Tough, driven Kit Kendall has replaced her frills and dresses with no nonsense haircuts and wranglers, years ago. As owner of Sage Brush, the once thriving west Texas bed and breakfast ranch, she now struggles daily to keep her business afloat. Since McCabe Resort Lodge reopened next door as a multi-million dollar hotel, her financial difficulties compound, as she suffers one cancellation after another.
Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, Kit’s childhood sweetheart turned nemesis returns as the new owner of the resort that’s now putting her out of business, resurrecting memories she thought she’d buried long ago.
Cowboy, entrepreneur Sam Dawson has returned to Sugar Creek, Texas after six years of exile with a secret that could destroy Kit’s happiness. He left town because of it and for the past two years has secretly tried to make it right. Having failed, he now returns to make one last attempt to undo the tangled web created by his father.
Set in motion by his father’s Last Will and Testament and with the clock ticking, Sam has only weeks to convince Kit to sell him her ranch or reveal the truth that will break her heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Excerpt:
“Daisy’s a fine person. She deserves some happiness,” Sam said.
“Kit stared at him. “Yes, she does, but not for the same reason you’re thinking. She and my father loved each other. They were doing fine until . . .”
“Until my father destroyed him. Is that what you were going to say?”
“You said it, I didn’t.”
“You didn’t have to. It’s in your expressions, your bearing, your eyes. You’re eaten up with it. I’d hoped time and distance would have helped you to see things differently. It’s time you put the past behind.”
Kit stood and glared at him, a mutinous expression on her face. “I know perfectly well what time it is. I think you should go now.”
Sam set his half-empty bottle of Shiner on the side table and stood. He leveled an intent, fiery gaze at her. “I’m sorry you still feel that way. Unfortunately, it doesn’t change what I’m about to do.”
He wrapped his hand around Kit’s neck and pulled her against him. She stiffened at his touch. If it were any other woman but Kit that resistance would have had him dropping his hands and stepping away. But he was determined to feel her pouty lips against his. He’d thought of nothing else since their confrontation in the parking lot at the lodge. He deliberately held her gaze before he planted a brief but crushing kiss against her angry lips, sending a shock wave through his entire body.
He released her. “Now, that’s a reason to hate a Dawson.” He settled his Stetson on his head, then strode to the door. “I’ll save you the trouble of throwing me out.”
Darkness Unbound by Zoe Forward, Paranormal Romance Novel
When something feels this right, you don’t let it go.
Fun Fact:
My Scimitar Magi series involves Egyptian Mythology…why? I’ve always been fascinated with ancient Egypt and its mythology. I’m not an expert. Creating a paranormal hero group the utilized Egyptian mythology and weaving that into a romance required a tad bit of fascination with the subject and a lot of research. To build this world I read a lot of very heavy books (they actually did weigh a few pounds each) and tried to get a handle on the vastness of the religion, the mythology, the lifestyle, and the magic. What I concluded was that there wasn’t always consensus on the meanings behind myths and symbols. Each expert has his or her own opinion on the surviving hieroglyphics found on tablets and papyri. Then there are the gods…oh my. Did you know there are over 700 Egyptian gods and goddesses? Some had three to five different names. Once you get beyond the sheer number of them they are an interesting bunch. They did a lot of kinky stuff from incest to revenge to killing to curses. Bottom line was after all this research my fascination persisted, but I ended up utterly confused. So, what did I do? I let my imagination play around with the mythology. Use it, but bend it. And focused on my heroes.
A Favorite Line:
“They are gods. We are not. Let’s face it, they’re going to win.”
How My Heart Finds Christmas by Gail MacMillan, Contemporary Christmas Novella
My heart finds Christmas in the warmth of memories and the recounting of these tales.
Fun Fact:
I had difficulty finding a title for this book until, suddenly, one day it came to me. The stories I write about Christmases past awaken the spirit of the Yuletide in me, comforting and reassuring as the warmth and glow of a fire on the hearth. Some ancient cultures believed the heart to be the centre of the soul. Thus the title became instantly fitting.
A Favorite Line(s):
Undulating like mystic spirits gowned in green and white, the Northern Lights rose and rose, then doubled back on themselves to rise again. The heavens danced, alive with their essence.
Just in time for Christmas shopping, A Highland Pearl, will be published on December 2, but is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com for $2.99 until the publication date. An ebook copy of the novel will be awarded to a commenter on the publication date.
