Series Title: Immortals After Dark
Author: Kresley Cole
Publication Info: Pocket Books
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3

Werewolves and Vampires and Valkyries, oh my!

Does fated, eternal love warm your soul? Do men who snarl “MINE” make your toes curl? Does the thought of dominating Alpha Males who are hopelessly in love with their mates make you sigh in rapture? If you answered yes, then Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series is for you. Action-packed adventure, complex world building, and endearing characters all make for a delicious read. Cole weaves a captivating tale that will keep you turning the pages for more.

Mythology: The Lore is the name for the magical immortal races that live alongside, but hidden from, the human population. The major players include Valkyries, Lykae (werewolves), Witches, Demons and Vampires. A person is “set” in his or her immortality typically in mid-twenties, before which the person is mortal. Only beheading or boiling to death in a magical fire can kill an immortal. Lost limbs can be completely regenerated. Lykae, Vampires, and Demons search their entire lives for their fated mate, who is the center of their universe and, in the case of a Vampire’s Bride, returns his manhood.

What I like best: Creative, layered storytelling. Fast-paced drama. Cole shows the powerful transformation of love in each of her characters, building compelling story arcs. Her heroes are tortured but lovable, and her heroines are intrepid and strong (which Jane writes about on Dear Author). And the books are hawt. Smokin’.

What I “bumped” on: The Accession, when all Immortals must fight each other to the death, occurring every 500 years, is essentially the Gathering. Has someone been watching too much Highlander? And Vampires that gain memories from their victims by cutting off the immortal’s head while drinking their blood? Essentially the Quickening. Yeah, Highlander. Silliest movie I’ve ever seen. I also would find living in a Lore community exhausting. Personally, I want to live in peace. Not a single species in the Lore knows the meaning of the word. Don’t we have enough violence in the world?

Book 1: A Hunger Like No Other (March 2006)

Werewolf King Lachlain MacRieve escapes from the Vampire Horde after 200 years of torture, only to find that his fated mate is his worst enemy. Half-Vampire/half-Valkyrie, Emmaline Troy has always felt like an outsider in her Vampire-hating Valkyrie coven. When she goes to Paris in search of information on her deceased parents and is kidnapped by a crazed werewolf, she must learn to overcome her insecurities and find inner strength to seize her destiny. Both struggle as they learn to trust and to love, overcoming their prejudices, their families’ objections and the evil forces that stand in their way.

I really appreciate how Cole distinguishes the Do-Not-Cross line for acceptable hero behavior. Tortured Lachlain may threaten to take Emma by force, but he never would actually hurt her. He is, in fact, horrified when he realizes how much his actions have distressed her and immediately sets about trying to right them. On occasion I find that Alpha Males driven on instinct come off as being less intelligent, which I find off-putting (this is in no way unique to Cole’s writing). Neanderthal, he iz no sexy. However, I love the fierce need Cole’s heroes have to protect and provide for their mates. It’s swoon-worthy. I really liked Emma. She has amazing personal growth through the book, changing from a shy girl who lets people push her around to a brave woman who stands up for herself.

Book 2: No Rest for the Wicked (October 2006)

Sebastian Wroth has cursed his existence ever since his brothers turned him into a vampire against his will 300 years ago. When Valkyrie warrior Kaderin the Cold Hearted, cursed to feel nothing for the last 2000 years, shows up to finish him off, he is relieved, but suddenly the unthinkable happens – his body recognizes her as his Bride and he comes back to life. Kaderin is similarly affected – she can suddenly feel. Sebastian may have finally found a reason to live, but the ruthless vampire-killer isn’t having any of it. Sebastian is forced to follow her in entering the Talisman’s Hie, a deadly Amazing Race for Immortals, with enough action-adventure to make Indiana Jones proud. (Mmmmmm, Indy!)

I loved intelligent Sebastian. He’s my kind of man. If we judge romance novels based on how much we want to date the hero and be best friends with the heroine, this one is batting 50/50. Kaderin is a ruthless competitor, which I, to be honest, find intimidating. Even when she gets her emotions back, she doesn’t lose her killing edge. Where is her compassion? However, compassion seems to be an emotion lacking is most of the Immortal races, especially the Valkyries. So I can’t hold it against her. She is what she is. At the same time, I felt that Sebastian gave everything for Kaderin, and she didn’t meet him in the middle.

