Dublin!

I was a little nervous about a day in Dublin, but many things worked in our favor. First, the roads changed into true highways. We exhilirated in the wide, fast roads and it took only 45 minutes from Navan to reach the outskirts. Most of the hotels for the weekend were either booked or were the cost of a college education, so I chose the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel. I can’t say enough good things about this place - gorgeous location on the coast (by Dalkey in the southeast), reasonable price, great room, free Internet–LOVED it. They also let us check into our room at 9:30 in the morning. Amazing.

We took the DART train into the city and got off on the wrong exit for our bus station. Apparently the Connolly station is for regional buses, not city ones. Oops. After much confusion and getting bad directions from two bus drivers, we got our Hop On, Hop Off bus tickets. That is definitely the way to go. It drops you off at any of 21 different stations and the bus drivers tell jokes, explain the history of the city, and even sing to you. It was well worth every penny, but if I had to do it again, I’d buy my tickets directly at the bus (prebooking wasn’t worth it).

Our first stop was Trinity College. I apologize in advance for the not-so-good quality of the upcoming photographs. First off, my digital camera was completely out of power so I had to switch to traditional pictures. Second, I think something happened to the film because most of the pictures were overexposed. I manipulated them digitally, but they’re still not great. In any case, this first picture is of abuilding at Trinity College. One of the most popular attractions at Trinity is the Book of Kells. We didn’t actually get inside to see the book because there was about a 2-hour line outside and there just wasn’t time. The campus was very pretty, however, and we enjoyed seeing it.

Here’s a second picture of Trinity College, of the archway when you first enter. I think, for me, the most startling revelation was realizing that the Irish don’t pay for college. They take exams at the end of high school and if their scores are good enough, they are accepted into the university. I vote for adopting this system in the U.S.! Free college tuition based on academic achievement. Now there’s a great idea.

We are now relaxing and enjoying a weekend of our own alma mater sports: Notre Dame football. Last week’s game was a true nail-biter. I’m hoping that this week will be better. Go Irish!

Braveheart’s Castle

One of my favorite castles to visit was Trim Castle, better known as the site where the movie “Braveheart” was filmed. This castle was one of the greatest Norman structures we saw. I could feel the ghosts of knights and warriors. The Irish Heritage Society decided to let the castle remain a ruin instead of trying to restore it. Personally, I thought it was a great decision. The floors are gone, being made of wood, but they did build artificial walkways so you could go to the different levels of the castle.

The first floor held models of the castle at different stages. It was where court cases were held and judgments made. The second floor contained the small chapel. The original lime whitewashing was still there in places, albeit green and moldy. Still, you could almost feel the ghosts of those who had once lived there. Not to mention, you could imagine Mel Gibson darting around in his plaid.

Further upstairs, we visited the solarium where a fireplace was later added. In the 12th century, the climate was much warmer in Ireland and they were able to grow their own grapes and have their own vineyards. Later, when it cooled, they had to add fireplaces.

Up on the last floor were the bedrooms. We entered the constable’s room, which had its own garderobe built in. If you remember the scene in Braveheart where the prince’s lover was thrown out the window, we saw it here. Only in the set, they filmed it from the outside of the castle. It amazed me how much they built in 6 months for Braveheart. All the wood, the thatched roofs, and the sets needed for the execution scene were created at Trim. A friend of mine, Daisy Cummings (who writes as Abby Green for Harlequin Presents), worked on the film Braveheart and worked with the extras in the battlescenes. I learned that Mel Gibson was a bit manic on the set, with lots of energy. I can imagine that.

Trim was such a great castle, namely because they kept the history intact and let your imagination do the rest.

P.S.–thanks to all for your feedback on author goodies. I appreciate it!

The Hill of Tara

Tara will forever be associated in my mind with sheep droppings. It was meant to be the site of ancient High Kings, a place where men fought to rule Ireland. Now, that power has been subjugated to all that is ovine. So many sheep were allowed to graze on the site, that it was like avoiding land mines. Horrible stuff.

But if you can get past that, it has some fascinating things to see. Tara has been around since the 6th century. What you can see here is one of the mounds, which would be called a rath. Raths were basically fortresses where the Irish would build a dwelling atop a hillside. Usually there were ditches and palisades as protection. Tara has multiple raths, and there were also nearby prehistoric sites that were of a similar design. Legend has it that the seven roads converge here, and it was here that the High Kings ruled.

