Monthly Archives: June 2010

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon – Book Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER – NO NEED TO LEAVE A COMMENT! THE WINNER WAS POSTED HERE.


If you want to enter the drawing, you must read Stephen Bly’s article and leave a comment about something you read in the article along with your email address! I’ll need your email address so that I can contact you to let you know if you’ve won! If you don’t refer to something in the article, then you won’t be entered into the drawing!

I’m pleased to host multi-published author Stephen Bly on my blog again! I found his article about research extremely interesting, especially the part about Research Through Memories! Stephen speaks about memories from the fifties. I fondly recall a lot of historic things that younger people don’t recall, mainly things in the seventies. Stephen has many memories for the fifties. Myself? I have many memories from the seventies. The seventies were fond times for me, filled with memories that I’d love to place into a book! 🙂

Read this very interesting article that Stephen Bly wrote, Fiction As Research:
Do They Sweat In Duke City?/Fiction As Research
By Stephen Bly
Copyright©2010

New Mexico heat blanketed Albuquerque that July like too many
covers in a stuffy cabin. . .the kind of day that you sweat from the
inside out and feel sticky dirt in places that you don’t ponder much
except in the shower.
From Cowboy For a Rainy Afternoon
Released: June 2010

Every novel’s got a place and time. That often means plenty of research. My next release, Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1954. So, I needed to know some things about a specific city, a state, and what the world was like that year.

Research Thru Travel
It’s tough, dirty work. . .but I love any time I can go to New Mexico. The only other site I’ve been that boasts similar layers of culture stacked one upon another: Rome. Yet, New Mexico’s still a cowboy state. From the Pecos River in the east to the Plains of San Agustin in the west, from the Sangre de Christo range in the north, to the “bootheel” in the south, it’s full of great ranching country. A perfect setting for a cowboy story.
My wife, Janet, and I drove up and down Historic Route 66 that runs through Albuquerque. It was known as the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road.” It was the primary route for those leaving the dust bowl of Oklahoma and moving to California during the Great Depression. Albuquerque was selected as a stop on the first transcontinental air route in the 1920s and Route 66 brought the first transcontinental motorists through the city.

Research Thru Study
Duke City is a nickname for Albuquerque, because it was named after Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, the Duke of Alburquerque. Later the spelling was changed because some influential person couldn’t pronounce the “R” in Alburquerque.
The cowboys in my story retire in Albuquerque, not Santa Fe, because even in 1954 the latter was becoming the artsy, celebrity spot it is today. These guys needed a cheap hotel and city amenities. So, Albuquerque suited them fine. Before there were retirement communities and senior citizen housing, some elderly lived in old downtown hotels. Well past their prime in attracting overnight guests, they catered to senior citizens who scraped by on something fairly new in the fifties: Social Security.
One of my favorite governors hails from New Mexico. Governor Lew Wallace authored the novel Ben-Hur (a movie made in 1959, starring Charleton Heston) and he also tried to negotiate with the notorious Billy the Kid. What an eclectic group of folks tramped the Old West.
A piece of historical tidbit. . .a hard thing for some readers to realize: in 1954 no one considered cigars or cigarettes or their second-hand smoke in any way harmful. That’s why you see so many actors and actresses lighting up in the movies of that period. Cowboys often carried peppermints, which were tasty, portable, and covered up the smell of such vices, at least so they thought.

Research Thru Learning the Language
The main challenge of fiction: the rhythm of the dialogue. I had to sit very still and listen to each character speak in order to get the timing right, along with the vocabulary.
Every era boasts its own unique language. Every region develops a dialect. For the writer, both can be learned through research and careful study. But tone, timing, and cadence can’t easily be taught. It’s better to be in your bones. A writer’s challenge is to develop instinct for tune as well as lyrics of speech. There has to be a natural flow.
To know the right lingo steps up a novel’s authenticity. In Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon I got to use a lot of the classic cowboy terms that got lost over the years. I tried to stick an interior explanation to explain a few that might confuse.
For instance, a McGee is cowboy slang for a 4-strand rope made of a maguey (century) plant.
A phrase often used on a cattle drive or roundup was “man at the pot.” That meant someone was at the coffee pot for a refill and that shout-out indicated the guy was to fill everyone’s cup.
To old cowboys, ‘nobby’ signified fine, expensive boots.
Pop/Grandpa would “do to ride the river with.” That’s the ultimate compliment for a cowboy. Crossing wild rivers with great herds of cattle exposed dangers for man and beast. Not a time to trust your safety to some rookie just learning the ropes.
“You never know the luck of a lousy calf”. . . one of my favorite cowboy sayings. Big, healthy, sturdy calves seem to fall of cliffs or get attacked by wolves. It’s the scrawny, worthless ones that live forever.
I’ve often wondered why we stopped using colorful words like ‘footpad.’ So called because of guys who pulled off their boots and snuck around in stocking feet, so no one would hear them.

