Gorgeous Hero, Stunning Heroine, and Free Books!

Who are the actor and actress I’ve chosen to play the role of my hero, Ricardo Romero, and my heroine, Cynthia Harrington? (More later about the identities of these movie stars.)

How does Cynthia Harrington see Ricardo? Here are a few of her thoughts, randomly selected. Maybe you will learn a little about this young man who eventually captures her heart, and if my actor fits the character.

“Why doesn’t he wear a Western hat like all the other men in Texas? Why does he have to wear those tight, brown pants with the silver conchos down the outside seams? And why must he wear those fancy-stitched boots, instead of nice, serviceable ones like everyone else?”

“He stood next to the mare with his arm slung over her back and his hat hanging down his by the cord. He looked young with his inky hair, mussed and errant strands falling over his forehead. He wasn’t as old as she thought.”

“Cynthia caught her breath when she perused his body, now clad only in cotton drawers. His appearance was almost wild, as if he was a savage who lived in the forest, but his smile was gentle, teasing, as he held his hand out to her.”

“She laid her hand upon his face and looked into his black eyes, made even darker with desire, and they seemed to bore into her soul, and even her heart.”

“Land sakes, alive; he was so different. Even his skin was dark, and his eyes resembled shining pieces of obsidian. And oh, such arrogance and haughtiness!”

How does Ricardo see Cynthia? Here are a few of his thoughts about her.

“Ricardo was an expert at handling women and horses. The little mare watched him with big baleful eyes, as if she dramatically and silently willed him to touch her. Women often looked at him the same way. This woman, though… This one was different. She was one reserved lady, and he knew without a doubt no man had ever laid a hand on her.”

“Carefully, she held the knife with the fruit on the tip, leaned to the side, and bit off a small chunk of sweet peach. The juice ran down her chin, but she daintily wiped it away. Again, her delicate, feminine lips wrapped around a bite. Ricardo held his breath each time, his eyes riveted on those lips and mouth. His heart beat hard and heavy in his chest, something it had never done in the presence of a beautiful woman.”

“Whatever she was doing, it unnerved him. Why was he tense and too aware of her? She had a way of smoothing errant strands of hair away from her face with her small, elegant hands. Her movements were slow and easy, as though she performed a private dance. So far, she hadn’t lost control or become hysterical, and for that, he was grateful. Couldn’t stand high-strung women.”

“He kissed her through the wet fabric, and instead of pulling away, she pushed toward him. She rolled her head back with her eyes closed. He saw a desirable woman. He saw her as his wife, his partner, his companion. Most of all, he felt the sensation of…falling under her spell.”
******************

For this contest, give me the names of the actor and actress I chose to portray Ricardo and Cynthia. If you don’t recognize them, go to Love Western Romances where I am in the Author Spotlight for the month. Read my interview and find the names. Please do not post the names on this blog; instead, you may e-mail the answers to me at celiayeary@yahoo.com I’ll choose winners from those who leave a comment. Thank you !

The link for Love Western Romances: http://www.lovewesternromances.com/
I’ll choose two winners—in the event of multiple correct answers, I’ll make a random selection. The winners may choose a pdf of All My Hopes and Dreams or a pdf of my newest release, a short novel titled Showdown in Southfork (A Wayback, Texas novel.)

Celia Yeary
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa
http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/
ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Cactus Rose—
eBook available at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
Print available now at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Review Your Own Book--An Insider's Tips

A reviewer uses the same guidelines as any good writer, so allow me to explain that there’s nothing secretive or magical about the process of reviewing. In my opinion, a good reviewer points out a few weaknesses in the novel, as well as the strengths. Depending on the way the scales tip, a reviewer will give a mediocre, fantastic, or a poor score. I can safely say no reviewer wants to give someone’s special project a low score.

I had the distinct pleasure of reviewing for a short while. The only drawback to the task is the time factor. A reviewer uses much of her/his valuable time to read the book and write the review—usually with no or few perks. But I enjoyed it, and I may take on another review task when I feel I have extra time to do the assignment justice.

Receiving free books is one perk of the job. I read novels I never would have, because some of the genres weren’t my usual reading fare. In essence, I broadened my horizons in a positive manner.

I learned as much from reviewing as I did by reading how-to books, studying, or attending a writer’s group. Why? Because the Reviewer’s Guidelines impart a wealth of knowledge.
When you finish a manuscript, what methods do you use to self-check your writing? Self-editing guidelines? I have a set downloaded and use it all the time. Ask a partner to critique it? I do that, but on a limited basis. Another good method, to put the icing on the cake, is to consult a set of reviewer’s guidelines.
So, sit back, or grab a notepad and pen, and learn how to review your own book.

1. Is the title appropriate? I like titles that give a hint about the book. Have you ever picked up a book, read the title, and not have a clue about the contents? Titles may not be important to one person, but they may be to another. Also, a reader doesn’t want a title that sounds like peaches and cream, but turns out to be a murder mystery.

