Westerns

     I love movies (I may have mentioned that before) and westerns (yeah, you know that as well) but when the two come together, I’m in heaven. Fortunately for me, my local cable company has a whole channel devoted to westerns (old as well as new) and I love nothing better than to sit down on a Saturday afternoon (if I’m not writing) and indulge in two of my passions (and hopefully, get inspired).

       Some of my favorites westerns are Conagher (Sam Eliot and his beautiful wife, Katherine Ross), Quigley Down Under (Tom Selleck), Crossfire Trail (another Tom Selleck movie…do you see a recurring theme here?), anything with John Wayne, and Open Range (Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner).

          Speaking of Kevin Costner—have you seen him lately? Oh my, that man defines growing older gracefully to a T….he’s more handsome now than ever—my all-time

favorite western is….Silverado. For a movie that is now 30 years old (30 years!), I still love it and watch it whenever it comes on….like last night (and yes, I stayed up late to indulge). The cast is incredible. Linda Hunt, Brian Dennehy, Scott Glen, Kevin Kline (another man who was adorably handsome when he was younger, but now? Oh yeah!) and the aforementioned Mr. Costner.  

          In my opinion, there’s no better way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

          What’s your indulgence (in either novels or movies)? Westerns, like me? Comedy? Drama? Whatever it is, I hope you get to enjoy!

As always, happy reading (and watching)!

Marie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts on the Writing Process - Research & the Internet

I am currently working on a romance set during the Civil War….actually, that’s a misstatement…this romance is working me, making me grit my teeth, pull out my hair and giving me heartburn and it just seems so much different (and more difficult) than the westerns I normally write. I am compelled to write it though. My characters have been talking to me for a long time. I am compelled to finish it and appease the voices in my head (am I crazy? Well, the jury is still out on that question).

            But I digress (and my apologies for doing so….but you guys should be used to that by now). I’d like to talk today about research and well….getting lost in that wonderful (and dangerous) place called the Internet.

            How much historical fact is important to you when you read? Or information about the chosen profession of the characters? I understand you don’t want to be hit over the head with it, but little tidbits sprinkled here and there are good, aren’t they? And those little bits of information need to be correct, too, don’t they?

            Well, I like to think it’s important so…I went to look up one thing on the internet, one little fact…and well, three hours later, I was still looking up that one thing BUT oh, I had learned so much. And I admit, I had gotten lost. What did I want to look up? Hospitals during the Civil War. Where were they? How did they come to be? Who staffed them?

            I found that both Confederate and Union alike set up hospitals wherever they deemed necessary—in tents on the battlefield, sometimes right next to the cannons that fired continuously, in old barns that were falling down around their heads, in schools, and yes, in people’s homes. This last tidbit I found the most interesting. I also learned of Mary Edwards Walker, a woman surgeon during the war, which I also found most interesting, and led me to other women who participated in some way and is it any wonder why I got lost for so long?

As always, happy reading!

Marie