Cate Morgan's Blog, page 14

Author’s Log: Goal Keeping Without A Mask (& #ROW80)

*skids out from end of the week*

*wild-eyed*

*pants heavily*

Wow, what a week. I launched my pre-release plans for Brighid’s Mark. I averaged 1,000 words a day on Searcher. I’m deep into rewrites on The Minstrel’s Daughter and revisions on Waking Muse #1. Somehow, I managed to shoehorn in a little violin and piano practice here and there.

Sleep? What is this “sleep” you speak of? *suspicious*

Luckily I had a three day weeked due to Good Friday, so I had a few blocks of time open up for me that I normally wouldn’t have had otherwise. I may not be so lucky this week, but we’ll see.

 

 Production Schedule (&ROW80):

Draft SEARCHER–ACT I (30,000 words): On Target

Current Status: 19,069

Next Step: Reach 26K words by 4/26

I am somehow managing to keep up with my word count thus far, which makes me very happy indeed–I’m over halfway complete with ACT I! Woo-hoo!! I missed writing on Thursday, so put myself on double word count probation on Friday. This week I reached one of those really magical moments when my protagonist and I had a breakthrough at the same moment, and I ended up weeping over my keyboard even as Ana wept. She thought she had been broken, but when she realized she was still whole and real inside we both experienced a cathartic release. I don’t know if a lot of authors experience this, or if it’s a product of my theatre background, but it was pretty awesome either way.

Revise Waking Muse #1 (Contemporary Romance Novella): On Target

Current Status: Chapters 4-6 revised

Next Step: Revise final chapters. One final read-through after, and it’s off to be Pink Hammered at The Forge.

I’d forgotten how much I liked my protagonist’s brother, Charlie. Every time he’s on stage he makes me smile, and I think readers will really take to him. He’s outrageous as well as being a talented composer, and sings off key whenever his sister phones him. In other words, he’s delightfully Irish.

R&D on Waking Muse #2: On Target

Current Status: Researching the food and wine culture in Montreal

Next Step: Find residences for my two main characters–I’d love it if my chef could live on either a sail boat or a house boat somewhere in the city. Then I need to come up with a plot architecture and character sketches.

Draw up marketing plan for BRIGHID’S MARK (Keepers of the Flame #2): QUEST COMPLETE!

On Tuesday, April 15 I announced BIG DANG GIVEAWAY, which lists, like, 17 ways folks can wrestle an ARC out of my cold, trembling, ink-stained fingers. (Okay, so not 17–but it’s a lot). BIG DANG GIVEAWAY is active until Monday, April 28, so be sure to check it out while my sanity lasts. :-D

Also on April 15 I began posting daily snippets from Brighid’s Mark on Facebook and Twitter–I actually got smart (and Facebook actually got savvy) and scheduled my Facebook posts ahead of time, which will then cross pollinate to Twitter. These daily posts will continue until launch.

Next Sunday (April 27) The Tech Monkey and I are going to whip up a Book Launch feast of traditional New Orleans goodies and rum drinks to celebrate Brighid’s Mark‘s release on April 29. *tigger bounce*

This week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I’ll be releasing Chapters 7-9 of Origins #2 on Wattpad. Then, on April 28 (the following Monday), I’ll release the Epilogue. Readers will then be able to move straight from Callie’s origin story to it’s conclusion in Brighid’s Mark. Conversely, readers of Mark will be able to easily–and for free–discover how Callie became a Keeper of the Flame in the first place.

 

BIG DANG GIVEAWAY: Win An ARC of BRIGHID’S MARK (#Keepers2 #giveaway)

Hey, that rhymed!

I know, I know…get to the free book stuff already. Still–rhyme! YAY! (I am easily amused, obviously.)

Anyhoo, I’m happy to announce that anyone–and I do mean ANYONE who does any of the following and cops to it beginning Tuesday, April 15 (today) and ending Monday, April 28 will  get a free ARC of Brighid’s Mark (Keepers of the Flame #2). Link backs can be posted in the comments or emailed to me directly for verification at cstcross [at] gmail [dot] com.

