Do You Snoop?

My mother was a wonderful woman with many fine qualities, but heaven knows, she loved to snoop! Not in a malicious way, she just loved to know all the little details about everyone around her.

All through junior high and high school my sister and I would catch her listening in to our telephone conversations, or going through our notebooks for possible notes our friends had passed to us during class. (You know those folded scraps of paper passed stealthily hand-to-hand right under the teacher's nose.) But most unforgivable of all to my teenage mind, my mother opened every piece of mail that arrived at our house. No matter who it was addressed to, she opened it and read it first. ACK!!!

My sister claimed not to mind. HUH?!?! I think she just liked the extra attention. I was mortified beyond belief, mostly because Mom would openly admit to her snooping and ASK about things she'd read or heard! Oh the horrors! Oh the teen angst!

Looking back on it now, my mom's snooping was pretty harmless. And I'm sure she would tell you she was just trying to be a responsible parent, which was also true. But I think it went beyond that. She genuinely liked to know. I think snooping was one of the things that made my mom an avid reader.

Reading about characters is a kind of snooping. You are privy to their thoughts, actions, and motivations. Sometimes you get to find out things (or figure things out) before they do!

Needless to say, this little apple didn't fall far from the tree. Yup, I love to snoop too, but I like to think I'm a bit more covert than my mother was, at least when it comes to friends and family. Not necessarily while reading. I've been known to mutter at the characters even while I'm deeply engrossed in reading. On occasion, I've even shouted out, "I KNEW IT!" when a plot twist happened just the way I suspected.

As for my writing, one of the things I love most about it is knowing all the little details of my characters lives. Even if those thoughts, feelings, experiences never quite make it onto the page, I still feel more competent to tell their stories just by knowing all about them. I've even been guilty of rubbing my hands together in gleeful anticipation because I know what's about to happen and I know how my poor characters are going to react.

Yes, yes, I know. We writers are a weird lot. But it's so much fun! Besides, snooping on my characters keeps me out of trouble with my friends and family members who would much rather I not do my snooping about them.


What about you? Do you like to snoop? Ever been caught? Or do you snoop openly like my mother used to do?

It's HERE!!!!

Yes, Aunty is doing the Happy Dance all around the room!

I can't help myself, I'm so very excited about

MY NEW COVER

for my July release The Wild Irish Sea!

I know I'm biased, but I think it is GORGEOUS! The Art Department at Sourcebooks has outdone themselves yet again. The beautiful seascape carries through over onto the back cover, and that stone cottage fairly shouts, "Ireland!" Don't you agree?

I know some people (like my DH) object to the headless male torso, but I rather like having a BIT left to my imagination... I MEANT THE FACE!

I'm also very pleased with the back cover blurb:

Drawn together by a force they can’t resist…

The telepathic image of her twin brother fighting for his life sends Amber O’Neill rushing to the rocky shores of Ireland. Desperate to find him, she turns to reclusive local inspector Kevin Hennessey.

Bound together with a passion as relentless as the tide…

His past full of pain, Kevin has withdrawn from the world. But when the rain-drenched American appears on his doorstep with her wild tales of danger, something more than her sensuous beauty makes it impossible for him to turn her away.

The wildness of the sea, the mystery of a selkie prince, and a dangerous band of ruthless smugglers bring two lost souls together in a connection of mind, body, and spirit that can’t be denied.

So now that I have a cover, my Advance Review Copies will be going out soon. I hope to have one up for bid in Brenda Novak's online auction, like I did last year with The Treasures of Venice. I will let you know about that as soon as I know.

Meanwhile, please join me whilst I drool over this latest addition to my book covers. I do think the three of them make quite a lovely set. What do you think?

Pretty As A Picture

As most of you know, in addition to this blog, I participate in a couple of writing related group blogs. One of them is the Casablanca Authors blog (just click on the title of this blog post to go there).

In the past week, we've been making a few changes to our blog format. Hey, it's January -- new year, time for change, renewal, and revitalization! One of the changes we CasaBabes decided to make was to put our photos on the sidebar.

