Sticks and Stones...

I am a firm believer in the power of words.

I've never understood that saying..."Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me". What a load of rubbish! Broken bones heal and take the memory of the pain suffered with them but the wounds you receive from someone's words can last a lifetime.

Not that all words are nasty and painful. 

There are 4 words which, once uttered, cast a magical spell enveloping the listener in a bubble of contentment and expectation - these four words release you from reality and give you permission to live another life; to travel in the shoes of a princess, a knight, a space adventurer, a vampire hunter - whatever you want to be, wherever you want to go.

And what are these four magical words?

Once Upon A Time...

Best wishes

A Versatile Blogger Award? For Meeeee?!

I am so tickled (and slightly over-awed) that my little blog has been nominated for A Versatile Blogger Award by the rather fabulous Sir Seumus Gallacher (he of the wonderful Jack Calder books). 

So, what IS this glorious accolade, I hear you cry. Well, The Versatile Blogger Award is given by bloggers to other bloggers who are producing posts that they enjoy reading and find interesting or informative. The fact that a) it's a nomination from another blogger is pretty darn special but b) it also gives you a little boost to know that not only is someone else actually READING what you write but they are also ENJOYING it.

Naturally you'll want to find out more about this nutter who has gifted me with this nomination; you can find him HERE doing his thing, which is entertaining and informing all around him with a big smile, a couple of custard creams and (more often than not) his own rendition of 'Amazing Grace'. If you enjoy well-written, fast paced thrillers with  excellent lead characters and attention to detail then you may also want to check out his novels, The Violin Man's Legacy and Vengeance Wears Black.

Now, there are REQUIREMENTS for accepting this reward...

Requirement 1:

Nominate other bloggers that you regularly follow and enjoy (you also have to let them know that they're being nominated). So here are my 10.

Debbie McCune

Peter Johnstone

Bernie McGill

David C Cassidy

Uproar Comics team (you mean you haven't heard of the DEC App yet?!!!)

E M Tippettts

Christine M Butler

Raebeth McGee-Buda

Joanne Clancy

Tom Tolkien

Requirement 2:

I have to tell you 7 things that you don't (or shouldn't) know about me. Oookaaaay. Buckle up...

1) I'm not a fan of spiders...actually I'm not a fan of anything with lots of legs and the potential to crawl up my arm *runs away screaming*!

2) I haven't been gifted with that gene that other women have - the one that makes them go gaga over bags and shoes. I just...no...

3) I HATE housework.

4) Being lifted off the ground, even just a couple of inches, makes me laugh (possibly 'cause it doesn't happen often and I know that the person doing the lifting is going to be walking like Quasimodo for about a fortnight afterwards!)

5) Going somewhere that I haven't been before makes me nervous - it's the whole 'getting lost' issue - I have to plan the route for DAYS before travelling.

6) I love art. I'm not an expert or anything close to it but I enjoy beautiful paintings and photography.

7) I get sick on pretty much ALL modes of travel. Bleugh!

So....now you know! Thank you so much Sir Seumas for the nomination. 

Best wishes

Book Launch Invitation!

It was about 5 years ago that I sat down and wrote a short story to amuse my daughter. At the time I was playing about with a manuscript that had been worked and reworked and then torn apart and written again several hundred times - a thriller with a twist. This short story was a major departure from the dastardly dealings of government agents, terrorist cells and other such shady shenanigans but I discovered that I rather enjoyed writing about Fallen Angels, Vampires and the like so I kept going.

Fast forward to today and Demon's Blood, the final part of the Emily Trilogy, is ready to launch.

Not only that but it is launching in an actual branch of Waterstones.

Not only that but the launch of my new book baby will be the first launch of its kind by any Waterstones in Ireland - the paperback and ebook will launch together on the same night.

To say that I'm honoured and slightly flabbergasted would be an understatement.

There will be wine (and juice), food, a reading, signing, paperbacks for sale, ebook to download in the shop on the night - it's going to be AMAZING!

And you are invited!

