December Girl By Nicola Cassidy #BlogTour

I am delighted to be taking part in the Blog Tour for Nicola Cassidy's debut novel December Girl. This is a gritty historical tale of family, heartbreak and secrets set in Ireland and London. The author was inspired by The Boyne Valley area where she grew up and where she still lives. This is an area rich in history and elements of the novel are inspired by real locations and events. The heroine of the novel is Molly Thomas a smart and independent young woman who's life is changed forever when her family is evicted from their home. The loss of her home, her father and her way of life hits Molly hard and following a shocking betrayal she travels to London to start again, but thrust into London's dark underbelly she faces heartbreak once again as her baby boy is snatched from his pram.
The hero of the tale is Henry Brabazon; the landlord's son. Henry and Molly move in different circles, but Henry does not want to to emulate his entitled, spendthrift father; he too faces crisis and must make hard choices, but in Molly he sees a bright and feisty character, someone who could perhaps be a friend. A graceful blend of timelines, mysteries and fine storytelling, December Girl seamlessly straddles the territory between saga and historical mystery, making this a perfect choice for fans of historical fiction and mysteries alike.
I was lucky enough to be a beta reader for this novel while Nicola was writing it and to see and read it in it's finished form is a real thrill. I loved the story from the beginning and in particular the two main characters; each on their separate and difficult journeys as their paths cross again and again. Nicola is an assured and talented writer and I'm delighted to have watched her journey to publication.

You can download the book from Amazon for only 99p right now. December Girl

December Girl is published by Bombshell Books and the Blog Tour continues details below.

Nicola Cassidy blogs at http://ladynicci.com/

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

The Book of Learning by ER Murray

The Book of Learning is the first book in the Nine Lives Trilogy and was published by Mercier last September. It tells the story of a twelve year old girl called Ebony Smart who lives with her grandpa in West Cork. However as the book opens Ebony’s grandpa has just died and she is devastated. While she longs to stay in the only home she has known she is whisked away by a strange character called Judge Ambrose who informs her that she has an aunt in Dublin who will be looking after her from now on. Ebony is less than pleased at this turn of events, in fact she is having what can only be described as the worst birthday ever. Luckily it turns out that Aunt Ruby is a brilliantly fun character and even better she and Ebony are part of an ancient order of people with special powers. Unfortunately someone is trying to kill off members of the order and it’s up to Ebony to stop them. This is a smart, funny adventurous story with a tough and resourceful heroine at its heart. This book is perfect for fans of Derek Landy and Shane Hegarty and I would also recommend it to fans of Ruth Long’s Young Adult fantasy series as it features some great adventures around Dublin city’s landmarks. The writing is absolutely brilliant and it is a wonderful book to read aloud as I discovered when I promised to read my daughter just a couple of pages and couldn’t resist devouring several chapters. It has a great opening line ‘The thick, black night hangs heavy with murder.’ E. R. Murray’s next book is a Young Adult novel called Caramel Hearts in April and the next instalment in the Nine Lives Trilogy is due in August. It is no surprise to hear that The Book of Learning has been chosen as 2016 Citywide Reading for Children Campaign by Dublin City of Literature, as it is a stonking good read.  The Campaign runs until the end of March and the book is available in all Dublin City Libraries and in all good bookshops. Find out more here

Author Feature Nuala O'Connor

Nuala Ní Chonchúir was born in Dublin in 1970; she lives in East Galway. Her second novel The Closet of Savage Mementos appeared April 2014 from New Island. Nuala’s third novel, Miss Emily, about the poet Emily Dickinson and her Irish maid, will be published by Penguin in the US and Canada this July and Sandstone Press will publish the UK and Ireland edition in August. www.nualanichonchuir.com

 

My 5 favourite books are:

1.      Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

2.      Jane Eyre – Charlotte Brontë

3.      Silk – Alessandro Baricco

4.      A Pagan Place – Edna O’Brien

5.      The Poems of Emily Dickinson – ed. Franklin

My top 5 writing tips are:

1.      Read widely – like a maniac

2.      Write every day (or at least five days a week), even if you don’t want to

3.      Don’t focus on other writers’ methods/output etc. – find your own groove and get on with it

4.      Learn to be your own best editor

5.      Buy books, subscribe to literary magazines, know your industry

Do you plan the story first and then do the research or does reading and research spark ideas?

I start out with a character or two (sometimes real, sometimes imagined, sometimes a mixture of both). I research in tandem with the writing. Which makes the first part of writing a historical novel very slow for me because I am constantly breaking away to research details like food or clothing or whatever. But there’s a buzz to research – I absolutely love it. I love uncovering juicy, interesting details that I can weave into my fiction.

Do you think historical fiction is enjoying a resurgence and why is that?

