Six Things You Might Not Know About St. Patrick's Day by Cindy Thomson

Welcome Cindy! It's good to have Cindy back on the blog today helping us celebrate St. Patty's Day. Enjoy her list, and be sure to check out her books on Amazon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Here's my list of things you might not know about the observance of St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.

1. Ireland's traditional color is blue, not green. Shocking, isn't it? Well, I suppose this is only true depending on how far you want to go back. There wasn’t an official color for the island when Patrick arrived, and if even if there had been, he wasn't Irish anyway. The images you see of St. Patrick wearing green are probably not correct. The color of a bishop was blue. (Are you surprised Patrick wasn’t Irish? He was a Roman Briton, likely born in Wales, England, or Scotland, according to who you want to believe.)

Here's one report about the Irish color blue. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1972553_1972551_1972489,00.html

2. The leprechaun has nothing to do with St. Patrick, and the one we're most familiar with has nothing to do with Ireland. Apparently it was Walt Disney who invented the happy-go-lucky leprechaun. The Irish version is a trickster, not one you would want to encounter, and...incidentally, he likely wore no green.

3. The Irish don't dye their beer green. Why mess with it? Besides, Guinness doesn't take the dye well. I’m told that you won’t find a green pint anywhere in Ireland on any day of the year. So if you want to be authentic, don’t do it. Of course, if you’re not a beer-drinker, as I am not, it’s not a problem. Go for some Irish stew or potato pancakes (called boxy) instead.

Learn more about the boxy and find a recipe here: Irish Boxty Potatoes

4. Parades aren't traditional in Ireland. Yes, Dublin, Ireland, has a fantastic St. Patrick's Day Parade, but the parades actually began in America. Irish soldiers in the British army held the first one (so it's said) in NYC in the 18th century. You can watch this year’s parade broadcast live from Dublin, Ireland. In past years I’ve watched it on RTE live (http://www.rte.ie/player/us/ ) It starts at noon Dublin time, so be sure to account for the time difference. It’s well worth taking the time. Each year there is a theme, and I’ve found past parades to be wonderfully creative. The 2017 theme is Ireland You Are.

5. The harp is the national symbol of Ireland. You will find it in many places, such as the Irish euro coin, and the Samuel Beckett Bridge across the River Liffey in Dublin, which is in the shape of a harp. I thought this bridge was interesting and unique when I saw it in person, but I did not know until recently that it is in the shape of a harp. If you look at photographs with the knowledge of what you are supposed to be looking for, you can tell. Brian Boru’s harp at Trinity College in Dublin is a national treasure and is the same type of harp the national symbol is based on. Boru is Ireland’s last high king (11th century), but in reality this was not his instrument. The harp displayed is from a later era, although it is one of the oldest Irish medieval harps in existence. Guinness adopted the harp on its logo in 1862.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_College_Harp

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samuel_Beckett_Bridge,_Dublin.jpg

6. Wearing a shamrock is a traditional way of celebrating St. Patrick's Day. Folks in Ireland started the tradition in the early 1700's. So, go for it! And no matter how you choose to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I hope you are now a bit wiser about true Irish traditions.

ABOUT CINDY:

Cindy Thomson’s love of Irish history inspires much of what she writes. She is the author of eight books, including Pages of Ireland, the sequel to Brigid of Ireland. She is also the author of the Ellis Island series, and co-author of Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story. She continues to write both fiction and non-fiction stories set in Ireland, writes regularly for genealogy magazines, and does research-for-hire, helping people uncover their Irish roots. She lives in Central Ohio with her husband Tom. Find her online at www.cindyswriting.com






Thanks for joining us today, Cindy!

The Five Things I Love About Autumn by Cindy Thomson

I welcome my fellow author and friend, Cindy Thomson today! Be sure to check out her book links listed at the bottom of the page! Now, let's find out what Cindy loves about Autumn! 

1. Sunshine I have always said that Ohio has the best weather of any place in the month of September (which usually extends into October as well.) The main reason is because there is abundant sunshine and low humidity (most days.) That means the sky is a gorgeous blue that I could gaze at all day long.
2. Apples. We have a huge apple orchard not too far from our house. People drive from all over to go there, and it’s practically in our backyard. Apple picking is not only fun, it means we’ll have the best, freshest apples that we can only get this time of the year!
3. Hammock Time. While we use our backyard hammock in the summer, it’s best in the fall when the air temperature is more comfortable and there aren’t as many pesky insects. Nothing better than a blanket and a book on the hammock!
4. Cozy season. Autumn for me brings an urge to nest, settle in, freshen up the house because we’ll be spending more time indoors.
5. Pumpkin Everything! I love pumpkin treats from pumpkin lattes to pumpkin muffins. The smell of pumpkin bread or cookies spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg baking in the oven just makes me happy!