Research Thru Memories
In 1954 an old man’s vision of feminine loveliness would be Bow, Grable, Monroe or Kelly. Grace Kelly in High Noon stole my own ten-year-old heart. However, I figured she wasn’t too smart because she couldn’t understand why Will Cane had to turn back. But I did. Shoot, that’s in a cowboy’s bones. But, my oh my, she surely was purdy.
My bedroom was stacked with White Owl cigar boxes, my granddad’s favorite cigar. He didn’t smoke them much; mainly he chewed them. And because I lived across the road from him, I got many of his boxes. Lots of childhood treasures can be stored in a cigar box.
I listened to Sergeant Preston on the radio. What memories. How I wanted to be a mountie and own a dog like King.
TV was a brand new technology in 1954. We hadn’t learned to sit comatose in front of one. . .yet.
One of the advantages of modern autos. . .they run so smooth there’s seldom a backfire. But those random air-shattering blasts from the old rigs added adventure to an otherwise ordinary, routine day. Me and my young pals surmised the sound as a gun blast from a bank robber making his get-away, even though my hometown had no bank. That fact didn’t darken my vivid 10-year-old imagination.
The summer of 1954, in Albuquerque, a 10-year-old boy becomes A Cowboy For a Rainy Afternoon.
Maybe I wasn’t born 100 years too late.

Stephen Bly
http://www.BlyBooks.com
http://www.twitter.com/BlyBooks.com

Available Now: Creede of Old Montana (hardback, Center Point)
Coming June 2010: Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (hardback, Center Point)
Find these books at www.Amazon.com or www.BlyBooks.com

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Questions From A Writer

I’d originally shut down my blog for the second half of May to get a submission out the door. I’m still working on that submission, and I hope to have those sample chapters and synopsis out the door sometime in June. I am making progress, which is good, and I’m hoping this will turn into another book contract. Currently, I’m not under contract for anything, and I just found out that my book, Chesapeake Weddings, is out of print already! 🙁

It’s still available online and in a few stores, but, the publisher has discontinued the title and they told me that they’re out of stock, and, so far, they have no plans for printing more copies of Chesapeake Weddings.

Anyway, I received the following questions from Lashonda:

I write romance fiction novels and young adult novels. I love your blog by the way I would love to read some of your books.

I was wondering how did you get published?
How did you get your books published by so many different publishing companies?

I talk a little bit about my journey to publication here and here.
If you want to get published traditionally/commercially, then you need to join a writers’ organization. If you do romance, your best options would be American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Once you join, interact with other writers at a writers conference. You can meet editors, agents, as well as mutli-published authors who’ll mix and mingle, and share loads of advice. You can also pitch your stories to editors and agents. That’s how I sold my first few books and I loved every minute of those conferences! 🙂

I want to be a traditional published author as well but I am worried about the rights to my work. Is there anyway I can be a published author and maintain all the rights to my writing?