A sweet romance blossoms amidst feuding and war. With her reputation at stake after being accused of practicing witchcraft and hated as a member of a rival clan, Maidie considers leaving Clan Munro and returning to the home of her birth in Clan Cameron. Fierce battles, a tragic encounter, and a handsome clan chief compel her to make crucial decisions in this haunting romance set in the16th century Highlands of Scotland.
A Highland Pearl, is the first novel in the Highland Treasures series. The story takes place in 1508 A.D. Scotland when clan chiefs ruled the highlands. Loyalty pledged to a clan chief meant provision and protection for the clansman, but in return rents were paid to support the chief and his family and service in the chief’s army was required of each able-bodied man. Within the walls of the great castles, intrigue and mystery reigned. Clans vied for land, livestock, and power. Fighting and reiving or stealing were prevalent, yet a gentler side with passion, love, romance, family and faith permeated the life of the Highlanders. A Highland Pearl tells about all aspects of life in the Highlands of Scotland.
Excerpt fromA Highland Pearl
Andrew stood. He must tell Maidie how he felt. He took her chin into his hands and looked into azure eyes. First, he kissed the tip of her nose, then a freckle on both rosy cheeks, and at last he found her mouth with fervor. Maidie wrapped her arms around his neck while he embraced her, pulling her closer. She returned his kiss much to his amazement. Her moist lips pressed firmly against his. His lips left hers, planting kisses on her eyelids, around her face, down her neck, and then on her mouth once more. She tasted sweet like heather ale and smelled of roses. His heart ached with love for the lass. How could he let her go, now that he had just found her?
He lifted his head. She sank into his chest. “I love you, Maidie. With all my heart, I love you.” He said it with little difficulty, because his heart brimmed with a deep love he had never before experienced.
“I pledge my fealty and my heart to you, Laird Andrew Munro. With all my heart I love you,” she answered with her head tucked under his chin.
He pushed away to look into her eyes. “I’ll come for you. No matter where you are.”
“I will be waiting.” Her eyes reflected the deep emotions of her heart like the black water of Cromarty Firth reflected the blue sky above.
“Come on, Munro, you’ve done enough love making. Time to get on with this exchange,” the leader of the guard commanded and nudged Andrew with his mount.
Stumbling, he released Maidie. The leader kept nudging him on. He looked back, but Maidie and Sven were surrounded by MacKenzie warriors and he could not see her. He took Briana from Colin as they walked to the grove where Gavin waited. Andrew pumped his fisted right arm into the air, calling out the Munro battle cry, “Caisteal Fàrdach A Chaoidh.” An embrace from his brother with whoops, hollers, and returns of the war cry from his warriors followed.
The mounted guard left Scara and Crag then turned back to the castle. Maidie and Sven had reached the gates. His men turned to ride back, and he watched the love of his life walk into the bailey of Castle Lach. God, take care of Maidie and the lad. Help me get her back.
About Brenda B. Taylor
The desire to write historical fiction has long been a passion with Brenda B. Taylor. Since elementary school, she has written stories in her spare time. Brenda earned three degrees: a BSE from Henderson State University, Arkadelphia, Arkansas; a MEd from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas; and an EdD from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas; then worked as a teacher and administrator in the Texas Public School system. Only after retirement could she fulfill the dream of publication.
Brenda and her husband make their home in beautiful East Texas where they enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and working in Bethabara Faith Ministry, Inc. She crafts stories about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people in her favorite place overlooking bird feeders, bird houses, and a variety of blooming trees and flowers. She sincerely thanks all who purchase and read her books. Her desire is that the message in each book will touch the heart of the reader as it did hers in the writing.
As if there isn’t enough to love about Elvis, he also had a great sense of humor. Those who knew him talk about how he loved to laugh and to make others laugh. I didn’t know him, of course, but I have seen examples of his funny side in documentaries, concerts, alternate takes of his songs, etc.
A few anecdotes about Elvis:
Ronnie Tutt, his drummer in the seventies:
“…he loved to laugh as much as he loved life. He had a great sense of humor – you could see his eyes sparkle when something funny was going on, which was most of the time if he had anything to do with it, and he usually did. It was great to play music together, but it was also great to laugh together.”
