You're Invited - Wild Boy this Thursday in London.

Launch for Wild Boy this Thursday in London.

London Book Launch of Wild Boy

If you are living in London then make sure you go to the book launch of Wild Boy, the debut of Rob Llyod Jones. I've reviewed this book and it is a  beauty of a book. 

Away with the Fairies

My favourite book blogger of Yellow Brick Reads fame, has just published her first book!


Away with the Fairies/ Ar Shiúl leis na Daoine Maithe, it's a bilingual (Irish/English) picture booked aimed at a 7-9 age group.

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I love this blog and was delighted to hear her announcement.


Go over there and have a look. The pictures of the book are so beautiful. Click it to have a look-see.

Congratulations Maeve!

Red Ribbons. Red Ribbons. Red Ribbons.

A killer, girls found with red ribbons in their hair, the accused...I am sure that, by now, you have heard of Louise Phillips and Red Ribbons.



Well, here is a little update.

The RED RIBBONS blogtour will recommend this morning with award winning Irish writer Ethel Rohan. As the post will be on the Pank Literary Magazine blog coming from San Francisco, there will be something of a time delay. You should be able to catch it here.



One of Louise's many interviews was with Lee Middelton of Stafford FM with RED RIBBONS as their Book of The Week you can pick up last week's podcast where Lee reads an extract from the novel in the voice of the killer.

You can also read Declan Burke's feature article for the Herald 'Her Dark Materials.' This is an interview based on theme, tone of the book and approach to the genre.

And finally, Louise is holding a Novel Competition. The prize is a signed copy of RED RIBBONS, two tickets for a reading she will be doing at the Loose End (Civic Theatre in Tallaght) in November as part of their RED LINE FESTIVAL, and the first signed copy of THE DOLL'S HOUSE when it is published by Hachette in 2013.

You can send your pictures via this email address. To give you an example, see below- so get snapping!!


All images are sourced from Louise Phillips.

Denise Deegan and And Actually }I{

Have you ever wonders what it's like to be a young, rich and mega-popular teenager living in the Dublin suburbs? Or do you want to read something fun with some teenage angst? Then look no further and let me tell you about Denise Deegan.


Denise wrote a trilogy in the Butterfly Novels. The books are told from the perspective of the three girls in the trilogy. With each you get an insight into their world and their friendships.

The last in the trilogy was published recently. See the below book blurb for some eye-candy info.

Here is a podcast with Denise talking with  Sunshine Radio about And Actually.

I love everything about Denise Deegan's books, they are fun, pure escapism yet tackle some hefty issues that selfconfidence and help from friends can solve.

Denise Deegan's Book Launch favourite moments:

'seeing everyone there when I arrived

meeting everyone

seeing Matylda's face when I gave her a going away surprise

Joanna's speech.

Ryan Phillip's speech - especially the lurve story

my little nephew bursting through the crowd to give me a hug during my speech

everyone helping me when I was doing the balloon challenge (that I'd thought I'd got out of).'

You should red her below interview:

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You can contact Denise via the below methods and can buy her books in all good book shops.

Twitter
Facebook
Website

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Red Ribbons and Louise Phillips

Me: So, what book you reading?

Husband: Sports one, you?

Me: A creepy psychological thriller.

Husband: I thought the ladies just read about marriage and babies?

Me: It’s called having a varied diet, darling.

Husband: Why are you making more book marks?

Me: Each book deserves their own Teacher Moloney King hand-made book- mark.

Husband: What is with the RED RIBBONS on that one?

Me: Go read my blog on Friday 31st to find out, my dear...

Welcome dear readers,



image source

welcome to the award winning author and my questions. Louise Phillipsis realisng her debut book RED RIBBONS and she has asked some high-flyers in the writing world and, ammm, me(!) to be part of a blog tour. I am whole-heartly honoured Louise. RED RIBBONS, a psychological thriller, is released on September 3rd.

I met Louise when she was unpublished but an award winner. Her flash fiction chilled me, my favourite being Monkey and the Brain Eater - A childish toy is the pride of an elderly woman, her daughter is an annoyance and the enemy is the brain eater...this was the first post of Louise that had me at hello.

Laura Jane Cassidy - Eighteen Kisses

Ahhh I love YA and Children's Books! I think that will be my topic statement to life! Don't get me wrong, I like reading other genres, anything really...from chick lit to autobiographies but especially children's and ya literature.

Why? I remember what it is like to be young and so full of hope and spirit. These books pack a punch, we go on an adventure where we are the heroes.


On May 3rd Laura Jane Cassidy will be launching her second book in her Jack King series. Her books are paranormal fiction and they rock.

If you are lucky enough to be living in Dublin then go to her book launch on Thursday 3rd May
at 6.30 p.m, Eason O'Connell Street, Dublin 1

She is writing eighteen posts every day for eighteen days in honour of  her book....Eighteen Kisses.




Eighteen Kisses - Jacki King loves being back in Dublin - she's enjoying the music scene and interning at Electric magazine. She still has flashbacks to the murder case she solved the year before, though her friends, especially Nick, keep her distracted.

Until, one day, Jacki's frightening nightmares begin again. And when the police contact her about a local missing girl, she knows the two are connected.

Two years before, on her eighteenth birthday, Kayla Edwards disappeared. No body has ever been found. But now Kayla is communicating with Jacki from beyond the grave - and she won't stop until the truth is revealed ...

Out May 3rd 2012. Published by Puffin.

Available to pre-order:  Amazon  and  Book Depository

Can't wait to read it!

