The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

An author’s life and writing process is often misunderstood and when I read the synopsis of The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley, I knew I had to read it. It is about an author that is writing an historical novel about the Jacobite rebellion of 1708. She chooses to write the story through her ancestor’s eyes and much to her surprise she finds that everything she writes turns out to be historically accurate.

When the images and the words are flowing, it is called many things, including “finding your muse” or being “in the zone”. The best way for me to describe it is the outside world falls away as if the author is looking through a portal to another world, another place, another time. The characters there become more real than those in the author’s orbit as the plot, the challenges, the heartbreak and triumphs take over.

Kearsley describes this process flawlessly; the characters that prod at the author in the middle of the night until she arises and writes down their words… Their circumstances looming even in the light of day… And the sadness that creeps in once a book is completed and the characters must be set aside.

Within The Winter Sea is the book the author is writing, which takes us back to 1708 Scotland and King James’ determination to win the English throne, casting the Catholics and sympathetic Protestants against those opposed to a Catholic king. It is a story I delved deep into with the writing of Cloak and Mirrors and the historical book, Checkmate: Clans and Castles. It was hard for me as an American to imagine the wars and conflicts between the Catholic and Protestant faiths, which began in earnest in Scotland and Ireland during the time of Henry VIII and continue even today in parts of Northern Ireland. Yet more wars have been conducted in the name of organized religion than any other cause.

Kearsley’s story unfolds like one told by Daphne du Maurier. It takes the reader back to the early 18^th century, to horses and carriages, manor houses, class systems, allegiances and betrayals, and the high price many must pay simply to exist. At its heart is Slains, a manor house set against the sea, and through her expert descriptions, she transports the reader to the cove next to the water, to the rolling waves and cloudy skies, and to the horizon where our heroine watches for the sails of a ship that will bring her love back to her—and herald the beginning of war.

As the author within the story pieces the scenes together, she finds that everything she writes is true, despite believing initially that the fragments and images were simply brought forth by her imagination. It is an intriguing plot twist and based on recent scientific evidence, a theory known as genetic memory or ancestral memory.

There are three types of memories and two, procedural memory and semantic memory, can indeed be inherited. It is even theorized that savants are demonstrating ancestral memories since they often show aptitudes in music, art, mathematics and languages at such an early age that they could not possibly have learned it during their short lifetime.

Far-fetched? Consider this: what is an instinct? When a newborn colt struggles to rise to its feet within moments of birth, what compels it to do so? One theory is the generations of horses before it learned that the ability to run could save them from predators. While breeding angelfish, I learned that fry during their most vulnerable period could literally jump across the tank at any sudden movement or sound. Without that unexpected jump, they would most likely be eaten in the wild. Sea turtles break out of their shells on a beach and know to make their way to the water, braving threats and challenges along the way. Couldn’t each of these instincts be attributed to generations before them that learned these are the ways in which to survive?

The answer is yes, and now science is mapping the genome that allows these memories to be passed down from one generation to the next, ensuring the survival of the species.

Kearsley takes this a step further, with genetic semantic memory. As the author within her story writes the scenes of her ancestor, she knows things she couldn’t have possibly have read or been exposed to otherwise. And though it is left to the reader to determine whether it is coincidence or inherited memory, the argument for the latter is compelling.

When I was writing Songbirds are Free, there were fellow authors and friends that thought I must have been Mary Neely reincarnated, because the scenes I envisioned, the places she was brought, the experiences she had, later were confirmed to be true. While I never believed I was Mary Neely reincarnated, the concept of genetic memory appears to be far more plausible. Since I was very young—in fact, as far back as my earliest memories—I have had a fear of being kept prisoner. It is not a fear of attack or death, but rather held against my will and to this day, I cannot read a book or watch a movie about someone caged or made a slave. It wasn’t until I began writing Mary’s story of her capture by Shawnee warriors and her three years as a slave in which she tried time and again to escape, that the pieces began to come together in my mind. By the time I finished the story, I felt as though I no longer feared capture—perhaps because I knew Mary, in the end, did escape and find her way home. But the question still remains: since I was obviously never captured and held against my will in this lifetime and the fears were there long before I began to read or watch television, where did they come from?

Whatever your beliefs, if you enjoy history, romance and suspense, I strongly recommend Susanna’s Kearsley’s The Winter Sea.

