Feeling rather ale-killed* today, so just a quick post to thank all of you who followed, liked, subscribed, and/or supported us in 2014. We're so excited for the year ahead and already hard at work on new chapters of the book, so stay tuned. It's going to be our breakout year. Wishing you all an abundance of health and happiness for 2015! Slàinte! Áine Cole *In an Irish manuscript on Latin grammar from c. 900 A.D., a scribe wrote "ale-killed" in Ogham in the margin. He meant

Follow us on Pinterest! Even though winter won't officially start until the solstice on December 21, the holiday atmosphere and chilly weather have us already in the mood to celebrate the beauty of an Irish winter. We've posted some of our favorite scenes here for your viewing pleasure. The General Post Office always stands tall in the heart of Dublin, but it's decorated tree makes the official and storied building more festive. Just across the Liffey River, The Temple Bar lo

This is not the shortbread you get at the supermarket. Shortbread should have a melt-in-your-mouth texture, but at the same time have substance. Walkers shortbread and the other various brands out there are a sugar-filled shadow of what shortbread originally was. You know how people always say, “This isn’t your grandmother’s (fill in the blank)”? Well, this is my grandmother’s shortbread. My great-grandmothers, in fact – and it rocks. Nanny Teer was Belfast-born, and her s

Follow us on Pinterest! There are a lot of beautiful places in the world, but somehow Ireland ended up with more than it's fair share given the size of the country. It wasn't hard coming up with more breathtaking pictures for this third installment of our Enchanting Ireland series. Kylemore Abbey, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland. Dromoland Castle, Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. Arial view of the Rock of Cashel. Green, rolling hills, beautiful coastline, and sheep. Sounds abo

Follow us on Pinterest! There are a lot of beautiful places in the world, but somehow Ireland ended up with more than it's fair share given the size of the country. It wasn't hard coming up with more breathtaking pictures for this second installment of our Enchanting Ireland series. The graveyard at Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland. This valley is home to the ruins of a monestary, complete with round tower, founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century. A mossy arch in the Iris

Before we dive in to the wonderful world of Gaeilge, we must tell you that we are not fluent in the language. Not by a long shot. What follows are only the thoughts and musings of two Americans who have had some small experience with Irish. We’ve studied it a bit (well, tried to at least), and we know a few basics, but we are by no means true Irish speakers. Quite simply, we are fans, and we hope that you will join in our enthusiasm for and support of the language. That's wh

As we move later into autumn and toward the holiday season, we get nostalgic about being in Dublin during this time of year, even though the weather can be less than ideal. The daylight hours are surprisingly short to the unsuspecting American in Dublin during the holidays, and there is no escaping the bone chilling nature of the cold there. It's different than the type of cold we are used to in the U.S. The jet stream brings moist air to Ireland from further south in the Atl

The Triple Spiral I will begin this blog post with a disclaimer: I am about to go nerdy....very nerdy. If you are not thwarted by this and maybe even a bit intrigued, please by all means read on – you have been warned. ;) The triple spiral symbol used in Unlocked has been seen in prehistoric archaeology all over the European continent for thousands of years. Although the spiral motif’s oldest known appearance is on the island of Malta at the Tarxian temple (which dates to 3,

Click here to check out our Pinterest page for more amazing images! Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland Torc Waterfall Steps, Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland Tullylish Church Tower, County Down, Northern Ireland Cottage in Dingle, County Kerry, Ireland. First place where I heard the Irish language spoken by two young guys in casual conversation on the street! Traditional Irish stone wall and pasture gate - one of the beautiful signatures of the Irish countryside. Irish f

www.pinkyparadise.com Áine Cole is heading to New York Comic Con 2014 this weekend and testing green contacts from PinkyParadise for our costume from our novel, "Unlocked." Nicole is wearing the prescription version (-1.75) and Lori is wearing plano. These contacts are 14.5mm in diameter and come with a free animal lens case that is really cute! Click on the link above to get your own pair. Natural Eye Color: Nicole has green, Lori has blue Color: 5/5 Comfort: 4/5 Enlargement