Friday, June 18, 2010

First Look at The Wild Irish Sea

posted by Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy

Today is June 18th, which means in 18 more days, my third book The Wild Irish Sea is scheduled to hit bookshelves. Less than three weeks?!?! The reality hasn't quite sunk in yet.

It doesn't feel like that long ago when my editor asked me for "another Irish book," and I was happy to oblige. I had recently watched the beautiful movie The Secret of Roan Inish which was filmed on location on the rugged northern coast of Ireland and I decided I would set my new story there also.

So now I had a setting, the rugged coast of Donegal. But what kind of people would be there? And wouldn't it be more interesting if my main characters were strangers instead of natives? Then all the things they saw and did would be new and fresh. Like those high-prowed row boats I'd read about and seen a few times -- curraghs. How would an American like me handle one of those? An image of a man in a big coat rowing in a rain storm popped into my mind. I knew he wasn't the hero, but who was he?

Ten years ago, my niece gave birth to fraternal twin boys, the first (and so far only) twins in our immediate family. Watching my grandnephews interact with each other (even as infants) sparked my interest in twins and their relationships. After reading a lot about twins, I thought it would be fun to write about them. Oh good, now I knew the man in the boat was the heroine's twin brother, and their names were Amber and Parker O'Neill.

But these two weren't just twins, they were twins with a special secret... all their lives, they had been able to communicate telepathically with each other! Amber and Parker can speak to each other mentally, send each other images, and feel what the other is feeling.

So what if one of them witnesses a murder and now the killers are after him? Because that man in the boat in the rainstorm? He's rowing like crazy, and I'm pretty sure that was a gun shot behind him! YIKES!!! And what are those dark shapes swimming around his boat?!?!

When Amber receives her brother's mental distress call, she rushes to the rocky shores of Donegal to rescue him. But first, she has to find him, and to do that, she'll need help...
Kevin Hennessey held out his hand toward the smoldering turf fire and listened to the wind rattling through the eaves and down the chimney. Rain pinged on the tin roof as the third squall in a week, and by far the strongest, buffeted the lone cottage.

But what did he expect during summer in Donegal, especially in these parts? His old man had lived here nearly ten years when he’d died this spring, and the entire time, he groused to anyone who visited that Malin Head possessed only three kinds of weather--barely tolerable, foul, and more foul
.

A rapping noise interrupted Kevin’s reverie. Had one of the shutters on the front window blown loose? Jaysus but he hoped not. He most decidedly did not want to go outside in the dark and the rain to fix the bloody thing.

The noise came again, louder and unmistakable, and thoroughly improbable. Someone was pounding on the front door. Kevin turned in slack-jawed surprise at the realization.

The house stood at the end of a perpetually muddy lane, an isolated sentinel on the ragged bluff, more than three kilometers from its nearest neighbor. No one ventured out here without an express invitation. ‘Twas the way Declan Hennessey had liked it, and Kevin preferred it the same.

What feckin neddy would be out in a storm like this, then?


He snatched the battery-powered lamp off the end table and strode to the front door to find out. Gripping the light in his left hand, he threw the bolt and eased open the heavy wooden door.

A dripping figure in a yellow rain slicker stumbled forward. Nearly dropping the lamp, he stuck out an arm and the woman steadied herself. He knew the stranger was a woman the moment her slender fingers gripped him, a Yank judging from her muddy jeans and trainers.

She jerked away from him as if burned, her dark eyes enormous in her pale face, wet hair plastered against her head.

“Are you a policeman?” she asked, her accent confirming his assumption that she was indeed American. “They told me at the pub that a policeman lived at the end of this road.”

...“My father was constable of our village in County Derry,” Kevin answered gruffly. “But he’s been dead these past three months.”

“I’m sorry, but are you Mr. Hennessey’s son? They told me you were a policeman too.” The woman’s voice crackled with tension, and deep shadows purpled the skin beneath her eyes. “I need your help. My brother’s in trouble and I have to find him!”

