BESTSELLING AND AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF WESTERN ROMANCE!
Caroline Clemmons writes historical and contemporary genre fiction. Historical romances, contemporary romantic suspense, mysteries, and paranormals are among her current works. Learn more about her at https//www.carolineclemmons.com
I’ve
often been asked why I write romance. Mostly because I can’t stop. There have
been a few times when I became discouraged with my career path and decided to
quit writing. I couldn’t. It appears I HAVE to write. The people talking my head must be released to the page (monitor).
Romances offer hope
Seriously,
I believe romance offers hope to readers who face what seems like
insurmountable problems in their own lives. Reading about characters who
overcome challenges and achieve happlily-ever-after offers readers the dream
that they too can achieve their dreams. In fact, I say romance authors sell
hope.
A theme that runs through my stories is hope. Another is family in various
forms, but always that family members support one another. Finally, I think a
second chance is a continual theme.
I want readers to sigh with pleasure at the outcome of the characters at the
same time they’re sorry the book is ended. Also, as I mentioned in your first
question, I want readers to feel hopeful after one of my books. Let’s face it,
I’m not Ken Follett and I don’t write books like PILLARS OF THE EARTH. I love
Follett’s books, but that’s not what I want to write. Romances are what I call mind
candy and are intended to entertain and provide escape from worldly
cares. Otherwise, why not watch the
evening news?
A brief story from my grandmother inspired this book
Authors are often asked what inspires them. Frequently it’s a kernel in a
family story or newspaper. I think, “This would have been a much better story
is if had happened such and such way.” Other times, the story and the main
characters just pop into my head and I go with it. That’s ideal, isn’t it? When
the story and characters come to you? After all, writers get to make up stuff.
It’s a great job.
I’m a full time writer—except when life interferes. I try to limit my email, blogs,
and social networking time to three hours a day. It’s tempting to keep going
with all the interesting blogs and email loops and Facebook and Twitter, but
that doesn’t get books written, does it?
Fortunately, my husband is very supportive and helps by cooking (what a
Hero!) and other chores to free up more of my time for writing.
I do
have a life outside writing, of course. One of my big passions is genealogy and
family history. I’ve always loved history, and learning about family brings
history alive for me. My brother and I are compiling a book on my father’s
family and hope to have it completed and printed this year. My dad is no longer
living, but he asked me to do this book, so my brother and I are trying to
honor his request. I also love old photos and collect family photos.
Family photo from 1910
Another
passion is browsing antique malls. My younger daughter and I used to have
booths in a couple of antique malls, but the time required to maintain a good
selection was too much for me. She still has a booth as a part time effort in addition to her career in education. Teachers always need a second income!
Reading and time with family are special interests any time. My husband and I like to watch
movies (thanks Netflix). He’s an avid reader, so some evenings we read instead
of watching TV or a movie.
Me at work. That must be Max helping because Sebastian is a black and white tuxedo cat.
I have a laptop my brother gave me, but don’t use it as much as I could. I
prefer writing in my office, which I refer to as my pink cave because of the
wall being pink and I hibernate in it as if it were a cave. My sweet husband
gave me a lovely desk and computer station in dark faux cherry (pretend wood).
I have all the equipment I need, including a good desk chair. So, now back to
writing.
After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough.
Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.
Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, GIFTED, was a Whitney Award Finalist.
She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Memorial Day is a time for remembering heroes, especially those who fought for our freedom. But here are two special heroes, two real Men of The West, John Wayne and my dad. Many western authors are honoring John Wayne this weekend. I can't be certain, but I don't think anyone else is featuring my dad. Unlikely as it seems, I discovered they had several things in common. Each smoked way too much and it contributed to his death, neither served in the armed services, each lived a part of his life in California, and both loved westerns. One other thing they have in common is May 26th: One came into the world on that day, and one departed on that date.
First, My Dad:
My Dad
Who was your first hero? Mine was my dad, Pearson Madison Johnson. May 26 marks the anniversary of his death. He was a chain smoker from the age of fourteen, and died from emphysema complicated by a stroke. Other than smoking, I don’t believe he had any bad habits...except some might call a fault the fact that he loved a good debate.And I do mean he loved to debate. He was a debater in school, back when there were debate competitions.
But that's appropriate. Daddy was named after a lawyer who was a friend to my grandparents. Had he been able to attend university, I believe my dad would have become a professor or lawyer. He loved to debate, and would argue a point endlessly. My brother in law, Buster, said he left the room once when my dad and half-brother Herschel were arguing. When Buster returned, he swears they’d switched sides and were just as adamant. Sounds crazy, but I believe him. Haven't I seen it happen?
