The Cottingley Secret by Hazel Gaynor

Hazel Gaynor's fourth novel is based around the amazing true story of Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths; young cousins in Cottingley Yorkshire who in 1917 claimed to have photographed fairies at the bottom of the garden. The girls take the photographs for their own amusement but nothing stays a secret in Cottingley for long and soon the whole village is talking. In the aftermath of war people need something to believe in and soon the girls and their photos and the Yorkshire fairies are the subject of newspaper and magazine articles and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sends them cameras to take more pictures, but what is the truth? Hazel Gaynor weaves this true story with the fictional tale of Olivia Kavanagh in 2017, who inherits her grandfather's bookshop in Howth. Olivia discovers a manuscript at the bookshop written by Frances which tells the truth of the Cottingley Secret. Olivia is captivated by the story and getting caught  up in the mystery means she can avoid having to make decisions about her future. She is due to be married in a few weeks time, her fiancee, her job and her life are all in London but the pull of the bookshop, her ailing grandmother, her childhood home in Howth and the mystery of her mother's death are all keeping her from moving forward. This is a beautifully written book, both strands of the story are utterly compelling. Hazel Gaynor is a fantastic storyteller. The Cottingley Secret will appeal to fans of Kate Quinn, Tracy Rees, Katherine Webb and Gill Paul.
This is one of my most anticipated books of the year and finally this Thursday September 7th it goes on sale in Ireland. Published by Harper Collins who kindly sent me a copy for review.

Madwoman in the Attic #7 Elizabeth Dorothea Cobbe

Elizabeth Lady Tuite was born in Dublin in 1764, the daughter of Colonel Thomas Cobbe and Lady Eliza Beresford. She married Sir Henry Tuite the 8th Baronet in November 1784. She was a poet and a writer for children. She was the great aunt of Frances Power Cobbe and was said to have been a great influence on her. Lady Tuite's husband died in 1805 and she spent much of the rest of her life living in Bath. Lady Tuite's poetry was considered to be in the romantic style. She was one of the set who attended the literary salon of Elizabeth Rawdon; Countess of Moira who was also a relative. Her poetry was included in an anthology "What Sappho would have Said " by Emma Donoghue. She died in 1850.
Further information can be found in A Dictionary of British and American Women Writers 1660-1800 by Janet Todd and The Cambridge Companion to women's Writing in the Romantic Period by Devoney Looser. 

The Last Lost Girl by Maria Hoey

This is a debut novel published by Poolbeg under their new Poolbeg Crimson imprint which offers 'Fiction with an edge'.  This is the story of Jacqueline Brennan. Set in two time periods; the long hot summer of 1976 when Jacqueline's sister Lily disappeared and years later when Jacqueline returns to her home at Blackberry Lane to look after her aging father. We learn that Jacqueline is the youngest child, the misfit, the loner. Lily was the beauty queen, while middle sister Gayle was the homemaker, the peacemaker. Jacqueline's family have never been able to shake off the sadness, the mystery surrounding the unexplained disappearance of Lily and one by one they had scattered, all except for her Dad who had remained in the family home, stagnant. When Jacqueline returns it as though time has stood still. In 1976 Jacqueline had tagged along after her older, glamorous sister, never quite accepted, a nuisance. Lily had been seeing a boy who worked at the carnival and he had been questioned by police but no-one was ever arrested and Lily's body was never found so Jacqueline has always harboured the hope that her sister simply ran away that she is out there somewhere, waiting to be found. An old postcard of an English seaside town gives Jacqueline a clue about where to start her search but Jacqueline learns as much about herself and her place in the world as she does about her missing sister. This is a beautifully written book about family, secrets and growing up. It's a thriller but it's also very much a family story. Excellent writing. I found it unputdownable.

Thanks very much to Poolbeg for a copy. The Last Lost Girl is out now in paperback. 

The Irish Women writing YA Fiction and Making it their own

I wrote a piece which Children's Books Ireland kindly featured on their website, on the fantastic Irish Women who are writing Young Adult fiction. And as Louise O'Neill moves to riverrun the new upmarket crime imprint of Quercus Publishing, I mused who might take her place on the awards and bestseller lists. There is certainly no shortage of talented women to add to your reading lists. This article has been shared quite a bit on facebook and twitter so I  am delighted if it spreads the word. You can see it at the link below.