Will Kevin help Amber find her missing brother Parker? And what other adventures await them? I'm afraid you'll have to wait 18 more days to find out.

Do you know what the "secret" is in The Secret of Roan Inish? Have you read other books with twins? Please let your Aunty know if you liked them or not. And while we are on the subject of books, what is lurking near the top of your TBR pile?

55 comments:

limecello said...

Yay new book, Aunty Cindy! :D
Um... I don't know the secret >.< Will sleep on that but... :X Twins freak me out. I can't help it. They just do. Good thing I'm not a gemini. Heh.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Congrats on capturing the Chook, Lime! He is DEFINITELY one of a kind! :-)

If you look at the picture of the movie poster you'll guess the "secret" and they play a big part in The Wild Irish Sea too.
;-)

AC

Helen said...

Well done lime have fun with him

Whoo Hoo Aunty Cindy

I do know what the secret is I was lucky enough to win an ARC of The Wild Irish Sea and I read this book in one sitting it is fantastic and Kevin is so yummy (and I want Parker's story as well he is also yummy) Amber and kevin are so made for each other, this book had me hooked from the start and I felt like I was on the Donegal Coast of Ireland with Kevin, Amber, Parker and all of the adorable characters.

Aunty Cindy you took me on a fantastic Irish adventure filled with romance and suspense loved it. I highly recomend this book to everyone in 18 days time.

At the moment I am reading Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake by Sarah Maclean and loving it what I will read next I am not sure I have a huge TBR pile and lots to choose from choices choices LOL.

Have Fun
Helen

Melanie said...

I had a wonderful surprise when I returned from vacation this week, my box of books had arrived that I got from the Brenda Novak auction and this book was one of the prizes. In fact this book was the reason I bid, I love everything to do with Ireland and the title and cover alone captured my attention. So I am stopping everything else so I can get this read, it looks so good.

Fedora said...

Hi, AC!!! I have read other books with twins, and have always found them fascinating... I'm not sure what the secret is, but I'm guessing it might have something to do with things not being what (who?) they seem?

As for books? I just added La Campbell's latest to my TBR... just waiting for an appropriate stretch of reading time so I can do it justice :)

I loved your first two books, AC--definitely looking forward to The Wild Irish Sea... less than 3 weeks!!

Donna MacMeans said...

Hi AC - Welcome home!

Gotta say I love your excerpts. Reading them makes me feel like I'm in Ireland - which I've never been - but you put me there. Love your voice.

I have nieces that are twins. I think that must be kind of cool. They are the same but different, if you know what I mean.

Not sure what the secret is. This is a wild guess that it involves a selkie. Do i win? huh? huh?

Well - even if I didn't - Lime did. Congrats on the GR!

Jane said...

Congrats on the upcoming release, Aunty Cindy. Gaelen Foley's Knight family has a set of twins and they're featured in "Lord of Fire" and "Lord of Ice." Those are the only ones I can think off right now. I just finished Susan Mallery's "Chasing Perfect" and the next book will probably be Karin Harlow's "Enemy Lover."

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

I think twins are so cool. I always felt like I should have been a twin, like there was a piece missing.

I don't know the secret but I will know what is happening with Wild Irish Sea as soon as I can get my hands on it.

I just finished The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourne and starting Black Hills by Nora Roberts.

PinkPeony said...

Pre-ordered on Amazon! Can't wait to read it!!

pjpuppymom said...

Hi AC! Congrats on the upcoming release! I've already read The Wild Irish Sea and it is so, so, so good! Like Helen, I gobbled it down in one sitting...then I went back for seconds! :)

I'm reading a cozy mystery called Grace Under Pressure by Julie Hyzy.

Anna Sugden said...

Your new book sounds great, AC. Even though I don't get the whole Irish thing *g*.

I really like stories about twins - I've read some great thriller stories with good twin/ bad twin - can't remember what they're called.

Funnily enough, I just finished reading our recent guest Kristan Higgins' Catch of the Day, which had twins in it - loved the book (even if she made me cry! Let me tell you - it's rare a book makes me cry!) I liked how she used the twins as an integral part of the story, the character arcs and the romance.

