And when I got home today, I found these waiting for me. Woot! And perfect timing for the first of my library visits tomorrow.
Monday, 11 October 2010
Hot Off the Presses
And when I got home today, I found these waiting for me. Woot! And perfect timing for the first of my library visits tomorrow.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Coming Soon to a Library Near You
The 20th annual Children's Books Festival kicked off on Friday 1st October with 70+ authors, illustrators, storytellers and performers due to visit libraries, schools and arts centers across Ireland throughout the month.
As part of the festival I'll be visiting libraries in Limerick and Clare. The dates and venues are:
Tuesday 12th October
9:30am Watch House Cross Library, Moyross
11:30am Roxboro Library
1:30pm City Library, The Granary
Three visits in the same day promises to make things a bit hectic but I'm looking forward to it already.
The following week I'll be in Clare:
Monday 18th October
11:00am deValera Library, Ennis
1:15pm Sean Lemass Library, Shannon
Tuesday 19th October
11:00am Sixmilebridge Library
1:30pm Newmarket on Fergus Library
The Ennis visit will be special for me as it's my home town and I remember when the custom-built library itself opened in the mid-70's. It incorporated an old church into the build and was a huge improvement on the old house that served as the library previously.
Hopefully the turnout will be good and if anyone is in the vicinity, drop in and say hi.
As part of the festival I'll be visiting libraries in Limerick and Clare. The dates and venues are:
Tuesday 12th October
9:30am Watch House Cross Library, Moyross
11:30am Roxboro Library
1:30pm City Library, The Granary
Three visits in the same day promises to make things a bit hectic but I'm looking forward to it already.
The following week I'll be in Clare:
Monday 18th October
11:00am deValera Library, Ennis
1:15pm Sean Lemass Library, Shannon
Tuesday 19th October
11:00am Sixmilebridge Library
1:30pm Newmarket on Fergus Library
The Ennis visit will be special for me as it's my home town and I remember when the custom-built library itself opened in the mid-70's. It incorporated an old church into the build and was a huge improvement on the old house that served as the library previously.
Hopefully the turnout will be good and if anyone is in the vicinity, drop in and say hi.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
Monday, 4 October 2010
Harry in the Press
I recently did an article for Words With Jam - an online writing magazine. I touched on how Harry came to be, how useful I found online critique sites and some other bits and pieces that I hoped the readers might find interesting. The magazine and article can be found here but there was such a handsome fellow on the cover I thought I'd include it below...
I was also quoted in an article by Helen Gaynor in today's Irish Independent about the Childrens' Book Festival in October and how modern writers try to connect with younger readers.
As part of the same Festival I'll be visiting libraries in Clare and Limerick during October and I'll post details of times and venues tomorrow along with (drumroll please, maestro) the first public airing of the cover for The Ho Ho Ho Mystery.
Try to contain your excitement.
I was also quoted in an article by Helen Gaynor in today's Irish Independent about the Childrens' Book Festival in October and how modern writers try to connect with younger readers.
As part of the same Festival I'll be visiting libraries in Clare and Limerick during October and I'll post details of times and venues tomorrow along with (drumroll please, maestro) the first public airing of the cover for The Ho Ho Ho Mystery.
Try to contain your excitement.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
I'm Psychic, Me
Way, way back in the dim distant days of 2008 when this blog was a mere infant, I blogged about The Africa Reich by Guy Saville and said that it was going to be mega.
Now adopting an 'I told you so' tone of voice, I can reveal that Guy got a two book deal with Hodder and Stoughton and The Africa Reich, complete with spanking new cover (draft below), will be published in 2011. Now the lucky sod is off to Madagascar to do some research for Book 2. Research, hah! A likely story.
For my next trick, I'll tell you next week's lottery numbers, who really shot JFK, and what you'll get from Santa.
Now adopting an 'I told you so' tone of voice, I can reveal that Guy got a two book deal with Hodder and Stoughton and The Africa Reich, complete with spanking new cover (draft below), will be published in 2011. Now the lucky sod is off to Madagascar to do some research for Book 2. Research, hah! A likely story.
For my next trick, I'll tell you next week's lottery numbers, who really shot JFK, and what you'll get from Santa.
Friday, 24 September 2010
Some Friday Music
And yes, I keep promising to update but so much is happening I'm falling way behind the curve in all things writing. All will change but in the meantime here's a superb piece of music to keep you going.
I'm no Eagles fan but I think this is a really evocative piece and so unlike most anything else they've ever done
and yes, I'm also aware of the somewhat brilliant, cheap and cheerful version the BBC Radiophonics Workshop did for the TV adaptation of Hitchhikers all those years ago...so here's that too (and a bit more of the TV series for good measure).
