BLURB:
…Like the Wild
Geese of Old Ireland, five boys grew to manhood despite hunger, war, and the
mean streets of New York…
She was
everything he despised…but he didn’t know it
Cathal Donnelly
washed up on the shores of an Atlantic island one stormy night, with no memory
of who he was or why he was there. But is his lovely rescuer his salvation…or
his doom?
She dreamed of a
very different life
Laura Bainbridge
has spent her entire life on tiny Turtle Island, but she dreams of a Season in
London and a presentation to Queen Victoria. Can a handsome Irish stranger with
a golden tongue and a disturbing past change her heart and convince her to
stay?
As Cathal’s memory
slowly returns, both he and Laura must come to grips with his painful past…and
fight for a future free of hatred and loss.
EXCERPT:
He
moaned again, but made no further response. A cloud skimmed across the moon and
away again, leaving her with an unimpeded view of his sleeping face. She caught
her breath.
He
was beautiful.
His
skin was fair but for the nasty gash at his temple. A livid scrape slashed
across one high cheekbone. His long black curls flopped wetly over his
forehead, and Laura fought the urge to brush them back…
His
brows were long, dark slashes against the pallor of his high forehead, the two
vertical lines between them the only sign of his conflict. A soft moan spilled
from his full lips, making her wonder what it might be like to be kissed by
that oh-so-masculine mouth.
Her
fascinated gaze roved over the freckles sprinkled across his long straight
nose, the tiny dent in his chin that surely must deepen into a cleft when he
smiled. He shifted restlessly, drawing her gaze to the broad shoulders encased
in white wool, down the long body and along his well-muscled legs. His hands
were large and square, calloused and bleeding. One of them clutched a canvas
bag in a death grip.
“They’re
coming for us.” His deep voice vibrated with raw anguish. “We’ve got to…get out
of here. Now!” He tried to rise, but fell back with a helpless half-groan.
INTERVIEW:
- Where
did you get the idea for the novel?
In my second novel, Coming Home, my hero, Cavan Callaghan,
is a veteran of the American Civil War who fought with Thomas Francis Meagher’s
Irish Brigade. As I researched their exploits at Antietam, I found myself
fascinated. In fact, General Robert E. Lee said of the Irish Brigade after the
Battle of Marye’s Heights, “Never were men so brave.” And it was from that
research that the Wild Geese Series was born.
Keeper of
the Light is Book II of the series. Those of you who have read the
first book, Deceptive Hearts, will
recognize my hero, Cathal Donnelly. He’s the dreamer of the group, the story
teller and the singer of songs – mostly Irish rebel songs. He became involved
with the Fenian movement, and he’s a bit of a rebel. That’s why he just had to
wash up on Turtle Island, a place populated by descendants of the United Empire
Loyalists, who left the United States for Canada rather than renounce their
British heritage.
- Your
title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title?
I came up with the title, and yes, I
changed it several times. At first it was “The Rising of the Moon,” after an
old Irish rebel song. Then it became “Laura’s Lighthouse.” But finally, I
decided on “Keeper of the Light,” a reference not only to Spirit Lighthouse,
where Laura Bainbridge lives with her father, the lighthouse keeper, but also
to the light Cathal found in Laura herself.
- Why
did you pick this genre? What do you like about it?
I think the historical romance genre
picked me, rather than vice versa. I’ve always loved to read historical
romance. I love to get swept away to another place and time!
- Since
becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
I’ve had so many amazing experiences
since becoming a published author. Book signings, meeting people I might never
have me otherwise. Holding a book with my name on it. But probably the most
exciting experience was my trip to Ireland in 2009. It was during that trip
that I was able to visit Dunguaire Castle, the medieval castle in Kinvara,
Galway, that’s on the cover of my first book, In Sunshine or in Shadow. That
visit was one of the most moving experiences of my life. It was almost as if
I’d been there before, as if I’d walked the grounds at another time.
- What
book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
Sometimes a Rogue, by Mary Jo
Putney. It’s part of her Lost Lords series. She’s my favorite author, and since
this one is set partly in Ireland, it made the story even more special.
- What
is your writing process?
