JOHN WAYNE AND MY DAD: REMEMBERING HEROES

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:

Have a safe Memorial Weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Sweerhearts Of The West Is A New Blog Launching Soon!



Who doesn't love a cowboy, whether
historical or contemporary?



Sweethearts of the West is a new blog launching on October 1st. Fourteen western authors of contemporary, historical, and time travel romances set in the American West teamed up to man—rather woman—this new blog. Puhhhleeeze, check the site out at http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/ and sign up as a follower.

Authors in the team are co-moderators (little ol'e moi) Caroline Clemmons and Celia Yeary, Amber Leigh Williams, Anna Jeffery/Sadie Callahan/Dixie Cash, Anna Kathryn Lanier, Ashley Kath-Bilsky, Cheryl Pierson, Jane Leopold Quinn, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Marin Thomas, Nicole McCaffrey, Paisley Kirkpatrick, Paty Jager, and Sandra Crowley. These range from newly contracted to USA Today Bestselling Authors.
As the photo caption states, who doesn't love a cowboy? But these authors cover more than cowboys: we write about miners, railroad men, Pinkerton agents, FBI agents, police detectives, doctors, hairdressers, and so many more interesting occupations and intriguing characters! Come join us October 1st and afterward.

Woohoo! Leave a comment here that you’ve followed Sweethearts of the West and be eligible to win an autographed copy of OUT OF THE BLUE, a paranormal time travel romantic suspense set in North Central Texas. This book received a 5 Siren Stone review from Siren. Remember—October 1st is the launch date. By the way, this giveaway is in addition to my weekly prize drawing. Free Loot!

Y’all come on back now, y’hear?

Happy Labor Day! And Writing What We Love

Bobbye Terry/Daryn Cross gave me this photo because she
knows I love Texas sunrises and sunsets. No, it has nothing
to do with this post except I love the photo.

Labor Day Weekend—a nice long weekend with an extra day to relax and be with family. What could be better? I hope you have time to read a good book. Like THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, hint, hint.


Why do I write historicals? A writer should writer the kind of book he or she likes to read. Although I’m an eclectic reader, one type book I love is western romance. The first one I read was by Lorraine Heath. I fell in love with the concept and read each one of her books I could find. She’s a very nice person as well as being a great writer. I’ve continued to follow her books as she’s moved into English Victorians, but that’s another subgenre of historical romance. A bookseller I trust suggested I try Jodi Thomas’ books. Thank goodness she told me about Jodi Thomas, because I read each of her books—and reread several—including the contemporary and suspense as well as the western.

Writing is more involved than reading. Any novel usually requires research to set up the world the writer will describe. My husband and I took our dream trip to Ireland and fell so in love with the country that we returned a second time, and would love to go back there. We also love our home state of Texas. What better than to combine the two? Cenora Rose O’Neill, the heroine of THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE, is from Ireland. Dallas McClintock, the hero, is a Texas rancher in the Texas Hill Country, near Bandera but in the fictional area of McClintock Springs.

McClintock Springs was founded by Dallas’ grandfather, Vincent McClintock, and the fictional county named McClintock, too. It’s so much fun to invent a new town and county. Then I can make them anything I choose. The ranch buildings and house are so vivid in my mind that I’d like to be able to paint them so others could see them as I do. Perhaps I’ve described them well enough in the book that readers will be able to form a mental picture for them. Large two-story home painted butter yellow with dark green shutters and white railing around the wide front porch. Screened in sleeping porch on each floor to catch the Southwestern summer breezes.

I hope you enjoy western historical romances, too. I’ll include a copy of mine in the prize drawing on September 11th. You have until 11:59 pm that day to enter. If you don’t win, please keep returning to comment. I’ll have weekly drawings for quite a while. To enter, you simply comment on my blog and include your email address. If you sign up as a follower, that counts as an extra entry. Couldn’t be easier.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day!

Writing the West

I’m still excited about the release yesterday of my western historical set in 1885, THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE.

In this book, Dallas McClintock is a handsome young man of mixed heritage, half Scottish and half Cherokee. All his life he has faced prejudice because of his mixed heritage. At the death of his parents, he came to live with his aunt and uncle, who treated him like their son. Dallas’ two cousins treated him as their brother. They are a close-knit family, but now Dallas has his own ranch and is gaining a reputation as a talented horse trainer and breeder. He also raises cattle and sheep. Yep, on the same ranch. The house is a large place situated on a hill overlooking the river.

Cenora O’Neill and her family were tossed off their rented farm in Ireland with no more than they could carry. She and her parents and two brothers, Finn and Mac, wandered helplessly for a few weeks until a band of Irish Travelers befriended them. Soon, the Travelers moved from tents to wooden wagons in colorful colors. Never totally a part of the Travelers, but with no where else to go, the O’Neill family played music while Cenora danced and sang for coins whenever they passed through a town. By a chance you have to read the book to discover, the entire band of Travelers, their wagons, and their horses came to the United States to escape the prejudice they’d faced in Ireland. Here they found no more welcome and moved West hoping to find acceptance and—perhaps—free land they could claim.

This story is set in the Central Texas Hill Country near Bandera. I love Texas history and Irish history, and this book combines them. Mostly, it’s about people who struggle for acceptance and for a home. There’s skullduggery in it, of course. I love writing villains that readers can hate and could never write a romance with no crime in it.

THE TEXAN'S IRISH BRIDE ia available from The Wild Rose Press, Digi Books Cafe and other online stores. Print is $14.99 and e-download is $7.00.

Don't forget to comment to be entered in the Saturday drawing for a PDF download of this book.And while you're reading blogs, slip over to the Prairie Chicks blog and see my post there today.