Celine Kiernan - CBI Book of the Year - Into the Grey



Mise and Celine

Celine Kiernan has been nominated for Book of the Year by Children’s Books Ireland. This award is in its 22nd year and aims to; ‘identify honour and promote excellence in books for young people by Irish authors and illustrators’. There are nine shortlisted titles, which you can read on my new blog crush: Yellow Brick Reads.

 We, the public, can’t vote, as every year Children’s Books Ireland assembles a panel with a wide range of expertise to pick the winners of the Bisto Children’s Book of the Year Awards.

Any of you guys watch Friends? Remember the one where Joey and Phoebe swapped books, The Shining and Little Women? Joey had a tactic; every time The Shining became too scary, he would put it into the freezer! Well, as I became part of the world Celine had created……sometimes…. I wanted to put Into the Grey into the freezer! It is gripping, terrifying yet hopeful. I loved reading Into the Grey, re-reading Into the Grey and telling my pupils about Into the Grey.

I would like to wish Celine the very best of luck and hope she wins a CBI award. I will share with you, dear blog readers, a piece I wrote for her book launch, way back in September 2011.

 ‘I scream, ‘Oh Jesus! Help me! Help me!’My voice is silent even to myself, my scream nothing against the roar of the shells and the thunder of the guns. I slide off the edge of the boards.’


This was the extract shared with the audience in the Irish Writers’ Centre as we join Celine Kiernan for the book launch of Into the Grey. Celine read the above extract from Into the Grey, a supernatural, chilling yet heart-warming tale of twin brothers set in 1970s Ireland, whipping the audience into a frenzy. We want to hear more, read more and listen even more intently. 

4 AM in Las Vegas - Baby!

Michelle Jackson launched her latest book, 4am in Las Vegas, at Hughes and Hughes on Tuesday 09.10.11 and I was there to report for writing.ie and you fabulous people.

Michelle Jackson is the bestselling author of Two Days in Biarritz and Three Nights in New York. She attended the National College of Art and Design, was a sock designer in the 1980s, and taught art at secondary school level. Michelle lives in Howth, Co Dublin with her husband and two children. When Michelle took to microphone to welcome us all, her daughter went to join her, by sitting down at the display of Michelle's books and smiled happily as her mother talked.

Alan Early - Book Launch

This piece was first published on writing.ie


Join me as I talk with Alan Early at his book launch of Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent in the Gutter Book Shop. Leitrim born Alan studied in the National Film School, Dun Laoghaire and co-founded Annville Film while writing Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent.


His interest in Vikings was spiked "when I was about ten, I visited Dublinia, a recreated Viking village and so began an interest in Viking lore that survives today.'


Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent is the first of a trilogy. Alan was lucky in dealing with Mercier as they "came back to me very quickly to say that they were interested and it went from there. They've been a great help all the way through it; I think dealing with an independent publishing house is a brilliant position for a new author." The Irish Examiner said his book is "a clever blend of fantasy and the every day. It's like Harry Potter, Dublin style."


When we spoke to Alan before his speech he said that "It feels very strange, that what I was writing is now an actual book and I am here at my book launch." Alan said in relation to social media; "I wasn't afraid of social media but with the book coming out, Mercier were activity pushing me to use it more and now I found it great, this networking thing is great. I can get in contact with other writers, readers and get great feedback."



Patrick from Mercier press was was next in the firing line of questions and he shared, in his lyrical Cork accent; "we focus a lot on non fictions, we only take about 2 or 3 kids books a year, I mean they have to be exceptional for us to take them on. And I have to say that there has been so much excitement in the office about this book, we love it. The book is quite different but at the same time it is like the Rick Riordan books, which are hugely popular, so as Rick tapped into the Greek mythologies Alan tapped into the Irish mythologies."

Bob from the Gutter Book shop welcomed us to the launch and as Patrick from Mercier took to the stage we were treated to a book trailer on the screen, there are two trailers and some character trailers also. Which is exciting as you can see where co-founding Annville films helps his writing career.

Here are the book trailers;

and

Alan was next to talk to the crowd, he thanked everyone for attending, and gave us an insight into the idea behind the book, "A lot of it came from the fact that, while Ireland has a very rich mythology background, I've never read any fantasy set in modern day Ireland. Every other country is well represented by children's fantasy except Ireland. I just really liked the idea of seeing a monster rampaging through Dublin."

Patrick, Mercier Press, welcomed and thanked us. He told us that "it is looking likely that Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent will be nominated for an Irish Children Book Award 2012

With Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent "when we got the manuscript it was passed from person to person with wild excitement, we knew it was going to be big. We were lucky enough to get the support of Easons, we are thrilled with the quality of the book."

"With his Dad starting work on the new Metro tunnel, Arthur is forced to move to Dublin. While exploring a hidden underground river, Arthur and his new friends Will and Ash find a mysterious pendent. It glows in the gloom of the river and depicts a monstrous snake strangling the trunk of a tree. They soon work out that the pendent is a warning, a sign that something evil is waiting underneath the city. Something that's been imprisoned for a thousand years, something left by the Vikings, something that can – and will - destroy first the city, then the world.

What did the Vikings hide under Dublin and why did they leave it there? Who is the dark man that spies on Arthur and what is his evil plan? This hair-raising fantasy adventure will have you thrilled to the end, as only Arthur and his friends can save the world from the dreaded World Serpent. Described by Eoin Colfer, author of Artemis Fowl as 'a brilliant creation... fast-paced and thrilling' and by Image Magazine as 'an exciting fantasy novel', Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent is the first of a trilogy and a thrilling read for anyone 8+!"

To find out more about Alan and his book Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent see below -

http://www.mercierpress.ie/Arthur_Quinn_and_the_World_Serpent/575/
http://www.easons.com/display.asp?ISB=9781856358279

http://www.arthurquinn.ie/home.html