I love Ireland! Some might say there’s a touch of green running through my veins – my maiden name is Patrick, and I’ve always been proud of my family’s Irish heritage. So when my publisher asked me if I wanted to write three books in a new series called the Irish Tearoom Mystery Series, I jumped at the chance. Yes! Absolutely! The series is set in a little village outside of Blarney Castle in Ireland, and I was thrilled for an opportunity to visit. I had a blast writing the first book in the series, A Deadly Brew. After I turned that book in to my editor, it was time to start on the next one.

At the same time, I was neck-deep in planning the 2022 World Fantasy Convention. WFC is the professional membership organization for those associated with the fantasy genre – pros like authors, artists, editors, and literary agents attend this convention in a different city around the world every year. I’d served on the WFC Board of Directors for six years, and was working on the conference to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, when my editor called.

“What’s book #2 in the Irish series going to be about, Ginny?” she asked.

“Uh…well…I’m working on that,” I stammered.

A pause on the line, and then, “Can you give me a hint?”

“Well…uh…” I looked frantically around my desk, which was covered in WFC stuff. “It’s about…uh…a science fiction and fantasy convention.”

A longer pause. “A what?”

“You know,” I said. “A convention where sci-fi enthusiasts get together and hang out and talk about their favorite books and movies and so on. And they dress up like their favorite characters.” As I spoke, the idea started to take shape. “Just imagine the villagers in Blarney Green looking out of the tearoom windows and they see Darth Vader walking down the street. And elves! They see elves, and dwarves, and space aliens. And there are avid fans, and famous authors, and newbie writers, and then one of them gets killed.”

I’ll be honest, I thought my editor would hate it. Imagine my surprise when she laughed and said, “You know, that might work. Send me a summary of your idea.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Druid on Arrival turned out to be a hoot to write! And I’m told it’s a lot of fun to read as well. Want to try a sample?

Click here to read an excerpt.

The book is part of a book club selection called the Irish Tearoom Mystery Series, published by Annie’s Publishing. That means it isn’t available through bookstores. You can sign up for the book club, and you’ll get the whole series one book a month from the publisher. (I wrote 3 of the 12.) OR you can purchase an autographed copy of Druid on Arrival directly from me for just $14.99! Fill out the contact form and tell me who to sign the book for, and where to send it.

I hope you’ll let me know what you think of the excerpt, and of the book! Leave a comment below.