The Voting is OPEN !!!!

You can now vote for Red Ribbons in the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award category at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2012 

Click  here to cast your vote

**STOP PRESS**

Red Ribbons has been nominated in the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award category at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards 2012

Watch this space!!!! Will fill you in on all the details tomorrow!!

Simply over the Moon to be nominated in the Irish Book Awards - 

What an amazing Birthday Pressie!!!!

Silence is Golden BUT!!!

So what's the news on the RED RIBBONS front?????

Firstly, sorry for being so quiet lately. I've had my head down writing The Doll's House, and today is the first time I'm coming up for air after 3 weeks in hibernation - not a bad thing I hear you saying!!!!

Firstly, because I know many of you love pics - Susan Condon has sent in this great pic of RED RIBBONS while holidaying in Venice (which I love:-) thanks Susan

Other NEWS is as follows:

Another fantastic review on RED RIBBONS from the Senior Times - You can read it HERE

I'm also delighted to say that Hughes and Hughes booksellers have chosen RED RIBBONS as their Parent's Choice for the months of October/November of The Irish Parent Magazine.

Keep an eye out also over the next couple of weeks for a' true life' short story of mine which will appear in the Daily Mail 'You' Magazine published on Saturdays.

Wednesday 14th November, I'll be reading as part of the RED LINE Literary Festival  in Three Voices/Three Forms, at The Loose End Civic Theatre, Tallaght : An Evening with writers Eileen Casey, Colm Keegan & Louise Phillips You can book HERE

You can read 'The Road to Publication' written for South Dublin County Library HERE

RED RIBBONS has also been chosen as the Pavilion Shopping Centre  Virtual Book Club choice for October 2012 

And if you're out and about in Tallaght over the next while, pick up the free issue magazine INTALLAGHT, who have been brilliant support for RED RIBBONS.

I'm also delighted to announce that South Dublin Libraries will be including yours truly on their wall of Library Champions, alongside Colum McCann, John Boyne, President Michael D Higgins, and Claire Hennessy.

And just to prove to you that I have been doing some work - here are a couple of the storyboards for The Doll's House!!!!

All Good Things Must Come To An End!!!

I know they're not RED, but you get the point!!

It's the last leg of the RED RIBBONS Blog tour, and what a totally brilliant way to bring the tour to an final ending, by visiting the wonderful Joe McCoubrey.

Joe is a former Irish newspaper editor, who is now a full-time action thriller writer. In the early seventies, he worked in the Civil Service based in Stormont, the seat of the Northern Ireland Government, and was watching behind the scenes as some of the country's most momentous events unfolded. You can find out more about Joe below.

I hope you enjoy your visit to Joe's site HERE, with an exclusive interview and first audio recording of the opening Chapter in RED RIBBONS, by Lee Middleton, Head Presenter, at Stafford FM! It's a cracker of an interview and post!!!!

About Joe Mc Coubrey

Former Irish newspaper editior, now full-time action thriller writer, Joe Mc Coubrey,is a man who has witnessed some of the country's most momentus events.

In the early days of the 'troubles', events that reverberated around the world, somehow served to push him towards his real passion of writing. He became a newspaperman, started his own media business, and took a front row seat as history was played out in Ireland.

His short action story Death By Licence, was published by Master Koda Select Publishing. His debut full-length thriller Someone Has To Pay was released September 3rd 2012. A second full-length actioner is at the editing stages, and work has started on an Irish crime thriller.

 

You can visit Joe @ http://joemccoubrey.com/

Parents' Choice!

Delighted to announce that Hughes & Hughes Booksellers have picked RED RIBBONS as their Parents’ Choice for the October/November edition of Irish Parent Magazine.

 

Christina Mills of Hughes & Hughes, said  "We will be featuring Louise Phillips’ debut crime thriller Red Ribbons as our Parents’ Choice....We can highly recommend this tense psychological crime drama, ..... there will be mums and dads fighting over who will be first to read it!"