What are you reading this summer?

It’s shaping up to be a summer of escapism. With politics and dysfunction dominating the news, more readers are turning to subjects that take them as far away from Washington government as possible.

One genre very popular this summer is historical, particularly narrative nonfiction. There is something comforting about reading of a past era; even if they had their share of misfortune, war, strife or hardship, we know the world kept revolving and for the most part, things turned out and life went on. It is also a reminder that though things look bleak, there is still hope; that life is often cyclical and though the world has encountered extreme negative forces—such as Nazi Germany’s expansion and takeover of much of Europe—things can turn around and positivity can prevail. There is also something about reading of an historical figure who, faced with few prospects at home, wandered far from where he had ever thought he would be in order to make a better life for himself and future generations.

I encountered such a man in my own family’s genealogy, but he is not uncommon. Anyone who has delved deep into their family history has also uncovered men and women that went through extraordinary hardship and achieved great things through the strength of willpower, determination and faith—faith in themselves, in the world or in a higher power.

William Neely was born at a time in which the Lowlands of Scotland was a desolate, deforested place. The vast majority of holdings were by only a handful of people and even home ownership was considered out of reach of 99% of the population. Those people did not even have time to contemplate their circumstances because they were focused on keeping the roof over their heads (a thatched roof that often belonged to a laird and they were granted permission to live there in exchange for their work and rent) and food on the table. Food was so scarce that by the time spring planting was ready to begin the decimated cows had to be carried into the fields to be hooked up to the plows.

It was in this bleak circumstance that William was given the opportunity to leave Scotland for Ireland. Only 20 miles across the Irish Sea, it was a world removed; King James I was engaged in widespread colonization—even leading to the Americas. He was offering Lowland Scots and Englishmen the opportunity to serve him by granting land in Ireland; in return, the land owners would pledge their loyalty to the King, fight for him if needed (and was it ever), raise sheep to provide them with wool, and raise crops such as potatoes to feed the English people.

When William arrived in Ulster in 1608, he came to know the native Irish and even discovered his own family had lived in Ireland until the 13^th century. In a sense, it was a homecoming. But his plans to live peacefully, raising sheep and crops and providing a better future for his children were soon placed in jeopardy. The land given to those loyal to King James was not simply land for the taking; it had belonged to the Irish. With Cahir O’Doherty, the Gaelic King of the Inishowen Peninsula, his family had owned their land and ruled its people for more than a thousand years—which is eight times longer than the independent existence of the United States of America.

As colonization began under Queen Elizabeth I, several powerful clans in Ulster were overrun by English forces, their lands decimated, their people killed, their homes burned. Cahir O’Doherty was determined to spare his people that fate and he joined forces with the English, agreeing to fight for the Queen (and later King James I) in return for maintaining control of the Inishowen Peninsula.

That would all come to an end only months after William arrived in Ulster. Sir George Paulet, the English Governor of Derry, was a vindictive man that despised the native Irish. Derry was situated beside O’Doherty’s green, lush lands and Paulet tried repeatedly to confiscate them, even though the English courts had forbidden it. Finally, Cahir had had enough. If he had been of a lowlier status, he might have set a trap for Paulet and killed him in the dark of night and without witnesses. But he was the last Gaelic King of Ireland. He led hundreds of men into Derry after overrunning and confiscating weapons at Culmore Fort, burning the village to the ground and killing Paulet. It touched off O’Doherty’s Rebellion and William Neely would have to choose between his oath to the king and joining the forces of a people that were likely distant relatives.

The book I wrote of William’s adventures and O’Doherty’s Rebellion, Checkmate: Clans and Castles, is the first of a new historical series that chronicles the lives of the men and women on both sides of the English-Irish conflict. It would eventually lead to Irish independence, the Republic of Ireland as we know it today; but the story is not yet finished. In establishing the Republic, the counties of Ulster with the exception of County Donegal, became known as Northern Ireland and is today part of the United Kingdom. The laws are quite remarkable still: they are not permitted to fly the Irish flag, Catholics are still considered second- or third-class citizens (though that has been changing) and Irish Gaelic is not spoken. For centuries, the native Irish were not permitted to vote, could not own land and did not have a voice in government—or their own futures.

