This week on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked to describe our earliest memory...
Well, there are a couple of contenders, since it's hard for me to judge exactly how old I was in any of them...or whether they actually occurred. Did I really astrally project during nap time in order to retrieve a forgotten toy? It's impossible to say. I'm more confident in the memory of riding my tricycle while my grandmother watched.
If I try really hard, I can bring back the scents of the day--the damp bricks of the patio, the green moss that grew between them. I can feel the sun on my skin, the cool breeze.
Mostly, of course, I remember my grandmother who moved in to help take care of me when I was a newborn, and never left. She came from Ireland (on her own at the age of thirteen--which is its own, very interesting story). But memory is a funny thing. I never heard a hint of an accent when my grandmother spoke until years after her death when I heard a recording and realized it had been there all along.
This week I'm promoting two books set in the Ireland of my grandmother's childhood--with the addition of magic, of course. Because shape-shifters, demi-gods and faery princesses make every story better!
Now, hop on over to Andie Fenichel's page to learn about her earliest memories. And don't forget to check out her book, Summer Lane:
Summer Lane
Georgia
It’s a terrible idea to accept a date with the guy I found passed out on my porch, but there’s something about Drew Hill that I can’t resist. I’ve been working as the outdoor activities director at Mountain Ridge Resort for a couple of years and have never been tempted to date a guest. I’ve steered clear of getting involved with anyone. I don’t like to let the grass grow under my feet. I move around. I like it that way. Don’t I?
No one has ever looked at me the way Drew does. As terrified as I am, my Lane family instincts tell me to roll with it. Besides, he’ll be gone in a week. Maybe a few days of heaven are worth a broken heart.
Drew
The last thing I need is to get involved in a serious relationship. Family history taught me counting on anyone will just get you burned and leave you broken. It’s not as if I made a good impression on the stunning Georgia Lane. I got drunk, lost my way, and passed out on her porch. Not my finest moment. Instead of rolling me down the hill, as she should have, she took care of me. She might be the kindest person I’ve ever known. I tell myself to walk away, enjoy my guys' golf week with my friends, and go home unshackled. Still… I'm not ready to walk away from her. One date can't amount to anything. Can it?
Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Lane-Mountain-Ridge-Resort-ebook/dp/B09ZJ9RT91
IRON
Nineteenth century Ireland. Blacksmith Gavin O'Malley is a bitter man, with a heart as hard as the iron he forges. He wants his life back--the one that was stolen from him the day his wife died in childbirth--taking their firstborn son with her.
When Aislinn Deirbhile, an immortal, shape-shifting fae, arrives on his doorstep, he knows he's in luck. For Aislinn can give Gavin everything he's been missing: A devoted-seeming wife in the image of his beloved Mairead, and children who are sure to outlive their father. Now, all he has to do is find a way to keep her--without losing his immortal soul in the process.
But Aislinn has an agenda of her own. On the run from a vengeful fae lord who's vowed to either make her his or end her existence, she knows the iron that allows Gavin to take her captive will also keep her pursuers at bay. In order to put herself permanently beyond her enemy's reach, however, Aislinn will need something more. She'll need to win Gavin's heart and convince him to willingly part with a piece of the very soul he's trying to save.
OAK
This title was previously published as The Oak King.
Twice each year, Aine Murphy ventures into the woods to hold ceremonies to honor the Oak King and the Holly King, never dreaming these Lords of the Forest could be anything more than myth. When the legends spring to life in front of her, how can she help but fall for the sexy demi-gods she's loved all her life?
From midwinter to midsummer, Fionn O'Dair rules the Greenworld as the Oak King--a role he feels is beyond his abilities, and one that dooms him to a loveless future, forever craving the one man he can never allow himself to have. How can he resist what Aine offers--the sweet devotion that soothes his aching soul, and the slim chance to live a "normal" life as her husband, if only for half a year?
Holly King Kieran Mac Cuilenn never desired a human lover--until now. Seeing Fionn and Aine together fills him with longing for the love he threw away and awakens feelings he thought he'd buried with the last Oak King. Is there enough magic in the solstice to correct the mistakes he made years ago? Or is he doomed to be forever left out in the cold?
