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Guest Post with Aine Greaney, author of Dance Lessons & Giveaway
May 24th, 2011
Good day everyone! Today we are welcoming Aine Greaney, author of Dance Lessons, to Peeking Between the Pages. My copy of Dance Lessons arrived last week and I’m hoping to fit it in very soon because it sounds like such a good story! Today Aine joins us with a guest post all about Summer Travel Plans…
I haven’t made any summer travel plans yet. And I’m not really sure why I should get started.
Except that, every year around this time, the travel section of the Sunday newspaper urges us to “book early,” or “grab those summer specials.”
Some years, I just stay home. Or I’m happy to snag a quickie trip to Cape Cod or a long weekend at my favorite writer’s retreat. In middle age, I keep my vacations shorter. I plan them more meticulously. I mitigate against the potential mishaps or missed connections. In middle age, I’ve lost that youthful impetuosity.
Aine’s favorite bakery in her adopted hometown on the Mass. seacoast, and also the place upon which she has based Coventry by the Sea, the fictional town in which her novel, Dance Lessons, opens.I grew up in the Irish countryside—first on a farm and then in a tiny village (a half-mile from the farm). The words “farm” or “countryside” evoke images of rustic bliss. But to a kid with a curious mind and a perpetual eye on the horizon, a country childhood was actually quite boring.
County Mayo, where Aine is from in Ireland.So I spent most of my childhood and teenage years craving adventure. And adventure could only happen in one of two ways: by going on a trip or by reading a book. Sometimes, a book took me away. Or a trip included a book. In this latter case, my young world was complete.
I was about 10 years old when my auntie took me to the city where she lived and we went downtown to a Woolworths.
“Get yourself something,” she said. “Something you really like.”
To this rural kid in 1970s, those florescent aisles and trinket shelves were real nirvana. And … best of all, that Woolworths had a children’s book section. That vacation, my city auntie treated me to two new paperbacks by Enid Blyton (check out the Enid Blyton Society at www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk ). Now, this was an exciting vacation.
Galway City, where Aine’s auntie bought her a book at Woolworths.All these years later and across the ocean in America, I’m a grown up with a Visa card and a number of paid vacation days from my day job. So I can just book an exciting vacation whenever I please. Right?
But a funny thing happened me on my way to middle age. Now, when I trawl the Internet for bargain flights or self-catering vacation rentals, I’m often tempted to abandon the whole idea before it even begins. What if these shiny travel photos are all fake? What if I get to the airport and have forgotten my passport? What if our rental is a mildewy dump or the landlord has already skipped town and the bank has seized and padlocked the property (I actually know someone this happened to)?
What if? What if? What if?
And what happened to the carefree travel of my youth?
These woodlands are from Aine’s favorite artist’s retreat in central Massachusetts.The “what if” questions nudge into my writing, too.
In the early days, I wrote and submitted to editors with a neophyte’s sense of trust in the world. I had a bold courage that was born of passion and naivite. Now, when I’m starting a new writing project, when I’m half-way through the first draft, here are those same ‘what-if’ voices . What if you get started and then, the idea peters out? What if readers just hate this? What if (gulp!) the day job and the bill-paying and the mortgage have eroded all your creativity? Permanently?
But here’s the thing: Whether our journeys are physical or metaphysical, there are two things that move us beyond the fear factor. First, even as those ‘what-if’ voices whisper, we face down our doubts by packing those bags and canceling the mail and double-checking the flight time.
And second, we remind ourselves that, just like last time, it all works out great in the end.
And it does.
The sunset over the marshes in Cape Cod.What are your summer travel plans? Do the travel plans fill you with joy or fear?
__________
Great guest post Aine! I am so bad for the ‘what ifs’! I can drive myself absolutely crazy with them and any travel plans are thwarted by them for sure. By the time I actually get anywhere I’m so stressed out that I don’t enjoy myself half as much as I should have. lol. I love the pictures you shared with us well. I would love to be visiting that quaint little bakery, not to mention walking along that gorgeous country road! Thanks for being here at Peeking Between the Pages!
__________
About the Book (from Syracuse University Press)
A year after her husband’s death in a sailing accident off Martha’s Vineyard, Ellen Boisvert bumps into an old friend. In this chance encounter, she discovers that her immigrant husband of almost fifteen years was not an orphan after all. Instead, his aged mother Jo is alive and residing on the family’s isolated farm in the west of Ireland.