LET THE BIG DANG GIVEAWAY BEGIN! HUZZAH!!

Giveaway #1: Review Giveaway

Review (honestly) any of my available books or stories (including Flash Fiction!) at your favorite book place or online nest and link back to said review for verification.

Giveaway #2: Big Easy Giveaway

(a) Are you from, a fan of, or ever visited New Orleans? Live there now? Have a favorite book, movie, or TV show that takes place there? What was (or is) your favorite part about the Crescent City? Share your best experience or a favorite picture/thing at your favorite online place, link back here. Bonus points (i.e. bragging rights) for getting Jackson Square in the mix!

(b) New Orleans is famous for its food and rum drinks (among other things). Share your favorite recipe(s) at your online space and, of course, link back. I might even make a few and share the pictures! (Mmmm….rum….)

Giveaway #3: Recruit A Keeper Giveaway

This one is super-easy. If you don’t already subscribe to this blog via email, or follow me on Facebook or Twitter (or even Google+), do so and PM me a reference to this giveaway with info of how I can best get the book to you. The same applies if you already follow me by your preferred method but you boost the signal for this giveaway to your own social circle of awesome.

I’d love give away tons of copies of Brighid’s Mark, so don’t be shy–the ARC will be in electronic format so it’s not as though I have a limited supply!

One chance for survival, and everyone’s rolling the dice. Even the gods.

Keepers of the Flame, Book 2

 

Callie Trevelyan, Keeper of the Flame, has a reputation as a highly effective demon hunter. So the SOS from New Orleans isn’t a surprise. What is? The news her mentor has been murdered. Keepers are nearly impossible to kill—Callie has the scars to prove it. An even bigger surprise: her partner in the hunt for the murderer is Marked, like her, as a champion.

 

In two centuries of protecting Crescent City from supernatural threats and answering the occasional summons of the Loa, Liam Byrne thought he’d seen everything—until Callie and her entourage take over his life. Their hunt for the demonic killer leads them on a Crossroads journey to betrayals, Otherworld intrigue and, eventually, each other.

 

But the Demon patiently awaits Callie’s arrival on the battlefield. Callie is ready and willing, but there’s just one problem: Brighid’s Flame, the source of her power, is every bit as missing as Eva’s soul. And as the full truth unfolds, Callie realizes she’s in for the fight of her life.

 

If she’s lucky, winning will only cost her everything.

**Product Warnings**

Contains magical tattoos, angsty demon hunters, tricksy Loa, smokin’ hot…jazz…in the Big Easy, and rum. Lots of rum.

 

 

 

Author’s Log: And The Plates Spin On (& #ROW80)

 So I’ve got a little more than two weeks left before the released of Brighid’s Mark (Keepers of the Flame #2), and boy are my arms tired! *whew*

This week I got a new weekly planner/monthly planner for goal-oriented individuals (who, me? Goals? Noooo…) a la Franklin Covey, only WAAAAAAAY cheaper and less cumbersome. It’s from a place called Toolkit4Wisdom. It isn’t quite what I need, but close enough to make quality whiskey (um, I mean BOOKS, we’re a Bookshop here, nothing here but us books, REALLY) on a regular basis, so for the price I’ll take it.

Ahem. ANYWAY.

I got rid of a couple of pages from my site, and added a couple of new ones, since you guys seem to be creamy, yummy mixture of readers as well as writers (and sometimes both, like chocolate/vanilla swirl ice cream with sprinkles). So, appropriately, I added a “For Readers” page that looks at my available and forthcoming series with deeper detail than the blurbs on my home page. In addiiton, I’ve added “For Writers”, with resources and links for my fellow scribes. I’ll add to both pages as applicable and, as always, feed you guys a steady diet of updates.

