Claiming Annie’s Heart by Judythe Morgan

CLAIMING ANNIE’S HEART

What was the spark for the story idea?

Two things gave me the story idea. One, both my grandmothers trace their roots to Ireland. They didn’t talk much about Ireland. Two, I went there, and the magic of the Emerald Isle captured my heart.

Traveling around the isle and talking to the Irish, I quickly learned about the history of what we call Ireland and learned it is two countries.

The Cliff Notes version for those who aren’t familiar: the island started as a single entity. After bitter fighting and political maneuvering with the United Kingdom, the island was partitioned in 1921 into Northern Ireland, which is still a part of the UK, and the Irish Free State or Ireland.

Many Irishmen were unhappy. Some still are. They wanted a united Ireland and full independence. Violence erupted again in the 1960s and continued through the 90s.

The ceasefire of 1994 and the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, along with the rebranding of the Orangemen parades in Belfast and Northern Ireland counties, has helped to reduce flare-ups.

I made one trip to Ireland during the Orangemen parades and saw how memories of The Troubles are still fresh for those personally affected. I decided to use that connection in Annie’s story.

On another trip, I visited an Irish girls’ boarding school where I experienced one of those rare writer moments—a character sprang fully formed into my head, commanding me to tell her story. That character was Annie Foster, the heroine of Claiming Annie’s Heart.

The published bookblends what Annie wanted, and the suspense element centered around The Troublesthat I wanted. I hope readers enjoy Claiming Annie’s Heart as much as I did when creating a story that started with ancestral roots and a love of the country from many trips there.

BLURB:

An Irish Love Story

Annie Foster stays in Ireland after boarding school to nanny a widower’s infant daughter. Five years later, the widower proposes.

Weeks before the wedding, Chad Jones, her first love, arrives in Belfast on an undercover assignment probing her fiancé’s connection with IRA terrorists. Chad’s determined to change Annie’s mind because he’s never stopped loving her.

But Annie still believes he deserted her. She’s moved on without him. Can he reclaim her heart before it’s too late?

BUY LINKS;

KINDLE AMAZON (US): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O6BOEPQ/

KINDLE AMAZON (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Claiming-Annies-Heart-judythe-morgan-ebook/dp/B00O6BOEPQ/

PAPERBACK AMAZON (US): https://www.amazon.com/Claiming-Annies-Heart-judythe-morgan/dp/098940367X/

AUTHOR BIO:

An Army brat then an Army wife, Judythe Morgan has seen a lot of this big world. Her crazy life as a mother to three, schoolteacher, an antique dealer, former mayor’s wife, and sometimes church pianist have given her plenty of story material.

Add an Old English sheepdog named Finnegan MacCool and the possibilities are endless.

You’ll find her characters are vivid. Her settings authentic. Her stories award-winning. Besides fiction, she writes a weekly blog at www.judythewriter.com

Sign up for her free newsletter at https://judythemorgan.com/  to keep up with her latest release news.

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