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Saturday, July 5, 2014

IF I COULD WRITE A REVIEW....


 By Celia Yeary


I write romances under my real name--Celia Yeary. But I write a few reviews under a made-up name of Rising Star Reviews. I would love to write a review for the newest PRP Anthology, but one of the stories in the group is mine. That wouldn't be the right thing to do, would it? Write a Five Star Review for Cowboy Cravings and put it on Amazon when one of the stories belongs to me?
I thought not.

And so, I take this opportunity--since the co-owner of PRP, Cheryl Pierson, said I could blog about anything--to review the anthology.

Five authors wrote a short story about a man and a woman in the West and how they fell in love. This is the common theme required for a Western Romance. But within that theme, the stories are as varied as varieties of... Blue Bell Ice Cream--The Best Little Creamery in Texas with the slogan: "We eat all we can, and sell the rest."

So, here goes:
Blurb:
Craving a cowboy on these hot summer nights? Here are four stories that are sure to turn up the heat! If you love tall, dark, and handsome cowboys with a touch of danger thrown in, and the ladies that show them they've met their match, COWBOY CRAVINGS is a must have! Fast guns, smooth action, and hot love sizzle in one delicious recipe for these spicy stories! The summer has never been hotter in the old west than it is when you have to satisfy those COWBOY CRAVINGS!
 
HEARTS AND DIAMONDS—Cheryl Pierson
Revenge sets Nick Diamond after a bride, and nothing will stand in his way. But when that bride happens to be outspoken firebrand Liberty Blankenship, all bets are off. Anything can happen when Hearts and Diamonds collide!
~*~Five Bowls of TIN ROOF ICE CREAM describes Nick and Liberty--"When a tough nut to crack covered in a dark irresistible sweet covering collides with a wild rich fudge swirl, the combination is completely irresistible!"

STARR BRIGHT—Celia Yeary
A stubborn rancher, a Spanish beauty...and the Texas summer heats up.
~*~Five Bowls of ITALIAN CREAM CAKE ICE CREAM describes Conrad and Starr--"Looks smooth and cool, but inside, the Italian cream cake, coconut, roasted pecans, and cream cheese icing mix it up for a sensational taste!"

LILY AND MESQUITE JOE—Kristy McCaffrey
Lily Kingston has long loved Mesquite Joe Riordan. Facing the truth of his past will test her resolve, but only her stubbornness can win his heart.
~*~Five Bowls of ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM  says timeless like Lily's pure love for Joe--"Sweet, dark, with hard patches, but the white sweet moments mixed in make the wait worthwhile."
 

MAKING PEACE—Kathleen Rice Adams
A Confederate soldier. A Jayhawker’s widow. An accidental passion that could mend the wounds of war.
~*~Five Bowls of SOUTHERN BLACKBERRY COBBLER-"What could be more passionate and sweeter than the unexpected luscious blackberry flavor combined with pie crust pieces and a blackberry sauce swirl."

My goodness, I must have ice cream on the brain. It is summertime, after all, and all in my house absolutely love ice cream.
For this anthology titled Cowboy Cravings, I could think of no better way to describe how I loved these stories. Yes, mine is in there, too, but I don't mind saying I love my own story.
Shouldn't all authors feel the same way? You bet.

What flavor of ice cream is your favorite? Well, then go buy a carton, get Cowboy Cravings on your Kindle, kick back, and enjoy!

And here's where you can get your copy of Cowboy Cravings:
http://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Cravings-Cheryl-Pierson-ebook/dp/B00L2JF6HU/ref=sr_1_3_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404420227&sr=1-3&keywords=celia+yeary     


26 comments:

  1. Well Celia, I love ice cream especially on a hot day, and the 5 authors included in Cowboy Cravings are some of the best western writers I know. With the gift each of you have for creating your own special brand of a romance story, it's a no-brainer this anthology has no choice but to be a standout read.

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  2. Celia, what a delightful, creative review! Love the ice cream theme. Who but you would think of something like that?

    I have to admit I, too, enjoyed all of these stories. I particularly enjoyed your story, "Starr Bright." Starr is a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in business and her personal life and aims for it. Though hesitant at first, once Conrad made up his mind, he was unstoppable. The scene in which he dresses up, picks flowers, and heads for Starr's ranch is sigh-worthy. Isn't that the type of man we'd all love to have?

    I'm proud as all get-out to share space in this anthology with you, Cheryl, and Kristy. I couldn't find a better group of authors -- or a nicer, more supportive group of women -- than the Prairie Roses if I spent the rest of my life looking.

