Acquiring a Webpage.

 One thing that has worked out amazingly well, was the offer we saw from a company that creates websites; something I have never had out of not knowing how to do it. Well, PI Webworks knows how and did a fantastic job. Some of what they did, I did not realize would be so important. Well, I believe it now. 

The link for this website is alongside here, but I wanted to say more about what has pleased  me so much with their work. At this point, it's not finished but that's not due to them. It's because I wanted new covers for my contemporary romances, which are based in the West of today. When I first brought these books out, they'd been written from the 1970s, up into the 2000s. To make the earliest ones fit modern times , took a year, 2011 to bring them up to date. You only realize how much things had changed during those years, when you edit the way we communicated.

 

I thought it'd be fun to put one of those books, written in the 1970s, here as a demonstration of how books evolve. When I first wrote this story of a rodeo romance set in Pendleton, Oregon, I typed it out with the usual corrections made with white-out. I stuffed it into a box from which paper had come, and never submitted it anywhere.

It was set in 1974, about when I wrote it, because I knew a lot about rodeo then, but practically nothing about it today. Resetting books works with many as it doesn't matter about the main stories. Where it comes to rodeo, rules change, and it changes the stories. It's the only one, aside from historicals where resetting the time would have mattered.

When I got interested in the option of being an independent writer, I dug it out from under the bed. It was all there except the last three or four pages, the climax lol. How could I have lost them? Well, I had to think long and hard what I had originally written. That was just the beginning of writing it all again, this time on a computer, and editing it multiple times in the future. 

As I said, communications have changed so much and maybe will even more. With more edits, the essence of this book stayed the same regarding young love and its pitfalls especially with the drama of rodeo, and two people coming from very different backgrounds. The last time I edited, it, I added an epilogue for how it worked out for those two and where they ended up. Were their dreams fulfilled or lost? That's the fun of writing. 

How to buy it will be in the website if I can get the contemporaries added. For now, it's on Amazon: Luck of the Draw.

Because the contemporaries came out, most of them in 2012, I had no clue how to help readers find them. They have since fallen into Amazon's black hole, to disappear to an average search. I believe in them for their characters and the reason each was written. As I have said, I don't follow popular themes for romances, which might be a mistake in terms of marketing, but I believe in it where it comes to increasing my own creativity.

So, hopefully we can get Romances with an Edge added to the webpage, leaving only the three Diablo Canyon novellas not there. And, of course, the books I have yet to write, the ones churning around in my head.

 Here is the URL for the webpage: Rain Trueax Books to see the creative collaboration that led to a place for potential readers to find the books and maybe increase their own creativity.

 And for those needing a website for many kinds of businesses, check out what  PI Webworks offers. I totally trusted them as Period Images is where I've gotten many of the images for heroes and heroines.  To me, they have always seemed honorable and trying to do a good job for writers.

Christmas in fiction

by Rain Trueax

There were years when I had a big footprint where it came to Christmas. It goes back to childhood with Santa coming Christmas Eve, and then Christmas Day with our family, aunts, uncles, grandma, and cousins for big meals and more gifts. When Ranch Boss and I formed our own home, there was always a Christmas tree and more gift giving through all the years of child rearing-- even as they formed their own homes and grandkids came along. 

Regularly, we'd have a big dinner at our home twice-- first one for neighbors and friends with even luminaries to light the driveway, second for family and again some friends, who didn't have family nearby. I loved the preparation, the decorating, the sharing, and setting up three tables for sit-down dinners. 

In decorating, I had Christmas nativities, ornaments that went back to childhood, collectible ornaments (some hand painted), white twinkly lights, and a huge Christmas village. Lots of greens were cut, along with a Christmas tree along with many white candles.

We generally did the Advent calendars and, in Catholic days, attended midnight masses (that is so special). Then out here in the rural community church, we were involved in Christmas programs. It's a busy season when someone is in a community.

What it's about

Sometimes, in life we need breaks. Those can be to reflect, rest, or just sit back and be for awhile. There are times to ask-- Where do we want to go with our lives? If you are young, you might think those questions get answered by the time you get old. They haven't for me. My life has continued to offer new challenges and choices-- many I never dreamed would be part of my old age.

Looking back, something I don't do often, I see that my life has broken down into quiet periods and those with more stress involved. As a writer, we call that a WW. You write high tension, then give breaks for release before it starts again. Of course, a book has an ending. Ours only comes with death-- if then. We write WWWs because it's how life is for most of us. Maybe some are able to protect themselves from the stress times, but for those involved with others, care about their lives, they realistically can't as they will be caught in their WWWs.

What follows is a little blog break for fun and something about the inspiration for my writing and life. For some of you, that break would involve reading a classic novel, cooking a gourmet meal, or listening to classical music. Me, I am a simple farm type gal and my break involves simple, basic thoughts. I will be using a couple of YouTubes to illustrate those themes and feelings.

In my romances, the hero and heroine face challenges. The first YouTube has a hero with a duty and facing a life and death challenge. Duty is an issue for most of us- to lesser degrees, of course.  I like Marty Robbins for his songs of the  West and some mythic themes. This song is brought to life with movie scenes.

