J.C. Long is here today with a personal story about the inspiration for his new novel, Hearts in Ireland.
Hello there, Boy Meets Boy readers! Welcome to another stop
on my blog tour for my upcoming release Hearts in Ireland. I’m grateful, as
always, to the wonderful people here at Boy Meets Boy for hosting me!
As this is the final stop in my blog tour, I wanted to take
this post and go into a bit of a personal zone for me, something I don’t do too
often. Let’s talk about why I wrote Hearts in Ireland. I originally had
a very different idea in mind for my entry in the World of Love novella series
from Dreamspinner Press, and a different country.
However, just as I began to prepare the proposal for what I
wanted to write, my grandmother, who has been the most important and
influential person in my life, passed away somewhat unexpectedly. I was
devastated, particularly because I was so far away (here in Japan, where I
live) and simply couldn’t get back to the States for her funeral. I was in the
process of wrapping up a novel at the time, but the story just hurt too much to
continue so I set it aside. I knew that after my Gran’s passing, I wanted to
write—well, needed to write is more accurate, I think—a story about closure,
moving on, and finding peace.
I also knew I wanted to set it in Ireland, the birthplace of
my Gran. Thus, Ronan was born. This is a man who is damaged, left feeling
adrift and directionless, reeling from a very personal loss—a journey that in a
lot of ways reflects that one I was going through as I wrote it, my own search
to find myself in the wake of death. Just like Ronan, I found myself in this
novella, and I found healing that I desperately needed.
I hope you take up the journey to a truly magical and
beautiful country as Ronan searches for himself. I poured a lot of my own heart
into this one.
Blurb:
When the future is shrouded and it’s hard to find direction,
maybe it’s time to let the heart lead the way….
Ronan Walker stands at a crossroads, unsure how to pursue
his education… unsure if he even wants to. Now that his mother is gone, all he
has left are the wonderful stories of her youth in Ireland, and he’s drawn to
the land of his ancestors. There, he seeks out his mother’s family and meets
Fergal Walsh, who works at Ronan’s aunt’s bookstore. A love of literature
facilitates a fast friendship between the two men, and even though Ronan cannot
deny the potential—and his desire—for more, he cannot see a future for the two
of them when he leaves Ireland. Fergal must persuade Ronan to give school in
Dublin a chance—and convince Ronan that his heart has already found its home.
World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner
of the globe.
Buy Links:
About the Author:
J. C. Long is an American expat living in Japan,
though he’s also lived stints in Seoul, South Korea—no, he’s not an Army brat;
he’s an English teacher. He is also quite passionate about Welsh corgis and is
convinced that anyone who does not like them is evil incarnate. His dramatic
streak comes from his lifelong involvement in theater. After living in
several countries aside from the United States, J. C. is convinced that love is
love, no matter where you are, and is determined to write stories that
demonstrate exactly that.
His favorite things in the world are pictures of corgis,
writing, and Korean food (not in that order… okay, in that order). J. C. spends
his time not writing thinking about writing, coming up with new characters,
attending Big Bang concerts, and wishing he were writing. The best way to get
him to write faster is to motivate him with corgi pictures. Yes, that is a
veiled hint.
Social Media:
Twitter: @j_c_long_author
