I have to announce the first three items here, then get on with a quick update.

First: I knew I got a great review from Liberty Ann Ireland who reviewed Howreviewertoppick2dy, Ma’am for Night Owl Reviews, but today I found out that Night Owl Reviews gave Howdy, Ma’am the Night Owl Reviews Top Pick Award. Yes, I’m so pumped! Read it yourself at Night Owl Reviews, or on the Amazon Book Page. The big book cover photo in the sidebar will take you to the book page.

Second: Amazon dropped the price on my paperback.

UPDATE: Barnes and Noble dropped the price on my paperback, too!

Paperback? Did you know my book is available in paperback? It is now! I’m not sure if Barnes and Noble will follow with a sale price, but I do know Howdy, Ma’am in paperback is on sale, and only Amazon knows how long that will be.

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Third: I’ve reduced the price of the  eBook.

Updates:

  • I’m revising a book I wanted to get out last Christmas. Maybe it will make it this Christmas.
  • Visions of Enchantment is also in revisions, and I’m working on it as time permits, or when I need a break from the other books.
  • Also, I have a quick update about the second book in the Bull Rider Series. I have a title, or at least I’m 99% percent sure. Part of my brain says 100%, but a teeny-tiny part whispers, well…think it over a bit more. :-)

Book two is in revisions, and I bet I’ve revised it three full times already since writing the end. Why revise it when I’m sending to an editor? I guess that’s just what I do.

All of a sudden the other night, an idea hit me upside the head, something that will take less than a short paragraph to add. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of that before. It’s as plain as day now. Someone has to… Sorry, I can’t tell you.

I can’t wait till I can actually write a title instead of book two, book two, book two… and I know that muse is inside of me, poking with a hot ember, trying to get me to blurt it out. I’m driving myself crazier by not saying.

Maybe I’ll give the title in a cover reveal. Oh, wait, that’s a problem, too. I don’t have a cover, yet. I’ve narrowed it down to two images instead of three.

My book will have two photos. One is the main cover, but inside, at Part Two, there will be another cover. Make sense? I’ve always said this book is like getting two books under one title. My dilemma? Which of my two image choices will be the front cover.

This is where I stand right now.

Thanks for your time. Have a great week.

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Posted in All in a days work, Howdy Ma'am, Updates | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Interview With a Book Heroine- Howdy, Ma’am Book #1

Meet Velia Armano

dreamstime_s_10837833_thumb.jpgI feel so attached to Velia Armano, the heroine in Howdy, Ma’am. Spunky, feisty, beautiful…an Italian photographer hired to do a job for a season. Yet, there’s a side to her that holds tight to her wall of protection. Her heart isn’t ready; she still harbors pain and fear. Recovering from an abusive relation from her ex-husband, she had to learn how to trust. But in six months time, she learned to live again, regained her self-worth, and found confidence. Still my heart cried for her many times, both for good and bad reasons. Little did I know book two would bring…another round of emotions.

I reached out and hugged Velia Armano when she walked in the room. My heart feels her silent pain, and I almost teared up.

Me- Velia, I just wanted to hug you because I know the hell you’ve been through.

Velia I try to keep that in the past now. One day I’m sure I won’t even remember it anymore. But…

I noticed the far off look in her eyes, and I know what she saw in her memory.

Me- I know it isn’t easy to talk about, hon, and you don’t have to.

Velia Maybe it will help someone else if I talk about it—and how it all started so gradually. First, a shove here and there, a slap, name calling, and it all led to full blown abuse. I Don't take it.allowed it to go on for too long. Unfortunately, it took the death of my aunt for me to realize the horror of Justin’s abuse toward me. I left to save myself.

Me- One day, it will only be a brief thought, and you’ll move on and be happy again. I saw a smile and it made my heart soar.

Velia Yes, maybe being distracted with that hunk of a bull rider can help me forget. I’ll be too busy for the next nine months to remember, at least that’s what I’m hoping will happen.

