Appetizers

The oldest form of storytelling is oral. Through oral mythologies, histories of cultures were saved for the next generations. Along with petroglyphs (rock drawings and carvings), a history of a people were preserved. It's easy to imagine the community sitting around a fire and listening to an elder tell the important stories of their gods, demons, and the travails, which took them to where they now were-- in short, their stories of what had made them the unique and important.

 from Ben Kern wagon train photos

In some ways, the book I am bringing out March 21st, is the most organic of all my books for how it grew from oral story telling, back when I was probably 15. It will have traveled through my lifetime, never been forgotten, to finally be a paperback and eBook.

My cousin and I were close growing up (she's the blonde in the photo below and I am the one with glasses). When the family got together, she and I were a set. We played, took walks, and sometimes took turns making up stories. On one such walk, when I tried to turn the story over to her, she said--you tell it all. And I did.

My story was a romance set on the Oregon Trail. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I knew the basics of the Trail, but the heart of my story was two young people, who had grown up as friends. One wanted it to stay that way. The other had decided 'uh uh.' Even in the first oral telling of the story, the trip challenged them as did holding onto their relationship. What would it be? Big changes lay ahead on a physical and emotional level. Orally, I took them there.

When I was in my early 20s, I used a Royal upright typewriter to put that story onto paper-- white-out, carbon sheets, and stacks of paper. By then I had done more research into what going west on the Oregon Trail meant. It still was probably the length of a novella today. The characters though stayed true. They were the heart of the book.

Years went by and I read more books about the trip West. When a computer first came into my life, it was an Atari-- also a game machine. My husband told me its word processor would be better for writing. I thought no way. How could I write without seeing paper in front of me? For some writers, this is a truth; a few still hand write their books for the rough draft. For me though, where typing let me put down ideas as fast (almost) as I think them, I took to the new technology immediately. One feature alone sold me on it-- the ability to rearrange blocks of text-- well, and no more white-out. From then on I wrote on changing computers as I typed all my previously written stories onto hard-drives, with in the beginning floppy drives as insurance, then CDs and today jump drives of increasing capacity.

When I worked with a professional consulting writer, the story had a different title-- Taopi Tawote. Over a number of months, I spent a lot of money mailing pages back and forth. She taught me so much as she highlighted and sent back extensive notes. It felt like being back in school. Taopi Tawote is Lakota for the plant yarrow and means wound medicine. In the bigger sense, my story was about a wound that needed to be healed-- physically but even more emotionally. 

The problem with that title was it sounded like a Native American story. It is not. Sometime in the 90s (how I wish I was more anal about keeping notes as to when I write this or that), I wrote another novel following this family forward a few years to after they got to Oregon. It had another complete romance. For awhile, I thought I could keep my plant titles (Native American confusion or not). Rose of Sharon was perfect for the second romance. Then in around 2010, another of the Stevens had their romance and Goldenrod had arrived. 

When I began bringing books out in the winter of 2011, I held back on these. I loved these books but couldn't let them go. Along came a fourth, which I got the idea for in 2013 but didn't actually write until the fall of 2014. There simply was no fourth plant. I wanted four titles that would seem like a series, that would tell the essence of each book. When I came up with those four titles, I had my first one named-- Round the Bend.

My Oregon Series travels from 1851 in Missouri to Oregon and eventually takes the Stevens family to 1868. Background for each of the romances is the changing world that Oregon was as more people arrived, and the culture shifted with the changes in the growing nation. You might think, since the war wasn't fought there, that the Civil War would little impact a state this far west, but it did. Oregon also had a lot going on that made for interesting storytelling from its own Trail of Tears, shanghaiing, cultural rifts, and even Indian wars.

Now I had four books but was still undetermined as to whether to bring them out. I even debated trying to find a publishing house that might like Oregon historical romances. Except I had gotten used to having the freedom to tell my story my way-- and fall on my sword if readers didn't agree. I liked being an indie writer and had no desire to try and please an editor by changing things, which I felt were critical to my stories.