I'll confess that I was not in favor of this change. I'd like to claim the reason is because I value my privacy, which I do, but the truth is I'm SCARED. People judge others by their looks all the time, I'm afraid.

Will readers be disappointed if I don't look like their idea of a romance writer?!?! What exactly DOES a romance writer look like?

Hey, I know what I look like, and there's NOT any resemblance to my beautiful, young heroines. Nor do I look like the media cliches of romance writers. I'm not glamorous, with perfect hair and make-up and I do not own a pink feathered peignoir. That's why, in the days before I had a book cover to post on my profile, I used this picture of my grand-niece Jilly. Yes, it's silly but still adorable, and not unlike yours truly when I was a little kid.

I did go along with the majority on the Casablanca blog and my picture is now on the sidebar. It's the same photo I use on Romance Bandits and my website, so it's not like I've been a recluse that nobody has seen before. And maybe I'm worrying for nothing.

Does anybody even look at author's photos? (I'll admit that I do!) Do YOU? Do you care what your favorite author actually looks like?

Interview with Donna Del Oro

Since this blog is about 'the good, the bad, and the ugly' aspects of the writing life, I decided to start something new: Author Interviews! Maybe some of you would actually like to read about somebody else besides moi! DUH! What a concept!

Anyway, my first victim -- er, um, participant is my good friend and chaptermate, Donna Del Oro, who has published two humorous contemporary romances. BIG THANX Donna for volunteering to answer a few questions! (and if you want to learn more about Donna, just click on the title of this post to go to her website.)

Please tell us about your newest release Hasta La Vista, Baby and how you came up with the idea for the book.

After my sister's divorce, I began thinking about divorce and why women choose certain men as their spouses over other, possibly more worthy, men. This became the premise of HASTA LA VISTA, BABY.

Sonya, an art teacher and talented muralist, is informed by her handsome but lying and cheating husband that he wants a divorce so that he can marry his pregnant (and younger) girlfriend. Sonya goes berserk and chases him around the pool with a BBQ fork. His family separates them, Earl leaves and Sonya collapses with an emotional meltdown. Later, much later, when the fog in her mind lifts, she begins to analyze herself and her choice of men. An artist, she's always turned a blind eye to most things practical and introspective. An obsession with beauty, including gorgeous men, has been her detriment in life. It takes a while and the steadfast friendship of her soon-to-be-ex's younger brother, Scott, before Sonya wakes up and wises up. For her, self-awareness is a painful process but a necessary journey. I was thinking of my sister as I concluded the story.

How long have you been writing? And what inspired you to start writing?

Like most authors, I've been writing since childhood, but I began this serious journey to authorship when I retired from 34 years of high school teaching. I'm afraid writing's a need and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to stop. I love good stories and interesting characters, whether in books, movie-celluloid or TV.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts about writing?

I love playing God and getting to know my characters and then moving them around in my story like pieces on a chessboard. Most of the time, however, they end up with a life of their own and moving themselves ...and me! I dislike rejections, naturally, and the terrible uncertainty that your last novel might indeed be the last one.

What is next on the horizon for Donna Del Oro?

I'm currently revising an FBI mystery novel, A BODYGUARD OF LIES, and a psychic thriller with a Greek-American hunk who's obsessed with a beautiful psychic and her past. One's with one agent and the other's with another agent. A small publisher wanted to buy the thriller but I turned down the offer. Frankly, I'm holding out for a NY publisher.

Floricanto Press wants me to write a sequel to my first novel, OPERATION FAMILIA, so I might revisit the Hispanic world of Rick Ramos, Dina Salazar and Lisa Luna before long. Being half Hispanic, it's always fun to return to my roots and find humor and satire in this subculture.

You are one busy lady, Donna! Thanks so much for being my first author interviewee and best of luck with all your writing endeavors!

If anyone has more questions for Donna, please ask away as she will be dropping by over the next few days.

