Why Not A Western?

I recently read a book by a very popular e-book author. He recounted how he had been urged by his friends that it would be literary disaster to write a western! This advice made me ponder the reasoning, so I read further. It seems, so he was told, that there are so few lovers of westerns out there in the reading world that he would never make any money off of his book “Don’t do it…” they pleaded. Now, in case you haven’t noticed, I have a so-called western of my own out there! “100 Years of Brotherly Love”. No, there are no shoot’m ups! In fact, very few guns are even mentioned. There’s a bright red sports car; a black Jag; a rancher who loves his blood brothers more than money–of which he has a great deal, by the way.  There is romance, sometimes hot, steamy romance. There is arson, blackmail, murder, all sorts of bad goings-on. Not one cowboy shooting another one! But…it is a western. What else would you call a book written about New Mexico, ranches, veterinarians (large animal type), denutting calves, poisoned salt licks, colorful sunsets, mustangs, buffalo, wolves. Okay! I get it…I wrote a western! And, guess what? Nobody cared! Well, that’s their loss, I told myself. I even changed its name, to see if that helped. Gulp, gasp! If “100 Years” takes 100 years to find its audience, so be it! It’s one of the best books I’ve ever written. The characters are so rich and real, I miss them. The scenery was written right out of my memories of New Mexico. It’s filled with history, beauty, romance, and mystery. It’s full of family! One person, who had to be bribed to read it, said it was tremendous and she wished there were more stories about these characters! That’s well and good, but dear reader, if I had to bribe you to read it…well, you get my point. So–if you are a lover of beautiful places (including deserts, mountain lakes, mesas, sunsets that make you weep) and rich characters (a maternal tribe of Pueblo Indians and their hereditary chief and vet, a rancher who is descended from a chief’s daughter and the Pony Express rider who saved her brother’s life; and a half-breed Apache lawyer with contacts in high places)–well, maybe you’d enjoy a western that’s not a typical western. What was that old saying? You can lead’m to water, but you can’t make’m drink. I guess it could be true. But, personally, I’m hoping that out there somewhere in the big world of readers, there are enough people who enjoy good reading without thinking that westerns aren’t worth read–well, maybe you’re one of them–that “100 Years” deserves a chance. What do you think? I double dog dare you!

REAL MEN VS. HEROES

Do you ever wonder which is really better…the hero in a book or a real guy? Now, even a guy will have an opinion on this topic!

We can all admit, real men do have their issues. After all, you never read about the beautiful heroine in your favorite novel falling into the toilet in the middle of the night because Joe-hero left the seat up! YIKES! I can’t even imagine Preston Andrews leaving the seat up!

No, instead of the guy who carries a gun, catches the bad guys, wears (and looks great in) Armani and Italian leather loafers (now THIS is Preston Andrews), more than likely you are or have the guy in sweats and a torn tee-shirt.

Instead of 6’3″, thick black hair in an expensive cut, a slight scar over the dimple  on his right cheek (one of a pair), icy blue eyes that stop a woman’s heart at five paces and a crook’s anytime he shows up on the scene (let me catch my breath here…whew, this IS Preston Andrews)–you may have a slightly out of shape guy who’s eyesight started going bad last year and whose waistline is battling his favorite jeans. 

Chances are his hairline isn’t what it used to be, if he still  has any hair!

But here’s the thing, folks.

Who do you want tucking those sweet kids of yours into bed at night? The guy with the gun or the guy who tells a great bedtime story and knows just how to do those funny voices the kids love so much?

Who do you want rushing off to earn a living every morning? The guy who works hard, is steady and dependable–who loves you and those kids like you’re all a part of him; or the guy who every damned woman in the world is attracted to and for whom you feel you have to wear in Manolo Blaniks every damned day or he’ll lose interest?

I remember my dad reaching over and pulling mom to him as she worked at the kitchen counter fixing lunch. A gentle hug, a whisper in her ear, and although I didn’t know what he was saying, I knew the message. “I love you, sweetheart.”

I remember dad stopping at the grocery store on the way home to pick up something mom needed, just to keep her from having to do it later. (OK, so it was a long time ago!)

I remember a dad who stopped by to pick me up at school to take me shopping–as a surprise!

How many of our heroes in books do you really think could live up to all that? No, I’d take an ordinary guy, doing the ordinary things, falling for the ordinary girl (’cause that’s what I am), and spending a lifetime doing all that because it’s what he wants to do. Yes, sir! I’d take that any day!

Now, when I’m reading, I want  him handsome, hot, and dangerous! Like the little girl in the taco ad says, “Why can’t we have both?”