Daddy was in his fifties when I was born to he and my mom. When they met, my dad was a widower a generation older than my mom and had four children. My mom was in her mid twenties. Daddy’s eldest son was actually a couple of years older than my mom, so I’m certain that seemed weird to everyone. Still does, in fact.
I asked my mom how she even met a man 23 years older than she was and started dating him. She said they met on Christmas Eve. My mom had accompanied her mother and step-father into town to buy groceries. Mr. Davis, a man she had occasionally dated but only liked as a friend, asked her if she was attending a party at the home of a mutual acquaintance. She said she had no way to get home. Mr. Davis invited her to ride with him and offered to take her home afterwards.
My dad had been talking to Mr. Davis when my mom and her parents went by. Uninvited, my dad said, “I believe I’ll just ride along with you.” The car was a coupe with only one seat, so three people were crowded. At the end of the evening, when Daddy got out and held the door so Mother could exit the car, he said, “Now I know where you live, and I’ll be coming to call.” Doesn't that sound old-fashioned and courtly? Obviously my mom thought so.They were married the following February, and I was born three years later. I think theirs is a romantic story.
Here’s are a couple of quotes from my dad:
“When you cheat, you cheat yourself.”
"You are only as good as your word."
My dad was and still is my first hero. My dad thought highly of my Hero husband. I'm lucky to have two heroes in my life!
And John Wayne:
John Wayne
Who hasn’t watched a John Wayne movie? Wayne admitted, “I play John Wayne in every picture regardless of the character, and I've been doing all right, haven't I?”
He also said, “When I started, I knew I was no actor and I went to work on this Wayne thing. It was as deliberate a projection as you'll ever see. I figured I needed a gimmick, so I dreamed up the drawl, the squint and a way of moving meant to suggest that I wasn't looking for trouble but would just as soon throw a bottle at your head as not. I practiced in front of a mirror.”
Even though he died 11 June 1979 from cancer, he consistently appears on lists of favorite movie actors in the United States and United Kingdom. His movies are still available on DVD, Netflix and other movie streams, and are re-shown on television. At six feet four inches, he was a large man who still looms larger than life in reputation. Sixteen years after his death, a 1995 Harris poll cited him as America's favorite movie star. Not one of the favorites, but THE FAVORITE!
Movie Poster
While I do not agree with his ulta-conservative or racist politics, he starred in several of my favorite movies. My number one favorite John Wayne movie is “The Quiet Man,” which Hero and I have watched so many times we know all the dialogue. I know, it's not a western, but bear with me. Released in 1952, this movie was a family affair for Wayne. His children - eighteen year old Michael, sixteen year old Mary Antonia “Toni”, thirteen year old Patrick, and twelve year old Melinda - had bit parts in the race scene.Patrick even had a line,. The movie was a family affair for others in the movie. Maureen O’Hara’s brother, James Lilburn, starred as the younger priest. Barry Fitzgerald and his brother James Shields (the Anglican minister) were in the cast. Wayne's good friend Ward Bond played the senior priest and his friend Victor McLaglen played "Red" Will Danaher. John Ford's brother Francis also played a part in the film, that of frail Dan Tobin.The movie received seven Academy Award Nominations and won two. By the way, Hero and I had breakfast at the Irish Bed and Breakfast where Maureen O'Hara stayed during the filming of "The Quiet Man." (I just had to throw that in because she is one of my favorite actresses and Ireland is one of my favorite vacation destinations.)
Back to John Wayne's westerns, all of which I enjoyed. “North to Alaska ” was a fun movie, and “McClintock” was another in which Maureen O’Hara co-starred with Wayne. They co-starred in five movies. I also enjoyed his portrayal of Rooster Cogburn in “True Grit,” for which he won an Academy Award. Accepting the award, he said if he'd'd known wearing an eye patch would have done it, he'd have worn one sooner. One of his so-called B westerns I loved and still like which never receives mention was “Three Godfathers.”
John Wayne's birthplace
John Wayne was born Marion Morrison in Winterset, Iowa on 26 May 1907, the son of pharmacist Clyde Morrison and his wife Mary. He was of Scots-Irish and Scottish descent on both sides of his family, and he was brought up as a Presbyterian. Clyde developed a lung condition that required him to move his family from Iowa to the warmer climate of southern California, where they tried ranching in the Mojave Desert. (What were they thinking? A pharmacist ranching in the Mojave Desert?)
