Book Jacket

 

rank 5885
word count 83181
date submitted 16.05.2009
date updated 14.07.2010
genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Histor...
classification: universal
incomplete

Gone To Texas

Celia Hayes

A drama of a woman's life in Texas, before the cattle drives, before the Alamo, before the legends were born.

 

When she was twelve years old, the witch-woman looked at Margaret Becker's hands, and foretold her future in Texas; two husbands, a large house, many friends, joy, sorrow and love. The witch woman would not say what she saw for Margaret's younger brothers, Rudi and Carl - for Texas was a Mexican colony, and before the Becker children were grown, war would come upon them. During her life, she would observe - and participate in great events. She would meet and pass her own judgment on great men and lesser men as well; a friend, hostess ... and at the end, a survivor and witness.

 
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tags

alamo, austin colony, dewitt colony, gonzales, sam houston, stephen austin, texas

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20 comments

 

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Craig Ellis wrote 1045 days ago

Hello Celia

I love historical fiction. As a reader, this is one of my favorite genre.I wish you would describe Margaret a little more. I only finished reading chapter one, but I wanted to know more about Margaret and what type if illness she has. You have a fabulous premise and the pitch drew me to your book. You do have great style. Decribe her geographical location and her (Margaret's) at the beginning. Thats my two half cent worth of ideas. Your the writer! My partner Craig Ellis, who wrote "The Sun and The Saber" has a book on his this site and I , occassionally usually his account to read books. Pls take a look at his book. I will certainly have him endorse your book because I see a great book in the making.
Vi

Hypo99 wrote 1069 days ago

Celia. What a wonderful story. I loved this book. I think you write with skill and style.

BACKED

Hope you get the chance to peek inside The Russian Hat. I could do with a lift.

warm wishes
Brendan

Celia Hayes wrote 1070 days ago

Hi, Missy - and thank you! If this book doesn't make it to the top of the Authonomy pile, eventually it will be available, sometime next spring. There is a teensy local press interested, because of the Alamo angle. Margaret started as a walk-on character in the Adelsverein Trilogy - but she was such a strong-minded character, she threatened to take over, unless I gave her a book of her own!

Celia

missyfleming_22 wrote 1070 days ago

This is a prime example of quality historical fiction! I felt like, not only was I transported to early Texas, but like I learned some things about its history. Your writing is great and your main character is a strong woman, you had to be back then. I almost saw this as a movie, the scenes were so vivid in my head. I kind of wish this were available to purchase already, I've read my usual three chapters but I'm dying to read on. I'm going to keep this one around on the watchlist for a while, come back to it from time to time.

Excellent work!

Missy

name falied moderation wrote 1071 days ago

Dear Celia
Firstly I do have to congratulate you on an amazing book cover that is also beautiful. Your short pitch was the thing that grabbed me and took me to your long one. This promised me a good book and when I read your work I found it so well crafted. You have done the research for this and it does show, your descriptions of places and people is skillfully done. I found the pace just right for this type of read I loved your characters of Margaret, she was the one that kept me reading.
BACKED BY ME FOR SURE
I do hope you will review my book, comment and most of all BACK it. but either way the BEST of luck with yours
Denise
The Letter view book

SusieGulick wrote 1071 days ago

Dear Celia, I love that you are telling stories of yore - glad that they're based on fact, so I can be there seeing how it was then - so glad I was not caught up in any war, here in California in my 70 days :) - praise God for that. :) Your pitch is excellent, so set the hook for me to read your book. :) When you use short paragraphs & lots of dialogue, it makes me want to keep reading to find out what's going to happen next. I'm backing your book. :) Could you please take a moment to back my 2 memoir books? Thanks. :) Love, Susie :)

This is information from authonomy (so beware of any other untrue information you may receive that is spam & not quotes of authonomy):
"When you back a book, it only improves the ranking of that book, not yours. However, the author whose book you are backing may decide to back your book also, in which case yes, your ranking would be improved"
"Every time you place a book on your bookshelf, your recommendation pushes the book up the rankings. And while that book sits on your bookshelf, your reputation as a talent spotter increases depending on how well that book performs."

Su Dan wrote 1071 days ago

when you write a historical novel, you should know stuff. you do! you write with care and effort; worth a place on my watchlist...
read SEASONS...

Celia Hayes wrote 1071 days ago

Thanks, Jim - I just this very morning added another seven chapters (it's a work in progress!) taking the story of Margaret all the way up to the fall of the Alamo and the start of the Runaway Scrape. Drama, galore. I know everyone loves the story of the Alamo, but I wanted to highlight some of the other, equally dramatic events that took place before, and afterwards.

Celia

celticwriter wrote 1071 days ago

Hi Celia. I wanted to read your book even before I finished your first sentence. I love history, the Alamo, and women based stories (yes, I am male). My forte has been writing women's roles, and historically based romance screenplays. So, yeah, your work caught my eye, and I find it delightful, a very enjoyable read.

Blessings to you!
jim

Celia Hayes wrote 1171 days ago

Yes, I am biased. I am a native Texan and I live in Texas and though I am a total guy I got into this book. It's nice to see something representing the era of colonial Texas, a Mexican province.

I usually complain about the pitches on a book but not here. These do represent your book well and compel the casual reader to turn pages. Being Authonomy's #1 commentator, trust me, I see some real junk on this website but you're not one of them. SHELVED!