http://childrensbooksireland.ie/features/21950

The Coroner's Daughter by Andrew Hughes

Andrew Hughes' second novel returns to the Dublin setting of his first but earlier in the century to the summer of 1816 when Northern Europe was engulfed in a wintry fog which perplexed scientists and caused much proclamation about the end of the world from religious fanatics. It was known as the year without a summer. The young lady of the title is Abigail Lawless, eighteen years old, a budding scientist full of curiosity and passion for learning. When a young nursemaid in the house of a neighbouring family apparently murders her newborn Abigail cannot help being intrigued about the young woman’s circumstances. She discovers a message from the young maid’s lover and is soon embroiled in an investigation into the fanatical religious sect known as The Brethren and their bitter rivals the rationalist Royal Astronomer Professor Reeves and his followers. Abigail is clever, defiant and resourceful. Her father has provided a thorough scientific education and while he is aware of her intelligence he is also aware of the restrictions society imposes on her, as a woman and there are a number of clashes between father and daughter. Andrew Hughes is a wonderfully talented author bringing Dublin and its surroundings to life with deft characterizations, detailed but never laboured descriptions and a plot which will have readers racing through the pages. An utterly transporting book. Highly recommended especially for fans of Sophia Tobin and Lloyd Shepherd.

Published in February 2017 by Doubleday in hardback 

This review originally appeared in Historical Novels Review Issue 79 Feb 2017

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-coroners-daughter/

Madwoman in the Attic #5 Marguerite Power, Countess of Blessington

Marguerite Power was born at Knockbrit, Clonmel, Co Tipperary in 1789. She was the daughter of Ellen Sheehy and Edmund Power who owned a small amount of land. According to her first biographer her father known as 'Buck' Power was a gambler and drinker and Maguerite had an unhappy childhood as the family were constantly in debt. Her father traded Marguerite in payment for gambling debts to Captain Maurice St Leger Farmer, so at 15 Marguerite went from unhappy child to unhappy bride. Her husband starved, beat and imprisoned his wife. The law at the time would offer her no protection and Marguerite's only option was to separate from her husband. When he was posted to India by the army she refused to go with him and instead  moved to London. She was immediately a cause for scandal as she was a 'separated woman' but still a teenager. However her good looks and sparking wit made her extremely popular as a society hostess. Marguerite began an affair with Charles John Gardiner, First Earl of Blessington while both of them were still married but his wife died in 1814 and Farmer died in debtor's prison in 1817 so the pair married in 1818. Blessington was a wealthy and indulgent husband and Marguerite was generous to a fault insisting on helping out a number of relatives in Ireland and England. In 1822 the Blessingtons set out on a Grand Tour. Marguerite was well known in literary circles and struck up a friendship with Byron at Genoa. She later wrote Conversations with Lord Byron. (1834) At Naples she met Irish writer Richard Robert Madden who later wrote her biography (1855). While they were travelling on the continent John invited the dashing Count D'Orsay who had been part of their London circle to join them. With all of them living together and indulging in a life of extravagance it was probably inevitable that D'Orsay and Marguerite began an affair but with a young and healthy husband Marguerite knew that it could be years before they could be together so she devised a plan. She persuaded her husband to arrange a match between his daughter Harriet from his first marriage to D'Orsay so that they could continue to spend time together without any gossip. Ironically just a few months after the marriage in 1829 Blessington suffered a sudden stroke and died  in Paris. He left Marguerite plenty of money, jewels and estates and she establishment her household back in London persuading D'Orsay and Harriet to live with her, after just three years though Harriet walked out exposing her husband and step mother to scandal. Typically D'Orsay was accepted quickly back into society but Marguerite was not. Marguerite turned to writing to support herself and her literary salons were revived. Her home Gore House is now the site of the Albert Hall and writers who visited her included Charles Dickens and Benjamin Disraeli. Marguerite wrote novels; The Repealers or Grace Cassidy (1834), The Governess (1839),  Strathern (1845), The Fatal Error (1847) and travel books The Idler in France (1839) The Idler in Italy (1841) as well as contributing to newspapers and periodicals, she was one of the first writers to have her work serialised in The Sunday Times. Astute in her own business dealings but not in her private life Marguerite and D'Orsay had to leave London to escape their creditors in 1849. Just a few weeks later Marguerite was dead, like her husband before her she suffered a massive stroke in Paris. She is buried at St Germain. 

Madwomen in the Attic #3 Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan)

