Old Characters

Old Characters

In most books, particularly those in the romance genre, all the characters are young and beautiful. We all want to be young and beautiful, I know I do! And, I like to read about them, to a point. Alas, not all of us can be beautiful even when young.

When writing my Baer series which is set in a small town in the boonies of Wyoming, I find that older characters give the town life. I love exploring those that came before, and trying to unravel what they were like as young, impetuous people.

In each of my books, I have 'older' characters. The McIvey's own a local cafe and are the strong, steady, dependable couple everyone seems to rely on in times of trouble. While they aren't perfect, and they have a few squabbles here and there, George McIvey is known to plant one on his wife, and give a little love pat to her bum on occasion. They also dance, drink, and are very opinionated. Their opinions however, are laced with the wisdom that comes with age.

Using older characters gives me a chance to use some amazing quotes from older folks that are in my life and have passed through it. In my latest book, Baer Facts, Eleanor Fontaine makes quite the impact. She is sassy, pretty, more than over-the-top opinionated, she's got a crush on a U.S. Marshal and she's sixty-five. As the story evolves you discover she has quite the past. It is this past that makes her such an asset to the young and newly appointed Sheriff Matt Baer.

I think many authors miss out on an opportunity to deepen their story when everyone is young, beautiful and perfect. Even in the movies, it's is difficult to find an older character, particularly female. Even when you have a male lead that is seventy, his leading lady is usually never older than thirty-five. Seriously? What the hell to do they talk about? Give the man a sassy woman of his own age - there's some dialog!!

Person of Interest (yes, I am a fan) is one of the few shows that gives the lead, Mr. Reese (James Caviezel) a lady friend, Zoe (Paige Turco) that has a history, is her own independent woman, and is in the same age bracket - refreshing, and the dialog and sparks - humm.


Here's a little intro to Eleanor:

If there was such a thing as a curse, its name was Eleanor Fontaine and it was sitting in the sheriff's office the next morning smoking a cigarette.

"Eleanor, you know you can't smoke in here." Matt warned, hanging up his jacket.

"I'm not smoking, the cigarette is. See," she pointed to the lit end, "all the smoke is coming from there."

Matt rubbed the spot between his eyes, pushing his cowboy hat back on his head. "This is a non-smoking public office, it's against the law."

She sorted through a stack of papers, tossing a dozen envelopes into the trash can without opening them. "This is a tiny-ass office in the middle of nowhere. In the thirty years I've worked here, I've never seen the public come in here unless they were under arrest." She looked over her glasses at him. "Frankly, those sorts deserve second-hand smoke."

"You should quit, it's bad for you anyway." He knew there was no winning this argument and he needed help in the office, any help. Matt bent down and began pulling the envelopes out of the trashcan.

Eleanor took in a deep draw. "I smoked in the Army, quit when my kids came and promised myself if I lived to be sixty-five, I'd start again, so I just started." She blew out a lung-full of smoke. "I enjoy it and besides how many years can I have left? I might as well enjoy them." Again, she tossed another handful of unopened mail in the trash can.

"You need to open these, they might be important." Matt snatched them up.

"Fire me next year, that's when my pension kicks in." She crushed out the cigarette in a thick crystal ashtray, she gave him a squinty look, "until then you need me."

Damn, she was right.

I'm Being Auctioned!

Since yours truly would get no bids if I really was being auctioned -- I have offered a couple of hot, sexy Baers, along with a very cozy fleece blanket, jewelry, tea mugs and teas and a few other items for Brenda Novak's Auction for Diabetes Research. 

Join Brenda Novak and hundreds of authors, editors, agents and others have made donations to help all those who suffer from diabetes. Did you know that diabetes is the number 5 killer in the U.S.? By bidding on just one of the hundreds of donated gifts, books, and unique items, you can help support research efforts in finding a cure for this killer disease. If you'd like more information about the Diabetes Research Institute, head over to their website. 

The auction begins May 1st and ends May 31st.

That's 'baerly' enough time to come out of hibernation and make a me a happy 'baer'.

 If you'd like to bid on my Baer Basket, follow this link.  Below is a sneak peek. Happy Bidding!

