How long does it take to write a novel?? Blogtour bus still has plenty in the tank!

Today the blogtour bus arrives with the lovely Niamh Boyce. Niamh won the overall Hennessy Award this year. Her debut novel 'The Herbalist' will be out with Penguin in 2013, and besides both of these very important facts, Niamh is also an amazing friend!!

 

 

But before I hand you over to Niamh, two other interesting facts - firstly, after the most successful launch in the 26 year history of Hughes & Hughes books, there is a very good chance that RED RIBBONS, might get into the top ten in the Irish Book Charts - which would be amazing for a debut novel!  So if you're near a bookshop today or tomorrow, and you pick up a copy of RED RIBBONS, every book will help make this a reality:)

 

Secondly, just for fun, I'm asking people to send me in interesting pictures with Red Ribbons in it. I'll put a couple below, so you get the general idea!!! You can send them via twitter, facebook or email to phillips.louisem0@gmail.com The winner will get a very NOVEL prize!!!

 

So now, I'll hand you over to Niamh, who has some very interesting questions up her sleeve.... read all about it HERE

 

 

NIAMH BOYCE, was awarded the Hennessy XO New Irish Writer of the Year 2012 for her poem Kitty. Her fiction has been shortlisted for the Francis McManus Short Story competition 2011, the Hennessy Literary Awards 2010 and the Molly Keane Award 2010.

Her novel ‘The Herbalist’ will be published by Penguin in 2013. She blogs at http://niamhboyce.blogspot.com.

Visit Niamh at http://niamhboyce.blogspot.com And on twitter @niamhboyce

 

The RED RIBBONS blog tour bus keeps on rolling!

On the day that HUGHES & HUGHES booksellers announce that the launch of RED RIBBONS was the most successful launch in their 26 YEAR history, the amazing musician and writer DEREK FLYNN drives the RED RIBBONS blog tour bus, and you can find out all about it HERE

DEREK FLYNN, is an Irish writer and musician, with a First Class Honours degree in English Literature. He’s been published in a number of publications, including The Irish Times, and was First Runner-Up in the 2011 J. G. Farrell Award for Best Novel-In-Progress. He released his debut album, “Do You Dream At All?” earlier this year.

His writing/music blog – ‘Rant, with Occasional Music’ – can be found here: http://derekflynn.wordpress.com and on Twitter, he can be found here: http://twitter.com/#!/derekf03

Killer Pics Behind the Scenes of a Killer Launch Day!!!

Picture by Peadar O'Donoghue - Deadly Duck Photography

 

What a DAY - What a NIGHT!!!!!

 

Catch it all HERE

 

While there, check out Triona's (Aka - Domestic Oub) blog - plenty to add delight to your visit!!!

 

TRIONA WALSH, is a writer of short stories and poetry (and a couple of novels that live in her desk drawer.) Her writing has appeared in a number of journals and anthologies - Poetry Bus 1 & 3, Petals on a Bough anthology, Caught in Amber anthology, Kay's Book anthology, Flavours of Home, Petals on a Bough, South of the County - New Myths and Tales.

And she has been lucky enough to have had some success in competition, in particular - Winner in the NWA Awards 2008, Winner of the Jonathan Swift Award 2008, Short listed Jonathan Swift 2009 Shortlisted Kay McDonnell Short Story competition 2009, Shortlisted Malahide Library Centenary Short Story competition 2010. Her ambition is to write the next great Irish novel, but she'll settle for just getting out of the slush pile.

Visit Triona at http://trionawalsh.blogspot.ie/ And on Twitter @DomesticOub

 

 

Straight to Business

It's time to go all Various over at Various Cushions, the brilliant site of the fab writer Niamh Bagnell!!!

 

On Launch Day of the RED RIBBONS blog tour, this very talented lady hits yours truly with some cool questions about special moments in the journey of writing RED RIBBONS  -

 

BTWAnyone living in Dublin I'll see you this evening for a great night (5th Sept) from 6.30 at Hughes & Hughes, St Stephen's Green Shopping Centre with lots and lots of RED RIBBONS and vino!!!

 

But before that, check out HERE

 

 

 

NIAMH BAGNELL, ran a 4-page newspaper for a few months in 1985: it cost 20p per issue and was a big hit with the neighbours. Her long-awaited return to writing came in mid-2007, when she joined Lucan Writers Group (meeting, among other talented people, the lovely Louise Phillips). Published in several poetry magazines, and the Stinging Fly.

She hosted a writing based radio show on Liffey Sound for 1.5 years before giving it all up to move away to hide in the wilderness... Her blog is variouscushions.blogspot.com which she updates when baby, work, and other circumstances allow...

Visit Niamh at http://variouscushions.blogspot.ie And on Twitter @variouscushions

 

Word Association - RED RIBBONS & The Subconcsious Mind!

Right, it's time to reveal some SECRETS - or at least words drawn from my subconcsious mind!

In this very interesting Word Play Game with Valerie Sirr on Day 7 of the RED RIBBONS Blog Tour, even I got some surprises:)

I tried to write the words down as quickly as I could, before my concsious mind got in the way. Some interesting answers, and it's also a really clever and fun way to get instinctive reactions.

So go have a visit HERE, and test the Word Association game out for yourself on any subject.

 

 You too might get some surprises!!!

While visiting Val's site - have a good look around. This is one very talented lady, and there is plenty to read if you're interested in the writing world!!!

 

So you've been told - Go get reading!

 

 

 

 

 

VALERIE SIRR, has had short fiction and flash fiction widely published (Ireland, UK, US, Australia and Asia). Some poems are forthcoming in anthologies from Revival Press, Ireland. Awards include 2007 Hennessy New Irish Writer Award, two Arts Council of Ireland bursaries and other national and international literature prizes, most recently a flash fiction award (2011) from The New Writer Magazine (UK), judged by Catherine Smith, British poet and writer. Valerie’s flash fiction appears on the National Flash Fiction Day 2012(UK) website.

