristy tells us about the Comanche, the Native American tribe that dominates her books. I hope you find this as fascinating as I. Few authors use this group because of their great fierceness, a trait that does not make them as sympathetic as some other tribes. But I feel an affinity with Kristy--I have written one NA story, and I also used the Comanche. I hope you learn something here you did not know. ~*~Celia~*~

The Comanche Indians

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Comanche Indians likely originated somewhere north of the headwaters of the Arkansas River in the mountainous country of what is now Colorado and Wyoming, but it was in Texas that this most feared Plains tribe made their mark. They battled Spaniards, Mexicans, Texans, and Americans, as well as the original Indian residents, among them the Apache and the Tonkawas. Until 1875 they were the most difficult adversary the Texans dealt with, carrying off what loot they could and burning the rest, and frequently killing or capturing men, women, and children.

The Comanche were hunter-gatherers who acquired the horse in the early 1700’s, allowing for greater mobility. As they migrated into Texas, as well as southern Kansas, eastern New Mexico, southern Colorado, northeastern Arizona and all of Oklahoma their population greatly increased due to the abundance of buffalo, the migration of Shoshone (of whom the Comanche were related) and the integration of captive women and children.

Warfare was a major component of Comanche life. Raids into the Mexican state of Chihuahua for horses, captives, and weapons were usually done during a full moon, when the Comanche could see to ride, and this led to the term “Comanche Moon.”

Comanche groups were advised by a small number of leaders, including the peace chief, the war chief and members of counsel. Comanche men did most of the hunting—considered a principal source of honor—and all fighting in the wars. The women managed the tasks of cooking, skinning animals, setting up camp, rearing the children, and transporting the household goods.

Comanche ate buffalo, elk, black bear, pronghorn, and deer. During scarce times they ate wild mustangs, their own ponies, or raided ranches for longhorn cattle. Men wore a breechcloth with a leather belt, deerskin leggings, and moccasins. Women wore long deerskin dresses and moccasins. In winter both donned warm buffalo robes.

Because they constantly travelled, they didn’t use pottery that could easily break. They made nearly everything from the buffalo, crafting tools, household goods, and weapons from the animal’s horns, hide and bones.

The most famous Comanche was Quanah Parker. Born around 1850, he was the son of a Comanche Chief named Peta Nocona and Cynthia Ann Parker, a white girl who’d been taken captive in 1836. In 1860 Cynthia Ann was recaptured along with her daughter, but after living with the Comanche for 24 years she was unable to adjust to life among white people. She died four years later following the death of her daughter.

Quanah led his tribe of Kwahadi Comanche in a bloody war against the U.S. government, refusing to surrender from 1867-1875. Finally, with his people weary and starving, he acquiesced, leading the last free band of Comanche to Fort Sill, a reservation in Oklahoma. Although Quanah refused to become like the white men, he had the foresight to understand them. He learned English, became a reservation judge, and lobbied Congress for the cause of the Comanche Nation. He died in 1911 and was buried beside his mother, whose body had been reinterred at Ft. Sill Military Cemetery. Quanah Parker had become a true Texas hero.

Today the headquarters for the Comanche Nation is in Lawton, Oklahoma and operates many businesses and a college.

~*~*~*~

Kristy McCaffrey writes historical western romances. The first book in her Wings of the West Series, The Wren, features a heroine returning to her Texas home after living as a Comanche captive for ten years. Visit Kristy online at www.kristymccaffrey.com.

THE WREN: Molly Hart returns to find love with Texas Ranger Matt Ryan.
THE DOVE: Claire Waters and Logan Ryan are reunited at the White Dove Saloon.

These novels are available as separate books, or in one MegaBook:

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=934

~*~*~*~Kristy, thank you for being my guest. Your post was so interesting--just the kind of information I love, and since I've researched the Comanche, too, I enjoyed reading your account. Excellent job. Readers, please leave a comment for Kristy, and check out her books.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas

The Art of Recycling--Trash and Books

2011-10-31T15:48:00.000-05:00

At my house, Recycling is almost a religion. The process is all due to my husband's plan, but I'm very much into it, too. Now that we've done this a few years, I'd feel sacrilegious and sinful if I did not continue and do the best we can.

The process would not be possible is not for Green Guy Recycle out on the highway, behind a Farm and Ranch store and Goodwill. The business began small. The big ticket item was soft drink cans. They'd pay a few cents per pound, and this was an incentive for many people. Now, the place is enormous, with bins that come and go on a huge flatbed trucks. Imagine small boxcars.

So, now, in our garage, we have a bin for papers--including newspapers and cereal boxes--cardboard boxes broken down, tin cans (always rinsed after the dishes are cleaned), aluminum cans, plastic bottles, glass jars and bottles, and a few other odd items. The user must sort into the proper bin. Example--for glass bottles there's a bin for green ones, brown ones, clear ones, and yellow ones. The bars in town do a good job of recycling. We've often seen a truck pull up and out comes box after box of beer and liquor bottles. Good for them.

We take most of our plastic bags back to the supermarket where we got them (I keep a few for specific purposes.) But! We barely have any now, because we bought a dozen reusable bags. Now that we're used to them, we prefer them. They're easier to carry, and with a cardboard bottom, sit flat. And each hold the amount for about three plastic bags.

Now, here's the problem with recycling. We always have a few items we either cannot recycle or don't want to (no way will I wash a plastic peanut butter jar). So, we always have one small plastic bag of "trash" that goes to Green Guy with us every other week, and goes in their humongous trash bin. Isn't that great?

NOTICE in the title I included Books. I abhor seeing books taken to the dump, but that's what happens to books on store shelves when the book vendor comes by. Prints have a certain shelf life. A Harlequin, for example, has a 60 day shelf life (am I right?) When the vendor visits Wal-Mart, he must remove the books over 60 days old. Later, he'll tear off the covers and the book part goes to the city dump. (I do not think they recycle the paper, but perhaps they do.)

I'd love some of those books to go to the library free book shelf, or the senior citizen's apartment complex that has a recreation room with book shelves, or to our service men and women in foreign lands.

Better yet, let's just go straight to POD and be rid of the previous process of printing a certain hundred thousand. Another good place we have in town is a Half-Price Book Store. This is a chain in Texas that has now spread to a few states. The store buy books from the customer, and everything in the store is half the original price. I don't use it so much anymore because of digital books and my Kindle.

Please note that I am NOT advocating publishers to go fully digital. Nope. I still want my books in print. But here's a wonderful thing for books that are out-of-date and the rights returned to the author. Now, these books can be recycled into digital books!

What wonderful possibilities we have now to recycle, reuse, or re-own to keep things out of our city dumps. And to give new life to books.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

NATURAL BORN SCAREDY CAT

2011-10-28T14:52:00.001-05:00

Say what you will, but I am a big ol’ scaredy-cat. However, let me qualify—I’m afraid of unnatural goings-on, i.e. horror and satanic paranormal stories and movies. Snakes or spiders don’t frighten me. I don’t run from a snake. Instead, without acting foolish and putting my life in danger, I will inch closer to determine if it’s poisonous or a simple benign reptile.

But a truly frightening, bone-chilling book or movie will scare the pants off me.

I’ll lose sleep thinking about it, replaying it in my head.

First came the Flying Monkeys in The Wizard of Oz. I loved the movie, until the place where the Wicked Witch of the West sends the monkeys after Dorothy. Oh, my lands, I scrunched down in the theater seat, curled my ten-year-old self into a ball, and covered my eyes and ears—as best I could. Every year, that movie was re-run on television around Easter—I don’t know the connection—and still, every time the monkeys flew out of the fortress, I’d run for a blanket to pull over my head.

In 1968, Rosemary’s Baby appeared in the theaters. It was Roman Polanski’s first film. My husband didn’t care to see it, and I was just dying to. So, he baby-sat while I went to the movie alone. Big mistake. I vaguely knew the premise, so I thought, “I’m a big girl, now, I can watch this.” Even the upscale New York apartment in the movie was transformed into a sinister projection of Rosemary’s fears. Let me tell you, even when the creepy neighbor Minnie Castevet came to call and brought chocolate mousse with the chalky under-taste for Rosemary, just the music and the looks from Minnie told me “something really bad will happen.” Sure enough, Rosemary dreamed a beast raped her that night—a very real dream—and I have cold chills right now as I write this, remembering that scene.

Had I not been an adult, I would have curled my body into a ball in the theater seat and covered my eyes and ears. I don’t like chocolate mousse to this day.

The scene, which truly scares me even now, is when Rosemary first looks into the bassinet and sees her baby. Her reactions—disbelief and sheer horror—send chills over me to this day. She asks, “What’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with its eyes?” A man answers, “Why, he has his father’s eyes.” “No!” she screams, “Guy’s eyes are normal!” He answers, “But he is not the father. You though, Rosemary, are its mother.” (Notice the word ‘it’ for ‘baby.’) Ewww!

Rosemary’s Baby inspired a wave of satanic horror from The Exorcist in 1973 to Omen in 1976. I saw the Exorcist, and of course, it scared me silly. I absolutely hate that movie. But it finally taught me to stay away from that sort of thriller.

The movies also upset some people, not only because of the satanic viewpoint, but because the sacred event of childbirth had somehow been marred.

Jack Nicholson starred in one of the scariest movies ever--The Shining. The plot was from a Stephen King novel, so you do understand. REDRUM...remember that? {{{{Shudder}}}}

I never need to worry about horror films anymore, because I read the reviews, watch the trailers, and red-line the scary ones. No way will I give my ten dollars to a filmmaker for something that I know will scare me Sleepless in Texas.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas

http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com

http://www.celiayeary.com

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Four Authors, Four States, and Two Book Signings!

2011-10-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

LINDA SWIFT

The idea of inviting three other authors to join me in back-to-back book signings in two neighboring Kentucky towns began to take shape in my mind. They had to live near enough to my hometown to make it convenient for them.

I live in the western tip of the state so it was easy to include:

PAMELA HEARON from SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

LAUREAN BROOKS from NORTHWEST TENNESSEE

DANIELLE THORNE from SOUTH OF ATLANTA

We agreed on October and promoted our book signings as a four authors from four states event.

LINDA SWIFT, COORDINATOR OF BOOK SIGNING, IN MURRAY UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE

After many emails flying back and forth, we correlated four busy schedules with the available dates for the Murray University Bookstore on Friday and Etcetera Coffeehouse on Saturday, Oct. 14-15. It was such fun meeting for the first time and matching the real people with our Cyberspace images.

