A few of my favorite things . . . from Ireland and England
A month long trip to Ireland and England and the most asked question since we returned to family and friends in the states is this: What was your favorite part? I’ve answered it differently, by simply throwing out whatever first comes to mind like a word association.
What was your favorite part of the trip?
The Wicklow Mountains in Ireland.
One of the many waterfalls we saw in Glendalough, in the Wicklow Mountains.
What was your favorite part?
Writing in Dublin. (I wrote better there than anywhere else.)
What was your favorite?
Introducing Spike and Genevieve to pate in Dublin. They have dubbed it smooth, creamy, spreadable meat butter.
Your favorite?
Eating at Gordon Ramsey’s flagship restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, in London. It has three Michelin stars and now I know why. An amazing experience and will likely get a blog of its own later.
Favorite?
British Museum. Jonathon summed it up, “Every little emperor’s dream of avarice.” It was beyond amazing. It will also be getting it’s own blog later.
Fav?
Glastonbury Abbey, where the calling of crows led me to my first ever badger sett hidden under a huge oak tree. It turns out I followed the birds in the wrong end of the path. If I’d come in the proper way there was a sign to tell me the badgers were there, but honestly I prefer having found it the way I did. I followed the birds trying to see what they were fussing about, and then suddenly, badgers! I often find the most magical moments are the unplanned ones.
?
That moment when I stood in a town I’d never known about, at a ruin I’d never heard about, and knew that my muse had been right. This was the place to put the monster. My imagination had whispered the name of this place to me when, to my knowledge, I had never known it even existed. I haven’t had that happen since the ninth Anita Blake novel, Obsidian Butterfly, when Edward insisted he lived in New Mexico, even though I’d never visited the state. I remember arguing with him, “I created you, how can you live somewhere I know nothing about?” I lost that argument, because he was absolutely right and I knew it the moment I stepped off the plane in Albuquerque. He still lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ireland took me longer to get my research feet under me, and I’ll be blogging in more detail about that process later, but once I got into the swing of things it was like that moment in New Mexico – this was it. I know where the monster is, where the bodies are buried, where the crime will happen, and who Anita follows to Ireland.
Are the above really my favorite moments of the trip? Yes and no. They are some of my favorite moments, but not all of them. I’ll be blogging about more highlights and moments of inspiration, craziness, research, and sheer happy accidents over the next few weeks, but this gives you a taste of the trip. Yes, I have been deliberately vague about where the Irish book, as I called it for a long time, is set, because I’m not ready to share exact locations yet. I have a book to finish writing and it feels like if I give too much detail now on the blog that it will derail some of the energy that is driving the book forward. I need to be immersed in the fictional version of the town, countryside, ruins, etc . . . before I discuss the reality too much. In fact, I have pages yet to write today, a scene to complete, a fight to finish, but first, the reality of dogs and breakfast for them and myself and then back to my fictional world where dogs never interrupt and breakfast rarely seems to happen.
14 thoughts on “A few of my favorite things . . . from Ireland and England”
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Thank you for providing me with an exceptional adventure every time I open up one of your books!!
I’m so excited! I’m re-reading the series, as I do every time you put a new book out once I’ve done my initial read through. This way, I can flow from one book to the next. I can’t wait to see what Anita will get up to in Ireland!.
It is a shame you didnt come to Edinburgh and the Fringe festival, one of the biggest art festivals in the world full of writers and performers. It would of been a great top off to your trip
I’m anxiously awaiting the next book and of course the book after that!
Always wanted to visit Ireland and Scotland and might yet, the adventures aren’t over 🙂 and in your past blogs,I first flew overseas last year and while it was great and exciting I still think about William shatner and the gremlin on the wing of the plane
I can hardly wait for more. My daughter got me started on your books and I am hooked! I’ve read all your books and the blogs you’ve posted as well. It sounds like you had an enjoyable trip to a country I’ve always wanted to go to. I will be waiting for more posts in eager anticipation. Be sure to give your four legged babies extra love, as I’m sure they missed you terribly!
I have a feeling, a theory maybe, that good writing doesn’t just come upon a writer, but is rather a result of the things they experience beyond their comfort zone. That could be pleasure, such as new place or person or even physical pleasure. It could also be an event, the birth of a child, a sickness or accident.
One time I was at school in northern Michigan, dead of winter, early evening. It had just stopped snowing, a light dusting on the ground, enough to cover all footprints. It was dark, only a few lights. I was walking toward one when something caught my eye. There was a rabbit under the next light about 100 feet away. Suddenly a great white owl swooped down and plucked the rabbit right off the ground. The only noise I heard was a slight squeek from the frightened rabbit. The owl never made a sound, even its wings were like a ghost in the night air. It was sudden, it was primal, and I was very moved. I looked around me into the darkness, the clear air making everything both sharp and dark. I wondered how many predators where out there.
It was very nice to meet you and Jonathon at Nine Worlds Geekfest. Really looking forward to the next books. Glad you made it home safe and sound and had a good trip.
The trip sounds amazing! I’m looking forward to reading the next Anita book and her adventures in such a magical place. I know I have wanted to see Ireland with all the beauty of old buildings, castles and legends.
I’ve been reading your books since the first came out in paperback when I was 12. It’s almost 25 years later and I still love keeping up with Anita and her undead & furry Scooby gang. I confess that my favorite books have Edward and “the 4 Horsemen” though. I’d love to see what evolves next in the Olaf/Anita sidestory.
As well, I’d love to see two of your more fascinating “baddies” (Valentina and Bartoleme) have more word time. It just seems that they’re a bit in literary limbo, when it might be nice for them to find so e role or place in the vampire world of JC and Anita. I think especially with her centuries of torture expertise–maybe turn her talents to something more productive so she doesn’t have to be put down? Valentina could be a potentially valuable resource to Anita on cases–and it would certainly be interesting to see how Olaf and Valentina would react to each other, since they share such similar “interests”–talk about nightmarish dynamic duo…
As a native Glastonbury girl, I am so pleased the place shared a little of its magic with you 🙂
When myself, my best friend Carma (and yes there are two of us) and Leta went to Ireland, we took so many pictures that they filled 4 cd’s. Everywhere there ruins and voices that whispered in your ear as you walked through the rooms. Standing on the ramparts of Blarney Castle (and I do know that’s not the real name of it), looking down on the towers and surrounding land, feeling the cold stone beneath your fingers, you can feel the connection to so many emotions that linger still. It made it easy to believe in Faere, magic and all things unexplained and unexplainable.
my ancestry is from Ireland, but I have never been there myself (bucket list). Your picture of the Wicklow Mountains is absolutely beautiful. I look forward to all the things you are going to share about your trip. I can’t wait for your next book. From the first page of Guilty Pleasures and every book thereafter, you have been my favorite author – and I read a lot of different books. Thank you for all the time and years you have put into your work. It’s amazing.
As a Dubliner I am delighted to hear you loved our country so much. I am really looking forward to reading the Irish book! I would have loved to have met you when you were here and picked your brains x