About rights, I’m not lawyer, so, take the following advice with a grain of salt, but, when you traditionally publish, the copyright of the work is made in your name by the publisher. They register the copyright once they acquire your work for publication with the Library of Congress. If you look in most traditionally-published books, on one of the front pages – before the story begins, you’ll see the copyright symbol and then the author’s name and then the year. The publisher is simply “borrowing” your work for a specified period of time. For example, if you sell a book to Doubleday, you can’t turn around and self-publish that book yourself on the side – that would be unethical. The publisher has the rights to publish your book and pay you a percentage in royalties for each copy sold. Royalty percentages vary and I believe that they usually range anywhere between 8%-15%? That’s a question, so don’t quote me on that. I think the percentage is higher for hardcover novels. Also, if your book is picked up for bookclub distribution, the royalties are sometimes lower on the bookclub sales. It all depends upon the contract.
The rights to your work will usually revert back to you some years after the book has gone out of print. You’d need to read your contract to see how long that would be. Usually, once that time span has passed, and you want the rights back, you need to contact the publisher and tell them that you want the rights back to your work. You can then do what you want – self-publish it on your own, maybe do an e-book, maybe see if another publisher will acquire it and re-release it….I’m not sure what most authors do once they get the rights back to their books but those are a few options. If you’re unagented, then you should get a literary lawyer to go through your contract before you sign. Some things are negotiable!

If you have time I would like you to check out the first 3 chapters of my Christian Romance Novel I just completed.
Sorry, but I didn’t open your attachment and I don’t endorse or read work by others. I judge contests that’re hosted by different writing organizations every year, and that’s my way of giving useful feedback to others. If you want an honest review of your work, I’d suggest joining a writers group and a critique group. There are a number of critique groups online and by exchanging work with others, you might be able to improve your craft while helping others do the same. The first few critique groups that I was in were found through writers’ organizations. But, be warned, sometimes writers get their feelings hurt while being critiqued, also, it might take you awhile to find a group or partner that’s a good fit for you. If you want to know more about my policy on endorsements and reading work by others, you’ll find it on my website.

Oh and another thing can you add sex and making love in a Christian Romance? Some people have a problem with that.

Probably not. Most Christian fiction has no love scenes or sex scenes. Do you know which publisher you’re targeting? If you do, then read a ton of books that are published by the line/publisher to which you want to submit. Once it’s time to submit, you’ll have a good idea about the types of books that this publisher/line/imprint publishes! If people do have sex in a novel that most consider Christian, the door is usually closed. Also, if people have sex outside of marriage, and the book is Christian, there are usually consequences involved with having sex outside of matrimony.

I’d like to add that, I have seen books that use the church, and church-related business as the setting, and there are sex scenes in those books. However, it’s often been debated if those books are considered Christian fiction or Christian fRiction? Retailers will sometimes place books with a church setting in the Christian fiction section, and then readers will claim that those books couldn’t be Christian because of the sex and profanity in the novels. I’ve heard that those books are termed as Christian fRiction instead of fiction? This is just what I’ve heard, I have nothing to back this up. I’ve heard writers talk about this at writers conferences.

Hope that answers your questions Lashonda! I’m glad you e-mailed me those questions!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Samson By Jacquelin Thomas

Samson by Jacquelin Thomas
Samson Taylor has just been installed as assistant pastor at a thriving North Carolina church. He’s a man of God—and most definitely no saint. Handsome and charismatic, Samson is controlled by his lust for beautiful women, a weakness that stirs up trouble, heartache, betrayal, and damaging rumors—and soon costs him his marriage, his best friendship, and even his new job. Samson loves God and tries harder than ever to keep his temptations in check. Then he meets Delinda. . . .Beautiful, irresistibly sexy, and married to a famous NBA star, Delinda has Samson head-over-heels in love . . . in a dangerous affair that leads to a physical confrontation with Delinda’s husband.Now, the disgraced pastor begins a journey he could never have anticipated, where his heart is now his guide—not a heart of lust, but of new wisdom and a new kind of seeing. God will forgive Samson’s past—but will Samson himself be able to let go of bitterness and regret, and find a new light in his life?Inspired by the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah, Jacquelin Thomas powerfully portrays a modern-day pastor’s dance with earthly desires . . . and the faith that made him whole.

In yesterday’s blog post, I asked what would it be like if Samson from the Old Testament were living today. What kind of life would he be living? Well, if you want to know the answer to that question, read Jacquelin Thomas’s book Samson! This book gives a vivid portrayal of the life of Samson, a pastor who lusts after women, and he also marries a Buddist – a strict no-no for Christians since we’re not supposed to be unequally yoked with non-believers. After marrying his Buddist wife, his life continues on the path of lustful destruction that causes him great physical pain and disability. If you want to read about a modern-day Samson, then this book is for you!