Speaking of goals, and books, and not whiskey AT ALL, let’s see how my quest log’s looking as of Saturday, 4/12:

Draft SEARCHER–ACT I (30,000 words) On Target

Current Status: 10,176 words

Next step: 19,000 words by 4/19

I’m really liking where this story is going so far. The world-building is coming along rather well, I think, and I’ve got my two main characters escaping captivity and a nice, twisted black well of snakes called “polictical intrigue” started. The fact I’ve devoured the second season of House of Cards does not bode will for my good guys, let me tell you. My story goal is to get Ana and Owain from a secret cabin on an island in the middle of a lake to the northern, snow-bound hunting lodge of Owain’s cousin–through a blizzard.

Revise Waking Muse #1  On Target

Current Status: Chapters 1-3 revised

Next step: Revise Chapters 4-6

I haven’t looking at this novella in a really long time, and so far I’m quite pleased with how clean the opening chapters are as far as rough drafts go–it reads much closer to a second draft rather than a first. There’s been some cleanup as far as clarity is concerned, but so far, so good.

However, given how messy the characters’ lives are–especially Tamsin’s–I know the draft is about to get messier, because there came a point where I was writing hot and deep enough to scar, and not paying attention to much else. I’m concerned Tamsin’s life might be overly difficult and complicated, but we’ll see how revisions go this week.

Revise and workshop The Minstrel’s Daughter–ACT I In Progress

This one’s taking me a little longer than anticipated to shove through the revision mill (ever have a Play Dough Food Factory as a kid? Yeah, it’s kind of like that). I’m going to step it up a notch over the next few weeks though.

I’m getting some great feedback so far from my fellow Workshoppers on OWW (The Online Writing Workshop for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror). This means there’s going to be A LOT of work involved. I’ve learned that, among other things, I’m overwriting somewhat in an effort to paint a vivid, sensory picture for my readers. I do this a lot, and I usually manage to edit this out.

R&D on Waking Muse #2 In Progress

I didn’t much done on this over the past week, to be honest. But I’m kind of cheating a little in that, since Waking Muse #2 will star a chef, I’m going to the Tech Monkey for assistance. See, the Tech Monkey used to own a fine dining restaurant and jazz club (think The Cotton Club) on one of the old Capone smuggling runs in Wisconsin. So he’s going to share some of his favorite meals from his old menu, so I can–get this–INCLUDE THE RECIPES IN THE BACK OF THE BOOK.

*squeesplode*

I know, right?! So unbelievably excited to do this!

However, the onus is still on me to build fully realized characters, a believable setting, and a story structure so I can begin drafting next month. If you have any stories of living or travelling in Montreal, leave your impressions in the comments or email me–I’d love to hear from you!

Draw up marketing plan for BRIGHID’S MARK (Keepers of the Flame #2) On Target

I’ve got some Facebook and Twitter stuff going on at the moment, but really need to ramp up now. I’ve got a post coming up at Samhain’s romance blog about how the unique history of New Orleans translates to a near-future, apocalyptic landscape.

On the 15th I’ll be announcing not one, but THREE giveaways, so stay tuned for more news.

Post installments of Origins #2 at least 3x/week at Wattpad to gear up for BRIGHID’S MARK release. On Target

Current Status: Chapters 1-3 posted

Next Step: Post Chapters 4-6

According to my current posting schedule Origins #2 (Callie’s origin story) will be complete on Wattpad a few days before Brighid’s Mark‘s release–so a reader could potentially go straight from her origin story to her main story within a matter of days, if you’re keeping score.

See you next week–same Keeper time, same Keeper channel!

 

Author’s Log: Spinning Plates (& #ROW80)

 It’s a fresh new quarter of the year, and I am thrilled–THRILLED, I say–to be starting a new shiny this month. To recap, my 1Q2014 looked a little something like this:

Finish a rough draft of THE MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (fantasy novel);
Begin ACT I Revisions and workshopping THE MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER;
Complete and released Keepers of the Flame: Origins #2 (Apocalyptic Fantasy story);
Prep SEARCHER, new fantasy novel, for drafting
BRIGHID’S MARK release campaign

I drafted 46,758 words last quarter, an average of 15.5k per month.