Faced with news of her mother-in-law incarnate, the thirty-nine-year-old American prep school teacher decides to travel to Ireland to investigate the truth about her husband Fintan and why he kept his family’s existence a secret for so many years.
Between Jo’s hilltop farm and the lakeside village of Gowna, Ellen begins to uncover the mysteries of her Irish husband’s past and the cruelties and isolation of his rural childhood. Ellen also stumbles upon Fintan’s long-ago romance with a local village woman, with whom he had a daughter, Cat. Cat is now fourteen and living with her mother in London. As Ellen reconciles her troubled relationship with Fintan, she discovers a way to heal the wounds of the past.
Deeply rooted in the Irish landscape and sensibility, Dance Lessons is a powerful story of loss, regret, and transformation.
Buy Dance Lessons on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca
About the Author (from Aine Greaney’s website)
I’m an Irish-born writer now living on Boston’s North Shore. I’ve published novels, short stories, personal essays, feature articles and (coming soon!) a how-to book on writing.
I’m an avid reader of contemporary novels, the occasional memoir, poetry and short-fiction collection.
I’m also a lifelong journal writer, and I love to lead writing workshops with teens and adults.
Visit Aine’s website.
Find Aine on Facebook.
Find Aine on Twitter.
GIVEAWAY DETAILS
I have one copy of Dance Lessons by Aine Greaney to share with my readers. To enter…
- For 1 entry leave me a comment with an email address to contact you (no email address, no entry).
- For 2 entries, follow my blog. If you already do, thank you, and please let me know in your comment so I can pass on the extra entry to you as well.
- For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word.
This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, June 18/11. Good luck everyone!
© 2010, Darlene of Peeking Between the Pages. All Rights Reserved. If you’re reading this on a site other than Peeking Between the Pages or Darlene’s Feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Filed under Guest Posts | Comments (70)
Hey Dar – I would love to read this book! Just my type, don't you think?
Please enter me!
I am a follower.
I will post it on my sidebar.
forevereading at gmail dot com
Sounds good!
I am a follower of your blog.
erikadlugoATyahooDOTcom
Loved this post. Loved the sound of this book. Absolutely drop my name in the hat! LOL
janezfan (at) yahoo (dot) com
Oh, I would have loved to grow up in the Irish countryside! Well, maybe just visit for a little bit! Fantastic guest post today, Dar!
Sounds great, please enter me.
littleone AT shaw DOT ca
GFC follower
littleone AT shaw DOT ca
This does sound like a very good book! I would love to enter the giveaway and look forward to your thoughts on it as well. I love those pictures! Really beautiful places! Thanks for offering the giveaway.
bthgordon(at)yahoo(dot)com
Oh this book sounds really good! I definitely want it on my shelf!
behapppppppy(at)hotmail(dot)com
I follow via GFC
behapppppppy(at)hotmail(dot)com
I follow you on Twitter and through email. I think this book sounds
lovely and I'd love to read it.
annfesATyahooDOTcom
That would be a shocker to find out that your husband is not an orphan but his mother is still alive. I would love to win this book.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I follow your blog with Google Friends Connect.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
My Twitter name is Carolee888 and I tweeted:
http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com/2011/05/guest-post-with-aine-greaney-author-of.html? Giveaway of 'Dance Lessons'
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
This sounds so good. I'd love to be entered.
yvone473[at]optonline[dot]net
I'm already a follower.
yvone473[at]optonline[dot]net
I love the pics. Some beautiful places there
Thanks to everyone for their kind comments on the photos and post and my book, Dance Lessons. I love to take photographs–and feel lucky to have visited such beautiful spots on the planet. And I'm sooooo glad to see that, so far, nobody has the same trepidations as me about making summer travel plans.
Thanks again,
aine
BTW, I'm sure you all know this … but … you can just click on the pics to make them almost screen sized. The County Mayo one especially looks good that way.
Thanks for the giveaway ^_^
I am a GFC Follower
tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/Parakiss25
faefever25 at hotmail dot com
This is a great sounding read for summer!
I am a blog follower!
ladybook21@yahoo.com
I would love to read this book.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I am a GFC follower
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Sounds fascinating!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
GFC follower as Karen B – but I can't sign in on your page today?????
