Launch Party Pics and Help Wanted

SURPRISE!

Okay, I'm not really here. I'm out cruising the beautiful Sea of Cortez, but I was afraid you might be lonely. Or (GASP!) forget all about me, so I've left this post behind to appear while I'm lounging about reading, eating waaay too many desserts, and letting handsome men with accents wait on me. Ah yes, life on a cruise ship is good...

A week before I left, I threw a Launch Party (see, I was thinking of boats and cruising even then) to celebrate the release of The Treasures of Venice. It was a really fun party, and I wish ALL OF YOU could have been there, but here are a couple of pictures to show you what you missed:

Just like last year's party for The Wild Sight, we had a beautiful and yummy cake with the cover of the book screen printed onto the top.

Let's see that just a little closer... And it tasted just as good as it looked!

And also like last year, Aunty happily signed books for everyone who wanted an autograph. Here is my friend (and former co-worker) LaVerna and her friend, Beverly watching to be sure Aunty spells their names correctly!



And since we are on the subject of names, Aunty has a favor to ask...

Just so you know that it is not ALL fun and games on the cruise ship, I am working on a proposal for a new book! Yes, this will be another romantic suspense with paranormal elements, and YES, of course, there will be another Irish Hunk Hero!

But I am having a hard time deciding on a name for my newest heroine. So I've decided to ask the members of my newsletter group help me pick a name. If you'd like to help too, just sign up to receive my newsletter. There's a button over on the blog sidebar! Plus group members get to read exclusive excerpts from my next release The Wild Irish Sea. And you never know when Aunty will be distributing gifts to newsletter members... Maybe I'll pick up some souvenirs in Mexico. Like maracas, jewelry, chocolates filled with tequila?!?!

Hasta luego, amigos!

Happy Two Year Anniversary!

Today marks my second anniversary of the day my life changed!

On September 14, 2007 I received THE CALL that changed everything for me in all the best possible ways! I'm reminiscing a bit about the past two years over on the Casablanca Authors blog (just click on the title of this post to go there). It has been a FANTASTIC journey so far, and I anticipate more to come.

Here's what I posted back then:

This morning I received THE CALL that all us hopeful AYUs long to get.

Sourcebooks wants to publish my novel Death In The Fens in the Fall of 2008!

I have been screaming, hyperventilating and generally jumping around like a lunatic ALL DAY! I wouldn't be a bit surprised if my head spun completely around and I spewed pea soup (even though I NEVER touch the stuff)!

Basically I have been busting my butt to achieve this goal for almost FOUR YEARS, but being published has been my dream for most of my life! I was beginning to fear that I would never feel the joy of going into a bookstore and seeing MY BOOK on the shelf. BUT NOW I WILL!!!

I AM AYU (As Yet Unpublished) NO LONGER!!!

Q&A with Keirnan Fitzgerald

Today, my Big Bad Blog Tour has me at Love Romance Passion (just click on the title of this post to take you there) where I have an interview with my Irish hunk hero of The Treasures of Venice, Keirnan Fitzgerald.

My wonderful critique partners Jo-Mama and Cathy D. helped me come up with some of the interview questions. Unfortunately, the interview was running a bit too long so not all the questions got asked and answered. You know Aunty hates the thought of wasting any part of a perfectly good interview, so here are the questions and answers that didn't make it into the LRP guest blog:

Keirnan, you said the most dangerous thing you've ever done is fall in love. What's the most romantic?

KF: I'm a traditional kind of guy. I like long walks in the moonlight, or picnics in a lovely grassy meadow with bread, cheese, fruit and a nice smooth wine. But any place can be romantic if you're with the right person. (K winks.)

What is your favorite dessert?

KF (with a naughty smile and a gleam in his eye): Tiramisu, and if you want to know why, read the last chapter of The Treasures of Venice.

Favorite poet?

KF: William Butler Yeats, of course. "Come away, O human child: To the waters and the wild with a fairy, hand in hand, For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand."

My mother used to read that poem to me when I was a wee little boy. And my sister would always tell me I better watch myself of a fairy would come and steal me away.

Steak, chicken or fish?

KF: Any, as long as they come with a side order of potatoes. I'm an Irishman, after all.

Boxers or briefs?
KF: Ahem, there are some things about a man that need to remain a mystery.

Thank you, Keirnan, for answering most if not quite all of our questions! Anyone else have a question?

Launch Day!!

HURRAY!!!

Today is my online Launch Party for The Treasures of Venice over on Romance Bandits! (Just click on the title of this post to go there.) We're having a treasure hunt, and I'm giving away books and chocolate as we celebrate all things Venetian.

Since The Treasures of Venice has actually been out for almost two weeks now, I'm curious if anyone has read it yet. If so, please tell me what was your favorite scene?

I was a little concerned how readers would react to the dual storyline in both contemporary and 1485 Venice. So far, all the reviews I've read have been positive about the two interconnected stories. What about you?

If you've read or are in the process of reading The Treasures of Venice, please tell me what you think of the dual storyline. And do you have a favorite scene? I'd love to know what it is!

There's still plenty of time to enter the contest for free copies of both The Treasures of Venice and The Wild Sight over on Booking Mama (http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/).