I’ve still got the last item on my list to contend with, which I’m currently working on. ARCs need to go out as well–if you’d like one, email me at cstcross [at] gmail [dot] com.

My 2Q2014 looks something like this:

April:

Draft SEARCHER–ACT I (30,000 words)
Revise Waking Muse #1 (Contemporary Romance Novella)
R&D on Waking Muse #2
Draw up marketing plan for BRIGHID’S MARK (Keepers of the Flame #2)
Post installments of Origins #2 at least 3x/week to gear up for BRIGHID’S MARK release.

May:

Draft Waking Muse #2 (20-25,000 words)
Revise Keepers of the Flame #4 and release to BETA readers.
R&D on UNTITLED GAME PLEX BOOK #1 (fantasy-ish future geeky novel) to test premise viability
Submit Waking Muse #1 for a thorough Pink Hammering at The Forge.
Reveal Waking Muse #1 Cover Art
Flash Fiction Release (tentative)

June:

Draft GAME PLEX #1–ACT I (30,000 words) (pending viability test)
Revise MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER–ACT II
Prep SEARCHER–ACT II for drafting in July
Release Waking Muse #1
Submit Keepers of the Flame #4 to Editor Awesome (this may end up happening in July)

I need to continue to maintain a drafting average of 1,000 words/day to keep up my momentum, and I’m looking forward to releasing two books this quarter. I might add some flash fiction in May so I have something to release then, too.

Also, I should hear back from Editor Awesome on Keepers #3 at some point.

So, all in all, it’s gonna be a busy few months on this end. How many plates are you guys spinning?

What Kind Of Author Do You Want To Be? (#IWSG)

 I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially as I’m progressing through my Production Schedule for 2014. I’m drafting more, and getting more books out, and am learning more and more what I do well and what I’m not so hot at.

I think this comes down to inspiration, a lot of the time. As much as I love books, there are few that I’m truly blown away by. And what blows me away about these books, ultimately, is the “voice” they have–the dance between character, story, and prose.

In other words: what am I looking for in a book to increase the chances my socks are going to be blown off, and consequently inspires me to write better, both in the stories I write and the way that I write them? What makes my heart go all pitter-pat while I’m reading (chances are, it’s not a shirtless hunk making me swoon). Resonating with your audience = success, but how, exactly, is this accomplished?

Here are my top three criterion in rating my socks-blown-offness factor:

Lyricism

Example: Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

The sheer music of the prose of this book makes me downright giddy. The world-building, the characters–all are seriously wonderful on their own, but they would never live up to their full potential without the stream-like pacing and rhythm of the prose. I’ve been told–by multiple people–that my prose is lyric. But when I compare what I do with all the layers of awesome in Memoirs, it’s like comparing a single instrument or voice to an entire Philharmonic.

Devastating Storytelling

Example: The Replacement and The Space Between (Brenna Yovanoff)

Oh. My. GAWD. I don’t know how Yovanoff does it, but she goes for the throat with Every. Single. Word. She goes beyond lyricism and haunting prose to reach whole new levels of fearless storytelling. Her characters are beyond damaged, making their emotional journeys almost beyond bearing–but still manages to tend that one small, shining kernal of hope. You long for her protagonists to win despite all the odds–and are never quite sure how they possibly can. She is the exemplary of truely fearless storytelling.

The Crack Factor

Example: Immortals After Dark series (Kresley Cole)

By “Crack Factor” I mean a level of addictiveness that goes beyond reason. And by “beyond reason”  I mean finishing an entire series (12 or 13 books worth) within a couple of weeks, and salivating for the next one. What makes a series crack-worthy?

