Wild Irish History with Laurel McKee!

Hello, Nicola here, and today it’s my very great pleasure to welcome HWW Amanda McCabe back to the blog. Today Amanda is wearing her Laurel McKee hat and is here to talk about her stunning new book Duchess of Sin, the second in her Daughters of Erin series set in Georgian Ireland. Book 1, Countess of Scandal, was a superb tour de force, awarded Desert Island Keeper status by the All About Romance review site. Romantic Times describes Duchess of Sin as “peopled with fascinating characters.” Laurel was kind enough to give me a taster of Duchess of Sin and I have been anxiously awaiting the publication of the book ever since!

NC: Welcome back to the Word Wenches, Laurel!

LM: Thanks so much for inviting me to the Wenches today, Nicola!  I’m so excited to be here, and I’m also excited to see the release of Duchess of Sin, the story of Lady Anna Blacknall and Conlan McTeer, her wild Irish duke.  I loved meeting Anna in Countess of Scandal and was very nervous to see everything work out for her in her own HEA.  It’s been quite an adventure keeping up with the Blacknall sisters of the Daughters of Erin series, and luckily for me my fun isn’t over just yet—Caroline Blacknall’s story, Lady of Seduction, will be out in June 2011.

NC: We will be looking forward to that! The early nineteenth century is a very complex time in the political history of Ireland and it provides an extremely rich setting for the series. Tell us a little bit about the historical background to Duchess of Sin.

LM: Anna’s story takes place against the background of a very tumultuous moment of change in Irish history.  The hotly contested Act of Union was actually two acts, the first passed as an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain on July 2, 1800 and the second an Act of the Parliament of Ireland on August 1, 1800.  The two acts officially united the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which came into effect on January 1, 1801 (the time of Duchess of Sin).  In the Republic of Ireland, the first Act was not repealed until the passing of the Republic’s Statute Law Revision Act in 1983. Before these Acts, Ireland was already in personal union with England since 1541, when the Irish Parliament passed the Crown of Ireland Act proclaiming Henry VIII as King of Ireland.  (England and Scotland were united into a single kingdom in 1603 with the accession of King James I). 

NC: Some elements of the Irish Parliament were not too keen on union with Great Britain though, were they?

LM: The Parliament in Dublin had gained a measure of precious independence by the Constitution of 1782, and its members guarded this hard-won freedom fiercely (one of the most notable being Henry Grattan, the hero of the anti-Unionists—he makes a brief appearance in this story at the debates!).  They rejected a motion for Union in 1790 after the upheaval of the Rebellion by 109 votes versus 104.  (Not that the Irish Parliament was a truly democratic body, open to all Irishmen—only Anglican landowners of a certain class could become Members of Parliament and the biggest landowners often controlled the boroughs and thus the vote).  But Britain was scared—the Revolution in France and the Irish Rebellion made them fearful and determined to make the wild Irish settle down once and for all.  The final passage of the Act in the Irish Parliament was achieved in large part by determined bribery, such as awarding peerages, estates, and money to get the needed votes.  The measure passed 158 to 115 amid riots and protests.

NC: It’s often easy to forget that there was no universal franchise and that at times like this political “consensus” was achieved by loading the dice! And of course that was no long-term solution; it simply sowed the seed of discontent for the future. I also found it fascinating in my reading of the period how many connections there were between Revolutionary France and the Irish cause. For instance the last invasion of Britain, which took place in 1797, was undertaken by French troops led by an Irish American colonel. No wonder the British were fearful and wanted to bring the Irish to heel!

 Do you have any recommendations for reading on this period of Irish history?

 LM: A few good sources on the Act of Union and this period in history are: Alan J. Ward’s The Irish Constitutional Tradition: Responsible Government and Modern Ireland, 1782—1992; WJ McCormack’s The Pamphlet Debate on the Union of Great Britain and Ireland; Edward Brynn’s Crown and Castle: British Rule in Ireland, 1800-1830; Patrick Geoghan’s The Irish Act of Union: A Study in High Politics, 1798-1801.