The next song is Ian Tyson's-- about an aspect of life we all face-- if we get old enough. Where did it all go? The singer is remembering the past and choices-- wondering if he made the right ones. Old now, he's looking back on years when he had strength and abilities that made him proud-- but did he hold onto something too long or release it too soon? 

One thing about Ian Tyson's songs is they are not country western but are Western. They depict the West as it has been and still is many places. When you have time to explore his music, you'll find it speaks to nature, animals, and yes, ordinary lives.

The key in the best westerns, for those who enjoy them, is finding ground between what we know it was really like, due to research, and the mythology that quickly became an important part of the story of the West. The real West could be brutal and didn't offer happy endings for a lot of folks. We get enough of that in reading our newspapers. What westerns and western romances provide are places where we can find that happy ending. The rug by the way in the video looks more Mexican in color than Navajo-- maybe even Pendleton blanket, which wouldn't be very good in a song probably... :). In addtion, I own three, gorgeous Navajo rugs and can't imagine making love on any of them (scratchy) that's where the mythology comes in.

As an addendum here, when I began publishing my books, I learned books have teaser trailers that use music, images, and words. Who knew! I learned of them when I came across the topic in an Amazon forum for writers. I learned the formats and what it would take-- like buying music where I could get the rights at a reasonable or even free price (You will be kicked off YouTube if you use popular music without permission-- and permission is generally either impossible or too expensive). To create the slideshow, I also needed to find the right images and words. I've done that now for almost all of my books. I don't do it to sell books. I do it for the love of the process and for my characters.

 

You can find more of my trailers on their own site and my YouTube channel.

Rain Trueax YouTube Channel
Rainy Day Trailers

Samhain

by Rain Trueax

Most know that Halloween is October 31st, a holiday that some consider All Hallow's Eve, but it has Celtic and pagan roots where it is known as Samhain. Pagan holidays like Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain follow a yearly tradition of seasons with spiritual connotations. 

Samhain is the day when the 'other' side is closer to human life than usual, where some put up altars to their relatives who have departed because they feel the veil is most easily pierced. It's not surprising why costumes like ghosts or witches have been popular for the parties or trick-or-treating.

In my books, I've sometimes used these celebrations. Samhain is in one of my Oregon historicals, [Love Waits], and I plan it will be (with more of its spiritual meaning) in the work in progress. 

In the historical, it was for fun and showed the family's growing strength where marriages happened and children began to grow up. Jed (hero from Going Home) wanted to share with his Oregon family the Scottish and Southern traditions with which he'd grown up.

Here's a bit from the fourth in the Oregon series-- a teaser for the family as well as readers for what might be coming. 

from Love Waits:

Belle headed back down the hall and looked in on Rand before she went to the children’s rooms. The girls were already whispering and so she opened the door without knocking. Jessica seemed enamored of whatever Laura was telling her. She looked up at Belle. “Samhain,” she said. “That’s what it is next week. Did you know that?”

“No, I did not. What does it mean?”

“It’s when we play games and bob for apples, and something Uncle Jed called Puicini. It’s kind of fortune telling. Do you think that’s bad?”

Belle smiled. “Not at all. How do you play it?”

“You are blindfolded and then there are four saucers in front of you. They are moved around. The one you choose is what your next year will be full of.”

“And the saucers are each?

“Earth, water, beans, and money. I guess we all want money as not sure what the others would mean.” Laura grinned. “Uncle Jed said they do this from where he came. It’s a nighttime game. He said sometimes even with fireworks. I haven’t yet gotten to do it but they said we will tomorrow night.”

“It sounds like great fun especially the bobbing for apples.”

“It might be pagan.” Laura’s face took on a worried expression.

“It doesn’t sound like that,” Belle said as she helped Jessica out of her nightgown and into a dress. “It sounds like it is nature oriented. Working the earth and it yielding all you wanted, would be like a garden. The water would be maybe a trip.” She smiled as she considered other options. “Or enough rain to keep the land good. “Beans would be food, and of course, we know what money is, don’t we.”

“He said they sometimes decorate for it too. It’s also about the ones who... went before us. Kind of, I think.”

“Then even better.”

“Except, he said sometimes there are ghost stories,” Laura said. “That might be scary.”

Now Elizabeth and Jessica looked worried. “What’s a ghost?” Jessica asked.

Laura looked at Belle for help.

“Well ghost stories are just for fun. They are supposed to scare us but in a way that we know it’s not real. So you get tingles up your spine.” She reached over and tickled up Elizabeth’s back. “And they can be about mysteries where nobody knows what really happened, and they tell stories to try and figure it out. Does your Uncle Jed have some ghost stories that he shares?” she asked trying to turn this back to Laura. She hoped she had said nothing to interfere with what Amy had been teaching.

“Uncle Jed said he would tell us one. One he had been told when he was a little boy. It has to be in the dark though. He said anyone could tell a ghost

story if they wanted. Do you know any?”

Belle smiled remembering how she had admired her older sisters and wanted them to show interest in her. Now she had a niece. She had not thought how important a responsibility that was.