I can use your comments on my book when you get the chance. Cheers!

JC
The Obergemau Key
Authonomy's #1 rated commentator



Thanks, JC! Oddly enough, about three-quarters of my serious fans are male! An editor that I work with says its because my writing is kind of gritty and no-nonsense, unsentimental, even. I try and write about women and men equally, so I guess it's working. With GTT, I am trying to fill in the background of early Texas, which was much more complicated and interesting than most people think. The Alamo didn't happen in a vacuum - and a lot of the other events and people involved in settling Texas and in the War for Independence were really interesting and dramatic on their own.
I'll be happy to check out the Obergemau Key!

Celia

soutexmex wrote 1172 days ago

Yes, I am biased. I am a native Texan and I live in Texas and though I am a total guy I got into this book. It's nice to see something representing the era of colonial Texas, a Mexican province.

I usually complain about the pitches on a book but not here. These do represent your book well and compel the casual reader to turn pages. Being Authonomy's #1 commentator, trust me, I see some real junk on this website but you're not one of them. SHELVED!

I can use your comments on my book when you get the chance. Cheers!

JC
The Obergemau Key
Authonomy's #1 rated commentator

Celia Hayes wrote 1173 days ago

The most glorious, evocative opening. There are not many on this site who can write like that. Margaret is fascinating from the beginning. Brilliant. Backed. Lynn


Thanks, Lynn - Margaret is already a fully-realized and compelling secondary character, from my Adelsverein Trilogy! I thought that such a splendid woman deserved a book of her own!

Celia Hayes wrote 1173 days ago

Backed with pleasure! Joss E. Morris (A Bore No More)

Hi - Joss (Love it that your avatar is the Waterhouse Lady of Shalot) - I shall try and return the favor this weekend!
Celia

Joss64 wrote 1173 days ago

Backed with pleasure! Joss E. Morris (A Bore No More)

lynn clayton wrote 1173 days ago

The most glorious, evocative opening. There are not many on this site who can write like that. Margaret is fascinating from the beginning. Brilliant. Backed. Lynn

Celia Hayes wrote 1232 days ago

Glad you liked it, Chris - yes, I will touch on the fight for independence, and the trials of the Runaway Scrape - practically everything but the siege of the Alamo! Everyone who does a book about Texas writes about the Alamo, and I want to do something a little different, as well as fill in all the complicated background, which is most always overlooked! And I am trying to do it from a woman's point of view, too - which makes for some variety, I think!
I've backed Partisan, BTW! Good luck!

Chris 1 wrote 1232 days ago

Hello Celia, this is a wonderful story of the way the west was pioneered. It's always fascinated me the themes you explore here - the immigrants who settled in the New World then went west to settle a continent. You paint with a real beauty the family's journey across to Texas and I can see it through Margaret's and the children's eyes. The beauty of their first sighting of the Indian hunting party.
I look forward to reading more, especially the period of Texas' fight for independence from Mexico. We don't see many books like yours on this site. BACKED.
Can you take a look at mine? Chris1

Celia Hayes wrote 1249 days ago

Hi, Kay - thanks for the tips and suggestions, especially about the paragraphs. Margaret is a very fully-realized character, who first appeared as a walk-on in the Adelsverein Trilogy, as the older sister of Carl Becker (who grows up to become a hero himself!). She very much threatened to take over the story, so it was only best to give her a whole book of her own. She lives through some exciting times, and will have the chance to meet some interesting people, all the way along. I am just now ransacking accounts of the early settlements in Texas, and the lead-up to the war for independence, thanks to some very nice history buffs in local associations, so I am glad you appreciate the historical setting. One of my marketing pitches, is that my books are so historically accurate they can be carried in museum bookstores.
The exciting thing for me is being able to drill down into the real history, and to be able to retell some incredibly exciting stories - which hardly anyone has ever heard about!

I will consider the bookend/prelude; I like to do this in some of my books, because I am able to give away intriguing hits and clues, and to tie into what I have already written. In Gone To Texas, I will not be flipping back and forth, throughout - there will just be a brief coda at the very end. Once into the story of Margaret's early life, the readers will remain there.

Kaychristina wrote 1250 days ago

Celia, from a girl who left her heart at the Alamo, this is so interesting to me. You've got a fine story and a fine heroine in Margaret. I love the wagon trail, all the detail, and the Witch! The historical background you paint is real and wonderful at once.

PLEASE, though, consider the length of your paragraphs... Sometimes it's because reading on screen is hard at the best of times, but some of these really are long. I'm only suggesting you break them up a bit - not cut anything!! A bit of white space. It'd also help readers follow separate incidents and characters. And, I really hesitate to even breathe these words, but must... I feel this begins with the wagon trail, and not Margaret as an aging invalid - good though those passages are, but more than a little depressing. A reader might well think this will all be told in flashback, her telling the story to the grandchildren, when really, I for one wanted to be in those old days with her. NOW I am!!

I can see this is a huge work, and I do admire you for it, and I'll give it a turn on the shelf as soon as I can for you. With my best wishes, from Kay ("Annacara")

C.P. wrote 1253 days ago

I think you have a great start. Lovely the way you write. I found some of the sentences long though. Other than that, a good read.
Connie

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