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
I enjoyed this wonderful post. What a great book. thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
I enjoyed reading this post. I can relate to the author's sentiments about not being able to travel so "carefree" anymore…The pictures of Cape Cod make me long to go to the ocean, though
This book sounds memorable and emotional. The post resounds with me greatly. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com
This sounds fantastic and I loved those pictures…makes me want to run away right now!!!
I follow you- stacijoreads@gmail.com
Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the offer. LOVE the cover — I'll have to pass it along to my sis.
I'm a follower
n_good_company@yahoo.com
Sounds like a good book please enter me in the giveaway
amhengst@verizon.net
i subscribe to your blog +1
amhengst@verizon.net
i follow your blog +1
amhengst@verizon.net
What a great interview; loved the photos of places that (SOME)look very familiar to me.
Thanks for the giveaway Dar.
Would love to win this! Thanks for the opportunity
quixoticdreamer(at)hotmail(dot)com
I already follow via GFC -quixoticdreamer
quixoticdreamer(at)hotmail(dot)com
Tweeted
http://twitter.com/QuixoticWeetzie/status/73238779028189184
quixoticdreamer(at)hotmail(dot)com
Dance Lessons seems like SUCH an interesting book. And thank you for all the material related to the book – it truly made this post that much more enjoyable!
Thank you for this giveaway opportunity – I'd love to be able to win/read this book.
~Hira~
GFC Follower: ~Enamored Soul~
Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz
I'm a GFC Follower of the blog.
~Hira~
GFC Follower: ~Enamored Soul~
Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz
I'm a confirmed email subscriber of your blog.
~Hira~
GFC Follower: ~Enamored Soul~
Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz
I tweeted the giveaway:
http://is.gd/aSfADp
~Hira~
GFC Follower: ~Enamored Soul~
Email: Enamoredsoul(at)gmail(dot)com
Twitter: @inluvwithbookz
It is true we are so care free in our younger years. If we were to rent a place that wasn't like the pics we would suck it up. But nows that I am older, I need those creature comforts. Great guest post.
Thanks for the contest!
+2 follower
jennygirl73[at]gmail[dot]com
Sounds like a great book!
susan.byerly@comcast.net
I am a GFC follower.
Those are lovely pictures. Thank you for the giveaway!
I'm an old follower on GFC w/ @headlessfowl.
headlessfowl at gmail dot com
I was sucked in by the cover. Beautiful book.
Lizallric2@gmail.com
I'm an e-mail subscriber
Lizallrich2@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway!
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
I follow you via GFC (Throuthehaze)
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
I love to read about family secrets. We all have them.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
I am a GFC follower.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
Tweeted: http://mobile.twitter.com/lag32583/status/75694980575928321
lag110 at mchsi dot com
Sounds like a great way to do some armchair travelling, would like a chance to win, thanks!
wanda_waiting[@].com
I follow and will post here
This book sounds great!! Thanks for the chance to win!!
I also follow!!
areallibrarian[at]gmail[dot]com
I love the sound of this book. Count me in. Follower.
thisbookforfree at gmail dot com
Sounds like another great read!
Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com
I'm a follower.
Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com
I'd love to read this one. Thanks for the giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
blog follower via GFC (Margie)
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
Thanks for the interesting post.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
I am a follower
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
Winning this book would make my summer. Those pictures are amazing. I love taking photographs and I love looking at other peoples.
hootowl1978 at gmail dot com
I am a follower Jessy
hootowl1978 at gmail dot com
I tweeted the giveaway
https://twitter.com/#!/hootowl1978/status/79337793096126465
hootowl1978 at gmail dot com
I'm sure this will be a great summer read.
chipotlecraving(at)gmail(dot)com
GFC follower
chipotlecraving(at)gmail(dot)com
This sounds great!
I follow your blog.
hanneyam@gmail.com
Those are some beautiful pictures. Reminds me that summer is right around the corner.
GFC follower. cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com
Thank you for the book giveaway!
Amy // amyismyfriend at aol dot com
I'm a GFC follower! (artsybookishgal)
Amy // amyismyfriend at aol dot com
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/ArtsyBookishGal/status/81426134440476672
Amy // amyismyfriend at aol dot com
Lizallrich2@gmail(dot)com