“Well, if I think of one, I’ll definitely share it.”

Laura, Elizabeth and Jessica smiled broadly.

“And I forgot,” Belle said, “head to the kitchen. Breakfast is ready.”

All images from Stencil

 

Guest Author: Sheila Hollinghead

One nice feature of cutting back on how many blogs I post has been being able to invite other authors to post here. Some don't write anything like I do, which gives my readers a chance to see the diversity out there among romance authors. I consider that a win/win.

Sheila Hollinghead, an army brat, was born in Nuremberg, Germany. When she was ten, her father was stationed in Toul, France where she discovered a treasure trove of books hiding in the furnace room. The house was rumored to be the former headquarters of the Nazi Party with bullet holes decorating the foyer as evidence. The books she found, sci-fi, mysteries, fantasy, and the classics, opened her mind to the power of story.

Raised on army bases, she lived many places, none “home” until she returned to south Alabama. She lives with her husband, three dogs, and two cats near the farms where her ancestors struggled to scratch a living from the ground.

She agrees with Emily Dickinson who said, "I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it until it begins to shine."

Hollinghead is active in her community, heading up her local food bank with the help of her husband. She also participates in meals-on-wheels and WinGS (Women in God's Service) who visit the sick and shut-ins.

Her newest book, Abby and Joshua, will be out September 30th but is available for preorder now at Amazon.   Special Announcement: On the day of release, Sheila Hollinghead will be giving away six Down to the River swag packs. Items include six paperback copies of all three novellas in one book, Down to the River. Also included will be magnets with pictures of horses, cowboy hat chains, bracelets, and other great prizes. Two of the six winners will also receive coffee mugs. For more details, visit Sheila’s Facebook Author Page on September 30^th.

Amazon Link, Abby and Joshua:

https://www.amazon.com/Abby-Joshua-Romantic-Western-Novella-ebook/dp/B074JH26HN/

Description for Abby and Joshua:  

Sometimes the force of a tornado pulls us from the mire, but other times, the soft breath of a cowboy is all that is required.

 A good-looking, young cowboy keeps showing up at Abby Harrington's door ... even at the most inopportune times. Abby is older than he is, not to mention heavily pregnant and with a brood of children. Besides, she is still legally married and distrustful of men.

Why, then, does she slowly respond to the cowboy's friendship?

The return of her man from her past thrusts Abby into a life-threatening situation. Will she have the strength, knowledge, and faith needed to survive?

The soft breath of a cowboy gives her everything she needs.

Excerpt from Abby and Joshua:

Mrs. Franklin entered her room with a young lady. “I’d brought Miss Williams by to meet you.”

Abby’s heart sank. Miss Williams couldn’t have been more than twenty and had a vibrant beauty. Her aqua-colored eyes contrasted with her dark, glossy hair, mostly pulled sedately back in a bun. Sprigs of curly hair framed her perfect face. Rosy cheeks and naturally pink lips made her a picture of health and vitality. Abby touched her own lips, remembering how pale they’d appeared only a minute before when she’d seen herself in the mirror.

She became aware the two ladies awaited her response. “How do you do, Miss Williams? Please let me know if my children do not attend properly to their lessons.”

“Oh, I’ve met your children! They’ll do fine, I’m sure. And such beautiful children! Your daughter looks so much like you.”

“Thank you,” she said automatically. She wasn’t sure Miss Williams spoke the truth. Susie looked a lot like George as did Tait. Wade favored her the most.

“I’m so sorry you’re confined to bed. I’ll come back to visit when I can,” Miss Williams said.

Abby smiled and nodded. “Your company would be a pleasure.”

“I must hurry back to the children now. We begin our first lesson today. It was so nice to meet you, Mrs. Harrington.” Miss Williams gave a smile, revealing straight white teeth and hurried away.

Mrs. Franklin fetched the breakfast tray and set it across Abby’s knees. “Now, what would you like to talk about?”

“Are you from around here?” Abby asked.

“About ten miles south, as the crow flies. My husband and I had a small place, big enough for the two of us. God never blessed us with children. My husband passed last year, and I moved into town. When I saw this place needed a cook, I knew the Lord truly answers prayer. So, here I am!” She beamed at Abby and without prompting continued. “When I heard children lived here and a baby, with another on the way, my joy could not be contained. I love the wee ones so!”

A nod and smile was all that was needed for Mrs. Franklin to prattle on. Abby ate her breakfast, one of the best meals she’d ever tasted, and thought of Joshua. Miss Williams would be perfect for him. She was beautiful, and young, and most importantly, not encumbered with a bushel of children. Why would Abby even think for a moment he’d be interested in her?

Any attention he’d shown was simple pity. Her husband had run off with the housekeeper, and gossip was rampant on the ranch. He’d merely felt sorry for her and tried to be kind. Obviously, he was a God-fearing man.

Anyway, if she did like him, as she admitted she did, she’d only want his happiness at heart. Miss Williams would make him far happier than she ever could. And once he got a look at her, he’d never give Abby a second glance.

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