Loucinda McGarcy: A true “Romance Diva”

Sharon Lathan

Sharon Lathan is the best-selling author of The Darcy Saga, a ten-volume sequel series to Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice.

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Loucinda McGary

Thanks again, Beth! I listened to several performances of the aria but really liked this one by Diana Damrau.

What I didn’t mention in my previous post is that my Venetian set story was originally titled “Jewels of the Madonna” (the publisher changed the title) and was inspired by the opera of the same name! How’s that for coincidence?!?!

I’m happy to contribute to your TBR pile/mountain. I thought when I let my day job that I’d finally get mine whittled down… WRONG! I have more time now to find great new (to me) authors, so I have more stories “to be read” than ever. 😉

Beth Glixon

google tells me it’s Wolf-Ferrari. I don’t know it. Now if it had been a baroque opera, I just might. I’m looking forward to reading your Venice book. (And the Mozart.)

Beth Glixon

Wow, this is weird. I’m writing a novel about a Venetian named Serafina (the modern part of my book takes place in Baltimore and Philadelphia). My Serafina is 18th century, and is the fictional daughter of an historical opera singer I’ve been studying. I’ll have to check out your book! The name just came to me last year out of the blue, and she’s always remained Serafina for me. I should say that I do archival research in Venice, and have never come across the name Serafina there (at least in the 17th and 18th centuries), so it is a name to be treasured. I’m glad to have found this interview through Sharon Lathan.

Loucinda McGary

Hi Beth,
Truth is stranger than fiction! My characters usually appear in my imagination with their full names in place. That was the case with Serafina Lombardo and her sister Simonetta. I’ll be anxious to read your story about another Venetian Serafina. 🙂 Do let me know when you finish and publish it. And hope you enjoyed the clip from The Magic Flute.

Beth Glixon

Loucinda, you’ve picked a good Youtube clip of this aria. I spent way too much time this semester wading through Youtube and spotify to pick just the right things to play in my opera lit class. I’ll have to check out your Mozart! My Serafina’s husband’s name is Frederick Bishop, so her name is Serafina Bishop once she’s married. As you say, it just seemed right. I’m building up too many novels to read. I suppose it’s good, as it’s causing me to read something other than Darcy fan fiction, which has become an obsession of mine.

seli

Loucinda your books sound fascinating! I am going to have to read one now .I am sorry to say I have never read them.
Thank you for such great information about yourself and all the places you have been!!

Loucinda McGary

Hi Seli!
I appreciate you stopping by, reading my interview and leaving a comment. I hope you enjoy my stories. I try hard to fill them with lots of action and interesting details about the settings.Please let me know what you think after you read them. 🙂 I LOVE hearing from readers!

Rafaella

Hi Aunty Cindy!! What a great post. I am STILL laughing about Linda Howard’s pork chop story. My Mom was so great about that sort of purse-thing too. As to a bag-of-tricks, my usual soltoiun for being stuck at a point in the plot is to blow something up. Grins. Our fellow Bandita and I joke, When in doubt, light a fuse Back to the purse thing, my sons think mine is a magic bag, b/c I usually DO have something in there they need, from a pair of tweezers (Swiss Army Knife) to scissors (same), to tape. (I have one of those little biz kits) So the tradition continues!

Jennifer Tanner

You’re ambidextrous and you owned a Porsche. I learn more about you through these blogs. 🙂 I’ll have to sign up for the Starz Channel in order to watch Outlander. I’ve only read through book 6.

Loucinda McGary

Hi Jen!
Appreciate you stopping by today! Actually, I only do two things right-handed — knit and cut with scissors. Everything else is with my left-hand. 😉 And the ex “forged” my name to finance the Porsche so it was the best kind of pay-back for me to get it in the divorce settlement. I drove it exactly one time and sold it within two weeks.

I’m actually thinking of getting Starz just to watch Outlander too!

Loucinda McGary

Hi CJ!
YES! Another Outlander fan! I have wanted to see this story on film since I first read it in 1992. I’m keeping everything crossed that the people involved do this wonderful story justice.

Good luck with your search for the perfect CP. I had many different CPs before Jo and I met up, and I’m sooo grateful for her insights and awesome knowledge of grammar, syntax, and diction.