Bio:
Cindy Thomson is the author of seven books, including her newest novel, Sofia’s Tune, the third book in her Ellis Island series, releasing November 1 and available for Kindle pre-order now: http://amzn.to/1NMYaw0.

She also writes genealogy articles for Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today magazines, and short stories for Clubhouse Magazine.







Visit her at:
Web site: www.cindyswriting.com, on
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cindyswriting and on
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindyswriting
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cindyswriting
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/cindythomson



Isn't her cover awesome? I love the dog on there! 
Blessings!

Just Sit Down and Write! Yeah, RIGHT! by Cindy Thomson

Many people seem to think all an author has to do is sit down at a computer and type away. Ha! Here's one author's story and her decision to go with CROWD FUNDING. Read on and help out if you can!



It’s tough to get traditionally published today by a large publisher. It’s even tougher to keep publishing. That’s the cold, hard fact I have been faced with. I have been publishing fiction and non-fiction, articles and books, for over ten years now. I have enjoyed my journey, met wonderful editors, literary agents, and fellow authors. I don’t regret the long, sometimes lonely hours writing my heart out (and sometimes banging my head on my desk when inspiration fails me.)

I often talk about my seven years spent in a writing desert, the time between my first novel, Brigid of Ireland, and my second Grace’s Pictures. Historical fiction has always been favorite genre to write and it took seven years from the first publication to the second. That is why when I landed a three-book contract with a large publisher I felt as though I’d emerged from that trial.

But then that cold, hard reality hit. There is a vast sea of books published in the English language every year. So many that mine ended up as a speck on the radar. Why? It’s hard to tell.

• My covers were great. 
• The response to my books has been overwhelmingly positive. 
• I had wonderful reviews in some of the better known journals. 
• I worked really, really, really hard getting attention. 
• I did radio interviews, tons of guest posts on blogs, sent out a boatload of review copies in addition to the vast number my publisher sent out. 
• I gave away books in contests, did Facebook parties, book signings, talks, and probably a hundred other things I’ve now forgotten. 

Still, my books did not sell well and the publisher, making a business decision, decided to cancel book three in the series. The cold, hard truth is readers mostly buy books by authors they recognize.

I know I’m not the only the author this has happened to. I have lots of friends who have been dropped from their publishers. Some of them were publishing for years with the same house when their new proposals were rejected. I believe it’s more commonplace now than in years past. But knowing I’m not alone only softened the blow a bit.

HOWEVER, I did not want to throw in the towel. Today authors have more options than ever before. Readers have more say than ever before. I decided that the readers who said they enjoyed my first two books should be able to get the third one despite my publisher’s decision. It’s the wrap up of the series, a promise I felt I made to readers that I should fulfill even if I have to do it on my own.

But there is still reality to deal with. The fact that it’s expensive to publish a book—a book of quality that I would want my name on. Cover design costs money. Editing costs money. And to do it right it takes thousands of dollars. I used to make money freelance writing. I put that aside to work on my series—something that involved far more work than I had realized it would. I was still mentoring with the Christian Writers Guild, but as some of you know, it went under this year. I have one student I’m still mentoring until her course finishes later this year, but that only brings in a tiny, tiny amount each month. I’m working on freelancing articles again, but it takes time to build up.

So I decided to ask for help and crowd fund my next book. There is only a week left in the campaign, and I’m so very grateful for those who have supported it. If you’d like to check it out, and read the first two chapters of Sofia’s Tune for free, go to https://pubslush.com/project/5010.

Prayers and rooting me to the finish line are hugely appreciated. If you’d like to keep up with my new adventure, sign up for my newsletter at www.cindyswriting.com


Bio:
Cindy Thomson’s newest novel is Annie’s Stories (Tyndale House Publishers, July 2014,) the second in her Ellis Island series. She is also the author of Brigid of Ireland, Celtic Wisdom: Treasures From Ireland, and co-author of a baseball hall of famer biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story. She has written numerous magazine articles mostly on Irish genealogy, and blogs at www.cindyswriting.com.





