Yearly Archives: 2010

A break in the silence

Life Happens, Photo Moments, travels, Writing Life,

Yes, I’ve been very quiet. Putting the finishing touches to the edits for MAY QUEEN and generally getting ready for Christmas. I’ll be away in early January, off on a libraryland trip to Rome so hope to have lots of pictures for you all then. May even get into the Vatican Secret Library if I’m lucky. Fingers crossed.

Of course it all depends on the weather which has been less than cooperative so far this month! Lots of snow, lots and lots of snow…

The last one is paricularly interesting for me becuase it shows a view used in GRAFFITI ANGEL, looking from Cherrywood up towards Killiney Hill. The Obelisk is just visible on top of the hill on the right hand side.

So I will be scarce for the next while, but will pop up from time to time. Have wonderful holidays everyone and for those who celebrate it a very happy Christmas.

New Release – help spread the word & win a copy

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Out Today: Songs of the Wolf (Tales of the Holtlands)

The Wolf’s Sister and The Wolf’s Mate in a single print volume.

ISBN: 978-1605049205

It can be ordered from MBaM, BookDepository, Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

A love transcending race and culture…a love worth a fight to the death.

The Wolf’s Sister
Elite Fey’na warrior Shan is driven by hatred for the Lord of River Holt, the human who killed his sister. Vengeance is his only goal. Then he meets a woman on the run.

Jeren is desperate to escape her brother before his misuse of magic consumes his sanity. She finds safety and protection with Shan…but only so long as she hides her kinship with the Lord of River Holt…

The Wolf’s Mate
Jeren doesn’t expect Shan’s people to readily accept her, but she’s determined to prove herself worthy. Then the eyes of the beautiful sect mother fall on Shan, turning Jeren’s new world upside down.

Shan wants nothing more than to be with Jeren, but the sect mother has cleverly bound him to her service—full time. Yet he vows the suicide mission he’s been assigned won’t stop him from returning to claim Jeren.

Left alone to make a place for herself, Jeren’s own people seek her out—and force her into a terrible choice. She can set them free …but only if she forsakes Shan.

  • 4.5 Stars — “I haven’t read such a beautifully written tale in a very long time!” — Natalie, The Library
  • 5 Angels & a Recommended Read – “The fascination that I first felt when I had the chance to read the blurb for this book was well justified…I love to read books that make me feel the emotions that the players experience, be it fear, pain, anger, happiness, sorrow and frustration. The battles that these two go through make you ask yourself what next and when will it end, but the ending is very rewarding. Overall, I could read this book repeatedly and find something new in it. Thanks to R. F. Long for a very wonderful read.” – Darksnite, Fallen Angel Reviews
  • “It’s well written, fast paced and filled with interesting and unique characters….The best part of the story is Jeren herself. I liked her in The Wolf’s Sister but in this release, she really grows and shines, as she turns into a confident and determined woman, willing to fight for her man. I’m very curious to see what happens to these two mates with the next and last release.” – 4 Nymphs, Mystical Nymph, Literary Nymphs Reviews Only

The Wolf’s Sister Booktrailer

The Wolf’s Mate Booktrailer

Please help spread the word. Tweet, blog, review, link or whatever. (Anything to take my mind off the Budget and the weather here today!)

Competition

Leave a comment below and I’ll enter you into a draw to win a signed copy (or an ebook bundle if you’d prefer).

This competition is open to all (but for our friends across the Atlantic please bear in mind that the print copy might take a while to get to you as the row-boat is busy every other Tuesday! ;))

I’ll be selecting a winner at random (or by small child) on Friday.

Coming soon…

New releases, Publications, ,

Very soon.

On December the 7th to be precise…

Songs of the Wolf

the print edition containing both The Wolf’s Sister and The Wolf’s Mate, previously only available as ebooks, the first two Tales of the Holtlands – details and book trailers here

A love transcending race and culture…a love worth a fight to the death.

Read an excerpt here.

To celebrate I will be doing a giveaway next week starting on release day.

Don’t miss it.

ISBN: 978-1605049205

Pre-order Songs of the Wolf from BookDepository, Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

(Actually this really snuck up on me. I hadn’t realised November would go by so quickly. So yay! And Eek! And Yay!)

With November rushing on

Awesome authors, links and stuff, Publications, Wexworlds, , , , ,

mainly powered by a hurricane and winter storms no less…

Here are a few bits of excitingness to keep us all going before December:-

—

WEXWORLDS // Sci Fi and Fantasy Fiction Festival 2010 // November 26th – 28th, 2010 // Wexford Town, Ireland

the Schedule is now available to download in .pdf format.

I’m hoping to get down on Saturday, but will definitely be there on Sunday as I have a couple of panels to be on.

12.00-12.50 Whites Hotel FREE

Current Sci-Fi TV Join Andrew Donkin with John Vaughan, Michael Carroll, Ruth Long, Peadar O’Gullinand C.E. Murphy as they discuss Dr. Who, Fringe, New V, Torchwood, Walking Dead and other popular programmes.

and

14.00-14.50 Whites Hotel FREE

Myth and Folklore in modern fiction – Join Herbie Brennan, C.E. Murphy, Oisín McGann, Maura McHugh and Ruth Long. Eminent authors discuss the uses and popularity of themes in Fantasy.