May all the Write Words be Yours,

Linda

It's a Baer!

I am very excited to unveil the cover for my newest Baer brothers book 

BAER FACTS.

This is the last installment in the Three Baers Trilogy and it will be released on May 1st. 

Matt Baer, has just been elected the new sheriff of Sentinel, Wyoming. Matt is a man that wants to shake his past, a past that included Ben Childers - the most hated man in the county. The job should be easy in the small town --  some speeding tickets, an occasional petty theft, a few underage teenagers drinking - a pretty calm job. Yeap, Matt was all set to be a 21st century Andy Taylor in a western version of Mayberry.

Then he found himself in a deserted parking lot with a sword at his neck.

Callenda Smith - Smith? That was the creative name the U.S. Marshals had given her when she was dropped into Sentinel as part of the Witness Protection Program. After seeing a Congressman murdered by a Russian mobster, she and her sister were put into protective custody.

Then Sheriff Matt Baer found himself at the end of her sword.

Russian mobsters, a scorching drought, naked dancers, and two people with very jaded and shadowed pasts find themselves targets for very different reasons. They might just survive, if they don't kill each other.

I hope you enjoy Matt's story.

May all the Write Words be Yours,
Linda

I'm Almost Back!

The last few weeks have been, well, complicated. Between family issues, book deadlines, job, and the fact I was slammed to the mat like the loser of an MMA fight by the "crud". In spite of medicine, herbal tea, and essential oils, this "crud" has taken nearly four weeks to recover from. Seriously, I've never had a 'flu' hang around this long. So, please accept my apologies for not blogging in awhile.

I'm almost back to normal, and since I am normally far from normal, I'm on the upside of being well again.

When I came out of my cough syrup, medicine induced trance, I discovered that a good friend had asked me to be a part of a fund-raiser that was dear to her -- Authors Against Abuse, asking authors to donate books to this amazing cause.

The organization is called Rising Phoenix and monies raised by them go to support Toys for Tots, SOS America, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and many others. Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation supports women, children and their pets, shelters, orphanages and schools.

Here's more from Novel's Alive Blog who is sponsoring the Authors Against Abuse fundraiser:

Authors Against Abuse to benefit Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation (rpcf.org), a 501(c)3 charity whose mission is to provide funding to education, enhance and support causes of women, children and their pets. Through providing funding for long-term safe havens, RPCF hopes to stop the cycle of abuse, allow families to heal, and to afford women time to learn the life skills necessary to secure futures for themselves and their children.  For more information about the cause, please visit rpcf.org.

Readers who make a donation of $10 or more to Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation, will receive a free e-book from the ever-growing list of authors below. Email a copy of your receipt to dlinton@novelsalive.tv, along with the title and author of the book you want emailed to you, and your book will be sent to your email (please indicate which form you would like your ebook in Kindle, Nook, etc.).

Authors who donate $75 to Rising Phoenix Charitable Foundation will receive a featured article on Novels Alive about their upcoming release. For a donation of $150 or more, Novels Alive will feature an author’s full series.  Email your donation receipt to dlinton@novelsalive.tv to partake in this fantastic opportunity.

Indie authors who wish to include their e-book in the promotion for readers,please contactdlinton@novelsalive.com.

Here are just a few of the authors the are participating -- so far:

Kevin J. Anderson
Karna Bodman
Lorhainne Eckhart
Barry Eisler
Jennifer St. Giles
Rita Herron
Dana Marton
Andrew Peterson
Nancy Radke
Haywood Smith
Wendy Wax

And me! I will be giving a copy of Baer Truth - Book One of the Three Baers Trilogy. (Print or ebook, readers choice). 

Any reader who contributes just $10 can opt to receive my book or their choice of many others. Great books, a great organization and for the price of two coffee's you can help a family in need and get a great read. (as you can see the meds are still working!)

If you are an author who would like to participate, please contact Dayna at NovelsAlive, her email is listed above. 

If you are a reader who loves great books and great causes - this is the perfect place to contribute. 

