By Davalynn Spencer @davalynnspencer
Summer is slipping away and September will be here in two weeks. So will a new six-book collection of historical Christian romances, “Thanksgiving Books & Blessings.” I’m excited to be a part of this collection and honored today to introduce you to the veteran author behind the idea, Caryl McAdoo, who will share a little about her contribution, Texas Tears.
Welcome, Caryl, and thank you for joining me. If you could spend a week or month as a main character from Texas Tears, which character would you choose?
I would choose to be Arlene Van Zandt, best friends with Charity O’Neal—closer than sisters, actually, as they’ve grown up together since birth—their mothers are best friends. Arlene always has a smile and is so optimistic, some might say to a fault. She loves working at the Humble Trading Post and visiting with all her customers (neighbors) when they come in. The girl never meets a stranger. Plus, she loves to write and has started the daunting task of completing a novel!
As the younger by only a few months, Arlene’s always given in to Charity in the past but stands at the ready to finally buck her when Eberhart de Vecchi rides into their community and Charity claims him. Arlene’s biggest challenge has always been standing up for herself. (Umm, I don’t have that in common with Arlene in real life! I’m a firstborn; she’s a middle child. As an adult Christian lady, I’ve learned to put others first, of course, but I’m never quiet over speaking up regarding injustices.)
I understand you write with your husband, Ron, and that Texas Tears is not only Book 1 in the Thanksgiving collection, it’s also part of your own Cross Timbers series. How important to you and your husband is the setting of this story?
My setting, a new Texas community located on the Delaware Creek, is right in the same place as Irving, my home of almost fifty years. We moved there from Dallas when I was twelve, and we moved to Red River County in 2008 when I was fifty-seven, about to have a birthday.
Ron and I went to opposing Irving high schools. He was a football jock at IHS; I was Miss School Spirit at the new school in town, MacArthur, in the second graduating class of 1968. So we placed our character families at one of our favorite Irving parks, Fritz, that the Delaware Creek runs through. As my series is called the Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga, it is important the story is set there, in the Cross Timbers, but it could happen anywhere, anytime—the age-old love triangle. It’s 1845 in my story, so the families have been there almost five years and are very “settled in.”
How much effort do you put into choosing character names? Do different names fit better with specific personality traits than others?
Ron and I spend a while deciding what the names will be. Since this is book three [of Cross Timers], most the characters already had names. But not the new hero who started out as Eberhart de Priest after Joe and Edna de Priest, good friends of ours we play bridge with weekly in Clarksville.
But we decided we should change the name after the story ended, so the hero became a “de Vecchi” instead. If we decide to change a name, we never do it during the writing, but always wait until the story is complete, then change it because the name does change the character.
What is your favorite scene from Texas Tears and why are you emotionally invested in it?
Without giving away any spoilers, my favorite scene in Texas Tears is when one of the young heroines at last allows the hero to kiss her and realizes she is definitely in love with him. When he ends the kiss, she grabs his shirt and pulls him back in and kisses him! It’s a sweet, glory bump kind of scene. (I call ‘goose bumps’ ‘glory bumps’ instead.)
Why am I emotionally invested? Because I still grab my hero’s shirt, pull him in, and kiss him all the time, so it was a special scene.
What else would you like to share about Texas Tears or the Thanksgiving collection?
Besides being book three of the Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga, Texas Tears is book one in this year’s Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection. I adore Thanksgiving; it’s my favorite holiday because it’s a time when everyone gives thanks to God for their blessings.
I love the family gathering and turkey with dressing, and all the vegetable casseroles and yummy salads! Let’s not even mention the desserts! I always get a little sliver of each one! I love the cousins playing together and the photo opportunities to get everyone together!
It’s in the fall of the year when the terrible Texas summer heat dies down, giving way to cool breezes—even on sunshiny days—and the leaves turn so many bright and beautiful shades of yellow, magenta, red and green. Having a collection of Thanksgiving stories to read by several authors is right up my alley!
Thank you, Davalynn, for inviting me to come visit with your readers. I’d like to offer an eBook of Texas Tears to one of your commenters who answers this question to enter the giveaway:
Would you consider traveling to a new place and settling in a new land that’s giving six hundred acres away to every newcomer?
Thank you, Caryl. This has been great way to kick off the collection’s release beginning with your book, Texas Tears, on September 2.
I look forward to hosting additional collection authors in the weeks ahead, Mary Connealy, Samantha Bayarr, Liz Tolsma, Allison Pittman, and also a peek at my own contribution, Mail-Order Misfire.
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Award-winning Author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory! And her best-selling novels are blessed with a lion’s share of 5-Star ratings! With forty-four-and-counting titles, she loves writing as well as singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen to a few at YouTube. She and husband Ron share four children and eighteen grandsugars. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County, in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.
Connect with Caryl via her website at http://www.CarylMcAdoo.com
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Absolutely! I’d also coerce our sons, daughters-in-law & grandkids to come along to stake a claim! What a wonderful, challenging adventure!
Imagine, Robin. Such was life at one time!
Did you know you can still stake a claim on acreage in Alaska, Robin? But it’s in the tundra and not such a pleasant place to live about ten months out of the year! Not interested in leaving Texas for icy cold 🙂 But I definitely would have made the trip with my favorite Granddaddy Cloyd when he came with his parents from Tenessee in a covered wagon. He was twelve.
Welcome Caryl. I always love hearing about you and your writing. Wonderful post. Hmm that is a good question. I think leaving family would be extremely hard. But if it was way back when, and we were able to start a ranch as a family, I think we could do it and make it work. It would be a chance for all of us to start new and to allow God to lead us into what He wants us to do and be.
Lori – An opportunity in deed.
I think it would be kinda fun!! The only thing that would hold me back is my Mom!!
Trudy – A hundred and fifty years ago, it might have been Mom dragging you on!
Hi Lori! Hey, I have an I AM My Beloved on my desk ready to send it to you! I’m so glad you came by! I’ll try to get it in the mail asap 🙂 Just been so busy wrapping up the collection, getting ready for our launches next week beginning Monday, September 2nd! I would come west, too, with my dearest husband! What an adventure!
I guess being a pilgrim & stranger in this land I am always seeking a better place that is quiet, peaceful & leads us to a much more wholesome & holy way of life. I have already traveled to TN numerous times and would travel again to a place offered to me to make my home and stake a claim there… Here in NY, we have 4 months of cold, snow and windy weather, but I love snow, but hate fridged cold. Glad that it isn’t was it as in NH for 14 years of -30 some mornings! May this is why I am so hooked on stories that are the settling of the west or another area and always have been. Historical Christian Fiction is my favorite, next to Bible that is! Can’t wait to read Texas Tears!
Thanks for stopping by, Linda. I relate to your winter tales since I’m in Colorado. Not as severe as your winters, I must admit. Blessings to you!
I would grab family and friends and head out for new places.
That sounds so exciting, Shelia. I’m sure that same anticipation drove our forefathers!
Hi, I enjoyed reading this post. Your new book sounds like a very good read Caryl! I will b e adding it to my TBR list. I Love the cover, it is Beautiful! And yes to the question, I would move and I would try to talk my 2 kiddos and their little families to move also, we could all build us a cabin there, I would also ask my siblings if they would like a piece of the land. 🙂 Congratulations on your New Release Caryl! Have a Great Week. God Bless you all.
Thank you, Alicia. It’s so fun to hear from another adventurous woman!