BOB-LINDA'S HUSBAND

Saturday we had an entire room at Etcetera Coffeehouse to display our books and other materials. In the adjoining room customers ordered from the coffee bar and lingered to talk and listen to keyboard music furnished by my husband who volunteered (well, I did twist his arm just a bit) to play for our three hour signing. But after he saw flyer photos of those glamorous authors he was more than willing to join us!

In retrospect, we agree the weekend was a big success. The visiting authors met many new people, made contacts for future sales, and learned of new promotional possibilities. And we are already talking about another event in 2012 and working toward making it even better .

Linda Swift currently writes for seven digital publishers with titles available in contemporary and historical fiction, short stories, and poetry. In her other life, Linda was a teacher, counselor, and psychometrist. She is a graduate of Paducah Community College and Murray State University with post-graduate work at U. of AL, Tuscaloosa. This Time Forever, her latest print release, is just in time to commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial. For information about her four additional print books, ebooks and short stories, Linda invites you to visit her website: http://www.lindaswift.net/
"Caught in the passions of love and war, will Clarissa and Philip be faithful to their vows...or listen to their hearts?"

Danielle Thorne is the author of many articles, poetry, short fiction and sweet romantic adventure books, both historical and contemporary. Besides editing and writing full time, Danielle has four sons with her husband, Rob. Together they enjoy travel and the outdoors. Danielle Thorne is the daughter of former Murray, Kentucky, residents Dan and Roxie Leatherwood. Her brother, an MSU graduate, lives in Murray with his family. For further information about her books, visit her website: http://www.daniellethorne.com/
"Nothing would make Josette happier than to be settled, but dark brooding Captain Carter rides into her life with news that ruins everything."

Pamela Hearon is pure Kentucky southern. A Paducah native, she attended Paducah City Schools, furthered her education at Paducah Community College, and received BS and MA degrees from Murray State University. Her long teaching career began at Paducah Tilghman High School. Visit Pamela’s website: http://www.pamelahearon.com/
"No one ever said earning the title 'His Hotness' would be easy!"

Laurie Bethel aka. Laurean Brooks, resides in northwestern Tennessee, a stone's throw from the Kentucky state line. When she's not blogging or penning a story, Laurie enjoys attending author events, church, browsing flea markets with her husband, and walks with their two spoiled Labs. Visit her blog at: http://laureanslore.blogspot.com/
"An Inspirational journey about healing after abuse. A young woman struggles to trust, forgive, and open her heart to love."

Thank you for visiting my blog today, and meeting these four talented, very busy authors. Please check out their books--you won't be disappointed!

Celia

Fall Colors, The Bluegrass State, and My Old Kentucky Home

2011-10-20T15:32:00.001-05:00

Rest Stop on Interstate 65. Very pretty place.

Bardstown, Kentucky

Old Historic Downtown-Hurst Drugs on the corner boasts an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

Party Pavillion in "My Old Kentucky Home State Park."
Guess I'm early.

"Mr. Foster! Are you home?"

Oh. THIS is "My Old Kentucky Home."

It's called the Federal Hill Mansion.

Not how I imagined it, because this is not Stephen F. Foster's home.

It's his cousin's-Judge John Rowan (1795-1840).

This was built by slaves with bricks made on the property.

Judge John Rowan's Law Office from early Nineteenth Century. Now, this looks more like an old Kentucky home to me. Inside, visitors could view his desk, old law books, bookcases, and chairs where clients sat to wait their turn. Very interesting.

Trust me. Old Kentuckians knew nothing about "Handicapped Accessible."

Yikes! Is this the ghost of Mrs. Rowan. Oh. Sorry. She's a docent.

How would you like to cook here?

Somewhere in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Near a shopping area.

Kroger's

Also Kroger's.

"My kids" neighborhood.

Although our destination on this Fall trip was Michigan, we spent an extra day in Elizabethtown and Bardstown, Kentucky. We've made other stops in Kentucky in previous years. I'm a little in love with Kentucky, the Bluegrass State.

Stephen F. Foster wrote "My Old Kentucky Home" and it was adopted as the state song.

Mr. Foster wrote one other state song. Can you name the song and the state?

Thanks for traveling with me from Central Texas to Michigan.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas

http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Why I Admire Daniel Boone--or...Lost! In Kentucky.

2011-10-14T16:18:00.000-05:00

DANIEL BOONE

My daughter-in-law insisted we should have a GPS system for our drive from Central Texas to Michigan. No, I said, I do just fine with a plain old map. We've made this trip about twenty times, now, and not to worry.....

That was the last sane thing I said.

After our stay with the grandkids, we decided to take the Western Kentucky Parkway instead of the interstate which would take us down to Nashville, and then west to Arkansas, and finally home.

The Parkway was easy to enter from Elizabethtown, and for some distance, all was well. We had motel reservations somewhere, Central City, I think, but we would be stopping for the night at 2:00 in the afternoon. Too early, so we canceled that reservation and continued driving.

Somehow, for the next several hours, things went awry.

First, I noticed the directional system in our van read "C" and then the temperature. It should read E for East, W for West, SW for Southwest...well, you get the picture. I have always depended on that simple little gadget. But... my lands...it said..."C." What is that?

As we drove along, I read the manual for the van and learned it meant Calibrate. As in...Calibrate the Directional System if it gets off. Well, dang it, it was off! I read--"To restore the directional system, find an open area and drive in a 360 degree circle three times."

Isn't that sort of like Dorothy clicking her heels three times to get back to Kansas?

Well, forget that, my dear husband said. We need to find our way to the Tennessee State line. This looked easy on the map. However, for many miles, the Kentucky State Highway Department decided to make a few temporary turns, roads, and detours so that after about two hours, we were Lost!...in Kentucky. We felt as though we drove around in circles.

You see why a GPS system would be no good? You see why a map is useless? The roads do not match the map!!!

Anyway, at long last, we found our way south and crossed into Tennessee. Safe at last. I knew exactly where we were.

I peered at the directional system. "Oh. Look," I said. "The directional system somehow fixed itself."

My husband laughed this hysterical laugh that didn't sound at all like his usual quiet, sedate manner. "Don't you understand? We drove in circles for two hours! Of course, it's fixed. We drove for hours, in circles..."

"There, there," I said, patting his shoulder. "Everything will be fine now."

Oh, by the way. We had a lovely time in Kentucky. I'll tell you all about our wonderful visit to Bardstown in the next blog.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

DO WE COMPLAIN TOO MUCH?

2011-09-30T15:22:00.001-05:00

Just what is "complaining," anyway?
I call it "griping," because that's the word my mother used. "Celie Ann, stop your griping and make your bed. It's not going to make itself."

To be fair and also to defend myself, I most often complain when hunger strikes me. Maybe I have low blood sugar or something, but if I'm hungry, don't push me. All my friends know this."Uh-oh, feed her so she'll shut up."

As a general rule, I'm not a complainer...much. Most of the time I do it out of boredom or to make conversation or some other inane reason.

A couple of years ago, my friend gave me a purple bracelet--one of those rubber ones that make a statement--that reads, "A Complaint Free World." The bracelet was to remind the wearer not to complain. If you found yourself grumbling, then you were obligated to switch the bracelet to the other wrist. Well, the bracelet kept me busy with the switching. Several of us wore them for a while, enough for us to realize how much we complained in the course of a day.

I learned that complaining, though, is not all bad. It can actually be a creative act. The more you complain, the more you summon your creative energies to attract something to complain about. Maybe the complaints seem fully justified, but realize that whenever you complain, you set yourself up for more of the same. Just remember the part about "complaining is a creative act", and you might find yourself writing a novel. Hmmm.

Complaining is the act of reinforcing what you don’t want. Is this bad? I think not. Perhaps it's therapeutic.

A warning: Complaining is also addictive. The more you do it, the more it becomes an ingrained habit, making it more difficult to stop.

Some people complain too much about their own lives. This is a trap that gives this person a constant source of something to complain about. "Bad luck follows me; Life is too difficult; Why can't I get a break?" The complainer may tell you their reality is causing their complaints, but it’s more accurate to say their reality is reflecting their complaints.

"If you have time to whine and complain about something then you have the time to do something about it." ~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Do I complain? Yes, but after analyzing myself, I believe I complain about trivial events that really have nothing to do with me. When I fully realized this, I honestly try to keep my mouth closed and push the ugly thoughts away.

We have a neighbor who refuses to mow his property, so that the tall dead grass is a permanent fixture. I say something about that every time we pass the house. It has nothing to do with my life, it just annoys me. So, why do I persist in complaining about it? The time has come for me to ignore it.

Bad parkers really make me complain. You who know me understand I sort of go ballistic over a vehicle parked diagonally in a straight-in space, a driver in front of me who sits at a green light because he/she is on the phone or texting, or someone who throws litter out a car window. I really don't think I can stop complaining about these....sorry.

I wonder if any of my characters complain? Only one comes to mind...Cynthia Harrington, the heroine in my very first book, All My Hopes and Dreams, the socialite who decides to run away from her banker father because he has arranged a marriage for her.

~*~*~*~

If I’d known running away would be this hot and this dirty, she fumed, I’d have stayed home. With her dainty lace handkerchief, Cynthia Harrington dabbed the perspiration from her upper lip. She sighed heavily for the one-hundredth time today and impatiently brushed the dust from the skirt of her best lavender day dress.

~*~*~*~

THANK YOU FOR VISITING TODAY---
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

BANNED OR CENSORED BOOKS

2011-09-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

Conversations about banned books have been prominent on FaceBook this week. The topic always interests me. Who has the right to ban or censor reading material for another? I realize the words have different meanings, but in reality they result in the same thing: one person or institution placing limitations on the reading material for another person.
This is just not the American way!

The Texas prison system routinely censors all reading material for inmates. What do the officials look for? Anything that promotes or describes explicit sexuality, plans for escape, extreme violence, or fighting tactics is placed on a banned list. This might be well and good, but the topic only interested me because none of us is completely exempt from censorship sometime in our lives.

J. D. Salinger wrote in such a way his most famous book became the focus of censorship. I thought about his one great success, the book Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951. I was a young girl at the time, so I probably did not pay attention to the release of this novel. As I grew up, though, I learned groups had challenged and censored it many times. Why? It contained profanity, sexuality, and teenage angst. While he wrote it as an adult novel, what do you suppose teenagers did? They sought out the book whenever possible. As a teen, I knew not to touch that book. I never read it. I should, though.

Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary in 1857. The novel contained adulterous affairs and obscenities. I knew about the book but did not read it until I was in my thirties. Even then, I timidly read it, hoping no one would discover my little secret. I liked it, even though it was rather depressing and dreary.

Even comic books have landed on a censored list. As a child in the third grade, my parents forbid me to read horrid comic books. They allowed Archie comics, Little Lulu, and Casper the Friendly Ghost, but nothing bad. Truthfully? I didn't know bad ones existed. But I played with a classmate—a boy—who lived down the block. Guess what he had under his bed? A big flat box filled with comic books about crime and horror. I read and saw the graphics depicting murder, gore, severed heads, cannibalism, and torture. I wonder if his parents knew he had them. If not, where did a nine-year-old obtain enough money to buy these—and where did he find them? I'll never know, but I do know I never wanted to see them again. I am a real scaredy cat.

As a teenage girl, my mother told me never to read romance magazines. I didn't know about those, either. One of my girlfriends did, though, the one who was just a little different from the rest of us in my little "crowd." She read Modern Romance, Secrets, and Revealing Romances. I went through a time in which she'd bring a couple to school, hand them over to me, and I'd stuff them in my thick, leather zippered notebook to take home. I soon became bored with them.

Certainly, we need to protect our children and grandchildren. I wouldn't have wanted my children reading some of the things I did, either, but probably they did and I never found out. And you know? They…and I…turned out to be worthwhile adults without any serious psychological problems. I've often wondered—should we allow any person to read whatever he could understand? No matter the content? For myself, I have always censored certain literature, movies, and music. Why? Because of my personal preferences—not moral standards particularly. I really don't care about the reading material of others, as long as it doesn't affect me personally.

Censorship will always be with us.

Celia Yeary
Romance…and a little bit o' Texas
http://www.celiayeary.com/

WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IN YOUR WRITING LIFE?

2011-09-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

TEXAS ROMANCE

Anything? Or are you perfectly satisfied with your writing and publishing journey? I've had time to think and re-think some of my choices over the last few years, but since we cannot change the past, we must move forward, one foot in front of the other, onward to some goal that might be the perfect thing or...not.

I've accomplished so much in less than a decade, that I sometimes sit and wonder...how did I do that? My learning curve was as steep as the Matterhorn, and I felt as though I climbed every day, never reaching my goal, but only moving a few feet forward.

Realistically, we'll never reach the top. Why would we want to? If we did, we'd have nothing else to look forward to, nothing to work toward, nothing else to learn.

Learning is the name of the game. I am convinced that continual learning keeps us mentally sharp, although some days I sit and stare, day dream, and wonder what shall I do next?

I wonder if I made a mistake by writing in several genres. All are related, but still there are distinct categories. The Western Historical Romances I wrote as a series seemed perfect to me. All four ms were completed, and all I needed was a publisher who would take all of them. But after having two published, the third and fourth presented a problem for that publisher, so much so I was forced to take the last two and move somewhere else.

The last two published as a "sisters" series made perfect sense. Yes, I'm very pleased with those, but still...they're separated from the first two. I still wish with all my heart all four were together.

"If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, then we'd all have a Merry Christmas." Ah, well. We can't have everything.

Then there are those contemporaries I wrote and successfully placed with publishers. Even though I felt a little out of my element writing contemporary, the books turned out well, and all have not only homes, but wonderful reviews and a nice reception from readers.

Two of these contemporaries are a mix of romance and women's fiction. While each has a light love story, the relationship between the man and woman is not the focus of the story. The spotlight belongs to the main female character and other females whom she relates to in some manner.

Lastly, there's a stand-alone novel that fits no exact niche. Again, this one contains a love story, and while that in itself drives the story it does not define the plot. The plot is a "coming of age" story about a sixteen-year-old girl in 1901 in North Texas. The story spans three years as she grows up and finds her place in the world as a woman--and not the "caretaker" for several other characters.

All the books or short stories do have one central theme which ties them together--they're "all Texas." Whether in 1890, or 1899, 1901, or 2011, every story takes place somewhere in The Lone Star State.

~*~*~*~All titles are found on Amazon. The titles are also scattered among B&N, The Sony eReader Store, the KOBO store, Fictionwise, and my six publishers.

So, what would you change in your writing life?
Thanks for visiting.
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

FIRST LINES--What Appeals To Us? Check out the winners.

2011-09-19T15:23:00.003-05:00

Every first line got some attention, but there were a few clear favorites. I intentionally selected as wide a variety as I could, knowing that we, as readers, do not all like the same books. And how wonderful is that? What a dull world it would be if there were only one genre of novel to choose from.

In the case of this little experiment, it seems that readers like humor, guns, and heroes with cool names like Dallas, Cole, and Reese. Does this give you a hint? I've listed four, because these were so close in numbers, I couldn't leave out a number 4. The remainder received a lot of attention, too.

THE WINNERS:

Number 1: "Sorry you got shot, Cole. Damn, this is gonna mess up all our plans."
MUCH ADO ABOUT MARSHALS by Jacquie Rogers

Number 2: "Reese, if you weren't dead, I swear I'd kill you!
ONE FOR THE ROAD by Lynne Marshall

Number 3: Dallas McClintock sprawled on the ground, three rifle barrels pointed at his chest.
THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE by Caroline Clemmons

Number 4: "He has walled us in alive! Our own lord has abandoned us!"
TO TOUCH THE KNIGHT by Lindsay Townsend

The rest of the First Lines came from--in no particular order:
IN YOUR EYES by Adelle Laudan
BENEATH THE SHINING MOUNTAINS by Linda Acaster
FIRE EYES by Cheryl Pierson
THE COUNT'S LAIR by Stephanie Burkhart
BITTER NOTES by Sarah J. McNeal
A HEART OF A LITTLE FAITH by Jennifer Wilck

Some comments of interest that caught a reader's attention:

"Because I want to know who shot Cole and I need to know what those plans were."
"What comes to mind--what has happened to stop a party?"
"Who hasn't wanted to kill a man at some point?"
"Because it's funny, and it shouldn't be, and it got my attention."
"It made me smile and I want to know why."
"Love the imagery of the water."
"It poses a mystery."
"I liked the snappy dialogue."
"It's very dramatic."

Thank you for taking part--
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

FAVORITE FIRST LINES CONTEST

2011-09-15T10:46:00.000-05:00

What grabs your attention when you choose a book? It's been argued that the cover is most important, or the blurb alone determines whether you read it or not, or perhaps the first line, the first paragraph, or the first chapter.

Firsts. That's what it's all about--how to make a reader choose your book. For this little contest, I have chosen first lines from ten books written by author acquaintances. In other words, this list does not contain, "It was the best of times, it was..." You get the picture.

Want to take this poll? Read the ten lines and choose three you like best, or those you think would make you buy the book. Rank your three choices 1, 2, 3 using the letters...and tell me in a comment.

If you want to take the time, tell me why your first choice caught your attention.After a couple of days, I'll determine the top three winners--and reveal the authors and the title of the book.

I'm using letters. List them in order of best first in your comment. Ready?

A-The front door slammed shut, silencing Lizzy's eighteenth birthday celebration.

B-"He has walled us in alive! Our own lord has abandoned us!"

C-Gideon entered his sister's crowded SoHo gallery in Manhattan and glanced at his watch.

D-"Reese, if you weren't dead, I swear I'd kill you!"

E-Her swift fingers rushed over the keys like a flood of water tumbling over a dam.

F-"Sorry you got shot, Cole. Damn, this is gonna mess up all our plans."

G-Dallas McClintock sprawled on the ground, three rifle barrels pointed at his chest.

H-'...but the other women my age have a lover.'

I-"Don't kill me! Please!"

J-Absorbed in her thoughts about Mark, the man who jilted her on what was to be her wedding day, she almost drove past the baby grand piano sitting out in the front yard of a little cottage.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

A Tale of Two Grandmothers--for Grandparents' Day

2011-09-10T15:34:00.000-05:00

When we were expecting our first grandchild, friends asked me,

“What will your grandchild call you?”

Interesting, because I never realized grandparents had a choice. My flippant remark was “Mrs. Yeary,” but of course, I wasn’t serious. When our first grandchild began to speak a few baby words, his dad would say, “Go to Granny.” The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Granny? I think not. I instructed him to say “Grandmother” to his young son, so the child would know that was my chosen name.

“Granny” was my daddy’s mother, and every grandchild called her by that term. The grandmother on my mother’s side answered to “Mama.”

Whether a Granny, a Grandmother, a Mama, or a Mimi, she holds a special place in the grandchild’s life. I inherently knew this because of my feelings for my grandmothers. Our first grandson—the only kind of grandchildren we have—made a deep impression upon my heart, and with that unique feeling came the realization that perhaps

I did not know how to be a good grandmother.

What does it take?

My "Granny" lived in a country house that lacked many amenities, such as running water and indoor plumbing. God love her, she also lacked teeth and good health. She died before I turned eight, but the memory of her is strong. Her soft, puffy lap held me, her plump arms circled my small body, and her kisses upon my cheek felt gentle and sweet. I never remember her scolding me or swatting my backside. She told me I was a good girl, a sweet girl, and she hugged me when she said it.

My strongest memory is sleeping in her big feather bed. When she lay down, I rolled toward her, snuggling up and sleeping soundly. She’d pat my shoulder and say, “Nitety-nite.”

I followed her to the chicken coop to gather eggs, to the orchard to find pears on the ground, and to the garden to pick tomatoes and string beans.

My other grandmother, "Mama", was entirely different. She lived in town, wore a business dress, hosiery, pumps, and worked as manager of a huge laundry in the basement of a big hotel. I visited her because my parents did, not because I looked forward to seeing her. The day never turned out to be as much fun as it did at Granny’s house, because Mama had nothing to offer in comparison. Not once did she hold me on her lap or tell me I was a good girl.

However, when the afternoon ended, Mama always led me to her bedroom. There, she opened the top drawer of her chest of drawers, and allowed me to stand on tiptoe and look in. Dozens of packages of gum--Juicy Fruit and Double-Mint Spearmint--covered the bottom. I got to choose one, and while I held it in one hand, she’d tell me to open the other. Then, she’d place a nickel in my palm. I said thank you, and that was it.

But I loved those packages of gum and that nickel. That’s how I remember her.

Over the years, I learned very well how to be a good grandmother. What memories do I have of my two grandmothers? The hugs? The undivided attention? The gifts? Everything I remember of both of mine, even though the two women differed so much, can be summed up in one phrase—unconditional love. Was I always a good girl, just because my grandmother said so? Probably not. Did I deserve all the attention because I was special? No. Was my due in life to receive gifts? Absolutely not.