Wanda Hill, who worked in the MGM mailroom in the sixties:
“One day while I was staying at the Hilton Hotel (in the 1970’s), I was outside for some fresh air when I noticed a group of people staring up at the top of the hotel. Curious, I walked over and looked up. Sailing through the air were several little paper airplanes, and way up on the 30th floor was a tiny figure of a man, waving to us below. It was Elvis, curing his boredom flying paper airplanes and watching the people running after them – after all Elvis Presley had touched them!
“What I did not know was that he also put messages on the airplanes, written in baby talk, and he laughed as the people found them and read his messages while he was observing through his binoculars. It was just silly Elvis putting people on again!”
Sam Thompson – Elvis’ former girlfriend Linda Thompson’s brother who worked as Elvis’ bodyguard:
“Elvis even found humor when faced with an assassination warning at the Silverdome in 1975, while being outfitted for a bulletproof vest. ‘If there’s a problem’, I told Elvis, ‘we’re gonna kill the lights, and I’m gonna cover you’. Elvis looked at me funny. I was 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds. ‘I’d rather be shot at than have you jump on me’, Elvis joked. We had a big laugh.”
Some of Elvis’ favorite movies were the Pink Panther movies. He loved Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau and would often quote him. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never seen those movies. I should definitely watch them since Elvis enjoyed them.
Check out this brief excerpt from a 1972:
I love a man with a sense of humor, and even a man who is not all that attractive becomes more so if he can make me laugh. But Elvis, the most gorgeous man to ever live, AND he was funny??? Sigh…
For the first eight years after Elvis returned from the army, he made movies and records but did no live performances.
I featured his first four movies in an earlier blog post, so the following four movies are next…
G.I. Blues 1960
About: Elvis plays Tulsa McLean, an army tank crewman from Texas whose dream is to open his own nightclub with his buddies, who are part of his singing act. On leave in Germany, he places a bet with his fellow soldiers that he can spend an entire night with ‘ice princess’ a hard to get entertainer played by Juliet Prowse.
Side notes: The 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32nd Armored was Elvis’ regiment when he was in the Army with the 3rd Armored Division in Germany, so it was used for the film. Also, just my opinion, Juliet Prowse was not nearly pretty enough to play the role of a sought after beauty who turned Elvis’ world upside down.
My favorite song from the movie: ‘The Best I Can’ (I know, it’s odd. I don’t usually like the ‘mainstream’ popular songs as much as I do the lesser known ones)
One of my favorite scenes: Early in the movie, Tulsa is on stage singing and a guy goes over to a jukebox and the camera shows, in the window of the jukebox, ‘Blue Suede Shoes by Elvis Presley’ and the guy (we’ll call him ‘first guy’) hits the button and Elvis’ Blue Suede Shoes begins playing while Tulsa/Elvis is performing. Another guy in the club says “Hey turn that off, the kid’s singing.”
First guy: “I want to hear the original.”
Second guy: “Turn that off.”
First guy: “Turn Tulsa off.”
A scuffle breaks out and Elvis goes up to First guy who is snapping his fingers to the song. Elvis snaps along with him for moment, then punches him and a brawl ensues.
Ha! He punches the guy for playing HIS song. 🙂 Love it.
Elvis and Juliet Prowse on the set of G.I. Blues
Flaming Star 1960
About: Elvis plays Pacer Burton, a half breed Indian who is pulled between his white blood and his Indian blood. When a neighboring family is massacred by the Indians, hostility and mistrust among friends causes trouble for Pacer and his family.
This movie took me by surprise. I mean, I’d seen it before, quite a few times, but not in years and years. I didn’t remember loving it as much as I did this time. It was a well-acted, moving, and intense western. Elvis did an excellent job in the role. I cried, a lot. Very sad and emotional. I highly recommend it.
Side note: Elvis was inducted into the Los Angeles Indian Tribal Council for his role in the movie. Barbara Eden co-starred, but she was actually the love interest of Elvis’ brother. The movie poster is misleading.
My favorite song from the movie: Elvis actually only sang one song in this movie, ‘Cane and a High-Starched Collar.’ Not exactly one of his best, so I’ll have to go with the title song, ‘Flaming Star’ (which was originally recorded as ‘Black Star’ and Elvis had to go in and re-record, replacing ‘black’ with ‘flaming’)
A couple of my favorite scenes:
There is a scene where Pacer’s mother has been shot and she needs a doctor. Due to the new hostility against Pacer and his family, the doctor refuses to come home with him and treat her. The doctor’s little girl is playing outside (Pacer has known her her whole life). He grabs her up and tells her they’re going to play a game, but in reality, he is threatening her father that if he doesn’t come help his mother, he’ll hurt the child. Elvis does a great job of threatening the father while at the same time, comforting the child. He tells her, “Grownups don’t know how to play, do they?” She says, “This is a funny way to play, Pacer.” And Elvis says, “You know I won’t hurt you.”