Give the Bard His Due!

Recently on one of my loops, someone attributed the quote: "Revenge is a dish best served cold" to the Klingons!

As I sat giggling at my keyboard typing up a funny reply, it suddenly occurred to me that this poster was serious. She had honestly never heard this famous quote from Othello except via Star Trek! Would poor old Will be spinning in his grave or laughing?

Being the huge Shakespeare buff that I am, and knowing his bawdy sense of humor, I rather suspect the latter. He'd probably leave it to the mere mortals like me to be outraged on his behalf that so many people don't recognize his famous words as actually being his.

For example, the very biblical sounding: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" is actually from Hamlet. Yes, there's a lot more in that play besides "To be, or not to be" and "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." In fact, most of the famous quotes from Shakespeare are from Hamlet, whether most people realize it or not.

I fully expected "To be, or not to be" would be his most famous quote, but I looked up the 100 most famous quotes from Shakespeare just now, and number one was from a play I personally like far more than Hamlet. "That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Of course that's from Romeo and Juliet. But do people really know that? Given my recent experience, I'm beginning to wonder.

Number 2 is from MacBeth (another favorite play of mine) and was not "Out damn'd spot!" as I expected, but "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,"

My personal favorite quote didn't even make the Top 100: "...some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em." This is from my favorite of the comedies, Twelfth Night, and it never fails to get a laugh during a performance. I wonder if the writers of Star Trek ever used it?

What about you? Do you have a favorite Shakespeare quote? I'd love to know what it is, and I'll tell you if it made the Top 100.

Off Again!

Remember back in November when I was dreaming about spending time in the Florida Keyes? Well, looks like I wasn't the only one thinking about sunny Florida. Seems the DH found a good deal on a flight and a rental car...

So by the time you read this, I'll be enroute to Tampa. Of course, the only problem with this trip is that Florida is having the coldest winter in years! Matter of fact, I've been looking up the weather predictions, and the high temps. in central Florida are the SAME as we have been having here. In other words -- BRRR!

There's just something inherently WRONG about packing thermal long johns for a trip to Florida. Can't quite make myself do it... Sure hope I don't have to buy a pair once I get there!

What about you? Ever taken a trip somewhere and it turned out to be not at all what you expected?

Please think WARM thoughts for yer olde Aunty!

Two New Reviews!

YAY! And BIG THANX to Pudgy Penguin Perusals (click on the title of this post to go there) for giving me TWO great reviews in the past couple of weeks!

Here's part of what the reviewer said about The Wild Sight:

"I loved the setting and the budding sensual romance between the two main characters. The mystery of who really is Rylie's father and why he abandoned them. Also liked the lesser characters a lot; Donovan's father Dermot and his sister Doreen. They really add to the plot as Donovan suspects they know more than they are saying about the day Donovan's mother disappeared. There is an element of the paranormal in this book too that really fit into the story in a big way."

And here's part of the review of The Treasures of Venice:

"I loved the setting; rich descriptions transported me right into the scene.
Two concurrently running plot lines centuries apart; one in the present with characters who may be the reincarnation of the characters from 1485 time line.
The intrigue and adventure of the characters', main and minor, dangerous search for the jewels from renaissance Venice."

Surprisingly, she is one a the few who did not like the cover of TToV. I guess the jeans were a little too low-slung, and too much bare chest revealed. Oh well... Luckily we all like different things!

I'm anxiously awaiting the cover for The Wild Irish Sea, which will be released SIX MONTHS FROM TODAY! HURRAY! Considering the current cover trends, I expect the cover will have a bare male torso on it somewhere. LOL!


Do you judge a book by its cover? What kinds of covers are your favorites?

Charming Threes

Thought I'd start the New Year off with a fun little Meme.

This one is from my friend (and former co-worker) Sassy and the answers are all in threes...

What are three names you are called?

1. Cindy
2. Aunty Cindy
3. Loucinda
   

Three things you did last night?