I bumped on the idea of destiny. A major lesson that Kaderin struggles with in the book is that one’s fate cannot be escaped, so one should meet it bravely. The Valkyrie queen tells a young Kaderin this as she heads off to centuries of torture at the hands of the Vampires, because it is her fate. Kaderin, upon hearing the prediction of her own doom, realizes the truth of her queen’s words and tells Sebastian “It’s my destiny to go, and I’ll meet it head on,” (p302). So, why doesn’t this acceptance of destiny make Kaderin realize that it was her sisters’ fate to die on that battlefield 2000 years ago so that she can let go of her guilt and find peace with their deaths? Nope, she still sacrifices herself, even though now she has something to live for – true love. Fortunately it works out, but I feel the lesson wasn’t learned. What is Cole trying to say about fate?

Book 3: WIcked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (October 2007)

Lykae warrior Bowen MacRieve has been desperately searching for a way to bring his dead mate back to life. So when he learns that the prize for the Talisman’s Hie is a chance to go back in time, he throws himself into the race with all the deadly ruthlessness of someone with nothing left to lose. Young witch Mariketa the Awaited was prophesied to do great things, but she has yet to gain any control over her powers. She enters the race to prove herself, only to be entombed with murderous incubi and no food or water for weeks by a ruthless competitor. When Bowen returns and claims she must be his reincarnated mate, how can she possibly stand to be connected to her worst enemy? Mari can’t stand to be second in Bowen’s heart, while Bowen struggles with guilt at being unfaithful to his dead mate. They both learn to overcome their prejudices and to seek truths within themselves while meeting each other in the middle.

Bowen was one of my favorite characters in A Hunger Like no Other, but his personality changed dramatically between that book and this one. In the first he was charming, suave, and knew how to talk to the ladies, while Lachlain was gruff and inept at reading Emma. In this book he was more like Lachlain. He lost his charming edge. I still like him; he was just different. Mari was a great heroine – funny, ballsy, kind.

Book 4: Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (April 2008 )

Conrad Wroth is a crazed murderous Vampire. He was turned against his will 300 years ago by his brothers, in order to save his life, and he went, quite literally, mad. When he comes to kill them in revenge they trap him and try to bring him back from the brink of bloodlust by chaining him in an old mansion. In his madness he hallucinates, but one of the hallucinations helps to bring clarity to his raving mind and he eventually realizes his vision is real. Ballet dancer Neomi Laress was murdered in her house 80 years ago. No one has been able to see her since she became a ghost, until a mad vampire arrives. She helps him heal and eventually makes a devil’s deal to get her body back.

This book lacks the action-adventure of the first three, simply because both hero and heroine are trapped in a house for most of the book. I turned the pages just as fast. Conrad is a fascinatingly complex character. Cole uses present tense during his scenes of madness to great effect, and as his mind slowly clears she changes to past tense. Imagine a hero and a heroine who can’t touch each other. Talk about a barrier to overcome. Cole capitalizes on dialog and imagination to create delicious sexual tension. Great writing!

Book 5: Dark Desires After Dusk (Coming May 2008!!!)

I can’t wait to read the next one!

This is a love letter to my baby Captain Shadow Ginger Dawn Midnight, also known as Shadow, Shadow-Fluff, Shadow-Bear, Baby-Bear or Baby. He was born sometime in the month of July in the year 1990, and came to live with me four months later when I was in the third grade. He was my very first baby and my first love.

My aunt and uncle found him on the mean streets of Tacoma, but he didn’t get along with their baby Copy, so they gave him to me. The night they brought him over he was so scared he ran across the floor and scratched my toe. But that night I switched bunk-beds with my little brother Oliver so that I could sleep on the bottom next to where Shadow was prowling around, exploring his new home. I awoke in the morning to find my baby curled up asleep on my head.