Another scene I love is when he is fighting shirtless. What’s not to love, right? 🙂
Wild in the Country 1961
About: Elvis plays Glenn Tyler, a young man with a troubled past and an alcoholic father, who dreams of being a writer (pretty cool, right?). He beats up his brother (played by Elvis’ long-time friend, Red West) in the beginning of the movie and is sentenced to probation and ordered to weekly counseling sessions with Irene Sperry, played by Hope Lange. He also moves in with his uncle, who wants to marry him off to his daughter, a single mom and wild girl, played by Tuesday Weld. Elvis actually has three love interests in this movie, the third being his longtime girlfriend, played by Millie Perkins. Again, I cried in this movie. Elvis does a wonderful job in this role, and it’s very dramatic and moving.
Side notes: Millie Perkins broke her arm when she had to slap Elvis’ character. The scene was not used in the movie.
The film was originally not going to be a musical, but Colonel Parker insisted that Elvis sing. Millie Perkins claimed that Elvis was not pleased. In one scene where he has to sing while they’re driving along in a truck, she said that Elvis said, “God, this is embarrassing. People wouldn’t do this in real life.”
At the end of the movie, Hope Lange’s character, after rumors of an affair with Glenn and the threat of Glenn going to prison for murder, attempts to kill herself. In the original ending, she succeeds, but that was not received well, so it was changed.
Hope Lange played the ‘older woman’ Glenn fell in love with, but in actuality, Hope was only 13 months older than Elvis at the time.
And, finally, Christina Crawford, daughter of Joan Crawford and author of Mommie Dearest, played a small role in the movie.
My favorite song from the movie: ‘In My Way’ or ‘I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell’
One of my favorite scenes:
Glenn gets drunk and goes with Tuesday Weld to Irene Sperry’s house, demanding that she return his story to him. He ends up spraying down her porch with the water hose while shouting at her to give him his story back. . It’s a very cute scene, with a touching moment. He was so adorable. In this video, clips from the movie are shown while the title track from the movie plays:
Elvis and Tuesday Weld, who he briefly dated:
Blue Hawaii 1961
About: Elvis plays Chad Gates, who has just returned to his home in Hawaii after two years in the army. His wealthy parents want him to join the family pineapple business, but Chad wants to be independent and he takes a job as a tour guide.
This movie was one of Elvis’ most popular, but it wasn’t one of my favorites, strangely enough. I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, but not as much as I did many of his others. I think it was partly because I wasn’t crazy about the music in the movie (even though the soundtrack spent 20 straight weeks at #1 on Billboard’s top LP’s and was Elvis’ most successful album) Yeah, I just don’t usually seem to go with the opinion of the masses. Also, there was no romantic conflict. He returned home to his girlfriend and they were together in the entire movie, with a few minor road bumps along the way. Joan Blackman played his love interest, and she was gorgeous.
Side notes: At the beginning of the movie, Chad is deplaning and if you listen carefully and turn up the volume, you can hear hundreds of screaming fans who were watching the shoot.
Angela Lansbury played Elvis’ mother, but she was actually only nine years older than him.
My favorite song from the movie: ‘Almost Always True’ or ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’
One of my favorite scenes:
Probably this scene where he’s singing Slicin’ Sand – He’s wearing these tight, white shorts and his body looks amazing, and it shows his fabulous butt. 🙂
Elvis released hundreds of songs over his career, and in the nearly forty years after his death, his songs are still being released. Many are never before heard recordings, some are remixes, some are alternate takes, and some are duets. I am not crazy about most of the remixes and duets. I like the pure, original sound of Elvis’ music. Below I’ve listed some of my thumbs up and thumbs downs.
Thumbs up:
Any song Lisa Marie records of her father’s. I think it’s awesome that she is a singer, and that she loves and respects her father so much. The songs she records with him are beautiful. I’m not certain how many she has done, but I know of a handful: In the Ghetto, Don’t Cry Daddy, and I Love you Because.