I haven't picked the next book from my TBR mountain yet - I'm saving Anna Campbell's book for my flight to Florence next week. I need to decide what I'm in the mood to read.

Christie Kelley said...

Cindy, this sounds like another fantastic book. I can't wait to read it. I don't know the secret but I love twin stories. I wrote one that never got picked up. Maybe I'll go back to it one day.

18 days will fly by fast!

Nancy said...

Hi, AC. Thanks for the insight into your new book. It looks fabulous!

I haven't seen The Secret of Roan Innish, but I do know what the secret is. We rented the movie once but didn't get it watched before it had to go back.

I love twin books. My mom had a twin brother, so the interest comes naturally.

I started with the (now out of print, alas) Bobbsey Twins and read all of their adventures I could find. Dick Francis wrote a book about telepathic twins. I think they're in Bolt or Break-In, maybe both because those books are connected if I remember correctly.

There were fraternal twins with super-speed in a comic book Marvel put out for a while, Alpha Flight.

In DC's Legion of Super-Heroes, I love the twins Garth and Ayla Ranzz, from the planet Winath, who gained the ability to shoot lightning from their hands. Ayla's power was later changed to the ability to make things super-light. Garth was my favorite guy Legionnaire after Superboy.

jo robertson said...

Great post, Cindy! Although I've read TWIS, I can't wait to see it in actual print and re-read it. It's a great read!

I adore Irish heroes, especially the sound of their voices in that smooth, lilting accent. And Kevin is definitely one of my favorites.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Morning everyone!
It IS morning isn't it?!?

AWWWW! Thanx so much Helen for LURVING TWIS! Yes, Kevin and Parker are BOTH yummy in their own different ways. ;-)

I've heard so many good things about Sarah's book that it is on my "need to buy" list. Whatever you chose from your TBR, I'm sure you'll enjoy it since you have such EXCELLENT taste in books! :-)

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Melanie,
Can't thank you enough for participating in Brenda's auction! It is a cause very near and dear to yer olde Aunty's heart.

I'm sure you'll enjoy all your books,
AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Good guess, Fedora!

And you are at least partially correct. Things are NOT what they seem in Secret of Roan Inish and in certain instance in TWIS too! ;-)

Thanx for being such a supportive fan of my work and I hope you enjoy TWIS as much as TWS and TToV.

AC
who had a sudden flashback to her old job with all those initials

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Hey Donna,

Thanx a bunch for saying my excerpt put you in Ireland! I really try to make the setting another character in my books.

Yeppers, you are CORRECT! There are selkies in Secret of Roan Inish and I incorporated them in TWIS too! I couldn't resist. I've always thought seals were so fascinating.

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Hi Jane!

I haven't read Gaelen Foley's books. I'll have to check them out!

I'm sure you'll enjoy Karin H's new one. The title sounds very intriguing!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Morning Dianna!

I also wished I was a twin when I was a child. Oh, I had a sister very close to my age but I knew a twin wouldn't be like HER! :-P Pretty funny considering a twin probably would have been EXACTLY like her. LOL!

OOOO! Enjoy La Nora... like you wouldn't! ;-)

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

THANX BUNCHES, Pink!

I really appreciate your support of me and all my books. Hope you love TWIS as much as the other 2.

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

AWWW! Thanx for the ringing endorsement, PJ!

SOOO glad you lurved Kevin, Amber, Parker and their adventures. Can't wait to visit you and the other Dishy Gals on my blog tour! Thanx again for having me.

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

ROFLOL VA on you 'not getting the Irish thing.' :-)

And yes, I remember the good twin/ evil twin was popular in soap operas there for awhile as well as thrillers.

Lucky you, ENJOY Florence! Though I must admit, I liked staying in Siena mjuch better -- no traffic in the old downtown.

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

You wrote a 'twin story' too, Christie? You should definitely give it another go!

