tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post3100859080339783412..comments2024-03-29T07:15:33.972-04:00Comments on Jungle Red Writers: Lisa Alber, WHISPERS IN THE MIST—and Meeting her MatchmakerJungle Red Writershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16646429819267618412noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90186209438754280512016-09-09T15:19:33.411-04:002016-09-09T15:19:33.411-04:00Hi Lisa!
I read your first book set in Ireland. ...Hi Lisa!<br /><br />I read your first book set in Ireland. I was reminded of a movie with Janeane Garfolo (sp). It was about a PR person who worked for a Boston politician. She thought he was Irish so she went over to Ireland to try to trace his Irish roots. She arrives during the matchmaking festival. it was hilarious. Turns out the politician did not tell his PR person that he was not Irish. he admitted that his grandfather came from Eastern Europe ? and picked a name from a map of Ireland.<br /><br />Look forward to reading your new book!<br /><br />DianaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-77473774623223633472016-09-08T19:25:29.159-04:002016-09-08T19:25:29.159-04:00What a terrific story! Thanks so much for sharing ...What a terrific story! Thanks so much for sharing it :)Ritter Ameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08061350506378402974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-58846279497045757892016-09-08T12:39:44.408-04:002016-09-08T12:39:44.408-04:00Ann, thanks for clarifying. :-) I was thinking -- ...Ann, thanks for clarifying. :-) I was thinking -- wait? You can find Three Pines? Maybe it's like the search for Shangri-La.<br /><br />Hi Deborah, thanks for the buying Kilmoon! I like to read about places through memoir. In fact, that's what led to my first trip to Ireland -- a memoir called WHOREDOM IN KIMMAGE. I fell in loved with the author's descriptions of County Clare.<br /><br />Thanks Robyn! I loved the horses. See the one with the mustache? :-) Cracked me up!<br />Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-64678314124664383472016-09-07T20:16:04.517-04:002016-09-07T20:16:04.517-04:00What a wonderful story. That's fantastic that ...What a wonderful story. That's fantastic that you met the matchmaker. It truly is a small world. Thank you for sharing your story and the pictures of the beautiful horses.Robyn Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18950490350080385722016-09-07T17:47:00.571-04:002016-09-07T17:47:00.571-04:00Lisa, I just bought Kilmoon but haven't starte...Lisa, I just bought Kilmoon but haven't started reading it yet. I want to read it because I've heard such good things about it. Now I'll need to get started so I can move on to Whispers in the Mist! The incident you described makes me believe you must really bring your characters to life, and I am all the more eager to get started on that book.<br /><br />As a reader I've wanted to visit places I read about in novels. It's not at all unusual for me to start reading as much non- fiction as I can get my hands on about a place if a novel has brought that place to life for me.<br /><br />Deb RomanoDeb Romanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01650858888197217258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-44200602753041219102016-09-07T17:46:47.638-04:002016-09-07T17:46:47.638-04:00It isn't on any map. (Smile). But I bet we can...It isn't on any map. (Smile). But I bet we can find something close. Ann in Rochesternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-90973962634225474052016-09-07T15:07:28.857-04:002016-09-07T15:07:28.857-04:00Right, Susan? The poor guy must have been in agoni...Right, Susan? The poor guy must have been in agonies as he was reading it. I imagine him stewing about it, wondering if her should contact me, imagining back to American women he shagged back in the day ... :-) Meanwhile, me: Wheee, I'm having so much fun in Ireland!<br /><br />Hi Karin! Do you get that "Be careful what you say, she might use it in a story!" thing? I get that sometimes. Secretly, I think people want to be in our books. :-)<br /><br />Thanks, Pauline! I hope you enjoy it!Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-91064692671396955342016-09-07T14:38:04.609-04:002016-09-07T14:38:04.609-04:00I just ordered Kilmoon - enjoyed the story of your...I just ordered Kilmoon - enjoyed the story of your experience in Ireland, and now I will read the book!Paulinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02786463183900120910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-83003181756121896632016-09-07T13:49:34.512-04:002016-09-07T13:49:34.512-04:00Wonderful encounter! I love that he made the leap ...Wonderful encounter! I love that he made the leap from knowing that a character was loosely based on himself to making the assumption that all the characters are set using the same degree of reality. As a writer I often worry as I constantly pinch and repackage little incidents I experience firsthand or hear about on the news or from friends. I don't always remember the source so I guess it's possible that someone out there may see more of themselves in one of my novels than they bargained for! I'm also constantly