I start with a character, usually my
hero, but occasionally my heroine. I’ll “interview” my characters to get their
back story, and the plot usually comes from there. I don’t plot very far in
advance, maybe a few scenes, at most a chapter or two, and the characters will
usually reveal the story as I’m writing it.
- At a
book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do
you come up with stuff to say?
When doing a book signing, I like to
write a note. I always put the date and the person’s name (or the person they
specify if it’s a gift). As to what I write, it depends on who the book is for.
If it’s someone I know personally, I’ll say something that refers to our
friendship. If it’s for a stranger, I’ll write something like “I hope you enjoy
Cathal and Laura’s story” or “Enjoy your visit to Turtle Island” or something about
the book to (hopefully) interest them.
- What
is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I’m a collector (some would say
hoarder). I collect odd things like sea shells from various summer holidays,
brass pencil sharpeners (in interesting shapes ranging from an old Victrola to
a spinning wheel), and music boxes. There’s no rhyme or reason to these
collections, it’s just the ones I see, like, and decide to pick up or buy.
- How
do you react to a bad review?
A review is one person’s opinion. I keep
reminding myself of that. Maybe they had a bad day, or don’t like Irish heroes
or my setting or something else about the book. I try not to let myself be hurt
by a bad review and concentrate on the good ones.
- How
did you celebrate the sale of your first book?
The day I got the
e-mail offering me my first contract, I took my daughter to see a touring
production of the musical “Cats.” Actually, we already had the tickets, but it
made the whole day (which included lunch at MacDonald’s) even more special.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
I believe I was destined to
be interested in history. One of my distant ancestors, Thomas Aubert,
reportedly sailed up the St. Lawrence River to discover Canada some 26 years
before Jacques Cartier’s 1534 voyage. Another relative was a 17thCentury
“King’s Girl,” one of a group of young unmarried girls sent to New France (now
the province of Quebec) as brides for
the habitants (settlers) there.
My passion for reading made
me long to write books like the ones I enjoyed, and I tried penning sequels to
my favorite Nancy Drew mysteries. Later, fancying myself a female version of
Andrew Lloyd Weber, I drafted a musical set in Paris during WWII.
A former journalist and
lifelong Celtophile, I enjoyed a previous career as a reporter/editor for a
small chain of community newspapers before returning to my first love, romantic
fiction. My stories usually include an Irish setting, hero or heroine, and
sometimes all three. I’m the author of The Claddagh Series, historical romances
set in Ireland and beyond. The first three books in The Claddagh Series, In
Sunshine or in Shadow, Coming Home, and Playing For Keeps, are all available
from Highland Press. Deceptive Hearts, the first book in The Wild Geese Series,
has just been released, and Book II, Keeper of the Light, will soon be released
in October, 2013.
I am a member of the Romance
Writers of America, Hearts Through History Romance Writers, and Celtic Hearts
Romance Writers. A lifelong resident of Montreal, Canada, I still live there
with my own Celtic hero and our two teenaged children.
Website:
http://authorcynthiaowens.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCynthiaOwens
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Cynwrites1
Buy Links:
Amazon -
Kindle
Barnes & Noble
Nook
Smashwords
Chapters
The Book Depository
Booksamillion
Foyle’s
Powell’s Books
GIVEAWAY:
Cynthia will be awarding a signed print copy of "Deceptive
Hearts," Book I of The Wild Geese Series (Keeper of the Light is Book II),
and a handmade beaded bookmark (US/Canada only) to a randomly drawn commenter
during the tour, and a GRAND PRIZE of a sterling silver Claddagh necklace will
be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US/Canada only)
The more you comment,
the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Alisia, thanks so much for hosting me . I hope to meet many of your readers here today!
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excerpt and the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Glad you enjoyed the post, Natasha, best of luck to you in the give-away!
DeleteInteresting story
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thanks, bn! :)
DeleteThank you again for having me as your guest this week. The winners of my Virtual Book Tour are:
ReplyDeleteNatasha D won the copy of "Deceptive Hearts," Book I of The Wild Geese Series.
And TisEyerish won the sterling silver Claddagh pendant.
Congratulations, ladies!