First Kisses

Here's a blog I'm especially fond of because it deals with a subject I enjoy: First Kisses! This post originally appeared on Moonlight, Lace, and Mayhem as part of my blog tour for The Treasures of Venice.

Recently one of my critique partners and I were discussing favorite scenes in books, what we liked and why we liked them. After throwing out a few and analyzing our choices, my CP came to the conclusion that she consistently liked scenes where the hero and heroine kiss for the first time. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I liked those scenes too! I loved reading them and writing them.

Unfortunately, the details of Aunty’s very first kiss are somewhat blurry. It was so very, very long ago… (I think, perhaps, it may have been Og and he hit me over the head with his club before he dragged me by my hair, hence the faulty recollection.) But I have very fond memories of first kisses from special ‘dates’ over the years. Usually the anticipation of those kisses proved more enjoyable than the actually lip contact, but AH! – the build-up!

Maybe that is why first kisses in fiction make such enjoyable scenes? The author can take her time building up all that wonderful tension between the hero and heroine and the actual moment of contact never has to be disappointing. Unlike real life, no clubbing, hair-pulling, bad breath, or tangling of tooth braces need ever happen! The author can revise and reinvent to her heart’s content, and the reader can savor all the lovely anticipation as many times as she wants.

Since my new release, The Treasures of Venice has a dual storyline and two sets of lovers, I got to have all the fun of writing the ‘first kiss’ scene twice! Here is the first kiss between my contemporary hero, Keirnan Fitzgerald, and my heroine, Samantha Lewis:

She stopped abruptly and pulled her hand away. Keirnan followed her gaze across the street where white letters on a green cloth awning proclaimed “Bello Giardino.” Window boxes filled with pink and yellow primroses decorated the front of the four-story hotel.

“Looks like we’re here.”

His libido suddenly over-rode his conscience, and urged him to do more than walk away.

Impossibly bad timing! He fought back the urge.

“Thank you again for being such a good sport, Samantha.”

When had he raised his hand? But he must have because it was poised next to her face. Of their own volition, his fingers cupped her cheek. Her smooth skin felt overheated in the cool air. Those ten thousand volts sizzled up his arm and made his pulse hammer.

“And I meant what I said back there on the Bridge of Sighs. He’s a fool. You’re better off without him.” And me.

Though shock flickered across her expressive eyes, she said nothing, the tip of her tongue moistening her bottom lip His hand moved from her cheek to cradle the back of her head, the silky strands of her hair flowing over and through his fingers. He lowered his head and slanted his mouth across hers, his own tongue lightly following the path of hers. She tasted warm and sweet. But without warning, the painted image of Serafina Lombardo flashed behind his closed eyes.

Saints in heaven, he was losing it! Keirnan pulled back and dropped his hand, but instead of releasing her as he’d intended, he grasped her hand and raised it toward his mouth.

“Take care, Samantha, luv,” he murmured and pressed his lips lightly against her palm.

Blood roared in his ears, but somehow he managed to drop her hand before he made an even bigger and far more stupid blunder.

And here is the first kiss between my Renaissance couple, Serafina and Nino:

Nino paced the open space in front of the bench. His graceful movements made her think of dancing. Who had he danced with during Carnevale?

“Well, he was right about the Doge’s niece.”

Serafina shifted her voluminous skirts so that he could sit next to her on the bench. He hesitated for a moment before he sat down.

“Maybe so, but he should not have poked fun at you.”

“I…” As at the cemetery isle, warmth seemed to radiate from him to her. “…don’t mind. Besides, I may not have a wart on my nose, but my jaw is too square and my mouth is too small.”

She repeated the faults her mother so frequently pointed out, except she never should have mentioned mouth. The instant she spoke the word, her eyes immediately went to his.

She watched in fascination as his lips parted and he spoke. “Your mouth looks perfect to me.”

“Not…” Her hand moved of its own accord. “…so perfect as yours.” Her fingers lightly brushed across his cheek and traced the edge of his lower lip. “Yours feels so soft.”