Both my grandmothers made me believe I was worthwhile and important to them, by either actions or words. Not once did one of them say, “Bad girl.” Or “Shame on you.”

This grandmother business is easy after all. We have three young grandsons, all brothers, and believe me, they can be a trial. Subconsciously, though, I refrain from saying, “Look what you did!” “I told you to stop slamming the door.” “If you make a mess again, I’ll have to punish you.”

No, instead, I say, “Come here, sugar, and let me show you how to close the door quietly.” Or, “That’s all right, baby, I’ll get some paper towels and you can help me clean up the spilled milk.”

Nothing in this world can top a little boy throwing his arms around my waist, lifting his face with his lips puckered to give me a kiss. Nothing is more precious than a small boy bringing a book I’ve already read to him fourteen times, and saying, “Grandmother, will you read this book to me?” And when I sit on the sofa, he scrunches as close as he can to snuggle while we read. My heart bursts with joy when the twelve-year-old who now is taller than I am, runs down the skyway, saying, “Grandmother!” and nearly knocks me down with his hugs.

Ah, the joys of grandparenting. We can love, spoil, and indulge, and at the end of the day, hand them back to their parents to clothe, feed, and nurture. I wouldn’t take anything for my own two children. But grandkids? They’re a special breed all together.

Celia Yeary, Author
Romance…and a little bit o' Texas
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://celiayeary.blogspot.com/

THINGS YOU CAN'T DO AFTER LABOR DAY

2011-09-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, when, following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, President Grover Cleveland reconciled with the labor movement.

Fearing further conflict, legislation was rushed through Congress unanimously and signed into law.

The September date--the first Monday-- was chosen by the CLU of New York. The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations.

However, over the decades and an entire century, Labor Day Activities have come to represent many, many more things. As we all well know, there is a list of things that come to an end with
the Labor Day Celebration.

First off, everyone, at least everyone in the South, knows you cannot wear white after Labor Day. I never did, especially white shoes. To this day, I do not wear white shoes--not even Keds or athletic shoes--after Labor Day. I believe the heavens will open, and an avenging angel will trumpet to the entire world--
"Nine-year-old Celia Ann Davis is wearing her white patent leather shoes to church after Labor Day!"

To prove this is a nation-wide rule, I asked my good Southern friend Maggie Toussaint about the shoe rule. Here is her answer:
"You can’t wear white shoes after Labor Day, everybody knows that. And the people who flaunt the rule are – wait for it – tacky! Tacky is the ultimate insult around here. It means: poor home training and got no chance to ever make anything of yourself. If someone ever called you or anything you did “tacky,” it was a physical slur on you and your family. God forbid we ever did anything tacky. Even today, I stress more about being put together than I should. Still holding myself to the standard of trying not to embarrass us all by my clueless wardrobe choices.
The funny thing is I don’t even own a pair of white shoes now. And how inconvenient it must have been for our parents to buy white Mary Janes for us at Easter and then have to replace them with black patent leather shoes by Labor Day. But I must have subconsciously channeled that seasonal shoe buying as I love to get new sandals for summer, and then comfotrable flats for fall."

...Maggie Toussaint-Award Winning Author of romances and cozy mysteries-see her Amazon page for all releases.

With the advent of Labor Day, all summer activities come to a close.

1. No more "boys of summer," the All-American pastime of sandlot or city-wide baseball games. (This does not include The World Series.) From now on, it's football, football, football, whether you like it or not.

2. No more going barefoot. Oh, you can in the house and perhaps a little outdoors, but you cannot run free all day with no shoes. School...remember? Gotta wear shoes.

3. No more Summer Vacations--obvious reasons. It's not summer anymore and school begins.

4. No more freedom--back to work and school.

KIM NOVAK and WILLIAM HOLDEN

The 1955 movie "Picnic," one of my all-time favorites. It tells the story of an ex-college football star turned drifter who arrives in a small Kansas town on Labor Day and is drawn to a girl who is already spoken for. The cast is headed by William Holden, Kim Novak, Susan Strasberg, Cliff Robertson, Arthur O'Connell, Nick Adams, Betty Field, Rosalind Russell and Verna Felton. The film covers a 24-hour period and is sometimes cited as a richly detailed snapshot of life in the American Midwest during the 1950s.

Please remember those who are out of work but are still searching. Bless them all.

HAPPY LABOR DAY!
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

Things I've Learned in August

2011-08-28T15:42:00.000-05:00

Since August is almost over, bringing the summer to a close, I've made a list of "things I learned this month." Nothing earth-shattering, but each helped me in some manner.

1.An author can create as many tags as she/he wants on her/his own Amazon books. Sure, your friends will help you out by adding tags, but since I ask too much from mine already, I just do it myself.

I ran a little experiment using my 99cent VTP Western Historical "Angel and the Cowboy." Using Novel Rank, I had sold about 5 copies and it had been up a couple of months. The usual tags were added--Western Historical Romance, Romance, etc. I added: Bargain Books, Short Christmas Stories, 99 cent books, 99 cent Bargain Books, Bargain Western Historicals. In a few days, the numbers had jumped--not a lot--but to about 30. It keeps selling, slowly, but one or two each week.

2. Going the self-pubbed route does not insure instant success, but it might be worth a try. This conclusion is based on reading many comments in answer to this very question: Why does publishing your own book seem to result in selling more copies? In the first place, it doesn't always happen, and in my opinion--based on others' comments--most authors do not enjoy this success. Probably, the process of selling your books still depends on the tried and true--name recognition, amount and kind of promotion, the genre, and the author's own persistence in searching for a unique way to sell. Writing a great story that gets high marks doesn't hurt, either.

We generally believe the erotic genre sells the most. While I, too, believe that, I can also point to a highly successful author who self-publishes her "sweet western historicals." But...she was a business person, well-known, and most likely enjoyed a built-in audience. For most of us, that doesn't hold true. I have no other name recognition out there other than my books published traditionally by small presses.

Other than erotic novels, a self-published series also seems to be a good tool. If an author puts out one book, it will gain a certain amount of attention based on general principles. But if the author can say--after "Blah-Blah," watch for the next in the series coming next month--"Etc.-Etc." This conclusion comes from others saying so.

3. To avoid or lessen the chances of your e-mail contacts getting hacked, here are two things you might do. Remember, it's not "if you get hacked," "it's when you get hacked."

First, change your password frequently. That's how the hacker steals your addresses. He has found your password. The older your password becomes, the more likely a hacker will locate it somewhere. How frequent? One advised every 90 days. That sounds pretty drastic, but I'd say at least twice a year. We should have "password buddies," someone to remind us "it's time to change your password!" You know, like mammogram buddies.

Two--I read this on a discussion. Make up two email addresses:

Name: AAAAAAA AAAAA
Address: AAAAAAA@(your server here, such as Yahoo.com)
-and-
Name: ZZZZZZZ ZZZZZ
Address: ZZZZZZZ@(same as above)

Theoretically, the hacker must go to the first contact on your list. Some go in through the last contact on your list. Since this is an invalid address, the hacker will receive a message "Mail not Deliverable."

Does this make sense? I followed this advice--I'll let you know...the next time I get hacked.

Here's to September--may it be a better month than August!

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

Any Virgos Out There?

2011-08-25T16:09:00.001-05:00

Good afternoon! I couldn't be happier. Something really good happened on my birthday! Can you guess what it was? If you do, I'll give you a Free Read...of something.

In the meantime, let me say I am a Virgo, the species of humans that must have everything in order and arranged, someone who does not move furniture around, and does not like a great deal of change.

"The Virgo is highly discriminating, but not necessarily as prudish at some might believe."

Comment:

I may look like a Sunday School teacher, but I do have a vice or two--harmless little activities that make me happy. Don't worry, I'm pretty much what you see--a common ordinary

Woman of a Certain Age.

Virgos have the uncanny sense to see what's wrong with a person, a situation or your environment. It's why Virgo makes such natural critics. Virgo practical analytical abilities are second to none. Your mental process may not be the most creative, but Virgo's razor-like thinking is highly effective. You separate the useful wheat from the unneeded chafe, the good from the bad. Virgo might be a "clean freak," but most Virgos have a messy closet somewhere or a disaster under their bed.

Comment:

I may have these traits, but that doesn't mean I voice my criticism. So, don't worry, I'm not going to pick you apart. And although I do like a clean house, that doesn't mean there's not dust on things--I hate to dust. I grew up with West Texas dust, and I'll take humidity any day.

The Virgo motto could be "Perfect is almost good enough." On one hand, this trait makes you very employable, for you're not likely to do shabby work. On the other hand, you can be so finicky that you put limitations on your interactions and experiences before they happen. You'll be happier if you can learn to be selectively less critical, both of others and yourself.

Comment:

But I learned to enjoy experiences with the help of my best friends who long ago taught me how to "trash out." My lands, I didn't even know what that meant!

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas

http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/

http://www.celiayeary.com/

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

Back to School!

2011-08-21T15:51:00.000-05:00

Probably I loved school more than just about anyone. Everything connected with going back to school after summer vacation excited me. I never remember feeling nervous or afraid, just eager to collect my new school supplies, put on my new school dress, grab my lunch sack, and off I'd go.

During the last few weeks, I've been a part of a school supply drive for a particular elementary school, one that has a majority of indigent children, some living in foster homes, and too many with one....or both....parents in prison. This has been an eye-opening experience for me.
The amount of supplies each child needs is rather astounding. Crayolas, dry-erase markers, washable markers, colored pencils, Fiskars, manila and colored construction paper, glue, folders with brads and pockets, ring binders, spiral notebooks, loose-leaf notebook paper, kleenex, box of ziplock baggies, hand sanitizer, 12 pencils, erasers, a ruler, and a backpack.
And this is for first graders.

One thing has cheered me, though, in collecting these items by the truck load--children still use paper and a pencil. Now, just think about that. There are teachers and educators in the nation that believe possibilities using these two items still exist. Just when I thought every child would only need a computer, a calculator, and an e-reader, my faith in the teaching and upbringing of a child is still a simple thing.

Think about this. When I remember going to school, the smell and feel of items was as important to me as actually using them. Electronic gadgets are not touchy-feely, nor do they have the memorable odor of crayons, school glue, or a Big Chief tablet. (Are these even made anymore?)

I'm not saying children don't need electronic items to learn--they will in today's world. But not in early elementary school. Give each one a backpack filled with new supplies and you'll see smiles and giggles and eagerness.