One of the more interesting artifacts is the Lia Fáil. It’s a standing stone where, the legend tells that the stone would cry out upon recognizing a man as King of Tara. I used this in my book Her Irish Warrior when the hero goes to Tara to appeal for the rights to his land. What man wouldn’t listen closely, imagining that the stone would cry out and recognize him as king? It’s also pretty evident that it was a fertility symbol.

A third interesting site is the Mound of Hostages. In the medieval period, it was a place for kings to exchange hostages. However, it was originally built in 3000 BC as a passage tomb. Most of the burials were cremations, but they did find the remains of a 14-15 year-old boy who wore a necklace of jet, amber, bronze, and faience beads. Near his feet they found a bronze knife and a bronze awl.

Hope you enjoyed the Tara tour!

I have another question for anyone who’s willing to give their opinion. I’m wondering whether it’s worth it to have bookmarks or other author giveaways made. On one hand, I’d like to have something to give people when they ask about my books. On the other, I wonder if people actually use or enjoy them. If you’ve ever received “goodies” from an author, what did you like? What items were worthless, in your opinion?

Prison Break for Sheep!

The winner of The Hallowed Hunt was Ruby Davis! Ruby, congratulations. Send me your snail mail address and I’ll get your book in the mail.

Now, let’s talk about sheep. Never in my life have I seen more sheep than in Ireland. Not only will you see them grazing in the meadow, but you’ll find them alongside the road, blocking traffic, and grazing on a mountaintop. It’s the mountaintops that made me nervous. You know the falling rocks signs that you see near mountains? My husband and I decided that there needed to be a falling sheep sign. You know, something to warn the tourists that poor Bessie decided she just couldn’t take it anymore and it was time to join the big mutton stew in the sky.

After we toured Carrickfergus, we drove to Slieve Croob, an area near the Mourne Mountains. It was gorgeous territory, filled with purple mountains, vast meadows, and sheep. At the inn where we stayed, I was amused by the sheep across the street. I watched as they studied the fence, poked their heads outside the wire, and managed to finagle themselves out of the pen. I could almost imagine their conversation.

Sheep #1: Run for it, Joe. This is our chance! Dublin, here we come. Fame and fortune: it’s ours, all ours!

Sheep #2: Um, dude, it’s dinner time. And the food’s in there.

Sheep #1: But this is our big break!

Sheep #2: Yeah, I’m kinda hungry. Think I’ll go back in.

Sheep #1: Don’t do it, Joe! We can make it!

The sheep were the dumbest creatures I’ve ever seen. They kept trying to squeeze their heads back in the gate, maa-ing with frustration. A few times they tried to push back through the wires, but with no luck. I was laughing at their efforts, and they gave me an indignant look as if to say, “Well, don’t just stand there! Let us baaaaaaaaack in!”

I have a title!

His Chosen Bride now has an alternate title! The book will be called Her Irish Warrior. :dance: You guys weren’t far off on your title guessing!

I will write about the crazed sheep soon, but in the meantime, the winner of yesterday’s Medicals is Sharon! (In case we have more than one Sharon, it’s the tagsfran e-mail address). Thanks for entering, Sharon!

Today’s giveaway is a copy of The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold. Post a comment below and tell me if you’ve tried out a new author lately. And yes, the library counts, too. If so, who are you reading right now? I’m reading Suzanne McMinn’s Deep Blue .

Carrickfergus Castle

I was a complete slacker yesterday. I was hauling myself through forty pages of revisions, trying like mad to get this next book ready to submit. And I forgot to blog. What was I thinking?

The winner of Out of the Night is . . .Sue Child! Congratulations, Sue! Send me your snail mail address, and I’ll get the book in the mail to you.

Because I got caught up in writing yesterday, I’m giving away two Harlequin Medical books today (and if you haven’t read a Medical, these are great fun. Think E.R. with a love story.) The books are: The Good Father by Maggie Kingsley and Mission: Mountain Rescue by Amy Andrews. Post a comment or subscribe to my newsletter, and they’re yours!