Serafina lifted her face and his warm smooth lips touched hers. The unexpected contact jolted them apart.

“Forgive me!” Nino leaped to his feet.

“Kiss me again,” she whispered, pulling him back down beside her.

Now THAT is a woman after Aunty’s own heart! I’ll bet she could even handle Og.

What about you? Care to share some memorable first kisses, either your own or fictional?

Exotic Settings

With my latest blog tour behind me, I've decided to "recycle" a few of my guest blog posts here (from all three of my 'tours'), especially posts that I felt didn't receive a wide audience.

I'll start with one I wrote for my most recent tour for The Wild Irish Sea (though all three of my books figure in it) about my exotic settings.
Everyone who knows me, or who has looked at my website or one of my blogs, knows I’m a travel fanatic. I’m always on the go to some new place foreign, domestic, or sailing off on yet another cruise (sixteen so far with number seventeen booked for November). I’ve always had the yen to see new and exotic locations, but my dream finally started to come true in the mid 1990s when my DH overcame his twenty year fear of flying.

Once he cleared that not-inconsiderable hurtle, we became a pair of traveling fools! At last count, we have visited 47 states and 32 foreign countries. I believe that travel broadens a person’s outlook in a way that few things can. I’ve discovered fun and fascinating things in almost every place I’ve ever visited, and almost everywhere I’ve been I have met lovely, friendly people.

Before I became the traveling fool, I loved to read books with exotic settings and enough lush details that I felt I was right there with the characters. Mary Stewart was one of my favorite authors who was a master at this. Whether you were on a Greek Island or a cottage in the English countryside, you were right there experiencing the sights, smells, and feel of the flora, fauna, views, and everything else surrounding the characters. Diana Gabaldon is another author whose settings are so real I feel like I’ve been in the Scottish highlands, or onboard a wooden sailing ship, or in a log cabin. When I decided to seriously commit myself to writing with the intent to publish, I wanted my novels to have settings that put the reader firmly in the place with my characters. Fortunately, by then I’d been to a lot of wonderful places and soaked up plenty of experiences that I could draw upon for authenticity in my writing. But one thing I never know is what will come in handy, or turn up in my prose.

For example, the childhood home of my hero in The Wild Sight was actually the house where my DH’s grandmother was born and raised. It still remains in the family and I remember the first time I saw it, I kept thinking about raising ten children in two rooms and a loft with no running water or electricity! Here’s a peek at the house as I described it in an opening chapter of The Wild Sight:

“…Rylie looked around the room, which was dominated by an enormous stone fireplace that had once served for both cooking and warmth. She peeked through the open doorway into the adjoining room, where the same fireplace had a second hearth. …

“Cold seeped from the flat gray stones of the floor through the rubber soles of her sneakers, a testament to the uncomfortable reality Donovan had mentioned earlier….

“…He motioned to a steep set of stairs build into the wall behind the front door. ‘My sister and I slept in the loft, same as my mother and her sister had done… The roof was thatch when my mum and Aunt Fee were little, but my grandfather replaced it with tin.’”

I’ve always thought Venice was one of the most unique, atmospheric, and romantic cities in the world. It was a no-brainer for me to set one of my books in such an exotic but at the same time recognizable location.

I’ve only visited Venice once, but it was a very memorable three days. I always keep travel journals where ever I go along with photographs. So even though it had been several years since I’d been in Venice, when I sat down to write, after a few hours of pouring over my photos and journal entries, I was instantly transported back. Here’s a scene from the book that eventually became The Treasures of Venice based on a late night walk my DH and I took through the streets of La Serenissima:

“It was eerily dark out on the street… Mist hung in wet wispy spirals over the water, and deeper shadows pooled in the darkness beside buildings. The chilly dampness distorted sounds so that the creaking of wood and slapping of water seemed to come from living entities….

“Sam followed as Keirnan snaked his way down a tight path right next to the water. The four and five story buildings on either side of the minor canal blotted out all light….