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone, the alternate version – This is an alternate version that was recorded by Elvis in the early years. It’s better than the one that was released. It’s moody and bluesy and gives me chills. They should have released this version, not that there was anything wrong with the one they did release, but this one is phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and listen to it.
This is a rare home recording of Elvis at a friend’s house in 1958 singing Happy, Happy Birthday Baby. Can you imagine sitting around a living room with Elvis while he belted out songs and played the piano?
Thumbs Down:
Lisa Loïs Duet of Love Me Tender – While this is a beautiful version, and the girl has an amazing voice, it gets a thumb’s down simply because when I hear the first few notes as I’m listening to Elvis radio, I can’t help but be disappointed that it’s not an ‘original’ Elvis.
Barbara Streisand Duet of Love Me Tender – The woman has a fantastic voice, and there’s no doubt she’s a superstar, and I love that she and Elvis had a mutual respect and admiration for one another, but to me, she tampers with the pure sound of the original arrangement. And, I’m not sure what those extra lyrics are at the beginning, but they’re not needed.
All of the remixes – Although these releases did well, I don’t care for the addition of the Techno sound to Elvis’s songs. I’m not sure how many were done that way, but a few I know about are Rubberneckin’, Little Less Conversation, and Bossa Nova Baby. Don’t get me wrong, I’d like them okay if I hadn’t heard the true versions, but Elvis didn’t need the Techno sound added. His music was timeless and perfect in its original form.
How about you? Do you agree, or am I way too picky when it comes to Elvis? 🙂
I thought I would share a few facts that I find interesting. If you’re an Elvis fan, you might already know them. If not, then I hope you find them interesting as well.
A Star is Born – A highly successful movie released in 1976 starring Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Barbara and Elvis were friends and held one another in high regard. Barbara asked Elvis to co-star with her in the movie, and he was thrilled. He planned to do it, but Colonel Parker nixed it and wouldn’t let him. I think this would have been a huge turning point in Elvis’ acting career, and in his life in general.
Thunder Road – An excellent movie from 1958 starring Robert Mitchum. Elvis was a fan of Mitchum’s and wanted to meet him. When they met, Mitchum asked him if he’d be interested in co-starring in Thunder Road. Elvis was thrilled and desperately wanted the role, but the Colonel refused.
Don’t Cry Daddy – Written by Mac Davis, who also wrote quite a few other songs for Elvis, one of the most popular being In the Ghetto. Mac said that Elvis made some tweaks to most of his songs, and in this one, Mac ended it with ‘another little baby child is born in the ghetto’ and Elvis added ‘and his mama cries’ – which Mac thought was genius. Back to Don’t Cry Daddy, in Mac’s own words, here is the story of how the song came to be: At the time I was going through a divorce. I had my son, Scotty for the weekend and was about to take him home. I had some time to kill, and I flipped on the five o’clock news. Scotty was about five or six years old. It just happened to be the broadcast where they were showing some film of the massacre in Vietnam. It was a very famous horrific incident where some of our guys shot to death some women and children villagers. They were showing some scenes of the bodies, and apparently I started crying and didn’t even realize it. The next thing I know Scotty was patting my back and trying to comfort a grown man going, “Don’t cry daddy.” That’s where the inspiration came from for “Don’t Cry Daddy.” My songwriter’s brain made it totally different. By the time I got Scotty home to his mother’s…on the way back to my house I had the chorus written. Basically that’s where the song came from. It was a combination of him telling me not to cry because of watching this massacre in Vietnam on TV and my own situation having gone through a divorce. I didn’t know at the time that it was a special song. It was just another day in the life of a songwriter. We write songs about our lives and about things that happen to us…I do remember thinking that I should have written another verse for it. But that was me. That’ll be on my tombstone, “I was still working on that last verse.”
Help Me – An Elvis song written by Larry Gatlin. Elvis recorded a few of Larry’s songs, my favorite of them by far is Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall. I heard a brief interview with Larry Gatlin on Elvis radio recently. He said that he was struggling financially, and he and his wife were at home, wondering how they were going to keep their house. He received a call from a mutual friend of his and Elvis who told him Elvis was recording his song. Larry hung up the phone and said to his wife, “Honey, we can keep the house.”
Here is Elvis’ rendition of Bitter They Are. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a live version.