Jacquelin Thomas has also answered the following questions:

Were there challenges in turning to Biblical fiction for you?
J.T.: Not really. I made the decision and I did it because I knew this is what God required of me.

Why Samson?

J.T.: “Samson was inspired by the Biblical tale of Samson and Delilah. I’ve always been interested in this particular story, and often wondered why Samson couldn’t see what Delilah was up to–how could he not know that she would be his ruin? It was these questions that prompted me to write this story.”

The story of Samson and Delilah is one of the most popular in the Bible. Did you find yourself having an ‘ah ha’ moment during research for your story?

J.T.: “Mostly for me, I had a hard time understanding why Samson continued to deal with Delilah as she had betrayed him on more than one occasion. I liked most that although he loved God, he was still a flawed man–I could relate because I strive to do right each and every day, but there are times when I fall. However, this shows the depth of God’s love for us, even when we disappoint Him.”

When Samson and Savannah play scrabble you included some Hebrew words, was there a point to that?

J.T.: “Not really–at my church, we are learning Hebrew and so it was my way of retaining what I learned.”

What do you hope to accomplish through this particular topic?

J.T.: “Despite Samson’s earthly desires and the tragedy that befell him–I want readers to understand that it was his faith and his love for the Lord that made him whole. We are nothing without God and sometimes it takes something terrible to happen to us before we come to this realization.

How can readers keep up with you online?
J.T.: You can reach me at the following:

Facebook/www.facebook.com/jacquelin.thomas,

Twitter — @jacquelinthomas

Email — jacquelinthomas@yahoo.com

Thanks so much for being on my blog today! I’ve enjoyed this discussion about your new release, and I pray that you’ll continue to write Biblical and entertaining stories!
Here are the stops for the blog tour! Visit these blogs to find out more about this powerful story:

Monday, June 7th
Linda Beed http://letusbearfruit.blogspot.com
Maurice Gray http://www.mauricemgrayjr.com/

Tuesday, June 8th
Patricia Woodside http://readinnwritin.blogspot.com
Cecelia Dowdy http://ceceliadowdy.blogspot.com/
Paulette Harper http://pauletteharper.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, June 9th
Gregory Turner http://www.blogtalkadio.com/asemotivation
Call in: (718) 508-9600
6P/PST-8P/CST-9P/EST
Wanda Campbell http://www.wandabcampbell.net/blog.html
Tia McCollors http://tiaspen.blogspot.com/

Thursday, June 10th
Carla Nix http://www.blogtalkradio.com/passion4life
Call in: (646) 652-2527
5P/PST – 7P/CST – 8P/EST
Jill Elizabeth Nelson http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/artisticblogger.html
Jeanette Hill/Sharel Love http://www.sasprod.org/

Friday, June 11th
Alvin Romer Live Tele-book Party 6P/PST – 8P/CST – 9PEST w/LaShaunda Hoffman and friends Call in: 605 475-4700 Access: 176632#

~Cecelia Dowdy~

Samson!

What do you think Samson’s life would’ve been like if he’d been born during modern times?

Read Judges – Chapters 13-16 to get the full Old Testament account of Samson’s life.

Samson was a strong man who battled with his lust for women. He even married a Philistine woman – someone who was not of his faith. He was strong and mighty, killing a lion with his bare hands and killing a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.

He hooked up with a Philistine harlot, Delilah, and because of his lust, his common sense escaped him. Delilah grilled him about his source of strength until his defenses broke down and he told his secret – no razor had ever come upon his head and his strength came from his seven locks of hair.

The secret was out and Samson paid the price for the mistake he made because of his lustful weakness. He was mocked, blinded and imprisoned by the Philistines. When his hair began to grow back, he asked God for strength, and then he pushed the two pillars with all his might, bringing the temple down, killing the crowd, as well as himself…

Judges 16:28-30
28 Then Samson called to the LORD, saying, “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

What do you think Samson’s life would’ve been like if he’d been born during modern times? Read tomorrow’s blog entry to find out more about a very interesting book that’ll answer that question!

~Cecelia Dowdy~