Wednesday, June 11, 2008

The MacGregors are everywhere!















Look for Nora Roberts' The MacGregor Grooms, heading your way July, 2008--and you can still get The MacGregor Brides. Check out the cover connection--don't they belong together?

The MacGregors are everywhere--and here's my story. Took a trip to South Africa. Here are my phone photos to prove it. First some establishing shots:
Cape of Good HopeThis is the Cape of Good Hope. Doesn't this look like the very tip of Africa? While it's not the Southernmost tip, it is apparently the Southwesternmost end.

Tip of AfricaThis is the actual Southernmost tip of Africa, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet (note sign). Not nearly as dramatic as the Cape!

Ostrich + OceanAt times driving around felt like Northern California, sea to one side, mountains on the other--but every once in a while something would wander by and remind you you really weren't in "Kansas" anymore!

MacGSo as mentioned, there we were, driving around in South Africa and what do we see? Yes, we were faced with an impossible choice--Robertson (Nora Roberts' family name) or Macgregor (a Nora Roberts family name). Which would you pick?

NR+ IS shadesLuckily for me, I picked...Nora Roberts! Here we are at her summer event. Yes, my husband has stopped eating her potato salad long enough to take a special phone photo of us.

FYI in South Africa, we stayed in the charming town of Mcgregor at a lovely B&B, sleeping under a MacGregor tartan coverlet. At breakfast, the hostess explained about the Scottish immigrants that had originally settled there and I sent her a complete set of Nora's MacGregor series, of course!

So here's my pitch. This is a photo of me as a bridesmaid at my brother's wedding (yes, of course I cropped out my head, it was an art concept I was going for). Some time ago I'd given a copy of the cropped picture to the art director because I thought it would be a great concept for a cover.
IS bridesmaid
Months (if not years) later, I see the Brides cover--pretty similar, eh? I think I was the inspiration. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

10 comments:

Jessica Nelson said...

You're too funny. Those pics look pretty close to me. So you got to eat with Nora Roberts? That's so cool!
I don't think I've read the MacGregors before, but I love the covers. They definitely stand out.
Thanks Isabel.

Isabel Swift said...

Jessica: heading off overseas right now,(on plane!) but just wanted to say thanks for stopping by. If you're a Nora fan, the MacGregors are a fan favorite. I love the Brides & grooms, but that's me. I think an editor always feels a special bond with titles they've worked on. But Nora is a fabulous storyteller, so its hard to lose.

Loreth Anne White said...

LOL, Isabel! Glad you enjoyed my 'other' home town! Cape Town -- not McGregor :)

Shirley Hailstock said...

Hi Isabel,

I haven't been here for a while. I love that bride's cover on Nora's book. I hope my bride's books coming out in 2009 has a great wedding dress on it too.

Shirley

Isabel Swift said...

OMG Loreth, are you origally from South Africa? What a beautiful country. Capetown was fascinating. I would feel sorry for you, but I've seen the gorgeous pictures of where you live now, so I don't!

Shirley: will keep my fingers crossed for your 2009 bride's book. But I think that was my last bridesmaid gig, so no more photos for inspiration from me. (The Last Bridesmaid...sounds intriguing, doesn't it?). Just came back from a wedding--there's something touching about brides, isn't there?

Kimber Chin said...

Wow, I have the urge to go to South Africa now. I've never been (closest I've been is Egypt).

And yes, the photo DOES look very close to the cover.

Isabel Swift said...

Thanks for the vote of confidence! I've never been to Egypt, that must have been cool. SA obviously has a "storied" past, but some truly amazing landscapes.

Jessica Nelson said...

So are you still overseas? I hope you're having fun!

Donna Alward said...

I would LOVE to go to South Africa!

As far as The McGregors...I don't know if it's my love of category or what, but many of those books are my favourite Noras EVER. Who couldn't love gruff old Daniel?

Isabel Swift said...

Jessica--apologies for slow response. Got back & then headed off to a world of spotty email and, I'm afraid to admit it, total sloth.

Back in civilization, but its too hot....

Donna: you are not alone in treasuring the MacGregors and Daniel. So many letters came in on him, I asked Nora to give us his story--I think the first Silhouette Special Edition to go back in time. Another first was reissuing the first four MacGregors with FOR NOW, FOREVER. It seems amazing now, but then series romances were all original, never before published titles and no one thought of reissuing any of them. We've come a long way!