Blog Tour: Hearts in Ireland by J.C. Long


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.

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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


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