READ AN E-BOOK WEEK: March 2-8

Greetings! In celebration of "Read an eBook Week," I am participating in a Free eBook and Discounted eBook give-away during this week.

~~*~~READ an E-BOOK WEEK! March 2-8~~*~~

FREE on the Smashwords Site

Use link and coupon code

[Use Coupon Code RW100 during checkout]

Click on the book title to go to the applicable Smashwords page.

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.

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50% Off on Smashwords Site

Use link and coupon code

[Use coupon code REW50 during checkout]

Click on the book title to go to the applicable Smashwords page. 

Texas Promise

After two years, Jo Cameron King’s life as a widow abruptly ends when her husband returns home to Austin. Unable to understand her angry and bitter husband, she accepts a call to travel to the New Mexico Territory to meet her dying birth father whom she knows nothing about. Her plan to escape her husband goes awry when he demands to travel with her.

Dalton King, believing lies his Texas Ranger partner tells him about Jo, seethes with hatred toward his wife. Now he must protect Jo from his partner’s twisted mind, while sorting out the truth. Jo’s bravery and loyalty convince him she’s innocent. But can they regain the love and respect they once shared?   

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

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

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What Makes a Scene Memorable? Frankly, my dear.....

Wouldn't we all like to write Memorable Scenes? Or maybe even just one?

There is a difference, however, between Memorable and Remembered.

I remember countless scenes from books I've read or movies I've seen, but very few, if any, became Memorable.

So, how does an author write a true Memorable scene? I contend it can't be done logically or intellectually. A true Memorable scene just happens.
Most novels I've read have not stayed with me. If I cannot recall the plot of a story, I suppose I enjoyed it while reading, but forgot about it when finished.

Examples of scenes I remember:

The Outsider by Penelope Williamson. Scene: When the gunshot gunslinger who walked to widow Rachel's farm emerges from her cabin, appearing fit, with a gun in his hand and told the men who had come to take her land to leave. Rachel is a Plain woman, and the gun startles her, and yet she welcomes his interference. I remember it from the movie and the book, because the gunslinger has gathered all his strength to rise from his bed and pretend nothing is wrong. Good scene, but not Memorable.

This Calder Range by Janet Dailey: In this first novel of a long series, Charles Benteen Calder takes his new bride, his Lorna, on the long treacherous journey to Montana to homestead. Lorna does not take the journey very well, being a pampered young woman, and on one long dry stretch, Calder instructs his men and Lorna that they could have only one cup of water per day until they crossed the barren land. Now, Lorna had brought cuttings from a rose bush with her, completely against Benteen's orders, and until now, she'd managed to keep the cloth around the cuttings damp. But now, she has only one cup, and Benteen catches her dribbling a few drops on her precious rose cuttings. He goes into a rage and throws the cuttings as far as he can into the darkness, and into the weeds and grass. She screams and runs out to find the pieces, and on her hands and knees, she tries to gather them up. He won't allow it, and wrestles her to the ground.  From then on, Lorna holds a grudge against her new husband. The story is so good, and I easily recall this scene.
The only thing that keeps it from being Memorable is the number of people who have read it. I think it's a great scene and sets the stage for a lifelong battle between the man and the woman.

Another remembered scene: In St. Agnes' Stand when the man rides away and leaves the little boy, and the little boy runs after him, crying, "Take me with youuuuu!" Breaks my heart every time.

Memorable Scenes: Of course, the last scene in the movie Gone With the Wind qualifies. I think without a doubt Rhett's last words to Scarlet, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." was Memorable. Scarlet had plenty of good scenes, and I remember and recall almost all of them. But even her raised fist to Heaven scene, in which she says, "I will never go hungry again!", does not rank as Memorable.

Oliver Twist: The young boy says, "Please, sir, I want some more." Why is this Memorable? Because of the horror of what the man does to the child, and the words said, adding that the boy would be hung. Who can read that and not feel rage and hatred for the man, and pity and admiration for the boy?




A scene that becomes Memorable, in my opinion, has shock value and enormous emotion.
Also, the number of times it is repeated probably helps make it Memorable.