With Brexit, however, decisions will need to be made by both Scotland and Northern Ireland: whether to remain with England or remain in the European Union. Only time will tell, but if Northern Ireland joins with the Republic of Ireland through a vote that the English Parliament has said they will honor, it will result in the first time since the late 1500’s that a united Ireland will be truly independent from the British Empire.

Meanwhile, I am working on the rest of the series, a set of books that take place against the backdrop of wars, famine and political, religious and cultural strife, spanning from 1608 through the 20^th century.

What are you reading this summer?

p.m.terrell is the internationally acclaimed author of more than 21 books, including the award-winning River Passage, award-winning series Black Swamp Mysteries and award-winning Ryan O’Clery Mystery Series. She is the Founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair and the Founder of The Novel Business. She has been a full-time author since 2002. Prior to that, she founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area with specialties in defense and intelligence. Her clients included the CIA, Secret Service and Department of Defense. For more information, visit www.pmterrell.com.

Behind the Bloody Hand

While visiting my ancestral home in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, it is impossible to escape the images of the bloody hand. It appears in various forms, sometimes with lions, a fish, a crown or a knight’s helmet. It can be found on the side of buildings, on flags, at sports complexes or in pubs. And they all tie into the O’Neill’s family crest.

I wrote about the bloody hand in my latest book, Clans and Castles, the first in the new Checkmate series of historical books about my ancestors. The scene takes place in 1608 between my ancestor, William Neely, and an Irish lady named Penarddun who had sewn the Neely family crest for him:

Penarddun slipped her long fingers under the wool and retrieved a piece of material that had quite obviously been painstakingly constructed. In the center was a castle with three turrets sewn in a grayish-black color, above which was the Red Hand of the O’Neill clan.

“Do you know what this is, lad?” she asked.

“I am afraid I do not, Lady Penarddun, though I have seen the hand.”

“Aye, and I am sure you have. It is the Bloody Hand of the Clan O’Neill. It is said that in the days of the Celts, several great chieftains sailed across the waters. They spotted the beautiful Irish coast and as their eyes fell on the magnificent shades of green, they debated who would lay claim to her. Ah, but they were powerful competitors, they were, and after great deliberation they decided they would each row a boat toward the land and whosoever touched her first would lay claim to her.”

She placed both hands on her knees, her eyes staring into the forest and yet seeing something miles and centuries apart. “So off they rowed, and it was a fierce competition, it was. The weaker ones dropped back and seeing that all was lost, they watched as two neared the shore. Oh, they were so close that none could tell who would reach it first and as the final stretch was there for the taking, Niall could not bear to lose that beautiful, precious land. So he reached to his axe and he severed his left hand at the wrist and with his right, he tossed it to shore.”

“Oh.”

She smiled. “Aye, and so Niall won, you see, for it was his hand that touched Eire first. It was in the days before we were told we needed last names… So his descendants called themselves ‘uá Niáll’ to mark themselves as the children of the champion, and it’s since been changed to O’Neill. And there you have it.”

As she handed him the material, he said, “You are too kind, Lady Penarddun. But I do not understand what the Bloody Hand of The O’Neill—”

“Your ancestors, dear boy, were descendants of Niall. You are related to the O’Neill clan.”

This was a bombshell revelation to my ancestor because O’Doherty’s Rebellion had begun. Led by the last Gaelic Irish King Cahir O’Doherty, clans that included the O’Neill, Maguire, O’Cahan, O’Donnell, MacSweeney and more united against the Scottish and English settlers, burning their settlements in an attempt to drive them out of Ulster. But Wills, who had immigrated to Ireland from Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1608, was to discover that four hundred years earlier, the Neely family had left Ireland for Scotland—which meant he had come full circle. It also meant that he would soon face off against distant relatives on more than one battlefield; one side would fight to the death to keep Ireland Irish while the other would fight for King James I of England to claim it as a colony.

The words on the Neely family crest mean “One Family, Several Countries” as the family eventually immigrated to such diverse places as Canada, the United States and Australia. Shown here is a modernized version of the family crest.

I did not know what I would find when I began to explore William Neely’s journey from Scotland to Ireland. I found much more than I could have imagined because it was a fascinating period where cultures collided; the Gaelic Irish population against the Scottish and English settlers, the Gaelic Kings against Queen Elizabeth I and then King James I, ultimately the Catholic faith against the Church of Ireland’s Protestants, betrayal… and death.

