March Rocks! By Mackenzie Crowne

From little candy hearts and hand-made valentines to fat flakes shimmering beyond the window on a snowy Christmas eve, if you’re like me, every month in the year holds special memories. Waving flags, parades and potato salad, jack-o-lanterns and pillowcases full of candy, each flip of the calendar page returns me to my childhood. June delivers a thrilling sense of freedom, a throw-back to that wonderful last day of school every year. September rolls in on a bittersweet wave of magnificent fall colors and chilly winds hinting at the winter to come.

But, this is March, you say, a quiet, unassuming month lacking any major points of note. Wrong, or as they say in the Irish, Micheart! March rocks! Here in Phoenix, where I hang my hat, March means wildflowers - like the beauties decorating the hills of my mountain escape - hot air balloons and the annual Renaissance Fair. For a chick who detests the cold, a month shooing off the dog days of winter to usher in the early signs of spring is a big deal.

March also means St. Patrick’s Day. For a chick from a large, loving, LOUD Irish clan, a month celebrating the streak of green running through the soul of mankind is magical. And for an Irish chick who writes romance, March inspires tales of enduring love amongst the vibrant hills of Ireland, stories seeped in things old and mystical. But more on that later.

I admit, blarney comes naturally to me, so, count yourself lucky I’m curbing my Irish gift of gab to wish you a happy spring and a very happy St. Patrick’s Day with my favorite Irish salute…

May those who love you, love you,

and those who don’t love you,

may God turn their hearts,

and if he doesn’t turn their hearts,

may he turn their ankles…

so you’ll know them by their limping.

When Mac isn’t enjoying the wildflowers decorating her mountain escape, she spends her time weaving HEAs for her characters, like Sam and V, the hero and heroine of To Win Her Back, the latest in her Players series from KensingtonBooks

A Quick Guide to Gaelic for Your St. Patrick's Day by Amber Leigh Williams

I wore kelly green in my official author pic, a salute
to my Irish heritage!

Anybody else looking forward to St. Patrick’s Day this year? In truth, I get excited about St. Paddy’s every year. My traditional corn beef is already in the freezer. On the morning of March 17th, I’ll be throwing it in the crockpot with red potatoes and cabbage. This year, I’m going one step further and trying an Irish soda bread recipe the day before. (The hub is a bit skeptical about this…and for good reason. The last time I tried to make bread from scratch, I nearly burned down the house….)

I love everything about St. Patrick’s Day – not just the warm, hearty feast at the end of the day. I love dressing up my minion in kelly green. Before the hub leaves the house, I make extra sure he’s wearing his green boxers. When he comes home from work, there’s a green Guinness waiting for him. By that point, the minion and I have strung the house with shamrock paper chains. If the weather’s been good to us, we’ve also been on a hunt for four-leaf clovers and leprechauns. As the evening draws near, the house begins to smell good—really good! And then - we feast!

My favorite Irish hero comes from J.D.
Robb's In Death series....

Over the last year, my interest in the Gaelic language has increased tenfold. My love of spoken “Irish” started when I began reading romance novels, as a matter of fact. I blame Roarke, the fantastic, futuristic hero of J.D. Robb’s romantic suspense series who happens to be a born-and-bred Irishman. I’ve studied Celtic history and my own Celtic roots which can be mapped back to the shores of Northern Ireland (on my paternal grandmother’s side) and the Isle of Skye in Scotland and the Mighty McClures of Ireland (on my maternal grandfather’s side). Recently, I learned that Gaelic—which is still spoken in many Celtic regions today—is currently divided into two variations, Scottish and Irish. (Those who have been watching the hit Starz television show, Outlander, have heard quite a bit of Scottish Gaelic spoken....)  

If you’d like to learn a bit of Irish Gaelic to share on St. Paddy’s Day, here’s a quick guide of fun Irish sayings, greetings, endearments and blessings just for you! (This really came in handy while planning my next trilogy, which features three Irish heroes....) Enjoy!

 

Eist moran agus can beagan.

Hear much and say little.

 

Is minic a gheibhean beal oscailt diog dunta!
An open mouth often catches a closed fist

 

De reir a cheile a thogtar na caisleain.
It takes time to build castles.

 



Last year, I found a four-leaf clover in the
foam of my green beer. Slainte!

Slainte!

Health/Cheers!

 

O m'anam.
From my heart.

 

Saol fada chugat.

