Rebels, Causes and Dark Brooding Men

Unlike many of my fellow Roses, I've seen and liked the James Dean movie, Rebel Without a Cause. His dark brooding looks and bad boy attitude, so reminiscent of Elvis in his early years, brought women to the theater in droves. Okay, most came in cars, but cut me some slack.

Whether in East of Eden or Rebel, Dean delighted audiences because of his blatant sex appeal. Remember, this was in the middle of the fifties when there were three channels on television and no sitcom could show a bedroom unless there were double beds for married couples. The United States was barely out of a devastating world war, trying to find its center, not yet ready to rebel against much of anything. That had to wait at least another decade.

Why were Dean and Elvis so magnetic? More than the brooding stares, more that the slicked hair, was their sex appeal, which ran counter to the then-current cultural norms. Other actors who went on to lengthy careers were more handsome than Dean but didn't have that something, the magnetism, he showed in every glower and mumbled line of dialogue.

Other singers during Elvis's era either were copycats in looks or were so squeaky clean that they belonged in the fifties. Pat Boone should have stayed in the fifties and not the tattooed ick he morphed into in the "oughts." Ricky Nelson. As clean cut as his parents. A good talent and a physical representation of the era.

So why did we need these rebels? Maybe it was because young people needed a reason to be different from the parental generation. Maybe it was a precursor to what would come a decade after Dean's death at 24 in 1955. After all, mass media was in its infancy with those three television stations and movie theaters providing the only moving images of stars. The Ed Sullivan Show brought musical acts into our living rooms, all but Elvis's pelvis waggling at the girls who screamed.

After a generation of deprivation with the Depression and WWII, youth needed an outlet. Our bad boys gave it to them. They opened the door for the later rock acts, hippies and social unrest of the sixties. Long live the rebels who show us it is all right to be different.

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Betsy Ashton is the author of Mad Max Unintended Consequences available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The second book in the series, Uncharted Territory, will be released in June 2015. She lives for words and writing.

Rebel Without A Genre By Donna Michaels

Yep, you guessed it. I’m the rebel.

In the writing world, branding is a huge way to get recognized and to gain a following. I should know. It happened to me without even trying. See, I write romaginative fiction, romance mixed with comedy, contemporary, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, adventure, time travel. I love to read variety and write variety. My books range from short to epic, sweet to very hot, and I’ve even written a story in first person. Variety. It is the spice in my writing life.

But something happened almost two years ago. The Wild Rose Press released my contribution to their Honky Tonk Hearts Series, COWBOY-SEXY.

Amazon offered Finn for free for four days. This was all new to all of us. I made up promo, and advertised on Facebook and all social media I could think of, plus I handed out cards to anyone locally who would take one. lol The gals at the annual Vampire Diaries Party ( or as I like to call it-VD Party) were given special promo and, bless them, they all promised to download my free book and tell a friend. 

It worked. I had thousands of downloads. Who knew cowboys were so hot?

I do now. Those thousands of free downloads somehow got the book into Amazon emails and I actually sold a good chunk. Good enough to generate a royalty check that could pay for more than lunch. Yeehaw! It also generated fan mail and readers wanting more. This got me thinking. Cowboys sell. I love cowboys. I have more cowboys. I’m going to turn those cowboys in to a series and see if that makes the readers happy. It did, and does. My Harland County Series is an Amazon Best Seller. With four books out so far, I have plans for four more, and I already have another cowboy series talking in my head.

But I told them to simmer down, especially since the contemporary military series I put on hold to wrangle those Harland cowboys was starting to chant really loud. I was getting antsy. Variety. I needed to mix things up or I knew I’d start twitching. Probably develop an eye tick, too. So my cowboy heroes and military heroes starting talking and negotiating. Here’s what they came up with:

They’re sharing custody of me. ☺

I get to write a Harland County spinoff series that ties the National Guardsmen from PA to my Texas cowboys. There will be characters crossing over from both series. In fact, the hero and heroine in cowboy book #3 will be getting married in the first book in the Citizen Soldier Series.

Brilliant. I’m happy. They’re happy. Now, I just hope my readers will be happy. The PA Guardsman aren’t exactly the quintessential cowboys, but they are outdoorsman. They own a resort in the Pocono mountains, so there’s hiking, fishing, boating, white-water rafting, skiing, horseback riding. Those men are no slackers. And they have great bodies to prove it. They may not wear cowboy boots, but they do wear boots. Combat boots. 

As you've probably guessed, even though I write several genres, I’m mostly known for my cowboys. But that’s okay. I love writing them. I’m just not going to write them exclusively. That’s the rebel in me. Guess you could say the rebel made me do it. J

So, if you see me at a convention you’ll find two boots on my table, but they don’t match. One is a cowboy boot and the other is a combat boot. Too bad they didn’t make a suspense boot, or a sci-fi boot, or a paranormal boot…

What are your thoughts on branding and writing? I’d love to hear your input. Especially since my first book in the new series isn’t out until next month. I’ve no idea if it’ll bomb, or if my readers will embrace the change and go with the flow. I sure hope so. I really don’t want to twitch. And that eye tick thing doesn’t sound very fun.

My fourth Harland County book, Her Forever Cowboy is up for Book of the Month over at SSLY!

If you've read Kevin's story and would like to vote, I'd sure appreciate it. Click HERE. Thank you! I'll love you forever and back!

 

Pssst! Speaking of conventions, I’m in New Orleans right now...TODAY, this very minute! at the Author Reader Con at the Marriott. If you’re in the neighborhood, I hope you’ll stop by for the book fair today, it’s 2pm-6pm. You can’t miss me. Just look for the boots!