I'm no Eagles fan but I think this is a really evocative piece and so unlike most anything else they've ever done
and yes, I'm also aware of the somewhat brilliant, cheap and cheerful version the BBC Radiophonics Workshop did for the TV adaptation of Hitchhikers all those years ago...so here's that too (and a bit more of the TV series for good measure).
Friday, 30 July 2010
And Now After A Brief Delay
The sharper-eyed among you will probably have noticed that the promised reviews have been less than forthcoming. In my defence, I ended up having to dump some 20k words of the third Harry Pigg book when I realised it wasn't working. This was a big step and one not made without much furrowing of brow and hovering of finger over the delete key.
As I result I've spent most of the past 6 weeks rewriting Harry 3 and am glad to report that I finally finished it last night and am currently trawling through it for typos, plot inconsistencies and other bits and pieces before sending it off to my publisher.
Whew!
Normal service will resume as soon as I come up for air...
As I result I've spent most of the past 6 weeks rewriting Harry 3 and am glad to report that I finally finished it last night and am currently trawling through it for typos, plot inconsistencies and other bits and pieces before sending it off to my publisher.
Whew!
Normal service will resume as soon as I come up for air...
Thursday, 17 June 2010
The Shape of Things to Come
I've been a bit remiss with reviews of late - primarily due to other stuff happening. This must be rectified so over the next few days I'll be posting what I thought of some of the many books I've read lately, including Changeling 3, Leviathan, Fever Crumb, From Hell and whatever else comes to mind. Don't go away now.
Monday, 31 May 2010
We Have a Winner
By now I suppose everyone knows that I won the Eilis Dillon Award for Best First Book at the CBI/Bisto Childrens Book Awards last week. I should have blogged about it earlier but the week passed in a blur and I'm only getting back to reality now.
It's probably the oldest of cliches but I was thrilled just to have been shortlisted for the award and never expected to go any further so it was with a sense of stunned disbelief that I made my way to the stage to accept the award from Senator David Norris (erudite, entertaining, and someone I greatly admire). Apart from the award itself - a beautiful glass sculpture that I'll unfortunately have to hand back at the end of the year - I was presented with a stunning inscribed glass plate (to keep forever and ever and ever and...)
The day itself was hugely enjoyable. Myself and my wife met my publisher Scott (meandmybigmouth) Pack at our hotel and made our way into the Hugh Lane Gallery where the ceremony was taking place. There we were joined by my parents and I spent the time befoe the ceremony talking to the invited childrens school and library groups as well as meeting some of the other nominated writers.
The TV report on the day should be available here (at least for a while longer anyway). The two shifty looking characters at the beginning of the report are not, in fact, in a police line-up but Scott and me posing for photos (and yes, fashion fans, he did wear a shirt for the day).
The real trick was getting the trophy safely back to the hotel afterwards without dropping it. I certainly didn't want to be famous as the man who broke the Eilis Dillon Trophy - especially not in it's 20th year.
Now, I'm afraid it's back to reality as I struggle wth the fortunes of Harry in his third adventure.
The full list of winners is (and rather than write them all out I ingeniously cut and paste from David Maybury's excellent blog, which you should all visit regularly):
Bisto Honour Award for Writing goes to Siobhan Dowd for Solace of the Road
Teenager Holly Hogan is a troubled young person. Adopting a blonde wig and the assumed identity of fearless and reckless Solace, she journeys across England towards what she hopes will be a better future in Ireland. A finely constructed novel, beautifully written by a master storyteller.
Eilis Dillon Award for a First Children’s Book goes to Bob Burke for The Third Pig Detective Agency
This is the story of Harry Pigg, one of the three famous little pigs who built houses during our childhood. Now grown up, he ekes out a precarious existence as a private detective. This excellent pastiche of detective fiction is a vibrant, lively and funny book.
The Children’s Choice Award goes to Jane Mitchell for Chalkline
Chalkline tells the tale of the capture of Rafiq by soldiers of the Kashmir Freedom Fighters when they raid his village in search of new recruits. They roughly draw a line in chalk on Rafiq’s class-room wall and declare that any boy whose height reaches the line will be taken to fight. Chakline is a chilling account of the conditioning of a young boy to accept violence as normal, to stone or be stoned and ultimately to kill or be killed. A well-told, well-researched and cleverly plotted tale that is an intense read.
and finally…
the overall Bisto Book of the Year Award AND Bisto Honour Award for Illustration goes to Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick for There
This alluring picturebook is one that will draw every reader, child and adult, into its charming spell. The little girl’s persistent self-questioning is a true and honest echo of the voice of a child as she comes to terms with what she knows and what she doesn’t. The harmonic interdependence of images and text is achieved with artistic brilliance and a disciplined pared-back writing style.