1. ate dinner
2. watched "Castle" on TV (but it was a rerun -- BUMMER!)
3. checked my email
   

Three things you are wearing right now?

1. fuzzy red slippers (birthday present from my son)
2. pink sox (I know, I know they CLASH with the slippers!)
3. thermal long johns (Hey! It was cold today.)
   

Three things you ate today?

1. chocolate Christmas candy (a tough job but somebody had to do it)
2. tortilla chips and salsa (from my fave fast food place, Rubio's)
3. a handful of raw almonds (healthier than those chips)
   

Three things you want very badly right now?

1. My cover for The Wild Irish Sea
2. a new book contract
3. chocolate

The last three people you talked to on the phone?

1. My son
2. My BFF Shirley
3. My very good friend Kathy
   

Your three favorite beverages?

1. Diet Pepsi
2. Chocolate milk
3. strawberry margarita
   

Thanks a bunch for that fun little exercise, Sassy!

Okay, now it's your turn. Answer as many of these questions as you want. Or maybe you have another three things you'd like to know. DO TELL!

Blurb for The Wild Irish Sea

I received an extra holiday gift last week, and another little step down the road to publication for my third romantic suspense novel, The Wild Irish Sea.

The book has been listed for pre-order on Amazon for about a month, even though I still don't have a cover (here's a picture for 'inspiration'). But a few days ago, I discovered the order page now boasts this lovely blurb:

Parker O'Neill, using a summer hiatus to explore his familial roots in Ireland, inadvertently witnesses a murder and finds himself fighting for his life on the rugged coast of Donegal. Summoning his twin sister through the telepathic ability they share, she rushes to his rescue.

But to find him, she must enlist the aid of recovering alcoholic and former police inspector Kevin Hennessey, who wants nothing to do with the beautiful American telling him a wild story about murder and danger—all of which she has only seen in her mind.

Each reeling from a painful divorce, they try to keep their relationship on a strictly platonic footing; but the wildness of the sea, the magical legend of a lost selkie prince, and their own desperate efforts to find and save her missing brother before it's too late bring them together on levels neither one could ever have imagined…

If this book sounds a little more 'paranormal' than my previous two, that's because it is! I hope you will all still LOVE this story, which was my first written under contract from just a proposal. It was a challenge for me to write but also very rewarding.

HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

May 2010 be filled with much joy and prosperity for you and your loved ones!

A Wonderful Gift!

I have a post up today on Casablanca Authors (just click on the title of this post to go there) about gifts. Plus we are giving away books, including a copy of The Treasures of Venice. Hope you can stop by and leave a comment.

However, I can't resist posting the picture of my niece, her hubby, and her baby boy here too. I know I may be just a wee bit biased, but I think they are the most adorable little family EVER!

My niece and hubby (a man of impeccable taste who absolutely LOVED The Wild Sight) tried for ten years to have a baby on their own. After endless rounds of testing by numerous different doctors, they were finally told that my niece had a genetic condition that left her sterile. So at the beginning of the year, they decided to try the adoption route.

Knowing that it could take several years for them to accomplish their hearts' desires -- an infant -- they settled in for a long wait. Imagine their joy and surprise when they received a call in June that a newborn baby boy was waiting for them!

They had a crib and not much else, so they ran out and bought some blue 'onesies', then stopped at my other niece's house to borrow a car seat to bring their new son home!

This will be little Aiden's first Christmas (pictured above on his first Thanksgiving) and a VERY SPECIAL HOLIDAY for everyone in our family!

HAPPY HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF YOU!

MAY THE NEW YEAR BE FILLED WITH JOY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Greetings all! I'm off sailing the high seas near Acapulco, Mexico, and undoubtedly enjoying the lovely warm sun!

But since I miss all of you and wish you were here, and it IS my birthday, I thought I'd reprint part of the blog I posted two years ago. It's all about the trials and tribulations of having a birthday close to Christmas.

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."

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

Holidays and Steps Down the Road

It's that time of year again and may I just say: Bah HUMBUG!