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) was born on December 25th in Dublin in the early 1780s. She was always rather elusive about the exact year of her birth. Her father was actor-manager Robert Mac Owen who changed his name to Owenson. although he was Irish, Owenson spent much of his youth in London and so he met and married an English girl Jane Hill before the two travelled to Dublin to settle permanently. Robert Owenson set up a theatrical company in Dublin and Sydney and her sister Olivia spent a great deal of time there. Sydney was mostly educated at home with her sister, they lived on Dame Street in her early childhood but after her mother's death in 1789 her and her sister were sent to private schools around Dublin and then moved to Sligo were their father was working as an actor. There was some financial problems for the family and when Sydney was in her teens she had to accept work as a governess with the Featherstone family of Bracklyn Castle. Sydney blossomed at this point as she had an opportunity to show off her skills; she could sing, dance and play the harp. It was there that Sydney began to write. She published a volume of poetry and a collection of verses for Irish melodies in the early 1800s. She then decided to write a novel, she was an admirer of Fanny Burney and she published St Clair (1804) and The Novice of St Dominick (1806) with much success. It was her third novel however The Wild Irish Girl (1806)  which made her a household name. This book displayed Sydney's passion for Ireland and her patriotic fervour. She used her celebrity to extoll the virtues of Ireland's traditions and history. The Missionary; An Indian Tale followed and numbered Percy Bysshe Shelley amongst its admirers. She also wrote an opera and some proposals on Women's education. Sydney joined the household of John Hamilton 1st Marquess Abercorn and married the family's surgeon Sir Thomas Charles Morgan in 1812. O'Donnell (1814) is widely considered her best work and was praised by Sir Walter Scott. Books on France and Italy were praised by Byron for their authenticity but harshly reviewed elsewhere. Sydney was adept at capturing the ordinary life of the poor and she returned to examining Irish life with Absenteeism (1825) and The O'Briens and The O'Flahertys(1827).
Sydney was awarded a pension by Lord Melbourne for her services to literature, the first women ever to receive such an award. She again asserted her feminist views in Woman and her Master (1840). She began work on her memoirs with Geraldine Jewsbury but they were unfinished at her death in 1859. In 1839 the Morgan's moved to London and Sydney was buried in Brompton Cemetery.
A prolific writer, as well as novels, poetry and non fiction she produced numerous tracts and pamphlets.
A lively and entertaining member of numerous literary circles she was never afraid to poke fun and many of those who reviewed her harshly were caricatured in her fiction.
There is a bust of Sydney in The Victoria and Albert Museum and there is a plaque on Kildare Street in Dublin marking one of her homes.

Madwomen in the Attic #2 Regina Maria Roche

Regina Maria Roche (née Dalton) was born in Waterford in 1764 before the family moved to Dublin where she grew up. Little is known about her early life other than that she was the daughter of Captain Blundel Dalton and she is quoted as claiming that books were a passion from a young age and that she had begun to write stories as soon as she could hold a pen. Her first two novels were published in her twenties The Vicar of Landsdowne (1789) and The Maid of Hamlet (1793). Her marriage in 1794 to Ambrose Roche led to a move to England and although her previous books had had some success it was the next book that made her a household name. Children of the Abbey a Gothic Romance published in 1796 was an instant hit. The book went through several editions and was translated into French and Spanish. The book appeared at the height of the Gothic novel trend and Roche quickly followed up with Clermont (1798) a novel with a much darker tone and containing all the trappings we have come to associate with Gothic fiction; a mysterious Countess, an attack by ruffians, a gloomy crypt, a forced marriage. Another huge hit Clermont was one of the seven Gothic novels that the heroine of Northanger Abbey Catherine Morland is told to read by Isabella Thorpe. Another novel followed in 1800 The Nocturnal Visit  but after this the Roches suffered serious financial setback as they were cheated out of an inheritance in Ireland by a dishonest solicitor; an unfortunate mirror of events in Children of the Abbey in which siblings Amanda and Oscar Fitzalan are cheated out of their inheritance Dunreath Abbey by a scheming relative. Regina Maria Roche returned to Ireland in the 1820s after her husband's death. She wrote another eleven novels most of them were picturesque tales of the Irish countryside but none of them reached the heights of success of Clermont and Children of the Abbey. She died in 1845 at the age of 81 in relative obscurity but was remembered fondly in a number of obituaries.

Clemont and  Children of the Abbey are available from Valancourt Books.

