Saturday, April 18, 2009

Author Interview: Celia Yeary

(Be sure to read my review of her book below!)

 

Celia, thank you for taking the time to be here, especially on such short notice!  First, let me give you a chance to respond to my review. Is there anything you would like to add, argue, or comment on?


CY: Loraine, I appreciate your nice comments. They somewhat mimic comments I've heard in person from friends in town and acquaintainces all over. "Fast-paced" is one I heard repeatedly. Bop Cynthia on the head? Oh, yes, she surely did need her 'comeuppance,' didn't she? I love to redeem characters, and she did need that. I wanted her to grow and my editor said this all through the edits--how Cynthia changes and grows and transforms into a lovely lady.


You mentioned the POV issue. You're the first reviewer or reader who has mentioned this. I will explain: the Mother-in-law drives the story. Without her, the story would be full of holes. I could not explain through the hero or heroine her POV. For The Wild Rose Press, an author is allowed only two POV's-H/H. At first, my editor deleted everything she said. It took away a fourth of the book and I was upset. So, I explained it to her. Yes, she saw that, so she had the head editor read it, and they agreed that if a villain is a very bad one, she can stay in. And Felicitas was a very good--bad?-villain. You don't know how many comments I've had about the mother-in-law!!


Yes, the author's needs for the story should always be supported, since no one "gets" it quite the way we do. I'm glad you stood up and were able to keep what mattered to you. The mother-in-law was indeed key and a memorable villain! 

What was your inspiration for this story?


Cynthia and Ricardo appeared in my second novel for TWRP--TEXAS BLUE. They stayed in my head until I wrote their story. Odd, though, I wanted ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS published first.


Interesting that they demanded not only their right to a story but the first one published! Tell us a bit about your process of getting it contracted and how you celebrated.


The process took four years. I am not a life-long author. I wrote fifteen novels, long and short in four years. That's all I did--write. Then came the learning process, and my learning curve was--still is--steep. I celebrated by crying first, then my dh broke out a bottle of wine--it was two o'clock in the afternoon. He still cannot believe the things I do, now, on the computer.


Fifteen in four years is incredible. Talk about stepping up and running with it! From our personal chats, I know that racial themes are a highlight in your life from many perspectives. Did you purposely set out with this book to address that or did it just happen to develop within your characters?


Racial themes are natural, I guess. I never really thought about it. Maybe it comes from being a Native Texan. Hispanics and Spaniards--there is a difference--are a big part of our state--then and now. I never have an agenda when I create a person other than Anglo. I'm not trying to make a statement. It just seems natural. In other stories, I have Blacks (African-Americans), Hispanics, Spaniards, Apache, and Comanche. All part of our state, even in the 1880's.


What do you like to do in your play time (I won't say free time since writers don't tend to have actual free time)?


Movies, but we don't see many. Traveling, even though we slowed down in recent years. We've been to many countries, and really became tired of the hassle. We like day trips in Texas to find something historical, take a lot of photos. Friends, certainly, are a necessity for play-time.


Is there anyone you would like to mention as inspirational or supportive of your work? Authors, readers, family, groups, etc.


I had no inspiration in my life to begin writing. No one knew I wrote--it was my little secret life. It was a form of entertainment, never thinking I'd have anything published. A writer friend here in town gave me confidence to submit. She's been a wonderful support system.


Ah, I kept that secret for a long time, also. Good for your friend! So, tell us a bit about what you're working on now.


"A Life Worth Living"--a romance set in North Texas just as the first World War ended and the Spanish flu took more lives than the war did. "Reunion"--a contemporary women's fiction novel. It's complete--but something is wrong with it. My mind is cluttered with that story. Right now, I have nothing contracted and I'm finished with all edits. In September, Showdown in Southfork (a Wayback, Texas series) will be released. and Texas Blue sometime in 2010.


Celia, thank you so much for being here and best of luck with all of your current and future projects!


And thank you, Loraine. I do appreciate your support.


Find more about Celia and her work on her website: http://www.celiayeary.com

16 comments:

Linda LaRoque said...