I really hate the crass commercialism that has attached itself to the holidays, especially the part about shopping for presents. However, I do love holiday get togethers, and today my local RWA chapter had ours.

We had lots of yummy goodies (including gluten-free gingerbread) and a silent auction of gift baskets and other items. The proceeds from the auction went to a local literacy program. But best of all was the chance to just spend some face time with other writers!

Nobody truly understands the ups and downs of this crazy preoccupation like another writer. Other writers "get it" when you talk about your characters. They can truly empathize about your writing, revisions, and submission woes. They've been there and done that, and have the same scars and war stories. It's really nice to know that I'm not the only one stumbling along this long and rocky road to publication.

And of course, writers are readers too, yet another bonus! In addition to the sympathy, I always get plenty of good book recommendations.

But back to the long and winding road to publication...

I've taken a couple more steps with my third release The Wild Irish Sea. I'm in the midst of reviewing my copyedits even as I type this post, always an exciting step for me! Plus, I just learned that I have a release date: July 6, 2010!

HOORAY!

I also finally got my website updated to include a blurb and excerpt (among other things) of The Wild Irish Sea, and was surprised to learn that it is already available for pre-order on Amazon and Books-A-Million! No cover image yet, but I'm still excited to see the listing.
http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Irish-Sea-Windswept-Magic/

Oh, and please check out my updated website when you get the chance:
http://www.loucindamcgary.com/

Now back to those copyedits...

Giving Thanks

There's nothing like being ill for almost two weeks to make you truly thankful for good health! Feels like I've been battling this 'crud' seemingly forever, but at long last, I'm getting back to my old cantankerous self.

This is the time of year when we here in the States reflect on things for which we are thankful -- friends, family, health...

I'm thankful for all of those, of course! The members of my family are all doing fine. I have eight lovely grand nieces and nephews, with number nine due to make an appearance in mid-February.

I have lots of local friends who have called to check up on me, and whom I get to see on a regular basis. Plus I have a whole host of wonderful online friends who stay in touch with me most everyday. Some of them are waaay far away, but because of the internet, I feel close and connected to them no matter where they are.

Most of all, lately I've been so thankful for readers! I've said before, and will continue to say that fan mail really does make this 'writing gig' worthwhile. This was brought home to me even more than usual these past two weeks while I was sick. Nothing brightened my day more than email from readers! Here are excerpts from the last three I received:

Just finished "The Treasures of Venice" ... had to let you know how much I enjoyed it. The way you interwove the past and present was seamless. Thank you so much for doing what you do, tell an amazing story.

I recently bought and read both your books after my old high school friend recommended them. Enjoyed them both, and have passed them on to others who liked them too! Keep up the good writing!

I read your novel (The Wild Sight) last week. The best romantic suspense book I have ever read... detailed and sexy.

I AM SO VERY THANKFUL FOR READERS!

"The Crud" and Florida Dreaming

UGH! I've been sick for the past four days with 'the crud' -- killer sore throat, hacking cough, and aching all over. Yes, Aunty dutifully went and got her flu shot, but apparently it was too little too late this year.

And if being sick wasn't bad enough, last night we had our first frost warning of the season. So COLD on top of being sick is soooo not my idea of a good time. Times like these make me daydream.

Remember the old rock classic "California Dreamin'?" Well, I live in California so in my case, I'm Florida dreamin'. In my mind, Florida is the ideal place to be in the winter, and one of my favorite places in Florida is the Keys.

That little string of islands extending off the tip of Florida is the perfect place for some rest and relaxation. In the winter, it's not humid, just sunny and warm (not hot) with pretty little beaches and gorgeous turquoise water. AHHHHH! I feel better just thinking about it...

Is there someplace you daydream about when the weather is uncomfortable and you're feeling cruddy? Let Aunty curl up with a cup of hot tea while you tell me all about it.