http://www.valancourtbooks.com/clermont-1798.html

http://www.valancourtbooks.com/the-children-of-the-abbey-1796.html

Madwomen in the Attic #1 Frances Sheridan

Most of what we know about the early life of  Frances Sheridan (née Chamberlaine) comes from Memoirs of the Life and writings of Mrs Frances Sheridan which was written by her granddaughter Alicia LeFanu and published in 1824. Frances was born in Dublin in 1724, her mother died when she was a baby and she was raised by her father; an Anglican minister under a strict and repressive regime. Her father did not believe in educating girls, but luckily Frances had some liberal minded brothers who taught her Latin, Botany and Literature and by her mid teens Frances had begun writing fiction herself, 'Eugenia and Adelaide' was written on paper stolen from the housekeeper's account books. Frances also attended the theatre with her brothers and it was there that she met actor and manager of the Smock-Alley theatre Thomas Sheridan. They married in 1747. Soon she was writing plays of her own. Marriage to Thomas brought Frances into literary circles including Dr Johnson, Sarah Fielding and Samuel Richardson whom Frances greatly admired and they became good friends. Frances showed him the manuscript of 'Eugenia and Adelaide'  he encouraged her to seek publication and although it was rejected Frances continued to write. During the 1750s Frances gave birth to six children and grew increasingly frail while her husband's theatre suffered terrible financial blows and eventually failed,  they were left with an enormous debt and Thomas sought work in London, money was still incredibly tight and Frances hoped that Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph would help to support the family financially. Published in 1761 Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph was a huge success, praised by the critics and soon after it was translated into French and German. Frances followed the success of her novel with a play The Discovery staged at Drury Lane, starring her husband and David Garrick but financial problems dogged them and they fled their creditors settling in Blois in France were Frances wrote A Trip to Bath and Nourjahad the first of a planned series. The Sheridans were planning to return to Ireland  in 1766 when Frances became suddenly ill and died, aged just 42. The two completed novels were published posthumously the following year. Frances' son Richard Brinsley Sheridan became a celebrated playwright but a careful study of his work and his mother's will show that he was not only inspired by her but in some cases transposed ideas and characters unchanged from her work. There were other writers in the family; daughters Elizabeth and Alicia, granddaughter Alicia and of course great-grandson Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu the popular Victorian gothic novelist. Frances was both critically acclaimed and and a popular bestseller in her day and her books were a huge influence on the generation that followed; including Fanny Burney, Maria Edgeworth and Jane Austen but as fashions in fiction changed as the 19th Century approached her work fell into obscurity.



Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph is published by Oxford Classics.

Find out more about Frances and many other forgotten women writers in Mothers of the Novel by Dale Spender.

Picture credit National Library of Ireland

Kings of the Boyne by Nicola Pierce

Nicola Pierce's latest novel follows the story of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 through the eyes of a variety of characters. The book can be read as a stand alone tale or as a sequel to her previous book Behind the Walls which dealt with the siege of Derry in 1689, as two characters from Behind the Walls also feature in the new book; brothers Robert and Daniel Sherrard. Also featured in the book are a young cavalry man Gerald O'Connor, his Parisien friend Jacques, their companions Michael and Joseph and a County Down farmer Jean Watson as well as King James and King William and their various advisors. Through the winter and spring of 1690 we see the young friends camping out and travelling wherever they are sent by the leaders of their armies as the day of battle draws ever closer, we learn of their fears and worries as they talk and write letters home and we see how they are changed by army life as they are forced to make decisions they never thought they would have to make including taking horses and livestock from hungry families and turning their backs on loved ones.
Finally the day of battle approaches and we learn the fate of all the characters we have grown close to. Nicola Pierce is a fantastic storyteller and here she condenses a number of complicated political and military events and makes them brilliantly readable and enjoyable. Her gift for bringing characters to life through their dialogue, interactions and quirks is uncanny and in a fantastic scene with Jacques, his girl Nancy and our young hero Gerald the three youngsters visit a bookshop in Drogheda. Gerald is a great lover of books and determined to purchase a gift for his sister but short of money he fears he will have to leave his chosen book behind, his friends however insist on helping him out. It's a wonderful little aside which beautifully demonstrates the author's skill at building characters that readers cannot help but root for. However that said there are also scenes which depict the ordinary soldiers on the other side of the battle lines. Throughout the author remains completely impartial in her storytelling. Even when it comes to describing the blunders and misjudgement of the leaders the story unfolds without judgement. This book is published by O'Brien Press for children aged 9 and upwards but I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Irish and British history.
Thanks very much to O'Brien Press for sending me a copy to review.

For the love of Martha by Maria Murphy

Maria Murphy's debut novel is a romantic, atmospheric and haunting mystery. Set in two time periods; the book features two budding romances: Juliet a young photographer falls for handsome researcher Logan Pershaw when the two meet on holiday in Florence and in 1880 teenage governess to the Pershaw family; Martha White falls head over heels for the dashing new doctor. However although Martha is long dead her spirit does not rest easy and when Juliet visits Logan at his family home in County Monaghan she finds that not only is the house haunted but so is her young man. A search through the family archives reveals that for generations the Pershaw men have died young. Juliet must discover why Martha is haunting the Pershaw family if she is to have any hope of a future with Logan. This is a well written, fast paced and intriguing debut. If you enjoyed The Secrets of Armstrong House or Tyringham Park then you will love this book.