Hope you enjoy TWIS and those selkie legends. Of course, *I* had to put a happier twist to them. (VBG)

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Karyn,
OF COURSE I'm having a launch party! You know how it is in the Lair... ANY excuse to party!!! L&L are MORE than welcome to attend and spread their Irish "brogue" far and wide (just don't tell Sven, the cabana boys and the gladiators)! ;-)

Hope you enjoy TWIS!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Nancy,
You really need to rent Secret of Roan Inish again. The cinematography is spectacular (it was filmed on location)!

Oh my gosh! I remember the Bobbsey twins! Those were such fun books. And those twin super heroes sound GREAT! Plus I didn't know Dick Francis wrote telepathic twins too! Great minds, right?!?!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

OMG!!! I just looked on Amazon (yes, I look at my rankings, I can't help myself), and The Wild Irish Sea will be IN STOCK on June 21st!!!

YIPEE!!

AC

Gannon Carr said...

I love The Secret of Roan Innish! I have the DVD--wonderful! So, yes I know the secret, but I won't blab it here and spoil it for everyone else. ;-)

I have a copy of The Wild Irish Sea, which I will be reviewing for The Romance Dish! I haven't read it yet, but it's up next. Woohoo!!

I'm currently reading Barely A Lady by Eileen Dreyer.

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

BIG THANX to you, Jo-Mama, my stupendous CP!!!

This book would have never made it to print without your wonderful feedback. I can't thank you enough!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Hey Gannon,
It's all right to say that there were selkies in Roan Inish, and selkies in TWIS... OOPS! You said you haven't read it yet! SORRY!!!

And you're REVIEWING IT?!?! Sven! Cabana Boys! Gladiators! Get our lovely Gannon ANYTHING her lil heart desires!!!

Bribery? MOI?!?!

AC

Gannon Carr said...

And you're REVIEWING IT?!?! Sven! Cabana Boys! Gladiators! Get our lovely Gannon ANYTHING her lil heart desires!!!

Bribery? MOI?!?!


LOL @ Aunty! To quote Micheal Douglas in Romancing the Stone: "I'm not cheap, but I can be had!" *snort*

Nancy said...

Cindy, I forgot to cover what's lurking at the top of my TBR pile. The top shifts from time to time, but I have: Ava Gray, Skin Game; Gena Showalter, The Darkest Passion; Stacia Kane, Unholy Ghosts; Dee Davis Dark Deception; Ilona Andrews, Magic Bleeds; and S.M. Stirling, The Sunrise Lands.

Lots of boom, some of it with paranormal elements. The Stirling is a fantasy, post-apocalyptic alternate history.

Pat Cochran said...

Oh, Aunty! You've got me now! I
don't know the secret but I surely
do want to know what it is! And
know what happens to the twins.
Books with twins have usually been
about sisters. One usually has a
problem or is missing and the other takes her place.

BTW, I have younger twin brothers
and have experienced their special
way of life. I've seen one of them
take off after receiving that SOS
call for help. I know of the time
when one dashed to their apartment
and got home in time to take his
"wombmate" to the hospital. His flu had become pneumonia and he
was in dire straits! It is a most
special way of life for them and
for their family!

Pat Cochran

Pat Cochran said...

Aunty, I left out a word in my
twin brother tale: it should read,
"after receiving that MENTAL SOS
for help."

Pat Cochran

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

ROFLOL Gannon!
There are so many GREAT lines in Romancing the Stone and that is definitely one of them!

Me? I say, if you are what you eat, then I am fast, cheap, and easy! ;-)

Cabana boys! Fire up the industrial blenders for Gannon and the other BBs! Oh yeah, and ME TOO.

AC

catslady said...

I don't think I've read about twins but I think it would be very interesting. My niece has twin boys soon to be 16 (along with 5 more kids!!). Luckily they are book worms like their dad and haven't given her any surprises (yet lol).