2. Are the hero and heroine multidimensional and interesting? Are their goals apparent? Will a reader understand details and reasons for their behavior? Are their actions believable and not forced or contrived? Does each have internal and external roadblocks?

3. Does the plot gather momentum as the story moves forward? Pacing can make or break a book. Think of one you’ve recently read. Did the action slow to a crawl, bogged down in backstory? Is the pace appropriate for the targeted line?

4. Does the story evoke emotions? As a reader this is extremely important. If I don’t shed a tear, have chills down my back, sit on the edge of my seat, can’t put it down, laugh, or sigh—then the book has not touched me. I must like the heroine, or if she annoys me a little, I must see a reason for this behavior and believe she’ll change.

5. Is the storyline interesting and exciting? Storyline—the skeletal framework of a novel. Does the basic plot invoke some sort of feeling? Is it interesting and does it unfold naturally? Could it stand alone as an interesting book? Number five is the basis of a synopsis. You simply tell about the story—without the dialogue, the action, or the internal dialogue. This is why an editor wants a synopsis—to read the entire novel condensed into three pages.

6. Is the book original, different . . . or perhaps a bit too familiar? Ahhh, this can be tricky. You’ve begun to read stories that sounded too familiar, haven’t you? Probably, you weren’t certain you wanted to continue. Don’t you look for something original—a little different? So does a reviewer.

7. Are the transitions smooth during the storyline, or are there gaps? This one is the most difficult. What is a gap? I think it’s a lack of smooth transition. If the writer jumps from one scene to something unrelated with no warning, that takes me away from the story.

8. Does the ending leave you satisfied? Sigh! Cry. Pump your fist and say, yes! Comment to oneself—this was so good.

9. Is the dialogue well-balanced with the narrative, and believable and unique to each character? Example--the narrative written in a formal literary style, while the dialogue is breezy with many contemporary slang words. Or perhaps a character speaks in a formal manner to his best friend or wife, but speaks naturally and easy to his co-workers.

If you’ve ever entered an RWA contest and received critique sheets, you’ll find the same questions as you might find on a reviewer’s guide sheet. If you don’t like these suggestions, take the ideas you think are important and make your own review guideline sheet. In the end, you can review your own book. What score will you assign? Five Stars? Four Lumps of Sugar? Three Lattes? Try it. You may discover flaws in your book you never caught before. Then, you can repair the damage before a real reviewer gets her hands on it.

Celia Yeary
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa
http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/
ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Cactus Rose—
eBook available at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
Print available now at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

Chocolate Layer Cake? Must be my birthday!!

Every birthday, Mother baked a chocolate layer cake for me. In my family, no one had a party or received gifts—we got a cake with candles and had our picture taken with a Kodak Brownie box camera. I never attended a birthday party as I grew up. Did anyone during those years have parties? I don’t know. I never knew anyone who had a party.

These three photos are samples of me holding my cake. I actually have one for every year until I graduated from high school, but I didn’t want to bore you with all of them. You’ll get the idea from these three.

The first snapshot (upper left) shows me on my fifth birthday, and obviously, the cake was heavy, for the plate leaned precariously to the side. You notice I’ve already had my first permanent, because my hair is naturally straight as a stick. Daddy had taken a job with an oil company, and we moved twice a year for six years in a big circle on the South Plains of Texas. So, this might have been our first location during those six years.

The second snapshot (right) shows me on my eighth birthday, and I held that cake listing to the side, too. There must be something wrong with my inner balance, because I can’t hold a plate perfectly horizontally. At least I’m dressed in this photo. Notice the 1940 Ford sedan? That’s ours. We kept that car for fifteen years. You can’t beat those old Fords.

The third snapshot (left)shows me on my eleventh birthday, and thank goodness, I’m dressed properly. But there again, the plate tilts to the side. I wonder if Mother’s cakes cooked unevenly so that one side of the layer cake was heavier than the other side. Probably not—she was an excellent cook. No, it has something to do with my equilibrium.

Weeks ago, my husband and I bought a scanner. We pulled down a couple of boxes filled with old snapshots and photographs, and away we went. In going through the stacks, I almost re-lived those years I was a carefree, happy child. Honestly, I never remember being unhappy.

My teacher friends gave me my first party when I turned forty. That was, undoubtedly, one of the biggest surprises of my life. I had no idea they planned a party for me. All twelve of us sat down at a table in a restaurant, and I noticed that presents filled the middle of the table. My good friends stood, and announced—“Happy birthday, Celia!” My lands, I began to cry and laugh at the same time. They surprised me so much, I became giddy.

But you know? I looked around the table, but I did not see a chocolate layer cake. How could I have a birthday without one?

Celia Yeary
http://www.celiayeary.com/
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thebookspa
http://twrpcactusrose.blogspot.com/
ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS-a Cactus Rose—
eBook available at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
Print available now at: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/