I am in Blood by Joe Murphy

I am in Blood is the third novel from Wexford born author Joe Murphy. This outing sees the author combine the psychological suspense of Dead Dogs and the historical fiction of 1798 Tomorrow the Barrow We'll Cross. I am in Blood proposes the fictional possibility that after his Whitechapel murders Jack the Ripper came to Dublin. The story is told through three narrative voices; Nathan Jacob a present day teenager coming to terms with his father's death, Sgt George Frohmell a member of the 1890s Dublin Metropolitan Police force and the killer himself.
The book opens with the brutal killing of Mary Shortt in Victorian Dublin's notorious red light district The Monto and as Frohmell investigates he starts to see similarities to the Whitechapel slayings. The narrative device is incredibly clever as we see Nathan map out and follow in the footsteps of George who is also attempting to map out and track the killer.
The book is an utterly compelling read and I simply couldn't put it down. Murphy's setting and his characters are wonderful depictions and his portrayal of Victorian Dublin's poverty, crime and politics are top notch. I particularly enjoyed the portrait of George the DMP Sergeant. Frohmell is sandwiched uncomfortably between the powers that be at Dublin Castle who consider him beneath their notice and are only interested in stamping out Fenian unrest and the ordinary masses of Dublin's teeming poor who spit at him and consider him a filthy peeler and an even filthier prod. Nonetheless George's dedication to his city and his people is absolute, topped only by his dedication to the woman he loves. I felt wrenched out of 1890s Dublin when the book ended and could happily have read another hundred pages about these characters. I think this is Joe Murphy's best work yet. If you are a fan of Kevin McCarthy's Peeler and Irregulars you will love this book and I am sure this book will see Joe Murphy gain many new fans.

Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

This is the first in a thrilling new series from a superbly talented new author and is my other top teen debut of the year. A modern day Romeo and Juliet set amongst the feuding criminal gangs of Chicago. this is a tale of love, power, death and revenge. The story would make an amazing movie with breathtaking action, characters that leap off the page and a love story that will just about break your heart. I cannot wait for the next book.
Sophie thinks the summer is going to be long, hot and deathly dull especially as she and her Mum are coping with her Dad being in prison and having a lot less money as well as being social pariahs, but then not one but five hot boys move into the old abandoned mansion next door. Then Sophie meets Nic Falcone and sparks fly and by the time they learn the truth about each other's family it's too late. Aah just go and buy it okay. 

Resonance by Celine Kiernan

Celine Kiernan is a writer I simply cannot recommend enough, I love her writing so much that I am struggling to write this review but here goes. Firstly this book combines gothic, historical, fantasy and horror in a way that is completely unique. Secondly the two settings; a gothic mansion in the Irish countryside and the narrow streets of inner city 1890s Dublin are brilliantly realised, Kiernan's use of dialogue and wonderful , rich, descriptive prose are a real treat. Thirdly Kiernan really knows how to create amazing, unique and interesting characters.

If that wasn't enough to get you racing off to the shops to buy this book perhaps the plot will hook you. The story focuses on two groups of friends; Tina a seamstress in a Dublin theatre, who works for the aging diva Ursula Lyndon, her suitor Joe who works several jobs trying to raise money for a future with Tina and Harry a young American magician who has arrived in Dublin looking for work (Actually a young Harry Houdini). The three friends along with Ms Lyndon soon catch the attention of Vincent and Cornelius who have arrived at the theatre to audition players to perform at their country house. In reality Vincent and Cornelius live at Fargeal Manor and have lived there for centuries with Raquel and her children and an assortment of retainers and villagers. They have clung to life and their youthful looks by feeding from the light of an "angel" locked beneath the manor house but they and the angel are growing weak and what the men seek are performers who will feed the angel and sustain them. Tina, Joe and Harry soon realise that something is not right and set out to release the angel but have no idea of the consequences.

This is a dark tale asking deep questions about the existence of God and the meaning of life and friendship. It will intrigue fans and new readers alike and is a must if you are a fan of Dracula or The Picture of Dorian Grey. With this book Kiernan has absolutely become the Queen of Irish Gothic Fiction. 

Friday Feature Author Martina Devlin

Martina Devlin is an Omagh-born author and journalist. Her eight books range from historical novels – The House Where It Happened and Ship of Dreams – to non-fiction including Banksters and The Hollow Heart. She writes a weekly current affairs column for the Irish Independent and has been named columnist of the year by the National Newspapers of Ireland. Short story awards include the Royal Society of Literature’s VS Pritchett Prize and a Hennessy Literary Award. Martina's latest book is The House Where it Happened published by Poolbeg's Ward River Press.
Her website is www.martinadevlin.com


Q&A with Martina Devlin


1. Do you plan the story first and then do the research or does reading and research spark ideas?
The research sparks ideas for me. I have a general idea of plot, themes, and so on, but I have to hunt for the characters and wait for them to flesh out.

2. Do you think historical fiction is enjoying a resurgence and why is that?
It never went away, for some of us fans of the genre. But yes it does seem to be having a moment. The past fascinates some readers because we can see where wrong turns were taken but are powerless to shout: Not that way, this way! The end result is already cast. Or is it because we like to replay what-ifs and wonder how they might have changed the course of history? Perhaps it’s nostalgia. Or that we learn while we read. There could be any number of reasons.

3. What draws you to writing about the past?
I’m a history buff. Researching these novels enthralls me. For some bizarre reason, I like to know how much a stamp cost in 1711, and whether or not a servant girl was allowed a half-day off a week.

