The Niall Marker

When I was doing research for "the novel formerly known as" Death in the Fens, I happened upon something called The Niall Marker. Geneticists have isolated a gender specific trait that they have traced back to a 5th century High King of Ireland, Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Being the history geek and lover of trivia that I am, I decided I MUST incorporate this fascinating bit of obscure information into my novel. Only it turns out The Niall Marker might not be that obscure after all...

A couple of weeks ago, I watched a fascinating program on PBS about how African Americans are tracing their roots by studying their DNA. Scientists have perfected a technique that can tell anyone what percent of their DNA is from Africa, what percent is Native American, and what percent is from Northern Europe. The narrator of the program, a professor at Harvard, was quite surprised to learn that over 30% of his DNA came from Northern Europe. But that's not all!

Turns out that he had Irish ancestors. How did the experts know? (drum roll, please) Because he had The Niall Marker. I couldn't believe it! There was my fascinating little piece of trivia that I'd put into my book on national television!

Truth IS stranger than fiction!

My New Slogan

Any Time, Any Place, Aunty Cindy.

That pretty much says it all!

If you'd like to generate your own personal slogan, just click on the title of this blog post for a fun site that will let you do it.

The Waiting Game

I'm blogging today over on Romance Bandits about the Hurry-Up-And-Wait torture that is the publishing business. (Just click on the title of this blog to hop over there and read my whine... er, um, rant... er, um, POST!)

Yes, I'm sorry to admit that with 5 months down and at least 7 or 8 more months to go before my book (the manuscript formerly known as Death In The Fens) hits the shelves, the waiting is getting on my last nerve!

I know, I know -- Patience is a virtue. However, it has never been one of mine!

Phyllis A. Whitney 1903--2008

I was greatly saddened to learn of the death of Phyllis Whitney on Feb. 8th at age 104. She and Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart were the first romance writers I ever read. That's because my mother read their "gothic" romances, and as a bored teen with nothing else to read, I would "borrow" from mom. I was soon hooked on those stories with "exotic" settings, and still love them today.

Matter of fact, I read Phyllis Whitney's last novel Amethyst Dreams a few years ago. Wonderful story, and she was 93 WHEN IT WAS PUBLISHED!

I always said I wanted to be Phyllis A. Whitney when I "grew up." Like her, I like to set my stories in places I've visited (like Italy and Ireland). And like her, I want to still be writing when I'm in my nineties! (Hey, dream big.)

Mostly I hope I'm able to bring some small amount of pleasure to my readers and that they will continue to read my books for as long as I am able to keep writing them. It can be done, because Phyllis Whitney did it, and she did it with aplomb!

God Speed, Phyllis A. Whitney! Thank you for being a true inspiration and leading by your own marvelous example.

5 Books

It's been awhile since I've done a Meme, (ever notice how those things seem to run in cycles?) so I thought I'd share The Last 5 Books I Read:

1. Untouched -- the latest lush and sensual Regency Noir from my Bandit buddy Anna Campbell
   
2. Does She Dare -- a sassy sexy romp by my Bandit buddy Tawny Weber (do I sense a trend here?)
3. Silent in the Grave -- an atmospheric Victorian murder mystery crammed with luscious detail by Deanna Raybourn (a debut author).
   
4. The Serpent Prince -- the third in a trilogy of loosely related romances set in Georgian England by my 06 Packer Pal Elizabeth Hoyt. This heroine and I almost share the same moniker!
   
5. Frommer's Guide to Western Europe -- Okay, so I only read the parts about London and Paris... er, um actually the DH RIPPED those parts out and packed them in his carry-on bag. I did mention that we travel light, didn't I?

Geez, that's an awful lot of historical romance for someone who writes contemporary! And next on my reading list is yet another historical: Bandita buddy Christie Kelley's Every Night I'm Yours which hit bookstores TODAY!

Where In The World Is Aunty Cindy?

Well, given my previous posts on my latest trip, it shouldn't be too hard to guess. But I couldn't resist the opportunity to share a few photos.

Holy Moly! Was that a hunchback I just spotted in the bell tower?





No, the bird on her head is not part of the sculpture. Yes, the dog next to her is.