 

READ MORE ABOUT RED RIBBONS HERE

Hughes & Hughes Website Bestsellers Top 10

1. The Mystery Of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes

2. Fifty Shades Of Grey by E. L. James

3. My Journey by Jim Stynes

4. Moranthology by Caitlin Moran

5. Thinking Fast And Slow by Daniel Kahneman

6. Shadow Girls by Henning Mankell

7. A Possible Life by Sebastian Faulks

8. A Wanted Man by Lee Child

9. Red Ribbons by Louise Phillips (Still holding it's own!)

10. Ma, I've Reached For The Moon... by Martha Long

 

 

 

Chicken House Children's Fictions Competition

This looks like an interesting competition, but first a little about Chicken House from their website.

'Chicken House Publishing Ltd was founded in 2000 by Barry Cunningham, Publisher and Managing Director, with Deputy Managing Director, Rachel Hickman.

Over the last decade, Chicken House has demonstrated that a small, creative publishing team based in Somerset can make an impact on an international scale. Chicken House has sold more than six million copies of Cornelia Funke’s books, including five New York Times children’s bestsellers.

The TUNNELS series by Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams has been an international hit in over 40 countries, while other writers who have achieved worldwide acclaim include Kevin Brooks, Lucy Christopher and Rachel Ward.
I
n 2007, in association with The Times newspaper, the company proudly launched The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition for undiscovered talent. This has since grown into a well-established annual event, recognised for having produced a clutch of successful new authors.'

Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition

FOR THE CHANCE TO SEE YOUR CHILDREN’S NOVEL PUBLISHED, ENTER THE TIMES/CHICKEN HOUSE CHILDREN’S FICTION COMPETITION.

All entries will be read and the shortlist will be judged by a panel of leading industry experts. The competition is open to all unpublished, unagented writers and one lucky winner will see their manuscript published by Chicken House with the backing of a leading literary agent.

We are looking for original ideas, a fresh voice and a story that children will love. If you have written a novel for children aged 7–18, have a read of the full terms and conditions to see if you are eligible for entry and for details on how to submit your manuscript.
Closing date for entries is last mail delivery Oct 26, 2012.

 

Deadline Approaching for the Irish Writers' Centre Novel Fair

The Irish Writers' Centre has begun counting down the days to the deadline of its esteemed Novel Fair. The deadline for the competition this year is on October 17th and the Novel Fair itself will take place on February 16th, 2013. With just a few weeks left to enter, the terrific news of book acquisitions from last year's winners is flooding in. Finalists from 2011, Niamh Boyce, Janet Cameron and Kevin Curran are three of our success stories. Earlier in the year, Niamh Boyce sold her novel The Herbalist to Penguin Ireland and more recently Janet Cameron's book, Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World, was snatched up by Hachette. As well as this, Liberties Press have laid claim to Kevin Curran's novel, Beatsploitation. With nine of the authors signed up with literary agents and many in talks with publishers, we eagerly anticipate more book deals before the end of the year. The Novel Fair was introduced last year with the aim of introducing, in person, up-and-coming writers to top publishers and literary agents who, in turn, have the chance to liaise with an eclectic bunch of talented, new authors. It gives promising, first-time novelists the opportunity to bypass the slush pile, pitch their ideas, bring characters to life and place their synopsis directly into the hands of the people they want to see it most. Some changes have been made to last year's set up, which include reducing the number of finalists to ten so that the novelists will benefit from more quality time with the publishers. To fully prepare them for the day the finalists also win a place on the seminar 'How To Pitch Your Novel.' This year, a brand new judging panel will be asked to select a shortlist of ten successful entries, presented to them anonymously. There is no limitation on style, genre, or target market and with a new set of eyes umpiring, writers who've submitted before shouldn't hesitate in submitting again. The only requirement is that the authors mustn't have published a novel before. Publishers who have already confirmed attendance at this year's Fair include Liberties Press, Penguin Ireland, Picador, New Island, Transworld Ireland, The Feldstein Agency, The Book Bureau, Marianne Gunn O'Connor Literary Agency, Jonathan Williams Literary Agency, The Lisa Richards Agency, and Lilliput Press. Each writer in attendance will have a stand at the Fair with copies of the synopsis, the finished novel itself and biographical material. To enter send two copies of the opening chapters of your novel (max 10,000 words) along with three copies of a synopsis and a completed entry form, which can be downloaded from the IWC's website or collected from the Centre. The Novel Fair Competition costs €40 to enter (€35 for members of the Irish Writers' Centre). To find out more about the Novel Fair Competition, check out www.writerscentre.ie/novelfair, or email novelfair@writerscentre.ie. If you already know everything you need to know and would like to enter, click here.