My tbr pile is definitely teetering on the edge:
Desire Me - Robyn DeHart
The Making of a Duchess - Shana Galen
The Irish Warrior - Kris Kennedy
The Sweetheart's Knitting Club - Lori Wilde

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Pat,
THANK YOU THANK YOU for sharing that real life example of the 'connection' between your twin brothers! That is exactly the kind of relationship Amber and Parker share. So nice to hear that I got it 'right' in the story. :-)

I hope you enjoy TWIS as much as my other two, which you've been so kind to tell me are on your keeper shelves. I truly appreciate your support!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

OOOO Nancy!
As usual, you have a string of GOODIES on the top of your TBR. The Stirling trilogy sounds FAB!!! Please give us a full report when you finish.

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Catslady,
If your niece has two 16 yr olds who have NOT given her trouble she is lucky indeed! My niece would NEVER say that about my grandnephews. I'm afraid they are rather a handful. Can't imagine where they would come by such personalities. ;-)

Kris Kennedy will be guesting with us soon so you'll get to hear even more about her "Irish Warrior!"

AC

jo robertson said...

Gannon, I wish someone would blab about the Secret b/c I think I know, but I'm not sure.

Welcome, AC! It was a pleasure to work on this book.

I wrote about twins, too, Christie. My GH winning manuscript was about twins. But one was dead. Does that count LOL?

Right now I'm reading a GREAT book by Christopher Farnsworth called BLOOD OATH. It's about the "man" who's been the President's vampire since the term of Andrew Johnson. It's so well written and fast-paced. I'm loving it.

Kim in Baltimore said...

I haven't seen the movie. I can only think of two authors who wrote about twins - Eloisa James and Victoria Alexander. I'm sure others have.

My mother is off to the UK next week, with a side trip to Ireland. I'll ask her to bring you back a special treat, Aunty Cindy!

And I would like to address the Golden Rooster, the Cabana Boys, and their fans. I just returned from a quick trip to Jackson, MS to visit family, including Uncle Fred. His house is full of rooster statues, paintings, et al. Many family friends and business asscoatiates give them roosters in connection with the family business - my uncle is the largest egg farmer in the US! The Golden Rooster would have enjoyed the various art forms of his lovely profile ... and the cabana boys would have loved the grotto pool at my uncle's house!

Susan Sey said...

Oh, Auntie! Your Irish books are like chocolate. Once I start it's so hard to stop. Please write faster. Just sayin'.

Now, ahem. As for twins, I can't say I've read a lot of them since I was a kid longing for a twin. (I had three sisters already but somehow thought a twin would be different. I'm sure it is.) But the whole reason I wanted one was to see if we could communicate telepathically. My sisters were all very common sensical sorts & had no interest in staring deeply into my eyes trying to read my thoughts. They had quite a difficult enough time trying to get me to shut up. They certainly didn't want access to the rare thought I left unspoken. :-)

So looking forward to the Wild Irish Sea!

Anna Campbell said...

Lime, congrats!

AC, welcome back! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip. And congratulations on having another wonderful Irish romance on the shelves - well, in 18 days anyway. I love the sound of the new story!

I remember the coast of Donegal really fondly. We were there midwinter and it was so stormy and gray and atmospheric! Having seen the film of the SORI (actually that's not a great acronym!), I do know the secret. Actually if you've read a lot of Celtic legends, I'd kinda guessed it before. That's actually a really haunting story, the original myth. Something I'd love to explore in a story one day.

Cassondra said...

Hi Aunty Cindy!

I can't WAIT for your new book, and LOVE LOVE LOVE the excerpt.

I've always been intrigued by the magical bond between twins. I've even studied it a bit, so this book is right up my alley.

No, I'm not a twin, but have some good friends who are twins. Grew up and went to school with a set of fraternal twins, then worked with a set of identical twins for several years running. I finally got to where I could tell them apart--both by personality, and by the way they looked. Eventually they didn't look exactly alike any more. Very close of course, but what seemed to be subtle differences at first became clear differences over time spent working with both of them.

