A Heroine Similar to a Real Person

By: Celia Yeary

In the new novel I'm writing, Texas Dreamer, my hero's name is Lee King. A couple of people who have read parts of the manuscript have asked, "Why did you give your hero the last name of King? Won't readers think you're using the King Ranch and Captain Richard King as a pattern?"

If readers do think this, it was inadvertent on my part. My Texas family saga--the "Texas Books"--follows two families, the Camerons and the Kings. The Kings produced two sons, Dalton and Lee. Dalton was the hero in Texas Promise, and not one person quizzed me on Dalton King's name. Now, for some reason, my friends think readers will quiz me about Lee King's name.
For the record, Lee King is not patterned after Captain Richard King of the King Ranch.

However, my heroine--Emilie King-- does resemble his wife and partner, Henrietta King
I do know some history about Henrietta King. I've written about her more than once.

Henrietta was a woman any hero would be proud to call his wife. She, herself, accomplished a great deal outside the ranch, in addition to taking over as owner when he died after thirty-one years of marriage.

(Photo--Henrietta King)
Henrietta lived forty more years, until 1925, and she made the ranch profitable. She further developed their cattle breed, the Santa Gertrudis, which became the popular cattle variety across Texas. During her years alone, she built a public high school, a Presbyterian Church, and she supported local colleges and hospitals. She created the town of Kingsville by donating land when “Captain” died. She became the sole owner of the world’s largest ranch, and she ultimately created an empire of over one million acres.

The heroine in Texas Dreamer is somewhat patterned after Henrietta King. I do admit, I had no idea I was doing this. I swear, it just happened.

 

MY VISION OF EMILIE KING,

HEROINE IN

"TEXAS DREAMER"

My fictional heroine, Emilie McDougal King, is tall and lithe like Henrietta. She was raised by her father Tex McDougal, just as Henrietta was raised by her father. Emilie is a character who has followed in her father's footsteps from toddler age, just as Henrietta followed hers.

In my manuscript, Emilie has not enjoyed the company of men because she is very quiet, does not flirt, and does not possess a voluptuous body--all much like Henrietta King.

As the story progresses, Lee meets a buxom beauty at a ball in Houston. He also meets Emilie McDougal--under very unpleasant circumstances--and she knows she does not impress men. Lee and Emilie are thrown together by a problem involving her father. As the story progresses, Lee realizes Emilie's worth as a female and as a business partner. Lee is a man who looks beyond extreme physical beauty, and sees inner beauty, worth, and strength.

As I said, I did not intend to write a heroine patterned after Henrietta King, but now at almost 60,000 words in the WIP, I see that Emilie McDougal is very, very much like Henrietta.

I couldn't be happier.

~~*~~Here's an excerpt from TEXAS DREAMER:

Lee buckled the cinch around the horse he'd chosen for Emilie. The mare was young, about two years old, and one of their best horses. He hoped she'd like the pretty mare.

The back screen door opened and closed, and he glanced up to watch Emilie walk toward him. He almost lost his breath. She wore men's pants, and they were tight-fitting, revealing curves he didn't know about. With the boots she also wore, she walked with a slight sashay that made his heart jump. The shirt stretched tightly across her breasts, and again, he had not noticed the nice figure she had under those shapeless calico dresses.

With her hair pulled back to her nape, tied with a ribbon, she also showed off her long hair to the middle of her back. The bun she wore as a general rule did nothing for her femininity.

She carried a western hat.

As she approached, she said, "I hate to wear this hat. It makes me look even taller, and I'm already tall enough."

"I happen to like tall women."

She raised one eyebrow. "Oh? How many tall women do you know?"

Laughing, he shook his head. "I'd better stop now before I get myself in trouble. I think you're just right, hat or no hat. Since we'll be riding into the setting sun for a while, you'll be glad you have it."

"Where are we going?"

He motioned for her to follow him. "There's a high spot to the west I'd like to show you. It's an easy climb, but when we get up there, you can see for miles and miles in all directions."

"Sounds wonderful."

Lee opened a stall and led the mare out. "Dudley saddled her for you. She's a two-year old, very obedient, but can get a little frisky. You'll need to keep a rein on her."

"Oh, she's beautiful, Lee."

She walked close and allowed the horse to smell her hair, her shoulder, and nuzzle her arm.

"We're going to be very good friends, I can tell."

She put her arms around the mare's neck and whispered in one ear. The mare nodded, as though saying, "yes" to something. Emilie laughed and rubbed her ears, and patted her neck. She walked all around the horse, patting and talking softly, as though wooing a lover.

Lee couldn't take his eyes off Emilie. Here was her soft side he'd never seen. Would she treat a man...a lover...the same way? Whispering softly, laughing, patting, and rubbing?
~~*~~

Thank you for reading--Celia