Second Thoughts on Second Times

My good friend and Bandita Trish Milburn has a weekly feature on her personal blog. On Thursdays she asks a writer friend to answer three questions. Last week she featured my answers. Unfortunately, I wasn't around to respond to the comments. Plus, one of the questions really made me pause and ponder. In fact, I pondered for several days, so I thought I'd repeat the question and my answer here.

If you were to go back to age 20, what would you do differently the second time around?

Just about everything! No really, you know how they say hindsight is 20/20? Well, knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t have to bumble around and make all those mistakes.

I wouldn’t worry so much about whether or not I could ‘afford’ to do something. Instead, I’d just do it! And I really wouldn’t care what anyone thought of me.

But seriously, with regard to my writing, I wouldn't wait so long to make a real commitment to getting my work published. I wouldn't worry so much about whether or not I had that magical "talent" because I'd know that dogged persistence is far more important.

I'd trust my writing process and not be so afraid to keep submitting and working on new projects.

I'm still working on this last issue, by the way.

What about you? Would you do things differently if you had a second chance?

More Piccies

A couple are from the cruise and a couple are from my recent booksigning!

First we find Aunty posing like one of the sculptures in a plaza in La Paz. Unlike the sculptures, Aunty did not have sea shells replacing any part of her anatomy -- Thank Goodness!


This next piccie was taken by the DH, and when I tell you the time you'll know why HE was the one with the camera.

This is a shot of the El Faro lighthouse which sits atop an island at the entrance to the harbor in Mazatlan. If you strain your eyes, you can just make it out there on the tippy top.

This picture was taken slightly after sunrise. 'Nuff said.

Finally, here is Aunty wearing the special 'light up' tiara that my critique partner Cathy D. gave me. This was at my Oct. 3rd booksigning at a local Borders store in Roseville, CA with four other local romance authors: Donna Del Oro, Dee Brice, Joan Beth Ericson, and Jeannie Reusch .

We had a great time and sold a fair amount of books!

Piccies!

I've promised a few of the cruise so here they are:

First up, here's a piccie of our ship, the Sun. I loved the painting on the side, and see how nicely the DH color coordinated with it!

This was taken in our first port of call, Topolobampo. Yes, it was 110 degrees (over 40 Celsius). So WHY THE HECK is the DH wearing a long sleeved shirt?!?! This is one of those shirts especially designed to block UV rays. The DH owns several and wears them all the time when outdoors.

Meanwhile, here's Aunty in a far cooler environment--inside our cabin, where the thermostat remained set just slightly above 'Arctic Tundra." Our wonderful room steward left several cute little towel animals for us. My favorite was this little elephant.

And finally, since the only things in the tiny port of Topolobampo are some local shrimp boats and a huge gasoline storage facility, the DH and I took a 30 minute jaunt via air conditioned shuttle bus to the city of Los Mochis (it means the turtles). The bus dropped us off and picked us up at a lovely green park near the center of town.

I really LURVE cruising! Haven't had a bad day on one yet. If you want to read a lot more details about this particular cruise, I have a guest blog on Tuesday, Oct. 27th at RazLover's Book blog -- http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile, you can tell me what you did on your most recent holiday! Comment away...

Release Date and Blog Topics

YIPEE!

I just received word that my editor LOVED my revisions on my third book, The Wild Irish Sea! This book was a real challenge for me, because it is the first book I've written completely under deadline. I sold it based on the prologue, first chapter, and a truly awful synopsis! LOL! I know I was very fortunate to have my editor "trust me" when I asked her to, and believe me, there were times in the writing of this book that even *I* thought she made a mistake!

But in the end, I met all my deadlines (Aunty wipes residual sweat from her brow). And I really love how the book turned out! I think you will too. The release date for The Wild Irish Sea is July. I'd been told "spring" but apparently July is still in my publisher's spring catalog. (SHRUG) I'm fine with the publication date because it gives my northern hemisphere readers plenty of time to read the book while on vacation. And my southern hemisphere readers can curl up under a warm blanket for a cozy winter read. Actually, the book is set in Ireland in July so maybe that is a sign!