Blessings!

Finding My Connection from Guest and historical author, Cindy Thomson

Welcome, Cindy. It's such a pleasure to have my friend and an author I admire visit today! Read on to find out how Cindy discovered her past and how it affected her writing. BTW: Isn't her book cover lovely? :)



Cindy:
I stared back at the seasoned author who had asked me a question during a writing seminar. I was there to learn from her, not be drilled about my motives. But I knew she was right. There had to be a reason I felt so compelled to write about my ancestors. There was a purpose to the desire God had placed in my heart, and I realized later it had come many years before I decided to take up my novelist’s pen.

At the time the question stumped me. “Because," I said, "we can all learn so much from history and the sacrifices made for us."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because it's important to know who you are."

"Why is it important?"

"Uh, because then we will know where our place in the world is."

"Why, why, why?"

The question took me back to my childhood. I had not had a difficult upbringing, not like many other people. My parents were married, they loved me, they gave me opportunities. I am the youngest in the family by nearly seven years, and that’s because both my parents were married previously. My mother had three young daughters when her husband passed away. She married my father when the youngest was four. They decided to wait a few years to have me so that the girls could get settled in with their adoptive father. The result, though, was that my sisters were close and I was left behind. They loved me, but more like a mother loves a child. They grew up without me, and because of that our relationship was different. When we went to visit my paternal grandmother in her apartment it was just me, my parents, my grandmother, and her sister. Needless to say, there was not much to entertain a young girl. I was bored. I was lonely. I did not feel connected.

And then I found my grandmother’s photo albums. While the adults visited I flipped through the spiral bound self-adhesive pages and stared at the black and white photographs. Who were these people and was I anything like them? My grandmother knew the names of the faces plastered in her book, but little else. When I tried to ask questions I was only presented with more mysteries.

What nationality are we? 
I suppose Irish. 
When did we come to America? 
I don’t know. Seems like our family’s always been here. I was told I had a cousin who was French Canadian, though.
Why did my great grandparents move to Chicago?
I don’t know. They just did.

My great aunt did have an intriguing story to tell about seeing John Dillinger get shot just outside her apartment building. Intriguing perhaps, but John Dillinger was not my family. 

My mother’s family was a little more forthcoming with details, but the stories and names they spoke of were confusing. Who was who? 

And then my mother gave me a book for Christmas that changed everything. The front spelled the words “Our Family Heritage” in gold letters, and inside were charts for names and dates and pages to fill in stories about churches, occupations, military histories, and a lot more. I was hooked. I launched into a search for my family roots and found wings for my desire to be connected in a deeper way. Later I would turn this into fiction because I believe God wants me, all of us, to remember these stories, to appreciate the trials and successes of those who came before, and to realize that he puts us into a family in order to learn wisdom, courage, and the faith to follow where he leads.

I do still at times feel disconnected from the family I was born into because of the span of years and differences in experiences. But whenever that happens the miracle of stories pulls me closer. I never knew some of the older relatives that my sisters did, but I cherished the stories they told. When I dug deeper I discovered ancestors who came to this country to make a better life for their children, who objected to the oppression of Quakers and slaves, who founded churches and Sunday school classes in the wilderness, who fought and suffered through wars, who mourned the losses of spouses and children much to soon, but who carried on and trusted God. And they did that for me and my future, whether they knew me or not. That is why I write about legacies that can otherwise be too easily forgotten. It keeps me from feeling lonely. I write so that readers won’t feel lonely either because we are part of God’s family that touches many generations, across continents, and through the ages.




Bio:

Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series. 

Cindy is also the author of: 

• Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland. 
• She combined her love of history and baseball to co-author the biography Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, which was a finalist for the Society for American Baseball Research's Larry Ritter Book Award.
• In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications 

She is a mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. She is also a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Historical Novel Society. Cindy and her husband have three grown sons and live in central Ohio. Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com


Blessings!

World Blog Tour . . .

WELCOME to the World Blog Tour!

Cindy Thomson is a writer and an avid genealogy enthusiast. 

Her love of history and her Scots-Irish heritage have inspired

 much of her writing, including her new Ellis Island series with 

Tyndale House Publishers. 