Me- Yes, I’m so glad you accepted his offer. You missed your traveling job.

Velia nodded and acknowledged that was true.

Velia I looked into those flame blue eyes. You know? It helps me to realize there’s a future and the past is, well…the past. Starting my own photography shop those months ago when I moved to Tucson—helped me—to find me again. Dear Alice and Edward have been such a help. Thank you for them.

She fluttered her eyelashes and diverted her eyes. She glanced back up at me.

Velia But when he walked in and offered that job, what could I do when I looked into his eyes? He brought out feelings I had forgotten.

She diverted her eyes again.

Velia But, I’m afraid to let go. I don’t want to get involved with anyone right now.

She seemed embarrassed, looking away into her own vision. I know she needed that elderly couple in her life to act like surrogate grandparents.

Me- Yes, I can imagine your dilemma. And your father approves of your job.

Velia Si, mio padre knows I love to travel and use my camera. He understands me.

Me- You kept such a horrible secret from him.

Velia I had to, or… When my father found out, he wanted to… um, I can say my padre had to be held down, and I told him I’d never see him again…if something…happened to Justin, maybe an unexplained… No, I can’t say more.

Me- I understand, and I also know the reason, and I won’t get into questions about it.

Velia Grazie.

Me- Let’s talk a little about your job now. Photographing cowboys? A professional bull rider? A dream come true for some of us lonely women. She laughed, almost a giggle, but not quite.

Velia I must admit it’s pleasant. But, it’s dangerous. Those bulls are so big. She waved her hand across her face. And so smelly! I like to take a shower as soon as I get back to my room, but then after awhile I don’t notice as much.

Me- And sometimes you relax in a hot bubbly Jacuzzi with one cowboy in particular.

Velia Um, yes… he needs to relax his muscles and stiff joints after a show.

Her cheeks pinked.

I smiled, but had to move on.

Me- Velia, you are still in hiding from Justin, your ex-husband.

Velia Si, but I am not afraid of him anymore. This is why I now carry a handgun.

Me- I know your inner struggle about that. Could you

Velia To protect those I love or myself… She took a deep breath and glanced to the floor. I will make the decision when and if the time comes. She smiled. For now I have a whole team of cowboys to protect me. The treat me like I’m their bambina or something.

Me- And Nero and Roy. We can’t forget them, right?

Velia Yes, and I prefer not to talk about my father’s…men.

I noticed she got fidgety and it was almost time for the show to start. It took some time to set up her cameras and get situated.

Me- I’d love to spend a day with you cooking. Your food sounds so delicious. Have you always enjoyed cooking? Oh, and I’d love to meet your mother! She seems like such a nice mom.

Velia  Hey, I’m Italian what else I can tell you? Si, I love cooking, especially with madre and for those I love. Si, yes, mia madre is fantastico.

Me- I can see it’s time for you get to the chute area. There was a knock on the door. She glanced toward it, and the look on her face changed—bright, happy, and a smile played at the corners of her mouth.

I went to open it and in walked a hot looking cowboy with a black cowboy hat on his head, dressed in a yellow shirt, denim jeans, and black chaps with yellow scattered throughout the fringe. I had to do a double take—tall, sexy, strong looking… Whew! Si, bambino, amore mio!

Bull-Rope-2_thumb.jpg“Howdy, Ma’am,” he said to me, but his eyes went to the cute Italian. Oh, his eyes! I glanced back at Velia and saw the warm look on her face. Her body language shifted from sadness to joy. Maybe she hasn’t figured it out yet, but something is brewing.

When he walked over to her, she rose. “I’m here to escort you to the show like I always do. Ready, ma’am?”