I have my usual blog post on Wednesday (the 21st) at Casablanca Authors (http://www.casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/ ) and am a guest blogger on Thursday at Raz Lover's Book Blog ( http://razloversbookblog.blogspot.com/ ). You would think that after writing several 80,000+ word books that I would have plenty of things to say, but I'm always searching for blog topics that are interesting to my readers.

So please, help yer olde Aunty out and tell me what kinds of things you like to read about in blogs! Do you like hearing about my books and my writing journey? What about personal blogs on my likes/dislikes and the goings on in my life? Are there topics you'd like me to write about? Any you do NOT want to read? PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

Cruising, Revising, and Cave-Dwelling

Hola Amigos!

Sorry I have been so scarce in this little corner of the blog-o-sphere lately. Thanks for waiting so patiently for a new post.

As most of you know, Aunty was off on an eleven day cruise to sunny Mexico. AHEM! More like HOTTER Than HADES, Mexico. But we still had lots of fun, and got to visit two ports (Topolobampo and La Paz) that we'd never been to before. Plus, I'm sure all that sweating I did cleansed my pores as thoroughly as any expensive sauna or steam bath. (Pictures are coming as soon as Aunty finds someplace that still actually processes 35 mm film!)

Unfortunately, the moment the ship docked, I had to crawl off and seclude myself in the deep, dark 'Revision Cave' in order to meet my deadline for my third release, The Wild Irish Sea. That deadline was TODAY, by the way! WHEW! Glad to have that task off my plate.

Meanwhile, The Treasures of Venice continues to receive positive reviews and raves from readers. My most sincere thanks to those of you who have read the book and enjoyed it! If you have a picture of the book on a store shelf, or in your hot little hands, please forward it to me. (here's a shot of TToV--third row down-- in the Barnes & Noble in Fresno, CA)

My favorite reviews are from those who claim they never read "those books." You know, the ones with bare-chested men on the covers! HAHAHAHA! I am hereby making it my writing mission to convert those non-romance readers!

Hasta Luego!

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/).

My Big Bad Blog Tour

Only a few days left until the "official" release date of The Treasures of Venice, though copies are already on the shelves of some bookstores, and Amazon started shipping orders a week ago!

Once again, Aunty will be all over the blog-o-sphere. I started my BIG BAD BLOG tour to promote the book this week. Some of the blog appearances I arranged and some were arranged by my lovely Sourcebooks publicist, Danielle. I'll be giving away copies of TToV at every stop (except the B&N Mystery board), so if you leave comments YOU could WIN!

Here are some blog appearances starting with today:

• August 28—Night Owl Romance http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/
  
• August 31—Scribe Vibe http://scribevibe.blogspot.com/
  
• August 31 -- Launch Party at Casablanca Authors http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/
  
• September 1 – Romance Writers Revenge http://romancewritersrevenge.com/
  

• September 2—Armchair Heriones http://armchairheroines.blogspot.com/
• September 3—I Loves 2 Read http://iloves2read.blogspot.com/
• September 3 -- Magical Musings http://magicalmusings.com/
• September 4 -- Launch Party at Romance Banditshttp://romancebandits.blogspot.com/

• September 4—Booking Mama http://bookingmama.blogspot.com/
• September 7—Morbid Romantic http://www.morbid-romantic.net/
• September 8—Books and Needlepoint http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/
• September 9—Drey’s Library http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
• September 9 --B&N’s Mystery Board http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/bn/board?board.id=MysteryGen

• September 10—Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog http://novelthoughts.wordpress.com/
• September 11—Love Romance Passion http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

• September 15—Yankee Romance Reviewers http://yankeeromancereviewers.blogspot.com/
• September 17—Pop Syndicate’s Book Addict http://popsyndicate.com/books
• September 18 -- my regular blog day on Romance Bandits http://romancebandits.blogspot.com/

WHEW!!! I'm tired after just typing in all those dates! In fact, I'll be leaving on a ten day cruise to Mexico on September 20th in order to recover from my blog tour!