Still, what to do with them? It was the winter of 2015 that I decided to bring out all four-- three months apart. The first will be March 21-- date chosen because it's my brother's birthday and the first full day of spring.

It wasn't until I had made the decision that I realized the four books will be coming out on Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox, and Winter Solstice. I didn't plan it that way (maybe the muse did), but I like the idea.

the making of a great romance

Do these two look like a matched set to make a likely romantic couple?

That's what I think-- definitely not-- which is why they will make the perfect romance for the book that follows my 1883 Arizona western romance. If it comes easy, it doesn't make for a good story, now does it?

The hard part would have been letting this story set until I finished the third in the Oregon series. I mean I hadn't even imagined doing a following story to the Arizona one. I owed something to that Oregon historical set after the Civil War. BUT the unfinished Oregon book is the third in its own series which always meant not out until way into the fall of 2013-- if I follow my projected plan for how far apart for these.

Does that sound like a justification to jump into the story of that couple above? I suppose it is, but I think when the fire is burning, why not feed it! ;)  And after editing the first book, the fire is really burning to write the story of these mismatched lovers.

The writing is actually moving right along. There is a problem though. When I do books in a kind of series, I like the titles to work together. The original title I had for my Arizona historical romance would not fit with the second one. Actually it might have even been misleading regarding the first one as it made it sound more sexy than it is-- not that there isn't sex in it (there's always sex in them), but it's not erotica.

Anyway I'm doing some thinking on titles as I write the first part of the next book-- as in first 3000 words and chapter one already done. I have family time coming up which means I can't rush this, but I can be thinking about it as I now have gotten into these characters.

Beginning a new book, I like going slow on the writing, feeling my way through what happens next even as I already know some of it way down the road. Developing interesting secondary characters for this new one is part of why it's good to meander a bit-- lots of time thinking and not writing.

I love doing this kind of writing, starting something new after a long time of editing and editing and editing again. This is fun.

Philosophy and character development

When a writer knows the philosophy of a character-- from hero to villain, writing their dialogue and action becomes easier. If the character is a person without a star, that also is a life philosophy and enables them to be loose cannons with no idea what will come next.

Sometimes as the writer we know more about the character's philosophy than they do. Okay basically we pretty much always know more if we developed a full character. We know the places they lie to themselves and those where they won't want to admit to anybody their truth.

Fully knowing a character does require knowing their philosophy of life. This is probably as true or more so for villains especially if the villain is a character throughout the story. If a book has only a place holding villain as an opportunity for the hero/heroine to show their stuff, then the writer might feel they don't need to know much about why the attack/s happened. I think it still matters as otherwise it isn't a real villain attack, it's an author attack.

There isn't much I enjoy writing more than villains and I sometimes give them their own point of view because it's fun to write their motivations as they plot and the reader gets a chance to know why they've done what they did. Other times I let them show their character and philosophy only through their dialogue with the main characters.

From Evening Star is an example of one of my villains and how in one scene he shows a lot of his life philosophy by actions and dialogue. I decided to use his point of view in this book because the only other POV was that of the heroine and I wanted something that took the reader more into the danger of the situation.

Gus leaned against the table, his mind on the football game he'd just switched off and the five hundred bucks he'd won on its outcome. His hands toyed with a length of rope, twisting it into a knot, pulling one end, and watching as the knot pulled free.

He looked up when the two men, one small and quick, the other tall and handsome, came through the door. "About time you two got back," Gus said with a grin. "You get it?"

BrotherRat set a package on the table as he sat on a chair at the table. The other man leaned one broad shoulder against the door jamb.

 "You guys have any trouble?" Gus asked, opening the package and assuring himself that everything was in order.

BrotherRat said, "It was a piece of cake. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd never have believed how smooth it could go down."

Gus rubbed his beefy neck thoughtfully. He glanced toward the sullenly handsome man, who was moodily staring into space. "You don't look so pleased as Rat here, PrettyBoy."

"I told you I don't like being called that."

"Too bad," Gus said with a chuckle. "I name all my boys. It's safer that way. So, PrettyBoy, what else is wrong?"