OMG, am I ready ma’am? YES! Wait, he wasn’t talking to me. Oops. I created these people. Did I say, me? What I mean is Velia, our heroine, is she ready for this? The look in his eyes about swept me off my feet, and I can only imagine what it’s like for her to watch him through the camera lens. But, I see hesitation… If only she doesn’t make a big mistake and sink back into her self-appointed exile. If only…

He took her hand, and when he reached the door, he smiled at me and touched the tip of his hat. “Later, ma’am…”

I nearly fell to the floor. Later, ma’am he says…

Velia shook her hand free and came back to me. She took hold of my hands and her brown eyes with that unique green sparkle, stared into mine. Grazie, she said, Thank you.

I must have been wide-eyed or had some weird expression on my face. Thank me for what? I had to ask.

“For saving me.” She glanced back at Caulder and he smiled then winked at her. His eyelashes are so long! He held out his hand. Velia hugged me tight before turning back to him. She took his hand and smiled at me before the door closed. He caught it with his foot and glanced back again, nodded. A little bit of a smile appeared on his lips before closing the door.

I shall not have to worry about her. She’s in very good hands.

For an interview with Mr Hotness McCutchen, click HERE. Bring a fan.

Just so you know ahead of time: Occasional harsh and unsavory language. Sensual love scenes. And of course, the sexy bull rider and the sweet and feisty photographer.

TODAY and tomorrow, May 5 & 6, Howdy, Ma’am Book #1 will still be priced at .99 cents at AMAZON only. The Book Lovers Buffet ends May 5th, but I’m carrying the sale price of my book over another day.

Also if you go to Brenda Novak’s Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research, you can bid on a Kindle, Kindle 6 #5, and Howdy, Ma’am is one of the books already loaded with fourteen other books. What a deal. There are so many wonderful items to bid on in this auction, and for a great cause. Be sure to check this out, but don’t forget to come back here.

Email sign-up or Follow at the top will keep you informed of news and updates right here at A Walk With Words.

Posted in All in a days work, Bull Rider Series, Howdy Ma'am, Interview | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Lovers Buffet Sale ~ Extended

Hi. Happy Weekend. It’s a beautiful day in my neighborhood~Sunny, warm, green, and tulips!

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Yes, due to popular demand, the BOOK LOVERS BUFFET HAS BEEN EXTENDED until May 5th. Howdy, Ma’am is included in this extended sale. Some books have been pulled, but there are still many left in a variety of romance genres from Christian to Erotic Romance and everything in between. If you’re a fan of romance, stop by–and you might find a new author or new characters to fall in love with.

The contest ended May 3rd. Good Luck if you entered.

In my post below, a few authors have stopped by to leave a brief blurb about their books. Please double check the price before purchase to make sure they continued with the Book Lovers Buffet Sale. If not, go ahead and grab it anyway!

If you’re new here, I’d love if you came back to visit.

Thanks!

FYI

Another new Five Star Review for Howdy, Ma’am has been posted at Amazon and Goodreads. (More about that later.)

Posted in All in a days work, Book Lovers Buffet 2013, Howdy Ma'am | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Book Lovers Buffet With Over 150 Books at a Bargain Price

Load up, you won’t gain a pound!

bouquet-sale-buttonI’m having a SPECIAL SALE with over one hundred other authors, and over 150 books.  Yes, you read that right— over one hundred authors have come together in one place to offer their books for a bargain price of .99 cents. Come and join us at the  Book Lovers Buffet from May 1 – 3, 2013.

Just think–over 150 books, and you have three days to look. Did you say you liked Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, YA, Historical,Fantasy/Sci-fy/Time Travel, Inspirational? It’s all there!

THE BOOK LOVERS BUFFET

MANY OTHER AUTHORS OFFER ADDITIONAL BUY LINKS Like Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Etc. Visit Book Lovers Buffet for more.

Remember if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free reading app for your Phone, Tablet, or Computer. 

Happy READING!

Would love to have you sign up with email or click Follow at the top. A great way to stay informed of news and updates, and, well, fun!