Below is a trailer:

Clans and Castles, the first book in the Checkmate series is now available on amazon in Kindle and Paperback, and will be in all bookstores on June 1. Autographed copies can also be ordered from the author’s website. p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 21 books in a variety of genres.

The Long Road Back...

It's nice to know when someone disappears, they are missed. Particularly when I have been writing two books each year for the past several years, and two books per year have been published - one in the spring and one in the fall. And as I get back on track, there are four books scheduled for release in the upcoming 24 months.


My disappearance from the public eye began several years ago when I had to cancel part of a book tour due to a heart abnormality which resulted in the sensation that I had stopped breathing (actually, my heart was stopping), followed by a series of extremely rapid heartbeats as my heart rushed to catch back up.


I underwent a heart ablation, which literally everyone told me was a standard procedure and there was "nothing to it". I was on the table for about four hours, under general anesthesia, and the procedure was not successful.

And there was a complication.


Shortly after the procedure, I complained that my leg was hurting. I was assured that it was normal and it would soon heal. Not only did it not heal but I soon found myself almost unable to walk. I went through a variety of diagnoses and treatments from knee pain to arthritis to hip pain, but none of the medication worked and I began relying on a cane. Steroids resulted in a lot of weight gain, which put even more pressure on my leg.


Then, quite by accident, we discovered the root cause.


It turned out that during the heart ablation, I suffered nerve damage. And it turns out that approximately 10% of nerve damage is brought about by heart procedures. There is no cure for it, and in my case it created excruciating migrating pain from the bottom of my foot to the top of my hip.


Once we had the diagnosis, I was placed on Lyrica. That's when things became real interesting. The Lyrica immediately blocked the nerve pain, allowing me to begin to get back to my former self - physically. Unfortunately, a side effect was the inability to write. I simply could not focus. Even following a conversation was challenging. I stopped public appearances because I couldn't even focus enough on what I was saying.


Flash forward to today and I am on a different medication - Gralise, which was originally developed for nerve pain resulting from shingles, but which also has had a tremendous affect on my damaged nerve. It helps with the pain and I no longer feel as though I am in a thick mental fog. I have been able to exercise again and more importantly, I am getting back to my writing.


I have been incredibly fortunate because my doctor took me seriously and he stayed active in finding the cause, even though it took several years, specialists and tests. When I was ready to give up, he was not.


So now I am catching up on four books and if I can meet my deadlines now (fingers crossed!) they will be released in 2017 and 2018:

Near Neely Home (now gone) at Glencull,
outside the village of Ballygawley,
County Tyrone, Northern Ireland

1. The sixth book in the Black Swamp Mysteries series has political strategist Christopher Sandige paying a visit to a human genome specialist after her report landed on the President's desk - a report that could have catastrophic repercussions.
2. The seventh book in the Black Swamp Mysteries series has Dylan Maguire and Vicki Boyd heading to Dylan's native Ireland for their wedding. Of course Sam wants them to take care of a small CIA mission while they're on their honeymoon, which leads to another encounter with Dylan's past.
3. The third book in the Ryan O'Clery Mystery Series has the Irish detective investigating a series of disappearances that lead him to a prominent citizen's doorstep.
4. And another historical book about the Neely family. This one is inspired by my trips to Ballygawley, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the home of my ancestors. In the 18th century, three brothers left Ballygawley for America and this book follows their lives as they chase the American dream. One became a pub owner in New York, another owned a fleet of sailing ships that took goods - and later Irish people fleeing from famine - between Ireland and America. The third became a successful rancher. His son, William Neely, would later clear the land around the original Fort Nashborough, and William's daughter, Mary Neely, would be captured by Shawnee warriors in 1780. (The rancher brother, by the way, is also my ancestor.)

In addition, I have had so many authors ask me for advice over the years that I have begun The Novel Business, a new website in which I'll be offering courses on everything from marketing and promotion to inside information on the publishing industry. Check it out if you have the chance.

It's great to be back!

Irish Woman Seeking American Dream

Mary Neely's grandfather came to America from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Considered Scot-Irish or Ulster Irish, they had moved back and forth between Ireland and Scotland for generations as Irish land was given to them by the British monarchy, only to be taken away by subsequent monarchs and given again. Finally, around 1720 three brothers from Ballygawley decided to move to America in search of a better future for themselves and their families.

