A Reading Hit in Cork!

"Pictured at the very successful Readers' Day in Library Head Quarters in Cork -L-R Bernie Wallace, Cork County Library, crime writer Louise Phillips, novelist Roisin Meaney, Frances Tracey of O'Mahony's Booksellers who sponsored the event and Christina O'Sullivan, Cork County Library."

I had such a great time at the Readers' Day in Cork last Friday. A fantastic crowd with lots of wonderful questions and an opportunity to meet so many lovely people, including fellow writer Roisin Meaney.

Apparently RED RIBBONS and THE DOLL'S HOUSE are a great hit within the libraries in the region, being constantly out on loan!! In fact if it hadn't been for getting stuck in traffic for hours on Friday night in Dublin due to the One Direction concert, it would have been pretty much a perfect day!! 

Exciting New Forensic Series starting on Crime Scene!!

For all you crime fiction researchers, writers and readers - watch out this Thursday on Crime Scene over at www.writing.ie when we begin our new forensic series starting with Blood Spatter Analysis!!!

A Day for Book Lovers!

Readers' Day at Cork Library HQ on May 23rd 2014 

Cork County Library are eagerly looking forward to their Readers Day in Library  HQ at Carrigrohane Road on Friday 23 May(10.00am-1.00pm) featuring myself and Roisin Meaney.

The event, sponsored by O' Mahony's Booksellers promises to be the perfect start to any book lovers weekend.

Their onsite link reads :-

'Louise Phillips is a bestselling crime author of the psychological crime thrillers, Red Ribbons and  The Doll's House, Winner of the Best Irish Crime Novel of the Year 2013. In 2009, she won the Jonathan Swift Award for her short story Last Kiss, and in 2011 she was a winner in the Irish Writers' Centre Lonely Voice platform. She has also been short-listed for the Molly Keane Memorial Award, Bridport UK, and long-listed twice for the RTÉ Guide/Penguin Short Story Competition

Roisín Meaney was born in Listowel. She  has been enthralling Irish and international audiences with her work over the past decade. Her books including Putting Out the Stars, The People next Door, Half Seven on a Thursday have been bestsellers and as library staff will testify are ever popular with library customers. Roisín's new novel After The Wedding was published in April of this year. 

Both authors will read from and speak about their lives and work giving their audience a glimpse into the craft, talent and work that goes into producing an entertaining, thought-provoking novel. 

If you love reading don't miss this event. Teas, coffees and refreshments will be available to attendees. Admission is free but places are limited so book your place by ringing Library HQ at 021 4546499 or emailing maria.obrien@corkcoco.ie by Wednesday May 21st.' 

'One day Mummy, I won't be this small..'

We're having a Mickey and Minnie Mouse themed birthday party for our granddaughter today - aged 2, and these words shared by her mother and my daughter today say so much!

Write That Novel!

HUGE CONGRATS to everyone who started my WRITE THAT NOVEL COURSE at Carousel Creates last week...one week in and 30,000 more words live in this world!!

Ever dreamed of seeing your story on the silver screen??

Camera, roll, action......

Read this cracker of a piece from Darren Darker HERE

LARGE PRINT EDITION OF THE DOLL'S HOUSE!

If you know someone who is visually impaired and would like to be in with a chance to win a FREE copy of the Large Print of THE DOLL'S HOUSE - Tweet, facebook message/comment or leave a comment here... Will pick the name out of the hat on Friday!

Calling Dublin Book Clubs...

Calling Dublin Book Clubs... Would you like me to come & talk about my crime thrillers The Doll's House or Red Ribbons? Just tweet @LouiseMPhillips or comment/message me!

Endings

LAST KISS, is with the copy editor right now, so it is very close to that print button stage. I've said it before, but each novel is an emotional journey, not simply for the characters within it, but for the reader and the writer as well. Sometimes you only know what the story is about when you finish that first draft. There is an awakening of sorts. I know this has happened to me on all three novels, but this time, I have revisited the ending of LAST KISS so many times that it feels like a secret constantly being unraveled, and each time I go back and add in another sentence or two, more of it makes sense. 

Ending are important for all sorts of reasons, and sometimes after writing 100,000 words, not all writers do them justice. I hope I have this time. I really do.

The Wedding

A special day today - I'm off with daughter number 2 for her wedding dress fitting. Hankies at the ready because I know there will be tears, having a susceptibility to crying like it's my second language. They will of course be tears of joy!

When I woke up this morning, after having a browse online for Mother-of-the-Bride outfits last night, wondering whether or not I should wear a hat on the big day??? Knowing, I'm not a hat person. I began to think about what affectionately became known as my mother's wedding day hat, and a whole host of emotions and memories came flooding back. I feel a short story coming on, but that will be later, after the joy.