"We took a lot of risk for nothing, so far as I can see." He gestured toward the box. "What's that? A couple of hundred G's." He reached into his shirt pocket for a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep draw, exhaling the smoke. "We go to the slammer for that kind of money, and I say we're fools."

"You got a brain, PrettyBoy," Gus said with a laugh. "I like that. But don't worry about going to the Big House. Who says it's the problem?" He shaped his rope into a noose.

Gus played with the rope watching as the younger man paced to the other end of the room, his body as streamlined as an alley cat, his face when he turned that of an angel--in this case, Gus grinned, more likely a dark angel. Gus liked pretty things around him. It was one of the things that had caused him to take the risk of bringing in a stranger based on someone else’s say. One of these days he’d show PrettyBoy some games he might like, or if he didn’t, well that would be even better. He grinned with anticipation.

You know a lot about Gus's philosophy of life after that brief piece of text. More will be shown each time he appears dealing with his gang. He's shallow, pleasure oriented, no patience, and only really cares about himself. He trusts no one very much and enjoys inflicting discomfort on others.

If someone told him he had a virtue, he'd laugh at them. Gus lives for pleasure and gain-- for himself. Anyone else who counts on him is a fool, and he'd laugh at them too. The thing about Gus is-- he knows all of this about himself and is fine with it.

He would never put a name to his philosophy of life; but if the author felt compelled to do so, she'd call it egotistical hedonism on the shallowest most base level. He's a sadist and psychopath which means no concern for rules-- only his own benefit. If he wasn't so smart, he'd be less dangerous. If he didn't operate so much on that base level, it would be harder to beat him.

Someone like Gus is easier to identify than like minded sorts who have risen up the social ranks and can hide their nature more effectively while they operate just as ruthlessly.

Since I don't have an image for Gus, I used one of the author who created him.  She doesn't look nearly as ruthless as he does-- unless, of course, she's one of those who has learned to hide her ruthlessness. You never know, do you...

Moon Dust-- two free days

Awhile back I experimented with doing no eBook free days. The problem was sales also dropped off. The whole barrier for any indie writer to overcome is even being seen. People cannot buy your book if they don't see it's for sale. The more places you can get a book seen, the more chance you will sell a few. For that and another reason, I am doing two free days (June 25-26, 2012) for Moon Dust.

It is a powerful love story of a broken relationship, but it's something else-- information about the repercussions on adult males from childhood sexual abuse. I know it's an unpleasant topic but when you write, part of why is to give people a good read but also some information. This one came to me probably fifteen or more years ago because of some things I had seen in my own community.

Many do not understand the problem when it's boys who have been molested. Some even think-- wow hot teacher, what is to complain? Or so what if it was a coach, the kid got something out of it. We saw some of this argument with the Sandusky accusations and now guilty verdict. The boys didn't run away. They didn't tell. They didn't tell as adults. It was all very suspect to some people.

If people more understood that sexual abuse of a child is a crime of control, of taking away another person's power, they'd get what it does and why at the time and even later as an adult the person can have a hard time getting past what happened. There are many emotional ramifications of such abuse.

The story Moon Dust is about a marriage breaking up over that kind of secret. It is also about our educational system and all the conflicts being put upon it right now. It's about how we make a difference in another person's life-- and when we cannot.

Because it is a deep book as well as a romance, it's not had an easy time finding readers. It would probably do better in a straight literary category as such readers might be more open to such a tough topic. I felt though it also belonged in a romance because in the end it is about relationship-- and that is what all romances are about.

I have written two books that dealt with the adult ramifications of abuse. The other has not yet been published as it's a historical and I am not sure I will put it out as an eBook. I'm still thinking. In that one it was physical abuse. In both cases the abuser was in the family and that is the most common source of abuse for boys or girls. Sad isn't it!

So I hope it gets some takers with its free days. I hope that some who read it will learn more about the topic of abuse in a positive sense as we are only victims when we can't change something. Knowledge is power. Abuse is widespread in our culture. It doesn't just happen to girls.