In the early years he was wild and enjoyed the fine art of hunting bare feet. Many a valiant toe fell under his cunning paws. Much to his embarrassment I dressed him in doll clothes a time or two. He was always the strong, silent type. The ultimate alpha-male. He didn’t particularly treasure close contact, but he enjoyed human company, especially mine. The feeling was mutual. He liked to listen to me play the piano, and would pad in and hop on the nearest footstool to instruct me in scales. He was fearless. When the neighbor’s dog dared trespass in our yard, Shadow fended him off with the courage of a lion.

Two months after Ryan and I got married my mom sent Shadow to live with us in Philadelphia. My instincts that Ryan would be a good daddy were immediately confirmed. He fell in love from the moment Shadow ran out of the cat carrier and hid under the dresser. After a few days of dresser-living, we pulled him out and stacked textbooks under every piece of furniture that he could possibly fit under. He quickly grew accustomed to his new life as an indoor baby, enjoying retirement with doting parents. He followed us from room to room, jingling for the first year with the little bell he wore around his neck before we took pity on him and removed it. The little girl who I babysat and I made him an elaborate house out of a cardboard box, which we painted in blues and pinks and decorated with glitter and stickers. He loved it.

He is an integral part of our little family. He enjoys sitting with Ryan while he blogs, jumping up on the bed for family cuddles, and running to greet us at the door when we come home. In greeting he opens his little mouth in a almost silent “ah-ah.” It’s the cutest thing ever. In the past two years since I took up Romance novels he has been my biggest companion and fan, reading with me and giving me ideas for my book. We keep each other company while Daddy is away on business trips.

When Ryan and I go on vacation we talk about him all the time. We call home and leave messages for him on the answering machine. We get excited about going home so that we can see the baby again. On Sunday, returning from Ireland, we ran down the hallway to see him, love giving us wings.

My baby lost movement in his front left paw Sunday night and, though thankfully he is not in pain, he is no longer able to rise on his own. Your thoughts and prayers for his health and wellness are very appreciated.

ShadowBear, thank you so much for being my baby. You’ve enriched the last 17 years of my life beyond measure. I love you baby. I will always love you.

I love costumes. From my early years I’ve been hoarding feathered hats and antique prom dresses, gloves and beaded purses, cat-eye glasses and rhinestone costume jewelry. I hounded garage and estate sales looking for fabulous dress-ups. Playing make-believe was my very favorite pastime growing up, using my fertile imagination to create characters, faraway places, adventures and misadventures. I didn’t play house – I solved robberies as FBI detective Holly, survived stranded in the jungle by building tree-houses with jungle vines, and saved the dreamland from the monsters that go bump in the night as a Crystal Castle Princess.

It’s been years since I played make-believe or graced the wicked stage, but my love of creating stories has evolved to writing them down (finally!). My love of costumes found an outlet this week when I volunteered to model for a Vintage Costume Fashion Show and had my first fitting. It was fabulous!

Lynn Gough runs Supercalifragilistic Hat & Fashion Shows: Vintage Fashions Presented with Flair. Historic costumes are her passion, and she has one hell of a dress-up collection. Lynn presents at non-profit events, retirement homes, wedding showers, and more. She also works with the Goodwill Vintage Fashion Collection presenting shows to raise money for their many wonderful programs. The photo at left is a wedding picture of Lynn’s grandparents with the reproduction hat that Lynn has. She owns the original wedding dress, though her grandmother removed the fancy jabot and expanded it so that she could wear it again after her wedding.

My debut will be May 1st as I kick off the show modeling a Victorian wedding gown. Lynn was very excited by my narrow feet – I fit into old shoes. I’m wearing black Victorian heels with pointy toes, a black petticoat with ruffle, and a black skirt. On top I’m wearing a Victorian blouse with Chantilly lace sleeves, black gloves, and an opera jacket with Edwardian lace and silk bobbles. I can’t remember the details of my hat, though it has a fun feather. My pince-nez glasses belonged to Lynn’s grandmother and the walking parasol is also a family heirloom. I’m carrying a beaded black purse. I will also model a blue silk chinese pajama set from the 1930′s, a wedding dress from the 1920s and one from the 1960s.

So what does this have to do with romance novels and writing? Historical costume research. It would also be an awesome event to have during, say, a luncheon at the Emerald City Writers Conference. nudge nudge, wink wink.