It's probably the oldest of cliches but I was thrilled just to have been shortlisted for the award and never expected to go any further so it was with a sense of stunned disbelief that I made my way to the stage to accept the award from Senator David Norris (erudite, entertaining, and someone I greatly admire). Apart from the award itself - a beautiful glass sculpture that I'll unfortunately have to hand back at the end of the year - I was presented with a stunning inscribed glass plate (to keep forever and ever and ever and...)
The day itself was hugely enjoyable. Myself and my wife met my publisher Scott (meandmybigmouth) Pack at our hotel and made our way into the Hugh Lane Gallery where the ceremony was taking place. There we were joined by my parents and I spent the time befoe the ceremony talking to the invited childrens school and library groups as well as meeting some of the other nominated writers.
The TV report on the day should be available here (at least for a while longer anyway). The two shifty looking characters at the beginning of the report are not, in fact, in a police line-up but Scott and me posing for photos (and yes, fashion fans, he did wear a shirt for the day).
The real trick was getting the trophy safely back to the hotel afterwards without dropping it. I certainly didn't want to be famous as the man who broke the Eilis Dillon Trophy - especially not in it's 20th year.
Now, I'm afraid it's back to reality as I struggle wth the fortunes of Harry in his third adventure.
The full list of winners is (and rather than write them all out I ingeniously cut and paste from David Maybury's excellent blog, which you should all visit regularly):
Bisto Honour Award for Writing goes to Siobhan Dowd for Solace of the Road
Teenager Holly Hogan is a troubled young person. Adopting a blonde wig and the assumed identity of fearless and reckless Solace, she journeys across England towards what she hopes will be a better future in Ireland. A finely constructed novel, beautifully written by a master storyteller.
Eilis Dillon Award for a First Children’s Book goes to Bob Burke for The Third Pig Detective Agency
This is the story of Harry Pigg, one of the three famous little pigs who built houses during our childhood. Now grown up, he ekes out a precarious existence as a private detective. This excellent pastiche of detective fiction is a vibrant, lively and funny book.
The Children’s Choice Award goes to Jane Mitchell for Chalkline
Chalkline tells the tale of the capture of Rafiq by soldiers of the Kashmir Freedom Fighters when they raid his village in search of new recruits. They roughly draw a line in chalk on Rafiq’s class-room wall and declare that any boy whose height reaches the line will be taken to fight. Chakline is a chilling account of the conditioning of a young boy to accept violence as normal, to stone or be stoned and ultimately to kill or be killed. A well-told, well-researched and cleverly plotted tale that is an intense read.
and finally…
the overall Bisto Book of the Year Award AND Bisto Honour Award for Illustration goes to Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick for There
This alluring picturebook is one that will draw every reader, child and adult, into its charming spell. The little girl’s persistent self-questioning is a true and honest echo of the voice of a child as she comes to terms with what she knows and what she doesn’t. The harmonic interdependence of images and text is achieved with artistic brilliance and a disciplined pared-back writing style.
Thursday, 27 May 2010
Free Books Compo - Form Orderly Queue Please
I know I've ranted on sometime in the dim distant past about why I don't read much fantasy any more. Suffice to say, most of it is derivative, predictable and very, very cliched. By the same token, I do enjoy it when I discover a good fantasy writer. Over the past few years I've loved the work of both George RR Martin and, especially, the magnificent Steven Erikson.
Recently, I've also been reading reading the work of Celine Kiernan. Although her Moorehawke Chronicles are aimed towards a younger audience, Celine's world is meticulously thought out, her main characters both flawed and believable and, very important this, she tells a good story. If that wasn't enough she can draw too (mumble, mutter, it's not fair, grumble).
All of this is by way of introduction to a competition Celine is currenly running on her web site, where you can win a full set of the Moorehawke books. This is especially enticing when you consider that the third book in the series, The Rebel Prince, isn't published for another five months.
So what are you waiting for, get on over there and have a go - but don't forget to come back here afterwards. It gets very lonely without you.
And yes, I'll be blogging about the Bisto awards shortly too.
Recently, I've also been reading reading the work of Celine Kiernan. Although her Moorehawke Chronicles are aimed towards a younger audience, Celine's world is meticulously thought out, her main characters both flawed and believable and, very important this, she tells a good story. If that wasn't enough she can draw too (mumble, mutter, it's not fair, grumble).
All of this is by way of introduction to a competition Celine is currenly running on her web site, where you can win a full set of the Moorehawke books. This is especially enticing when you consider that the third book in the series, The Rebel Prince, isn't published for another five months.
So what are you waiting for, get on over there and have a go - but don't forget to come back here afterwards. It gets very lonely without you.
