Guest Post - Loucinda McGary

I am so excited to have Loucinda McGary Guest Post to talk about her amazing Mexican Cruise trip here at Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

Some of you may already know me as the irrepressible and sometimes irreverent Aunty Cindy of the Romance Bandits, or from my own blog, Aunty Cindy Explains It All. If so, thanks for visiting. If you are a newcomer, thanks even more.

I enjoy books in many different sub-genres, but currently I am writing contemporary romantic suspense with paranormal elements.

A life-long avid reader, I write the kinds of stories I like to read – stories with danger, romance and a touch of the unexpected. I like to read and write about wonderful, far away places and people not so very different from me or someone I know. My characters must overcome physical and emotional obstacles, sometimes risk their lives, and eventually discover love.

Always love.

Basically, I'm a romantic at heart and there's nothing I find more satisfying than two people achieving their own happily-ever-after. I believe that you, my readers, feel the same.

Blessed with the gift of "Irish Blarney" Loucinda McGary (everyone calls her Cindy) became a storyteller shortly after she learned to read. If she didn't like the way a story ended, she made up her own ending. In high school, between history and algebra homework, Cindy wrote stories featuring herself, her friends, and their favorite movie and rock stars. After college, she published a couple dozen poems in "little magazines" (the equivalent of e-zines in those pre-internet days) and even wrote a couple of novels. Then life intervened. Family and career became her top priorities, though she could never quite stop dabbling in writing. Also along about this time, vacations became a must and she developed an almost legendary love of travel that took her all over the United States and abroad in one and two week stints.

A long-time reader of romances, Cindy discovered and joined Romance Writers of America in 2001. But her stressful career as the manager of a multi-million dollar State and Federally funded program prevented her from doing much writing or traveling. She still managed to squeeze in a little of both, but not enough of either to be truly satisfying. Finally, at the end of 2003 she decided to take an early retirement from her career to fully pursue her twin passions of travel and writing. Cindy likes to set her novels of romance and suspense in some of the fascinating places she has visited.

Books:

The Wild Sight

An Irish tale of deadly deeds and forbidden love

Since he was a wee lad, Donovan O'Shea possessed a gift of clairvoyance that allowed him to see and hear people and things that others could not. Viewing his ability as a curse he could not control, Donovan fled to America, but now after fifteen years, he has been forced to return to the family homestead in Northern Ireland to handle his ill father's affairs. Decades earlier, Donovan's mother disappeared into the encroaching fens and was never seen again. Now the same fens are offering up secrets, both ancient and recent, and restoring a terrible legacy that just may drive him mad. And if this is not trouble enough, a beautiful woman walks into his life, claiming to be his half-sister.

Rylie Powell never knew her real father. Her mother would only say he was a charming Irishman who seduced her, married her, and then abandoned her and his baby daughter. But after her mother's death, Rylie finds tantalizing clues about her father that send her off to Northern Ireland and an archeological site on Dermot O'Shea's property, the man listed on her birth certificate as her father.

Did Dermot O'Shea father both Donovan and Rylie?

What is Donovan's connection to the Celtic High King Niall of the Nine Hostages?

And what secret do the fens hold that invites murder?

The Treasures of Venice

A passion they never expected, a danger they cannot escape.

Somewhere amid the canals and palazzos of romantic Venice, a beautiful damsel is in distress. Held against her will, her fate depends upon unraveling a centuries old mystery. Also in this ancient city of love, two couples separated by over 500 years, defy both church and state as they challenge destiny to be together. And all find themselves inextricably linked to the Jewels of the Madonna.

For more information about each book, please visit

http://www.loucindamcgary.com/
http://auntycindy.blogspot.com/

Please take it away, Loucinda!

Cruising, Relaxing, and Writing Inspiration

Everyone who meets me quickly learns that I am a travel fanatic. I’ve visited 47 states and 26 foreign countries over the years, but lately most of my travel has been on cruises. I absolutely love being able to visit several different exotic ports without having to move my luggage or worry about where I’ll be eating my next meal (and don’t get me started on how wonderful the food is on most cruises). Plus, in between ports of call, I love to just hang out and relax.