Excerpt from Sky Daughter

Seeking peace in Idaho's mountains, Maggie first shoots a stranger, then saves his life. She's pulled into danger, passion, occult secrets; a world where no one is who she thought.

Once in awhile, experts suggest it's good to put out an excerpt as a way to give readers a taste of your writing. All of my books on Kindle offer the first chapter as such a sample, but I thought it'd be fun to pick a scene to stand alone.  I can't say it's a favorite. I like them all, but it's one I particularly relate to and think readers here might also.

In this simple scene from Sky Daughter more is revealed as to who Maggie is, what she is learning about the life she has chosen and who her grandmother had been. That it's about gardening is a bonus.

************************

In the kitchen, Maggie picked up the flats of plants she had optimistically grown from seed. The first little plants had gone outside too soon and had their leaves blackened by a late frost, but she could protect these no longer. Most likely the deer would eat them before they got settled in, but she would give them a chance, a moment in the sun.

  Planting was part of the heritage of her grandmother. The urge to continue the cycle of growth, of planting and sowing ran strongly through her veins. After so much loss, so many aborted opportunities and lives, she had a need to see life reach fruition.

  Working in the sun-warmed soil, Maggie put everything from her mind except weeding carefully around the lavender plants, loosening the soil by the rosemary. She hummed as she worked, then came words about planting and releasing to grow. As quickly as the words came to her, they were gone. She sighed. The song would’ve never satisfied her managers anyway.

   She dug a hole for one of the marigolds, threw in a bit of fertilizer and then tamped the soil back around the tender plant. Planting meant a belief in the future, a desire for improving the present, and a reaching back to the past. It encompassed all of life to sow it with the hope of someday reaping.

   She sat in the garden when she had finished, feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin, the coolness of the soil beneath her knees. Why were tears running down her cheeks?

   Maggie girl. The words seemed almost real. She closed her eyes as she again heard her grandmother’s voice, seemingly could almost smell the blend of soap and the fragrance of herbs that was so much a part of every memory she had about her. She could feel the touch of that precious hand on her shoulder, soothing and giving her subtle energy. God, she missed that woman. She remembered her grandmother’s tall form as she would walk across the mountain, calling to Maggie and taking her with her into the woods, teaching her about the woods plants, which ones healed, which ones could be used for a fever, which ones poisoned.

   When had she forgotten the names, forgotten those words? She had been taught so much and it seemed it was all gone. She remembered one of the many conversations.

   ‘Dream, Sky Daughter, dream of the future and of all that will be.’

   ‘Grandma, I don’t remember my dreams.’

   ‘You must try harder. Dreams are the spirits speaking to you. They are your power.’

    ‘Mama says they’re not.’

    ‘Your mama had to follow her path and you must follow yours. They are not the same.’

   ‘How do you know?’

   ‘I know and you will too when the time comes.’

   ‘How?’

   Her grandmother just smiled. ‘You will.’

   ‘You could tell me now.’

   ‘No one should tell another their path, Sky Daughter, but someday you will know yours.’

   Maggie felt tears running down her cheeks and wiped the back of her hands across her eyes, to brush them away. “I miss you so. I thought you’d be here to teach me, to always tell me. Why did you have to go?”

   A hummingbird buzzed her, warning her off from the area, letting her know she was intruding on protected ground. Somewhere nearby was probably its nest. It was operating by instinct as she had found herself doing with Reuben.

  She looked toward the forest. She tried to force a change in reality, to go back in time, to see those, who had gone, come walking toward her. They would be laughing and talking about how much fun they would have had on a picnic at the falls. Her childish voice would be raised in excitement as it had been in those days of feeling so protected and loved.

  She waited, but all she could hear was the sound of a raven calling from higher up the mountain, the angry scream of a hawk, and the soothing tweets of smaller birds in nearby bushes. Never again would her loved ones be with her, and she had to face that reality.