In 1779, William Neely, Mary's father, decided to move the family westward to Fort Nashborough, now Nashville, Tennessee on a river journey. What should have been a journey of three weeks turned into more than three months as 300 settlers faced constant attacks from the Chickamauga Indians beginning around present-day Chattanooga and continuing all the way to Florence, Alabama. Small pox broke out on one ship and when two sisters were captured by Indians, they nearly wiped out whole segments of the tribe through the small pox epidemic of 1779-1780. Even the river itself was cruel, as Johnny Cash described it in this song (starting at 2:06):

Moving to America and then continuing westward didn't work out as well as William Neely had hoped. He was killed by Shawnee warriors just outside of Fort Nashborough in August 1780, and Mary was captured and held as a slave for three years. She was brought through Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and into Michigan before she successfully managed to escape - but her problems weren't yet over. It was the height of the Revolutionary War, and she was captured by the British and held as a prisoner of war. While being transported to British-controlled Fort Niagara, the ship ran aground and Mary escaped again. She journeyed on foot across Canada into New York and all the way to Fort Pitt, where she was rescued by an American soldier, who transported her to Virginia, where she was reunited with her family.

The story of the Neely family's river journey is told through River Passage, which won the 2010 Best Drama Award:

And the story of Mary's capture, captivity, escape and journey home is told in my bestselling book, Songbirds are Free:

During Mary's captivity, her mother and one brother were killed in a separate Indian attack. Most of the remaining family died before the age of 30; only Mary and her brother Sam lived into their 90's.

Find out more by visiting this special section of my website, complete with photographs and videos taken as I followed the Neely's families journeys: www.pmterrell.com/maryneely/

What Are You Looking For?

What are you looking for when you visit an author's website? Do you even remember the last time you visited an author's website, versus looking up their book on amazon or in a store?

This past year, I returned to college. Being a Type-A personality, I have a double major: Cyber Security (IT) and eCommerce (Marketing). Turns out, they go hand-in-hand. And during my last course, the focus was on the changing face of websites.

Amazon really defined how websites interact with their customers. By recording every keystroke you make, their software records which items you look for, how long you remained on each page, and whether you purchased. When you logon to amazon later, you'll see recommendations of other products based on those you've already looked at. Or you might receive emails with recommendations in all the various categories. I, for example, love amazon. I buy books, cosmetics, clothing, household items, vitamins, and even food from them. And I love the way their software customizes my experience so I see screens that are unique to me.

But some people find this intrusive - or even creepy. Do you?

Do you want an author's website to respond uniquely to your visit with the ability to logon for recommendations, or would you prefer to flip through the web pages in stealth mode?

Are you looking for videos, book excerpts, the author's blog, ways to connect with the author through social media, ways or places to purchase the books, or are you interested in the author personally - where they're from, how they got into writing, how their personal lives impact their themes (if at all)? Are you interested in behind-the-scenes information?

As a result of my college courses, I redesigned my author website. To be honest, it had been needing a redesign for quite some time - it was first designed in 2000 and was patterned after some of the biggest suspense authors at the time, with a black background and white letters. But times have changed, and my new website reflects more of who I am as an individual, with shades of blue (my favorite color because I love skies and water).

There are more videos on the home page, links to books depending on your interests, integrated blogs, and a new menu with subsets to social media and special links. If you haven't seen it in awhile, check it out (www.pmterrell.com) and let me know what you think.

If you're an author, please leave a comment below with your website and why you designed it the way it is.

If you're a reader but you like a particular author's website, please leave the link below with why you like it. Or if you want to see something specific about your favorite authors, tell me what you'd like to see and what would make the experience more enjoyable for you.

p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 20 books in several genres. Visit www.pmterrell.com for more information.

What AMC's TURN Can Teach an Author

I admit I am addicted to AMC's Series: TURN: Washington's Spies, based on the true story of America's first spy ring and the book, Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose.

As a writer, I often look beyond the surface to discover the reasons I am drawn into a story. TURN takes place against the backdrop of the American Revolutionary War. Since we all know how it turned out, there's no suspense - or is there?

It turns out there is. And it also turns out there's more to the story than what we've been taught in school.

But even more so, I find I am drawn to the characters - and this is where the real genius exists. (All pictures below are from AMC's television series, TURN.)