RED RIBBONS PICTURE COMPETITION - THE RESULTS!!!!

Well it was always going to be a darn hard decision to make , and the independent, carefully selected panel of judges that I dragged in to help me, found it pretty difficult :-)

How can you choose a winner, when everyone who took part in the RED RIBBONS picture competition was indeed a winner, entering into the fun element of it all, giving me, and I hope a lot of other people, including some four-legged creatures, great enjoyment with their very special RED RIBBONS photos!

So, before I announce the winner, and by way of saying THANK YOU to you all, I've done a small video of these very special photos which I hope you will enjoy, and please, please feel free to share your Beautiful Pictures!!! 




 

But as the moment is now here, I'm delighted to announce that the winner in the Adult Category of the RED RIBBONS Picture Competition, who will receive a signed copy of 'Red Ribbons', 2 Tickets for The Loose End Theatre, for Three Voices/Three Forms for Wednesday 14th November, and a signed copy of 'The Doll's House' when it's released in 2013, is Abby Wynne for this, you must agree, Out Of This World picture!!

 

 

Winning Picture - created by Abby Wynne

 

But, because I've been blown away by the wonderful images, I'm also pleased to announce that the winner in the Teenage Category of the RED RIBBONS Picture Competition, is Darragh Kempson, a budding author, who will receive pocket notes books to help him with his writing craft.

 

And, because all children are winners, the following two prizes will go to the wonderful and crafty A'isha, aged 8, and the powerful, Riley, aged 4, who both sent in mega pics!

 

 

 

Questions about the editorial process & so much more!!!

Well the RED RIBBONS blogtour bus may be stopping very soon, but with only 2 wheels left on this particular bus, we're still going strong as we visit a really great writer, and a wonderful friend, Irish writer, Brian Kirk. 

You can read a little about Brian below, but check out his blog when you visit HERE for his ever so interesting questions on the editorial process and a lot more besides!!!



I know there is more than one bus, but it has Red Ribbons!!!

BRIAN KIRK, is a poet and prose writer from Clondalkin, Dublin. He has been shortlisted for various awards in recent years including Hennessy Awards in 2008 and 2011. He was twice shortlisted for RTE’s PJ O’Connor Award for radio drama. His stories and poems have appeared in the Sunday Tribune, Southword, Abridged, The Stony Thursday Book, Crannog, Revival, Boyne Berries, Wordlegs, Cancan, Bare Hands Poetry, The First Cut and various anthologies. You can visit Brian athttp://briankirkwriter.com/

Brian Kirk

'The Judas Kiss' by David Butler

First things first - what a great title for a novel - 3 little words and I'm already hooked!

Secondly, this novel comes with a health warning from the opening page- "... be warned, this is no pretty story. It leads to murder. And I don't mean the Rev Green in the study with the lead piping. No. This murder is messy - a stone inside a stocking sticky with blood."  The intrigue continues!!

And thirdly, this darkly humorous tale of murder and redemption is told by David Butler, a writer I met at the IWC in the summer of 2011, who has worked as an Education Officer at the James Joyce Centre, as well as lecturing in Spanish Literature at TCD, Essex University, Carlow College and UCD, and about another million things!!!

'The Judas Kiss' published by New Island, is David's second novel, and I'm delighted to be launching it in Hodges Figgis next Tuesday, October 2nd at 6.30.

You can find out more about The Judas Kiss and read David's piece on the link between Crime and Desire over at www.writing.ie  HERE