She holds an M. Phil in Creative Writing from Trinity College,Dublin. She teaches creative writing, and she hopes to find a publisher for her flash and story collections soon and is working on a novel.

Visit Valerie at http://www.valeriesirr.wordpress.com/ And on Twitter@ValerieSirr

A Killer Website with Alison Wells!!

Due to technical difficulties yesterday and today, I couldn't get this blog post up before NOW!!!

It's yet another great day in the RED RIBBONS blog tour and the amazing Alison Wells dug deep to find out tons of stuff about the creation of the new website www.louise-phillip.com


With lots of great pics and screen shots, I hand you over to Alison:)  HERE

While you're there, have a good look around this talented writer's site. Here's a little about Alison:-

ALISON WELLS, is a writer of flash fiction, short stories and novels, and mother of four from Bray, Co. Wicklow. She has worked as a technical writer and has degrees in Psychology and Communication Studies. Her short fiction has appeared in the Sunday Tribune, Crannóg, The View from Here, Metazen and in many anthologies including the Higgs Boson, Voices of Angels, and UK National Flash Fiction Day’s Jawbreakers. She has been shortlisted for Hennessy New Irish Writing and for the Bridport, WOW, and Fish Award. This year she won the Big Book of Hope Ebook fiction category with her flash fiction medley Flashes of Entropy and Hope and was awarded a writing residency in Cill Rialaig, Co. Kerry to work on The Exhibit of Held Breaths. Another literary novel is ready for submission. She blogs for writing.ie and on Head above Water www.alisonwells.wordpress.com. Alison has published a space comedy novel Housewife with a Half-LIfe and a mini short collection including Stories to read on the Train. 

My name is SUE!!

DAY 5 of the RED RIBBONS blog tour is in the very capable hands of Sue (aka Susan) Condon. Many of you may know Susan already, but if you don't, well while visiting her blog, have a good look around. There will be plenty for you to see, but I'll put a short bio below either way.

 

It's only three days to launch night, so things are getting really exciting. I plan that after all of the madness/wonder is over, to do a kind of visual recounting of events, but for now, I'll give you one very special picture from Friday night, when the wonderful John Connolly gave me this!

 

NOW OVER TO SUE -  HERE

 

 

SUSAN CONDON, is a native of Dublin, who began writing poetry and short stories in 2008. Writing awards include first prize in the Bealtaine SDCC and CWC SCC City of Dublin VEC Short Story Competitions in 2010; highly commended in Ireland’s Own Prose Competition and www.fivestopstory.com in 2011, and she has just been long-listed in the RTÉ Guide/Penguin Ireland Short Story Competition 2012.
Publications include South of the County: New Myths and Tales in 2010, Senior Times and The Echo in 2011 and InTallaght and www.fivestopstory.com in 2012.
A member of Platform One Writer’s Group, Rua Red, Susan is currently completing her first novel – a crime fiction thriller set in New York.

Visit Susan at http://susancondon.wordpress.com And on Twitter @SusanCondon

RED RIBBONS BLOG TOUR goes Stateside!!!

The wonder of social media is that you find friends near and far. A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have thought it possible to connect in such a positive way with so many people around the world.

And the world is getting smaller and smaller as technology and all it's many attributes change the way we do things, but that is for a much longer post/debate!

For now, I would simply like to hand you over to the wonderful Debbi Mack who is driving the RED RIBBONS blog tour today.

You can read my interview with Debbi HERE, and learn a little more about Louise Phillips and RED RIBBONS!!


But before I leave you on this beautiful sunny Saturday morning in Dublin, today is also the day I can reveal the first Amazon Reader Review, and the first Twitter reader review for RED RIBBONS!!!

A brilliant read

By

DubBuyer - See all my reviews

 

This review is from: Red Ribbons 

This story pulled me in right from the start with its wounded characters and dark deeds and atmospheric Irish and Italian landscapes. The clever device of three main narrators: the criminal psychologist, an institutionalised woman and the criminal himself, makes for a seamless read full of suspense.

Kim Nash‏@KimTheBookworm

Last night I finished Red Ribbons by Louise Phillips - OMG! Awesome! My heart was pounding & the killer freaked me out! What a writer!

 

 

 

Debbi Mack, the driver of the Red Ribbons Blogtour Bus today!!! - Bio and links

 

 

DEBBI MACK, is the New York Times ebook bestselling author of the Sam McRae mystery series, featuring lawyer/sleuth Stephanie Ann “Sam” McRae. She's also had several short stories published, including one nominated in 2010 for a Derringer. A “recovering attorney,” Debbi has also worked as a journalist, librarian and freelance writer/researcher. You can read more about Debbi and her books on her Web site. She also has five blogs, including My Life on the Mid-List, and you can find her on Twitter and Facebook.

Those Mountains Have History - DAY 2 RED RIBBONS BLOG TOUR

This is starting to feel like a countdown, well I suppose it is in a way!!!

The blogtour RED RIBBONS' BUS arrives at Teacher Moloney King today.

With variety being the spice of life, myself and Michelle got talking about Mountains, isolation, black cats, and haunted buildings!!

Check it out HERE

Entrance to our attic bedroom where Robert Emmet & his fellow  rebels hid in 1803

HELL FIRE CLUB

It's All Happening in Katy's World

 

 

The amazing Katy O'Dowd kick starts the RED RIBBONS Blog tour Today, and you can read my answers to her deep delving devilish questions right HERE

 

 

You can also listen to last night's interview on SUNSHINE 106.8 FM HERE

 

 

Only 4 Days to Publication folks - getting closer all the time!!!!