All About Me and All About You

Our blogs are our "brand" as much as our books. What is the personality of your blog? Is it "you?" I believe this is a pertinent question. As I've recently read, "Don't sell your books--sell yourself." I've come to believe this is the way to go. Even if you don't intentionally try to sell yourself instead of your books, I think you're doing that.

This past week I participated in Romancing the West Blog Hop, and in my spare time I have checked out the other blogs in the list. Yes, I know some of the authors and can truthfully say their blogs fit them to a "t." Well done, Western Authors.

To learn about yourself, list a few things about you as a person.

First, I'll tell about myself. Then, make your list and tell us here...or just keep it for reference to do a self-analysis.

 

ABOUT ME

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

 

MISS MAE CREATED THIS
AWARD FOR US.
SHE DID THE COVER FOR
THE NOVEL
TEXAS PROMISE--
AND "WE" WON
SECOND PLACE!

 

2. I have a killer instinct which I call "a competitive nature,"

but it's quietly buried until I need it. I LOVE to win.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

6. Something that breaks my heart on a daily basis is the fact

so many children in the world don't have a real home.

 

7. Of all the traits we humans possess,

I most especially hate dishonesty—in all forms.

Feel free to say a few things about yourself. I'd love to know!

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary
My Website
My Blog
Sweethearts of the West-Blog
My Facebook Page 

ROMANCING THE WEST BLOG HOP!

~~*~~WELCOME TO THE ROMANCING THE WEST BLOG HOP~~*~~

Why do we enjoy writing and reading about the West? What is it about cowboys that is just plain irresistible? Why do I write the West? I find it difficult to put into words.

~~The Final Frontier, perhaps? No, that’s the name for space exploration and Star Wars.
~~Romance in Sweeping Vistas with a love story set in a different time, perhaps? That’s how we describe novels set in early Scotland.
~~The Era of the Strong, Silent type who always gets the girl while he brings justice in full measure, perhaps? That’s how we describe Indiana Jones adventures.

See? I cannot exactly describe my feelings when I begin a new Western Historical novel, either reading one or writing one. Oh! Now I know Why I Write the West! It’s all of the above, and in addition, it's...like falling in love.

Over thirty authors and bloggers tackle these and other questions by explaining why we love Romancing the West.

But that’s not all, as you enjoy some awesome blogs and find fantastic books, for every post you comment on with your email address, you will be entered for some amazing prizes.

***PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO QUALIFY***

Grand Prize:

This is sampling of the great swag pack that will go to the Grand Prize Winner. 

A swag pack which includes books (both ebooks and paper), Amazon gift card, custom made butterfly jewelry, book cards, magnets and much more all tucked away in a keepsake box. (Available to US residents only. Winner will be announced on February 26 at 10 PM EST)
~~*~~*~~*~~

Note from Celia:
I will choose three winners from my comments of those who leave an email address.
My winners may choose any of my Western Romances, and I will "gift" the ebook to your Kindle, or your Nook, or a Pdf.

Find all my Western Romances here:
LINK to "Celia Yeary Author" page on Amazon KINDLE:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=Celia+Yeary&x=15&y=15
or
here:

LINK to "Celia Yeary Author" page on Barnes and Noble NOOK http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?store=EBOOK&WRD=celia+yeary&page=&prod=univ&choice=ebooks&query=Celia+Yeary&flag=False&pos=-1&box=Celia+Yeary&box=celia%20yeary&pos=-1&ugrp=2

 

I'd love for you to Follow me, too--but not required.

And now!...Hop on to the next author's site and see what she has to offer!
Choose from the links below.

Sara Walter Ellwood	Shawnee Rodeo Series
Fun (and odd) facts about the wild west	dlindunauthor. blogspot. com/
Cyndis World	Margery Scott
Delynn Royer	Callies Comments
Kristina Knight, Romance Author	LBShire. com Western Romance Author
Mochas, Mysteries and More (US)	Zee Monodee
Romancing The West - Jacquie Rogers	Rosanne Bittner
Loralee Lillibridge	Website
ANDREADOWNING. COM	Cassandra Dean (Int)
A Passion for Romance	Celia Yeary--Romance and a little bit of Texas
Double D Ranch Tales	Lily Graison - Romance Author [INT]
Helens Heart	Western women: heroines of their own romances
SnifferWalk (Intl. )	Embrace Adventure
Susan Frances, Romantic Adventures	Stacey Joy Netzel - Author
NovelFriends	Romantic Suspense as Big as Montana!
Meg Mims - Double the Mystery/History	Cate Masters
Musings From the Keyboard	Jessica E. Subject
Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews	Book A Day Challenge (US)

 

HOW TO MEASURE SUCCESS--IS THERE REALLY A WAY?

Today we were in Wal-Mart, looking for a few things, but mostly it was a day to roam and wander. In the pharmacy department, I happened to see a sign that read FREE. Free what? It was a bright shiny new kiosk to take your own blood pressure. I thought Wal-Mart had gotten rid of that, but here was a new one. In this one, it was like sitting in a little capsule, almost hidden, almost private. I love machines that tell me something about myself.
So, I sat down.

On the bright screen was a message: START.