What BIG hats you have, not to mention guns!

There Really Is No Place...

...like HOME that is!

I arrived home on Wednesday after a 10+ hour plane flight. UGH! Even though the trip was wonderful, I'm sooo happy to be home again.

WARNING: Rant about to happen.

Why is it there are NO washcloths in Europe? Seriously. None.

Granted, we didn't stay in luxury accommodations, but they were not the youth hostels and private B&Bs we frequented in our back-packing days (I brought my own towel back then). But these were both very nice three star establishments with plenty of towels.

However, in London they gave us these weird little mitts made of material the same consistency as those fabric softener sheets you throw in the dryer. I'm supposed to wash with that??? Still, better than Paris where they gave us NOTHING resembling a washcloth. Thank goodness I had a fit of intuition (or maybe it was a memory flash of the back-packing trips) and threw one ratty old washcloth into my suitcase right before we left.

Okay, rant over.

The Bandit Invasion of Romance Novel TV is going along great guns. Hope you will all go over to their site and check us out, especially next Tuesday, Jan. 29th when JoMama and I will be the featured Banditas.

A Bandit Invasion!

One of the coolest sites on the net for romance readers and writers is Romance Novel TV. They have video clips, interviews with BIG NAME authors (Connie Brockway and Mariah Stewart are just two examples), and a really great forum area. (Just click on the title of this blog entry to take you to the site.)

In short, it's a HAPPENIN PLACE! That's why it was such a surprise and delight to get an invitation from the folks at Romance Novel TV for the Romance Bandits to blog with them from Jan. 21st through Feb. 1st!

Since there are twenty of us Banditas, we are pairing up for each of the days (Mon. -- Fri.). My good buddy and CP, Jo Lewis-Robertson (aka Jo-Mama) and I will be in the spotlight on Tuesday, Jan. 29th. We plan to discuss "The Devil Is In The Details -- Research, BSing, and Choreography." This will be my first time as a guest on another site and I'm really excited!

Our Bandit Invasion is sure to be lots of fun, and we'll probably be giving away prizes like we often do on the Bandit Blog. Please drop by! You have to be registered to comment, but anyone can lurk and read the comments and vicariously join the fun.

Places I LOVE

I posted today over on the Bandit Blog about my upcoming trip and certain places I've felt an unexplained but wonderful affinity for. (Just click on the title of this post to link to the blog.) Especially Rome and Paris. I'm not sure what it is about those two cities, but they have touched me in a way that few other places ever have.

I would also LOVE to hear any and all suggestions for places to see and things to do in London.

It's Launched!

HURRAY!

I finally have a website!

Seems like it has taken forever, but actually it was only a few weeks. Dawn, at Austin Design Works put together the whole shebang, and she's been wonderfully creative and patient with me. And I'm thrilled with the result! But I'll let the pages speak for themselves.

Please check it out at: http://www.loucindamcgary.com/ (or you can click on the title of this blog to go there)

I'd love to know what you think. You can comment here, or leave me an email on the "Contact" page. I would also LOVE IT if you signed up for my Yahoo Group newsletter.

No doubt about it, 2008 IS GONNA BE GREAT!

Ringing In & Out!

WOW! It's the last day of 2007!

Tomorrow starts 2008!

Like so many others, this time of year I find myself reflecting on the past and anticipating the future. This time it's an incredibly positive experience for me in BOTH directions! 2007 turned out to be a momentous year for me and 2008 promises to be even better.

Though I didn't know it, the seeds of my wonderful year were sown in 2006 when I became a finalist in the RWA Golden Heart contest. I found myself on an email loop with the 50+ other finalist and eventually, 19 of those fabulous ladies and I started our group blog The Romance Bandits. I can't even begin to tell you how much the friendship and comraderie of that group has meant to me. Our successes individually and as a group have far exceeded anything I dared hope or imagine.

I know that 2008 will hold more of the same for me and the rest of the Banditas. I can't WAIT to see what happens to us and where this crazy road will lead.