Long life to you.

 

Cuimhnigh i gconai.

Always remember.

 

Is fearr Gaeilge briste, na Bearla cliste.

Broken Irish is better than clever English.

 

Ta suil agam go bhfuil tu i mbarr na slainte.
I hope you are in the best of health.

 

Mo anam cara.
My soulmate.

 

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig!
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

 

Tá grá agam duit! 
I love you!

 

Cá bhfuil an teach pobail?
Where is the pub?

 

A little cuteness overload from the minion's
first St. Patrick's Day (2012)! "A chuisle mo chroí."

A chuisle mo chroí.
My dear darling/treasure.

 

A ghrá mo chroí.
Love of my heart.

 

Dia dhuit.
God be with you. (This phrase is the equivalent of 'Hello'.)

 

Go n-éirí on bóthar leat.

May the road rise with you.


Did I leave anything out? Feel free to share your favorite Gaelic greeting or your favorite Irish blessing for St. Paddy's Day! Here's wishing you the luck of the Irish and a pint of green beer....


Amber Leigh Williams lives on the Gulf Coast. A southern girl at heart, she loves beach days, the smell of real books, relaxing at her family’s lakehouse, and spending time with her husband, Jacob, and their sweet, blue-eyed boy. When she’s not running after her young son and three, large dogs, she can usually be found reading a good romance or cooking up a new dish in her kitchen. She is represented by D4EO Literary Agency. Find out more about Amber and her books on the web at www.amberleighwilliams!

The Day The World Turns Green!

Celtic Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you

May the wind be always at your back

May the sun shine down upon your face.

And the rain fall soft upon your fields

Until we meet again

May God hold you in the hollow of his hand

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

The day everyone is Irish! So what is it that makes everyone want to be Irish? 

SOME FACTS ABOUT ST. PATRICK DAY'S

The Legend has it that St Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland. Some believe it was really pagans he drove from Ireland.  It is also claimed that he had a way with words, and used the three leaves of the Shamrock to explain the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. St. Patrick's Day commemorates the death of St. Patrick who died back in 461 AD. The first celebration of St. Patrick's day was in 1737—surprisingly in Boston!

Leprechauns come from Irish mythology and are thought to be a type of male fairies that inhabit Ireland. Magical creatures, lovers of mischief, who covet a pot of gold. 

My Irish Guy!

As for the Shamrocks, Legend says that each leaf of the clover means something: the first is for hope, the second for faith, the third for love and the fourth for luck.

Personally, I love the Irish! I married one! Love Ireland. I took an Irish pen name, Colleen Connally. Just rolls off the tongue. Fun to say! My husband came up with it. 

So if you are looking for a nice romantic read on this St. Patrick's Day, may I suggest my books under Colleen Connally. Seductive Secrets is a free ebook. Broken Legacy is my newest release!

AMAZON   BARNES AND NOBLE

AMAZON    BARNES AND NOBLE

"May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks. May your heart be as light as a song. May each day bring you bright, happy hours. That stay with you all the year long."

"Erin Go Bragh." (Ireland Forever)

What Makes Me Mad About March

March is one of my least favorite months. It's heading into the fourth month of winter and while I don't object to winter, I've had enough. Spring, where the eff are you? Let's go. I've gotten a few tastes of warmer weather here and there and dang it, I want, I want.

March is also Hell if you are a teacher, because where I teach, there are no days off in March until you get to Good Friday at the very end of the month. Yeah, yeah, I know I just had a week off in February and there's one coming in April, not to mention half of June and all of July and August, BUT teaching for an entire month straight with no days off is insane. Just picture if not one child, but at least twenty-something children said your name over and over again, every day, for a whole month. And you couldn't ignore them. And you were trapped in a room with them for 6.5 hours. And you had to actually accomplish learning every day too. Every year I come really close to wanting to be abducted by aliens on my way to work. Yes, that's right. I'll take an alien probing over one more "Mrs. DePetrillo, can I..." No, you can't. And Mrs. DePetrillo has decided to change her name to something she will never tell you.

March, also has St. Patrick's Day, which around these Irish parts, is just a big, fat, green light to get plastered. This does help a bit with the complaints in the above paragraphs, but what gets me annoyed is all the non-Irish persons imbibing along with the holiday. Everyone is NOT Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Vinny, Tony, Giovanni, Bobby, you know you guys are not Irish. And no, I'm not going to call you McVinny or O'Tony on St. Patrick's Day. You. Are. Not. Irish. Stick to your pasta and parmesan, you meatballs! Holiday stealers. Really.