I punched the button and learned right away I could learn more than my blood pressure from this very cool machine. It would also tell me my BMI (Body Mass Index, that is weight relative to my height.) It would also tell me my risk of having a serious disease, and my chance of a long healthy life.

Now, do you think I want to know all this? You bet I do.
So, I went about the process of measuring...MY SUCCESS.

First--Blood Pressure. By the time I finished this simple process I learned my blood pressure was--105/75. Really? REALLY? Isn't that very low? Wouldn't I feel lightheaded or something with such a low blood pressure? True, my BP is rather low, but it's usually around 120/ 80.

Second--BMI. I was instructed by the pretty lady on the screen to place my feet on the bars under the edge of my seat--in other words, take my feet off the floor. I did so. Then I was asked my height. Five feet-Six, I punched. The results? Excellent.

Third--my diet. Do I eat 4-6 servings a day of fruits and vegetables? Yes, I live on those and carbohydrates, mostly in the form of pasta. After this test of several questions, I was ranked--Excellent.

Fourth--my chances of living a long life.
Do I exercise regularly every day for at least thirty minutes? No. I am quite lazy.
Do I smoke? No, never.
Do I binge on alcohol? No. Only drink moderately.
Do I have relatives with diabetes? No.
Do I have relatives with heart disease. Yes.

After this test, I was ranked Good--not Excellent--but Good. And it will stay that way because I probably won't exercise any more than I do now.

Why am I talking about physical tests?

You knew I would sooner or later get around to measuring our success by the number of sales we made recently. This is the time of year for reflection--the dreaded 1099s that arrive from our publishers that tell us how much money we made during 2012.

Are you happy? Are you at least somewhat successful? Do you wonder what else you could have done?

All of the above, in my case. Yes, I'm reasonably happy, but not completely satisfied. I surely know I could have done more to feel satisfied.

 

But do I feel successful?

Yes, and I'll tell you why.
I began writing late in life, so whatever I accomplish now is only a plus, a big present wrapped up in shiny paper with a big red bow. To write stories and have a wonderful publisher who likes my work and puts them out in ebook and print is one of the most thrilling things I've done. And I've accomplished other things later in life that surprised even me. 

I never thought I'd  go to college at age 27 and get two degrees. I never thought I'd be fortunate enough to teach in a wonderful private military boarding school. I never thought I'd learn to play golf at age forty. I never thought I'd suddenly begin to write fiction when I'd never thought of it in my entire life.

How Do You Measure Success? It's all relative, don't you see? Think on the positives, and look forward to trying something new to boost your own success.

Every day is a new day to begin again.

Good luck to you all--and think...SUCCESS!

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary
 My Website
My Blog
Sweethearts of the West-Blog
My Facebook Page 

Romance vs. Love Story--What's the Difference?

February is the month of love, in particular, romantic love. Or is it? The stores are filled with Valentine products--cards, candy, flowers, stuffed animals, and perfumes. It's obvious which of these are designed for someone in which we have a romantic/love interest, and which are designed for children.



Baby Love

Love~*~First Love, Baby Love, Puppy Love, God's Love, Mommy Love, Sacrificial Love, and Selfless Love. The list could go on and on. But being "in love" is different because it denotes a new sexual, special feeling with someone.

COUPLE IN LOVE

But my main question is, what's the difference between a romance story and a love story? If the answer is, "A Romance is a story with a HEA for the couple," then that's right. But suppose it begins with a romance but ends tragically or unhappily? Then we'd probably call it something else...maybe a Love Story?

And what difference does it make anyway? I thought about this when I saw a publisher who spelled out the difference: "A Romance is a love story that ends with a HEA." I suppose that could mean, "We don't know what happens to the couple after the story ends...after all, we only want to know about the romance." But haven't you often wondered--what happened after they married?

FOREVER LOVE

The publisher continued the definition: "A Love Story is between a married couple, or at least a couple who already have established their relationship, and the plot goes from there."

A Romance..or a Love Story?

~*~The movie "Love Story"
~*~Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's relationship
~*~Ronald and Nancy Reagan's relationship
~*~"You've Got Mail"
~*~"Ghost"
~*~"Pride and Prejudice"

I think I understand the clear definition in order to submit to a publisher, but I didn't always. Two of my Texas books--Texas Promise and Texas True--begin with the couple either already married, or married by chapter two.

In the case of Texas Promise, Jo and Dalton's marriage began rocky and almost ended before the story began. But they remained married throughout, giving me a chance to redeem both of them and rescue their precious love and form a stronger bond in marriage than they'd had in the beginning.

In the case of Texas True, young True Cameron falls in love instantly and marries hastily. Then she learns of her husband's true personality and deceit, and instead of giving up, she works to save her marriage...and save him, as well. Another case of someone needing redemption, and that was Sam, the husband.

Needless to say, the main publisher I was with would not accept these books in these forms. I understand completely, but soon succeeded in having both published as I wrote them.

So, what should these novels be called? I still call them Romances, because truly, the married characters actually fell in love--a real kind of love-- during their conflicts in the plot.

In reality, both are probably Love Stories, though.
The best part is that not one reader ever questioned me about whether they should be labeled "romances."

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

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/celiayeary

 My Website

My Blog

Sweethearts of the West-Blog

My Facebook Page