DB Authors Speak up! What they were for Halloween

Enjoy this fun post as several DB authors talk about Halloween.




SADIE & SOPHIE CUFFE
Authors of: Arrow that Flies
"Sadie and I decided to dress up as farmer/writers, just for the day. hahaha. If we wore costumes, the goats would freak out! Although it would've been fun to dress up the goats... hmmmm, I'm thinking Nigerian Dwarf Unicorns. LOL."





CELIA YEARY
Author of: Texas Promise and Texas True
"I'm going to be a woman with silver hair sitting in my jammies with my feet up on my recliner, with a glass of red wine, my Kindle open to a Western Historical romance, and watching--half-heartedly--whatever we decide to watch on TV. P.S.We live in the country--it's dark as a dungeon out here--no street lights--our house sits back in trees--no Trick-or-Treaters come to our house."



BARBARA SCOTT
Author of: Talk of the Town and West of Heaven
"This year I have door duties. so I will not be anything. My most memorable Halloween was when I was Miss Piggy. I could not wear my glasses due to the pig nose and to stay in character. I was going to a party at a co-worker's I'd never been to before. I arrived and did not recognize anyone at the party. I was given a drink. Everyone complimented me on my costume. It wasn't until 20 minutes later when no one who came in was familiar that I finally realized I was at the wrong house. My co-worker lived three houses down the street!"




STEPHANIE BURKHART
Author of: Danube in Candlelight and Victorian Scoundrel
"I was going to go as Spongebob (and I still might because time is not on my side) But I got everything I need - including a blonde wig - to be Daenerys from Game of Thrones. I even got the dragons."




JILLIAN CHANTEL
Author of: Redemption for the Devil
"I'm going as a 1920s Gatsby girl. We're dressing up at work. I actually told a friend I got a great Gatsby dress and then realized my unintentional pun. Lol."






DANIELLE THORNE
Author of: The Privateer and By Heart and Compass
"I'm going as a voodoo witch, or Tia Dalma, from Pirates of the Caribbean. I dyed
my hair brown and rolled it in dreadlocks. Crazy, but fun. We "act" at our
neighborhood Haunted Mansion which also features pirate ships and now a swamp
with Tia Dalma's hut."







MARION KELLEY BULLOCK
Author of: Christmas Stranger and He Wants Me Dead
"Several years ago, I was "Bashful, the clown," stretchy face and all. In our parade, I I danced in the street. Can't manage that now. It almost did me in back then. But it was fun!"


So...fess up. What were you for Halloween?
Smiles
Steph

Author Spotlight week - Celia Yeary shares her favorite author

My favorite author’s books are the only ones I collected. Her name is LaVyrle Spencer, and she wrote twenty-two books, and then retired. I ran across one of her books in the early nineties, just as I had discovered romances, and became hooked. For the next few years, I struggled to find all her novels, for they were already ten to fifteen years old when I discovered them.
In recent years, a publisher has re-released all the books with new, more modern covers. I have some of the old ones, mixed with some new ones.

Each novel is vastly different. By that, I mean she didn’t write one genre, but wrote a general kind of story that we probably couldn’t specifically categorize. She writes with an unmatched style, with much angst, longing, and yearning. Her characters are the most unique, yet common people who could easily be real. I have read one several times.

One sentence examples:
A young man who loses his wife, and his two young daughters’ teacher, a young nun who wants to give up her vows, eventually marry.

A bum during the Depression marries a “crazy widow woman” who turns out to be quite sane and provides him with a home and family.

A seamstress with a lame leg works next door to a saloon, and confronts the sexy saloon owner when he tries to hang a painting of a nude woman over the bar.

When her husband dies, a woman in her forties once again becomes involved with her teenage lover, and she is horrified by his drinking, whoring ways. (This is the best of the lot—titled The Hellion.)

Opening lines from: The Hellion:
“It was well know around Russellville, Alabama, that Tommy Lee Gentry drove like a rebellious seventeen-year-old, drank like a parolee fresh out, and whored like a lumberjack at the first spring thaw.”

I recommend reading some of her books and see a master in action.

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
New Releases
Texas Promise-eBook-Desert Breeze Publishing
Making the Turn-print & eBook-Wings ePress

Author Spotlight Week - Celia Yeary shares her favorite movie

I’m not a huge movie fan, and abhor much of the violence, silliness, and downright stupidity of many of today’s movies. Movie-goers do not know what they missed. One wonderful movie they probably missed is PICNIC, a 1955 romance, starring William Holden—a very young, very virile William Holden—lovely Kim Novak, and Cliff Robertson. “Small town lovers who face many complications because of his drifter background and her wealthy important background.”

The plot takes place over a Labor Day weekend. William Holden—Hal—drifts into town riding the rails and looks up a college buddy, Kim Novak’s brother. But Hal never finished college and ended up “no damn good.” But he is good—just misguided and lonely. Kim falls for him, but keeps it to herself, knowing she’d upset everyone in town, especially her parents.