As one of the major 12th century castles in Ireland, I was really looking forward to visiting Carrickfergus Castle, located not far out of Belfast. There was an inherent problem, however. None of the roads were marked. Not a single sign. We had to rely on an internal compass, which I am sadly lacking. I could get lost in a traffic circle. Of course, I was appointed navigator. Go figure! And you’d think that a huge 12th century castle would be fairly obvious to find. Not so. But we eventually got there. Emphasis on eventually.

I had my first clue that Carrickfergus wasn’t exactly historically accurate when I saw a redcoat aiming at us with a cannon through one of the windows. I’ll admit, it killed the mood. I wanted a ruined, brooding fortress overlooking the sea. I got the equivalent of Disneyland.

To give you an example, when viewing the garderobe, we got a view of King John. Yep, that’s right. King John…on the john. My husband thought this was hysterical. And I’ll admit, it is a little. Okay, yes, it is funny. But all throughout the castle were plaster, life-size models of soldiers through the eras. It was meant to be kid-friendly, but it was a bit creepy. Like clowns, which I also find vaguely disturbing.

The tapestries were dated 1993 on the corner, and kid-sized plastic chess pieces decorated the Great Hall. I think I went into this castle with the wrong impressions. I was hoping for history. I didn’t get that. You had to really dig past the cartoony aspect to find the true nature of the castle. But I did find one interesting object on display. This was a salt cellar. Now how much fun would it be to pass that salt? It’s funny how we take salt and spices for granted now, and back in medieval times, it was truly a mark of wealth.

Coming Soon: Prison Break for Sheep. You’ve seen the tv show. But you’ve never seen sheep like this. (cue the Mission Impossible Theme Song)

Day 4 of Book Prizes, and the Bushmills Distillery

Yesterday’s winner of On a Highland Shore is comment #15…Susie! Susie, e-mail me your snail mail address and I’ll send your book along.

Today’s giveaway is a copy of Out of the Night by Robin T. Popp. I will draw today’s winner from my newsletter subscribers! If you haven’t already subscribed, you can join the newsletter by typing in your e-mail address below the menu bar. I only use it to announce book sales and new releases, so if you’d like to keep up with when The As of Yet Untitled Historical Romance with Hunky Irish Warriors is released, I’ll be sending out a note about the title later on. If you’re already a subscriber, you’re already entered to win!

Okay, more on Ireland. We went to the Bushmills Distillery in northern Ireland later the same day. My advice? Get there early. We barely made one of the last tours. And not only that, you can use your extra time to, er…browse the gift shop. :drunk:

When we arrived in the parking lot of Bushmills, the heavens burst forth with angels singing. Golden beams shot down from the heavens, and the three of us were bound and determined to learn all we could about the whiskey that has been licensed since 1607. The tour offered four lucky visitors the chance to be whiskey taste-testers. Our hands shot up so fast, it’s a wonder we didn’t knock a few bystanders senseless. Then…joy! Rapture! Both my husband and I were selected.

The distillery uses sherry barrels to age their Black Bush whiskey, which is a little sweeter. Oak barrels are used for the Bushmills Blend and Originals. But one of the funniest aspects of the tour was the bottling plant. Not because of the interesting equipment (and let’s be honest, it’s always fun to watch them bottle any form of liquid)….but because they were bottling Jameson’s whiskey, their main competitor. The tour guide was a bit embarrassed, to say the least.

AT the end of the tour, the guide led my husband and me to a table set with five types of whiskey: Original Bushmills Blend, Black Bush, the 10-year Single Malt, Johnny Walker Red Scotch, and Jim Beam Bourbon. Most were buttery in flavor, but the Black Bush had a slightly sweeter taste (probably good for cooking) due to the sherry barrel it was aged in. I didn’t like the scotch because I could taste the smoky flavor. The bourbon was good, though. Out of the Bushmills whiskeys, I liked the 10-year the best. But to be honest, I can’t drink copious amounts. My brain would go to mush. I sipped a bit to try it and gave my husband the rest (he was suffering, I can tell you). I also prefer whiskey in Irish coffee, instead of by itself. It’s a little strong for me.

At the end, we received a certificate proving our status as official taste-testers. It was quite a tour!

Day 3 - Possible Release Date?

