Dac Crossley's Western Blog

A True Texas Sweetheart

My guest today is Celia Yeary, best-selling author of a dozen Romance novels set in my home state of Texas. She’s also co-founder of Sweethearts of the West – a group of authors writing romance set under western skies.

Good morning, Celia. Welcome to Dac’s Western Blog.

** And good morning to you, too. I'm very happy to be visiting your blog--what an honor!

I understand you’re a former science teacher. What prompted you to write romantic fiction?

**Hmmm, mind-numbing boredom. I injured my back and an ankle--stay off the golf course!--and was confined to a recliner most of many days. My husband put a laptop in my lap and said..."Here. Write something." I'd never written anything in my life except science research papers, but before my very eyes, a story appeared. I wrote for weeks without stopping and ended up with a full-length novel. After much editing and correcting, I got a contract. That began my new second-life venture.

Tell me about Sweethearts of the West.

**A dear Texas friend, Caroline Clemmons, asked if I'd like to partner with her to form a group blog for Western romance authors. I jumped at the chance, since I'd been thinking along the same lines. We invited eleven to join us so that we'd have a new post every two days. Also, we reserved the 10th and the 20th for special guests. You were our very first Special Guest! How about that?
We not only promote our books at times, we write articles complete with old photos of the Old West. It's becoming fairly popular.

What’s special about romances set in Texas?

**Well, because it's Texas! I'm a 7th generation Texan, a Daughter of the Texas Republic, and Texas is what I know best.

And you live in San Marcos, Texas, with that beautiful San Marcos river. What has this extensive drought done to the river?

**So far, the springs are still bubbling. During the worst drought of the 50s, the springs never stopped, although they did slow. Now, the river is low, but still flowing. The tubers are out in force.

So what’s next for Celia Yeary?

**Promoting all the books I have out takes a great deal of time. When I do find time to write, I work on a manuscript titled "A Life Worth Living," set in 1919 after The Great War ended. A soldier comes home to Texas and finds all his family wiped out from the Spanish flu, and his neighbor burned down his house and barn. But he meets a pretty widow...and finds his old dog Tracer...and is accused of murder...and what else, I don't know yet.
Thanks so much for inviting me--

Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com
http://www.celiayeary.com
http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

Help! I've been phished!

It was just a mental lapse. I should have known better. But it happened early in the morning and I wasn't on my toes.

An e-mail – “Update your PayPal account information.” Well, I have a little problem with them and I thought, good idea.

I filled out their form – all the info – social security – date of birth – credit card – mother’s maiden name – telephone numbers - and so on. And they said “we’ll email you immediately.” And while I’m waiting, my computer suddenly says “Warning. This appears to be a phishing site.”

And it was!

Now, anybody can pretend to be me. Open a new credit card, gain access to a current card, use that information in who knows how many ways to scam me.

What to do? Cancel the credit card right away (not the first time I’ve had to cancel; they’ll send me a new number).

My lawyer says contact all credit reporting agencies and put in a fraud alert.

Best help I got was at my bank. Peggy M. counseled me, told me who to call and gave me the numbers. I called Equifax right away (800-865-1111) and got a nice gentleman from India who notified the other agencies for me, put a 90-day hold on my credit, and sold me an insurance policy.

A long day fretting. I hope I have done everything right. My lawyer and Peggy M. said it happens all the time.

So watch out! Believe me, I’ll be more cautious now. Hope it isn’t too late.

Dac Crossley
8/21/2011

“Where men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken.” – David Hume.

South Texas Calls Again

A week under Texas skies with daughter Mary. Record hot and dry; constant wind scorching your face. It this local weather or is it global climate change? The needle swings back and forth. Galileo mutters into his beard.

Austin, Texas and the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America. Cold beer and laughs with old friends from past battles. Young ecologists planning, age-old questions revisited. We have passed them a sputtering torch. God grant them better insight than ours.

Austin bustles. Elegant dinner and nostalgia with a gracious companion. A talented youngster plays guitar in the hotel lobby, and I find an Austin-Athens music connection. We crowd onto the Colorado River bridge to watch the evening bat flight. Too late. We grab a pedal cab back to the hotel, weaving in and out amid traffic. Is human power in our future?

And San Antonio, casa de mi corazón. Upper reaches of the Riverwalk, where morning joggers evade the day’s heat. We park our car where the old Pearl Brewery now flourishes as a shopping center. A leisurely riverside stroll along landscaped footpaths lifts our spirits. Mary councils a young lad who fishes in the river for Tilapia.

We tackle the Riverwalk’s commercial section as well, struggling elbow to elbow with other tourists. (Note to self: Explain to our civic leaders that investment in infrastructure brings enormous returns). Mariachis sing “Jalisco” beside our table. Micheladas chase down traditional Texas enchiladas.

Mary drives us south to Ben Bolt and the trip's highlight - laughs and love with Melba and Bob G. Ranches are ever the backbone of south Texas. So are Melba and Bob.

Athens welcomes us back once again. Life is good.

And remember – see me at “The Balancing Act” on Lifetime TV, September 2, 7–8 a.m., EST.

Dac Crossley
August 14, 2011

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” – Søren Kierkegaard.

Right There in the TV Studio

This weekend I flew with my daughter Mary to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and was videotaped for a future appearance on Lifetime TV for Women. I’ll appear on The Balancing Act (7-8 am, EDT) in about 30 days, they said.

A first for me and a first-class learning experience. I was well-treated by a group of professionals, and interviewed on camera by a very pretty young lady. We’d talked by phone and she e-mailed me the questions she intended to pose as well as some "suggested" responses – in my own words, of course. At the taping her questions were right there for her to read on a monitor. My answers weren’t. I kinda winged it.

First, Mary and I were escorted back to the studio. Through a window we could see another interview just winding up. They rushed me back to makeup – a little face powder to cut down on reflections, she said. And the producer hurried me to a little stage with two chairs.

You know that feeling when you step up to the podium? A little tense, breath short, no matter how many times you’ve been there? And how, after you get out the first word, you’re on it? That’s the way it played out. Mary told me I’m at my best when I’m winging it. Pretty much what I did.

A little chat-chat before the actual taping. “You’re older than I expected. How do you keep yourself in such good shape?” That from the vivacious interviewer.

“Well, I drink a lot of beer.” A round of laughs and I began to get the scope of the situation. More personal questions. My interviewer laughed so hard tears ran down her face; more quick action by that makeup artist.

I don’t think she had read Escape from the Alamo. After all, she does several of these interviews a day. She based her questions on the first few pages and on the back cover of the book.

NOTE TO SELF – THAT BACK COVER BLURB IS VERY IMPORTANT! That’s the first contact people have with your book. Write carefully.

It was over in one take. Handshakes all around. The staff told me it was the most fun they’d had in a while. The producer rode us to our car in a golf cart.

Now, would I do it again? Yes. It was fun and a great learning experience. I hope I can parlay it into more publicity for the books.

Could I have done it alone? Mary supported me all the way, kept me on track, did the driving, kept me from getting lost in Florida, found the studio, got me back on the plane, took care of me.

Every writer needs a Mary.

Dac Crossley
August 3, 2011

“A person is always startled when he hears himself seriously called an old man for the first time.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.