Well, if you listen to the Irish, they’ll tell you it was Saint Brendan—hands down. Brendan was born in 484 AD in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. His parents were Finnlug and Cara. Cool names, don’t you think? Finn and Cara! After tutelage under Saint Ida, “The Brigid of Munster,” at six, Brendan went to […]
A Primer On My Trilogy
I’ve mentioned this once, but I think it’s really important to reiterate it now that publication is nearing for Shanty Gold. The “e” version will be available on virtually every “e” book site on July 15. The print book will be out in August. Look for my readings on this site and in newspapers. […]
Saints Preserve Us!
Saints Preserve Us! That’s an old Irish expression I grew up hearing from ancient aunts and uncles. They weren’t that far “off the boat,” you see and wanted to preserve their Irish heritage as best they could. Thank you, Aunt Norah, Aunt Mabel, Aunt Mamie, and Uncle Dan. Everybody knows about St. Patrick, right? […]
Ireland Today
I started traveling to Ireland ten years ago. It has become my (and my husband’s) favorite destination. Why? Well, for one thing, it’s so startlingly green! Yes, it’s green where I live in Western North Carolina and it was green where I used to live in upstate New York. But nothing I’ve ever seen […]
Dreams of My Childhood
I always just plain wanted to write. As a kid, I was constantly writing–poetry, essays, short stories, jingles. The problem was that no one could read it. Sometimes, even me. That’s because the Sisters at St. Raphael Elementary School in Springfield, Ohio decided I shouldn’t be left handed and switched me over in first grade. When […]
Shanty Evil…an Interview with Elizabeth Bradshaw
JC: So, Elizabeth, why did you choose Mary Boland upon sight at the Harbor in Queensbury? EB: Look, ducks, she was a pretty thing. So dirty I couldn’t stand near her for the stink, but I got an eye, I do. Under all that dirt was something I could sell. JC: Sell? […]
Naming Characters in Historical Fiction
Naming characters can be tricky. I’m sure there are a thousand books on how to do it, but I’ve not read them. You see, there’s a book for every step of the writing process. If I took the time to read them, I’d never get any writing done. When it came to […]
How Long Does it Take to Write a Novel?
People ask how long it took me to write Shanty Gold. It’s roughly 380 pages and covers four pivotal years in the life of Miss Mary Boland, Irish immigrant. Believe it or not, it’s a tough question to answer. I began writing a novel in earnest roughly ten years ago. It was called Daughters […]
What Inspired SHANTY GOLD?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Made my living writing radio and TV commercials for years. But when you must make money to educate four young girls, there’s no way you can do that spending years writing a novel. But I had to write Shanty Gold. It was demanded of me from the […]
Shanty Gold Has a Face. And it’s Irish!
Trying to find the best face for Shanty Gold has been challenging. While working with Genene, the publisher’s artist, we batted around close to a hundred ideas before we settled on what we think is the perfect cover. Some were mysterious—some subtle—some scary—and some a bit too romance-y. Then, we nailed it. So, […]