“Another diminutive bridge, this one with iron railings, arched up next to them where another canal intersected the one they followed. Instead of crossing, Keirnan crawled down next to the footings, then motioned her to join him.… A pale light filtered down from a second story window to reveal a profusion of orange peels and cigarette butts floating in the nearly motionless canal…. Sam scooted slightly to one side and noticed the building had a yawning mouth of black water where the first floor would have been.”

Sometimes places that aren’t actually in the location I’m writing about fit into the story so beautifully that I take ‘artistic license and put them in anyway. This was the case with my current release The Wild Irish Sea. When the hero and heroine discover a sea cave being used by a colony of seals, I remembered a couple of visits I’d paid to Sea Lion Caves on the Oregon coast and was inspired to include my impressions (especially of the smell!) even if the actual cave was far away from the Irish coast:

“Nearly overcome by the stench, Amber followed Kevin inside the cave without further protest. After climbing down and around a pointy sentinel of rock, they were out of the rain. She heaved a sigh of relief and almost choked on the over-powering odor.

“They scrambled over a few more jutting rocks onto a stone ledge. A large pool of water spread below, and on the sandy shore opposite their perch lolled dozens of seals…. More than half seemed to be babies and the cave echoed with their cries.

“Trying not to breathe too deeply, she leaned an elbow against an upright boulder and surveyed the interior. The shelf where they stood appeared to be the only flat spot on their side of the rocky cavern, and it looked too high for the sea lions in the pool to climb up.”

So whether it’s a tiny cottage in the Irish countryside, a Venetian canal, or a mysterious sea cave full of seals, I hope I’ve given you some insight into the way I use my travels to create exotic settings for my books.

Rita and Golden Heart Awards

The Romance Writers of America's annual conference starts TODAY and ends on Saturday night with their big awards ceremony. Awards are given in several categories for published authors (the Rita) and unpublished authors (the Golden Heart). Having been a finalist in the Golden Heart once, I know how exciting it can be! (for a list of all the Rita finalists just click on the title of this blog post)

I'm sorry that I won't be in attendance this year, because I have five good friends who are finalists in the Rita and Golden Heart and I'd love to be there to cheer them on. But even if I can't be part of the excitement that is going on in Orlando even as I type, I wanted to give a shout-out and special good luck wishes to these five finalist.

My Bandita Beth Andrews whose book A Not-So-Perfect Past is up for a Rita in the Contemporary Series Romance category. Beth and I both made our first sales very close together. Her stories have engaging characters and lots of genuine emotions. I'd love to see her become the first of the Banditas to bring home that lovely silver statue!

Tina Ferraro is nominated in the Young Adult Romance category for her book The ABC's of Kissing Boys. I was lucky enough to make Tina's acquaintance way back in the days when we were both struggling AYUs (As Yet Unpublished) and she helped me a lot when I was writing the story that became The Treasures of Venice. Not only did she read first draft chapters for me, but she took a whole slew of pictures of San Michele En Isola when she was vacationing in Venice, and sent them to me! She was also my roomie at my very first RWA National in Reno in 2005 shortly after she'd just made her first sale. Tina's YA books are brimming with adorable characters in very real situations and I'd love to be cheering on my true blue friend in person.

Brenda Novak is a chaptermate of mine and one of the nicest people I've ever met, not to mention her tons of enthusiasm and generosity! She's always willing to share her time and knowledge of writing with aspiring and fledgling authors (like the fantastic cover quote she gave moi for The Treasures of Venice). Plus there's the incredible effort she makes every year toward research for juvenile diabetes. I'll admit I haven't yet read her Romance Novella finalist On a Snowy Christmas, but Brenda is a wonderful writer and she deserves to win just on her reputation alone!

Now for my two friends who are nominated (neither for the first time) for Golden Hearts:

My Bandita KJ Howe is probably the only person I know who has visited more exotic places than I have! Honestly, I am bewildered that KJ hasn't won several Golden Hearts already and been multi-published because she is a fantastic suspense writer! She's a finalist this year in Contemporary Series Suspense/Adventure and I'll have every digit crossed that she brings home "the gold!"

