To say I’m excited is an understatement. Publishing indie is not for the faint of heart. Now that I’ve laid all those cliches on you, let me explain. I haven’t released a new novel since 2018! For my previous indie novels, I’ve hired out the cover design. For my indie nonfiction titles, I’ve done them…
Author: Cindy Thomson
Clough Castle
This is from a post in 2010 from my old blog. You may want to click on the photos to enlarge them. There are so many ruins in Ireland you could just drive by them and not notice them, especially those lying in the midst of modern settlements. Such is the case with Clough Castle…
Surprising Finds in Ireland
After visiting Ireland for the first time, I was surprised by a few things. 1. Palm Trees Palm trees??? Few if any of the photographs of Ireland’s landscape you see online show palm trees, and yet they are there. Actually, I did know about this, but I didn’t expect there to be so many of…
The Magpie Rhyme
On one visit to Ireland we noticed large black and white birds that seemed to be everywhere. A local friend was driving us around to site see and Tom asked about the bird. “Oh, those magpies!” the friend replied, and he counted them whenever they flew by. He explained that there is a poem explaining…
Tribute to my father
On October 17, 2010, my husband and I were wandering the paths of Northern Ireland, photographing rainbows. Later when we got back to our B&B I received an email from my sister telling me that my father had passed away. She noted the exact time. We had known it was coming for the last couple…
The Round Tower and the Witch’s Stone
What are round towers? Fewer than two dozen round towers stand mostly intact in Ireland today. It’s estimated that about 120 were built. They are associated with monasteries between the 9th and 12th centuries. They were likely bell towers but may have also served as safe towers where monks could hide when under attack. Some…
September 2024 Newsletter Giveaway
*If you are reading this, you have followed the link from the Rafflecopter giveaway. Leave a comment here by answering the following and be entered to win one of two Celtic Cross keychains. US shipping only !. What do you like to see in an author’s newsletter? (Choose all that apply and add additional info…
The Legend of the Mermaid
There is an Irish legend about a mermaid named Liban that appears the Book of the Dun Cow. This book, Lebor na h Uidre in Irish, is the oldest of the ancient book of legends believed to have been written in the late 10th to early 11th century. The photo above is of a wall in…
The Swan Woman
Taken from The Wonders of Ireland by P. W. Joyce, 1911 Once there was a poet who, while journeying across the country, came across a flock of wild swans as he stood on the banks of the River Boyne. They flew very near him so he picked up a rock, took aim, and threw it. It struck…
O’Dangal’s Vision
I read about this in The Wonders of Ireland by P. W. Joyce, 1911. During Ireland’s Golden Age of Christianity pilgrims would journey to religious centers such as Rome and Tours. They greatly venerated Martin of Tours, probably because of the association that they believed had existed between Martin and St. Patrick. One day while a man…