Cindy is also the author of 

Brigid of Ireland and Celtic Wisdom: Treasures from Ireland, 

and is co-author of the baseball biography 

Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story. 

In addition to books, Cindy has written on a regular basis for numerous online and print publications and is a mentor 

for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. 

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers 

and the Historical Novel Society. 

Cindy and her husband have three grown sons
and live in central Ohio. 

Visit her online at www.cindyswriting.com 

or on Twitter: @cindyswriting.

Thank you, Cindy Thomson for inviting me to join you on this World Blog Tour! 

They can be found on Amazon here:

Amazon

Now on to the questions and my answers!
What am I working on?

• I'm finishing up the second book of my mystery series, called Bat Crazy and here's a brief blurb about it:

Overhearing a strange conversation while at a dilapidated diner in a dusty town in New Mexico about vampire bats and a murder, Denton and Alex head straight to the new-found/opened cavern. They’re immediately thrown into the search for the person who is holding something over almost every employee working at the facility. What is the reason behind the threats and scares, and is there really vampire bats attacking visitors--or is it all a hoax? Are the young girl and boy as innocent as they proclaim or are they involved and hiding the truth? Will Denton and Alex solve this mystery before the vampire bat attacks them?

The first one is Hog Insane.

• I'm also finishing edits on a contemporary suspense set in Montana.
• And continuing to work on other books in series, plus a historical, light suspense while plotting other books when the time is right to begin them.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?
I do a ton of research for whatever suspenseful/mysterious novel I'm working on and I also try to inject a touch of humor. In the case of my mystery series, Denton Davies is at the right age to be set in his ways, define life by his own terms, and have a little dry humor about him. It helps keep the mystery novel lighthearted and an easy read, which is what I aimed for.

Even in my other more serious books, I like to share a moment or two of sweetness, humor or lightheartedness that eases the tension just enough to give the reader a chance to breathe. Lol.

And I like to believe (verification from writer friends and readers) that I have my own unique writing style. I insist on delving deep into the personal's feelings and bringing them to bear in the story. Most of all, I thank God for the original talent he's given me and the opportunity to follow my dreams.


Why do I write what I do?

All my life, I've loved suspense and mysteries. I devoured mystery books as a child and teen, so it was the logical choice to write the same. Notebooks were filled with childish-handwritten stories of other children/teens my age solving mysteries.

Even though I devoted years to my husband's and my ministry, I never forgot the love hidden within me to write seriously. One day, I realized and spoke to my hubby: it was now or never. That thought was impressed upon me, and I began writing fiction as a profession.

Only this time it was different. I was serious about pursuing writing as a career. In due process, my debut novel was published, then a second book was released, and now I have a WWII romantic suspense due out in November.

Suspense and/or mystery touches, and will continue to do so, all of my novels. It's my favorite genre, and why would I do otherwise?


How does my writing process work?

• Usually with an idea. 
• Then the hard part begins: the plotting. This will take time, even during the writing, as I'm a seat of the pants writer. 
• Research is vital in my writing. Although I seldom use it all, I like to know what my protagonist may (or may not) run up against. I like details that will bring the setting and era alive. I like to know how the characters would talk, how they dress, what they like to eat, what they do for fun and work. There are always plenty of things, minor and major, details to be worked out. 
• Writing and finishing. It's one thing to begin a project, but quite another to pursue and push through to the end. It takes determination and effort to sit down every day, or as your schedule is, and type, even when the words aren't there or a million other things scream for your attention. 
• Editing. As lots of authors will tell you, it never gets done. Of course, there is a time when you have to lay down your "pen" and say, It's finished. But many of us edit and edit and edit again. Guilty! :)

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out not only my novels, but Cindy's as well!
Blessings!

Winner!

Linda Glaz! Congratulations, Linda. If you'll send me your address, I'll pass it on to Cindy so she can get your book to you!
browncarole212@yahoo.com

This week, Wednesday, March 17:

Melanie G. Snyder, author of Grace Goes to Prison, will visit my blog and give one of her books away. Don't miss reading her writing tale.

Blessings, dear readers!

Coming . . .

     Cindy Thomson!

Have you read Cindy's Brigid of Ireland? No?

Then don't miss her upcoming interview on March 10th!

She's giving away a copy of her Celtic Wisdom book!


Quote:
Not being able to govern events, I govern myself. --Michel de Montaigne
Blessings!