Maybe people are more open to it now? Did Hilary Mantel open a floodgate when she won the Man Booker the first time? Nobody cared much when she wrote about an Irish giant…I’ve always loved and read hist fic but maybe with the success of ‘Downton Abbey’ on TV people want to sink themselves into a cosy past, where things were more genteel and (rich) people had more time. We’re naturally nostalgic perhaps and that feeds into it.

What draws you to writing about the past?

It’s the use of imagination – there is total invention in the way the characters’ use language and, as language is key for me, that gives me a lot of scope for enjoyment as I write.

I love exploring women’s lives too – life has changed for women and it is interesting to me to look back and see how women coped. I like to bring women to the fore – men dominate the historical record.

As I say, I also adore research. I don’t like hist fic that is overloaded with facts and flavour, but a hint of how things were, a good historical atmosphere, draws me in as both reader and writer.

Do you have a typical writing day?

Yes, I write from 9am to 12pm, while the kids are at college and school. Soon to be stretched out to 2.30pm – yahoo!

What are you working on now or planning for after Miss Emily?

I will have a heavy PR round with Miss Emily so I am working towards prepping for that.

I have made a tentative start on novel #4. It’s set in the nineteenth century between London and Ireland and that is all I’m saying about it!

The House Where It Happened by Martina Devlin

This book has become one of my all time favourites because it's fantastically well written and a wonderful page turner but it also includes many of my favourite elements; witches, mystery, ghosts, history it's all here. It's set in 1711 and based on the real events surrounding Ireland's only mass witch trial. Just as the belief in witchcraft is beginning to fade, in a quiet corner of Ulster where superstitions and fear took root easily a young woman, a newcomer but a member of a respected local family begins to accuse one woman after another of torturing her through the power of witchcraft.
The author has fictionalised the events though the narrative remains essentially true to the actual accounts of the incident. The story is narrated by Ellen the 18 year old maid at Knowehead House where Mary Dunbar was a guest when she began to make her claims of being attacked by witches. As the community begins to fall under Mary's spell, Ellen is not entirely convinced however she cannot ignore the strange and brooding atmosphere at Knowehead and she is certain that the house is haunted. This is the story of two very different young women; one pampered and indulged, the other hard working and forced to grow up quickly. It's a story of class politics, religious fervour and how the echo of past wrong can reverberate through a community. Whether like me you are interested in the history of witchcraft or you simply enjoy a rattling good yarn then I highly recommend this book. The writing is wonderful, following the Ulster Scots dialect gives it an authenticity but it is not difficult to read. Placing Ellen at the centre of the story is a genius move as it means like her we watch the entire drama unfold. One of the best books of 2014.

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. 

Ian Somers Gift Trilogy Guest Review from Jacq Murphy

I was a bit nervous when Lisa offered me the opportunity to do a guest post but once I saw that she needed someone to review the Ross Bentley books by Ian Somers I was delighted. O'Brien Press have produced some stunning books for the teen market over the last few years and this series did not disappoint. Ian Somers has stated that although he has enough ideas for 5 or 6 books, as of now he is finishing up the series with the 3rd installment. We can only hope he returns to the series in a few years!


Million Dollar Gift is where we first meet our protagonist. Ross Bentley has lived in the town of Maybrook (also know as “Dullsbrook”) for his entire life without much to show for it. He has one friend, Gemma, a crappy job in the local supermarket and a strained relationship with his father. The highlight of his day is when he makes his anonymous skateboarding videos for YouTube. But Ross has been hiding a secret since his mother's death and is finally ready to share.

Ross reveals his psychokenesis to Gemma and his dad, who take it pretty well. When Gemma tells Ross about a competion called The Million Dollar Gift, which offers a $1,000,000 prize to the person who can prove to possess a supernatural ability he leaps at the chance to get away from his dull Dublin suburb and relieve the financial pressures that his family is under.

Once in London, Ross faces numerous tests of his abilities and is contacted by a mysterious stranger, who warns him that the competition is not as it seems. Golding Scientific, the company running the competition, is searching for someone with psychokenesis to work for them as a replacement for an unstable employee. Ross slowly realises that he has stumbled into a world he knows nothing about and finds his whole life turned upside down as his identity and powers are revealed to the world.

Somers has written a fast-paced and interesting tale, which combines a strong main character with an intriguing premise. The first book in this series offers just enough information to build on in later books, while providing a compelling first look into the world that Ross Bentley has entered.

The Hidden Gift is the second book in the series and much more expansive than its predeccessor. Ian Somers uses this additional space to flesh out the world of 'gifteds' and provide a rich back story to the various factions which exist in this world.