Compelling characters and escalating stakes? Check. Super hot, believable romance? Check. Tremendous world-building with and over-arcing mythos? Definitely. But there’s something in the banter between characters, the action and adventure that drives the story from page to page in a way rarely seen. You get a strong sense the author LOVES writing these books–and there is absolutely nothing else she would rather be doing. It’s like hanging out with your best friends over pitchers of margaritas and listening to a story told by the funniest one of the group–long, epic tales full of booze, unexpected adventure, and hilarity.

It calls to mind one of the few episodes I ever saw of Friends. A character (who we never met) was blowing into town, but is referred to as “Gandalf” because he’s a wizard. You party with Gandalf, you never knew what was going to happen–a pitcher of beer at the local pub concludes three days later with in a small jail cell over the Mexican border being shared with a donkey and no idea of how they all got there.

This is what reading a Kresley Cole book is like. Between the running jokes from book to book like “Nucking-Futs Nix”, couples so star-crossed its amazing there aren’t colliding super-novas in outer space, and the rollicking adventures that are a cross between Tomb Raider and Buffy The Vampire Slayer, it’s astounding I ever slept at all during the couple of weeks it took me blow through the existing books.

Lyricism, devastating storytelling, and the Crack Factor–these are all things I want readers to be saying about my books one day, all the things I aspire to in my own work.

How about you? How would you like to be known as an author, and are there specific steps you’re taking to work toward these goals? Sound off in the comments!

 

 

Author’s Log: Post-Round Wrap Up (#ROW80)

 So, we’re closing in on the end of 1Q2014–and what a busy quarter it’s been! Let’s see how the ol’ Production Schedule is going thus far:

1. Finish a rough of MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER: Quest Completed! As of March, I have begun ACT I revisions, and am beginning to workshop the first nine chapters.

2. Revise and submit Keepers #3: Quest Completed! Keepers 3 is currently in the hot little hands of Editor Awesome.

3. Prep and complete a rough draft of KEEPERS #4: Quest Completed! Keepers 4 is now percolating away in my revision file, pending a response from Editor Awesome on Keeers #3.

4. Prep shiny, new fantasy novel, SEARCHER: 75% Complete. There are still some character names/world building I need to hash out, but I’m still on track to begin drafting ACT I in April. Story beats are complete by chapter, I just need to them out into an outline for ACT I in anticipating of drafting.

5. Write one Flash Fiction per month: Quest Not Complete. Every week I vow to write a flash fiction story, and end up just not getting to it. Next quarter I need to figure out a way to shoe horn in that extra 1,000 words/month.

6. Complete/Publish ORIGINS #2: Quest 50% Complete. I’m very nearly done drafting, and have completed the Cover Art. This weekend I will revise and publish/distribute for Saturday. I’m cutting it very close, but I’ve done it before so sometime on Saturday Origins #2 will be officially out in the wild.

I’m hoping to close out the quarter a day early (Sunday) so I can have a day off on Monday prior to jumping in with both feet (again) on 2Q2014.

How did you guys do on your goals for the first part of 2013? Anything left that needs to be tied up?

 

 

COVER ART REVEAL: Callie (#origins2)

I’m really super-excited to finally unleash the cover art for Keepers of the Flame: Origins #2! Callie the heroine of BRIGHID’S MARK, Keepers of the Flame #2, and she’s become one of my favorite characters that I’ve written.

Callie began, many moons ago, as a completely different character. Actually, most of the characters of BRIGHID’S MARK had a different story to tell, with slightly different roles to play. Now, however, they’ve found their place and I’m thrilled to be bringing them to you now.

The New Orleans of Keepers #2 is also much different, a New Orleans of the near future that is now permanently flooded and more or less openly occupied by their cultural pantheon. But Callie became a Keeper of the Flame during the Jazz Age in Chicago and the New Orleans she visits for the first time in 1933 is something else altogether.

