IRISH EYES - Cover Reveal!

I am absolutely over the moon to present the cover of IRISH EYES, my new historical novel and the launch of my American Songbook series!¹ Double yay, the book is available for preorder worldwide as an ebook and trade paperback!!!

I’ll go into more detail about the behind-the-scenes birthing of the book in a bit. But first a wee primer on why preorders matter. Because they do. Hugely.

Preorders and Why They Matter SO Much

Q: Cool that you have a new book coming out on… December 7 but seems like we have plenty o’ time. Maybe slow your roll, girl?

A: Preordering your copy of Irish Eyes is the single most helpful action you can take to help my book succeed. It all comes down to math, algorithms specifically. The more robust the preorder sales, the more eyeballs go on the book. That’s true of all online retailers, not just Amazon.

Among brick-and-mortar bookstores, preorders are a huge factor in dictating how many copies booksellers decide to stock.

Q: But wait, can’t you just sell a crap ton of books on release week and call it a day?

A: Preorders also determine which books make a bestseller list. Preorders all count towards your first week of sales, the time frame when most authors make a list. 

Q: But I love the experience of being in an actual bookstore. The aroma of freshly brewed, super expensive coffee, the cha-ching of the cash register, the fun of talking books with other readers, not to mention the thrill of snapping a selfie with YOU, THE AUTHOR (wearing makeup and a pretty dress, not the coffee-stained t-shirt and yoga pants you actually live in) whilst we hold our copies of Irish Eyes face out for the camera.

A: Put that way, it does sound glorious. But the ability to book all those snazzy in-store events — the readings, the signings, the cozy “in conversation” chats moderated by a fellow author who has a book out that’s similar to mine but not too similar — depends on how well the book is already doing before it ever releases. Kind of a chicken and egg scenario.

You can bring your previously purchased book to any event I do — I’ll be posting an event calendar at https://hopectarr.com/news-events/ in the coming months — and I’ll sign it then. Double pinkie swear.

Q: Okay, okay, I’m in. I’ll preorder.

A: THANK YOU! Clicking on the Preorder Button below will give you a list of retailer options.

The Story Behind the Story

Irish Eyes is very much a love note to my Irish ancestors, who came to America on the coffin ships at the height of the Great Hunger (1845 - 1852). For years, I batted around the idea of writing something with an Irish protagonist but back-to-back projects left me with little headspace to pin down what that story might be.

Then, on a hiking trip through Western Ireland in 2009, I stopped at the famed Cliffs of Moher, gazed across Galway Bay to the trio of islands known as The Arans—and Rose O’Neill’s story began taking sharp shape in my mind’s eye. Back in Manhattan, runs along the Hudson River looking out to Ellis Island and Lady Liberty helped me to further flush out Rose’s story.

I wouldn’t start writing the book for several more years, but eventually I did and here we are.

December 1898. In the aftermath of America’s war with Spain, eighteen-year-old Rose O’Neill leaves her beloved Arans and boards a steamer for New York City. Herded through the  emigrant landing depot at The Battery, abandoned and alone, she soon discovers that the New York streets are no more paved in gold than those of Galway. To survive, she must ford her way through Lower East Side tenements and sweatshops, Fifth Avenue mansions and tony hotels – tangling with the mighty Tammany Hall for the husband with whom her fate is inextricably linked while fighting her feelings for the first love who still holds her heart. Just as she begins to make peace with the past, the Great War erupts in Europe, threatening to topple the dynasty for which she has sacrificed so much.

I’ll leave you with this beautiful book trailer courtesy of Lume Books.

1. Cover design by Imogen Buchanan, Design and Production Manager, Lume Books.

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