Picking up shortly after the events of the previous book, Ross is now in exile, hiding from the public and his enemies, in a remote farmhouse with the disgruntled Guild member Hunter. As Ross begins to tire of training and itches to learn more about the Guild, he suddenly has the chance to accompany Hunter on a mission to track down a child prophet. The search takes a dark turn when they discover a trail of bodies and come face to face with a wayward member of the Guild, sparking a series of disturbing events which eventually lead right back to his enemies at Golding Scientific.

The Hidden Gift puts Bentley through the ringer as he comes face to face with what being a Guild member really means, the horrors that can be unleashed when the wrong person has gifts, and what lengths Ross himself is willing to go to. I really enjoyed this installment, even more so than the first book which is unusual for me!

The third book in the series, The Secret Gift, was released last year. Picking up one year after the events of the previous book Ross and Cathy have been living in self-imposed exile on the west coast of Ireland. Ross has changed considerably from the young boy whose days were spent stacking shelves and skating. He is haunted by his experiences and his relationship with Cathy is suffering. When she takes off on a trip, Hunter reappears and convinces Ross to rejoin him for one last mission. Ross is dragged into an escalating war between gifted individuals, culminating in the reveal of a secret which challenges everything he thought he knew about the Guild.

The Secret Gift provides a satisfying ending to many of the questions raised in previous installments while also leaving plenty of room for future adventures (or food for fanfic!).

I genuinely enjoyed the Ross Bentley series and while it deals with some heavy topics, I'd be happy to recommend it to younger teens with a thirst for adventure.

Thanks so much Jacq.

Jacq Murphy is a blogger, reviewer and a children, teens and YA bookseller for Eason Ireland.

Here is a link to O'Brien Press where you find out more about the books and the author. http://www.obrien.ie/results.html?keyword=ian+somers

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.

A Crack in Everything by Ruth Frances Long

I was very excited when I heard that Ruth was publishing a YA Fantasy title with O'Brien Press and not just one book but a trilogy. I loved Ruth's previous YA book The Treachery of Beautiful Things which was based on English folktale and myth and this book does not disappoint as it too blends myth and fantasy. This time it is the Sídhe who take centre stage and Angels are also a major force as the front cover hints (just a little). I have been reading this book on holidays and tweeted Ruth a picture of my daughter sneaking a peek on Dublin bus. I had the book in (and out of ) my bag as I travelled all over Dublin on my holidays which was cool as the book is set in Dublin and Dubh Linn the Sídhe city which overlaps and intertwines our own. Somehow Izzy finds herself on an ordinary summer afternoon in Dublin pushed into the Sídhe world and rescued by a silver studded and incredibly attractive Cu Sídhe called Jinx. When Izzy realises that she's been followed home by strange creeping shadows and that she has a strange mark on her neck she knows that something is not right so she turns to Jinx for answers. However instead of answers she ends up dragging her friends into the Sídhe world and all kinds of mythical creatures chasing after her. As the truth of what the mark on her neck means is revealed Izzy and Jinx find themselves in a race across Dublin and Dubh Linn and against time and although they should be mortal enemies it seems life and love have other plans. This is a smart, modern and entertaining read which will appeal to Fantasy fans young and old. Perfect for fans of Celine Kiernan, Katherine Farmar, Kate Thompson and Orla Melling. I can't wait for the next installment. Thanks to Geraldine at O'Brien for a review copy. This book is published on 1st September and will be launched at the Gutter Bookshop on 4th September.

Last Kiss by Louise Phillips

Last Kiss is the third crime thriller from award winning Irish writer Louise Phillips. I met Louise last year when she came to talk to my book club about her first two books. I really enjoyed both of Louise's previous books but this third one is even better and proves that she is absolutely at the top of her game. Last Kiss like the previous novels is told from multiple view points including the killer which is unusual but doesn't in any way detract from the mystery and the desire to read on. Louise's stories are whydunnits not whodunnits because it is the psychological aspect that interests her and the main protaganist is psychologist Dr Kate Pearson. While this book is the third in a series and I recommend you read the rest of the series in order to understand Kate and the police officers that she interacts with, you could read this book without having read the previous two. In this novel Kate is coming to terms with the disintegration of her marriage, feeling guilty about spending time away from her son and of course getting far too involved with the case she is investigating. The book begins a chilling prologue of a young woman in labour and utterly alone in a forest in rural Ireland. The narrative does not hide the fact that the killer is a woman but we read on because her story is so compelling and heartbreaking. Cassie is a disturbed young woman who uses her sexuality to lure her victims to their death but why does she kill? Travelling from Dublin to Paris and Rome this is a page turning, gut wrenching thriller which will  undoubtedly earn Louise further accolades and hordes of new fans. This book will appeal to fans of Sophie Hannah, Arlene Hunt, Erin Kelly and Claire McGowan.

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.