Being a 2006 Golden Heart finalist also led indirectly to achieving my dream of selling a novel. I met my editor at the 2006 RWA National Conference and she asked to read my manuscript. Although she turned that book down, she ultimately bought my next one, and I probably never would have approached her if she had not asked me for that first manuscript!

So 2007 marked the beginning of my long held dream -- BEING PUBLISHED!

2008 will see the accomplishment of that dream when my book hits the shelves in nine or ten more months. I hope to make my second and almost equally as exciting sale by then, too.

At the 2006 RWA Conference, Christina Dodd gave an inspiring speech about how all writers were moving down the same sidewalk. It's been a GREAT TRIP so far and I can't wait to see where the sidewalk takes me in 2008!

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Yo Ho! Yo Ho! POTC Aunty Style

Seems like it's time for Aunty to recount yet another of her travel mishaps... er, um, ADVENTURES. But frankly, the holiday crush has left me so frazzled that all I can think about is how much I'd rather be on a cruise! Since I don't yet have the piccies from my latest sojourn to sunny Mexico, I'll share a few snaps from my cruise to the Carribean last October.

This scary looking scalawag wasn't real flesh and blood. But speaking of scary, those glowing white legs on Aunty are all too real.

Here is Aunty on the tiny Caribbean Isle of Grand Turk. Those colorful buildings behind me are the only motel in the island's solitary town, Cockburn. Yes, they are right on the beach.

Finally, I'll close with a beautiful piccie of Forteleza in Old San Juan. The fort was originally constructed in the 1500s to protect the city from pirates. It was rebuilt several times and reached it's current form in the 1700s with the help of some Irishmen.
And yes, the water really was that beautiful blue.

Oh, how I wish I was THERE!

"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night..."

Re-Titled

I got an email from My Editor (yup, still a thrill when I type those words) this week. They want to change the title of my book. Seems some of the good folks in the sales/marketing department don't know what a "fen" is.

I'll admit, I've been expecting this. From what I've heard and read, very few books wind up being published with the title the author originally had. I mean, even Gone With The Wind was once titled Tomorrow Is Another Day, and for all we know Othello might have once been called Iago's Revenge. (Hey, that's a lot catchier!) Besides, I've always said I don't care what title my book has, as long as it SELLS!

But, of course the timing SUX. I'm trying to launch my website and I just sent out my first "newsletter" to friends and family talking about my soon-to-be-published book, Death In The Fens. Except that is no longer the title. And the "working title" My Editor mentioned does not have final approval yet. *heavy sigh* For the time being looks like I'll have to refer to it as The Book Formerly Known As Death In The Fens.

Another Year Above Ground!

That's what a former boss of mine used to say instead of Happy Birthday. Only within the last few years have I begun to appreciate the significance. And yes, it truly SUX to have your birthday the week before Christmas. First you have to wait ALL YEAR to get any presents, then they all come at once. Second, your birthday gets lost in the shuffle. Parties never come off because everyone is BUSY with the holidays. The weather is crappy (great rationalization to move to the Southern Hemisphere!). Forget anything that's not Christmas themed. My mother was the only person who NEVER wrapped my birthday present in Christmas paper. Sometimes she had to use the comic section of the newspaper, but NEVER Christmas paper.

Finally, DO NOT get me started on the people who try to pull the old "This is your birthday and Christmas present COMBINED" scam! Of course your old Aunty has the perfect cure for that one. I just smile and say, "Really? This is YOUR birthday and Christmas present COMBINED." And when the person looks shocked and says, "But my birthday is in July!" I simply reply, "Too bad."

So I just got home from my Annual Holiday Cruise. Okay, this is only the third year (in a row) that we've done it, but it sounds waaay impressive when I write it like that.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all you other December Babies! May you NEVER receive a combined birthday and Christmas present.

Another Little Step...

...down that road to publication. And I gotta admit, this was a nice one.

I received my advance check today!

Now that Cynical Side of me wanted to concentrate on how very small the thing was, particularly in comparison to the LARGE amount of work that went into the writing of this book. But then my Excited Self slapped the Cynical Side back into perspective.

SOMEONE PAID ME MONEY FOR MY BOOK!
O.M.G. FOR REALS! They believed in it enough to pay me! And in this crazy biz that means A LOT!