In Origins 2 you’ll see how Callie met her remarkable mentor for the first time—the mentor whose murder brings Callie back to New Orleans to investigate. You’ll see how she became a healer, as well as a warrior. You’ll also see why she has such a bone to pick with Greater Demons, and why she’s so reluctant to trust. It’s a hundred years, give or take, between Origins #2 and BRIGHID’S MARK, and the world has become a dramatically different place in the meantime.

Callie has been worn by all she’s seen and done, but—I think—it makes her shine all the brighter.

I’m planning on releasing Origins #2 through Smashwords, Amazon and Kobo on 3/29. It will be free, except for on Amazon (because getting it Price Matched on Amazon is a huge pain). The Clan of Kindle (Kindlers?) can pick up the free Kindle version on Smashwords.

BRIGHID’S MARK (Keepers of the Flame #2) will be released from Samhain Publishing to online retailers on April 29, 2014, and is currently available for Pre-Order at your favorite vendor of choice.

Author’s Log: Apocalyptic Plot Bunnies Ahoy (& #ROW80)

 Call me…The Bunny Chaser.

The Plot Bunny Chaser, that is.

So there I was, making with the scribbly-scribble on Origins #2, when I decided to take a brief–and fateful–research detour to verify my fuzzy knowledge of the years Prohibition was in effect. Chicago during that time (aka The Al Capone years) was incredibly violent, as anyone who’s seen The Untouchables can attest.

Now, I love research. And history. These are the second best things to writing itself, and go hand in hand. Yes, my Keepers of the Flame and its companion series (seri?) take place in the near future at the advent of the Apocalypse, but the precusors of the future lie in today’s current events, and the history that came before. But I digress.

I thought, mistakenly, this little fact-checking detour would be a quick hit. Then…BOOM! Plot Bunny at 60 miles an hour. Man, those little buggers are quick. And annoying, if useful in that inconvenient way some of the very best ideas have. This one was a lightning rod. CURSE YOU, GOOGLE!

In my search the Saint Valentine’s Massacre came up–and mystery that was never solved, and had all to do with the gang warfare generated (and escalated) over illegal licquor. (I lived in Wisconsin for a long time, both in Milwaukee and in a college town not far from one of Capone’s smuggling routes–there was even a speakeasy still going within spitting distance of my first Milwaukee apartment, where I met my husband. But I digress. Again.)

Anyhoo, the mystery was never solved, and as I got caught up in the story (er, history) surrounding the Massacre, it hit me–what if Callie (intrepid heroine of Brighid’s Mark) could have stopped it happening, but didn’t? Because, yanno, hindsight being 20/20 and all that.

Suddenly, I had a whole new ACT I to Origins #2.

Son of a wascawy wabbit. And other, not-so-nice words.

So that’s what I’m working on. Believably (I dearly hope) weaving history and demons to create the champion who battles a Greater Demon in Brighid’s Mark. I knew there was a deep, dark secret in her past–and now I know what it is.

Mind, it would have been nice if Callie had confided in me before Keepers #2 was in the final stages of release. But she never was one who trusted easily–and now I know why.

As her mentor Eva tells her in Brighid’s Mark, “It’s a lonely thing, Callie-girl. But it doesn’t have to be.”

In other news, I’ve been posting chapters of Origins #1 to Wattpad several times a week, which seems to be working well, and I’m averaging about 100 downloads per month on Perma-Free over at Smashwords (in fact, I just broke 200), while my temporary 0.99 run for a month garnered minimal sample downloads but nothing else. So there’s that.

Production Schedule (& ROW80)

ORIGINS #1 (Drafting): I’m a little behind on production on this, because of the aforementioned, unexpected Plot Bunnies. But I should still be able to release on time. And, if all goes well, I should be able to reveal cover art this week–YAY!

SEARCHER (In Development): We’re outlined and more or less ready to start rolling on drafting next month. SO EXCITED. See? *excitement*

MINSTREL’S DAUGHTER (In Revision): I’m deep into ACT I revisions, and have started workshopping  chapters on the Online Writers Workshop for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror. I’m looking forward to getting feedback–it’s important I nip any potential problems in the bud. And thanks to Scrivener, if I play my cards right revisions should be painless, for the most part.  *more excitement*

How about you guys? How are you wrapping up ROW80 this round?

