Do Authors Need a GPS Device?

A few years ago a dear friend of ours, a retired university coach I'll call Coach M., bought a new Buick. He invited a buddy to lunch and volunteered to pick him up. When they arrived at the restaurant—Herbert's Taco Hut, which has been a small popular restaurant in town for decades—Coach M. said to his friend: "Before we get out, I want to show you this amazing little gadget that came on this car. It's called a GPS and believe it or not, it will guide you to your destination, in case you get lost. I haven't used it, but I know how it works. Now. Watch this."

Coach M. reached up and punched a button. A woman's voice came on and asked, "How may I help you?"

Coach M. replies, "I need to know how to get to Herbert's Taco Hut."

Pause…then the woman's voice said, "Sir, you are in their parking lot."

We've all laughed at this story many times. But you see, he had reached his destination. He did not need the GPS device, at least for the moment. However, he might possibly need it when traveling to a new destination.

I thought of this story because, you see, I may have lost my way. Maybe I made a wrong turn back there somewhere, and now find myself wandering around, wasting a lot of time.

Does some company make a GPS device for authors? Some little object we can carry with us, store in our memory, or install as a pop-up on our computer screen? STOP—YOU'RE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!

For three years, I did nothing but write. Not knowing one thing about publishing, I only had a grand time finishing one novel-length story and beginning another. To date, I have eight releases with two more waiting in the wings. Ten books. Five publishers. I knew where I was going.

The fast pace of the last few years may have knocked my world a little askew. Now, I wonder what to do next; I begin one thing, lay it aside and begin another; I write one genre, then switch to another, wondering which should get all my attention.

So, I need to quiet down a little. Things are just a little too hectic. Maybe then, I can understand what's important and stick to it. I need clear boundaries and make them work.

We have an internal GPS system, but we need to listen to the directions. If we hear only silence, maybe our batteries have run down. If we hear: "You have reached your destination," then reset the device to guide you to the next one. A new one always, always waits.

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

Nacogdoches, Blueberries, and Texas Blue

My newest historical romance, Texas Blue, is set in 1880 Nacogdoches, Texas. I had created a young woman who lived in isolation deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. She became Marilee Weston, the heroine of the novel, and my plot included a hero, Buck Cameron, who found and rescued her. She allowed him to transport her and her small daughter by horseback to his hometown, Nacogdoches.

The entire story takes place there, in the “Oldest Town in Texas,” named for the Caddo family of Indians who once lived in the area. In 1716, Spain established a mission in the Caddo settlement. By 1779, Nacogdoches had become a “pueblo” or town, with the central point of present-day downtown as an intersection of El Camino Real and El Calle del Norte. The town became the eastern gateway to Texas.

Mr. Partain from the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce gave me a link to photos of Old Nacogdoches. When I saw the first one, chills of excitement ran down my spine--there was my created old town! Also, I found a photo of a lovely white church. Again, a white church plays a big role in the story. I couldn’t have imagined it any better. http://www.art.sfasu.edu/nowandthen  

Why did I choose Nacogdoches? Because I planned on writing more books about the Camerons, and members of the family would migrate across the state. How would my future characters find their way? By traveling along the Old San Antonio Road, or El Camino Real, The King’s Highway. One branch of the old road is today’s State Highway 21, which runs through Nacogdoches to San Marcos.

The “blue” in the title, Texas Blue, comes from the sky-blue eyes of Marilee and her little daughter, the Texas bluebonnet, and Texas’ famous bright-blue skies. And now I’ve learned Nacogdoches is also famous for…what else? Blueberries! In June, Nacogdoches hosts the Texas Blueberry Festival. What a great tie-in to the title of the novel! http://www.texasblueberryfestival.com/

 A friend gave me a recipe some time ago for a blueberry dessert. I’m sure you can find many ways to use the delicious berry, but I promise you’ll love this one.

****BLUEBERRY DESSERT****

Combine: 1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs; ¼ cup sugar; 6 tablespoons melted butter. Press all but ¼ cup crumb mixture in an 8-inch-square baking dish.

Mix: ½ cup sugar; 1 envelope unflavored gelatin; and ½ cup cold water in a saucepan. Heat on low and stir until gelatin and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat.

Combine: 1 cup dairy sour cream; 1 8-ounce carton blueberry yogurt; and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Blend into the gelatin mixture. Chill until partially set.

Whip: ½ cup whipping cream. Fold into yogurt mixture. Stir in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries.

Pour into crust. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top and chill until set.

*****

I thank Mr. Bruce Partain, President and CEO of the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce for the links, for providing information about the past, and permission to use the festival logo.

Buy link for Texas Blue: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/texas-blue-paperback-p-3824.html  

Thank you for visiting!

Celia Yeary

Romance…and a little bit o' Texas

http://www.celiayeary.com/

TEXAS BLUE-eBook and Print

SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK—eBook

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-eBook and Print

Published by: The Wild Rose Press

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/