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Look for HOWDY, MA’AM under CONTEMPORARY, and you can grab this book for a special price of .99 for a savings of $3.00. For more information about Howdy, Ma’am, Book One in the Bull Rider Series, visit the page here on my blog.

Posted in Book Lovers Buffet 2013, Bull Rider Series, Contemporary, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

If You Love A Writer…

I wrote this on another blog a while ago. Worth a read–

If You Love a Writer –

I started writing this in 1st person then decided to change it. If I’ve offended other writers by grouping us all together, please forgive me, because I know it doesn’t pertain to all writers. This is mostly my opinion of what I’ve observed from people who don’t understand how a writer’s mind and life works.

You need to Read This –

This is what we do. This is who we are. We create scenarios with made up people and circumstances, and sometimes far out, unimaginable settings that can only exist in a creative mind.

Often, our mind drifts to some scene or setting; whereas we might whip out some paper and write down notes while someone is trying to talk to us, or while we’re watching TV, or even reading. We are still listening to you–we hear you and aren’t ignoring you.

If using our laptop when you talk to us, we can still type what is on our mind while talking and listening to you. In some way our fingers have a direct connection to the part of the brain that works on story ideas. We don’t have to be looking at what we’re doing, or at you. Part of our brain is constantly at work on an idea, plot, or character, whether it be a work in progress, or something not even started yet. Sometimes we might think of books already Pencil-Paper-FUN_thumb.jpgwritten. It’s like a movie on an endless reel. Sometimes we might not know that part is always at work till suddenly something pops up for a story or character that just wouldn’t fit before, and then it’s clear, but we’re still listening to you.

 Ideas can be floating around in our head for a book that we might not start for a year from now. Language and dialog are like a history lesson, listening to the way a person does this or that, inflections, words. It’s not something we can help. It’s the writer that lives inside. My writer living inside controls me more than I control it.

Maybe you go outside of the house to work, which of course makes you better than us because we’re at home sitting at a desktop or laptop, writing, doing our job. Often times you might not see it that way. We’ve been called lazy for sitting on our butt all day. Is that what it is to you? Creative minds need to be allowed to create. Do you say we should use our physical body to go out and bring home the bacon for you, before you can acknowledge what we do is real work?

 Allowing your writer to have quiet time now and again doesn’t make it right. You think giving us permission is okay? Don’t try to take our tools away, and don’t try to dictate our writing schedule. Do you think we can’t make up stories by being kept away from the computer? Back up a few sentences and reread the part about a story always floating around, and I repeat, always. You can’t stop us from being creative. Take away our quiet, take away the media we use to document those ideas, and take away our time, but you can’t take away our stories. Accept this if you love us.

Remember at first how cool it was when you learned of our writing ability? To know a real writer was exciting to you. To see an actual book with our name on it? Did you brag to your family and friends? You can try to take away our time, but you can’t take our thoughts and ideas, because I can tell you honestly, they will be here longer than you will. This is what we do. This is who we are. Creativity is here and belongs to us. All we ask is you understand this gift, and leave us to it when it calls.

After rereading this a gazillion times, I realize it’s not only for people who love writers. It can be carried over to photography and art in many forms that take us away and into our own minds for a few hours at a time. So, if you love us, then deal with it. And be proud, yes, please be proud because it is harder work than you know.

This was inspired when a friend said to me, “Can’t you stop writing all the time and email me?”

Posted in All in a days work, Rambling, writing | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Where Have I Been?

Hey, did anyone miss me? Please don’t answer that, I’m joking. Seems like forever since I actually wrote a blog post.

Guess what? Yep, I’ve been busy finishing book two. I swear! Honest—book two is finished in first draft. It only happened a couple days ago.

A little while ago I touched up my website again, adding some information about the second book. My website has a page for Howdy, Ma’am and now a page for Bull Rider Series #2. You’ll find a couple excerpts for each book. Trust me when I tell you how difficult it is to choose an excerpt for the second book. It’s so important not to give anything away about HM.

