How is it the last day of March?! 2019 is a quarter of the way through — how are you feeling about your year? Are you on track with your goals?

I’ll be honest, I…am behind. Ah well. Such is life some days, right?

Still, we get one last trip to Ireland to close out the month – and that’s not a bad thing.

For this week, I dug into the photos from our first trip to Ireland. The pictures aren’t as good (though at the time they were amazing digital pictures — we went in 2003 and if you remember the state of digital photography back then? It was rough. We had an ENORMOUS camera that you had to put 3.5″ discs in to store your photos. And each disc could hold like 10 pictures. I think we took 20 discs – maybe 25 – and we filled them all. Technology, y’all. It changes when you blink.)

ANYWAY – I chose three of my favorites for this week. First up is Powerscourt. If you’ve seen the recentish (like 2000) movie of The Count of Monte Cristo (with Jim Caveziel in it?) – a good bit of it was filmed here and it was fun to walk across the courtyard and think about how they’d used it for the movie.

There’s a scene in the movie when a cart drives around this little lake and you get a glimpse of the house up these steps like this. So fun.

Next up? Monasterboice.

Now looking at this gorgeous stone cross (the likes of which you can find all over Ireland. Honestly, they’re some of my favorite things to look for and study closer.) you don’t think much beyond “So cool.” But in person? It’s 18 feet tall. I wish we’d gotten a picture with one of us standing by it for scale, but alas, we did not.

The round tower (like you see in the back, behind the cross) is also a great example of something you see all over Ireland. Round towers were very popular for defensive purposes. Their entrances are all quite high off the ground and residents could pull in the ladder and effectively seal themselves in against any attacks.

Last, but not least, is Newgrange.

This is a neolithic (~5000 years old!) passage tomb. You can take a tour inside (it’s dark, cool, and close. Claustrophobics need not apply.) But the center, where the graves were, is really quite cool. It’s also an amazing feat of engineering (particularly when you think about how old it is) — and it’s set up such that on the winter solstice, the sun rises and lights up the passage and center perfectly. People apparently queue for tickets to be there for that a loooong time in advance.

And that ends our brief little foray into Ireland. I hope you enjoyed it!

Winners this Week

If you’re a winner, you should have received an email from the author in charge of the giveaway. If not, please email us at: prizes at inspyromance dot com.

Hallee Bridgeman’s winner is Susan Bates!

Jackie Castle’s winner is Wemble!

Shannon Vannatter’s winner is Priscila!

Congratulations!

Don’t forget… every comment you make qualifies you to win one of the monthly Amazon card giveaways!

Reader Gathering

Did you know Inspy Romance hosts a Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook? Join us… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!

Mark your calendars for our two author takeovers in the CRRG coming in April!

April 12, from 7-9 pm Eastern, Shannon Vannatter will take over the CRRG!

April 24, from 7-9 pm Eastern, Jaycee Weaver will take over the CRRG!

Last Week on Inspy Romance

On Monday, Elizabeth Maddrey took us on a trip in the wayback machine.
On Tuesday, Staci Stallings talked about detours and alternate destinations.
On Wednesday, Jackie Castle asked about how you use technology in church.
On Thursday, Jan Thompson wondered if you were ready for the beach.
On Friday, Janet Ferguson introduced us to her daughter, the cover model.
On Saturday, Marion Ueckermann talked about when life begins at forty.

Next Week on Inspy Romance

Monday: Heather Gray
Tuesday: Melanie Snitker
Wednesday: Ginger Solomon
Thursday: Liwen Ho
Friday: Julie Arduini
Saturday: Jolene Navarro

New Releases

March 2019

Remember Me (A Chapel Cove Romance 1) by Marion Ueckermann
Love Me (A Chapel Cove Romance 2) by Alexa Verde
Cherish Me (A Chapel Cove Romance 3) by Autumn Macarthur
Broken Heart Strings (The Imagination Series 4) by Staci Stallings
My Charming Billionaire (Grimwood Legacy 2) by Jackie Castle

April 2019

Reclaiming Charity (The Potter’s House Books 21) by Marion Ueckermann
The Cowboy’s Romantic Dreamer (Montana Ranches Christian Romance 3) by Valerie Comer
Country Blessings (Dalton Brothers 2) by Merrillee Whren
Lawfully Cherished by Liwen Y. Ho
Her First Love (First Love 1) by Ginger Solomon
Match Made in Heaven by Julie Arduini
Loaves & Wishes (Baxter Family Bakery 1) (formerly in Romance Grows in Arcadia Valley) by Elizabeth Maddrey
A Tuscan Legacy Complete Collection by Marion Ueckermann, Elizabeth Maddrey, Alexa Verde, Heather Gray, Narelle Atkins, Autumn Macarthur, and 1 other
What Makes a Home (Everyday Love Book 3) by Jaycee Weaver
Tender Wishes and Butterfly Kisses (Honeysuckle Cove 8) by Mary Manners

A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks, our permanently free e-books, and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!