But seriously, if you (or someone you know) has a blog and you'd like to host me on any of the days NOT listed or anytime after October 1st, PLEASE LET ME KNOW! As I'm sure you can guess by this list, Aunty LURVES doing guest blogs, and I love it even more when I have lots of commenters!

Hope to see all of you on one or more of those blog dates.

It's HERE!!!!!!!!!!

Break out the bubbly!!!

The first copies of The Treasures of Venice have arrived, and almost two weeks early! Last night I received emails from two good friends of mine, Sharen S. and Nancy L. They both pre-ordered copies of TToV from the same local Barnes & Noble store, and they were both called YESTERDAY and told their books were in.

YAY! YAY!! YAY!!!

Aunty is doing the little Snoopy-happy-dance. But I am also pouting, because I haven't yet seen the finished product. I had an email from Amazon that my copies shipped yesterday, and I still haven't received my author copies. WAH!

Since I haven't seen the actual book, it still hasn't quite hit me yet, but I'm sure it will in a day or two. PLEASE!!!

Meanwhile, I have a post up at Casablanca Authors with a new excerpt from TToV (just click on the title of this post to go there). This scene happens to be a favorite of my critique partner, Jo-Mama.

If YOU have received your copy of The Treasures of Venice, I am insanely jealous! But please sent me a photo so I can at least drool over yours until my copies arrive.

More Pictures From National

Thought I'd share a few more pictures from RWA National in Washington DC.

Aunty and some of her favorite people...

First, yer olde Aunty and the lovely and talented PJ at the Sourcebooks book signing.

Next, Aunty and buddy Bosun TerriO got all dolled up for the Rita/Golden Heart Awards ceremony. No, neither of us were nominated (THIS year), but we had fun anyway.


And speaking of the Awards ceremony... here's someone who WAS nominated (and for the second year in a row)! The elegant and talented Louisa Cornell, who got a hug from Aunty.


But WHERE, you may ask, is Aunty's infamous riding crop? Well of course Aunty would never go to RWA National without the crop! And it was present at the Literacy Signing, as the beautiful and vivacious Bandita Buddy Gannon C. quickly saw for herself.

Well, I think that's enough for now. There are plenty more pictures on FaceBook and elsewhere, but as you can tell from these four, Aunty had a WONDERFUL time. Hope I can have more fun next year in Nashville and that I can meet even more of you!

Less Than a Month!

HOORAY!!!

I now have less than a month to go before The Treasures of Venice is scheduled to be released! Soon I'll be a MULTI-PUBLISHED author!! The concept hasn't quite soaked in yet, and probably won't until I see both my books side-by-side on the shelf.

To be honest, in the past month, I've felt more like someone with Multiple Personality Disorder than a soon to be multi-pubbed author. I spent most of the month fiendishly working to finish the manuscript of my third contracted book, The Wild Irish Sea. My deadline to send the whole thing in to my editor was July 31st and I'm thrilled (but exhausted) to say I MADE IT!

Of course, right in the middle of this big push to my deadline, I dropped everything and went to the RWA National Conference in Washington DC. I had a FANTASTIC time, and for most of that time, I was signing and talking about my debut release The Wild Sight, which had just won an award for Best First Book. And when I arrived home, I was thrilled to discover it had won another award as a "Debut Title That Rocks!"

Now I'm gearing up for the release of The Treasures of Venice, and the month long promotional frenzy that will start... oh, in about three weeks! ACK! Yes, once again, I'll be all over the blogsphere talking about the book and giving away copies. And the reviews are already starting to come in. Just last week, Booklist (the magazine of the American Library Association) gave The Treasures of Venice a terrific review!

Here's some of what they had to say: "McGary's satisfying, fast-paced romance is filled with passion and deception that resonate through the centuries."

Needless to say, I was doing the Snoopy Happy Dance over that one. And hey! What's a little Multiple Personality Disorder among friends?