Keli Gwyn is also a chaptermate of mine and another genuinely nice person! I happen to know and admire how hard she has worked at perfecting her craft and building her author-presence. Her wonderful blog Romance Writers on the Journey showcases new authors and is just one example of Keli's generosity and commitment to all romance writers. She is nominated for a Golden Heart in the Inspiration Romance category with a manuscript that has been burning up the contest circuit all over RWA and should definitely be rewarded, along with its author, with a win and a fat publishing contract!

So there you have my admittedly very biased choices for a few of the Rita/Golden Heart winners in this year's competition. Do you have any favorites who are nominated for awards? I'd love to hear about them!

Parties, Contests, and More

My in-person launch party for The Wild Irish Sea was last Sunday and a fun time was had by all! I saw lots of friends, many for the first time in a very long time, and made a few new ones. We ate plenty of yummy pizza and chocolate cake, along with a special treat -- two packages of Tim Tams! I managed to get one from each box, but they didn't last long.

After my horrible week, it was so nice to have something positive happen. I was also gratified that every person who had already read TWIS told me how much they loved Parker and wanted to read his story.

I was also happy that most everyone had found a copy of the book at Barnes and Noble or ordered it from Amazon. Unfortunately, it appears that Borders in my area are not stocking it. BOO! HISS!

But BIG THANX to Venus (one of my lovely followers on this blog) for sending me this very cool picture of The Wild Irish Sea on the shelf in the Barnes and Noble in Honolulu! I only wish she had put her own smiling face in the piccie. Or better yet, that I could go there, see the book for myself, and take my own photo of Venus. If anyone else out there has seen TWIS in your neighborhood bookstore, or even on your own shelf, PLEASE email me a photo! I'd love to post it here on the blog!

Finally, because good things really do come in threes, last Friday I received an exciting phone call from the Georgia Romance Writers chapter of RWA. The Treasures of Venice is a finalist in their published Maggie Award contest! I'm so surprised and thrilled to be a finalist. Thrilled because not only is this a prestigious contest, but the Maggie award itself is a beautiful sterling silver pendant. Surprised because the contest doesn't have a romantic suspense category and I had to enter in the single title category and thought there was NO WAY I would final. Goes to show how wrong I can sometimes be!

So now it's YOUR TURN! Share some of your good news with me!

In a Crazy Daze!

The Wild Irish Sea officially hit the shelves last week, but I've been a crazy frenzy of blog tour, personal crises, and heat exhaustion to the point that I haven't been able to enjoy anything.

BOO! HISS!

That old saying couldn't be more accurate -- When it rains, it really does POUR!

Both the DH and I had car problems in the past two weeks. UGH! Nothing worse than having the car just stop running. Mine turned out to be a simple fix, his not so much. But the good news on his car was that it was completely covered under warranty. Still, running back and forth to the mechanic and coordinating times and places and vehicles is a huge hassle.

Plus I've been having some medical issues and was not happy with my primary care physician. Push finally came to shove and I had to go out and find a new doctor. Trying to find someone you trust to provide your medical care is even worse than car problems.

Then, of course, there's my ongoing blog tour that requires me to write NINETEEN insightful and/or witty blog posts in four weeks (not counting my usual blog posts on Romance Bandits and Casablanca Authors). And I'm also obliged to visit the various blogs who are kind enough to let me be a guest. Yes, it's fun but also exhausting. Plus, since I have yet to find a way to quantify the effectiveness of a blog tour, I can't quite escape the nagging feeling that the whole thing is a waste of my time and effort.

What do YOU think? Do you read posts of authors on blog tours? Have you ever purchased a book because you read about it from an author's guest post?

Do you think the fact that it will be 102 degrees (farenheit) for the next three days has upset Aunty's equilibrium?

