Sunday, February 27, 2011

Sunday Showcase

Welcome to Sunday Showcase where I showcase a writer, or book series, that has influenced me. Last week I mentioned the Nancy Drew, Black Stallion, and James Herriot series that founded my love of reading, and of writing romance. No. They're not romance novels. But inherent to each series is a long and abiding emotional relationship, the key element in the romance genre--though animals are rarely protagonists, except in paranormal romance where the hero or heroine is capable of shape shifting.

Buy on Amazon
Another series from my youth that helped develop my love for reading, and influences my choice of genre as an author (Historical Romance), was gifted to me by my dad: Grass Beyond the Mountains, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy, and The Rancher Takes a Wife, by Richard P. Hobson Jr.  

I loved those books, stories about the "olden days", men and women carving a life out of forest and rock, combating marauding bears, ornery cows, bitter weather, fear and doubt, to build the life they dream of. I was, and still am, amazed how they tackled chores like laundry and meal preparation without the aid of modern conveniences like automatic washing machines and microwaves, sacrificing sleep, digits, and in some cases, lives, to put up hay, protect and feed livestock, build log homes and outbuildings with axe, chisel, and blind determination. Men and women undaunted by the cold, isolation, and sheer scope of the work necessary to make their vision reality; men and women forced to cooperate, support, and nurture each other to improve their odds of surviving blizzards, droughts, lean times and loneliness. Team work. Pride. Togetherness. Trust.

Love.

My grandparents built their ranch during the same time-period Richard P. Hobson Jr. writes about in his stories. His stories are their stories. Their stories are mine. Amazing times, incredible people; lives relived, love renewed, through story.

What childhood stories resonate with you? What makes them special? Please share in the comments.

Take care,
Deborah

No comments: