50 Shades of Graig!!!!

Well, I had an amazing time at the Town of Books Festival in Graiguenamanagh this weekend. A beautiful place, lovely people, and what a smashing idea for a festival, to turn a whole town into a town of books for this very special weekend.

Graighuenamanagh

I did a reading from RED RIBBONS at the library on Friday evening, which included members of the local book club. They were a great bunch, and honestly I would have stayed there all night chatting about Red Ribbons and its cast of characters. Last year, our president, Michael D Higgins did a reading there, so some mighty footsteps to follow!!



Susan & Alicia

It was also the first time I'd done a reading where I used excerpts from all three main narrative voices on the same occasion - the killer, the criminal psychologist, Kate Pearson, and the accused woman, Ellie Brady.

But it worked really well, and sure the feast afterwards was pretty great too. And an extra special thanks to Susan Fitzgerald, and Alicia Dunphy, who facilitated this wonderful evening.


One of the many hidden gems of books!

We stayed at the Waterside Guesthouse, run by Brian & Bridget Roberts, and I couldn't recommend it more. This beautiful building overlooking the waterside, had the most wonderful accommodation, fabulous food, and a friendliness that was indicative of the complete sense of welcome, Graiguenamanagh offers.

Waterside Guesthouse

 

Signed copies of RED RIBBONS are available in the Storehouse Bookshop in Kilkenny.

Kilkenny

And finally, a pic of my new cuddly friend from the Cushendale Woolen Mills, and the fab cupcakes which formed part of our library feast!!!

 

If you are interested in ordering a copy of RED RIBBONS online, you can do so HERE

It's a Dog's Life!

Why are Dogs so fond of RED RIBBONS????? You gotta admit they do look good!!

 

Last Day for your RED RIBBONS Pictures via Twitter @LouiseMPhillips, or email phillips.louisem0@gmail.com or over at facebook link in the side panel!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Converted to RED RIBBONS Crime!!!

Growing up in Belfast during the 1970's at the height of the Troubles, the bad men were everywhere for writer, Caren Kennedy, who is driving the RED RIBBONS blogtour bus today. Her next door neighbour, a Diplock Court Judge, was a so called 'legitimate target' for the bad men. He died taking three bullets in the head, two in the stomach.
So with bad people everywhere, and with enough of them in the real world, why would she want to enter a world, or a place without shadows where evil resides?

Well find out exactly why HERE but first a little about Caren below

CAREN KENNEDY, is the creator of a television series currently in development with Warner Bros TV, co-author of Fake Alibis (BenBella Books, 2009), careers columnist with Life Times, guest blogger with www.writing.ie, and a screenwriting consultant with The Inkwell Group. Her articles and essays have appeared in local, national and international publications and beyond. She is currently represented in the US by Vamnation Entertainment and Triada US Literary Agency.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CarenKennedy
Blogs: http://carenkennedywrites.blogspot.ie 
http://writing.ie/guest-blogs/word-play.html

!

 

RED RIBBONS - Listening to the Radio and A cracker of a Novel!!

 

RED RIBBONS, was reviewed on the RTE Radio 1 Arts programme Arena, a couple of nights ago. And just in case any of you are wondering why I didn't tell you about it at the time, or give you fair warning, it was because I didn't know about it myself until less than an hour beforehand. (But it was still sufficient time for me to bite the nails down as far as they would go!!)

For company, listening to the radio, I had my hubby, daughter and granddaughter. My granddaughter being only 4 months wasn't particularly interested in the programme, so she fell fast asleep before Sean Rocks, presenter of Arena, commenced his interview with crime writer, Arlene Hunt.

I will attach the interview below, which I hope some of you will enjoy, but suffice to say, I was a nervous wreck. I knew not to look at hubby, because his face usually gives very little away. Therefore, all the time I was listening, I watched my daughter's face. Her face was going to be the most informative. So it was with great relief that I saw her smile, nod her head, look over at me in the way parents should look at their children, and not the other way around. You know that, it's going to be okay, you're doing well, this is all good, kind of thing.