Because of that I've always had a hard time believing it when twins say they pass themselves off for the other to people who know them well (you know..it's popular in movies and tv). I suppose it could happen, but after knowing them well I dunno....

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey AC! I'm miffed with Blogger! I left a comment earlier and I don't think it ever posted. *harrrrumph!*

I love twin stories, and I loved Roan Innish. It was such a sweet movie.

As to the TBR pile....another Kathy Reichs book (TV's Bones), the latest Gilman book that Nancy and her guest Laura Ann turned me onto. One of Kristan Higgins that I have moved to the top of the TBR pile after her visit the other day. Grins. (Thanks for that, JT!) Oh, and "Weapons; An Illustrated History"

Now you KNEW that had to be there, right?

Louisa Cornell said...

What is the secret of Lime and the GR. Now that would make for an interesting legend.

Aunty, I can't wait to get my hands on this one. I LOVE your Irish books so much! The best part is the way you transport a reader to the places in your stories. It is like a mini vacation!

Yes, I know the secret, but I'll never tell!

Just finished Leslie Hazleton's book Jezebel - The Untold Story of the Bible's Harlot Queen. Absolutely fascinating read. Up next? Laura Kinsale's The Prince of Midnight, recommended by La Campbell. I found an old hardbound copy on eBay with the wonderful Fabio cover Makes me giggle just to look at it.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Louisa said: The best part is the way you transport a reader to the places in your stories. It is like a mini vacation!

Oh, Louisa, this is SO true!!! It's one of the best things about all Aunty Cindy's books! And you just soak in all that detail about the locales....ahhhhh....

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

FINALLY! Sorry everyone, but blogger has been giving me FITS today!

Thanx for all you kind words about TWIS. I'm really excited about this release.

Jo, again, I could have never produced as strong a work as I did without YOU!

And Blood Oath sounds SUPER! Can I borrow your copy when you're done?!?!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

UH OH, Kim!

Once the Golden One finds out about your uncle's egg farm, he will be relentless in his pursuit! Warn your uncle NOW, and don't forget to mention how the GR trained with P226!

AC
shuddering at the thought of the GR running amok at the egg farm

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

LOL Smoov!

We were scarily alike as children. I wanted a twin too, but NOT one like my real siblings. :-P My twin would have been MUCH more like me -- smart, discerning, and so very modest.

I CAN NOT WAIT for Money Honey which is also releasing in 18 more days! WOO HOO!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Hey Fo,
Your memories of the Donegal coast match everything I've ever read and seen about it myself!

And yes, all those Celtic legends about selkies were rather tragic, which is why I had to put my own spin on things. ;-)

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Dearest Louisa,
You are sooo good for Aunty's writing ego! I'm so glad my setting provide a mini vacation for you. I really do try to transport readers (starting with myself) to the real locale. Thanx for telling me I succeeded.

Aren't those old Fabio covers a HOOT?!?! Enjoy Prince of Midnight!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Duchesse,
Glad to know blogger didn't just single me out for abuse. It abused BOTH of us! :-P

Thank you thank you thank you for saying that about my settings. I'm thrilled to know I've accomplished one of my goals in writing about exotic locales.

And yes, I fully EXPECTED you to be reading a book about weapons!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

OOPS! Sorry I almost missed your comment Cassondra and it's a GOODIE!

FASCINATING about your experiences with the identical twins. I could never quite buy the 'can't tell them apart' device in books and movies (Parent Trap, anyone?!?!) either. Those subtle personality and physical differences would always shine through, I think.

I hope you enjoy the relationship between Amber and Parker. I've already had one reader/reviewer raving about how well I portrayed the siblings. I hope you agree!

AC

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Thanx again for dropping by everyone!

The "secret" of Roan Inish was that the main character's little brother was washed out to sea in his cradle and raised by seals. The seals took him in because far back in the family history, one of them married a selkie-woman and once every generation, the family produced a child called "the dark one." The little brother was a "dark one."

Hope you all ENJOY TWIS! Please come back on July 2nd for the Launch Party!

AC