When the ranch failed (Told you!.), the family moved to Glendale, California, where Marion delivered medicines for his father, sold newspapers, and had an Airedale dog named "Duke" (the source of his own nickname). He did well at school both academically and in football. He narrowly failed admission to Annapolis and he went to the University of Southern California on a football scholarship 1925-7, where he majored in pre-law.
Tom Mix got him a summer job as a prop man in exchange for football tickets. On the set he became friends with director John Ford for whom, among others, he began doing bit parts. His first featured film was “Men Without Women” in 1930.
After more than 70 low-budget westerns and adventures, Wayne's career was stuck in a rut. But then John Ford cast John Wayne in “Stagecoach” in 1939. That movie made John Wayne a star. It won 2 Academy Awards and was nominated for five more.
John Wayne's favorite of his western movies was his portrayal of Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers." He named one of his sons Ethan after the character in that movie. Certainly it's a movie I remember having a great impact on me.
He appeared in nearly 250 movies, many of epic proportions. John Wayne holds the record for leading roles, starring as lead in 142 movies.
Here are some John Wayne quotes:
“Westerns are closer to art than anything else in the motion picture business.”
His westerns were full of action but usually not excessively violent. "Fights with too much violence are dull," claimed Wayne, insisting that the straight-shooting, two-fisted violence in his movies have been "sort of tongue-in-cheek." He described the violence in his films as "lusty and a little humorous," based on his belief that "humor nullifies violence."
About the low morals of some movies, he said, “I read someplace that I used to make B-pictures. Hell, they were a lot farther down the alphabet than that . . . but not as far down as R and X.”
“The West - the very words go straight to that place of the heart where Americans feel the spirit of pride in their western heritage - the triumph of personal courage over any obstacle, whether nature or man.”
“A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job.”
“When the road looks rough ahead, remember the Man Upstairs and the word Hope. Hang onto both and tough it out.”
Happy Birthday, John Wayne!
Appropriate to this weekend, here’s a video of John Wayne explaining Taps:
Not shown, my black cat and black dog, plus stacks of papers on desk.
Why do I write novels? Mostly because I can’t stop. LOL There have been a few times when I became discouraged with my career path and decided to quit writing. I couldn’t. It appears I HAVE to write. In addition, I'm blessed with good author freinds who encourage when I'm feeling in a deep purple funk. (You know that a deep purple funk is lower than the blues, right?)
Hope
Seriously, I believe romance novels offer hope to readers who face what seems like insurmountable problems in their own lives. Reading about characters who overcome challenges and achieve happily-ever-after offers readers the dream that they too can achieve their dreams. In fact, I say romance authors sell hope.
Since I’m an eclectic reader, I’m an eclectic writer. I write paranormal, contemporary and historical romance. I also write cozy mysteries, although I’m only beginning to seek a publisher for those. (Hard to type with fingers crossed for good luck.)
I write the kinds of stories I enjoy reading. As a theme, I want readers to find hope in my novels. Another theme is family in various forms, but always that family support one another--even if family is bonded friends rather than blood relatives. Finally, I think a second chance or redemption is a continual theme. Don’t we all wish we had a second chance to right past wrong decisions?
I don't claim to be Shakespeare or Ken Follett
I want readers to sigh with pleasure at the outcome of the characters at the same time they’re sorry the book is ended. Also, I want readers to feel hopeful after one of my books. Let’s face it, I’m not Ken Follett and I don’t write books like PILLARS OF THE EARTH. I love Follett’s books, but that’s not at all what I want to write. Romances and cozy mysteries are what a lot of people mind candy...novels intended to entertain and provide escape from worldly cares. Otherwise, why not watch the evening news? Talk about depressing!
My Dad
One of my big passions is genealogy and family history. I’ve always loved history, and learning about family brings history alive for me. My brother and I are compiling a book on my father’s family and hope to have it completed and printed by the end of summer. My dad is no longer living, but he asked me to do this book, so my brother and I are trying to honor the request. I also love the old family photos and am collecting those for the book and for my own family. Both of my daughters are interested, so I’ve made copies for each of them and we’re placing them in acid free albums.
Antique Bottle
Another passion is browsing antique malls. My younger daughter and I used to have booths in a couple of antique malls, but the time required to maintain a good selection was too much for us. We loved it, though. If either of us won the lottery, that’s probably what my younger daughter would do with her life. Maybe we should remember to buy a lottery ticket.
Out TV is old, but not this old.
My husband and I like to watch movies (thanks, Netflix!). However, most of my free goof-off time is spent reading. My husband’s an avid reader, too, so some evenings we read instead of watching TV or a movie.