Contact Info:

Supercalifragilistic Hat & Fashion Shows
Vintage Fashions Presented with Flair
Lynn Gough
brianlynn2@msn.com
Phone: 206-783-9372

Linda Winstead Jones holds a special place in my heart for authoring the very first romance novels I ever read (The Sisters of the Sun Trilogy) and starting me on a long delirious love affair with the genre. This is a big year for her: two of her books are 2008 RITA finalists and the RWA is honoring her with a lifetime service award. She was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions.

Raintree: Haunted is a finalist for the 2008 RITA and earned 4.5 Stars from the Romantic Times, which called it “nonstop action from start to finish.”

Prince of Magic is also a 2008 RITA finalist and earned 4 Stars from the Romantic Times. Publishers Weekly wrote that the story has “Punchy battle scenes and steamy lovemaking,” and praised Jones’s “gift for creating complex heroes and villains.”

Ciara: This year you are being honored with the RWA’s Emma Merritt Service Award. Can you tell us about the service you have done to earn this distinction? How has working with the RWA aided your development as a writer?

Linda: I was shocked when Sherry Lewis called to tell me that I was getting this award. It truly is such an honor. I served on the RWA Board of Directors as a Regional Director for four years. Honestly, I don’t feel my contributions were more worthy than those of so many other women who served on the board. Everyone who reads the Policy and Procedure manual from beginning to end deserves some sort of award! <g>

Serving on the board was such an interesting and rich experience, and I made many very good friends in those four years. Nothing is accomplished by one person alone. The best of our accomplishments were joint efforts, always. I truly am honored that the current board believes I made a significant contribution.

Ciara: Lets talk about the RITA, the Oscar of the Romance Industry. You won in 2004 for Shades of Midnight, and are a double finalist this year for Prince of Magic and Raintree:Haunted, all in the paranormal category. How did you feel when you got the call?

Linda: Long before I was a finalist, I heard the words “It’s an honor just to be nominated,” or other words to that effect. Until I got the first RITA call, I had no idea how true those words are. I was thrilled, of course. I’m not one to scream into the phone, but I did laugh (perhaps a bit hysterically) and once I was off the phone I did a little dance around the kitchen. (Because dancing is always an appropriate response to good news.) This year Donna Grant called me, and honestly, I thought the contest calls were going out the following day. I greeted her with a “what’s up?” and thought she was calling about some old board business. So, I was truly shocked, and then to be told I was a double finalist – more dancing was called for. Lots of phone calls and e-mails to friends and editors. Celebrations ensued. And then I had to make dinner and do laundry and get back to the work in progress, since a deadline is looming.

While I would of course love to win, it’s true that to be in such great company is an honor. When I won in 2004 I was sitting with my friend Lori Handeland, who had insisted that I write out something just in case. I had a short list of people I’d have to thank if I did win, and when my category came around and they started calling out the names of finalists, I realized I didn’t have a chance so I stuck that piece of paper somewhere in my program. Then they called my name and Lori screamed at me and I’m desperately looking through my program for that scrap of paper while she’s trying to push me out of my chair. <g>

Ciara: How did you get started writing paranormal and what has influenced you most in your work in this sub-genre?

Linda: While not technically paranormal, my first crack at stories which were very much out of the ordinary were with the fairy tale romances I wrote for Leisure/Lovespell. I loved writing those books! They were so different, and so much fun. From there it was a short hop to time travel, then to ghosts, and finally to fantasy set in an alternate world. It’s almost as if you give your brain permission to go beyond the bounds of reality, and it happily takes off.

Influences are everywhere, in fiction and in non-fiction, in television and in music. Often simply in letting your mind roam completely free. No constraints, no boundaries. You ask that question that always has to be asked – What if? – and then sit back and listen.

The characters from Sisters of the Sun, my first trilogy with Berkley, had been with me for a while before I actually got them onto paper. I could see the first chapter or two, but then it died from there. Nothing. Nada. Their stories just didn’t go anywhere. Then one day I was in the hammock in my back yard, watching the sky and thinking about the Fyne sisters, and it came to me out of nowhere. “They’re not from here.” From that moment The Sun Witch, and the other books in that series, flowed.