Should you find yourself in Northern Ireland on the evening on 4th April 2013, between 7 and 9 pm then why not make your way to Waterstones in Coleraine and say howdy - I would LOVE to see you.

From the mouths of teens...

Last week I was spoiled rotten - I got to visit schools every day for a full week and chat about books and writing with over 600 children between the ages of 4 and 17. It was great fun!

We read together, played games, took part in quizzes, chatted, laughed, wrote our way through creative writing workshops and enjoyed q&a exchanges. I visited school libraries, class rooms, assembly halls, cafeterias and staff rooms - meeting a wonderful mix of lovely friendly folk along the way.

On Tuesday I even had the privilege of visiting the school that was my inspiration for Emily's school in 'Demon's Daughter' and it was just as I hoped it would be - there was even a quad exactly as my imagination had conjured up. Excellent!

During one of the visits, after a particularly energetic and enthusiastic workshop, one of the pupils came up to chat to me afterwards. We talked a little about Louis Sachar, growing imaginations and how books get published and then he lifted a book from the table beside us and opened it to the dedication page. Biting his lip, he asked carefully, 'Who decides what name goes here?' I should point out that this young man had been the king of comedy during the workshop - always laughing and smiling, full of life, energy and questions - so his change of demeanour took me by surprise a little. 'The author,' I answered, fairly certain where the conversation was heading. 

I've never been more wrong about someone in my life. 

He nodded and sighed, glancing away for a moment, his face turning a little red, and then he looked me in the eye and said quietly, 'My friend is dying of cancer, please would you put his name on that page in your next book so that he knows I'm thinking of him.' 

Stunned, I asked him to write his friend's name down for me and told him that I'd think about it. He nodded, thanked me for a great workshop, wrote the name down and then left for his next class.

Consider me suitably humbled for judging that particular book by its cover.

Bailey - I haven't forgotten.

Cover Reveal - Demon's Blood by Ashley McCook

It's been almost a month since I posted here and this is why....

TA DA! Isn't it gorgeous?!

Demon's Blood, the last book in the Emily Trilogy will be out at the end of the month. YIPPEE!

Scattered Brain Seeks Clarity.

This week so far has been all about dealing with the day job, confirming bookings for World Book Week, finishing edits for book 3, getting feedback from book four's beta readers, uploading the edited file for book 3 to the designer and preparing for my son's birthday. Every time I have had the chance to write, something has managed to scupper the opportunity; the pen ran out of ink after three words, the pencils needed sharpening and I couldn't find a sharpener, the phone rang five minutes after I started writing, the washing/ironing/cleaning/insert own choice of diversion was calling to me from the room next door.

I'm not stupid: I know that these distractions are of my own making - I could find another pen, ransack the 'everything you don't use on a daily basis but shouldn't throw away is in here' drawer in the kitchen for sharpeners (there are probably about 100 hiding in there), unplug/switch off/silence the phone for an hour, remember that the housework will all still be there AFTER the words churning around in my head have been released onto a page.

So what's my issue? 

Answers on a postcard to the usual address.

#TBSU corner

http://davidccassidy.com/

http://peter-johnstone.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.timgreaton.blogspot.co.uk/

http://deborahjhughes.com/

http://www.britblaise.com/

http://elleamberley.co.uk/

http://brian-bigelow.blogspot.co.uk/

Seumas Gallacher, Strawbanorapples and Colin Farrell

Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for the one and only Sir Seumas Gallacher, Blogger of the Year, founder of #TBSU, writer of rather fabulous books and all-round decent bloke. Come on in and take a seat there, Sir Seumas. Don’t be shy – pour yourself a diluting orange and grab a custard cream. Atta boy.

Thank you so much for putting yourself in harm’s way (well, in the way of matron’s rather beefy arms and shiny needles) by sneaking out to visit – I’m mighty impressed by your ninja-like agility through the wwweb. You’ve obviously learned a thing or two from the hero of your novels, Mr Jack Calder (slight swoon). Ready to answer a few questions?

Let’s start with something simple…what’s your favourite fruit?