4. Do you have a typical writing day?
Where possible, I try to write in the morning because my brain is less cluttered and I have more energy, consequently the work is better. It doesn’t always pan out that way, but that’s the ideal. I’ve been adopted by a tortoiseshell cat, who comes and lies in the sun near where I work, and I find her presence soothing. And she seems to find the click-click-click soothing, too. So it’s mutually beneficial, a useful combination.

5. What are you working on now?
Another novel, speculative fiction, in which the protagonist is an outsider trying to make sense of a strange world. I didn’t set out to write speculative fiction, I just wrote the story as it came to me – and was somewhat surprised, at the end of the first draft, to discover that’s what it was. Makes me sound like a hapless channel for stories, doesn’t it? I usually have a short story on the go, too.


Martina's Five Favourite Books

In no particular order, and I could change my mind about the list tomorrow:
1. Samuel Pepys’s diaries, which he kept between 1660 and 1669. He was so fascinated by life. So fascinated by himself. So fascinating to me, hundreds of years later. He blended the personal and the panoramic, and his diaries are a porthole into the social history of his era, the English Restoration.
2. Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor because he blends detective and historical fiction to produce a cracking read of Dickensian dimensions. His character Pius Mulvey is compelling. So, too, is his famine narrative.
3. I find myself returning to Seamus Heaney’s poetry: the vividness of the imagery, the strength of the narrative, the love underpinning the portraits of his family – peeling potatoes with his mother, “Never closer the whole rest of our lives”; watching his aunt make scones, “And here is love/Like a tinsmith’s scoop”; the pen pictures of his father in old age. The Economist compared his death to a great tree falling.
4. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – a revenge story, a love story, a sad story, a masterly story. And it’s set on the haunting Yorkshire Moors. What more could a reader ask for?
5. As a child I was entranced by the Anne of Green Gables series, about an orphan girl sent by mistake to a farm in rural Canada owned by a middle-aged brother and sister. I admired how LM Montgomery refreshed the orphan-made-good formula. However, I should point out that I may have had subjective bias because the heroine had red hair and so do I.


Martina's Top Five writing tips

1. Re-write, re-write, re-write. Cut and polish. No substitute for it.
2. Don’t wait for the muse to strike. Just do it. Start writing. Even if ‘writing’ is a euphemism for staring at a blank screen. Eventually the words will flow.
3. Ask yourself, how would I tell my story in one sentence? Have a clear idea what it’s about.
4. Know your characters inside out: their motivations, their speech patterns, their back story. Make them flawed – nobody is perfectly good or irredeemably bad.
5. Be selective about TV viewing – no need to give it up entirely but be conscious that it can suck you in for hours, so only switch on for specific programmes. Ditto with rummaging round on social media and the Internet. Those lost hours could be spent writing.

Launch of Last Kiss by Louise Philips

Last Night was the launch party for Louise Phillips' third novel, already an award winning crime author this book has been hugely anticipated and the turn out was enormous. Eason on the Green was packed and despite the intense heat Louise read the prologue aloud and it was chilling stuff. I cannot wait to read the book. Louise is a wonderful warm and modest person. I first met her when she visited my book club for an author evening at Bleach House Library http://bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie/2013/09/author-night-at-bleach-house-library.html

The launch was a huge success and featured gorgeous Last Kiss cupcakes

I also met lots of lovely authors and book peeps.

Here is (l-r) Clodagh Murphy, Carmel Harrington, Jennifer Burke, Hazel Gaynor and Caroline Finnerty.

and here is Margaret Madden, Maria Duffy, Bob Johnston and Arlene Hunt.

and finally looking splendid in red is Louise herself, signing my copy of the book.

The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor

I have mentioned Hazel Gaynor quite a lot on my blog, so it's about time I reviewed her book, don't you think? Firstly a little history, I first heard of Hazel when I saw her interviewed on TV3 about her parenting blog. I also followed her writing posts on writing.ie and I was delighted when she announced that she had a book deal and her novel would be published in April this year. I was determined to go along to the launch and a few weeks before hand when I was in New York with my brother I saw The Girl Who Came Home on a table in Barnes & Noble so I couldn't resist it. I made it to the launch details HERE and I also interviewed Hazel HERE and finally I invited Hazel and her good friend Carmel Harrington to do a signing event at Waterstones Drogheda before spending the evening with Hazel at my blogging friend Margaret's house details HERE 

The Girl Who Came Home is a novel about the Titanic and that was enough to get me interested but it was even more enticing as it is based on some real people who traveled on the famous liner. The Addergoole Fourteen were a real group of friends, family and neighbours from County Mayo who were travelling to make a new life in America, all but three of them died. The story of this tragic group inspired Hazel's fictional account she has changed names and amalgamated some of the people to create composite characters. The writing is wonderful and I loved Hazel's portrayal of the life in steerage class and for the crew, as this the side of Titanic we don't usually see. The story also revolves around Grace Butler a journalism student forced to drop out of college, but when her great grandmother decides to finally tell her Titanic story Grace has the chance for the story that will help get her career back on track. I loved this book. It's a perfect book club read and I would recommend it to anyone with it an interest in Titanic or in the history of Irish emigration. Perfect if you are a fan of Katherine Webb, Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley and Kate Kerrigan. 