So, take a hike, March. I'm all in favor of shooting right to July, the truly best of all months of the year. The sun is high in the blue sky. There are no students needing my brilliance. The margaritas are cold and don't care if you're Irish or not. All is good in July.

What's your favorite month and why?

Toodles,
Chris
www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

March May be Mad, but I Love This Month!

Laura Breck

Here in Minnesota, it’s starting to warm up. We’re getting rain instead of snow. Days are longer and the sun is warmer. But watch out! This weekend is the MN State High School Boys Hockey Tournament. Next weekend is the Western Collegiate Hockey Tournament. Traditionally, one of these two weekends brings our state a whopper of a snowstorm.

And we didn’t get it this weekend. Uh oh!

Besides being the WCHA weekend, next Saturday is St. Paul’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It’s a day-long celebration that’s based on the Irish tradition, but is celebrated by revelers of every heritage. The parade at noon is always interesting, with local Irish families marching and singing and wearin’ o’ the green.

After that, March madness slows down around here as we wait for spring to really set in.

If you’re eagerly awaiting spring, as we are in Minnesota, I’d love to suggest a wonderful book for a wonderful cause.

Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes, and just as many love stories. Love in the Land of Lakes brings you seventeen of these stories, from two childhood sweethearts connecting on the end of a dock on a warm summer's evening, to a city boy's chaotic weekend at his girlfriend's primitive cabin. We bring you the story of a savvy horse who leads her owner to love in post–Civil War farm country, and the haunting romance of an ageless gambler who inhabits a historic riverboat and charms the boat's new owner.

A kaleidoscope of sunshine, snowstorms, and thunderstorms grace our contemporary, mystery, historical, and paranormal stories as the authors of Midwest Fiction Writers spin lovely romances that will send you drifting into happily ever afters.

All proceeds from this book will benefit Midwest Fiction Writers http://www.midwestfiction.com/ in providing learning opportunities for writers of all levels.

 
You can enter to win a paperback copy at Goodreads.
 
Hope your March is going well so far,
Laura
~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance
LauraBreck.com
~Dancing in a Hurricane is available in digital and paperback formats at Amazon and in paperback at Createspace
~Love in the Land of Lakes is available in digital format at Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks and Amazon, and in paperback at Amazon and Createspace

 

KISS ME I'M IRISH!

May the sun always shine on your windowpane, May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain, May the hand of a friend always be near you, May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you!     Irish Blessing.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! A day when the whole world is Irish! Have you ever wondered why everyone wants to be Irish…even for a day? Oh…there will always be the stereotype of a typical Irishman, probably best known for their ability to out-drink most other races. Or do you think it is the Luck of the Irish that everyone is seeking? Seen any little Leprechauns lately or chased any pots of gold?

I believe there is a romance to the thought of being Irish. Perhaps I’m bias because I married myself an Irish Lad…twenty-five years ago. I’m excited because to celebrate the family is traveling to Ireland this summer. I’ve never been. Looking forward to the adventure and it will be an adventure!

So today everyone is Irish. What does that mean to you? Here are a few tips on being Irish that I have learned over the years.

The Irish never know how to tell a short story.

The Irish may not know the words to a song, but it doesn’t stop them from singing it.

If you’re Irish you can't wait for the other guy to stop talking so you can start talking.

Matter of fact, why wait? Without question, the Irish like to talk.

I hear the Irish like their beer.

Being Irish means you have this need to know everything about everyone.

Being Irish means you have a big heart.

One more thing, St. Patrick’s Day is St. Paddy’s Day.

Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever met an Irishman I didn’t like. Have a great day. May you always have the luck of the Irish on your side.

May you live a long life Full of gladness and health, With a pocket full of gold As the least of you wealth. May the dreams you hold dearest, Be those which come true, The kindness you spread, Keep returning to you. Irish Blessing.

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

This coming week, Patriot Secrets with Wild Child Publishing is going FREE on Kindle Select. I'm so excited because I love this book. It's my mother's favorite book of mine. So if you want a copy, wait until Wednesday, March 21st. It will be free until the 25th. Tell your friends and join me over on my blog for a contest!

PATRIOT SECRETS


Today Dreamscape is free! Don't miss out on your free copy!

DREAMSCAPE