Ciara: You have written in many sub-genres under the names Linda Devlin, Linda Fallon, Linda Jones, Linda Winstead, and Linda Winstead Jones. What was your favorite book to write, and why?

Linda: You might as well ask me who my favorite child is. <g> The Sun Witch was very special, as was Cash. Madigan’s Wife, one of my first Intimate Moments, because I adored Ray. Raintree: Haunted, for so many reasons, not the least of which was Gideon. Prince of Magic, because Sian really spoke to me. I’m seeing a pattern here. Love the hero, love the book. There have been several favorites over the years, but the true favorite has to be the one I’m working on at that moment – whatever that moment might be.

Ciara: You were first published in 1994. What got you interested/started in writing and how long was your path to publication?

Linda: Like so many writers, I’ve been a reader all my life. As a child, as a teenager. I even loved writing term papers in high school, which definitely marked me as different. When I was in my mid-twenties, I took a creative writing course. We wrote poems and vignettes, and that was enough to get me hooked. With three small children, there was little time to write, but I tried. Those early efforts were not particularly good, but I learned a lot. It was strictly a part time hobby, one I gave up when my husband and I opened our own picture frame shop. With three kids in school and a business that was opened six days a week, there was no time for any hobby, much less writing a book.

In a twisted way, running that business is what lead me into writing. After a few years my husband took a job that took him out of town for weeks at a time, leaving me with a business and three kids who were attending three different schools. They all had activities – band, baseball, soccer, roller hockey. I painted the living room pink, but what the heck? I did it all. Now and then someone would as me how I got it all done, which surprised me. I got it all done because I had no choice. Being in that position made me realize that I was capable of doing whatever I wanted to do. And though it had been a while since I’d written anything, I knew I wanted to write.

When the lease on our shop was up, I told my husband I wanted two years to see if I could sell a book. He agreed, but he saved all our framing equipment so if things didn’t work out we could go back into that business. We closed the shop in August 1992. I set up my typewriter (yes, my TYPEWRITER) at the dining room table, and I wrote Guardian Angel. I bought a copy of The Writer’s Market and found a publisher that accepted unagented books (and also published western romance) and in May 1993 I sent them the first three chapters of my book. (without making a copy. Yowza.) In June I got a request for the full and sent them the rest (since of course that was all I had. Again, no copies.) In June I also found a local RWA chapter, which was a real turning point for me. I remember walking into the room and realizing that these were my people. They still are. In October of that year, I went to my first writer’s conference, Moonlight and Magnolias in Atlanta. I didn’t get much sleep that weekend, so when I got that call Monday morning, I was asleep on the couch and dazed when I talked to Alicia Condon at Leisure. I wrote all the details of the offer on a MacDonald’s napkin that was sitting nearby. <g> My first book was released in August 1994, exactly two years after we closed the frame shop.

And so it goes.

Ciara: What advice would you give writers just starting out?

Linda: Join a writing group – RWA or something else that suits you. We write alone, but the support of a group is invaluable. Also, don’t allow yourself to be paralyzed by the constant bombardment of rules that are around these days. Tell the story – that’s the most important thing.

Ciara: In your opinion, what are the most important elements of good writing?

Linda: There’s good writing and there’s good story telling. I’m not a perfect technical writer, I realize that, and the books I love might not be technically perfect. Compelling characters and a gripping story are what will bring a reader to an author again and again. What one man loves another will not, but in the end I don’t know anyone who raves about sentence structure or the scathingly brilliant use of adverbs. <g> Not to say that anyone wants to read a grammatical mess, of course, but loving the characters and caring about them is what makes for a great book, IMO.

Ciara: What is your favorite book of all time, and why?

Linda: This changes, too. I grew up devouring Nancy Drew, and for a long time Little Women was my favorite book. Then Gone With the Wind. The Stand, by Stephen King, Son of the Morning, by Linda Howard. I couldn’t possibly pick one.

Ciara: What are you working on next?

Linda: I’m working on another Nocturne, currently titled The Last of the Ravens – though of course that title could change. The story is set in the mountains of Tennessee, near to the place my good friends and I sometimes go to unwind, shop, and plot.