I’ll leave a link to visit, and you can read those excerpts if you’d like. The page for book two on my website explains my plan for the book layout as far as what I want the cover to say. I can tell you it’s one darn long story.

Not long ago I asked for opinions from friends and on my Facebook Author Page.

  •  Break it up into two books
  • Make it one long book
  • Create a bundle/ Omnibus
  • Whatever else.

Lots of comments said, “Write the story that needs to be told.” Since I’m an Indie author, I can do this. But, I also want to write the book you like to read. Too long might scare you away? Maybe you can pretend it’s a Saga.

My intent from the beginning was to have a part one and two. There’s a reason for this— Part one is off season. Part two is when the second season begins. Remember, he hired her for the first season. Now that the season is over, what will become of them? I want to scream out— “I know! I know what happens…” I won’t. But, I want to! Squeeeee…

In the planning of book two, my intention was to go with the two parts, and this is what I did. I wrote the story that needed to be written.

I gave my characters what they wanted, and some things they didn’t. Tears of joy and sadness wracked my body and soul as I wrote this, ripping my heart apart at times. Oh, yes, I laughed and cried right along with them, and went through all the other emotions they endured.

So, readers, since I did write the story that needed to be written, you will find it’s really like getting two books under one title, with what I’d call “down-time” between parts one and two…

Take a break, ponder on what you had just read in part one, guess what will happen in the second part, or walk away for a few days. I promise you’ll be able to do this instead of have to sit through such a long story straight through.

But, I know you will come back for part two and the conclusion before long. You won’t want to miss the end of the Bull Rider Series—Velia and Caulder’s story—one way or another—whichever way it goes.

Yes, this is the final book. I don’t care how many times they get into my head and beg me for more; it “ain’t” gonna happen. Please, I have other cowboys to ride…I mean write. Oops.

FOR RIGHT NOW, I’ve set aside my manuscript to simmer awhile, and in the meantime I’ll be working on another manuscript. After all, I’m still in the 500K in 2013 group. I think my word count for the year so far is over 117K with the writing in all my works in progress since January.

To read those excerpts I mentioned, here are links to my website and the Bull Rider Series, pages.

Link to information about Howdy, Ma’am. Book One in the Bull Rider Series.

Link to information about Book Two.

I’d love if you subscribed to my blog to receive updates through email or by clicking Follow at the top of the page—a sure way to stay informed of news and updates. Also, there’s a Contact Page if you’d like to ask a question.

Ciao

Mary~

Posted in All in a days work, Bull Rider Series, Howdy Ma'am | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Happy to Accept the Sunshine Award

sunshine-award1I was awarded The Sunshine Award from Gus Sanchez at Out Where the Busses Don’t Run. (I wonder if I’ll get out where the busses don’t run if I have a walk with words.) I’m sorry, I crack myself up sometimes. Many thanks, Gus, for nominating me for this award. It was very unexpected and appreciated. Now I need to answer a few questions and nominate some bloggers with the Sunshine Award so they can answer some questions. My nominations are at the end of my answers.

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What inspired you to start blogging?

I first started blogging around 2006 when I published my first book. I use that blog for archives now because I couldn’t bring myself to close it when I started this one.  I wanted a way to update readers and friends on book info, plus I had a personal blog for family. Now I blog here about a variety of topics.

How did you come up with the name of your blog?

I brainstormed the name until it felt right. I actually looked at the header of an old theme I had with a path down a tree lined road, and it reminded me of taking a walk. I’m a writer so I put different things together to go with “walk” and what my blog was about, which was words. So, A Walk with Words was born.

What is your favorite blog that you like to read?

There are too many to choose one. Barbara Conelli writes about travel and Italy, and since I love Italy and travel, I enjoy hers, but to say I have one favorite would be cheating the other bloggers I follow.

Tell about your dream job.

I’m living my dream job as a full time writer. I waited a long time for this.

Is your glass half full or half empty?

