My Favorite Things ~ Karen Kay

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Let me say a big Howdy to you all!

Like Linda said in her blog yesterday, I thought for a long time about what I might blog concerning this.  My favorite things.  Hmmm….  Finally I decided to blog about some of the heroes of the stories I write and to tell you a personal experience that caused me to realize how important these romance stories can be.  Probably you are aware that for writers, these characters we create become real people to us, and, in addition, they can help us in so many different ways.

Let me start first with the hero, Eagle Heart, from SHE STEALS MY BREATH.  The title for the book comes from being inspired by many poems from John Trudell — of AIM and Rock & Roll fame.  But the hero of this story came to me recently at a time when things were not so easy for me.

This hero entered into my dreams, calming some fears in my life at that moment in time.  His care and concern for the heroine in the story was really somewhat based on the care that he showed me in my dreams.  It was this hero who encouraged me to research and write about the Medicine Man of old.  Now, this might seem strange that a hero talks to the author.  But, if you have a chance to talk to many writers, they will probably tell you the characters in these books take on a life of their own and often they do talk to a writer.  Also, sometimes they resist my attempts to write a scene they feel is out of character for them.  I’ve learned over the years to pay attention to this.

In the book, SHE CAPTURES MY HEART, the hero of this story, Gray Falcon, showed me what exactly a medicine man was all about when his concept of right and wrong was challenged.  Instead of caving, however, he made light of the problem, and he brought humor (as did the heroine) into the story.  Strangely, the humor came at a time when it seemed there wasn’t too much to laugh about.  These two (the hero and heroine) often gave me the giggles when I was writing the book.

In the book, BLUE THUNDER AND THE FLOWER, the hero’s struggle in a world foreign to him brought about some understanding of what those men faced so long ago and how they coped with what was thrown at them and how they went on to make a good life for themselves despite many trials and tribulations.

In the book, IRON WOLF’S BRIDE, this hero stunned me with his determination to keep his marriage alive, regardless of the lies and “road-blocks” set in his path.  This hero refused to believe the worst of the heroine and also gave me many insights into the Indian character of old because he realized there was foul play afoot and went about discovering it.  And, his determination and “smarts” to figure it all out impressed me.  He never gave up.  I thought it was a good lesson to learn.

In GRAY HAWK’S LADY, I was treated to a hero, who, despite his anger at what heroine had done to him, did not sink to treating her in a bad way.  In fact, he went on to treat her with respect, even protected her from others’ gossip.  It was also this book I was writing when I met my husband, and Gray Hawk was quite willing to re-enact our first kiss, which is written in the pages of that book.  Because of his care for this heroine who had, at first, treated him in a bad way, both she and I fell in love with his character.

These are some of the stories where the hero of the story has taken over and has somehow changed my perspective about something.  And, I love how, when the characters change, I do, too.

And now, for a story about romance and romance books in general and why they are one of my most favorite things:

Long ago, when I had very small children (they were both babies, really), there was a time when my husband (my ex) was often out of town.  He was doing internships and so finance was scarce.  My own parents were no longer alive to help out and my brother and sister lived very distant from me and my husband’s parents lived far away, also.  So, it was up to me to somehow take care of the babies and all this entails, including “bringing home the bacon,” so to speak.  It was at this time when I discovered the real treasure of romance books.  They calmed me down, helped me to get a good night’s sleep and helped to keep me going.  Also, I made some very good friends along the way, too, romance books being one of them.  Life got better, of course.  But, I’ve never forgotten that time, nor the simple pleasure the books provided.  Interestingly, one of my daughters tells me one of her finest memories from that time period is  going to sleep while I was reading a book.  From this, I’ve realized that sometimes all one needs is a good story to get a person through a tough time in life.

Well, that’s all for today.  Am hoping you enjoyed the blog on this terrifically fine Tuesday and, if you did, please leave a comment about your own favorite things.  Oh, I almost forgot.  When you leave a comment, you’ll automatically be entered into the drawing for the e-book SHE CAPTURES MY HEART.  See the Giveaway Guidelines to the right for the rules.

 

 

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KAREN KAY aka GEN BAILEY is the multi-published author of American Indian Historical Romances. She has written for such prestigious publishers as AVON/HarperCollins, Berkley/Penguin/Putnam and Samhain Publishing. KAREN KAY’S great grandmother was Choctaw Indian and Kay is honored to be able to write about the American Indian Culture.
Please refer to https://petticoatsandpistols.com/sweepstakesrules for all contest rules.