TODAY'S THE DAY!!!

It's FINALLY HERE!

Today is the "official" release day for The Wild Irish Sea!

I'm having a launch party over on the Casablanca Author's blog (just click on the title of this post to go there) and I'm giving away a copy of the book. All you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win.

This is my third book to make it into print, and I have to say that I'm just as thrilled to see this one on the shelf as I was the previous two! I don't think this will ever become 'old hat' for me. Each journey to publication is unique and the final result is sooo gratifying!

I've already heard from two friends this morning that they have seen copies on the shelf at two different local book stores. I'm off this afternoon on my own search. I'll be the one clutching my 'Signed by Author' stickers and grinning like a fool!

If you find The Wild Irish Sea on a shelf anywhere... even in your home, PLEASE send me a photo! I'd love to put some up here on the blog.

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!

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?

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!

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.

Two GREAT Reviews for The Wild Irish Sea!

I'm THRILLED to share that I just received my first two advance reviews for The Wild Irish Sea! There's still a little over a month to go before the book is scheduled to hit the bookstore shelves (all right, all right -- 38 days and yes, I'm counting), so these early reviews feel very important to me. What a relief to know that other readers LURVE my baby... er, um, STORY as much as I do!

Three days ago, author and reviewer Kelly Moran posted a wonderful review on her blog (just click on the title of this post to go there). Among other nice things, she had this to say:
I adore Irish stories, and this was no exception. A fascinating blend of American and Irish culture come together in this tale to bring the reader right there on the rocky shores, feeling the spray on your face and a lilt to your heart...
This is also a book which readers can take a lot from. A bit of adventure, a little fantasy, a touch of humor, and a lot of love make for a delightful read...
Though there is the mystery element to this book, I found the telepathy angle and love story more rewarding. Highly recommended, and I certainly look forward to more from this author.

Talk about UPLIFTING!

Then, yesterday, I staggered out of my sick bed (yes, I've been down for the count with an ugly stomach bug -- UGH!) to find that The Romance Studio gave The Wild Irish Sea 5 HEARTS (which equals "excellent") in this wonderful review by Theresa Joseph:
This book had both romance and mystery and I loved it. How couldn't you fall into the pages with such fascinating characters including a selkie prince: a sexy, Irish police officer, a feisty American, smugglers, big brown-eyed seals and three adorable youngsters...
The chemistry between the hero and the heroine is sizzling and their dialogue and interaction is captivating. I read this book in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down...
This is a great read for relaxing at the beach or pool and equally well suited to curling up in front of a fireplace. This author is definitely going on my must-read list.

Thank you, Theresa and sorry you didn't find your own hunk in Ireland. Maybe next time...

To read the entire review, go here:
http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/wildirishseamcgary.htm

Now I'm off to eat a bland dinner and bask in the glow of these first two wonderful reviews. Happy weekend everyone!

Tropical Islands and Running Away

I have a post up today at Casablanca Authors blog (just click on the title of this post to go there). Our topic has been new beginnings and I wrote about running away and starting fresh... like maybe on a tropical island somewhere.

Of course, I had to mention the quintessential runaway, the artist Paul Gauguin. Back in the 1880s Gauguin was a struggling artist who decided to literally get away from it all. So he abandoned his wife and five children and ran off to Tahiti where he painted lots of pictures of the natives.

Oh, and a few of himself too! Here's a self-portrait he did in 1893 when he was living in Tahiti.

While he might have been an artistic genius, I always viewed him as an irresponsible jerk for leaving his wife and kids. I guess he was living proof of that fine line between genius and madness, just like Vincent Van Gogh, who's paintings I find far more appealing.

What do you think about the genius and madness argument? And do you prefer Gauguin or Van Gogh?

Journaling and New Perspectives

A few days ago, I was sifting though a box in my office when I ran across one of my old journals. I've written journals off and on since my first diary didn't have enough room for me to put down everything I wanted in one day's slot. I was 13 or 14 when that happened.

