I am so happy to welcome two very special guests to the blog today. Jane Dougherty is one of the most talented writers I know. Her Green Woman trilogy is a vividly written and fantastically dark post-apocalyptic story that breathes old myths to new life. I'm just getting to know Ali through Grá mo Chroí, and love the passion she brings to the retelling of these classic stories. Together, Jane and Ali have written a beautiful collection of love stories that transported me to an Ireland long ago...and yet still alive. And with Valentine's Day approaching, I can't think of anything lovelier to read. So join me in wishing a:
Happy Book Birthday to Ali Isaac and Jane Dougherty with Grá mo Chroí - "Love of my Heart"!
Thank you Susan for letting Ali Isaac and
Jane Dougherty (that’s us) use your blog today. On February 11th, Grá mo Chroí will be released, a joint
adventure into the retelling of some of the great love stories from Irish myth.
Grá mo Chroí
‘Love of my Heart’
Love Stories from Irish Myth
Ali Isaac
and Jane Dougherty are writers with a shared heritage. Ali has woven that
heritage into the fabric of her stories about Conor Kelly and his adventures in
the Otherworld. Jane consistently slips references to the old stories and the
old heroes into all of her novels.
This
collection of retellings of some of the great love stories from Irish mythology
is our tribute to this culture which has so captivated us. Love in the Iron
Age, as you will see, did not have the benefit of Disney. The Ancient Irish had
to contend with far more violence than modern lovers, and their ideas of what
constituted happiness were not necessarily the same as ours. An Irish princess
was not going to languish at the top of an ivory tower waiting for a knight in
shining armour. She was much more likely to get on her horse and drag him out
of his bed with a curse if he hung about too long. But in many ways, love
through the ages has not changed one iota. Grief, sorrow and passion are all
there in spadesful.
If the
only thing you know about Irish mythology is Saint Patrick, serpents, and
Leprechauns, it’s about time you read this collection. If you like what you
see, this could be the start of a life changing experience.
Here is a short excerpt from the first
story in the collection, The tragedy of
Bailé and Aillinn.
Bailé, the soft-spoken, left Emain Macha in the north to meet Aillinn, his betrothed. Rare was such a wedding host, and uncommonly joyful. For the king of Ulster’s only son and the daughter of the king of Leinster had made a love match. Even the sun shone bright on Bailé’s journey, the hounds danced and milled about the horses’ legs, fancy bridle bits sang silver songs in the wind, and the company was filled with joy.Bailé left behind his own lands of Ulster, the blue lochs and gorse-yellow hills where the eagles cried. Before him, beyond the purple peaks of home, lay the low, wooded hills and the rich plains of Leinster. He saw his Aillinn in the contours of the hills, in the white plumage of the swans on the river. She was soft as new grass and spring foals, wild as the March wind, and generous as the blackbird singing to the world. His heart was full of joy that soon they would be wed and their union would bind together her rich beauty of soft hills and birdsong, and his wild majesty of the eagle and the red deer.
If you like the sound of the world of the
ancient Irish, treat yourself to a little Celtic romance for Valentine’s Day.
You can get Grá mo Chroí here
Normal price 99c/ 99p FREE Wed 11th
Feb – Sun 15th Feb
To learn more about the authors:
You will find Ali pottering about most days on
her blog: www.aliisaacstoryteller.com,
her Facebook author page,
or tweeting.
Alternatively, you can email her at aliisaacstoryteller.com@gmail.com. Her books are available on Amazon.com
and Amazon.co.uk.
Jane can be found on her blog, www.janedoughertywrites.com, on her FaceBook author page , or tweeting. You can find out more about her on Goodreads, and all her books are available on Amazon.com, and Amazon.co.uk.
Almost
forgot, we have Amazon countdown deals 99c/99p on the first books in our respective
series running from February 11th to February 15th!