I appreciate so much the readers who have told me they like my books and my writing. Positive feedback fuels my progress on the next book. I appreciate my family for their support and assistance. My husband maintains my website. Both daughters help in various ways. Every day I get to do what I love. Consider me a lucky woman!
And speaking of lucky, I'm fortunate to have my backlist on Kindle and Smashwords. My historical set in 1885, THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE (Kincaids book one), is on sale this month for 99 cents. The other three books from my backlist--which include the historical THE MOST UNSUITABLE HUSBAND (Kincaids book two), a contemporary with a bit of suspense BE MY GUEST, and the contemporary SNOWFIRES--are only $2.99 each. For less than $10 you can own them all. What a deal!
The Christmas Blog Tour continues and our guest is the energetic Rae Summers. Rae lives in South Africa where she works in television advertising, a line of work that is not always as glamorous as it seems. When she isn’t working or being mom to two young daughters, Rae can be found with her nose in a book.
Rae’s first grade teacher was so seriously concerned by her day dreaming that she called her parents in for a conference. Fortunately, her parents staunchly defended Rae’s right to daydream and these days she’s able to prove their faith right by turning those day dreams into stories. She hopes her stories bring as much pleasure to her readers as they bring to her. Rae, I’ll turn the blog over to you.
Thanks for hosting me here today, Caroline. Today’s blog tour theme is our favourite Christmas movie or story.
Please don’t shoot me, but I’m going to make a confession. I’m not really big on Christmas-themed books or movies. I find most either lean towards being silly (like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) or overly sentimental (like It’s a Wonderful Life) or moralising (like Dickens’ Christmas Carol).
But there’s one Christmas film that stands out for me, and which I could happily watch every year: the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street. This movie starred Maureen O’Hara and John Payne, with 9-year old Natalie Wood as the child whose innocent belief changes the lives of all those around her.
I think what I liked best about this movie is its innocence. Unlike the 1994 version (starring the very gorgeous Dylan McDermott, alongside Elizabeth Perkins and Richard Attenborough) this one doesn’t ‘pour on the treacle’. It’s a fairy tale that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Researching this blog post I also found out a few interesting bits of trivia about the original film that I thought I’d share with you:
Studio bosses at 20th Century Fox weren’t particularly keen on this film, but they made it anyway so they could coerce director George Seaton into making his next film for them.
Maureen O'Hara hugging Natalie Wood
The film was released in June, not at Christmas, because the studio figured more people watch movies in summer, so it would earn more. They kept the Christmas aspect out of the original poster, and the trailer showed a studio executive talking to people on the film lot about the movie, rather than clips from the film itself.
Parts of the film were shot in Macy’s department store, and the parade is the real Macy’s parade. By the 1990s this iconic store was replaced by a generic no-name brand version. A sad sign of our times.
Edmund Gwen (who still epitomizes Santa for me) and Natalie Wood
This film spawned three remakes (1959, 1973 and 1994) and a Broadway musical. The most recent version might be beautifully filmed, but for me it’s the original that holds my heart.
What is your favourite Christmas movie?
Caroline: And now let's learn about Rae's book LET'S MISBEHAVE.
Let's Misbehave now available
Let’s Misbehave Blurb:
Gabrielle is the quintessential Flapper, a wild child who turns her back on home and a resentful and unloving mother to become a nightclub singer. She wants nothing more from life than freedom and pleasure.
Sebastian is a dutiful son, following in his father’s footsteps and on the verge of marrying a suitable bride. But as the Twenties roar to their conclusion, he finds himself torn between duty and the urge to indulge his adventurous streak.
From the moment Gabrielle and Sebastian meet, the tension between them simmers. When he rescues her from a boorish suitor, Gabrielle discovers a kindred spirit beneath Sebastian’s serious demeanour, and she sets out to seduce him into one last passionate fling before he settles for a loveless marriage.
But the fire that burns between them threatens to consume her. Will Gabrielle survive falling in love with the one man she cannot have?
* * * Rae's running a contest over on her blog at http://raesummers.wordpress.com/ where two winners will each win traditional Christmas tree ornaments. In order to enter you need to become a follower of her blog or her fan page, or re-tweet her posts. And you’ll need to leave her a comment letting her know you’ve entered!
Rae, thanks so much for sharing all the tidbits about "Miracle on 34th Street," which happens to be one of my three favorite Christmas movies. Like you, I don't like the goofy or saccherine movies. This one is perfect, and I loved the musical, too. This time of year I'm humming "That Man Over There Is Santa Claus" from the stage show.
Today, I'm over at P.L. Parker's blog talking about the same subject. What other two movies did I choose? Check out the answer at http://plparker.blogspot.com/