Heartbreak Hotel, recorded in January, 1956 – Elvis’ first million selling record was co-written by Mae Boren Axton, mother of singer/songwriter Hoyt Axton. She was an English teacher and a songwriter. A steel guitarist, Tommy Durden, read an article about a man who killed himself and left a suicide note that read “I walk a lonely street.” He showed the article to Mae and the two collaborated on the song. Mae took a position as a part time public relations secretary for Colonel Parker, and when she met Elvis in 1955, she said that he had everything it took to be a star except a hit song. She told him, “You need a million-seller, and I’m going to write it for you.” And, that she did.
Game show host Wink Martindale started out in radio, and he was around when the Elvis phenomenon was just beginning. I’ve heard several interviews with Wink and his wife, Sandy, on Elvis radio. They both adored Elvis and have the utmost respect for him.
Wink was part of a historical day in 1954. Here is an excerpt from an interview with Wink about that time:
“My dream was to work at WHBQ radio and do the morning show called ‘Clockwatchers’ — all the teenagers listened to that.”
His dream came true in 1954, when he auditioned and got the morning gig when he was just 19 years old. It was also the year he met Elvis Presley, with whom he was friends until the King’s death in 1977.
“I happened to be at the radio station one night showing a group of former football buddies from high school around the radio station,” Martindale recalls. “It was at night when there was a show called ‘Red Hot & Blue’ with a guy named Dewey Phillips. He played black music for white kids. All of a sudden I hear a commotion going on. The phones were lit up and I went into Dewey’s control room.”
It so happened that was the night that Sun Records founder Sam Phillips walked into Phillips’ control room with an acetate recording of Presley’s “That’s All Right Mama.”
“Dewey put it on the turntable and the switchboard lit up. He kept playing it over and over. Sam gave me Gladys and Vernon Presley’s telephone number and said get them on the phone and ask them where Elvis is. I was the one who made the call and gotGladys on the phone.”
Martindale told Presley’s mother that Dewey Phillips wanted to interview him that night at the station. His parents got into their truck and found their son at a movie theater by himself catching a western double bill.
“He got into the truck and went down and sat in front of the microphone,” says Martindale. That was the beginning of Presley mania. I think of that as the night when the course of popular music changed forever.”
Just a few years later, Jul 4, 1956,Wink would interview Elvis. Elvis was performing a benefit concert for at Russwood Park in Memphis for The Cynthia Mil Fund and the Variety Club’s Home for Convalescent Children. I love that Elvis was not only charitable, but that most of his charitable acts were to help children.
Colonel Parker did not want Elvis to appear on television without getting paid, but Elvis did so anyway. This is one of the first ever televised interviews of Elvis.
The beginning of Elvis’ unprecedented career is rich with history and momentous events. Yet, even as it was happening, and even up to the day he passed away, he really wasn’t aware of the impact he had on the world. He was often afraid that his popularity would fade, that people would forget him. I imagine he would be blown away to see how his legend has lived on, how his life and career are still celebrated.
As everyone knows by now, in my opinion, Elvis had it all.
He was insanely gorgeous and sexy. His voice was phenomenal, magical. He could dance, he could act. He was generous and down to earth. And, people who met him said he had this special charisma that was impossible to put into words, impossible to resist.
And, Elvis did things that no other entertainers will ever do. Can you imagine performers of today; Justin Bieber, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Bruno Mars, and others like them, taking two years away from their careers to serve in the armed forces? (I guess these are good examples of the currently popular male singers. Either way, you get my point. :))
Elvis was so special, that my sister, Ruth, and I had to make a ‘deal’ when we played barbies. Instead of having actual Ken dolls (we didn’t have a lot of money, so we had to make do with just the Barbies themselves), we would have imaginary guys for our Barbie boyfriends. However, since we would both want Elvis, and neither would give in, and it would be unfair for either of us to have him for our BB’s (Barbie Boyfriends), we struck a bargain. Neither of us could pick Elvis. He was just too untouchable, off limits. 🙂 Instead, we had to settle for guys like David Cassidy, Donny Osmond, Bobby Sherman, and so forth. Somehow, we made do.