I kept a journal through much of high school. Alas, those all got thrown out when I got married. I was far too busy working and studying when I was in college, but after I got my degree, I started up with a journal again. I kept one throughout my pregnancy, and have that one stored away in my cedar chest should my son ever want to read it. After he was born, I had no time to eat or sleep, much less write in a journal! I didn't start up again until he was three or so.

Anyway, back to the topic of the journal I found a few days ago... This one seemed particularly prophetic because the first entry was dated May 11, 2002.

Eight years ago seems like another lifetime to me now. I was the manager of a multi-million dollar state program that was suffering from some major service delivery crises, while I was going through some personal physical and emotional upheavals. Reading through those journal entries brought it all back to me...

• My passive-aggressive boss who undermined me at every turn
• The incompetent staff in our Personnel department who constantly refused to return my phone calls or if they did, refused to help me in any way
• My primary care doctor who focused on minimal physical problems rather than address the big picture of my overall health

It was not a fun time for me! But it was also a time when I was on the brink of change. During this time, the idea of quitting my job first took shape. I did a lot of angsting about whether I could survive on the money I'd saved and the small amount of retirement benefit I'd receive if I did quit. I was also struggling to write and wondering if I could ever FINISH much less SELL a book.

But eventually, I did convince myself that I could do it. And I did!

Looking back with my current perspective, I still feel bad about the terrible time I had grappling with it all. But I'm happy to know I made THE RIGHT decision! I've never once regretted leaving that job. Plus, I've not only finished, but I've sold and will soon have published three books! One of my major dreams in life came true.

Journaling was a therapeutic activity for me back in those dark and depressing days. Matter of fact, it still is therapeutic for me to write out my frustrations and keep track of my writing progress. And since finding and reading this old journal and knowing that my story does have a happily-ever-after, I can see it's also a great reminder of how far I've traveled, and that things do have a way of working out for the best!

CONGRATS! And Countdown

First of all

BIG CONGRATS

to Helen who is the winner of my contest and gets an ARC of The Wild Irish Sea, a gift cert. and some chocolates!

Thank you to all who entered!

The good news is that The Wild Irish Sea is scheduled to hit bookshelves everywhere exactly TWO MONTHS from today! Yes, we are in double digits and the countdown is winding down quickly.

I will be starting my blog tour at the end of June and it will run through the middle of July, so there will be lots of opportunities to read excerpts, interviews with yours truly, probably some of the characters, and of course FREE BOOKS! On most of my blog tour stops, the only thing you need to do to be in the drawing for a free book is leave a comment. What could be easier?!?!

I will be posting the stops on my blog tour here as soon as they are finalized. Meanwhile, if YOU have a blog and some time from the end of June through most of July, I would LOVE to be your guest! Please drop me an email!

Brenda Novak's Auction

HURRAY!

Brenda Novak's online auction for diabetes research started yesterday. Not only is this a cause very near and dear to yer olde Aunty's heart (my BFF has been a type 1 diabetic for over 50 years!) but the auction itself has GREAT items for readers, writers and EVERYONE! (Just click on the title of this post to go to the auction home page.) Brenda is hoping to break $1 million in donations this year and I'd love to see that happen too.

I donated several items to last year's auction and of course, I'm donating more items this year! Here's a list of my items and where to find them:

• An autographed ARC of The Wild Irish Sea -- "The Biggie" of my donated items, you can find it listed along with about 20 other ARCs by many different authors under For Readers: Advance Readers Copies
• Autographed copies of both The Wild Sight and The Treasures of Venice -- this "Nice Pair" is listed under my local RWA chapter Sacramento Valley Rose Presents
  
• Also under Sacramento Valley Rose Presents, I contributed an autographed copy of The Wild Sight and a box of chocolates (a necessity for every reader and writer!) to the special "basket" called Roses and Reading Gift Basket
• The Romance Bandits have a special "basket" listed under Gift Baskets and Goodies. It's called Romance Bandits Book Bonanza and I've included an autographed copy of The Treasures of Venice along with a lot of other cool books by other Banditas and stuff with our Romance Bandit logo.