Ciara: If you could leave your readers with one legacy, what would you want it to be?

Linda: Legacy is a strong word. <g> All I want to do is make my readers laugh and cry and escape from real life for a while.

Thank you so much Linda! I look forward to meeting you at the Book Signing Event at the National RWA Conference in July!

County Kerry is “as close as you’ll get to the mythical Ireland,” according to the Lonely Planet Guidebook. An’ sure it is: a beautiful land of green fields, sheep and gorse, ancient rock walls, with purple mountains hovering in the distance. One can almost imagine behind the fog lie the shimmering gates of Tir na nog. The countryside is what I imagined Ireland would look like – rocky. It is an unforgiving land

Killarney is a lovely town, bustling with colorful shops and pubs, sure to be crawling with tourists in the summer. We enjoyed our stay, but will stay further off the beaten track on our next trip to the Emerald Isle. Our B&B, while the “best pick” of Lonely Planet, blared Enya through the hallways. One of the restaurants showed Riverdance on repeat. If I worked in Killarney, surely I would go mad.

Kerry is home of Killarney National Park, the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, and the tallest mountain in the country Carrauntoohil. Our hiking guidebook is Carrauntoohil & MacGillycuddy’s Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland’s Highest Mountains by Jim Ryan. Our first day in Killarney we hiked part of walk #17: Caher from the Lack Road. With a hunk of good Dingle Cheddar and some crackers, we were good to go. It was steep, but we had pleasant weather and the sheep kept us company. The lambs are in abundance – just as cute as can be. Ryan had to ruin it by ordering lamb stew for dinner, but I, as a vegetarian, can coo all I want over the little fluff balls.

Thursday we hiked the Gap of Dunloe, along a tarmac road. The weather held off for the most part, but we never did find the path up the mountain. Some of the hiking trails are well marked and others are not. On an abandoned cottage I saw my name graffitied for the very first time – thrilling! The road took us over picturesque stone bridges and along blue mountain lakes. It was grand. Next time we will rent bikes in Killarney and bike through the Gap and take a boat ride along the lakes. A jaunting car (aka a horse-drawn buggy) can be hired to traverse the Gap as well.

Friday we climbed the highest mountain in Ireland via the Devil’s Ladder. The thing is appropriately named. I thought for sure if the rocks didn’t kill me, the wind would. It was cold. It was steep. It was intense. It was foggy at the top and the view was obscured. But the company was fine and I felt good having made the climb. Climb every mountain, and all that. Whoot! I even saw a green bunny. It’s Ireland, isn’t it, so why ever not? It matched the mossy grass exactly. I wouldn’t have seen it if I hadn’t almost stepped on the poor wee thing.

1. April 21: Author Linda Winstead Jones interview on Ciaralira. Linda is being honored by the RWA Emma Merrit Award this year and is a double finalist for the 2008 RITA in the paranormal category.
2. April 21: Author Elizabeth Bolye presentation on Discovering Jane Austen’s England at Snoqualmie Library at 7pm.
3. April 26: Rose City Romance Writer’s Readers Luncheon and romance author book signing, 10 am to 2 pm at the Governor’s Hotel in Portland, Oregon.
   
4. April 30: Author Alice Hoffman at the Bellevue Regional Library at 12:30 pm.
5. End of April: Author Hank Phillippi Ryan interview on Ciaralira. Hank is a finalist for the 2008 RITA in the best first book category, and the author of our first Aspiring Romance Author Book Club book.
6. May 1-31: Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research
7. May 3: Greater Seattle RWA meeting – Author Marianne Stillings presents on Writing with Emotion, 10-noon.
8. May 4: Aspiring Romance Author Book Club meeting – Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan, 2008 RITA finalist.
9. May 13: Author Charlaine Harris reading and book signing at University Book Store in Seattle, 7pm.
10. May 14: Author Jane Porter, 2008 RITA finalist, reading and book signing at University Book Store in Bellevue, 7 pm.
11. May 16: multi-author Romance book signing including Meljean Brook at Powells Books in Beaverton, Oregon, details hopefully to come.
12. July 17-20: Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference, Blake Snyder to speak Sunday.
13. July 30-August 2: Romance Writers of America National Conference in San Francisco.

