St. Patrick's Day is coming!

Hi All,

I'm not Irish, but at this time of year I love all things Irish. On Saturday, I'll be curling up with The Quiet Man on the DVD. Why do I love this movie? Well, it is a wonderful romantic comedy first of all. The main characters are likable and believable. The hero has a dark secret (this is not a HTSTL moment though). Sean doesn't discuss his secret with Mary Kate because it's painful, not because he wants to protect her or because he doesn't think she'd understand. The tension is maintained throughout the story and the secondary characters are full-bodied without taking over the story.

In short, this is exactly what I aspire to do as a romance writer. The writers, John Ford's direction, and the wonderful characterizations by all the actors are inspirational to me because they knit a tight story that draws the viewer along.

Now, I must admit, Barry Fitzgerald (as Michaleen Oge Flynn) does steal every single scene he appears in - leprechauns tend to do that to mere mortals. But overall, every single character has a reason to be there and carries his or her part of the story.

Just a note... I will never know why Barry didn't win an Oscar for his portrayal of Michaleen! He's truly brilliant here and he just MAKES the picture. I mean, when he goes into the bedroom, sees the broken bed, shakes his head, and mutters "Impetuous." Is there anything funnier? All it takes is that ONE word and it speaks volumes! You go, Barry!

What else do I like to do on Saint Patrick's Day? If I was more flush in the pocket, I'd be going to hear my favorite band play for their annual St. Pat's concert.

Who is my favorite band, you ask?

The Irish Rovers?

The Chieftains?

No. they are both great, but I'm unlikely to be able to get to one of their live concerts.

My favorite band is...

Wylde Nept.

Who? Well that handsome group of guys right there! Yeah, up there... Nept is a local band based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and they play cool Celtic music (traditional and original). I have been a Wylde Nept fan for about 10 years (now that is scary)! The guys have released four CDs and have a cool MySpace site! Why am I talking about them here? Well, other than their cool Celtic music, I've been inspired with story ideas by two of the songs from their most recent CD called All's Fair. I was listening to Wes sing at a concert late last year, and bam! Story ideas burst into my brain. (Wes is the guy sitting on the ground in the above pic.) I'll let you know if I ever get either story completed, but they are bubbling like a good Guinness in the cask biding its time. Thanks guys! Love ya!