Washington's Spies is the true story of a group of childhood friends who form a spy ring. All civilians with a military contact, they risk their lives to journey behind enemy lines, leaving documents and information that can turn the tide of war in their favor.

Abe Woodhull becomes the ringleader. His story is a classic tale of a son who can never live up to the ideals of the father. In this case, his father is Magistrate Richard Woodhull, whose home has been turned into the headquarters for Major Hewlett, who governs Setauket, Long Island.

Abe was engaged to Anna Strong but his older brother was killed during the war and he was pressured to marry the woman his brother had arranged to wed. Anna subsequently married Selah Strong. (Anna and Abe shown here.)

I liked Abe from the beginning and could feel his angst as he was caught between seeing the woman he truly loved and bedding the woman he was compelled to marry. However, as time marched on and the twists and turns began to unfold, I found myself appalled at the tactics Abe used to further his cause.

I disliked Abe's wife Mary from the beginning and completely reviled her when she burned the code book she found and then subsequently burned down their house. But as she was pulled into the shadows of the spy ring, she became resourceful, faithful and loyal to her husband - if not to the cause.

Two surprises for me were how I feel about two British loyalists: Major Hewlett was clearly the enemy as the series began so I hated him as any American would... Only there is more to Major Hewlett than meets the eye. We discover he was not a career soldier. In fact, he wanted to become an astronomer. What's more, he is a decent man and a fair-minded man placed into an impossible predicament of winning over the hearts and minds of a colony half a world away from England.

And when Anna Strong's husband becomes a prisoner of war and then a soldier who can't venture into British-controlled Setauket, Major Hewlett becomes attracted to her... And Anna clearly becomes attracted to him. I found myself rooting for their marriage, hoping they would leave war-torn America for England and Hewlett's life as an astronomer. (Major Hewlett and Anna Strong shown.)

Then Major John Andre enters the picture. Andre is in charge of Britain's spy ring and they are every bit as formidable as the colonial ring. He is cunning, opportunistic, shrewd. And yet there is another side to him. While he is in charge of Philadelphia and is given a black woman, he immediately gives her papers that demonstrates she is free. When she chooses to remain in his employment, he treats her fairly and kindly. When he falls in love with an American socialite, we see a romantic side, gentle, attentive, captivated. And when he must depart for New York, he is despondent and melancholy. I found myself longing for them to be reunited, even though I know it might be too late. [And spoiler alert: if you'd like to know what happens to him, follow this link.] (Andre and Peggy shown here.)

Lest you think I've become a loyalist, there are plenty of villains as well and none more vicious than British Lt. John Simcoe. Simcoe as portrayed in this series is a psychopath who clearly relishes his role as a soldier and his position in Setauket as a license to kill and maim without penalty. Brilliantly portrayed by actor Samuel Roukin, even when he is infatuated with Anna Strong and attempts to display a gentler side, his glassy eyes and high-pitched voice can not hide a sinister tendency toward evil. (Simcoe shown here.) [Follow this link for the real story of John Simcoe.]

I am now hooked on the series (in its third year) because I must know what happens to Major Hewlett and Anna Strong; whether Abe and his father will ever reconcile their differences; whether Major Andre and his lover, Peggy, will reunite before history takes its dramatic turn.

And of course, there are those who will always remain in the forefront of history: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, King George and more.

In a war that raged across early America, the majority of the action takes place in Setauket, Long Island and the surrounding rural countryside, with brief interludes of a young York City and staid Philadelphia. For an author always interested in what keeps readers coming back for more in a series, this is definitely a show to watch - and a book to read.

p.m.terrell is the author of River Passage, the award-winning true story of the ill-fated Donelson river voyage to Fort Nashborough during the height of the Chickamauga Indian Wars; and her most popular book, Songbirds are Free, the true story of the capture of 19-year-old Mary Neely by Shawnee warriors in 1780. Check out her website for more information at www.pmterrell.com. 

The White Devil of Dublin now in Audio Book!

The White Devil of Dublin is now in audio book, narrated by the same brilliant actor who narrated the first book in the series, The Tempest Murders. Jack Nolan makes Ryan O'Clery and The White Devil come alive. If you'd like to listen to the first chapter, follow this link to amazon, where a sample is available. The audio book is available for purchase on amazon, Audible, iTunes, and at other retailers.