I hear the school bell ringing! No, wait. That's a buzzer. I hate those things.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Welcome to: Author and Editor Penny Ehrenkranz

2011-08-16T11:06:00.001-05:00

Greetings, friends! I have a wonderful guest today—Penny Ehrenkranz—and she's not only talented and successful, she is a very interesting person. She writes several genres, including historical romance, time travel romance, young adult novels, and children's stories. You'll learn this for yourself from her answers.
~*~*~*~
If your real name is Susan, why do you use Penny?
   I have an older brother. When he found out my mom was pregnant, he asked if my folks would name me Penny. He had a fascination with Penny of long-ago Sky King fame. My dad wanted to name me after my mom, so my official name is Susan. My brother insisted on calling me Penny and soon everyone else was, too. I was called Susan by my teachers in school, but it never felt like “me.” Susan is my mom.

What inspired you to write your first book? What is the title?
   When I first became a published author, I focused on short stories and articles. I wrote primarily fantasy, soft science fiction and romance. My daughter, who was in upper elementary at the time, insisted I wasn’t a writer because I didn’t have a “real” book. I decided to give it a try, and Ghost for Rent was conceived.
   A neighbor had moved to a rented farmhouse in the area and related a story of hearing ghostly piano music in the living room. I thought this would be a great middle grade novel and started working on Ghost for Rent. It was first published in 2002 through Hard Shell Word Factory. I recently regained my rights, and it is now under contract with 4RV Publishing who purchased the sequel Ghost for Lunch. Both are tentatively scheduled to be released in 2012.

I know you're an editor as well as an author. With this unique view from both sides, what advice would you give a new writer just starting out?
   The best advice is to read everything you can in the genre you wish to write. Read what’s well-written so you have an idea of how to write, but also take the time to read some of the work which isn’t written as well, so you can see what not to do.
   I strongly recommend having a good grasp of English grammar and spelling rules. When the manuscript is finished, put it aside for a few days. Then, go back over what’s been written, line by line, looking for errors. Spellchecker, while useful, can’t tell the difference between “there” and “their.”
   The other big thing to watch for is point of view slips. Some genres will accept multiple points of view within a scene, but as an acquisition editor, these slips jump out at me and scream confusing. Unless you are skilled at maintaining one point of view (and most new writers aren’t), try to avoid switching point of view mid-chapter. If you want more than one point of view (romance is commonly in both male and female POVs), switch at a chapter or scene break.
   Finally, I strongly recommend attending writer’s conferences, online forums, and taking community classes to keep skills sharp and network with others.

What is the one question you wish an interviewer would ask?
   I always like it when interviewers ask what other news there is to share. In response to that I’ve got a lot of contracts in the works. In addition to Love Delivery¸ http://tinyurl.com/4ajo9wz MuseItUp Publishing will release in November, Lady-in-Waiting, an historical romance, and in December, Mirror, Mirror, a time travel romance. https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2
   4RV Publishing has contracted three picture books: Funny Dog, Boo’s Bad Day, and Many Colored Coats in addition to my two middle grade novels Ghost for Rent and Ghost for Lunch.    http://4RVpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html
   I released a collection of my short stories with Sam’s Dot Publishing, A Past and A Future in January 2011. http://sdpbookstore.com/anthologies.htm and
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62608

What is your strangest habit?
   Hum…Strange habit? I’m not sure if any of my habits would be considered strange. I’m a pretty boring gal these days, since I retired. Maybe staying up late (1:00 p.m.) and sleeping in until 9:00 a.m. might be the strangest thing I do.

Do you have a favorite quote? Please share. I love quotes.
   I have two. The first I’m not sure where I heard it, but it’s “These things too shall pass.” The second I have hanging on my wall, and it’s by Han Suyin, “There is nothing in the world stronger than gentleness.”

What is your heritage?
   On my mom’s side, my grandparents spoke Slovak, and I always thought they were from Czechoslovakia, but their death certificates indicated Austria. My mom is a first generation American. My dad’s family came from England, but I don’t know when they arrived in the States. I was able to trace back a few generations born here.

What is your favorite food or dish?
   I love ethnic foods, and it’s hard to pick a favorite as I enjoy Thai, Indian, Chinese (real Chinese not American Chinese), and Mexican. If I had to choose an absolute favorite, I guess it would be curry, but again there are lots of kinds of curries, and I enjoy them all.

In three sentences, tell us about "Love Delivery."
A waitress in a donut shop, Ann is happy with her single life and her cat, Mittens, until she finds herself interested in Tom, the handsome man who makes deliveries to the shop. Unfortunately, Tom comes with some baggage, including five cats; Maria, his vicious ex-wife; and Maria’s adorable daughter he calls Kitten. When Maria is hired at the donut shop and learns Ann and Tom are beginning a relationship, she does everything she can to tear them apart.

Where can a reader find your book?
The best place is at the MuseItUp Bookstore. While there, be sure to check out the other great titles available. http://tinyurl.com/4ajo9wz
I don’t have the buy links yet, but Love Delivery will also be available at Amazon, Smashwords, Omnilit, Bookstrand, Digibooks Café, and Coffeetime Romance.

Where can a reader find YOU?
My website is: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com
My blog is: http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com
My Facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/penny.ehrenkranz
My Twitter is: http://twitter.com/pennyehrenkranz
My author page at MuseItUp Publishing is: https://museituppublishing.com/musepub/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=130&Itemid=82

Penny, would you like to share a short excerpt? Readers like to learn about an author's style.
Definitely:
EXCERPT FROM LOVE DELIVERY:
“Here it is,” he said, steering her to a quiet corner. Candles lit the table. A bottle of red wine stood open. Tom held the chair for her, and then sat close so their knees touched. “Would you like a glass of wine?” he asked, reaching for the bottle.

“No thanks,” Ann said. “I don’t drink.”

Tom poured a glass for himself. “Here’s the menu.” He handed it to her.

“I know what I want.”

“What’s that?”

“Fettuccini Alfredo.” Ann shook out her napkin and placed it on her lap.

“This chicken dish is good,” Tom said, pointing to an item on the menu.

Ann grimaced. Is he a control freak? I already told him what I want. “I don’t eat meat.” Her voice sounded harsh in her own ears.

“Ah, well, okay, then. Fettuccini Alfredo it is.” Tom called the waiter and ordered the Alfredo for Ann and a spicy chicken dish for himself.

I guess we don’t agree on everything after all. He drinks and eats meat, too. I hope he doesn’t drink a lot. Maybe we weren’t made for each other. Not knowing what else to do, Ann took a sip of water and smiled.

Tom smiled back. “You’ll have to come meet my cats one of these days. Tyra, a gorgeous, long-haired black female, is my bathroom kitty. Whenever I’m sitting in there, she has to be in my lap. There’ve been times when my pants have been around my feet, and she’s curled up in my underwear.

“Then there’s BeeBee. She’s a Siamese. When I first got her, I thought she liked to cuddle, but it turned out she was just scared. It took me a long time, with lots of persuasion, to get her to come close to me. Finally, I was able to pick her up. I had her in my arms, and I put my face down to smell her fur. Suddenly, she turned and bit me on the nose.

“I think my favorite, though, is Loki. He’s the smallest of the bunch. He has allergies, and if I don’t get him to the vet for a shot in time, he loses his fur on his rear quarters, right by his tail. He loves to ride on my shoulders. Looks just like I’m wearing a fur collar.

“Then there’s the two new ones, they’re the kittens. They haven’t developed personalities yet. You should always get two kittens instead of one,” Tom said when the food arrived.

“Why?” Ann asked. Her face hurt from laughing at Tom’s cat stories. Mittens never did any of the things Tom’s cats did.

While she ate, Tom continued to share funny stories about the cats and kittens. “Kittens play with each other so you don’t need to play with them. You can just sit back and watch them. When I have kittens in the house, I don’t even turn on my T.V. set.” Tom twirled pasta on his fork. He lifted the fork halfway to his mouth and stopped. “Looks like we have company,” he groaned.

Ann turned. Maria and a curly-haired blond child entered. Ann watched Maria’s smile turn to a frown. Maria pulled the child toward their table. Ann gulped. Now what? Can’t she leave us alone? How can Tom and I ever get to know each other if she’s always showing up? She pasted a false smile on her face and clutched her napkin tightly.

“So you decided not to listen to me,” Maria spat at Ann.

“Daddy!” the little girl cried, holding up her arms.

“Hi, Kitten,” Tom said, scooping the child into his arms. He gave her a bear hug, and she giggled. “I want you to meet my friend, Ann. Ann, this is Kitten.”

“Hi, Ann. Daddy calls me Kitten, but you can call me Catherine.” The child put her arms around Tom’s neck and hugged him.

“Hello, Catherine,” Ann said, finding her voice.

“At least you could have gone somewhere else, Tom. We always ate here,” Maria accused and pushed Tom’s shoulder.

Tom moved Catherine to his other knee and glared at Maria. “Do we have to fight in front of Kitten?”

“Hey, Mr. Nice Guy, you’re the one who left us, remember?”

Removing Catherine from his lap, Tom stood up and faced Maria. “You’re creating a scene. Why don’t you leave before things get ugly?”

“Maybe you should have thought about that a long time ago.” Maria poked Tom’s chest with her finger.

Ann watched in fear. Only moments ago, she and Tom were enjoying dinner. Maria’s face now looked hard and dark. She swore at Tom and poked him again. Then she shoved him on the shoulder.

Tom grabbed her hand. Maria spat at him and reached up, clawing his face with her other hand.

“I hate you,” she screamed, grabbed her child, and ran out crying.

Tom turned to Ann. There were bloody scratches on his face. Ann dipped her napkin in her water glass and dabbed his cheek. “I’m sorry, Ann, I guess this spoiled dinner.”

This is never going to work for us, not as long as Maria is in the picture. Ann nodded her head. “Sure did. I’m not very hungry now. I think I’d better just go home.”

~*~*~*~Celia, thank you so much for having me. I want to remind your readers I am offering a copy of a short romance, “A Midsummer’s Knight” to one person who leaves a comment on your blog. I will also give a grand prize at the end of the tour to one name picked from all who leave comments at all the blog stops. This will be a copy of Love Delivery in an appropriate eBook format.
Penny, you are so welcome. I enjoyed your answers and also learning more about you. Best wishes for your continued success.
Readers: Leave a comment to be eligible to win a Free Copy of Penny's short romance,
"A Midsummer's Knight."
Celia

I Need Cheering Up! It's August!