I like my glass a little more than half full. Since I’m human, once in awhile it gets close to empty.

If you could go anywhere on a week’s vacation, where would you go?

At first I thought this would be easy. If I have to choose one place, it would be Tuscany, Italy, but I’d rather have longer than a week in Italy. Since I only have a week, I’d go to Arizona, preferably Tucson. I can be there in a few hours on a plane and have almost the full week. There are many things there I want to explore.

What food can you absolutely not eat?

I can’t stand the taste of cilantro.

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

Dark Chocolate. Yum—85% isn’t too much.

How much time do you spend blogging – in other words, are you one of those lucky people who can dash off a blog post in no time, or like me and take forever on one post to get it just right?

It takes me forever to write a blog post most of the time. I have to start it, let it rest, go back later, finish, and then let it sit at least overnight. I’ll reread it the next day before copying to my blog—preview it, change something, correct something else, preview and then hit publish. If I’m really lucky I catch any errors before it goes out to my subscribers. I had to do it with this post, too.” Sigh”

Do you watch TV – if so, what are some of your favorite shows?

I’m not a big TV watcher, but when I’m in a mood (if the glass is close to empty) I’ll turn it on so I don’t have to think about anything. There are a couple shows I try to always watch—Scandal, Hell on Wheels, Dancing with the Stars, Top Gear, Longmire, and some movies on the Hallmark Channel. If anyone knows me personally, they’ll see why I like Hell on Wheels. Bad boy weakness syndrome for those of you who don’t know me. I always go to bed at night with the Golden Girls. Watch it—I mean with them on my TV. I have to laugh at Gus who gave me this award—sometimes I watch Duck Dynasty too, usually if my son is home. Don’t tell, but I got a great line for my book from the show. Video of HoW is for season two. Waiting diligently for Season 3 to begin.

Now I have to nominate a few bloggers to give this award to. Ready?

Debra Andrews

Teagan Geneviene

Christine Rice

Barbara Conelli (I nominate Barb for this award, but she is on hiatus at the moment.)

Michelle Proulx

Virginia Plantation (When they open I’m going here on my  own personal writing retreat.)

Lord David Prosser (David, I’m giving you this award because you deserve it. I know you’re going through a difficult time, and I want you to have the Sunshine Award because you need some sunshine right now. No need to answer the questions. My gift to you.)

Posted in Blogging | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Come Talk to me Today at Musings Of a Dreamer Blog

Update: Of course this interview is over, but the post will still be on Rhonda’s site. Feel free to contact me if you have a comment or question.

Like the title says, come on over and talk to me today at Musings of a Dreamer Blog. Rhonda Laurel, an author herself, invited me to be her guest.

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Stop by and say hello.

Read an excerpt for Howdy, Ma’am, too.

And, hey, it’s the weekend!

Posted in Interview | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How I Named my Character or Wow, a Lot of Fun Research!

In an earlier post I mentioned I’d be posting a blog about how I chose the heroine’s name in Howdy, Ma’am. Her first name is Velia and her last name is Armano.

Her last name started out as Armani, but I thought maybe that wasn’t a good idea. After all, I didn’t want Mr. Armani himself coming down on me. Hah, like Mr. Armani would know about Howdy, Ma’am!

I’m not here to explain about her last name, but I must admit I had to give up a great line in my book when I changed her surname. It was still fun picking her current last name, too. Okay, I’ll give a brief explanation. First, I made it up. Si, I made up Armano. Then I wanted to see if that name existed. It did! Luckily for me, there were only a few families with that name in the region I needed. Molto Bene! Since I knew what area Velia’s family was from, I did a search for surnames in the area. So, that’s how she got her last name. I love my job.

Most times I have a name already chosen by the time I start a story. Her name didn’t come to me right away—maybe because she’s Italian. I didn’t have a list of Italian names in my list-of-favorite-names-for-future-books. How did I know I’d be creating an Italian heroine some day? I do know I wanted something different, memorable. According to the Baby name Wizard, Velia hasn’t ranked in the top 1,000 in any time period. I typed “Velia” into Facebook, and no one came up with the name, but there is a Spa Velia and a bridal shop in Umbria, Italy. (Beautiful gowns by the way.)