I recently completed my 14th cruise, and my DH has us signed up for two more before the end of the year (see, told ya I love to cruise)! Except for the week I spent in Washington DC attending the Romance Writer’s of America’s National Conference, this was my first major trip all year. I’ve been chained to my computer writing my third contracted book for Sourcebooks Casablanca, so I really needed this eleven day getaway to beautiful Mexico.

Only it turned out to be Hotter Than Hades Mexico! We encountered 100+ degrees (Fahrenheit) temperatures at every one of our five stops. UGH! But it didn’t stop me from having fun! This was my ninth or tenth cruise to Mexico (I’ve lost count) but this time we stopped in a couple of places I’d never visited before, which I always find exciting!

Our first stop was a tiny fishing village on the Sea of Cortez called Topolobampo. There really was nothing at the port except local shrimp boats and a huge gasoline storage facility from which they shipped fuel all over northern Mexico. The tourist attraction here is a train trip through the Copper Canyon area. Actually a series of canyons on the scale of the US’s Grand Canyon, the shore excursion was 18 hours and started at 5:30 a.m. Another fact people quickly learn about me is that 5:30 a.m. and I NEVER belong in the same proximity! Not even on paper! So I opted not to go on the excursion.

Instead, I rode the lovely air conditioned shuttle bus thirty minutes inland to the town of Los Mochis (means “the turtles”). Unlike tiny Topolobampo, the city of Los Mochis has over 100,000 residents and boasts several universities. However, they are not used to seeing American tourists, as I quickly found out. Also, by the time I arrived at shortly after 11:00 a.m. it was already over 100 degrees! UGH! I quickly located an indoor, air conditioned mall and sat myself down to people watch.

After about half an hour, a beautiful young woman (and I’m talking the kind of beauty people turn their heads to stare after) walked over and asked if she could sit on the bench next to me. She asked, in English, if she could sit down and I said sure. She had a slice of pizza (her lunch) and when she finished it, she shyly asked, “May I practice my English with you?” I quickly agreed. Turns out she was recently graduated from a local University with a degree in business but has, thus far, been unable to find a job. She had studied English for a couple of years but didn’t feel she was fluent enough to find a job speaking and reading it. She said, “My father told me to get out and practice speaking with some tourists, and you are the first one I’ve seen.” We talked for almost an hour, and I hope I helped her. She certainly gave me ideas for future female characters!

The next day, we stopped in the city of La Paz, also on the Sea of Cortez but on the long skinny arm of Baja California. La Paz is a resort town, and definitely more used to seeing tourists because every other store along the waterfront sold either “cold beer” (yes, they had an Applebee’s across from the marina) or T-shirts! Again, it was excruciatingly hot, but at least if I stayed near the water, which was a gorgeous turquoise blue, there was enough breeze to make it bearable.

Unfortunately, I wrenched my knee getting off the shuttle bus in La Paz so my sightseeing was seriously curtailed at our next two stops. Luckily, by the time we reached Cabo San Lucas, I was pretty much recovered. Having been to Cabo many times, I already knew the best air conditioned places to hang out. But the most interesting thing about this visit was that there were five cruise ships in port that day! I’d never seen more than three. And the thing that made it so remarkable is that the harbor in Cabo is too shallow for the ships to dock. They all have to anchor outside the marina area and shuttle passengers to shore in small boats called tenders. Standing on the dock and looking out at five massive ships sitting just beyond the harbor was quite an impressive sight (and perhaps fodder for a future story)! And all the T-shirt and beer vendors were in nirvana!

So even if on the surface, this was an eleven day vacation full of rest and relaxation, I never know when someone I met (a beautiful girl with curly black hair) or something I’ve seen (five enormous ships all sitting at anchor in a small area) or experienced (horrible heat) might turn up in one of my stories. But I do know I’m seriously considering making the hero of my next novel be a security officer on a cruise ship!

Loucinda will be visiting and answering any questions you might have so please participate, thanks!

Thanks for guest posting on my Blog, Loucinda I greatly appreciate it!