An Irish Lathe

I’m thinking about ideas for my next book, and this photograph of a lathe captured my attention. It’s a wood lathe from medieval Ireland. When you see the elaborate carvings that the woodworkers created back then, it’s amazing how skilled they were. I can almost imagine a hero carving a bride’s chest for the woman he loves, perhaps a woman about to marry someone else.

It’s only the seed of an idea right now, but I’d like to have a man who appears to be a commoner, and in reality has a more interesting past. The challenging part is finding a heroine for him. Usually when I write a book, the hero is full-realized in my mind and the heroine starts to emerge as I write. It’s not the best way to work, and I wouldn’t recommend it! Though it usually comes together in the end, it makes the plotting trickier.

Don’t forget–my March contest ends soon! You can have your very own autographed copy of Her Irish Warrior and a kitchen magnet. All you have to do is e-mail me your snail mail address.

It’s Friday! I plan to spend my weekend flying out to Ohio to visit my Grandma and spend some time with her. I have a feeling there will be a lot of shopping in my future. How about you? Do you have any special plans?