In the News

Great to see a write up in a local newspaper about 'Underneath the Tree', launching next week. 

In these strange days, the launch featuring stories from authors across Northern Ireland will take place via Zoom. 

I can confirm it is a beautiful book and will make a great stocking filler with all proceeds going to charity.

Book Week

It was Book Week this week in Northern Ireland, encouraging us to take at least 15 minutes a day to read.

I managed to squeeze in at least 15 minutes most nights to read a chapter from the Santa Montefiore novel I'm currently reading  'Daughters of Castle Deverill' recently acquired from my local bookshop, The Secret Bookshelf.

But this year, BookWeekNI took on a different slant for me, when on Monday a copy of the poetry anthology I have a poem included in arrived through the letterbox.

I've dipped into 'Places of Poetry' this week but still have to indulge thoroughly in it.

Then this morning, Christmas came early when my author copy of a book I have a short story in, arrived in the post. 'Underneath the Tree' features twelve Christmas stories from writers in Northern Ireland and is released in a couple of weeks. It looks beautiful and I think it will be read from cover to cover, long before the Christmas season commences.

Poems in the Post

I was delighted when I heard that my poem 'Riverdance' was to be included in the 'Places of Poetry' anthology. But it was even more exciting today to receive a couple of copies of the book in the post. 

Never had I imagined that I'd have a poem in an anthology that also included contributions from poets I'd studied at school and at university, like Thomas Hardy, Anne Bronte, Robert Burns, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Lord Byron, Walter Scott, John Clare, William Wordsworth, and on a page next to Percy French. This beautiful anthology also features poems from contemporary poets from across the UK. As we head into a long winter this will be one book I'll be dipping into frequently.

Catching up with writers

 It's funny how quickly we have become used to virtual writing meetings. While we would obviously much rather meet face to face and in Coney Island it isn't possible, so Zoom meetings are definitely the next best thing. 

Fuelled by chocanana muffins (which unfortunately I can't share with fellow writers at the moment) we caught up on each other's news, chatted and then did a few writing exercises. As always, even virtually, I came away from Coney writers enthused, encouraged and raring to write.

Happy (book) birthday!

Today was a special day - the beginning of a new month, National Poetry Day and the book birthday of 'Places of Poetry'.

My poem 'Riverdance' which won first prize in the poetry category of the first Lagan Navigation Trust's Storymaking competition, features in this gorgeous anthology, the culmination of the 'Places of Peotry' project, mapping the nation in verse.

This evening I attended the 'virtual' book launch hosted by The Poetry Society where some of the poets from across the United Kingdom featured in the anthology read from the book.

It's now available to buy - check out your local book shop and enjoy!

Cover Reveal(s)!!!

The last couple of weeks have been busy, coinciding with schools returning and summer ending. Interspersed among several rejections I've received, there have been some high points. These included two Zoom sessions - one with SCBWI Ireland members (the first catch up since the beginning of the summer) and a very informative webinar about children's publishing hosted by Golden Egg Academy.

But even better, within a few days I saw the cover of not one, but two books soon to be launched which I have work included in. The first one is for 'Underneath the Tree' an anthology of Christmas stories which launches in November.

I think the cover is beautiful. 

The second cover is for 'Places of Poetry - Mapping the Nation in Verse' a poetry anthology containing 200 poems imbued with a strong sense of journey and discovery from across the UK. Again a beautiful and simple cover. This project has been shortlisted for 'Research Project of the Year: Humanities and Social Sciences ' at THE Awards and this gorgeous book will be launched on 1st October by the Poetry Society.

I'm looking forward to the launch for each book and holding these books in my hands.

National Read A Book Day

There seems to be a day to celebrate all sorts of events and occasions nowadays, some of which are quite obscure.  I discovered earlier today that it is National Read A Book Day which probably should really be celebrated every single day. Thankfully as it fell at the weekend there was a bit more time to read, so I marked the occasion by indulging in some quality 'me' time today, sitting down with a coffee and a chocanana muffin (left over from yesterday's virtual  writing group meeting - and still yummy)

 and enjoying  more of the book I'm currently reading 'Vanilla Beans and Brodo' by Isabella Dusi.  I haven't been able to travel to Italy this summer, so this book has been the perfect way of transporting me to the heart of Tuscany without the hassle of queues, masks and quarantine. So for a couple of hours I was there today - enjoying the sights and sounds of Lent preparations, picking jonquils and Tuscan football matches - bliss! Can't wait to read more...