2011-08-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

The doldrums are not a usual thing with me. I almost always can find ways to cheer myself up, and maybe those around me, too. Life is too short being depressed or out of sorts. I'd love for everyone in the world to be happy.

But the days are dragging, the heat is relentless, and not all my loved ones are healthy and well. So, I thought I'd look on my MSN news page for something happy. Well, maybe this wasn't exactly the right thing to do. Here were some of the headlines:

1. Cheating in Sports? It's a way of life. Tell me it ain't so.

2. Tiger did not make the cut in the last major championship of the year--for the first time in his life! Okay, maybe this is not real important, but...trust me, it's bad.

3. Teen sentenced to 35 years for school shooting. This is just heartbreaking. What was he thinking?

4. Al-Qaida--I don't even want to go there.

5. Four hidden risks to your nest egg. Groannnn! Not more hidden risks! How many are there?

But then, as I roamed around the page, this caught my eye--"Want to Hear Some Good News?" Honestly, that was the headline! Now, we're getting somewhere. Here's what I read.

1. Ghana schoolboy launches $13 million drive for Somali kids during his 8-week school holiday by walking from office to office, collecting donations. Isn't he a handsome young man?

2. Army wife, Darla Harlow, gets a surprise when, thinking she had been randomly chosen to throw out the first pitch, the catcher removed his mask and it was her

soldier/husband Major Harlow on leave! Sniff.

3. Bruce Ivin, former HS dropout, drug dealer, and thief, turned his life around with the help and advice from a friend who cared about him. Now--star defensive end for West Virginia. I hope he continues to live the good life. It's not easy in the NFL.

There! Now, don't you feel better? I do.
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

Sweet Sunshine Charity Cookbook

2011-08-06T10:46:00.001-05:00

SWEET SUNSHINE CHARITY COOKBOOK

"Sweet Sunshine Charity Cookbook" is now available on AMAZON.

Fifteen authors have not only contributed recipes for the Cookbook, each one has written a "cooking memory" with someone she loved.

I wrote about making biscuits as a little girl with my Grandmother. She cooked on a big kerosene stove and of course, made everything from scratch. She tolerated my "helping."

Some of us also wrote a children's story—mine is titled "Making Mudpies for Mommy."

Each author also has added two childhood photos. I love those photos!

The Cookbook is illustrated and the cover is fantastic.

If you would like to add another charity to your list, I invite you to order one of these cookbooks—or more if you like!

ALL PROCEEDS GO TO THE CHARITY. NO AUTHOR GAINS MONETARILY FROM THESE SALES.

Below are:

BUY LINK:
The Cookbook is now live on Amazon. The cost is $20.00.
http://www.amazon.com/Sweet-Sunshine-Baking-Memories/dp/0987725637

EDITOR'S LINK :
The editor and producer of the Cookbook, Adelle Laudan, created an intro page on her website for an overview and examples of stories and photos.
http://adellelaudan.com/Sunshine.html

CHARITY LINK:
The charity is The Sunshine Foundation of Canada
http://sunshine.ca/

Thank you--
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

My Summer Reads

2011-07-30T12:04:00.004-05:00

Open Country-Kaki Warner
How do you forgive a brother's betrayal? How far do you go to protect the family you love? Hank and Molly find out in OPEN COUNTRY, Book II of the 1870s family saga, the Blood Rose Trilogy.
~*~"This is the first book I've read by Kaki Warner, and I was enchanted. Her heroine, Molly McFarlane is desperate and is forced to flee with her late sister's children, while outrunning the relentless tracker the children's vicious stepfather has set on their trail. With no other options, she marries a man badly injured in a train derailment, assuming when he dies, the railroad settlement will provide the money they need to keep moving West.
But there is one small problem. The man doesn't die.
Any romance reader will love this story. It has a little of everything in it, and is written in a pleasing way that makes the reader see the scenes as if they were a movie." Celia

Cutting for Stone-Abraham Verghess
Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon. Orphaned by their mother’s death and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution.
~*~"I will admit, this hefty 547-page novel is a bit of a trial to read. I had to be patient, because once I began reading, I could not stop. The only criticism I have are the long passages of intense surgery, with complete details. Although I'm fine with this sort of thing, some may not be. But if you read one literary novel this year that's on the NY Times Best Seller list, make it this one." Celia

The Bikini Car Wash-Pamela Morsi
After Andrea Wolkowicz abandons corporate life to help care for her twin sister, she quickly wears out the want ads in their rust-belt hometown. Time to be her own boss.
Every mogul knows the best idea is an old idea with a new twist. So Andi proudly revives her father's business: an old-fashioned car wash...staffed entirely by bikini-clad women. That ought to get traffic--and blood--flowing on Grosvenor Street!
~*~"First, I'll say that Pamela Morsi is one of my all-time favorite authors. I've read most of her books. Each one carries a certain thread, so when I saw this book cover I thought, "Nope. This won't be like her others." Do I ever judge a book by its cover?" Yes, obviously. But let me assure you this story is a very good Pamela Morsi book. Please read it—it's not exactly what you think." Celia

This Time Forever-Linda Swift
Against his family's wishes Philip Burke volunteers to defend the Union and instead becomes a prisoner of war, bartering his medical expertise to remain out of prison.
When the Union Army invades Tennessee, Clarissa Wakefield's antebellum mansion becomes a Confederate hospital. Philip is placed in charge and against propriety she stays on and helps nurse the wounded while her Confederate soldier husband is elsewhere.
~*~"This is a classic Linda Swift novel filled with the passions of love and war. You may be thinking of Gone with the Wind, and you would be correct making the comparison. While this novel is different on most levels, they do share the horrors of war and the intense yearning for home. This Time Forever is a LASR Five Star Book of the Week winner." Celia

A Western Saga Anthology

Four romance stories of the American West:
Every Girl's Dream by Cheryl Pierson
Along Came Will by Celia Yeary
Storm Riders by Karen Michelle Nutt
Safe Hands by Cindy Carrier
~*~"Since I have a story in the Anthology, of course I read the anthology. Each story centers on family descendent of the early McTavish clan. For quick, fun, summertime reading, get this one in eBook or print." Celia

2011 Summer Collection
Six stories of romance by six talented authors to enhance your reading pleasure and stir your passions:
Addie and the Gunslinger-Celia Yeary
The Tripany of Calazar and Trulene-Charlotte Raby
Distracted-Rita Hestand
The Test of Time-Kate Kindle
The Grey Queen and the Silver King-Christine E. Schulze
One Magic Night-Cheryl Pierson
~*~"This anthology contains six short stories—a real bargain! The genres are mixed in this book, giving you a sample story by six different authors who write different genres. So, please add this one, also to your list. It's a lot of fun to read." Celia

Summer at Willow Lake-Susan Wiggs
Real estate expert Olivia Bellamy reluctantly trades a trendy Manhattan summer for her family's old resort camp in the Catskills. A posh resort in its heyday, the camp is now in disarray and Olivia is forced to hire contractor Connor Davis—a still-smoldering flame from her own summers at camp.
~*~ "Susan Wiggs is another favorite author. This one is the first—I believe—of the Willow Lake Series. I've never been disappointed in any of her stories. If you haven't tried her, this is a good first read." Celia

His Leading Lady-Paula Martin
Jess Harper’s predictable life is turned upside down when she discovers that Lora, her twin sister, has disappeared. It’s just a week before rehearsals are due to start for a new West End musical in which Lora has the lead role. Jess decides to pose as her sister in order to save Lora's career.
~*~"This romance begins slowly, lulling the reader into thinking she knows what will happen. I can say, however, that feeling is short-lived when the action and mystery picks up. The characters are sophisticated, and this is a novel that I call "a grown-up story," complete with tension and passion running high. Try it—you'll like it." Celia

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.com/

http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

How Do We Effectively Promote? Or...Let's Talk About Tags on Amazon

2011-07-15T15:24:00.003-05:00

This summer, I've read no less than a dozen articles about promoting yourself and your book. Most of the articles have been very good, listing concise ways to accomplish the one important goal when your book has a release date. These articles appeal to me just as how-to article always have. I'm a self-learner.

I believe I have all the steps memorized. Yet, I find myself turning into a lackadaisical author who loves to write, sign contracts, edit (yes, I like the editing process—if I have a nice editor who doesn't scold me), see a book cover for the first time, but then….the difficult part stares me in the face.

How do I promote this book? As of this month, I now have eleven releases scattered among six publishers. Some have done fairly well; others seem to sit there. I admit, like most of us, that I have my favorites, those I wish more and more readers would find.
In addition to the usual website, blog, FB, Twitter, LinkdIn, various Yahoo loops, and a few .ning loops, there are numerous tricks to the trade that I vaguely understand, but I don't have the energy to implement them.

For example, Tagging on Amazon: Theoretically, "tags" help sell our books. I've read explanations by other authors, and always wonder…"exactly how does this work?" Here is Amazon's explanation about tags:

TAGS: Find other items with similar qualities: Are you a photography enthusiast? Find a photography book that you love and tag it with the category "photography book." Click on the "photography book" tag you created and see other items that were tagged similarly. Because people's tags are (by default) visible to others, a great effect of tagging is that you can navigate among items through other people's tags. Add a tag and check out what other items people have tagged as "robot" or "gardening" or "chocolate." Also, you can assign as many tags as you wish to each product, so tag away!

I was under the impression that the more your friends tag your books, the higher your book rises in the "ranking,"--do they mean "numbering?"-- thereby making it easier to find. Hmmm. I'm not sure about that. The process seems nebulous and bewildering. And this explanation from Amazon does not mention repeating one tag many times.

With my scientific background put to use, I tested this phenomenon the best I could, and this is what I learned:

Suppose I was a customer looking for Western Historical Romances. Using Books/Kindle Store, I would type in "Western Historical Romances." Up pops a list of hundreds of WHR novels in numerical order. How does a book get a number? By the number of times WHR has been clicked on the tags? No, I don't think so.

First, there are Rankings on your Buy page for each book as to where it stands among the millions of books on Amazon. I usually just look at the Kindle books because for romance books, more are sold for the Kindle than the prints. This ranking will appear as something like #1000 in the Kindle store.

Then there are numbered lists for every category imaginable. Examples: (I left out the author's name)

Category: Western Historical Romances:
1. Wild Montana Sky Series-Ranked #315 in Kindle Store (on this buy page, WHR was clicked 9 times)
2. Her Montana Man-Ranked #22,004 in Kindle Store (on this Buy page, WHR was clicked 0 times—in fact, this book had no tags at all)
3. Widow Woman-Ranked #7,548 in Kindle Store (on this Buy page, WHR was clicked hundred over a hundred times.)
(This list contained about 500+ WHR.)

