SUMMER 2019
TOPICS: "Celtic Remnants" released in paperback / In Progress / Moving Along & Other Miscellanea / Until Next Time
Hello readers!
Another summer is upon the area in which I live, a woeful state of affairs for me. I don't take to the heat very well, despite having lived in a desert-like climate for many years. I recall only too well last year's brush fires burning out of control for weeks on end, their thick smoke filling the air every day. Hopefully, the same scenario won't repeat itself this year. However, relief from the summer heat can be found in the Wasatch Mountain range nearby, which I plan to take advantage of this sultry season - with great relish.
Prior to the onslaught of spring and summer this year, I lost my
beloved Black-Lab mix
Rainee Gabriella. She was just
one month away from her 15th birthday when she passed on February
16th. Her last cognizant act was to walk unsteadily to me, pushing
on my leg with her nose, and looking at me with hope and love in her
eyes. It nearly broke me in half.
I adopted Rainee from the Spokane Humane Society when she was two months old, and we were together from that point forward. She saw me through thick and thin for more than a decade, my constant companion and frequent calming potion when I went through intermittent rough patches. She thought nothing of stepping on my feet as she walked by, and it was a rare occasion indeed when she minded my reprimands. She was a power unto herself, a beautiful girl I miss deeply every day.
Hopefully, Rainee is now frolicking happily with Foofer and Kiki beyond Rainbow Bridge.
"Celtic Remnants" released by Club
Lighthouse Publishing
Celtic Remnants was released by Club Lighthouse Publishing on June 22nd, initially available as an e-book with the paperback edition to follow in a few weeks. Postscript 07/21/2019: "Celtic Remnants" paperback edition released. This book has long been in the making. While available before 2019 in electronic format, it is has been a project many years in process. It remains my favorite creation to date. A beloved yet sometimes painful endeavor, if you will.
Celtic Remnants is a novel of
enduring love and betrayal set in the political turbulence of
Ireland, glamour of London and the wilds of Scotland.
A young girl is shaped by horrific events which change her life forever. After Ava's brother and parents are killed by British soldiers, she vows to avenge their deaths as she picks up the pieces of her shattered world.
Before she can move on, Ava falls in love with handsome nobleman David Lancaster, eldest son of a belted Earl. Their relationship ends dramatically when his family refuses to accept her. Afterward, Ava sets her life on a course of violent revenge in the name of political justice with her childhood friend, Tim O'Casey.
Unable to forget Ava, David hires a private investigator to look for her years later. When he finds her, Ava is hardened by more than a decade on the run and wants nothing to do with him. However, after being injured during an ambush in the English countryside, Ava and Tim go to David for help. He spirits them off to a remote Scottish hunting lodge to heal.
Momentarily safe amidst the rugged beauty, Ava begins to wonder if she can give up her deeply-felt political beliefs to build a normal life with David. Or will happiness forever elude them?
Can Ava relinquish her political convictions, even for love?
As much as I love all eight books in the Collective Obsessions Saga (by me writing as Deidre Dalton), I have to admit Celtic Remnants tops my list over all the others. The novel was previously released by Tyborne Hill and made available from 2013-2018. The book was reviewed several times and was also the subject of an online interview undertaken by me with Writers Alive/Blog Talk Radio.
During the recent brief editing process for Celtic Remnants, my publisher/editor Terrie Balmer sent me a message:
While I haven't finished reviewing it, from what I've seen, it's very well written and engaging . . . as usual . . . and I haven't found that any changes are required.
Rare words from an editor, trust me. Usually, there is always something that needs changing (or deleted altogether). However, over the years I've read Celtic Remnants dozens of times, paired with marathon and sometimes brutal editing sessions. I can almost recite the entire novel verbatim.
Special thanks goes to my dear cousin, Sheila O'Toole Domon, for being the perfect cover model for Celtic Remnants. And to my publisher/editor Terrie for her unique approach to the new cover for Celtic Remnants. Her talent is boundless, and I'm lucky she puts so much of her artistic skill into each and every book.
Along with the paperback release of Celtic Remnants comes a newly-revised dedication, the words of which mean a great deal to me:
"Celtic Remnants" is dedicated to my darling mother Joyce O'Toole, who proofread everything I ever wrote and always offered creative encouragement; to my dear friend Brendan Gallagher for his insight and humor; and to my uncle Mike O'Toole, who provided inspiration for the book in the first place.
In
the previous newsletter, I
mentioned the progress being made on
Glinhaven,
Bloodlust,
In the Shadow of the King and
The Crypt Artist, along
with estimated release dates for each. At the moment, I'm in the
middle of packing for another move so I had to set back the
estimations. The adage "life can turn on a dime" is certainly true, at least in
my recent experience. While I cannot elaborate too much on the
storylines of upcoming novels, I have updated estimated release dates for the
aforementioned books and others:
Blood & Soul (by yours truly writing as Deidre Dalton); 2021
Bloodlust (by yours truly writing as Deidre Dalton); 2020
Glinhaven (2020)
In the Shadow of the King (2022)
The Crypt Artist (December 2019)
I'm bound and determined to finish The Crypt Artist this year for two reasons: I adore the storyline, and it is also a quest to complete it for a very special friend of mine.
As per my usual notation with updates, the storylines, estimated release dates and book cover designs may be subject to change.
To make matters more complicated, I have ideas for sequels to Celtic Remnants and the Collective Obsessions Saga. There never seems to be enough time for it all, although I'm trying my best.
I'm on the move again. After just over three years in my current location, I'm packing to go once more. There are so many memories I'll be leaving behind when I depart, mainly to do with my darling girls Rainee and Kiki, who are now gone from me. There are other memories, such as spending New Years Eve making homemade egg rolls and watching a marathon of the old Twilight Zone television series (a bottle of Irish cream nearby, of course). My apartment was very much like my refuge from the world, where I could shut the front door and not be bothered for weeks on end. It was lovely, yet probably not healthy in the rational sense. Perhaps it comes from being an only child, but I quite enjoy isolation in which to create and the tranquility it also offers.
READING: Alison Weir is my favorite "Tudorphile" author. I have nearly every one of her books, except for the titles she's written about the six wives of Henry VIII. But they are coming next. My recent binge included The Lost Tudor Princess, The Lady Elizabeth and The Marriage Game. I can lose myself for hours in these books, and often do.
MINI-JOURNEYS: I recently took a trip to my father's hometown of Heber City, Utah. I visited his gravesite, along with many other members of my family. Had a nice time with my cousins JoAnn, Mary and Nancy (the latter of which is a devoted foster for shelter pups). On the way back, we passed through Provo Canyon and stopped at Bridal Veil Falls (see photo below). The area has a unique history.
It was a nice day altogether, as many of my childhood summers and Christmas holidays were spent in Heber City. It started off with breakfast at The Hub Cafe, an old haunt from my younger days. Some of the amazing landmarks in Heber (along with the nearby town of Midway) include The Homestead, the Avon Theatre on Main Street (as a child, I went to the theatre with my cousins to see movies almost every weekend), Heber Valley Railroad, Air Force Wing Museum, Heber Valley Milk & Artisan Cheese, Midway Swiss Days, and a few others.
The area is amazingly beautiful, and somehow still seemingly unmarked by modern hustle and bustle.
Another newsletter will be coming your way around Christmas 2019 - so keep your eyes peeled!
Until next time, happy reading . . .
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