If you enjoy the hit television series Vikings as much as I have, you'll enjoy The White Devil of Dublin. The action moves between present-day North Carolina and 800 years in the past, on the eve of the Norman invasion of Dublin. Detective Ryan O'Clery agrees to meet a noted historian claiming to have discovered information about his ancestors, but when he arrives he

finds her murdered and her computer stolen. His investigation will lead him back to 12th century Ireland, to a time of Viking invaders and conquests, to an albino known as The White Devil, and to a secret his family kept hidden for more than eight hundred years. It will also bring him face to face with a serial killer intent on finishing the job he started.

I unexpectedly fell in love with The White Devil while writing this book. And from the fan mail I've received, many of my readers did as well. They laughed, they cried, they fell in love and they suffered alongside The White Devil and the woman he loves... And they were brought forward into the present day to an albino Ryan thought was dead but who is not only alive but is plotting his revenge.

Through the Oracle's Mist

Today's special guest is Aedan Byrnes. There is no simple description for Aedan. Obsessive, dreamer, reclusive, compulsive, outdoorsman and wordsmith would be among the list if one were started. The displaced Gael lives in the upper Midwest with family between jaunts wherever the road takes him. A frequent traveler, he is as likely to be found rock climbing or spelunking as sitting fireside dreaming or aimlessly floating away.

A lifelong lover of words and writing, he claims a diverse reading appetite and his writing reflects the myriad influences. A self-proclaimed 'reader's writer', he looks for the emotional and the sensory in word combinations, not just the visceral comprehension of phrases in the stories he crafts and his love of all things literary shines through.


ABOUT THE BOOK

In the blackest night, with the moon and stars to guide him, she would always be there waiting…

Cyrenna thought she died the day she watched Tynan and his brothers jump through the banishment portal in an act of solidarity with Rigor. Little did she know, it would be the first of many deaths she would experience in her quest to claim his heart. She would surrender not only her immortal soul, but a mortal one repeatedly. Through a deal with the great Oracle, she has multiple mortal lifetimes to change the direction of her future and have a chance with Tynan.

Her journey spans the ages from the GenPei War in Japan and the Silk Road west, to Cromwell, the Three Kingdoms and modern times, bringing her one step closer to forever until she makes a misstep. Then, the burden falls to Tynan. The only thing that is absolute is her fervent hope that he will come, but there’s one big problem.

Through it all, he doesn’t so much as know her name.



AN EXCERPT

How many times can a man be broken? How many times can a man die and never have it be final? How many lost loves or lost chances at love will it take to undo any chance of ever becoming whole? In the purest sense…only one. Nothing I could imagine or ever endure would compete for the absolute punishing agony of her folding me into her arms to comfort me and hearing her whisper…

“I know.”

Two words. Who knew that two words would be all that it would take to loose the storm? Hardly two words really, only five letters. Five little letters with extreme power. Five little letters to rob Zeus of his most lethal bolt, focus the strike, and rend me in pieces. The surge had pushed past my pride and leaves me sobbing for the loss I had yet to experience. A loss I knew would take my breath, but I cannot die. How cruelly ironic that death has become my sole wish now?

My internal emotional upheaval is a flash storm out of place beneath the cloudless sky. The cacophony of my noisy tears and transition scatter the small creatures for miles. I have no control and shift without grace. Rage and pain coalesce to an explosion, angst roaring as the internal battle is waged and the war lost before the call to arms is done sounding. My thunderous eruption screaming against the fading light, with a rising silvery moon and shimmering stars to bear witness to my destruction. The metamorphosis from man to beast is abrupt. I shift, not with the flexing of bone and the stretching of skin, but with the crack of a gun blast and a single pull to form. It is razor wire across my senses and I am bloodied raw without a trace to be found.

A testament to her, she stands still. Not frozen, but placated to let me render the fury that must come out as I cannot hold it in. The beast from within is enormous, but not big enough to hold so much. I warned her. I told her. I had made her aware almost cruelly that first time I let my inner wild out that this day might come…could come…would come and that it would be ushered in on an unseen tide that would sweep our perfect world away. I had wanted her to be afraid. She wasn’t. She had believed, but had also naively assured me that the day would be long into the future and we would enjoy the time until then.

She had been wrong. There was nothing to say now. ‘I’m sorry’ would be a hollow sentiment and ‘I was wrong’ would do nothing as the last thing I would want to hear and know about this was that I had been right.

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