NC: Thank you very much for sharing with us some of the background of your Irish trilogy, Laurel!

LM: Thank you! Nollaig Shona Duit (Merry Christmas) everyone!  I hope you enjoy Anna and Conlan’s story as much as I did.  I’ll give away a signed copy to one commenter today, and be sure and visit my website (http://laurelmckee.net) for excerpts and a December contest!

NC: As Laurel and I both have December releases featuring an Irish ducal hero we are offering not one book but two today, a copy of Laurel’s Duchess of Sin along with my Mistress by Midnight. Feel free to ask anything you like about Duchess of Sin, Irish history, Irish settings, and of course wild Irish heroes!

Comments

[Helen]

What a great post Laurel and thank you Nicola for inviting Laurel to talk about her new book today.

Ireland is a place I have long wished to visit I have a couple of friends here in Australia that are Irish and they are such lovely Ladies and so much fun to be with, I love hearing stories of their younger days in Ireland they always make me laugh and often bring tears to my eyes.

I have added both of your books to my must have list Laurel and look forward to reading them

have Fun
Helen

[Cynthia Owens]

As one who has been in love with all things Irish since I was a wee lass of 15, I can't wait to read these books.

There is definitely something special about Ireland - it grabs hold of your heart and changes your soul. I was finally able to visit in 2009, and when I stepped off the ferry and onto Irish soil, I felt like I'd finally arrived at my hearts home. Now I can't wait to return!

[Amanda McCabe]

Thanks so much for inviting me here today, Nicola! I'm just drinking my morning tea, trying to steel myself to go buy baking supplies for Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I'm so happy to take a break to think about Ireland. :)

Helen and Cynthia, I've also been obsessed with all things Irish ever since I was a child! It's such a romantic, beautiful country, the perfect setting for a story

[Nicola Cornick]

Welcome, Amanda. I'm drinking my afternoon tea on the other side of the Atlantic! It's lovely to have you here on the Wenches. Cynthia and Helen, thank you for the comments. I love Ireland too. We had a wonderful touring holiday there a few years ago and sailed on the River Shannon as well as driving around County Kerry. It was magical. My genealogy research also revealed that my step-family are related to the Dukes of Leinster. Plenty of inspiration there for a book!

[Justine Gauckler]

I'm so excited that you have a new book coming out Laurel and since I've never read anything by Nicola(or heard of her until today) I have a new author to read. My dad is half Irish so I love all things Irish and I cant wait to read more into Ireland's history. This was very informative and whether I win or not I'll read both of your books!!!!

[Maureen]

That was an interesting post. I didn't realize that the Irish parliament actually voted for the union. I always assumed that the British simply took over Ireland. Does writing a story during a time period like this make it difficult to come to a happy ending when you know that there would continue to be violence and strife Ireland?

[Nicola Cornick]

Hi Justine! Thank you very much for dropping by the Wenches. I'm glad you have found us!

Maureen, that's a great question! I know this is one of the reasons some people don't enjoy Edwardian-set romance, isn't it, because they know the First World War is coming and so a HEA may be difficult. Laurel, do you find this a problem or do you, like me, enjoy writing books set during periods of conflict because of the huge potential for your characters?

[Diane Gaston]

So excited to know that Duchess of Sin and Mistress by Midnight are almost here!

The history of Ireland in this period is certainly complex and turbulent. My hat is off to you both for tackling it!

[Andrea Penrose]

Welcome back, Amanda! With its beauty and its turmoil, Ireland is a fabulous setting for a romance, and you've created such a wonderful family of sisters! Congrats on Anna's release (gorgeous cover!)

[Julie]

I love Ireland! Was there in 2007 and didn't want to leave =)

Cant wait to get my hands on Duchess of SIn. Loved Countess of scandal!

[anne gracie]

I enjoyed the interview, Nicola and Amanda/Laurel. It's a fascinating period of Irish history and, like Nicola, I think the impending drama of WW1 only adds spice and depth and a certain poignancy to a romance -- because deep down we know "our" characters will survive.