    BIG HUGS, sweet lady!

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  3. I've enjoyed each of the Prairie Rose anthologies so far. And, yes, authors should love their stories. If we don't, how can we expect readers to?

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  4. Celia, if I didn't already own this anthology (which I do) I'd run out and buy it immediately! Great "review."

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  5. Hey, Sarah--any of the PRP authors are great share an anthology, aren't they?. I though our group fit so well because each story was very different, yet similar. It was not like jumping around from one extreme to another. Thank you!

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  6. Kathleen--I feel the same way. Probably the authors in each one form some kind of kinship, just being in the same anthology. Between all these anthologies, I have never read so many good short stories in my life! What a good idea. Thanks!

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  7. Caroline--I'm not surprised you agree that we should love our book. I wrote a blog long ago titled "Do You Love Your Book?" Well, we should, and you agree!

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  8. Hi, Tracy! I'm so glad you own the anthology. Yea! And thanks for commenting.

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  9. Lovely picture Celia. Delicious ice creams.

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  10. Great job, Celia! Too bad it can't be posted on Amazon.

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  11. Nice photo of you, Celia. I agree - you should boast your own work. Why not! The stories sound really good - wish I had the time to read right now but I have to get this house put together and boxes unpacked. Everyone says snow is coming and then I can relax with a book and finish the house. Best of luck to all of you with your stories. :)

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  12. Celia,
    What a wonderful way to describe the stories, and I agree with you assessment of each one of them. (And I don't really like ice cream, but that is beside the point)
    I agree, we should love our stories and our characters. It shows in the writing. Here is to many more bowls of ice cream- and the many flavors they come in.

    Doris

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  13. Thanks, Mona. Jim took my photo before church last August--it was my 73rd birthday. Ugh. But I got pretty red roses for it.
    I do love ice cream, but we only eat it in the summer months.

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  14. Morgan--We have some good reviews.....sure, I'd love to do one but didn't feel right about it. Thanks.

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  15. Snow???? Yikes. I'm so glad you got safely moved and are happy in your new surroundings. But please keep the snow up there! Thanks for the compliment..

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  16. Renaissance Woman--It's nice that we all love our books--I have one no publisher would take, but it's lovingly placed in Archives and...I still love it. One day, somebody might. Thanks for stopping by.

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  17. Dear woman, you made me laugh right out loud this morning! What a "delectable" review of these stories! Yes! You are so right! We should love our own stories! If we don't, no one else is going to. And Tin Roof Ice Cream is a perfect description for Hearts and Diamonds. LOL In fact, I loved every one of the choices of ice cream for each story--just perfect.

    Starr Bright was a real surprise for me--after getting to know Starr a bit in All My Hopes and Dreams.

    Lily and Mesquite Joe really touched my heart too--Lily and Starr both were very determined women, weren't they?

    And Kathleen's Making Peace...what a tale! I had wondered how she might manage to redeem Ben Collier, but she sure did it. All in all, a wonderful mix of stories..."neopolitan"? LOL

    Cheryl

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    1. Yes! Neapolitan ice cream! Tin Roof is one of my very favorites. The carton in our freezer right now is Butter Crunch, and is it wonderful. Thanks for everything. This anthology has been fun!

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  18. Celia,

    You have such a creative wit. Even though I don't eat ice cream, I enjoyed your descriptive analogies--An ice cream social book review. ;-)

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  19. Kaye--I'm amazed at how many people don't eat ice cream! To me, it's about the best dessert in the world. We only eat it during the summer months, though...so maybe we store up our "craving." Thanks so much for commenting.

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  20. Loved the way you reviewed the stories. And now I want ice cream, too. lol
    I wish you all the best with your new release. :)

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  21. Celia,
    What a great blog post. I love it! And how did you know that Rocky Road is my absolute favorite? I have a container in my freezer as we speak. I'm so pleased to be in an anthology with you, along with Cheryl and Kathleen. I'm hoping all this talent will rub off on me. Cheers!!

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  22. Karen--thanks for coming by to visit. Ahhh, summertime and ice cream. Love it.

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  23. Kristy--What a coincidence! Isn't that interesting. Rocky Road is my all time favorite--it has everything. Your story was so good on the anthology.

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  24. I am now wishing for a very large bowl of all kinds of ice cream, and a book of western romances on the side!

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  25. Celia, this is the tastiest review I've ever read!

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