Hi Loraine and Celia,
Wonderful interview. I enjoyed All My Hopes and Dreams. Sounds like I better grab a copy of Texas Blue.
Those pov constraints are hard for me. TWRP allowed me to use my villians pov in one of my novels. It was essential to the depth of her fixation.
I'm looking forward to your upcoming books. As a Texas girl, you know I love anything with Texas history in it. Well, I guess I like history, period, regardless of what state.
Linda
www.lindalaroque.com

Francesca Prescott said...

Hi Celia and Loraine, I really enjoyed reading this. Celia: 15 books in 4 years?! I feel myself shrinking in my swivvel chair... You are such an inspiration to me, my dear! Your energy and zest for life is just fabulous.

Big, big hug,

Francesca

Sheryl Browne said...

Hi Loraine/Celia! Nice interview and review, girls! I love the title "A Life Worth Living", Celia. That sounds like a winner.

Sooooo sorry haven't read All My Hopes...yet! But I will! I usually do. But then, it's been no secret, I haven't known whether I've been coming or going lately :)

Ooh, I do like a girl who can still surprise her hubby after... how long??? Keep at it, Celia!
xxx

Skhye said...

Racial themes? You've got my attention. My latest release, Forbidden Eternity, had me nervous with all the racism I focused on... Great interview! Skhye

LK Hunsaker said...

Linda, I agree about the POV, and it's largely a personal matter. I tend to read a lot of mainstream/literary and they are almost always one POV through the whole book or else omniscient, so I have the bias toward that. My series, however, is multiple POV because the story cannot be told fully any other way. My first book and the current WIP are only one POV. I know readers don't always like that, either. What can you do? ;-)

LK Hunsaker said...

Francesca, thank you for coming to read it! Celia had such great answers! Yes, the 15 in 4 still floors me to think about, also.

LK Hunsaker said...

Hi Sheryl, thanks for coming by! You'll enjoy All My Hopes, I'm sure. :-)

LK Hunsaker said...

Skyhe, it can be hard to determine if your readers will take it the way you mean it when you approach touchy subjects, but that's such a big part of the importance of reading -- getting into these issues and considering them from different angles! It would be hard to write anything with any history without doing so, really.

I have a half Native American heroine who pulls the race issue in, as well. It's not the main focus of the story but it does affect her.

I'll have to check out your book. :-)

Unknown said...

Hello to all--Linda, you'll have to wait until 2010 for Texas Blue (so I've been told), but you can find my Wayback story in September. And to clarify the 15 books in four years, that's fifteen manuscripts in four years. Only three have found success so far, but I still have hopes and dreams--oops, a little more promo--for some of them. I'll admit, a couple of them are really bad. thankfully no one has seen those.
Thanks for the comments! Celia

Sandy said...

Hi Loraine and Celia,

A great interview and review. I would like to know how you wrote so many books in four years.

The mother-in-law caught my attention as a villain. I've often thought of writing about one. lol

Sandy

LK Hunsaker said...

Sandy, thanks for coming by.

Poor mothers-in-law, LOL! I'll have to hope when I am one, I'm not the type someone wants to make a villain of me. ;-)

Unknown said...

Mothers-in-law--since I never had one--died long before--I have no role model. This one came naturally, because she is the ruling adult on the ranch, or she tries to be. I've probably had more commnets about her than I have about my H/H. Seems everyone loved to hate her, and read on to see what else she would do. How odd, now that I think on it. Celia

Don Harold said...

Celia, you're such a marvelous, promising author novelist: you're incomparable! Fifteen in four years, now that's amazing, and you deserve five stars for that achievement! You write with such a passion it seems inimitable... rare are writers like you.

Margaret Tanner said...

Hi Loraine and Celia.
Nice interview. Fifteen books in four years, Celia, you are killing me. How do you do it?

Regards
Margaret

Chiron said...

Hey Celia!

Wonderful interview. Interesting too, to read about the editing process and the various POV's. Your new book sounds intriguing as well! Very cool.

Congrats on your success and wishing you even more!!

Smiles,
Chiron O'Keefe
www.chironokeefe.blogspot.com

BookWhirl said...

I have learn a lot from your interview. Your so unbelievable I salute you for that. Great achievements.