 

Visit me anytime at www.donnamichaelsauthor.com 

Ah, James Dean

I don't know if I've ever seen Rebel all the way through, but Lord knows, I've seen enough clips of it on the 100 Best Yada Yada lists.

Let's not talk about the movie. Let's talk about James Dean. Regardless of whether you think he's sexy/cool/hot or not, there's that Star factor. He had, Steve McQueen had it, and a few others had it. I'm not sure if we have Stars today the same way we had Back in the Day. I think we (the public) know too much about our stars and that's colored the way we perceive them. Look, I still like a good Harrison Ford movie, but his Star factor plummeted for me when he took up with what's-her-name and left his wife.

That kind of story might have been hushed up thirty years ago. Of course, it works the other way, too. Sometimes I'll find out things about a star and think, "that guy has more character than I thought he had." Doesn't happen often, but it does sometimes.

I know that when I write my heroes, I always think of actors whom I think are not only handsome in some way, but have character. I imagine that actor in the role and think, "What would he do? How would he look?" My current project has a Hugh Jackman guy in the lead role and he's going through a ton of changes through 9 books (yes, you read that right. 9 books). I'm having fun looking up "old Hugh", "young Hugh", "bald Hugh", etc.

So let's hear it for the stars (past and present). They make our current writing projects a lot more fun.

J L
(jayellwilson.com)

Rebellious Weddings by Diane Burton

I’ve talked about my son’s wedding until everyone (I’m sure) is tired of hearing about it. LOL It went off without a hitch last Friday, which is why the lovely and talented Vonnie Davis posted in my place. So here I am in her place, pondering how to combine Lost in America or Rebel Without a Cause with a wedding.

Then it occurred to me that rebels seem to run in my family. Maybe not conscious rebels but rebels nonetheless. My mom went against her parents’ wishes and at nineteen married an army air force man six years older than she. While most girls in my high school class graduated one weekend and got married the next, I went to college (the first in my family), taught elementary school for several years then married. My son is thirty-eight, long past the time his buddies married. He waited a long time for Ms. Right and finally found her. Instead of getting married in a church, they decided to get married on the beach. Now Arizona (where she’s from and where they live) isn’t exactly known for beach weddings. So they went against the custom of marrying in the bride’s hometown and came to ours.

Friday was a gorgeous day. We couldn’t have ordered a better one.  Besides the invited guests, we had about a hundred or so sunbathers who applauded the new bride and groom. As they were leaving, a little girl ran up to them and said she was getting married on the beach just like them.

A little rebellion being spread around?

Rebel Without A Cause: Whatever Was I Thinking? by Margo Hoornstra

Think Rebel Without A Cause. To quote Wikipedia, "The story of a rebellious teenager who arrives at a new high school, meets a girl, disobeys his parents, and defies the local school bullies." What kind of images come to mind? The smoldering hot and handsome bad boy, of course. Sexy and daring, maybe with a chip on his shoulder. An edge of anti-social behavior about him. (Delinquent is such a strong word.) Whether with motorcycle or without, definitely swoon worthy. Though I never have seen the movie, I can certainly relate.

However, after this summer, I'm thinking a little different kind of rebel, thanks to a dog named Buddy.

Let me explain. A few years ago, my youngest son rescued a little dog. Abandoned as a puppy, Buddy is one of the most loving and gentle dogs I've ever met. A pacifist by nature, when he's out and about on his leash, Buddy avoids conflict and confrontation at all costs. But give him the opportunity to meet new dog friends and play, and Buddy's all over it, with gusto.

Fast forward to last month. It's Summertime in northern Michigan, and we're camping at a Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park™ with the kids and grandkids. Jellystone, where they're big on kids and activities complete with a real live (in costume, of course) Yogi Bear. A bear so popular, the times for his appearance are posted in advance so eager fans can stop by for a hug or high five. Maybe even a picture. Often, this bear would travel around the park is a golf cart, with his handler beside him since Yogi doesn't drive, perpetual smile in place, waving and nodding. Having a good time.

Fast forward again to the day before we leave. I'm coming out of the bathhouse just as Yogi and his escort drive by. Though it's early afternoon, no one else is around. All of a sudden, I'm inspired.

"Hey, Yogi. Can you make a personal appearance?"

His lady driver answers for him. "Sure!"

"Great! My grandkids will love this." So proud, I quickly lead them down the lane to our spot. Only one of my grandsons is there, and my son, and Buddy...

Yogi and company pulls up and stops. Undaunted, I make my best ta da gesture!

Still smiling, Yogi leaps from the cart. Unfortunately, at seeing the newcomer Buddy does some leaping of his own.  Keeping his distance, but barking like a man, er dog, possessed. Poor Yogi freezes, mid wave, as Buddy's tirade continues. Okay, so if you leave out hot, handsome and sexy, we had our own Rebel Without A Cause going on right then and there. Rebellion? You bet. Anti-social? I would say so. Chip on his shoulder? That barking behavior had to come from somewhere. Although now that I think about it, Buddy seemed to be as startled as Yogi.

Not to worry, though. All would be well. We were finally able to convince Buddy (Yogi too) that it was okay. No one was going to get hurt. We even managed to get a picture. Buddy wasn't invited. ;-)

Enjoy these last days of Summer, Everyone! Fall will be here before you know it.

My days to blog at the Roses of Prose are the 11th and 23rd. For more about me and my stories, please visit my WEBSITE