The Ireland countryside is slightly rolling hills with farmland stretching for miles in either direction. A landscape of green and brown, dotted with puffs of white sheep. It is familiar; it could be any stretch of farmland in western Washington. Unlike Sweden and Germany, the small towns that crop up are, surprisingly, not dominated by towering church spires. They are a hodgepodge. A mishmash. New buildings mixed with meandering old rock walls. Stone ruins appear out of nowhere; a bit of history seamlessly integrated with modern life.

Towns line the road from Dublin to Cork; pubs entice the weary traveler. Cork is a breath of fresh air. Bright colors jump out, cheering the sunlight and the merry rolling river and the enthusiastic hordes of shoppers. Rowhomes flash pink and blue and green along narrow curving streets (see photo).

The Gift of Gab

Just north of Cork is Blarney Castle. I searched the hilltops for signs of a ruined stronghold, while my quarry hid itself away in a valley. I thought castles were supposed to guard the higher ground? Apparently not. The picturesque stone ruin sits in a lovely park of cherry blossoms and a burbling brook. When you visit take time to explore the gardens. Perhaps bring a book and a picnic lunch. Ryan took some video of the grounds, which I’ll post when we get better internet. The site is a mecca for tourists, but we were lucky to have few compatriots in our quest for the stone. The site is extremely well signed with interesting tidbits of history and cartoons.

Queen Victoria is said to have first coined the term “to talk Blarney” when Lord Blarney was able to talk for hours without agreeing to a thing. Legends abound about the origins of the Blarney Stone, but one thing is for sure: launching a writing career would not be complete without a pilgrimage to kiss this magic icon, thereby obtaining the Gift of Eloquence. To do so, the aspirant must climb to the top of the tower, up a very narrow circular staircase, then lie back over the edge of the precipice and pucker up. An attendant is there to whisk you through, preventing over much contemplation of the stone itself. I’ll put the video of my homage up at the end of the week, as well as photos.

From Blarney we continued on to Killarney in County Kerry, where we will spend the rest of the week. Killarney hosts the tallest mountains in Ireland and a host of historic sites, as well as the magical Ring of Kerry.

Ann Aquirre guest posted on It’s Not Chick Porn about writer’s block and how giving yourself the permission to suck is the best way to get your manuscript finished. READ IT

I have dreamed of Ireland: of walking in the footsteps of my ancestors, of listening to the uilleann pipes over a pint of cider, of walking o’er the rocky green hills with the scent of magic tinglin’ on the mornin’ wind. I walked off the plane early Saturday after many torturous hours without sleep and stuck with a bad romance novel (ugg, what could be worse? Rape is NOT an acceptable activity for a hero. Never, never. NEVER!). The customs officer made it all worthwhile when I handed her my passport – “So, KEEH-rah, how long is your stay in Ireland?” To hear my name pronounced correctly on the first try – it’s grand! I’ve dreamed of this moment for 25 long years.

The Black Pool

Ireland’s capital was built at the mouth of the River Liffey where a deep harbor made it attractive to the Vikings to build a world-class trading city out of a tiny settlement. If you are interested in learning more, Edward Rutherfurd’s book The Princes of Ireland covers the first 1000 years of Dublin’s history through the fictional lives of a few generations of Dubliners, covering the pagans, St. Patrick, the Book of Kells, Brian Boru, the Vikings, Christ Church, and King Henry II. The book is a great way to learn the history of this great city for people who don’t like reading history books, though the fictional sketches aren’t very happy. (‘Tisn’t a romance novel, ye ken?) The second book in the Ireland Saga is The Rebels of Ireland, which I haven’t read. If you want a great read about The Troubles check out Leon Uris’ Trinity. Michael Collins, staring Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, and Julia Roberts, and is a must-see movie about the establishment of the Irish free state in the 1920s.