May all the Write Words be Yours,

Linda

One Person Makes a Difference

One Person Makes a Difference

I have heard so often that one person can't make a difference. Through the years I've learned that it is one person who always makes a difference. Usually that one person doesn't even realize what an impact they have on the world, at least their little part of it. Most of us don't realize their impact either, until they are gone.

This week I lost a neighbor. No one outside of a ten-mile radius would know his name. He was a farmer, born and raised. A man of the land. I don't think I ever saw him in anything except bibbed-overalls and a John Deere ball cap. He always looked old to me. One of these people you meet who have always been a certain age and always will be. He was a man I thought would live forever.

Our first encounter was over eggs. I bought my eggs from him, and we had a discussion about eggs and chickens and weather and kids. My kids were doing 4H and he told me how to plump them up for fair. Everything he said worked. Then a weasel got in our coop and decimated our chickens. He was the one that   waited in his own coop until the varmint appeared and he took him out.

We had heated debates about politics. I called him a conservative flaming liberal. He voted Democrat -- period and didn't really like the fact I voted for the person and not the ticket. He called me a conservative with issues. One those moderates who can't pick a side.

He and I both loved to debate politics and we could get heated and angry, but that anger never spilled over into a personal anger. After we agreed to disagree, we'd talk gardens, and dirt and rain and life.

He sang in the church choir, he was on numerous community boards, he'd volunteered with the Fair Board, and helped 4-H kids. He'd been married longer than I'd been alive. Although he'd never published a word, he kept journals and recorded every day of his life in them. He could recall dates, places, times, events with a clarity I could only hope for.

He knew more about plants, greenhouses, animals, fruit trees, and history then any one I've ever known. I remember driving down the road, seeing him tilling his garden, or stooped with a clump of dirt in his hand. A hand thrown up as I passed. I will miss seeing him in that garden. I will miss arguing over politics.

He was never famous, never talked about on the evening news, and no one outside of the area will mourn his passing. Yet, a small rip in the universe was created when he left. There will be no more vocals in the church choir, no more community board meetings, no more testy moments at local elections, no more solving world problems over a carton a free-range eggs.

One person always makes a difference.

Good-bye my neighbor, I hope you find that rich dirt filled farm in heaven.

May All the Write Words be Yours,
Linda

Cowboy Up!

Hey everyone! I'm bringing in March and Monday like a lion! Okay, so I'm probably more like a really tame lion, but today, I am the first, yup, number ONE, guest blogger on Amanda McIntyre's "Ladies Love Country Cowboys" blog event. 

My third Baer brother book, Baer Facts will be released on May 1, and to celebrate, I'm giving away a copy of the first two Baer books -- Baer Truth and Baer Necessities over at Amanda's blog. So, drop by and leave me some comment lovin'. Plus, many other authors are blogging about those handsome cowboys this week and they have some awesome giveaways too!

Anyone that loves cowboys, pickups, sweet summer nights on a front porch will love this blog tour. There are many different writers offering a variety of country boys for your reading pleasure. The Baer's are romantic western comedies, Amanda's are sizzling hot and more than a few others are sure to make you want to head West!

Just look at this list of authors! 

Yippe Yi Yo! Cowboy Up! 

http://www.amandamcintyresbooks.com/

A Valentine Wish

A Valentine Wish

It is Valentine's Day, and I do write romance, so you'd think I should have a long list of ideas for this blog. I think since I don't write 'true' romance as the genre is defined, my books are more comedic than romantic, I look at the day a little different.

You might even expect a funny Valentine post to come streaming out of my consciousness but since my hubby and I really don't celebrate the day, nope, didn't have one of those either.

What to do? As luck would have it, I stumbled across a social media post that ask a simple question.

The question:
If you had a significant other that had an unlimited supply of money, we're talking billions, would you ask for Valentine's Day?

A great question, with a list of wonderful responses. All of us have their secret wish list -- a new car, home, jewelry, travel.

My answer:
To be able to save "time in a bottle". That is a my Valentine's wish.

Like Jim Croce, I want to save my days, I want to save certain hours, certain moments to savor again. For those who might be a smidgen younger than me, I offer the following for your listening pleasure.

May all the Write Words be Yours,
Linda