CJ Fosdick

Wonderful interviews! I’d love to read a Loucinda novel! From her favorite past reads, and affinity for historicals, she sounds like a kindred soul. I also LOVE Diana Gabaldon and can’t wait for the STARZ Outlander series to begin this summer. Maybe that will elevate multi-genre novels that run to 1000 pages!!? We can only hope. (I have got to get a CP like her!)

Jo Robertson

Great interview, Sharon and Cindy!

I haven’t traveled nearly as much as Cindy, and most of mine was when I was much younger. But I’d love to see a book set in post-war Berlin,. I imagine there’d be a lot of intrigue and mystery, disappearances and the like because of the not-so-neat division of the country and city after WWII.

Loucinda McGary

Greetings Jo!
Thank you for stopping by and can’t thank you enough for all your wonderful critiques and editing of Mozart Murders!

OOOO! Post-war Berlin sounds fascinating! Plus, I’ve been to other parts of Germany, but I’ve never been to Berlin.This is going on the top of my list of places to explore.

Loucinda McGary

Morning Sharon and Everyone!
Yes, it is still morning here on Nor Cal and promises to be a hot one! 🙁

Thank you again for hosting me today Sharon and for asking such interesting interview questions!

Yes, I’m still in the midst of trying to move and am not quite out of one house but halfway in the other. UGH! My hat is off to you, Sharon, for your long move to another state. Just moving across town has been a traumatic experience for me! LOL!

Sharon Lathan

I probably should not mention that it is 66 degrees in KY with rain and thunder storms. In fact we are on a tornado watch! Very different weather.

Loucinda McGary

Tornado! ACK!!! Take care, Sharon. I’ll take the heat any day over a tornado!

Leslie

I’ve never read a book set in Yosemite, at least not since John Muir’s…

Loucinda McGary

I agree, GREAT suggestion Leslie! I haven’t been to Yosemite since the devastating wild fire last year, but it is easily accessible for “research.” Thank you for dropping in and mentioning such a beautiful setting.

Madeline Olson

Fascinating insights into a great author! Cindy, you mentioned you’d like to visit Egypt. That would be a cool setting for another Dead Girl book–and a business write-off too! Belize or another east coast Central America country. And I second the Canada suggestion. Quebec City would be a wonderful “character!”

Thanks, Sharon, for hosting such an informative blog!

Loucinda McGary

Hi Madeline,
Thanks so much for stopping by today and thank you for your wonderful review of Mozart Murders! I really hope to get to Egypt someday soon, and I’m sure it would be a great setting, though I don’t know if I could compete with the Amelia Peabody mysteries which are set there.

Funny you should mention Belize, because my novella New Year’s Endeavor is set on a cruise to eastern Central America and has some pivotal scenes in Belize.;-)

Tea

I haven’t read a romance that takes place in Canada. I would love to read one with this setting. I enjoyed your interview so much. It’s amazing how much you have traveled. Feel like I would like to read all of your books. Thanks for giving me the chance to win and read The Mozart Murders.

Loucinda McGary

Morning Tea!
I appreciate you dropping by and reading my interview. Canada is a great suggestion! I absolutely loved Nova Scotia. We went whale watching there and also saw the Bay of Fundy and Cape Breton National Park. On the same trip, we visited Prince Edward Island for a day. If you haven’t been there you MUST go! (Sharon, I know you would love it!) Now that I’m thinking of PEI, it would be the perfect setting for another “Dead Girl…” book. 😉

Deb

I loved the Mozart Murders…it was a great read, no spoilers, and I can’t wait for more….I think I enjoyed this one the most!

Loucinda McGary

Awww! Thanks a BUNCH, Sharon! I know you read very little contemporary fiction and I’m very complimented that you enjoy my stories. Just be forewarned that this one is darker than anything I’ve written to date. 😉 I really had a blast writing such an evil villain!

Loucinda McGary

Hi Deb! Thanks so much for dropping by and commenting. I’m thrilled that you loved Mozart Murders! It was a fun story for me to write and I’m happy that readers are being entertained by reading it!

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