So for this category, the numbers tell a story: Her Montana Man, had No Tags At All, not even for WHR, yet it is numbered one above Widow Woman that had WHR clicked over a hundred times. If tagging helps, then shouldn't Widow Woman be above Her Montana Man? In fact, shouldn't Widow Woman be in the Number 1 position under Western Historical Romances?

Why am I bringing this up? For the simple reason that I feel somewhat amiss because I don't tag books unless I'm on that Buy page for some other reason and I think of it. The practice seems time-consuming, and unless someone tells me otherwise, I just don't believe it's so necessary.

If anyone sees a flaw in my logic, please point it out.

If anyone understands how a novel is assigned a number under a category, please point it out.

What is your position or belief about Tags on Amazon?

Thank you—
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

ALL HAT AND NO CATTLE

2011-07-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

NICE HAT

What is the origin of this term? I've heard this quotation more in the last few years than I ever have. What does this actually mean? I found definitions such as these:

"Full of big talk but lacking action."

"Talking like one is more important than one is."

"High-falootin' goals."

"I aim to be rich and a big shot."

BAD HAT!

I kept searching and believe I have found the original source:

An old Texas gal and her guy are in Paris and she is sort of teasing him/flirting with him, calling him a cowboy (which he isn't) and saying he's "all hat and no cattle," which may or may not teasingly mean that he's a pseudo-cowboy or low-level cowboy in the cowboy pecking order.

TEXAS RANGER

This term came to me as I watched the local news here...yep, in Texas. A sheriff was in front of a microphone explaining a break-in assault, but I became more intrigued by his Western wear, especially his hat. Now, let me say that wearing cowboy or Western hats in Texas is as common as grass burs so, I have no quarrel with the practice. Texas Rangers have always worn the Western hat since the mid-1800's, and they do today, even though they drive cars or pickups. (Note: in the open western part of the state, some law enforcement members drive pickups.)

COOL COWBOY AND HAT

I rather like a man in boots, jeans, and a cowboy hat, even though he might not be a rancher or ride a horse. It's only a manner of dress, when one gets down to it.

WILL AND KATE IN CALGARY

Did any of you see the photo of Prince William in Calgary in his white cowboy hat? I thought he looked so handsome! He'd pulled it over his forehead a little, and he could have been a hero on the cover of a Western romance novel.

THIS IS GOOD, TOO!

These are some of my favorites.

MARLBORO MAN--TOO BAD HE SMOKED

JAMES DEAN

JOHN WAYNE

Now I've had my fun today. Most of the time, I've worked on something either inside or outside the house, so to entertain myself, I Googled "Men in Cowboy Hats."

What do you think of my choices?

Celia

Happy Reading for Your 4th of July Holiday!

2011-07-02T19:06:00.000-05:00

GREETINGS! I offer three new releases for you. I hope you see something you'd like to read.

Happy 4th of July!

Celia

Blurb: The Stars At Night
New Yorker Kate Norwood meets Jesse McCoy on her trip to Texas with her young nephew. She learns her plan to leave Nicky with his grandmother -- Jesse’s mother -- is hopeless, and faced with the improbable prospect of rearing the boy herself, she turns to Jesse for help. Kate and Jesse bond easily, but problems arise which may drive them apart and leave the child with the wrong person. With hearts full of love and hope, they work together find the answers they need.
LINK:
Desert Breeze Publishing
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-182/Celia-Yearly-The-Stars/Detail.bok
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-Stars-at-Night-ebook/dp/B0058U7T7Y/ref=sr_1_12?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1309636808&sr=1-12

Heart of a Hero-Blurb
Matt Carrington escapes a terrorists’ prison while in the Army, but he has difficulty escaping the trappings of a demanding fiancé and his own parents. To get away to think, he meets pretty, girl-next-door Lauren Delaney, the kind of woman he desires. But his fiancé and his parents have other plans, and they determine to have their way—no matter what Matt wants.

Lauren Delaney is an independent young woman who quickly befriends the soldier hero who comes to town. Knowing he has another life in Dallas, she holds a secret, too. But she pretends neither have a problem in order to have the summer with him.

During the long hot months, a hurricane almost destroys the town. Matt and Lauren work with a team to save as many residents as they can, and in the process fall deeply in love. When the danger is past, the two lovers suffer from their own lies and misunderstandings. Can they find peace and happiness without hurting others?
LINK: Available July 4
http://www.whimsicalpublications.com/celia_yeary/Heart_of_a_Hero.html

Blurb: Angel and the Cowboy
He needs a wife…

Because the sheriff summons him, U.S. Marshal Max Garrison rides to town. He resents learning he must supervise a young man just out of prison who will work at his ranch for a time. But when he meets the beautiful young woman who owns the teashop, he knows his trip is not wasted. Max decides she's the one for him.

She faces another lonely Christmas…

Daniella Sommers lives alone above the book and teashop her English parents left her. When U.S. Marshal Max Garrison walks in and asks for tea, she almost laughs. Soon, her merriment turns to hope. Then Daniella learns a shocking truth about herself. If she reveals her past, will Max still love her?

Christmas is near, the time for miracles and surprises. Will the message of the season bring Max and Daniella the best gift of all?
LINK: This is a short story available for 99 cents.
http://www.amazon.com/Angel-and-the-Cowboy-ebook/dp/B0058VZTWU/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1309546603&sr=1-11

Thank you and may you have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Happy Reading!
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

2011-06-25T16:50:00.000-05:00

I'm seeing more and more made-up names for characters in novels. However, the trend in naming babies seems to be going in the same direction, so maybe it's a sign of the times. I shake my head at many of the names, especially those invented by creative celebrity parents.

Hollywood actors and actresses may have been born with common names like Julia and Brad, but that doesn’t mean their offspring have to suffer the same fate. Will and Jada Smith’s children: Willow and Jaden; Demi Moore’s girls: Scout LaRue, Rumer Glen and Tallulah Belle; Gwenyth Paltrow’s daughter: Apple Blythe; John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s son: Jett; Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke’s son: Ronin. Singer Brandi’s daughter: Sy’rai; Thomas Jane (The Punisher) and Rosanna Arquette’s daughter: Harlow.

Even some famous faces were lucky enough to have been born with one-of-a-kind names: Keanu Reeves, Jude Law, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Macaulay Culkin, Kiefer Sutherland, Oprah Winfrey.

Descriptive names will diminish serious fiction or romance novels. Please don't name your hero Rod Remington. And please avoid branding them with a common name that only conjures up stereotypical images. Cruella, Snidley, Ratso, Tiffany, Scarlett, or Bric.

So, what about our characters in our books? We're the sole parent of these people, and we have the responsibility to give them a proper name at their birth.

I don't overthink names for my characters. A name usually just appears as soon as I know my character. I am guilty, though, of using a name more than once—a habit I'm trying to break.

Overall, I like my characters' names, and believe I do a fair job. I usually try to make the name fit the person, so that at a glance of the name the reader might have a hint of his/her personality.

In my July 4 release, Heart of a Hero, the hero's name is Matthew Rayburn Carrington. What does this say to the reader? I hope it implies that he is from a wealthy, perhaps locally well-known family. And that is the case. The heroine's name is Lauren Delaney. To me this says she is somewhat sophisticated, perhaps from wealth, too, but with a hint of girl-next-door. The antagonist in the story is actually Matt's fiancé Stephanie Davenport. She is a spoiled wealthy young woman who only wants what will benefit her.

The most memorable names to me are those that conjure up an image of the character, whether they are good or evil. Some that are noteworthy from my view are:

Fallon—the villain in Cheryl Pierson's Fire Eyes.
Wick—the wreck of a man hero in Sandra Brown's The Crush.
Cleopatra Jones—the Southern female sleuth in Maggie Toussaint's In for a Penny.
Skeeter-the author heroine in Kathryn Stockket's The Help.
Scarlett O'Hara-the heroine in Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind.

What are some memorable names you recall from novels—even your own! How do you name your "babies?"

Want to play a game? I don't know who this guy is, but he looks like a hero I'd like to have in one of my books. Let's give him a name—any volunteers? (If he's an actor, tell me. I do not keep up with all the actors.)

Thank for reading—
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

Pet Peeves for the Week--then I'll be nice

2011-06-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

PARKING—I simply do not understand why an experienced driver cannot pull into a parking spot straight instead of an angle. This phenomenon is getting completely out of hand. In most cases, this thoughtless driver actually takes up two spots because the worst offenders are the people who drive the largest vehicles. There's no excuse for this.

While I'm on this topic, have you heard of reverse parking? The city of Austin is implementing these parking places in a few areas of town where the traffic is heavy. In case you haven't heard of this, stay with me here. The slots are angled away from the direction the driver is proceeding. To reverse park, the driver pulls forward past the slot, then backs into it. Now you tell me—if many drivers cannot park driving forward into a clearly marked straight slot, how will he ever learn this procedure? Backing up is very difficult for many people. And how many people will stop before the space to allow the driver to back in? Try imagine the number of rear-end accidents.

The city is already issuing tickets. Why? One, for pulling into a reverse spot head first. The driver is going the opposite direction, on the far side of the road, but still, he crosses the lane and pulls in. I couldn't keep from laughing.

SCHOOL ZONES—We have a small private elementary school out here in our subdivision. The parents drive in at 40+ mph, right up to the school to allow their child to get out. From the main road to the school there is a sign warning drivers to slow to 20 mph because a school is just ahead. Why did the county come out and post this sign? Because the parents were complaining about the residents out here driving too fast by the school.

SUPERMARKET SHOPPERS—Why do some shoppers (okay, it's always a woman) stand docilely while the checker scans her groceries, and when she sees the total, she moves a few feet to retrieve her purse from the cart, bring it back to the counter, open it and find…her checkbook. Slowly, but surely, she finds a blank check, but returns to her purse to search for a pen. Pen in hand, she carefully writes the check…always reviewing the total a few times first, though. Before she hands the check to the checker, she must record the total, tear out the check, return the pen and checkbook to her purse, then…give the check to the checker.

Friends, this is enough for now. I haven't posted pet peeves for a long time, and I promise to be nicer and more patient if I possibly can.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/

Meet Jennifer Wilck, Debut Author

2011-06-17T09:38:00.000-05:00

Welcome, Jennifer, to a little bit of Texas!