35 thoughts on “My Favorite Things ~ Karen Kay”

  2. Books are definitely a comfort. They really have gotten me through some tough times.

    No need to count me for the giveaway.

  3. Yes, my go to is always a book, it lets me step out of my world and in to another for a while, which sometimes is needed very much.

  5. The book that makes the most difference in my life is my Bible. I start most days by reading it first, before I do anything else! God is my first go to, and I’ve discovered riding my bike is one of my favorite times of the day and is my prayer time. Other books are definitely read throughout my day, too!

    • Karen Kay ?? books are AMAZING!! And the medicine men series you wrote are Superior ????? 5 stars ?????????? 5 hearts because I love them ??

      • Hi Ilene! Oh, my goodness! Thank you so much! Your gracious comment and kindness makes my day better. Oh, and isn’t that funny — the hearts become question marks. I don’t quite understand technology, I’m afraid. : )

    • Hi Connie! I love this, too. But, I must admit I buy the flowers already grown. My husband, however, grows many vegetables from seed and we have many veggies in our freezer from our small backyard farm. : )

  11. Loved the blog and your personal sharing. I am old fashioned. When I say I love reading books I mean real books. I love the way a new book smells. How holding a book makes me feel. And of course the story it tells. Peggy Red Feather

    • Hi Peggy! Good to see you here on the blog. Gotta admit that I, too, am a bit old fashioned and love the feel of the full book in my hand. But, more and more I see that e-books have their place, making stories more available. I’d never thought about the way the book smells, but now I think you’re right. Thanks for coming here today.

  12. I love to have actual books and I have a bookcase next to my bed with my favorites. Some of them are permanently there and I reread them whenever I need to calm down.

  13. Hi David! NIce to see you here! That’s great to have a bookcase right next to your bed. But, I agree with you on reading to calm down. I’m just glad we live in a time when there are so many books.

  14. Books and libraries have always been my favorite things. As the oldest of 6, the first 4 coming in just 5 years, (My poor mother) the library was my escape on Saturdays. Books and making up stories to tell my siblings was a kind of release for me. When I had my own family, I was busy with the children, my husband being deployed, and multiple responsibilities of an officers wife. I rarely had much of a chance to read more than a magazine article or two. It wasn’t until our oldest was in school that I had more of an opportunity to read and volunteer at the school libraries. Eventually, I became a children’s librarian. Now I am retired and miss it. My reading has taken a hit due to eye issues, but I still enjoy it. It just takes longer.

  15. Hi Patricia!

    Sorry I’m not getting to your story until Wednesday. I love hearing about your growing up and libraries and how they influenced you. And how you told stories to your siblings and your path to becoming a librarian. Wow! I love this story. Thank you very much for telling it here.

  16. Some of my favorite things are books, coffee, quilts and cats. I collect novelty fabrics with these elements and hope to make a quilt out of them some day. I love reading these blogs. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of your book.

  18. Hi! Enjoyed your blog. I too, love my books. I have 2 books cases full & still keep buying more. You can never have too many books. Have a lot of your older books, that I treasure & won’t give up.

  19. Hi Lois! Thank you so much for coming here and for your very gracious praise. Love, love my books, too. Like you, I think one can’t have enough. : )

  21. Hi Karen, Love your blog and your personal sharing. I have loved reading from a very young age, probably inherited this from my late Mom. I find it very difficult to put down a book and wish that I could have more reading time but then one must earn a living so it’s off to work you go.
    I love reading about the Native Americans and am very interested in their culture.
    Thank you for the reduced prices – I immediately went on Amazon and purchased She Captures my Heart, I’m sure it going to be a good read.

    • Hi Esme!
      Thank you very much for coming to the blog today and leaving a comment. Yes, like you I would probably read all day if I could. But, like you said, one must go off in order to … well, to live and to live well. As you know, I, too share your love of the American Indian way of life — in the past, they were so wise about nature and about how to live in harmony with Nature. Again, thank you.

    • Hi! Yes, and I admit that I fell in love with reading and with books at a fairly young age — I was, I believe, 10 or maybe 11 or 12. And my first romance book was THE PINK DRESS. Fell in love with the story. If you ever read it, it might bring back so many memories from the 50’s and 60’s.

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