The auction really does have something for everyone, including critiques by authors, agents, and editors, trips, lunches, dinners, and gift items of all kinds, even a MacBook and an iPhone! I hope you'll take a look and place a few bids. It's all great fun and for a great cause!

I've got my eye on a massage. So tell me, what are YOU hoping to win?

More Cruise Piccies

A few more piccies from my March cruise to the Caribbean...

This shot was taken on Barbados, and yes that is the DH in his best tourist outfit.

Of all the islands we visited on this cruise, Barbados was unique in a couple of aspects. First of all, it was the only coral island we visited. If you look at a map of the West Indies, the islands are spread in a semi-circle and are all volcanic. Barbados is outside that ring of islands and is a coral atoll.

The second unique thing about Barbados was that, unlike the other islands who had several different countries rule them at various points in their history, Barbados was always under British rule. They take great pride in their long British history and have built and named buildings and landmarks after similar ones in England. The DH is standing in front of the Barbados Houses of Parliament, patterned after the larger and more famous ones in London.

This fellow on the very tall pair of stilts is on St. Croix and he was amazingly agile on those things! This character is called a Moko Jumbie and is a mixture from African folklore and some original Caribbean imagination. Such stilt walkers are permanent fixtures in most parades and festivals on St. Croix and a few of the other islands.

I've read that sometimes Moko Jumbies were used to frighten children into good behavior -- as in "if you aren't a good boy/girl, the Moko Jumbie will get you!" YIKES! Gotta tell ya, that would have probably worked on me. But in other versions, Moko Jumbies chase the evil spirits away. I like the latter version much better.

This beautiful black sand beach is on Grenada, one of my favorite stops on the cruise. Isn't that water gorgeous? The only other black sand beach I've ever seen (at least this up close and personal) was on the Big Island of Hawaii. In both cases, the black sand was the result of the years of erosion of nearby flows of lava.

Grenada is called The Spice Island because they grow a lot of nutmeg, cinnamon (which is actually tree bark) and tamarind here. All over the island people were selling incredible fragrant necklaces made of spices and flowers.

The interior of Grenada was largely one big lush, tropical rain forest. At one of the stops on our 'across the island' tour, I spotted this wise little monkey sitting placidly in the tree watching all the tourists.

That's it for this batch, but I'll put up pictures of the two Dutch islands, Curacao and Aruba, which were the final two stops on our itinerary.

Contest Reminder

Just wanted to give everyone a quick reminder that you still have time to enter my contest to WIN the ARC of The Wild Irish Sea.

All you have to do to win the ARC, a $10 gift certificate to Amazon and some chocolate is send
me proof that you've purchased The Wild Sight or The Treasures of Venice or answer three easy questions about one of them. I'll even give you the questions here to save you a step:

For The Wild Sight:
1. What are Donovan and Rylie's middle names?
2. What is the name of the facility where Dermot O'Shea lives?
3. What is the name of the city where Rylie goes alone to meet Sybil Gallagher?

For The Treasures of Venice:
1. What is Keirnan's middle name?
2. What is the name of the Venetian district where Kathleen has an apartment?
3. What is the name (first and last) of Fredo Rosso's mistress?

Just send me an email with your answers to either set of questions and you'll be eligible to win! I'll choose a name at random from all the entries on May 4, 2010.

The fine print: Void where prohibited by law. You must be 18 years or older to enter. No prize substitution permitted. Odds of winning are determined by number of entrants. This contest is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations.

National Library Week

Here in the US, this past week was National Library Week (April 11 -- 17) and their theme for this year was:
Communities Thrive @ Your Library

What I didn't know was that National Library Week has been celebrated since 1958. WOW! A tradition ALMOST as olde as me!