(I was delighted to learn that my sister in law and her Mum both recently read this book and loved it.)

The Lost Garden by Kate Kerrigan

The Lost Garden is the tale of Aileen Doherty who travels away from her beloved island of Ilaunmor for the first time to spend a summer in Scotland potato picking with her father and brothers. Onthe way she meets another migrant worker Jimmy Walsh who charms her with his quick wit and friendly way. In Scotland the pair quickly fall in love as they work together. However any dreams of happiness are cut short by a tragic accident and Aileen returns home feeling lost and lonely. Aileen begins to work on an overgrown garden on the island that had been part of the "Big House" and in bringing life to the plants and flowers she finds hope and redemption, but can she ever find love again?

I won't spoil the ending for you as this is a wonderful story that will have you enchanted from page one. Based on real events which you can read about in an author's note at the end. Kate Kerrigan also known as Morag Prunty is the author of a number of bestselling novels including New York Times Bestseller Ellis Island. I love historical fiction which takes a few historical facts and builds on them and this is beautifully done; a lovely portrait of a time, a place and a people. Perfect for fans of Hazel Gaynor, Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton. I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

Interview with Nuala Ní Chonchuír

Unlike with the majority of the interviews I do I was able to meet Nuala and chat in person. Any errors of fact or otherwise are entirely mine. 

Q1

Who are the biggest influences on your writing? 

Edna O'Brien, Flannery O'Connor and Anne Enright, they all write about women's experiences in an honest and brave way and they are not afraid of the colloquial. 

Q2

Have you always wanted to write?

I wrote poetry as a child and came second in a national competition at the age of nine for a poem I wrote at school.  

Q3

Your five favourite novels?

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Silk by Alessandro Baricco, The Country Girls by Edna O'Brien and Good Country People by Flannery O'Connor

Q4

Favourite Book/Author as a teenager?

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, The Classics; Somerset Maugham, DH Lawrence, 

Q5

Your writing advice to new writers?

Read alot, write alot, don't worry about what others are doing, take your time, find your own voice, remember to take time out for yourself and your family. Walk, think and just do it, don't put it off. Forget about money.  You'll learn more by finishing one story than by starting ten. 

Q6

Any strange writing rituals?

No rituals but as I get older I need more quiet. 

Q7

Do you think all Irish writers are haunted by our past or is that beginning to change?

Yes there is a generational difference I think writers over forty are still dealing with issues of guilt, the church, rebellion but the younger writers now focus on different things; emmigration, drugs, urban life. 

Q8

Can creative writing be taught? Is there any need for Creative Writing MAs?

An MA will give you discipline and good teachers who will guide your writing and help you make connections and I think that's very important for example meeting agents and publishers, that's harder to do if you are outside those circles. However I  think more experimental writers eschew the MA route. 

Q10

Do you think the future is bright for Irish publishing?

I think there are a number of dedicated, small literary publishers who will publish the best work they find but there is very little money in it.

Q11

What next? Tell me about the next book about Emily Dickinson's maid and the new book deal (if you can?)

I read about Emily Dickinson and have been interested in her for a long time. I knew that she loved to bake and that she had an Irish maid and there was a gap in the records that are available and I created a fictional Irish maid and fitted her in there. It will be published by Penguin USA in 2015. 

Q12

What is the one essential writing guide you would recommend?

Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King 

Thanks Nuala for being such a charming and interesting interviewee. Nuala's newest book is The Closet of Savage Mementoes which I reviewed earlier this year. 

Here is my Review originally published on June 1st this year.

I love to read new Irish fiction especially from women writers. I had been aware of Nuala for a while, had read interviews with her but hadn't read any of her work so I was intrigued when I learned this novel (her second) was on the way. The premise sounded very interesting a young Dublin woman Lillis escapes her grief at the death of her boyfriend and the difficult relationship with her alcoholic mother by taking a job as a waitress in the Scottish highlands. She falls for her much older boss and feels that her future is secure until a terrible betrayal brings her to crisis and she has to make a momentous decision. I was intrigued too to learn that this story was based on Nuala's personal experiences. To say that I loved this book would be a huge understatement. I felt the characters breathe out of the page, the writing is stark, sensual and intense, Nuala is a force to be reckoned with, her writing is poetic, sharp, spare and utterly beautiful. The character of Lillis is a brave and raw portrait of womanhood in all its states; daughter, wife, mother and lover and the portrait of her relationship with her mother Verity is a study in claustrophobia. In just under 200 pages I discovered a story and a group of characters so real and haunting I would not be surprised to meet them in the street. This book is so good I wish I had written it myself. 

