Wednesday, June 30, 2010

More Reviews!

Are you tired of hearing about The Wild Irish Sea yet?

I hope not because I'm getting more wonderful reviews and I just have to share some of them. Besides, it's MY blog and I'll do what I wanna! (Boy, has this heat wave made me cranky.) LOL!

Yesterday, I was a guest on My Book Addiction and More and was so thrilled that Wendy gave me this terrific review: "I have to say first that I wasn’t sure I’d truly enjoy this story. That was until I began reading. Then I hated to stop for any reason. The story completely pulls you in...The story is deeply moving, enchanting and so wonderfully written you’ll honestly hate to turn that last page. I highly recommend THE WILD IRISH SEA to all readers."

You can read the entire review here: http://mybookaddictionandmore.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/the-wild-irish-sea-by-loucinda-mcgary-a-review/

Long and Short of It Reviews gave The Wild Irish Sea 4 1/2 books and a glowing review that will undoubtedly be one of my favorites for years to come: "...a captivating story that snares the reader, captures the interest, and steals the heart. Author Loucinda McGary has written a book that is so unique and unforgettable that once you start reading, you will be unable to stop. ...Fantastical elements aside, this is a book about people, relationships, and hope, and Ms. McGary never allows you to forget that. Well written and fast paced -- with tons of action, steam, and suspense -- you’ll soar through The Wild Irish Sea and finish before you’re ready."

Here's the entire review: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/06/wild-irish-sea-by-loucinda-mcgary.html

And finally, I haven't actually seen the magazine yet, but one of my Banditas shared the 4 STAR REVIEW that RT Book Club gave The Wild Irish Sea: "... In McGary's richly drawn novel, the mystery will keep the pages turning, while the romance will warm the heart. Readers will thrill to believe in magic and most of all, in the magic of love that will conquer all."

Okay, that's enough for now. If you absolutely MUST hear more about The Wild Irish Sea, you can join me at any or all of my blog tour stops.

Better yet, give me YOUR review of the book!


Sunday, June 27, 2010

Author Copies & Shirtless Hunks

I received my author copies a few days ago, and Amazon says they are shipping copies, which means that The Wild Irish Sea should be showing up on bookstore shelves any day now! Yes, it's over a week early, but the same thing happened with The Treasures of Venice.

So please, if you DO see the book on a store shelf, LET ME KNOW! And I'd really appreciate it if you would pass the word along.

I will admit that I am not as thrilled as I have been the other two times I received my author copies. Yes, the book looks BEAUTIFUL! Even more than the jpeg... However, I was surprised to see that my publisher changed the back cover copy and didn't tell me. The new back cover doesn't make any mention of paranormal elements or mental telepathy, which I believe are crucial ingredients in this story. I'm afraid that readers who LIKE paranormal elements might not buy the book, and I'm even more afraid that readers who do NOT like anything paranormal will buy the book and be disappointed.

Here is the new back cover copy, and I'd LOVE your opinion:

Drawn to a force he can't resist...
Former police officer Kevin Hennessey is running from his past-choosing to battle smugglers instead of dealing with his personal demons. When a desperate, rain-drenched American woman appears on his doorstep with wild tales of danger, Kevin is drawn to helping her, despite his reservations...

She never saw him coming...
Amber O'Neill knew without a doubt that her brother was in mortal danger. Rushing heedlessly to the rocky shores of Ireland, Amber was stunned to find her rescue mission derailed by a gorgeous, but deeply flawed Irishman...

The tumultuous sea, the intertwined fates of the coastal villagers, and unearthly tales of a hidden selkie prince bring Kevin and Amber together in a connection of mind, body, and soul that neither can deny...

I also received another wonderful review from Kay at Pudgy Penguin Reviews: "Once again Loucinda McGary managed to mentally transport me to Ireland entertaining me along the way with a little bit of romance, mixed in with a few dangerous characters and some magical elements. Let's just say I'll never look at a seal again with the same feelings. Are they really seals? Some of it may have been a stretch of the imagination, but it still made for a fun story."

However, she wasn't very enthusiastic about my cover (and neither were several of her commenters): Despite the book having one of "those" covers, I did enjoy it. Honestly, the cover would have grabbed me just with the spume beating against the rocks and the thatched cottage in the background.

I will admit that she is not the first reader who disliked the "shirtless hunks" on my covers. People either seem to LOVE them or HATE them. Once again, I would love to have your opinion!

Please tell Aunty what you think of book covers with shirtless hunks?

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Big Bad Blog Tour for TWIS

Sorry I've been incommunicado for a couple of weeks... More about that later.

But now I'm gearing up for my blog tour for The Wild Irish Sea which will be releasing in
15 more days!

ACK!!!


Of course, the good news is that I'll be all over the blog-o-sphere for three or four weeks giving away copies of The Wild Irish Sea to those who take mercy on me and leave comments. Plus I'll be posting some occasional excerpts starting on the Casablanca Authors blog (click on the title of this post to go there) on the 22nd. But then, if you join my newsletter group you'll get LOTS of excerpts... but I digress, as usual.

Here are the stops on my Big Bad Blog Tour for The Wild Irish Sea:

June 25 Much Cheaper Than Therapy
June 29 My Book Addiction and More
June 30 Mama Writers
July 2 Launch Party on Romance Bandits and
Wendy's Minding Spot
July 5 Anna's Book Blog
July 6 Launch Party on Casablanca Authors and
Literary Escapism
July 7 Romance Writers Revenge
July 8 Fresh Fiction
July 9 The Romance Dish
July 12 Romance Reader at Heart's Novel Thoughts
July 13 Martha's Bookshelf
July 14 Thoughts in Progress
July 16 Paranormal Romantic Suspense Reviews
July 18 Regular blog day on Romance Bandits
July 19 Book of Secrets
July 21 Sia McKye's Thoughts Over Coffee
July 22 Book Junkie
July 26 Romance Junkies

WHEW! I'll be a busy little blogger, but I do have a few "holes" in the tour. If you have a blog and would like to interview me or have me visit as a guest (and give away a copy of The Wild Irish Sea) PLEASE LET ME KNOW!


Sunday, June 6, 2010

6 Things about TWIS

ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!!

The wait for the release of The Wild Irish Sea is almost over! It is scheduled to hit the bookstore shelves on July 6th in one short month.

So far, I received some lovely, positive reviews, and I'm thrilled that readers are enjoying this story. What do they love? Here are a few things:

  1. Kevin Hennessey -- Okay, what's not to love about a tough, but vulnerable Irish hunk of a hero?
  2. Parker O'Neill -- I knew the heroine's twin brother was going to steal some hearts as soon as he burst onto the pages of the story and started stealing scenes.
  3. Ronan Lafferty -- This wee little lad may be only eight years old, but he already shows the makings of a potential Irish hunk, just give him another dozen years or so...
  4. Those big brown eyed seals -- What can I say? I'm a sucker for adorable animals.
  5. That adorable cottage by the sea -- I always wanted to live in one of those, so putting my hero and heroine in one was the next closest thing.
  6. All those cute Irish sayings and scrumptious brogues -- Honestly, even curse words sound good with an Irish lilt!
I'll stop for now but I hope those 6 things intrigued you and gave you something to look forward to when you read The Wild Irish Sea.