asked if my main character is based on me which is amusing on many levels. Congratulations on Whispers in the Mist. I look forward to reading it. Karin Salvalaggiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02397832461379391625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-61839252280284011332016-09-07T13:45:04.410-04:002016-09-07T13:45:04.410-04:00Hah! Having read the book, I can imagine what was ...Hah! Having read the book, I can imagine what was running through his mind. Great story.Susan C Sheahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18225627756540127032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-80095407365037047682016-09-07T13:36:44.939-04:002016-09-07T13:36:44.939-04:00Kathy! I missed your comment up there for a bit. T...Kathy! I missed your comment up there for a bit. Thanks so much! (And, yes, interview on my task list.) I don't know why the fact that readers might have personal reactions to my books is such a revelation. But it is. Like, wait, *my* writing? :-)<br /><br />HI Laura! Thanks and looking forward to reading your next!Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-78383623850139127302016-09-07T13:23:43.258-04:002016-09-07T13:23:43.258-04:00I read Whispers in the Mist in one sitting. Fabulo...I read Whispers in the Mist in one sitting. Fabulous book! Best of luck with it.Laura DiSilveriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01603655651769232107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-85583511998381903892016-09-07T13:21:48.506-04:002016-09-07T13:21:48.506-04:00Hi Ann! I'm that way too. When I travel I want...Hi Ann! I'm that way too. When I travel I want to see where the famous writers lived. But -- Three Pines is real? I had no clue. I thought it was a fictional town. Makes me wonder what the locals think about the town's literary fame. :-)Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-25282423828014281662016-09-07T13:08:07.476-04:002016-09-07T13:08:07.476-04:00Readers involved with books? Oh my. Right now I a...Readers involved with books? Oh my. Right now I am reading a novel that is part mystery, maybe part ghost story and totally terrifying. I am so involved with it that I can only read for a short while before taking a break. <br /><br />Before my brother-in-law fractured his heel last weekend, we had planned a trip to Three Pines over the holiday. Oh yeah. I get involved. Ann in Rochesternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-76514246041522815632016-09-07T12:55:46.147-04:002016-09-07T12:55:46.147-04:00Mary, thanks! So true about English Lit classes. :...Mary, thanks! So true about English Lit classes. :-) Or in book groups! Oh my god, I remember some heated conversations. It was like we'd read different novels.<br /><br />Thanks, Rhys -- oh so many characters in Ireland. Never an end to the fun. :-)<br /><br />HI Susan, I'd say a good first place to go for people who've never been is the southeast. Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula. Gorgeous!<br /><br />Hi Debs--such a charmer, wow is he. Takes it to a new level. Scotland is so hot right now--I'm not surprised that your agent suggest Scotland instead. Seems like everyone's got Irish relatives ... Could Gemma or Duncan have family there and something happens ... ?<br /><br />I totally get that, Julia -- I've been surprised a few times by what readers have read into my book. One reviewer disliked KILMOON because it was his opinion that the Irish were fully capable of meeting people on their own. They didn't need a matchmaker ... Hmm ...<br /><br /><br />Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-26327517553003910652016-09-07T12:53:54.654-04:002016-09-07T12:53:54.654-04:00I'm so happy to see Lisa here today on my favo...I'm so happy to see Lisa here today on my favorite blog. I finally read Kilmoon this summer, and, luckily, it was only a couple of weeks before Whispers in the Mist came out. I loved both books, and I've so enjoyed getting to know Lisa some, too. I featured Whispers in the Mist in a review on my blog, and Lisa and I are trying to get together for an interview, too. The brilliant descriptions in these books have made me want to go to Ireland, too. I already am trying to plan a trip to England and Scotland, and, now, Lisa, you have made Ireland irresistible. <br /><br />What a great story about meeting the matchmaker, Lisa! As they say, you can't make this stuff up. I think you must have had the luck of the Irish sent your way on that one. And, that he thought you might be his daughter? You handled that so well.<br /><br />I think it's fairly easy to imagine that an author is communicating with you as you read his/her book, as in pointing out something that you respond emotionally to or realize is a "moment" for you. And, we all bring our own experiences and expectations into reading, so each person responds in a very personal way to a book, even though there are, of course, general responses in common.Kathy Reelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17004247271452356577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-35677043277987826252016-09-07T12:36:43.475-04:002016-09-07T12:36:43.475-04:00Susan: Thanks for inviting me!