Of course that means my next step is to go and see my tax preparer because I am now a self-employed business person, so naturally there are tax consequences!

Embracing My Inner Grinch

I'm blogging over at the Bandit Lair today on things that BUG ME about the holidays. In keeping with our holiday extravaganza, I've even included a cookie recipe and am giving away a couple of little prizes.

And yes, all the incidents I grumbled about REALLY HAPPENED!

• My Mother-In-Law did send me a check the week before Christmas and asked me to do her shopping for her.
  
• My son really was that rude about his gift.
  
• And a good friend who obviously suffered short-term memory loss gave me the SAME GIFT (a knife block of all things) two years in a row!

Truth IS stranger than fiction!

Hop on over and "get your Grinch on!" (just click on the title of this post)

Musical Transitions

Warning! Rant about to happen...

I watched a really BAAAD movie on DVD last night. It wasn't supposed to be bad. Matter of fact it had several "A" list actors and got good reviews, but it still annoyed the H*LL outta me!

And I don't mean just the story line, though I did find that aspect rather weak, cliche-ridden, and therefore annoying. The thing I really objected to was that every time a pivotal scene ended, the director/film editor/whomever would throw up a montage of landscapes along with the character who had just "learned the BIG LESSON" and fill the soundtrack with LOUD WHINY MUSIC.

Worse, this movie (no, I won't name the title unless you ask in the comments) is far from unique. I've noticed the exact same thing in other movies and in TV programs. Granted, I don't watch much of the latter, but the biggest offender that I do watch (and am about to STOP watching for this and several other reasons) is "Grey's Anatomy." I can almost tolerate Ms Wishy-Washy Perpetual Victim Meredith's voice over platitudes... most of the time. But SPARE ME those whiny girl singers screeching away about their broken hearts/lives/tattoos or whatever it is they are carrying on about.

Whatever happened to TRANSITIONS? You know, those little things that move you between scenes? For that matter, at least in films and TV, what is wrong with the old fade to black and start the new scene? This technique has worked for loads of award winning writers and directors in the past.

I think it boils down to trusting your audience. We GET IT already! We don't need some smarmy montage and loud music to hammer your point home. If we do, then you didn't sufficiently make your point in the first place!

Okay, rant over for today.

Finally Sinking In... A Bit

I was wandering the aisles of my local Big Chain Bookstore today, as I do most every weekend. Not necessarily shopping, just enjoying the look, and smell, and FEEL of all those wonderful books sitting on all the shelves.

I browsed over in the Romance section, pulling out books by friends (Anna Campbell, Donna MacMeans, Christine Wells), authors or titles I'd heard some recent buzz about, or other titles by My Publisher... just coz, ya know, they're MINE... When suddenly it occurred to me that by this time NEXT year, MY book would be up there on the shelves! Yup, right up there on that top shelf between Cheyenne McCray and Shannon McKenna!

Oh. My. Gosh.

This time NEXT year, those two women sharing the aisle with me might be pulling out MY BOOK!

Yes, I had a private little *SQUEE* moment right there in the middle of the book store. My Book, written with my own blood, sweat, and imagination will be published in less than 365 days and will be read (and I hope enjoyed) by total strangers! Reality never felt so good.

Gifts To Charities

I'm blogging today on the Bandit Blog about donating to a favorite charity instead of buying a gift. (Just click on this entry's title for the link to get there.)

Please drop by and read about why the American Red Cross is one of my favorite charities. In fact, I probably wouldn't be here except for them!

I hope you will give to your favorite charity this holiday season!

My First Revision Letter

HURRAY! I received my first revision letter today. And I'm HAPPY about it?!?!? As a matter of fact, I'm tickled pink! And no, I haven't lost what little mind I may actually have left. I'm happy about my revision letter for some very good reasons!

First, and foremost, these are revisions made UNDER CONTRACT on a book that is SOLD! I've never had this experience before and it is one more baby step down the road of my writing career.

Second, even though My Editor assured me that my revisions would be "light" I wasn't sure her definition of "light" would be the same as mine. Luckily they matched!

So I'm off to happily work on my revisions!