Kim’s brother pretends to welcome Hal, hoping he’ll go away. But Hal ses Madge (Kim) and hangs around, involving himself in the activities of the day—a river parade in which Madge is the queen, a town picnic, and Madge’s family in general.
This move is filled with poignant longings and yearnings, jealousy, hatred, loneliness, embarrassments, angst, and deep sadness and hurt.

A good romance author would recognize the external conflicts, the internal conflicts, and the inappropriate attraction between Hal and Madge. In a confrontation with Madge’s brother, Hal learns he is really despised, and that the family had made a supreme effort to tolerate him. Damaged and devastated, Hal speaks to Madge alone and entices her to run away with him.
I’ve watched this movie numerous times over the years, and if it came on AMC or TCM, I’d drop everything to sit and watch it.


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

http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
New Releases
Texas Promise-eBook-Desert Breeze Publishing
Making the Turn-print & eBook-Wings ePress

Author Spotlight Week - Celia Yeary shares her passion for Westerns

Romance? Didn’t read it. None, zip, nada. Too trite, I’d heard—the novels always ended the same way—happily-ever-after. Same plot, boy meets girl, they fall in love, have a falling-out, make-up, get married. “What’s wrong with that?” I asked a cynical friend who only read literary works.

Then, one day in 1990, I visited a used-book store and bought a paperback by Janet Dailey titled
This Calder Range. I couldn’t put it down. Remember, I love Westerns, and this even had a HEA. I fell in love. I searched the used-book stores and eventually the library until I’d found and read all ten in the Calder series. Her latest, I believe, was released a couple of years ago. From there, I discovered LaVyrle Spencer, a master of romance writing, Dorothy Garlock, Maggie Osborne, Linda Lael Miller, and Jodi Thomas—plus many more. I still search for new authors who write exciting, satisfying Western Romance.

In 2004, I sat down and began to write a story. And yes, it was a Western romance—a historical. Probably I’ll never be in the same category with my favorite authors, but each one has been an inspiration and a benchmark for me.

Why do I write the West? I find it difficult to put into words.
The Last Frontier, perhaps? 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 feeling 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 like falling in love.


Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
New Releases
Texas Promise-eBook-Desert Breeze Publishing
Making the Turn-print & eBook-Wings ePress

Author Spotlight Week - Q&A with Celia Yeary

I'd like to welcome author Celia Yeary to the blog day. Celia is a dear friend from the Book Spa and I'm tickled pink to have her here today.

STEPH: I don't know much about Texas Promise. Can you tell us a little about the story?

CELIA: It’s the first in a two-book series called “The Cameron Sisters,” which developed from the first novel about their father Jeffrey “Buck” Cameron and their mother, Marilee Weston, titled TEXAS BLUE. In the end of that first novel, there were two daughters—Josie and True. So, I wrote a novel for each of the sisters and the two became The Cameron Sisters: Books I and II.
TEXAS PROMISE tells the story of the older daughter Josephine Cameron who married her childhood sweetheart, Dalton King. But as adults, they don’t get along as well as they did as children, resulting in Dalton leaving after three weeks to join the Texas Rangers. The plot is complicated when he is presumed dead, but returns just as Jo is packing to leave for the New Mexico Territory to meet her birth father.

STEPH: What was in the inspiration for the story?

CELIA: I wanted Jo to meet her wicked birth father, but I needed a way for her to get from Austin, Texas to the wilds of the New Mexico Territory to do so. Also important was for her to marry Dalton, so I made him a Texas Ranger so he could lead her to her father and protect her at the same time. The rigorous journey gave me the opportunity for Jo and Dalton to become reunited and fall in love, for real this time, instead of childhood love.

STEPH: How long have you been writing?

CELIA: About six years. I’m still considered a newbie, I guess, but I’m a fast learner and very motivated when I learn something new. I never wrote a thing in my life before 2004.

STEPH: How do you create your characters? Do you cast them? If so, who are the leads?

CELIA: This question always stumps me. The characters just appear. I can’t explain “creating” them, can you? Sometimes I do cast characters, but not often, and if I do, I don’t remember the actor I used. Dalton is tall, dark, a little somber (unlike his sunny personality as a child), a good man who wants to do the right thing. Jo was an isolated child, which made her a little timid of the outside world. But when she did break out, she blossomed into a courageous, bold, independent woman.

STEPH: What attracts you to writing westerns?

CELIA: So many possibilities to write a story! I can include danger, adventure, hardships, Western vistas, horses, and a way of life that made our country great.

STEPH: How did the story find a home with Desert Breeze?

CELIA: Finding a publisher with an open mind to a two-book series ready to go isn’t as easy as you’d think. I heard “let’s do the first one, then we’ll see about the second one.” I could have gone that way, but I held on to them, and just as I wouldn’t separate sisters, I couldn’t take the chance I might not get the second one with the same publisher. But Desert Breeze stated in the guidelines the exact words I looked for—that they were interested in series, especially if they were fully developed. Yessss!

STEPH: Do you have any hobbies you'd like to share with us?