Hi Roberta: Someti...Susan: Thanks for inviting me!<br /><br />Hi Roberta: Sometimes I can't believe that I write fiction, period, much less that my stories might hit cords with readers. Even the negative cords are OK! <br /><br />Ugh, Hallie, I hear you. A few nights ago, I have an amazing thought (or so it seemed at the time) about my next novel idea ... Helloo, where are you now, Thought? :-)<br /><br />Hi Hank, I know! I could never write that kind of thing into a story, never! I'd be relying on coincidence, right? And we're not supposed to do that. On my first trip to Ireland eons ago, I happened on Lisdoonvarna, home to the real matchmaking festival. The locals like to talk about Willie Daly, so that's how I learned about him. <br /><br />Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-32712138013077805002016-09-07T12:30:08.565-04:002016-09-07T12:30:08.565-04:00Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be here. On west ...Hi everyone! I'm so happy to be here. On west coast time so a little late to the party. :-)<br /><br />Joan: I totally agree. Readers do bring themselves to the books they read. Reading reviews, such as those on Amazon, is truly enlightening. I don't take the meh reviews personally--how can I? The review is about the reviewer, really.<br /><br />Karen: I also think of writing as a conversation with myself too. My characters talk to me, but really, I'm talking to myself on some deeper level. <br /><br />Oh my gosh, Kait, I so know what you mean! What do my proclivities say about me? But it's OK, I like to think that my tendency toward dark reading simply means that I want to understand that side of life--what makes people tick. Maybe we're actually kind of deep? :-)<br /><br />Edith, another fascinating thing is which characters readers prefer. That says a lot about the readers too. <br /><br />Lisa Alberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12591430453957883948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-49571708185377392652016-09-07T12:15:13.284-04:002016-09-07T12:15:13.284-04:00ARG. That was "once got." I'm still ...ARG. That was "once got." I'm still breaking in my voice recognition software.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-70819962312698061492016-09-07T12:13:42.194-04:002016-09-07T12:13:42.194-04:00Lisa, you are so right about readers bringing thei...Lisa, you are so right about readers bringing their own experience into the book. I want Scott a very angry review from someone I later found out had been censured for dating within her own congregation. That didn't happen in my novel, but she brought her own experience into it and, essentially, read what wasn't there.<br /><br />And I will echo Hank: however did you find out about W-- D--?Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09553268569509053159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-24054933660442625032016-09-07T11:52:09.774-04:002016-09-07T11:52:09.774-04:00Lisa, what a great story!! And he does look a char...Lisa, what a great story!! And he does look a charming character, doesn't he? <br /><br />I'm with Susan. I've never been to Ireland, can you believe it? I wanted to write a book set in a cooking school in County Cork, then my agent convinced me to set the story in Scotland instead. Where should I start in Ireland? (And how to get Duncan and Gemma there???)<br /><br />From years of listening to readers' comments, I do believe that readers have their own conversations with books, and that as often as not, not what the writer intended!Deborah Crombiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16988750789088153601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-3334902808074195942016-09-07T11:16:21.314-04:002016-09-07T11:16:21.314-04:00Now I want to go to Ireland! Lisa, where's a g...Now I want to go to Ireland! Lisa, where's a good first place to go, for those of us who've never been?Susan Elia MacNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00349842866995778987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-18648262676581103052016-09-07T10:36:59.537-04:002016-09-07T10:36:59.537-04:00Lisa,it's been my experience that encounters l...Lisa,it's been my experience that encounters like this happen in Ireland. It really is a nation of CHARACTERS, none of them boring.<br />This is a great story. Good luck with the book.Rhysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-82161437282391173632016-09-07T09:43:56.361-04:002016-09-07T09:43:56.361-04:00Congratulations, Lisa! I read and enjoyed KILMOON,...Congratulations, Lisa! I read and enjoyed KILMOON, so I suspect I'll enjoy WHISPERS IN THE MIST. Because I loved Danny's character and wanted to know more about it.<br /><br />I think readers definitely bring their own experiences to a story, which allows them to get meaning out of it that the author may never have dreamed of. Isn't that what powers so many English literature classes in college? LOL I bet Jane Austen or William Shakespeare never imagined that so many people would read, study and discuss their works for so many years. Old Will was just trying to entertain and make some money.<br /><br />I don't know if I am in my books as much as my characters are the people I would like to be - but can't be for some reason or another. They certainly share some of my values. And I do have conversations with them. Hmm. Food for thought the next time I sit down to write.Liz Millironhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919409969263609919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1001156153899984046.post-22941995911364444152016-09-07T08:14:58.109-04:002016-09-07T08:14:58.109-04:00And so amazing how thing that happen in real life ...And so amazing how thing that happen in real life would NEVESR be a believable scene in a book. You just HAPPENED to meet this guy? Sure. But in real life, we all easily believe it.<br /><br />(How did you know about him, anyway?)Hank Phillippi Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17420701704169428286noreply@blogger.com