In Dublin’s Fair City

The city lacks the towering office buildings that make up most international metropolises (at least in the historic downtown where we stayed). The short Georgian rowhomes, with the elegant doors that make up tourist posters, create picturesque brick streetscapes. The Temple Bar neighborhood is rife with narrow twisting streets, packed full of bar-hoppers in the evening, even on a Sunday. The large pedestrian mall of Grafton Street, where the movie Once was filmed, is an excellent example of good planning (says the former city planning student). On Saturday we wandered the streets, saw the Molly Malone statue (see photo), visited the lovely Victorian garden of St. Stephen’s Green and enjoyed a pint at The Stags Head in the Temple Bar district where the bartender regaled us with tales of the beauty of Killarney, our next stop and his hometown.

Church and Crumpets

On Sunday we escaped a sudden shower (one of many) inside the medieval Christ Church Cathedral, the oldest church in the city. Though typical of a gothic church, the colorful floor tiles made it unique. Afterwards we walked east through the hodgepodge Dublin Castle and on to Merrion Square where we had Afternoon Tea (and escaped another shower) at the Merrion Hotel. Merrion Street is the place to go if you want to take your own photographs of Georgian doors. In the evening we had planned to take the Musical Pub Crawl to learn all about traditional Irish music (my favorite), but jet lag caused me to miss the start. We wandered the green bridges over the Liffey until we found a little pub with a two man Trad band.

Treats for Next Time (and there will be a next time)

We did not see the Book of Kells at Trinity College because the Lonely Planet Guidebook warned us that it was really only the Page of Kells on display. I own a copy of the illustrations at home anyway. Next time I visit I would like to take the Easter Rising Tour and see the bullet-ridden Post Office.

My complete photos of Dublin are up on Flickr (including some video), but the internet service here in Killarney isn’t fast enough to upload photos, so you’ll have to wait to see the Ring of Kerry and Blarney Castle till I get back to the Westin Dublin on Saturday.

Monday we left for Killarney in County Kerry, driving through County Cork where I kissed the Blarney Stone, thereby securing my future as a writer (or at least a blogger).

Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin NEXT
Category: Romantic Suspense
Interview on Single Titles

The first book for the Aspiring Romance Author Book Club is Prime Time by Hank Philipi Ryan. If you would like to join us, please read the book by May 4th. We will be interviewing Hank and discussing the techniques she used to create a RITA Best First Book Finalist! Here are some questions to keep in mind while you read and annotate! (Oh, Doctor Lightfoot would be so proud).

Setting

• Is a compelling atmosphere created and sustained? What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
• Is the setting a character? Does it come to life?
• How does the setting relate to the plot? Does it help increase the tension? Does it contribute to the transformation?
• What techniques did the author use in world-building? Did the author follow her own rules? (mostly for paranormal books)

Theme

• What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the novel?
• What do you think he or she is trying to get across to the reader?
• Are the book’s themes treated in an original or unusual way?

Plot

• What devices does the author use to create tension in the external conflict?
• What devices does she create tension in the internal conflict?
• How do the external and internal conflicts relate to each other?
• How does the plot follow the Hero’s Journey or Blake Snyder’s 15 beats?
• How does the author increase dramatic tension during the climax?
• Are there plot twists?
• Is the scene or chapter goal evident? Is it working toward the story’s overall goal?
• What were the secondary plots, and how did they contribute to the main story?

Character

• How does the author make them sympathetic? (Save the Cat)
• What are the characters’ motivations? Strengths? Weaknesses?
• What archetypes do the characters fit?
• How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story?
• What events trigger such changes?
• How do secondary characters add to the narrative? Are the secondary characters complete or one-dimensional “talking heads.”
• Problems: were the characters held accountable? Did they act according to their personalities?

Style

• How does the author’s style contribute to (or detract from) the impact of the book?
• What did the author do to achieve emotional impact?
• How did the author use Non-Verbal Communication to increase the tension or communicate emotion?
• Do any phrases, characters, or plot devices jump out as cliché?
• Subtext / Whitespace: Is the reader allowed to fill in the blanks occasionally?
• Does the author establish any patterns (repetitions of imagery, words or events) to communicate the mood/emotion/theme?
• Does the author use symbolism effectively?

Dialog

• Was it believable?
• Does each character have a unique speaking style? Ie, if you covered the tags could you tell who was speaking?

Other

• Why was this book chosen as a RITA finalist?