 

 

 

 

These quotes are from Memorable scenes in movies, and perhaps were books first:

"Here's looking at you, kid."

"I couda been a contender."

"Make him an offer he can't refuse."

"You talkin' to me?"

"Shane! Come back!"

"You can't handle the truth."

 

Remember these scenes? They're listed as Memorable.

Mrs. Robinson's leg shot.

The Box of Chocolates scene.

The girl in the red coat.

The shower scene.

Apparently we remember visual scenes better than we do those we read. Probably, the level of the reader's memory coupled with the number of times it's repeated makes the scene Memorable.
I've read so many books, I'm certain there were some Memorable scenes in some of them.

What have I missed?
Do you recall a Memorable scene in a book you've read?
Do you think you've written a Memorable scene?

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)
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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 Do Authors Begin a Story?

BANNER CREATED by LK HUNSAKER

I'm often asked, "How do you think up all these stories?" And most often, I don't have a good answer. Usually, I respond by saying, "I don't know--they just come to me in some way and I start writing."
The person asking, as a general rule, accepts that and moves along. Readers don't really want to hear a long explanation--I'm fairly certain of that. But I should have a good concise answer.

Most readers believe authors have some mechanism inside their brains that turn on the writing gene. Maybe we do, and even though most people believe they could never do that, I bet they could! After all, if I can write novels, so can almost anyone.

To help with the question, I asked a few friends, "How do you begin a novel?" They gave me some wonderful answers. See for yourself.

Maggie Toussaint (Death, Island Style, a Cozy Mystery--Available now)
I begin a novel with an idea. Sometimes a picture or a situation jogs the idea, but the idea won’t let me be until I get it fleshed out. Then I make sure the characters inhabiting that idea are at cross-purposes and have the most to lose by someone else attaining their goal. My goal as an author is to marry plot to character from the start of the novel and carry that uneasy alliance through the story to a satisfying conclusion.

LK Hunsaker (Rehearsal: Of Chaotic Currents, due Dec. 2012, Literary Romance With An Artsy Twist)
My novels always begin with a particular situation, personal or social, and then a character builds around that situation as he or she tries to figure out how to handle it. It rolls around in my head a while as the character starts to breathe, then I open a new file and start writing. Research is done as I need it.

Barbara Edwards (Ancient Awakening, Intense Romance With an Edge-Available now)
My books always start from a vivid dream. I wake up with an important scene playing in my head, usually the  beginning and I know the ending, too. Takes me time to fill in the middle. The best part is I have seen the most important person either hero or heroine, sometimes both.

Cheryl Pierson (Temptation's Touch, Romantic Suspense-Available now)
Every story I've ever written comes from one key scene that I want to write. It can be in the middle, toward the end, or close to the beginning. I don't usually outline until I'm well on my way into the story, and even then it's a "timeline" rather than an outline of the plot points. If I can start with one scene, I can write forward or backward from it. Another thing that helps is having an idea as to what time of year it is going to be set in.

Stephanie Burkhart (A Gentleman and a Rogue, A Steampunk Romance, release date Nov. 11)
I outline a rough plot, knowing there's room for change. I then cast the characters and make character bios. Then I research the setting. Lastly, I plot out the opening, trying to make it "action" orientated with the hero/heroine involved.

Now, I have a better idea of how stories come to me. My stories always begin with a character, either a man or a woman. The person is in some sort of scene--

A man walking along a dusty road--Why is he walking on a road? What catches his attention? How is he dressed? Why is he dressed that way?

A young woman waits for the train to arrive--Who is she waiting for? Is she anxious or happy? How is she dressed? Where is the location of the train depot? 

 A well dressed young woman running away in a horse and buggy--Why is she dressed up to run away? Whose buggy is it? Who is she running from? What did this person do to make her run away?

 Now, I get it. It's clearer now how I begin a story. Always with a character--never the scenery or the weather or any other explanation.

 As varied as these answers are, I suspect each writer has her/his own way of beginning a story.

If you are a writer, how do you begin a story?

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