I apologize for not blogging earlier today. It was a crazy Monday, and after I got back from work, my husband and I went on our annual anniversary dinner. We made it a double-celebration and toasted my sale as well.

Yesterday’s winner of Ex and the Single Girl was comment #6 . . . Christy King! Christy, e-mail me your address and I’ll put your book in the mail.

Today’s giveaway is a copy of On a Highland Shore by Kathleen Givens. Just post a comment and you’re entered in the prize drawing!

Today I received the art facts sheet and I learned that they will be creating a new title for my book instead of His Chosen Bride. My husband and I were brainstorming titles, and inevitably you start coming up with inappropriate ones. I think my favorite was: “I Didn’t Want to Marry You, but You Stole My Land.” :rotfl: Somehow, I don’t think that one will fly with the editorial staff.

It looks like we might have a potential release date of May 2007. So exciting! I’m hoping this will go through smoothly, and I can’t wait to see what kind of cover art is created. The art department at Harlequin Historicals has come up with some amazing covers.

Just for kicks, does anyone have ideas for a title? Maybe something with Irish Warrior in it? Or, you could come up with silly titles, too. That’s always fun. Either way, I’d love to know your thoughts!

Day Two of Celebrating…and the Giant’s Causeway

Yesterday’s winner of Lord of Sin was comment #9: Cathie! Congratulations, Cathie. E-mail me your snail mail address and I’ll put your book in the mail.

Today, up for grabs is Ex and the Single Girl by Lani Diane Rich. Just enter a comment below and I’ll draw another lucky winner for this book.

I’m still skimming the web for photographs and images for my first cover. It’s a little daunting, to say the least. I haven’t an artistic bone in my body. I will leave the decisions up to the masterful art department.

Okay, back to my Ireland blogging. On our second day in northern Ireland, we drove to the Giant’s Causeway. Along the way were breathtaking views of the coast. It was incredibly windy. Picture yourself wearing vertical hair. Yep, that’s about right. One of the more interesting castles was the remains of Dunluce castle, shown here. It’s crumbling into the sea right now, but it was originally built in the 13th century by Richard de Burgh.

When we arrived at the Causeway, we opted to take the shuttle down to the bottom of the coast. The Causeway is made of huge basalt hexagonal columns. They form a hill, similar to the old videogame Q-bert. We roamed the rocks and ventured a little closer to the huge waves. It was amazing, seeing the colors of brown and gray against the dramatic cliff. This is a picture of me at the Causeway.

Here’s one last view of the ocean along the North Atlantic coast. All I can say is, I would not want to be a fishing boat. Shipwreck city! One interesting facet of the northernmost part of Ireland is that it’s very close to Scotland. On a clear day, you can actually see Scotland from this coastline. The Scottish brogue has made its way into the languages, too. Many of the folks in this part of Ireland had Scottish phrases as part of their dialogue. I had to smile when the clerk handed me my “wee” credit card back.

Tomorrow I’ll blog about Bushmills. Feel free to post a comment to enter for a book! :dance: Thanks again to everyone who has posted their congratulations on my first sale to Harlequin. I am truly thankful to everyone for all of your support!

Celebrating a First Sale

My head is still spinning, you know? I feel the urge to dive into a box of chocolates and just roll around in it. This has been such a great weekend, more so because of everyone who has stopped by to send their good wishes. I am so very grateful to everyone for sharing this with me.

What’s next? Well, I need to start assembling ideas for cover art. My husband believes he should pose for the cover, Star Wars style, with a gigantic sword raised above his head similar to Luke Skywalker. Perhaps my heroine should drape herself at his feet. Uh, no, honey. Don’t think so. :starwars:

I’m also wondering mentally making a list of what to do next. There are so many things I want to do, it’s a matter of what to start with. Finishing the revisions on my second book is at the top of the list. After that, I want to make some updates to my website and maybe add a few features like a monthly contest.

And…speaking of which, I would like to host a contest in celebration of my first sale. This will be The Seven Days of a First Sale! Each day I’ll do a different book to give away and a little bit of chocolate as well!

For today, our first day, I’m giving away Lord of Sin by Madeleine Hunter. :hello2:

All you have to do is post a comment below, and you’re entered to win!

Since September 15 is now the Best Day Ever for me, what’s a special moment you had in your life that will always stand out?