And yes, I'll be blogging about the Bisto awards shortly too.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
More details soon on what turned out to be a great day, I just need to recharge the batteries
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
The Camera Adds 300lbs You Know
On Monday I had my 8 minutes of fame when I appeared on RTE's The Afternoon Show to discuss the Bisto Awards. Also on the show was Catriona Hastings, author of the fabulous looking An Greasaí Bróg agus na Síoga (an Irish retelling of the elves and the Shoemaker).
After waiting around in the green room (which isn't green but had loads of coffee) we were taken to the studio where we were interviewed by Maura Derrane who quizzed me about the Third Pig's cover and what life was like as a writer having previously worked in IT. To accompany the segment, they also talked to three children from a school near Dungravan who were reading the nominated books. I had the pleasure of meeting them prior to going live and, as they hadn't been able to by my book locally, I was able to give them each a signed copy - which they seemed to appreciate.
The show itself seemed to go ok - I didn't sweat, fart or swear on live TV and answered the questions without too much humming and hawing. My brief flirtation with fame can be seen here. Our segment is about 45-50 mins in but I'm not sure anyone from outside Ireland will be able to access it. Btw I'm the one in the middle.
After waiting around in the green room (which isn't green but had loads of coffee) we were taken to the studio where we were interviewed by Maura Derrane who quizzed me about the Third Pig's cover and what life was like as a writer having previously worked in IT. To accompany the segment, they also talked to three children from a school near Dungravan who were reading the nominated books. I had the pleasure of meeting them prior to going live and, as they hadn't been able to by my book locally, I was able to give them each a signed copy - which they seemed to appreciate.
The show itself seemed to go ok - I didn't sweat, fart or swear on live TV and answered the questions without too much humming and hawing. My brief flirtation with fame can be seen here. Our segment is about 45-50 mins in but I'm not sure anyone from outside Ireland will be able to access it. Btw I'm the one in the middle.
Thursday, 22 April 2010
A Reading from the Book of John......Connolly
As I was in Dublin yesterday for a meeting, I took the time afterwards to drop into the Gutter Bookshop to browse and say hello. This is a new bookshop in Temple Bar and offers a great selection of books in bright and airy surroundings. I wish them every success.
As they were also hosting the launch of John Connolly's new book, The Whisperers, and as I'm a huge, huge fan I came back later that evening to pick up a copy of the book and get it signed by JC himself.
A good crowd turned out to hear John give a brief introduction to the book and follow it up with an hilarious reading from a work in progress that involved dwarves, a boyband named Boystarz and a video shoot that goes drastically wrong. Needless to say it wasn't a Charlie Parker story!
When I was getting the book signed I took the opportunity to ask if he'd be attending the Bisto Awards but he'll be on tour. He was nice enough to wish me the best for the awards.
An all round decent chap and nice guy.
Photos from the launch are here and sharp-eyed viewers (clearly with nothing better to do) may well spot the back of my head somewhere in the crowd.
As they were also hosting the launch of John Connolly's new book, The Whisperers, and as I'm a huge, huge fan I came back later that evening to pick up a copy of the book and get it signed by JC himself.
A good crowd turned out to hear John give a brief introduction to the book and follow it up with an hilarious reading from a work in progress that involved dwarves, a boyband named Boystarz and a video shoot that goes drastically wrong. Needless to say it wasn't a Charlie Parker story!
When I was getting the book signed I took the opportunity to ask if he'd be attending the Bisto Awards but he'll be on tour. He was nice enough to wish me the best for the awards.
An all round decent chap and nice guy.
Photos from the launch are here and sharp-eyed viewers (clearly with nothing better to do) may well spot the back of my head somewhere in the crowd.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
The Ho Ho Ho Mystery - Blurb
Though there's no cover yet, the blurb for Ho Ho Ho is now up on the Harper Collins website. Here's how it reads...
The festive follow-up to The Third Pig Detective Agency.
When Father Christmas goes missing on Christmas Eve eve, Mrs Christmas calls on our intrepid hero Harry Pigg to track him down. What follows is another hardboiled caper featuring fairy tale villains, plenty of red herrings, a few close shaves, a couple of punch ups and a very clever twist. Aided and abetted by his sidekicks Jack Horner and the genie from the lamp, Harry tries to save Christmas before time runs out. If only he didn’t have to deal with those bloody annoying elves.
The festive follow-up to The Third Pig Detective Agency.
When Father Christmas goes missing on Christmas Eve eve, Mrs Christmas calls on our intrepid hero Harry Pigg to track him down. What follows is another hardboiled caper featuring fairy tale villains, plenty of red herrings, a few close shaves, a couple of punch ups and a very clever twist. Aided and abetted by his sidekicks Jack Horner and the genie from the lamp, Harry tries to save Christmas before time runs out. If only he didn’t have to deal with those bloody annoying elves.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)