News—September 2010

Greetings to everyone,

Hope you're all enjoying the last days of summer wherever you are. And that you've gotten in some dancing at Lughnasa. Thanks so much to everyone who's written over the past few months. As usual, I'm a little tardy in responding, but I do read everything! Looking forward this month to a tour of Ireland, lots of library events in October, and book clubs throughout the winter months. And working on Book Four, of course—which seems to be taking on a life of its own!

FALSE MERMAID TOUR DATES CONTINUE

Had a great time at the Irish Fair of Minnesota—thanks to everyone who turned out. Looking forward to the Minnesota Library Association Annual Meeting in Rochester on October 7, and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival on October 23. A complete list of upcoming events is on my website.

MINNESOTA LIBRARIES: SERIOUS PLAY

I've been asked to give a lunchtime keynote at the Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference on October 7. The program will also feature great live Irish traditional music by my husband, Paddy O'Brien, along with fiddler Nathan Gourley and guitarist/singer Daithi Sproule. The theme of this year's MLA conference is 'Serious Play.' Conference attendees will also read FALSE MERMAID as their 'One Conference, One Book' selection, and there's also a book club discussion scheduled as part of the festivities on October 7. So exciting!

CHIPPEWA VALLEY BOOK FESTIVAL

On October 23, Paddy and I will do a Saturday evening keynote program at the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, sponsored by the Literary Arts Committee of the Eau Claire Regional Arts Council. With words, music, and images, we'll conjure up the Otherworld of FALSE MERMAID for the booklovers of the Chippewa Valley.

AUDIOBOOK NEWS

I've been getting lots of inquiries about whether there will be an unabridged audiobook version of FALSE MERMAID. The answer is—yes! Audible.com just wrapped recording on the project, and the great news is that Jennifer McMahon, who read HAUNTED GROUND and LAKE OF SORROWS, is back again for FALSE MERMAID. 'Jennifer McMahon' is actually a stage name of Rosalyn Landor, a multi-talented actress with extensive theater, film, and television credits, who really brings the stories to life. (Mystery fans might be pleased to know that Roz has appeared in Rumpole of the Bailey and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jeremy Brett. And for all you sci-fi fans, she was also in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation...)

FIRST EDITIONS GOING FAST

Thanks to dedicated book lovers everywhere, FALSE MERMAID has gone into a second printing! And I'm still visiting libraries and book clubs to talk about the first two books in the series; the HAUNTED GROUND trade paperback has been reprinted as well.

GOOD QUESTION

The trade paperback edition of FALSE MERMAID is in the works and will be out in March 2011. I've just finished a reader's guide for the book; those discussion questions will be printed in the larger paperback edition. They're designed to get book clubs thinking and talking about the characters, the ideas, the imagery in the novel. Here's just a brief representative sample; the full set of questions is on my website:

• What sorts of experiences and connections do Elizabeth, Tríona, and Nora have with seals in the novel? If the one-eyed seal is a symbol, who or what do you think it represents? What does Cormac discover about his own previously unknown connections with seals and selkies?

• Many characters in the novel are conflicted, torn between loyalties or emotions or places. How does internal conflict affect their external actions? Can you think of instances when it is a positive force or a negative one? Which characters are aware of their conflicts and for which are they subconscious?

• Shape-shifting and transformation are among the major themes in False Mermaid. Several characters are shown changing shape, wearing disguises, or assuming a different identity. Can you think of several instances where this sort of change is depicted or suggested?

CROSSING THE WIDE OCEAN—REDUX

September 9-17, 2010
Hart of Ireland: Myths, Music and Mayhem
September 9 we set off on the "Hart of Ireland" tour, put together by my friends at New Departures Travel. We'll visit some of my favorite places in Ireland, including the exhibition on Iron Age gold (and bog people) at the National Museum in Dublin. We'll also go to Glendalough, the Neolithic tomb at Newgrange, the 5,000-year-old, bog-buried farms at Ceide Fields, among other ancient and historic sites. And of course there will be plenty of jigs and reels along the way, even a special music night organized by our old pal (and great fiddle player) John Kelly in Dublin. I hope to be posting pictures and updates on my blog about all the wonders we encounter.

And if all goes well, there may be more tours like this in the offing. Anyone interested can contact Kathy Sidla at New Departures for details on future tours:

Kathy Sidla
New Departures Travel
625 2nd Ave South, Suite #408
Minneapolis, MN 55402
612-305-0025 voice
612-305-0116 fax
kathy@newdepartures.com

I always promise to let people know when my husband Paddy O'Brien is playing music around the region. In addition to the Minnesota Library Association Annual Conference and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival (which he'll be playing with me), Paddy will be doing some concerts around the Twin Cities and surrounding area this fall. There's more to come, and details are always on Paddy's website, but here's the latest:

SEPTEMBER 2010
Riverview Showcase: Paddy O'Brien & Paul Wehling — September 18
Riverview Wine Bar & Cafe
3753 42nd Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN
612-722-7234 for tickets
8:00 pm / Admission: $12
One of the nicest acoustic gigs in the Twin Cities is the Riverview Cafe and Wine Bar's Showcase Series. Paddy will be doing a night there on September 18 with multi-instrumentalist and singer Paul Wehling. The boys had a lovely crowd the last time they did a concert at the Riverview, and are looking forward to this evening of playing together again. Paul's a whiz on bouzouki, guitar and banjo, plus he's got a great selection of songs, and Paddy will supply the jigs and reels, and maybe a slow air or two as well.

OCTOBER 2010
1-2 Denver, CO—solo concerts and workshops TBA
15 Dodgeville WI—Folklore Village Farm
16 Richland, MI—Richland Community Hall
22 Saint Paul, MN—Celtic Junction

AND... Irish Music & Dance Association Honors — October 29
Each year the Twin Cities Irish Music & Dance Association honors someone who has made a lasting contribution to the local music and dance scene, and for 2010, they've chosen Paddy as their honoree! There will be an evening of music, jokes, and fun at Celtic Junction on Friday, October 29. Watch this space for more details!

That's all the news for now, but there's much more to come.

Don't forget to keep in touch!

Slán go fóill—so long for now,
Erin