Public and school libraries all have a very special place in my heart because I spent a lot of time in them when I was growing up. During the school year, at least once a week (and usually more often) you could find me somewhere in the stacks of books with my nose stuck in a book. I'd go before school started, after school (if the bus was late) and just about any other time I was allowed inside. Whenever we had 'free time' at the library (which happened every couple of weeks or so) you would find me rushing in the door first!

During the summer, the public library was a real haven. In a place that often reached 100 degrees in July and August, our house did not have air conditioning. The library did! My mother would take me, my sister and brother to the library every other week and I was in HEAVEN! The place was cool and filled with books. What more could you possibly want?!

Our nearest public library was in a grand old building with marble columns in front and wide stone steps with curving marble bannisters that my sister and brother would slide down over and over. Not me! I was inside picking out books to take home and read! Bless my mother, she would let me check out as many as I could carry because she knew I really would read them all! The library had a summer reading program and every year I was allowed to participate (1st -- 6th grade) I won some kind of prize for the large number of books I read.

Yes, I was a hopeless BOOK GEEK!

Yes, I still am.

No, I DO NOT CARE and I never did! I wear my geek badge proudly.

One of the biggest thrills for me, since seeing my books in print, is knowing they are in libraries all across the country.

Do you have any library stories to share?

Caribbean Piccies -- St. Lucia

As promised, I'm posting a few piccies from our recent Caribbean cruise.

Even though it was very hot and humid every day, we still had a very fun time and enjoyed visiting all the different islands.

One of my favorite stops was the island of St. Lucia. As you can see from this photo taken on a hilltop, it is mountainous with some spectacular views! And yes, the water all over the Caribbean is that beautiful turquoise color!

We made a visit to a banana plantation on St. Lucia, and found it to be very interesting. These blue plastic bags are placed over the stalks of growing bananas to protect them from insects. Also another interesting thing to note is that each banana plant produces only one stalk of fruit. The whole operation is very labor intensive, and made me appreciate my sliced bananas at breakfast much more than I had in the past.

One of the most distinctive features on St. Lucia is a pair of mountain peaks called the Pitons. Here they are in the distance with a small fishing village in the foreground. Actually, the one in the center of the picture is Petit Piton and is quite a bit smaller than Gran Piton, which is behind it.

Like almost all of the islands in the West Indies, St. Lucia is volcanic in origin, and the Pitons are the remains of an old volcano. They are right at the edge of the ocean, and reminded me of Morro Rock here in California, which was also an ancient volcanic plug.

Our tour group drove down into this village and took a couple of speed boats to a lovely beach located between the Pitons. It was great and the water was almost as warm as a bath!

I'll stop for now, but promise to post more piccies of some of the other islands we visited in a few days.

WIN An ARC of The Wild Irish Sea!

NO FOOLIN'!

My lovely publicist managed to scare up an additional Advance Review Copy of The Wild Irish Sea and I've decided to have a contest to give it away to one of my loyal readers. And just to sweeten the prize package a wee bit, I'll throw in a $10 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble, and some chocolates!

What could be better?!?! You'll be able to read The Wild Irish Sea two months before it is on the shelves. You can also buy another great read or two, and you'll have the romance reader's staple -- CHOCOLATE!

So how do you get all these lovely goodies?

Very simple! Just send me proof of purchase.

If you purchased a copy of either The Wild Sight or The Treasures of Venice, snail mail me copies of your receipt (to the address on my website). Or you can email me a copy of your invoice if you ordered it online (minus your personal info, of course). Or you can even take a picture of your receipt and email it to me. Just prove to me in some way that you bought a copy of one of my books and you'll be in the drawing to win the ARC, gift certificate, and chocolate!

You can email me via my website: www.LoucindaMcgary.com (link is on the sidebar) or my personal account at cindymm18 AT gmail DOT com. The contest will run for this month and I'll announce the winner the first week of May.

VERY IMPORTANT P.S. -- If you are like Aunty and can't find your receipt, email me and I'll send you 3 easy questions to answer about either The Wild Sight or The Treasures of Venice. Answer correctly and you're entered!