Elvis generosity is legendary. He purchased FDR’s Yacht in 1964, intending to donate it to March of Dimes, but they refused the gift, saying the upkeep was too much. He ended up donating it to St. Jude’s Children’s Research hospital. I’ve heard stories, although I’m not sure how many of them are true, about his giving nature. One story is about a man who saw Elvis and a friend in Memphis one day. Elvis was searching his pockets for a dime to make a phone call. The man gave him a dime, andElvis asked for his address so he could send him a thank you note. A few weeks later, the man received a letter from Elvis with the news that he’d paid off his mortgage. Of course, the stories about his giving away cars is almost as well-known as Elvis himself. One of my favorites is the story about the black lady who worked as a housekeeper at a hospital in Memphis. She was walking down Union Avenue and saw a stretch limo in front of a dealership with its doors open. She stuck her head in to look inside and commented on what a beautiful car it was. Elvis was in the car, and he instructed the man with him to order her one just like it. I also heard that, In 1975, he bought an electric wheelchair for a poor woman in East Memphis, and that he picked her up and personally sat her in it. The woman’s teenage daughter told Elvis she liked his car. He gave it to her and even gave her boyfriend a job. Even if some of these stories are exaggerated or fabricated, enough has been documented about his philanthropic nature for me to be certain he had a kind and giving heart.
Who is your ultimate celebrity? Why? Is it mainly because of their talent and appeal, or does it go deeper than that?
From October 6th through the 23rd, over 30 authors are hosting a Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Participants visit each site to find a Halloween graphic. The more sites you visit, the more chances to win. There are over 60 prizes, multiple winners each day. On October 6th, visit Sloan McBride’s blogSloan McBridewhere you get all the information, including links to the authors’ pages, and a link to a sheet to type all the answers. It should be wicked fun!
(Check the pages on my site to find the Halloween graphic and enter through Sloan’s site. SEE, so much fun!)
And while I have your attention, I’d like to share my latest release – a Halloween short story from The Wild Rose Press: Caster’s Unfriendly Ghost:
BLURB:
A year after her husband’s death, Emily Tillman is ready to start dating again, and hopefully, find what she’s always wanted—marriage and children. But the man who broke her heart five years ago is back. And he’s anything but the marrying kind.
Confirmed bachelor Reese Caster is perfectly content with his life—and he’s finally over Emily, the one woman who almost made him commit. Now, his world is rocked when her dead husband shows up, demanding that Reese pursue Emily to keep her out of the clutches of her latest suitor—a jerk who is only after her money.
Being around Emily again has made Reese reconsider his bachelor life style. But now that the threat of the other man is gone, the pesky ghost wants Reese to break things off. Can he and Emily find the love they were denied, or will the ghost of her dead husband destroy their chances?
EXCERPT:
“Emily is the kind of woman you have to take things slowly with.”
“Sure, if this was real. But you have to step it up, turn on the charm. You need to show you care, that you know her, buy her things that she loves. Her favorite flowers are white roses, she loves dark chocolate, and her favorite wine is Merlot. You need to move in on her, hard.”
Caster gave a humorless laugh and shook his head. “Do you hear yourself? You were her husband, for God’s sake. Have some respect.”
Joey’s face flushed. “I do respect her. That’s why I don’t want this asshole putting one over on her. She deserves to find someone who will truly love her and give her the things I couldn’t.”
A note of pain in his voice almost made Caster feel sorry for him. But not as sorry as he felt for the family who lost a loved one less than half an hour ago. “Listen, I’ve performed back to back surgeries today, and had my night capped off by an emergency surgery that ended with a young girl’s death. So, you’ll understand why I’m not in the mood for this right now.”
“I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about that. My concern is with Emily. And I need you to follow through with your end of the deal.”
“Deal, my ass. You blackmailed me into going along with this bullshit. Well, I’m out. I’ll finish the haunted forest thing, but no more of this romancing Emily crap. I can’t use her like that, I can’t break her heart again.”
“Break her heart? You sound pretty sure she’ll fall for you. My, my. Someone’s full of himself.”
Caster stood and stalked to the door. “Look, I don’t know if she will or not, I just know I can’t do this any longer. You can destroy everything I own, keep me up every night for the rest of my life, but I’m done.”
He put his hand on the door, but Joey’s voice stopped him. “I’ll tell her.”
Caster paused and turned to face him. “You’ll what?”
“Not only will I continue to screw with you, even on the job, but I’ll appear to Emily, tell her about our little scheme. What do you think she’ll think of you then?”
“You’re bluffing. You wouldn’t hurt her like that.”
Joey shook his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were suspiciously damp. “I don’t want to. But I’ll do anything to keep her from making the biggest mistake of her life.”
Caster let out a resigned sigh and shook his head. “Nah, getting mixed up with the two of us was the biggest mistake of her life.”
Author Alicia Dean 