family saga Archives | Hope C Tarr

The wait is over! IRISH EYES, my historical saga set in turn-of-the-century New York City, is for sale wherever books are sold. I’ve received a VERY special SURPRISE Release Day prezzie — a gorgeous review from bestselling author, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York!

“WELL DONE TO HOPE C. TARR FOR A MAGICAL JOURNEY, SO GRUELLING, SO FULL OF OPTIMISTIC BELIEF, IN THE HOPE OF A BETTER FUTURE. I LOVED ROSE AND HOW SHE FOUGHT FOR HER OWN STRENGTH WITHIN HERSELF.” – Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

Find Irish Eyes at any of these brick-and-mortar and online booksellers:

Book Culture – signed copies avail in-store

The Corner Bookstore – signed copies avail in-store

Thunder Road Books – signed copies avail in-store

Join me in celebrating later tonight at Thunder Road Books, an awesome indie bookstore in quaint Spring Lake, New Jersey. As part of Spring Lake’s Holiday Shopping Soiree, from 5-7pm, I’ll sign copies of Irish Eyes and raffle off a gift basket of tasty NYC-themed treats to one lucky winner. Cocktails, mocktails, snacks — we are going to have THE A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E BEST TIME. Join us!

Speaking of winners, congrats to the winners of my Irish Eyes Shelf-Awareness Giveaway sponsored by AuthorBuzz: Laurie J., Susan B., Beth T., Melissa M., Mary G. and Lizz at Curiouser Books. Your copies of Irish Eyes are en route in plenty of time for the holidays.

Also, darling historical fiction author Finola Austin and I are giving away a signed copy of Irish Eyes and Finola’s brilliant historical novel, Bronte’s Mistress to one lucky winner. If you haven’t already done so, pop over to Finola’s site, The Secret Victorianist, and enter to win. Bonus: read our fun and (hopefully) informative interview on writing the historical novel.

xo Hope

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 my fab publisher, Lume Books.

Tag: family saga

IRISH EYES Release Day + Sarah, Duchess of York

IRISH EYES #CoverReveal

The Story Behind the Story