Sky Daughter, a paranormal romance based in Idaho, is available at Amazon Kindle 

Branding the writer

Recently I was told, by someone more experienced in marketing, that I needed to create a brand for myself. This isn't for my individual books but for my name as an author. This person has done it successfully for others as a favor but now is offering her services professionally. She did not specify an amount, but it wouldn't have mattered. I am not making enough money on the books to justify borrowing for publicizing-- not yet anyway.

I've said before that I am only going to put into this what I make from it. The argument sent back to me from others is-- do you believe in your product? If you do, pay for professional editor, cover artist, and someone to help you get publicity. That can run $1000 a book to hire those with quality resumes. Repeating again, I'd go nuts right now if I did that as I might find my books not that salable even if I put out that money, and we would be talking $10,000 for all of them. I am sticking to my philosophy.

So how do I market me as a quality product when I can't hire experts? For the first two parts it has meant for the last year putting a lot of hours into editing and creating covers which now involves trailers. No money but a lot of my own sweat when it's not fun to be reading for errors and not pleasure.

My covers are done (again and again) with some paid stock images as well as many of my own landscape photos. I even got a new set of fonts to offer a little more professional look to titles.

Basically I have worked, what amounts to a full-time job, for a year on these manuscripts. Whenever I find something hasn't worked, I redo it. It has been a tremendously demanding project. I did it because I felt the books deserved the best I could give them.

BUT there is still that pesky branding problem. How does one brand oneself? I don't even know how I would do this as a woman let alone as a writer.

Who am I as a writer? What is my purpose in my stories? Is there a common purpose? If I wrote one of these series type books, it might be easier. My contemporary manuscripts, some with continuing characters, are not a series other than set in the modern West of Montana, Arizona, Idaho, and Oregon. To be honest, I rarely choose series books to read although I can think of a few exceptions (Elswyth Thane Beebe, Roberta Gellis, Patricia Veryan, Diana Gabaldon) but generally I don't care for the series format. Well a lot of readers do; so one of the ways I might have created a Rain Trueax brand would be if I did-- too late for that for these contemporaries.

I got distracted. The issue is what is my purpose in writing?

Primarily, I love creating stories I would enjoy reading.

 Plots and characters come to me various ways, and when they do, I want to give them life. 

 With issues I care about,  a romance is a good vehicle to highlight them.

The coming together of two people with all the energy of an emotional explosion is exciting to write and read (yes, I love reading my own stories-- when I am not editing them).

I love finding combinations of words, the perfect dialogue, the energy of a scene that went well.

In each of my stories there will be a man and woman who find they are stronger through what they experience than they either were before. They will go through some very tough times which will always mean a dangerous event or events. Through them, they will find their strongest self. The heroine will be an equal partner in overcoming these tribulations. I like strong women.

My life and interests are reflected in my stories which are of love, of men and women finding relationships, working, trying to better their world, and struggling with all the things humans do.

My stories do explore sexuality but always from a healthy perspective which includes responsible choices. I do not write about women as victims. No heroine of mine will ever say no when she means yes.

Not sure any of that sounds much like a brand, certainly not like hey, it's Wranglers, I'll get myself a pair; so back to the drawing board.

Dark Angel Trailer

There was no way I planned to create a trailer for Dark Angel, but that's what I did as it just came together with Dill, Katy, and the love story neither of them planned and yet-- well check out the video and then the book which is linked alongside here.

Another free book

Golden Chains will be free today on Kindle as an opportunity for readers who have not read my stories (or if you have an would like to try another). The basic promo for it is on the link alongside here. Click on it to read more and order it.

Set in Oregon in a small art college, the story is about love, second chances, suspense, art philosophy, and a mystery where the hero has to find a murderer before he or she finds him.

David Bannister, was a secondary character in Desert Inferno. I liked him a lot and began to wonder about his back story.  When I realized he had an ex-wife, then the question was-- can he win her back?

Being a sculptor myself as well as having worked with models (some nude), I brought my own experience with art to this story.  One of my favorite parts of writing it was to place the home for the heroine right along the Tualatin River just the south of Portland, Oregon. I had a different cover for it but decided to use the river as its real inner spirit. For those who do get the book, it has been changed a bit to include the original cover inside on the first page.