The editors have the sequel. While we’re all waiting for their verdicts, you might want to keep an eye on the official blog for “A Sudden Gift of Fate.” New links are being added each day (including a pretty complete list of wineries in the Finger Lakes).
My brother told me last night that a book club in Binghamton is reading “The Cyber Miracles” now. If you’re part of that club, and reading this, please thank all involved for considering my novel. I hope you enjoy it!
If you, or any other readers, have questions about the story, my inspiration, and the publication date of the sequel, “A Sudden Gift of Fate,” etc., feel free to send me an e-mail here.
Done!
Off to buy ink for the printer so I can read it.
Ahhh, such a fabulous feeling to have this completed.
P.S. Just put up the blog for “A Sudden Gift of Fate” here.
Had a chat with the artist who did the cover for “The Cyber Miracles” today, Jocelyn Bailey. We discussed her initial ideas for the cover of ”A Sudden Gift of Fate.” Loved them! As with last time, she’s zeroed in on a concept quickly that I think will capture the mood of the novel.
I’ve got one and 3/4 chapters left to type up. Should be done Wednesday. Le cunamh Dé…
As I’m finishing up the last chapters of the second draft of TCM’s sequel — “A Sudden Gift of Fate,” I’ve been fact checking and Googling and, of course, getting easily sidetracked in the process.
Here are two links, for example, that knocked me off course today:
- Jesjes1’s fun take on Dublin slang on YouTube.
- Kevin Murphy’s cool photography from Ireland at kevoto.com
Irish author Eddie Stack also posted an update about Ireland’s election, a rare stretch of warm weather and a Galway harborfest that lifted everyone’s spirits on his blog Onwards. (You’ll always find a great read there!) Sounds like that show by The Stunning was great.
© Jan R. Sprawls
The June/July ‘09 issue of Ragazine is out. As always, my friend Mike Foldes does a great job with this arts web site filled with fiction, poetry, fine art and photography. Be sure to check out the Texas Panhandle photography of our friend and former coworker, Jan Sprawls. Great stuff! See more of Jan’s impressive portfolio here.
Salmon Run display at Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars
While typing up the second draft of the sequel, “A Sudden Gift of Fate,” I’ve been tuning in to the active Finger Lakes wine community on Twitter. It’s fascinating to see how they have embraced this social medium with gusto and are using it quite effectively as a way to generate buzz about wineries and the ‘08 vintages that seem to be on par with 2007’s fantastic crop.
Want to follow their tweets? Then do a Twitter search for #flwine or #wine. You’ll read reviews, suggested wine pairings and information about upcoming events at the wineries by Keuka, Seneca & Cayuga lakes.
Vineyards at Dr. Frank's Vinifera Wine Cellars, Keuka Lake
As I wind down writing the second draft of the sequel to send out to my team of editors, I’m thinking about my next project: creating the official blog for “A Sudden Gift of Fate.” I’ve been very happy with WordPress and plan to keep it all in the family. Until then, here’s one of the views inspiring my sequel writing for you to meditate upon. Síocháin.
October light at Keuka.
The settings found in “A Sudden Gift of Fate,” the sequel to “The Cyber Miracles” range from County Clare in Ireland’s beautiful west to the Finger Lakes of upstate New York. A good deal of the story takes place on the shores of Keuka Lake, the Finger Lake shaped like a Y.
I always wondered why my ancestors came from Ireland in the 1830s and ’40s to settle on the rich farmland in that region and open businesses in Penn Yan at the northern tip of Keuka. The answer came during a trip to Ireland in 1997. A Hyland cousin gave me a copy of our family tree. It indicated that my great-great-great grandparents John and Margaret (Kilbride) Hyland were buried in Fossey Churchyard in Timahoe, County Laois. My mother and I stopped to see Fossey, next to stone church ruins that were accessible only by crossing a long cow pasture. (And we had to mind the cow pies with each step in the tall grass!)
We looked at the old tombstones that had eroded with time. My heart sank. I do not know if I have any living relatives in Ireland. Making a connection to the land of my ancestors, through recognizing a name carved on stone long ago, was my last hope.
When I stopped looking so hard, the obvious was noticeable. Growing around all the stones was my favorite flower — forget-me-nots. Then, as I looked up, I realized I could have been looking at the terrain around Keuka and Penn Yan. The setting of gentle hills was so familiar. It’s probably what those Hylands felt when they arrived in America, too.
The result, several generations later, is that both Ireland and Keuka are imprinted on my genetic code. I have spent part of every summer of my life at Keuka. (Wish I could say the same for Ireland.) Intertwined with my memories are endless vineyards covering the hillsides like wide-wale corduroy. I’ve witnessed the evolution of Keuka’s wineries into a world-class industry. That knowledge is also woven into “A Sudden Gift of Fate.”
The second draft is in progress. Can’t wait to get it done, edited and out to you readers!
Keuka Springs vineyard.
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