Interview with YA author Caroline Healy

Caroline Healy is an award winning writer of literary and Young Adult Fiction her new book Blood Entwines is published by Bloomsbury as part of the Spark Imprint this August. Blood Entwines is the story of Kara Bailey who receives a blood transfusion after an accident and finds that her senses are heightened and she has a new found strength. At school she is drawn to a dark stranger and it seems that they are connected through the blood they share. You can find out more about Caroline at her website Caroline Healy. Caroline kindly consented to answer some questions about her reading and writing life.

1. Your favourite childhood books/authors and why?

I don't have a favourite children's book but I do have fond memories of my mum reading stories to me at bedtime and it was magical. I was an avid reader and used the local library religiously. Over summer holidays I would max out my card. I read everything in the children's section and I remember the first book I borrowed from the teen section. I borrowed a copy of Little Women,devouring stories Jo and all her sisters. It was my first reading experience of bigger issues, characters with flaws, put into real life situations...contemporary y.a. Fiction (well kinda contemporary). From this point onwards I was hooked! 

2. What did you read as a teenager how influential were your teachers/parents/authors you read?

My mum read to me every night as a child. She drove me to the library and waited patiently as I pored over every book. She was very supportive. When I went to secondary school my English teacher introduced me to Tolkien and The Hobbit. She also put the classics on the syllabus.  It was here that my love of English literature took root. I read everything as a teenager and when I went to University College Cork I studied English, linguistics, American literature, screenwriting, women's fiction, science fiction, I studied and read whatever I could get my hands on. It was fantastic. 

3. Have you always wanted to write? 

No. I always wanted to read. I wanted to read every story, explore every world on the pages of books. I've always dabbled in writing. I've kept a journal since I was young, I started a few projects on summer holidays from school but nothing ever got finished. Then I started to work in the arts, dance projects, creative collaborations with different disciplines, visual arts, music, photography and this sparked my own artistic practice. I got an idea one day and almost as a personal challenge I wanted to see if I could do it. The first draft of Blood Entwines came about but it was a disaster. So I went back to college to get a proper grounding, to learn about writing and the craft itself. 

4. When did you decide to sit down and take writing seriously?

 After I finished the first draft of Blood Entwines, I realised I had a full draft -  that I had written a complete book...I mean it was a disaster, so full of plot holes and inaccuracies. I had no idea what to do next but I knew that i wanted to keep going. I knew that I had finally found something that I loved doing. I've have had a number of jobs and never felt at home...this, to me, was like coming home. 

5. What did you study at University and what new influences did you discover?

I studied English literature and archaeology at university. I read Dion Bouccicoult and Isaac Asimov, Beowulf and Virginia Woolfe, Joyce, Irvine Walsh, Edna OBrien, Frederick Douglas and Walt Whitman ...It was like a literary awakening, a full blown assault on my senses, and it was great. 

6. How much is your writing informed by your own teenage years?

 Not much really. I work with teenagers in my job so I think that my writing is influenced most by that. I remember the strength of emotions from my teenage years so sometimes for my writing I draw on these. I read a lot of y.a. books now so I think I mix my imagination, my reading, my memories and my first hand experience working with young people to influence my work.

7. What writing advice would you give to an aspiring writer now?

Don't give up. Join a writing group. Read read read! 

8. What are the last three great books you read? 

Eleanor and Park, Wonder, Game of Thrones. 

9. If you could only read one author for the rest of your life, who would you choose? 

That is a really difficult question...I think it would be Austen. She is so great at character and commentary. She is witty and smart and a feminist, even though she wrote in the 19th century. 

10. What are you working on now?

I've just finished the next book in the series and I'm in the planning stage of a new contemporary Y.A. book which I am very excited about. 

11. Do you have a typical writing day? and any habits or quirks (such as a special pen or a room of your own?)

I write in some big bursts...I plan and sketch out, think about my characters then when I feel the I feel the pressure of the book, like I can't think of it anymore I physically have to write it out...I begin...I sit every day for a couple of hours a day and I will write, every day, till the first draft is finished. Then I can't look at the project for a week or so. When I recover from the marathon of writing I get into the editing zone and edit and edit and edit till its done. Then I don't write anything for a few months. But I read all the time. If I'm writing contemporary or children's or adults I will not read that genre while I write I case the voice or style of the book leaks over into mine. So if I'm writing  Y.A.  contemporary I will read classics or high fantasy or crime thriller. Helps keep the two things separate.

12. Do you plan very carefully or just fly by the seat of your pants?

Depends on the project. I rough plan content for chapters, major points in the story then I go from there. It's exciting to see what your characters will do.