Strawbananorapples, buried under mountains of ice cream smothered in caramel sauce….

You can probably argue that you're still getting your 'five a day'. When and why did you begin writing?

This morning about 7.15a.m., coz I was up already…oh y’mean ‘way back?...I did a few school magazine articles which have not yet appeared at Sotheby’s…then some angst-riddled poetry in my teens…the novels only erupted four years ago, and I sincerely wish I’d been afflicted 40 years earlier…LUVIN’ IT…

Are the names of the characters in your novels important?

Yes, otherwise you wouldn’t know who was doing what…Oh, y’mean ‘significant’?..em…deep psychoanalysis would probably find some weirdly obscure reason for so many names starting with the letter ‘J’…(my own real first name is ‘James’)…

What was the hardest part of writing your books?

Keeping the pace right…my books are action driven…but I DO have to moderate the flow, almost like back-filling the narrative…giving the reader (and myself) a bit of a breather every now and again…I’ve also discovered the joy (I mean it) of line by line editing…now I’m starting to feel like a more mature proponent of the scribblers art…

The 'joy of editing'? Lovely. Each to his own! If Ridley Scott/ Peter Jackson/ Tony Scott decided to make a movie of your books, who would you want to play the role of Jack Calder?

If he could adapt to the Scottish, Govan accent, Jason Statham’s persona would fit…failing that, a toughened-up version of the excellent Ewan McGregor or Celtic Cousin, Colin Farrell…

Phoarr! Yea please!. I mean..er..jolly good show there, Sir. Excellent choices. Shall we move on? Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I get the occasional emails, which are usually generous in their praise of 'a good read'...that's all an author can hope for...I get loads more interaction for my blog, from which I derive enormous pleasure...locally in Abu Dhabi, I've done a lot of guest speaking spots with readers' groups and other associations, and I frequently meet people who've been at those...the feedback so far, thankfully, has been positive...(Thanks, Uncle Fred and Auntie Mabel).

Ah, bless their little cotton socks. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

There are other things to do?!?! Why wasn't I told? I demand a lawyer...

*Giggle* What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

I'm not convinced that sanity is necessarily a virtuous attribute for a writer...for most of us reality is a distant concept...I prefer my cocoon of craziness as it is...(the only downside if Matron and that bluddy syringe).

Sit down Sir Seumas, you're perfectly safe here. Take another sip of your orange squash. Another biscuit? Two more quick questions and you can get back to your cell...er...room before Matron even notices you've legged it. If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?

The Chinese character, Lee, in Steinbeck's 'East of Eden'. He's the cook and housekeeper to the Trask family...an educated man,he disguises his wisdom in pidgin English, but gives air to most of the philosophical themes in the book, one of my all time favourites.

Kilt-wearing action man AND philosopher, eh? Okay...last question. What's the best piece of writing advice that you've been given?

Take up Snooker...

And isn't it a good job that you didn't? A world without Jack Calder? Unthinkable! Wait...what's that awful noise? Matron calling your name? Dear Lord! Run man, run! Save yourself! Oh, and many thanks for the interview...hope to catch up with you again soo...oh, he's gone. Hang on, someone's banging on the door...Oh, hello there Sir, er...M'am. Seumas who? Nope, haven't seen him. Can I interest you in a custard cream? My, what a large needle you have. No, I'm not in need of medication.

AAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

Intrigued? Want to know more about MR. Gallacher and his books? (and why wouldn't you?) Then check out his rather fabulous BLOG or nip over to FACEBOOK or TWITTER (@seumasgallacher).

Want to dive into the wonderful world of Jack Calder? Or Seumas's collection of hilarious blog posts? I can highly recommend them.

 The Violin Man's Legacy,

 Vengeance Wears Black, 

The Blogger's Guide

STOP PRESS!!! My, aren't you visiting at the very BEST time. Vengeance Wears Black is FREE from today (24th January) until Sunday (28th January) so what are you waiting for - DOWNLOAD!!! (You know you want to...).

Thanks for stopping by. :-)