It's tour time! Today's feature is Loucinda McGary and her new release, The Treasures of Venice, a contemporary/historical romance!About the book:
HE'S A CHARMING IRISH ROGUE WHO NEVER MET A LOCK HE COULDN'T PICK...
Keirnan Fitzgerald is desperate to locate the missing Jewels of the Madonna. With danger at every corner and time running out, he must use whatever means possible to uncover the stolen jewels in time to save his sister's life...SHE'S SIMPLY IN VENICE TO RELAX AND HEAL HER BROKEN HEART...
Samantha Lewis is shocked when a dashing stranger approaches her in a Venetian cafe pretending to know her. She's ready for something new and exciting in her life, so she throws caution to the wind and accompanies the Irish charmer into his dangerous world of intrigue, theft, and betrayal...
As the centuries-old story behind the Jewels' disappearance is revealed, Samantha must decide whether the man she's so compellingly drawn to is her soul mate from a previous life, or if they are merely pawns in a relentless quest for a priceless treasure...
About the author:Loucinda McGary took early retirement from her managerial career to pursue her twin passions of travel and writing, and sets her novels of romantic suspense in the fascinating places she has visited. She was a finalist in the 2006 Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest in Romantic Suspense. She lives in Sacramento, CA. For more information, please visit her website, loucindamcgary.com.
Loucinda shares some thoughts with us:
First I want to thank you for inviting me to guest blog with you. I’m thrilled to be promoting my new release from Sourcebooks Casablanca, The Treasures of Venice. Even though this book is my second romantic suspense to be published, it is actually the first I wrote.
Long before I had traveled much of anywhere, I dreamed of exotic places, and Venice was at the top of my list. The city built on water captured my imagination from the first moment I learned it existed. All the pictures of the beautiful, elaborate buildings and the boats floating serenely on the canals looked incredibly romantic to me. When the day finally came and I made my first trip to Italy, I must say, La Serenisima (Venice’s nickname which means “the serene one”) did not disappoint. From the moment our train pulled into the Santa Lucia train station on a misty February morning, I felt like I was in a completely different world.
So when I sat down to write my first romantic suspense novel, it was only natural for me to set it in Venice. I got to re-experience some of the magic and mystery of that beautiful city by writing about it. Plus, I hoped that someday, readers would also enjoy the same wonder that I had. I’m very happy that ‘someday’ is here!
This was truly the book of my heart! It not only has a few paranormal elements, but also a dual storyline set in both contemporary Venice and the Renaissance Venice of 1485. The manuscript was a finalist in the 2006 Golden Heart contest and gave me a tremendous boost down the long and winding path to my first sale and many other wonderful writing-related opportunities.
The Treasures of Venice opens with the heroine, Samantha Lewis sitting alone in a café in St. Marks Square feeling a bit sorry for herself. She was supposed to be on her honeymoon, but her fiancé dumped her for another woman. Suddenly a handsome stranger approaches her and acts as if they know each other. When he asks her to play along with him, on impulse, she does. What she doesn’t know, is if the man she’s so compellingly drawn to was her soul mate from a previous lifetime, or if the two of them are merely pawns in a relentless quest for a priceless treasure.
Irish rogue, Keirnan Fitzgerald has a problem that for once, he may not be able to solve with just his charm. His sister, a Renaissance scholar, has discovered the whereabouts of the legendary Jewels of the Madonna, stolen and missing for over 500 years. Unfortunately, when others hear of her discovery, they kidnap her and demand the jewels in exchange for her life. Keirnan’s plans to locate the jewels and ransom his sister, do not include becoming involved with a beautiful American tourist. But he and Samantha seem destined to be together, perhaps in the same way as another couple in 1485 Venice, and all their fates are inextricably linked to the Jewels of the Madonna.
Is there an exotic location you’d like to visit or read about? Do you enjoy stories about soul mates? Why or why not?
Thank you for stopping by, Loucinda! I LOVED the setting, and enjoyed the flashbacks into history...
drey's thoughts:
I read this book way back in July. And had to remember to post my thoughts before they went away with the wind... =) The Treasures of Venice opens with Samantha sitting at a cafe in Venice, moping. Then Keirnan shows up and asks her to play along while he tries to get away from the people who're following him. And off it goes! And she figures out that he's looking for the Jewels of the Madonna, though she doesn't know why (yet). As they go 'round Venice, Samantha and Keirnan get that deja vu feeling, like they've met before. And the story veers into the past, and we discover--in bits & pieces--how the Jewels came to be lost in the first place. And what Samantha & Keirnan had to do with that event.
On their heels? Keirnan's sister's kidnappers, Interpol, and another set of ruffians trying to take advantage of the situation. Honestly, I don't really know how Keirnan survives some of the scrapes he gets into! However, this being in the romance genre, you know there's a HEA for these two. Get the book & read it to find out how! =) I think you'll like it as much as I did.
Giveaway!
Thanks to Sourcebooks, one lucky duck will win one copy of The Treasures of Venice, AND one copy of Loucinda's The Wild Sight!!
Rules:
-- Contest is open to US and Canada residents, no PO Boxes please!
-- To enter, comment and share: Have you ever been to Venice? Or, would you want to visit Venice? I'd love to, just to see the canals. And the bridges. And have a gondolier singing love songs in Italian. *grin*
-- For an extra entry, answer Loucinda's questions.
-- Follow for 1 extra entry.
-- Share for 2 extra entries (let me know what & where, please).
-- Do it all before 6:00 pm CST September 22nd. Good luck!
Tour stops:
8/26: Wendy’s Minding Spot
8/27: Fresh Fiction
8/28: Night Owl Romance
8/31: Scribe Vibe
9/2: Armchair Heroines
9/3: I Loves 2 Read & Magical Musings
9/4: Booking Mama & Romance Bandits
9/7: Morbid Romantic
9/8: Books and Needlepoint
9/9: B&N's Mystery Board
9/10: Romance Reader at Heart’s Novel Thoughts Blog
9/11: Love Romance Passion
9/15: Yankee Romance Reviewers
9/17: Pop Syndicate’s Book Addict