Anyhow, RED RIBBONS got a great review - to capture some of the snippets here, Arleen Hunt said, it was - 'A cracker of a novel - highly recommended - a phenomenal debut.' Any one of those nuggets would have made my night, with my fingernails half gone, my granddaughter fast asleep, a kiss from hubby, a smile from my daughter, and the phone ringing in the background, knowing already it was daughter number 2 phoning to say well done. Sort of pretty amazing, don't you think?

So here's the Podcast for you!!

 

 LISTEN HERE

 

 

If you fancy reading RED RIBBONS -

 

You can order via Amazon HERE

or

for online Irish orders, you can order it  HERE

PANK Literary Magazine - RED RIBBONS BLOG TOUR

After a brief interlude, the RED RIBBONS blog tour travels to San Francisco for an interview with Award winning Irish writer Ethel Rohan for PANK Literary Magazine blog.

 

 

You can read more about Ethel below, but for now, let's go over to San Francisco - sounds good doesn't it! So simply click HERE

 

 

 

ETHEL ROHAN, is the author of Hard to Say and Cut Through the Bone, the latter longlisted for The Story Prize. Her work has or will appear in World Literature Today, Tin House Online, The Irish Times, The Rumpus, Post Road Magazine, and The Los Angeles Review, among many others.

She earned her MFA in fiction from Mills College, California. Raised in Ireland, Ethel Rohan now lives in San Francisco where she is a member of the Writers Grotto.

Visit Ethel at www.ethelrohan.com  http://ethelrohan.tumblr.com
And on Twitter @ethelrohan

THE TOP 10!

Okay, perhaps I'm childish, (although being childish isn't always a bad thing) but either way, as the two Irish newspapers I picked up yesterday, the Irish Examiner, which had a piece on RED RIBBONS by Sue Leonard, only printed the Top 5 Bestsellers, and the Irish Independent, didn't list them at all - here is the TOP 10 Bestsellers in Ireland for original fiction this week.

(Also, word of mouth is still the best way any novel, especially one by an unknown writer, can be promoted, so if you've read RED RIBBONS, and feel like recommending it to others, I would be really grateful.)

 

 

1. Wanted Man - Lee Child
 
 

2. Wrath of Angels - John Connolly

3. This Child of Mine - Sinead Moriarty

 

4. Sweet Tooth - Ian McEwan
 

5. Ancient Light - John Banville

6. Very Accidental Love Story - Claudia Carroll
 

7. Red Ribbons - Louise Phillips
 

8. Bones are Forever - Kathy Reichs

 

9. Last to Die - Tess Gerritsen

10.Criminal - Karin Slaughter

Incidentally, Sue Leonard gave RED RIBBONS the thumbs up - 'Dark, spooky, but believable.'  The Irish Examiner.

 

 

You can order RED RIBBONS (paperback or on kindle) using this Amazon link HERE or by clicking on the image of RED RIBBONS in the side panel, if ordering from Ireland.

NEWS, NEWS & MORE NEWS!!!

What an amazing week, with such a fantastic launch, and then the news yesterday that RED RIBBONS has hit the bestseller list in it's first week.

Coming in at Number 7 - in the fantastic company of and in no particular order:-

John Connolly,

Ian McEwan

Lee Child

Sinead Moriarty

John Banville

Tess Gerritsen

Kathy Reichs

Claudia Carroll
&

Karin Slaughter

Yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind day too - visiting bookstores around Dublin, where you can  now get Signed copies of RED RIBBONS. It was a fantastic day, and I met some really great people in each of the stores.