See, isn’t this name searching thing fun?

When I first saw her name in the list of female Italian names, I knew right away this name was perfect. My next move was to type “Velia” into Google and see what this name means.

I’m weird like that. This is how I found out about the ancient ruins of Elea—which in Latin means Velia.

“Velia is the Italian (and Latin) name of the ancient town of Elea (Ancient Greek: Ἐλέα) located on the territory of the comune of Ascea, Salerno, Campania, Italy in a geographical sub-area named Cilento.”

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.

I loved this idea because in my head, I had to know where her family came from. Once I created my heroine, I began researching, and came across Elea, Italy in the region of Campania and the province of Salerno. Well, this was perfect because Salerno is where her family was from even before I knew about Elea Velia.

I think it was meant to be! From that point on, everything had to work out down to the physical characteristics of a person from southern Italy.

Are you having fun yet?

Why an Italian heroine you might ask? I don’t know. She first came to me as Italian. My hero came to me as a cowboy. Now, what do I do with an Italian heroine and a cowboy? This is funny because it’s exactly what Velia wanted to know when she met Caulder, and she says, “I’m a city girl. What will I do with a cowboy?” She learns fast.

So, yes, Elea (Velia) is an ancient ruin off the coast of southern Italy. I can’t find a whole lot of information about this ancient city, but I would love to visit and see for myself. There is a site in Italian, but I can’t read it, so there may be secrets I don’t know about.

I won’t tell you why Velia’s mama gave her this name, but it’s in the book. I’m weird like that. Sorry! Let’s just say my imagination went to work, and I had to pretend to be madre Italiana.

My information is taken from Wikipedia. I’m careful about doing research via Wikipedia, but for what it’s worth, here’s a small snippet.

Ruins

 This is a retouched picture, which means that it has been digitally altered from its original version. Modifications: lightness, contrast, cropping. The original can be viewed here: Velia2.jpg. Modifications made by Kbh3rd.

This is a retouched picture, which means that it has been digitally altered from its original version. Modifications: lightness, contrast, cropping. The original can be viewed here: Velia2.jpg. Modifications made by Kbh3rd.

“Remains of the city walls, with traces of one gate and several towers, of a total length of over three miles, still exist, and belong to three different periods, in all of which the crystalline limestone of the locality is used…”

To read more about Elea Velia go HERE.  The Encyclopedia Britannia has a brief paragraph. More if you have an online subscription. Elea Velia has an interesting history, including being “the Eleatic school of Greek philosophers— Parmenides and Zeno.”

You’re not only learning how my character got her name, you’re also getting a history lesson! You can thank me later.

Of course, you know how to find out why Mrs. Lidia Armano named her daughter Velia… Imagine me with a big smile.

I have Italian friends who follow my blog. If you have been here, please let me know.

Please don’t forget to follow by email so you can stay informed of news, and updates like how I name my characters, etc. If you’re new here and want to know about the “cowboy” part of the book, have no fear! I interviewed him. (I’m in the process of interviewing Velia.) So, please sign up to follow my blog.

Tower Picture:

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Posted in All in a days work, Howdy Ma'am, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Alone on Valentine's Day?

Reblogged from A Walk With Words:

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This year when I thought about a blog for Valentine’s Day, I decided to gear it toward being alone. For whatever reason it is, I hope you find something here you can enjoy or take away with you. Maybe a special quote, or a pleasant thought.

In the meantime, I’ll still be writing romance, and putting a hero and a heroine together with some infamous plot and conflict.

Read more… 1,435 more words

Reblogged from an earlier post. Enjoy Please Subscribe for email updates (in the sidebar) or click Follow at the top of the page.
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