What Makes You A True Fan?

 In my journey in persuit of hybrid authorship, I’ve been contemplating the idea surrounding fandom.

It’s no secret I’m a geek. I *squeesplode* over each new Joss Whedon offering. I once won a rather lucrative bet by finding all the goofs in the classic Star Wars saga (including the mythical “flying Nike” in Return of the Jedi, and the ever-elusive reference to “Carrie” that Luke makes at the end of A New Hope instead of “Leia”). I’ve gone cross-eyed and drooled over more than one online RPG, or devoured entire series of books without chewing.

In other words, I know what makes ME a fan–but what about you guys. What is it about your favorite storytelling or creator that resonates so effectively with you that you become a “True Fan”? Is it a combination of factors, or is it just something so magical it can’t be defined, something that points to all the planets and stars being in the right alignment?

I really want to know. So let me know in the comments what makes your Fandom Freak Flag fly!

Author’s Log: Happy St Patty’s Day Edition

 It’s ST PATRICK’S DAY! An ungodly time ago, Saint Patrick–either on purpose or because he got lost–ended up in Ireland whereupon he drove the snakes out…to the Irish fishing isle of Aran. Snakes, meaning, the devil–or, in this case, heathens. And now, in true Irish form we drink ourselves silly.

Don’t get me wrong. Like most Irishmen (and women), I am inordinately proud of being Irish. We have a rich history of storytelling and music, and believe in our very blood and bones that we are pretty damned awesome (I mean, have you seen Colin Ferrell, Maggie Smith, and Michael Gambon in action? Not to mention Gabriel Bryne and Stuart Townsend?).

And anyone who’s read more than two words of this blog, or anything else I’ve written (ever), can cotton on to the fact I’ve got the green flowing in my veins…but don’t worry, it’s not catching.

A magical thing happens every Saint Patrick’s Day.  Not because I neccessarily celebrate the day specifically–I celebrate my Irish heritage every day as it is, by writing and persuing my musical studies for the sheer glory of music itself. No, I celebrate St. Patty’s by buying Guinness on sale in the special arated cans (so it tastes like it does from the tap), a bottle of Jameson’s, and cook. Really, REALLY cook.

So today, Sunday, I’m making lamb stew, homemade soda bread without a recipe (don’t be impressed–it’s super easy to make), steamed mussels with a cream-sherry sauce (my personal favorite), and play Irish music with more than its fair share of fiddle. The D.S. does, oh, 95% of the cooking in our house because this is his creative outlet and he used to own a restaurant, but there are  couple of times a year I invade his domain and go CRAZY. This is one of them.

(The Tech Monkey then turns into the dad from Christmas Story at the prospect of turkey…he can’t keep out of it before it’s done.)

I love being Irish. Not because it’s cool to be (at least once a year when everyone apparently is). But because, even after Saint Patrick arrived to drive out the snakes, they kept a stranglehold on their heritiage and refused to be bought by fear–while all the while trying to understand another culture’s point of view. This is why they have survived, with their voices  and traditions in tact. They were the first to have female saints, and were one of the few cultures to not worship a god or gods.

Instead they venerated champions of great deeds, storytellers and musicians, and craftsmen of all crafts. Women were chieftains and warriors on level with men, because every fighter was needed against all who came to invade this tiny, tiny island the size and population of, roughly, Ohio. And those cultures enriched the Irish in the end, because they couldn’t be beaten. Not by war. Not by sickness or starvation or–once they reached America–discrimination.  Not by anything.

There is something magical–special–about being Irish. The music and the storytelling is within me, and it couldn’t make me prouder.

So Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, everyone. Be safe, be merry–and let your Irish light–whether by blood or inclincation–shine bright.