CELIA: Reading and writing—now—takes up much of my time. Before writing, I learned how to play golf at age 40, and played hard and fast for years. I had to give that up for various reasons, and I cast about looking for something else. In my younger adult years, I did crewel embroidery and created some very pretty things, mostly as gifts. When I tired of that, I made wreaths—for gifts. When I wore that one out, I painted t-shirts—to give away. After that, I made scrapbooks—as gifts! In between all that, I earned two degrees and taught high school biology.

SETPH: What's your favorite place to visit in Texas? A festival? A town? the coast?

CELIA: I have visited all over Texas, and lived in almost every corner. My favorite is Big Bend National Park, and the towns close by—Alpine, Marfa, and Marathon. Very interesting and unique and wild.

STEPH: Fun question: If you were a NASCAR driver, who would you want to sponsor your car?

CELIA: American Airlines and maybe they’d let me always fly First-Class and Free!

Featured September Release - Texas Promise by Celia Yeary

ABOUT THE BOOK:

After two years, Jo 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 from 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?

EXCERPT:

"You're going? Tell me you're not making this trip. Who's going with you? Surely you're traveling with someone." His voice rose once more.

Now, she really did fly off the handle. There was no reasoning with him, no normal conversation. All he could do was accuse, question, and demand. Well, she'd had enough. She slammed out the back door into the twilight.

In instant motion, Dalton slammed out right after her.

"You come back here and answer me!"

She whirled around and leaned from the waist. Pointing a finger at him, she said, "You... you can go to... perdition!"

He came close, spread his legs, and hooked his fingers on his hips. Thrusting his head toward her, he said, "What? I've never heard you talk like that. And the word is 'hell,' lady, 'hell!' Say it! Tell me to go to hell!"

"You... you can go to... hell! There, I said it! That's the only place for you now! It's certainly not with me! You... you abandoned me! And, and you humiliated me! Furthermore... you--" The tears bubbled up from the crack in her heart, spilled over, down her cheeks, and into the corner of her mouth. Sobbing and shaking, she made one last attempt at getting her point across. "I... I h-hateyou!"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Celia Yeary is a eighth-generation Texan, and her life revolves around family and friend --- and writing. San Marcos has been her home for thirty-five years. She has written three romance novels for a small press, essays for Texas Co-op Power magazine, and several different topics for her weekly blog. She also writes women's fiction and hopes a publisher comes along who likes these stories, too.

The author is a former science teacher, graduate of Texas Tech University and Texas State, mother of two, grandmother of three, and wife of a wonderful, supportive Texan. Celia and her husband enjoy traveling, and both are involved in their church, the community, and the university as retired faculty.

Desert Breeze congratulates Celia on her latest release!

Meet Desert Breeze Author, Celia Yeary!

Hi everyone. I just wanted to give a big shout to Celia who has recently joined the team of authors here at Desert Breeze. Celia has several books with Wild Rose Press and is very active on the 'net with her blog. Celia lives in Texas. And without any further, here she is. Welcome, Celia. Steph

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I was a product of the Nifty Fifties, although at that time, no one realized we were "nifty." As many of my classmates did, I married very young, had two babies, and set my course on being the very best mommy and wife in town. What was good enough for Betty Crocker was good enough for me. Then the Sixties roared in, forcing citizens to take part in the revolution or stay home. Well, I didn't have a draft card to burn, and my bra wasn't big enough to make much of a flame—besides, my mother always told me to keep my underwear on—but I didn't want to stay home anymore, either.

The term "women's lib" rolled in, and not knowing the exact meaning, I did know it had something to do with older women going back to college. By older, for me, I mean in my mid-twenties. After much discussion with my heaven-sent husband, he agreed to work at two jobs, sixteen hours a day, so I could earn a degree. Since he already had two and I'd helped him, it was my turn. Degree in hand, I entered the teaching force.

Fortunate for me, I retired early—very early. After volunteering, study groups, and church activities, I learned to play golf. Then, in 2004, I sat down at the computer and began to write a story. I'd never written anything in my life other than science research papers, so how amazed do you think I was when an entire novel appeared on the screen? Really!

That began a love affair with the written word and how I had the ability to create stories. And create I did! After two years, I had a dozen novels in my files. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Today, I'm a very ordinary person who got lucky and sold some of those stories. When a friend or acquaintance in town learns of my new vocation, she or he (yes, some men) are stunned. "What?" they might say. "I thought you were a sweet, kind lady who poured tea and made crumpets." Ha-ha. If only, they knew.

My husband is my best friend. We have two lovely children who grew up to be successful, worthwhile adults, and we are proud grandparents of three young boys. Not a girl in the bunch. We were privileged to roam the world, sail on the high seas, and fly hither and yon. I'm an eighth generation Texan with roots back before Texas was even a Republic.

Every single day of my life, I wonder why I have been so extraordinarily blessed. "Life is a song; sing it."

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You can find Celia on the blogosphere at: http://celiayeary.blogspot.com