Easons Dundrum with the lovely Colin & Kayleigh

You can get signed copies of books now at the following locations: -

Easons O'Connell Street
WHS Arnotts
Hughes & Hughes Stephen's Green SC
Easons Dundrum
Easons Tallaght
Reads of Nassau Street
Dubray Books Grafton Street
Hughes & Hughes Dundrum
Easons Liffey Valley
Hodges Figgis (only a couple left)
WHS Travel Dublin Airport T2
Hughes & Hughes Swords
Easons Swords
Hughes & Hughes Swords
Easons Blanchardstown
Easons Dublin Airport T1

Or for regular stocks you can order HERE or HERE

And okay, I know I'm sounding like a long playing record, but for RED RIBBONS to stay in the Bestseller Listing, you need to spread the word!!!

So if you've read RED RIBBONS, and you've enjoyed it, well pleaseeeeeeeeee.... tell people about it!!!

The Blog tour will recommence shortly, and I will also announce the Winners in the 'Interesting pictures RED RIBBONS Campaign'.

I've only a couple of funny/interesting pics in the Bookstore Category, so if you do pick up a copy of RED RIBBONS over the weekend, or already have one, send in your picture to Twitter @LouiseMPhillips, email phillips.louisem0@gmail.com or on facebook, or leave a comment here!

xxxxx


Louise

RED RIBBONS hits the TOP TEN!!!

 

It's official - RED RIBBONS has reached Number 7 in the TOP TEN original fiction after the first week of sales!!!

 

 

How coolabula is that?????

 

So in celebration, seeing as how we deal in fiction here - I give you an imaginary glass of champagne for everyone who helped make this possible:-)

 

And one big special THANK YOU!!!!

 

How to make a Chilling Book Trailer!!!

Today the RED RIBBONS blogtour bus is visiting the wonderful Catherine Ryan Howard (see below), where I talk about creating a very creepy book trailer - Check it all out HERE

CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD, is a writer and blogger from Cork, Ireland. Following the success of her self-published travel memoir, Mousetrapped: A Year and A Bit in Orlando, Florida, Catherine went onto self-publish Backpacked: A Reluctant Trip Across Central America and Self-Printed: The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing. She shares her pragmatic, caffeine-infused self-publishing advice at www.catherineryanhoward.com, and currently divides her time between her desk and the sofa.

Visit Catherine at www.catherineryanhoward.com                   And on Twitter @cathryanhoward

IT'S ALL VERY PUZZLING AT RED RIBBONS Blog Tour Bus!!!!

Today the RED RIBBONS Blog Tour Bus has climbed into the jaws of one GREAT PUZZLE, as it visits the blog of Laurence O'Bryan, writer of the successful Istanbul Puzzle - you can read all about Laurence below.

 

This is a really important point in the Blog Tour!!! After a most amazing book launch last Wednesday TODAY is the last day that Irish Sales in bookstores, or online with Irish bookstores will count to help RED RIBBONS get into the TOP TEN. There are no guarantees, so if you've been thinking about buying it, well today may be the Perfect Day, as every single book sold, counts!!

 

But you can find out all about that and other mighty stuff in the jaws of the GREAT PUZZLE HERE

Some more fab pictures in for the NOVEL prize to brighten your day ....... Keep sending them in via twitter @LouiseMPhillips email to phillips.louisem0@gmail.com or on facebook.

LAURENCE O'BRYAN, studied English and history, then business, and IT at Oxford University. He spent ten years working in the City of London, the creaking hub of world finance. He was first published by a school newspaper when he was ten, for a short story about aliens getting lost. The Istanbul Puzzle is his first novel published. It is part of a three book contract with Harper Collins. It will be translated into 9 languages and be published in about 15 countries, and in 2007, he won the Outstanding Novel Submitted award at the Southern California writer's conference.

He is a member of the UK Crime Writer's Association, the Society of Authors, the Irish Writing Centre, two "live" writing groups in Dublin and online writing communities in England and the States. His research has taken me all over the world, from San Francisco to deep in the Arab world. And he still enjoy looking at the stars and listening to the stories of strangers.

Visit Laurence at http://lpobryan.com/ And on Twitter at @LPOBryan