Looking forward to the new books coming out.

[Clare]

"Anna’s story takes place against the background of a very tumultuous moment of change in Irish history"! Hello again, I enjoyed your Countess of Scandal but regards the above quote, re her sister's story in Duchess of Sin, be sure and know that this daughter of Erin is living through an extremely tumultuous moment of change in Irish history as I write. But of course, I am not young and beautiful, and I don't wear those satins and silks.

Will not romantic historical novels of the future be rather arid - I think so.

Good luck with the Duchess!

[Deb]

Thank you for the post today. I haven't read many books that were set in Ireland, but what I have read was fascinating. Congrats to you both on your releases!

[chey]

What a wonderful interview!

[Barbara Elness]

I loved this fascinating post. I've enjoyed books set in Ireland in the past, it's a wonderful country with a rich history.

[Amanda McCabe]

Hi again, everyone! Popping back in here after dealing with an almost-crisis in baking for tomorrow. It's much more fun to talk about books than to cook. :)

Justine, I agree with Nicola in that turbulent moments in history can make for wonderful conflict in a story (and heroic characters). I love to see how my heroes and heroines deal with everything that gets thrown at them! And I also love to think that, when times get tough (as they always do, no matter the time period) they will be able to deal with it as partners. (And I'd love to see more Edwardian stories, too, Nicola!)

Clare, you are too right that Ireland is at another turbulent moment right now!

[LouisaCornell]

What a wonderful and enlightening post! I've read both of Laurel's new books and absolutely love them. Such wonderful romances against a truly unique historical setting. I lived in England in the late 60's and the "Troubles" in Ireland were always a hot topic in the news and in the little village where I lived.

Picked up Mistress at Midnight today at our local Walmart! YAY !!

[Chelsea B.]

Thanks for the great interview to read! I'm always looking for new authors to try!

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you very much for good wishes for Mistress by Midnight, Louisa and Deb!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends today. I hope you have a wonderful day! Amanda, I hope all that baking turned out well. Enjoy!

[Amanda McCabe]

Thanks for inviting me here today, Nicola! It's always so much fun to visit the Wenches. :) And the baking seems to have turned out well, if I can safely transport it to my parents' house...

Louisa, thank you so much for the kind words! I hope you'll enjoy the next book too, "Lady of Seduction," out next June :)

[Carol Luciano]

Hi ladies,
I love anything to do with Scots/Irish. These are two more books I have to add to my reading list. I really enjoyed reading this post. I too always thought the British just took over from sheer force. I'll be checking out some of your referral books as well.
Carol L.
[email protected]

[Dee Feagin]

Irish history is as fascinating as that of the more readily identified Scottish (through the large number of Scotland based novels). I have read only a few that cover the medieval period when I understand Ireland was a center of knowledge in many areas--there were even women "lawyers" of a type. Why do you suppose then that Scotland is more often the setting for a romance novel rather than Ireland?

[Stephanie]

Fabulous post, Nicola and Laurel! I enjoyed reading it, and it really makes me want to go read Laurel's Irish trilogy!

Have a fantastic day!
Stephanie
thestephanieloves[at]gmail[dot]com

[Jenny]

this was a most interesting post Nicola and Laurel. I, like many Australians, have a good dash of Irish flowing through my veins, and reading this has given me much to think about. Especially as to why my family came out here in the 1840s. Actually I know why they came out - it was after gold! But there must have been many other reasons behind them uprooting their family and coming to a country so alien and far away. Your information gives me much to think on.

[Nicola Cornick]

I;m so glad everyone enjoyed Laurel's fascinating background research. Thank you! Dee, I think it's very interesting that Ireland (and Wales) have not seen as much popularity as settings for romance novels as Scotland has. I've often wondered why. I love Scotland but the other Celtic nations have equally compelling a history. Plenty of inspiration there!

[Christina Courtenay]

Coming in a bit late on this, but thanks for a very interesting post Nicola and Amanda/Laurel. It's always great to discover new historical settings and I look forward to reading your books!