Even though Jennifer is celebrating the release of her first novel, she is far from being a novice at writing. In between chauffeuring her daughters, running youth group activities, training their recently adopted shelter dog, and cooking, she writes freelance articles for magazines and newspapers, and edits newsletters. And here she is!
Jennifer, in one sentence, give a synopsis of your present life.
"My life is a fun and crazy juggling act between my kids, my husband, my volunteer work and my writing."

If you could only use five words to describe yourself, what would those be?
"Mother, daughter, wife, friend, work-in-progress."

I understand A Heart of a Little Faith is your first novel. Where did the premise for this lovely story come from? Is it autobiographical in any way? Why or why not?
"I saw a minor character in a TV show a long time ago who inspired me to write this story. I was extremely lucky that the story flowed easily from start to finish (although the editing and submitting process were much harder!). The only minor autobiographical part occurs in the massage scene. Lily and Gideon are talking and she describes how as a child, she used to give her father massages and pretend his back was a pizza pie. She’d roll out the dough, swoosh the sauce, sprinkle the cheese and pat on the pepperoni. Her father would have a limber back and she’d have a (pretend) pizza. I used to do the same thing when I was about three. And some of the things that Lily’s daughter says and does, like her insane love of the game Trouble, are similar to my daughter’s traits when she was six."

How did you become so immersed in writing?
"Writing was always talked about in my house, because we had several writers in the family. I’ve always enjoyed writing (I so preferred those classes to math and used to love vocabulary tests—I know, weird, right?) and used to have stories mulling about in my head. One day, I decided it would be fun to write some of them down, just to see what happened. From then on, I was hooked.

I know you have two young daughters. How difficult is it to balance your time?
"I’m a big believer in early bedtimes (much to my children’s chagrin), so when they were little, I could write at night after they went to sleep. Now that they’re older, by the time they actually both go to bed, I’m lucky I remember my name, much less be able to write anything, so I have to do most of my writing during the day. Thank goodness for school! I can usually carve out at least some time during the day to get writing done. And I can always go off and hide on a weekend for an hour or two."

What is your favorite thing to do when you need/want to relax and hang out?
"Hanging out with my family and friends, playing games, watching movies or TV, reading, walking the dog."

Without thinking very hard, fill in the blanks:
Once a week I … really should clean the house, but usually procrastinate at least a little by playing on Facebook.
I feel incomplete without …my cell phone, even though I NEVER hear it, which drives my husband up the wall!
Most weekends, I…hang out with my family and laugh.
Most days I wear…whatever is comfortable, as long as they’re not t-shirts or sweatshirts (I never claimed to make sense.)
Once a day, I …(at least) talk to my mom on the phone.
One thing I'd really like to try is…hotwiring a car. I am totally fascinated by this!

Do you have a favorite singer or musical group?
"My musical taste is eclectic—I like almost anything except opera. Some of my favorites are Billy Joel, Rascal Flatts, Bruno Mars, Bruce Springsteen."

Here's what we've been waiting for. Tell us about your novel.
"Lily Livingston is a widow raising her six-year-old daughter, Claire, in New York City. Devastated by her husband’s death three years ago, she’s in no hurry to fall in love again. Besides, trying to balance her career with motherhood leaves her little time for romance. Her life begins to change, however, when she meets Gideon Stone. He’s handsome and charming, and spent all afternoon entertaining her rambunctious daughter. Lily believes he must need rescuing—fast—but finds out the two of them hit it off. Although Gideon and Claire form a fast friendship, Lily and Gideon can’t seem to get it right. Despite mutual obstacles, neither of them can avoid the sparks that fly between them. After a few false starts, where tempers erupt, they settle on an uneasy truce, deciding to be friends and nothing more.
That truce is soon tested when Gideon’s overbearing boss demands he start showing up to work events with a date. How can he do this without appearing to violate their truce—and his own vow to never let a woman get the best of him again?
The answer appears when he helps Claire out of a jam. Although grateful, Lily’s independent spirit won’t let her feel beholden to him. Gideon suggests a bargain—he’ll help Claire if Lily will accompany him to work events. The agreement is supposed to be platonic, but each encounter draws them closer together.
As they navigate the minefield that fast represents their relationship, can either of them overcome the obstacles to find true happiness in each other’s arms? The answer is yes, but the bumps along the way demonstrate that neither of them can go it alone."

Will you offer an excerpt to sample your writing?

Gideon entered his sister’s crowded SoHo gallery in Manhattan and glanced at his watch. If he was lucky, he could make a quick appearance and leave. Garish paintings and semi-pornographic sculptures, coupled with snooty patrons and pseudo-intellectual artists, bored him. A mélange of overpowering perfumes blasted his olfactory nerves and he grimaced as he quickly tried to breathe through his mouth. He’d only come to support Samantha, and with any luck she’d be too busy with potential buyers to do anymore than register his presence, leaving him free to make a hasty exit. In the meantime, he needed to find something to eat before he starved to death.

Across the room he spied black-clad catering staff and made his way around half walls and columns to check out their offerings. At least he thought they were catering staff. With black continuing to be the customary dress code of New York art patrons, he could never be too sure. Still, silver platters were sure to give them away. Before he’d gotten halfway across the converted warehouse, a waitress materialized in front of him, offering champagne and scallops wrapped in bacon. Pendulum lights from above glinted on the crystal glasses, and the smoky scent made his mouth water. He snagged a glass of champagne and two scallops, and popped one immediately into his mouth. The ice cold glass chilled his fingers and provided a welcome relief from the warmth of the overcrowded room. The scallop melted in his mouth, leaving the taste of crisp bacon for him to savor. A little bit of heaven.

He saw Samantha and made his way over, past old gentlemen sitting on oversized ottomans comparing notes, willow-thin women chatting about the Hamptons and a few art students staring at the scene with longing. He waited until she noticed him. They said their hellos quickly, and she apologized as another group of people swept her away. He nodded his understanding and, with his duty complete, headed back the way he’d come.

He’d gone about twenty-five feet when something caught his attention. Surrounded by movement — the friction caused by the artist’s use of flashy, contrasting colors against stark white canvas, the undulating positions of the sculptures, or the constant swaying of people in the room — her stillness drew his eye. All other sights and sounds disappeared as he approached her. He no longer heard the chatter and laughter around him. His vision tunneled and all surrounding sights disappeared into a fog. His ears picked up only the sound of her fingernails tapping the crystal goblet and magnified it until her tapping became the beat of a song for him alone. The jasmine scent of her perfume floated toward him and made him think of summer vacations in a tropical paradise. Distracted by her, he didn’t notice those around him trying to get out of his way.

She stood motionless in front of a painting. The spotlight above illuminated her brown hair, turning it a fiery red tinged with gold, her skin a luminous peach. Her blouse, made of some gauzy material he couldn’t name, but longed to touch, draped gracefully over her shoulders and down her back. With the lights pouring down on her, he could just see the outline of her body. The barely there whisper of an outline attracted him more than any wet T-shirt ever could. Her black-flared pants hugged her hips the way he once had held a woman, gently but firmly.

He stared at her, bedazzled. He only intended to look for a moment, but she turned around and met his eyes. Caught red-handed he contemplated turning around, but that would be cowardly. He couldn’t continue to stare at her without appearing either moronic or rude, especially since he hated when people stared at him. He inhaled and tried to muster up a smile, when another man approached her. Breaking their gaze, she turned and smiled at him. Gideon inched closer. He heard her engage the other man in casual conversation before she gently excused herself. As the other man walked off, she turned back to Gideon and smiled. Her green cat eyes pierced his soul and made him believe she could see right through him. He continued to watch her, entranced.

“Hasn’t anyone taught you it’s impolite to stare?”

Struck by the irony of her question, he burst into warm laughter and shook her outstretched hand. Her soft cool hand fit completely within his hard, callused one and he closed his other hand over hers. He felt the delicate veins beneath her skin, her pulse beating in her wrist and wished to prolong the skin-on-skin contact for as long as possible. Reluctantly, he let it go.

“I’m Gideon.”

“Lily.”

“Are you a fan?”

Lily stared at him blankly for a moment and blinked quickly. “Oh, of the artist’s?” She turned once more to look at the painting, tilting her head to the right. “Not exactly. He’s a little too…”

“Much? Bright? Vulgar?”

Lily laughed. “I see you’re a huge fan. No, maybe, I don’t know. The colors are cheery, if only maybe there weren’t so many. But looking at it does brighten my mood.”

“Bad day at work?”

“Terrible. But why are you here if you don’t like the artist?”

Gideon turned and pointed to Samantha on the other side of the room. “She’s my sister.”

Lily raised her eyebrows as she looked over at the gallery owner.

“Oh, Samantha’s my best friend. I didn’t realize you were her brother. So I guess she roped you into this too?”

He sat back and gave her what he hoped was a relaxed grin. “Brotherly duty, or some such nonsense. Apparently I pulled one too many pigtails as a child and this is my penance.”

Lily laughed. She has a great laugh, he thought. It lit up her whole face. “Samantha had pigtails?”

The two of them turned to look at Samantha, currently sporting short and spiky jet-black hair, with small rhinestone barrettes scattered throughout. “You’ll have to fill me in more later,” Lily added, as she stifled a yawn.

“What, is it my stimulating conversation, or these garish paintings that bores you?” Gideon asked, one eyebrow raised.

Lily apologized. “I’m sorry. I had a long day at work and I’m exhausted. I wasn’t even going to come, but Samantha begged.”

“She tends to do that. I’ve told her it isn’t a pleasing trait, but why should she listen to me? I’m only her big brother.”

Find out more about Samantha’s big brother in A Heart of Little Faith, available from Whiskey Creek Press this month! Part of the proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Where can readers find your book?
"It will be available through the publisher (http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/ ), Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/ ) and Barnes & Noble (http://www.bn.com/ )."

Where else can readers find you?
"My website is http://www.jenniferwilck.com/
My blog is Fried Oreos and can be found at http://www.jenniferwilck.wordpress.com/
I also am one of the contributors to the Heroines With Hearts blog at http://www.heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com/
And, you can find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wilck/201342863240160

Jennifer, I thank you so much for visiting today. Readers, please leave a comment—if your Yahoo is working! Both of us love to hear your thoughts.

Thank you, Celia, for having me as a guest on your blog. It was a pleasure to be here! And a big thank you to your readers for visiting me here to learn about me and my book! I love meeting new people and hearing from them, so feel free to leave a comment if you’d like. Jennifer