I’m also really looking forward to this:-

15.00 Alien 8 FREE

Grand opening of Alien 8 by Eoin Colfer – Join a vast selection of authors, who will happily sign your books among the many activities planned to celebrate the opening of this new Science Fiction Shop located in Selskar Square, Wexford.

Bookshops good! Free events wonderful!

There are also workshops (Lego! Rockets! Magic Swords!!!) which look amazing and all they’re asking for them is a fiver! What are you waiting for? 🙂

—

And speaking of December… only 26 days to go until …

SONGS OF THE WOLF comes out on 7th December 2010 and is available for preorder on BookDepository, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and others. SONGS contains the two Holtlands novellas THE WOLF’S SISTER and THE WOLF’S MATE, previously only available in ebook format.

Reviews:

  • 4.5 Stars — “I haven’t read such a beautifully written tale in a very long time!” — Natalie, The Library
  • 5 Angels & a Recommended Read – “The fascination that I first felt when I had the chance to read the blurb for this book was well justified…I love to read books that make me feel the emotions that the players experience, be it fear, pain, anger, happiness, sorrow and frustration. The battles that these two go through make you ask yourself what next and when will it end, but the ending is very rewarding. Overall, I could read this book repeatedly and find something new in it. Thanks to R. F. Long for a very wonderful read.” – Darksnite, Fallen Angel Reviews
  • “It’s well written, fast paced and filled with interesting and unique characters….The best part of the story is Jeren herself. I liked her in The Wolf’s Sister but in this release, she really grows and shines, as she turns into a confident and determined woman, willing to fight for her man. I’m very curious to see what happens to these two mates with the next and last release.” – 4 Nymphs, Mystical Nymph, Literary Nymphs Reviews Only

A love transcending race and culture…a love worth a fight to the death.

The Wolf’s Sister
Elite Fey’na warrior Shan is driven by hatred for the Lord of River Holt, the human who killed his sister. Vengeance is his only goal. Then he meets a woman on the run.
Jeren is desperate to escape her brother before his misuse of magic consumes his sanity. She finds safety and protection with Shan…but only so long as she hides her kinship with the Lord of River Holt…
The Wolf’s Mate
Jeren doesn’t expect Shan’s people to readily accept her, but she’s determined to prove herself worthy. Then the eyes of the beautiful sect mother fall on Shan, turning Jeren’s new world upside down.
Shan wants nothing more than to be with Jeren, but the sect mother has cleverly bound him to her service—full time. Yet he vows the suicide mission he’s been assigned won’t stop him from returning to claim Jeren.
Left alone to make a place for herself, Jeren’s own people seek her out—and force her into a terrible choice. She can set them free …but only if she forsakes Shan.
Warning: Contains violence, scary monsters, desperate acts, burning jealousy and timeless love. Readers may find their imaginations hopelessly ensnared in a beautiful and terrible world of magic.

A fairytale trip, NaNo and a little bit of news

Life Happens, links and stuff, news, Out and About, Photo Moments, , , ,

I’ve been a bad bad writer, not keeping you all up to date.  But I have also been very busy.

So I give you a brief report of our Halloween trip, something about NaNo and some news. The news is at the end. Yes, I’m making you wait. I’m mean like that! Continue reading A fairytale trip, NaNo and a little bit of news →

Octocon this weekend

Awesome authors, news, Out and About, Writing Life,

I’m going to be at Octocon this weekend, Ireland’s Science Fiction Convention, where we’ll be up to all kinds of shenanigans. And I’ll be on a couple of panels

Saturday 12pm Urban Fantasy vs. Paranormal Romance

Sunday 1pm Where’s My Money Honey?! ( New Funding Models) – Err… Yes, me and money. Anyway…

And I’ll be helping out (and hopefully eating some of the sweets) at Claire Hennessy’s Writing YA workshop on Sunday afternoon along with Sarah Rees Brennan. (If they haven’t polished them all off before I get in there.)

Oh and I almost forgot E_W_H himself will be on a panel on Sunday at 2pm – Managing The Writers in Your Life. Yeessss…

All this and George R. R. Martin as guest of honour, C.E. Murphy, Maura McHugh, Derek Gunn, Fabulous Lorraine, Michael Carroll, Peadar Ó Guilín and many more.(So many in fact I can’t link to them all! I have to make biscuits for a cake sale. No really. :S )

If you’re around Dublin this weekend, come and play! We don’t bite. Much.

Links ‘n’ thinks

Awesome authors, links and stuff, Out and About, RNA

I’ve been working on Graffiti Angel rewrites and plantsing along on my YA Space Opera this (last) week. Plus the odd bit on my May Queen sequel. Hey, at least it has a draft synopsis now. That’s something. Octocon is coming up this weekend so my delightful pre-con stress dreams have started – you know the type: locked in a loo, went out for a coffee and can’t get back etc. This means of course that I’m even more unfocused than usual! Really looking forward to the convention though.

So this post is a mixture of things that have caught my fancy on the internet over the last while:

Spacy stuff for himself

1)Sergey Korolov was the chief rocket scientist for the Soviet Union during the 1960s space race with the US. His identity was so secret he was referred to only as The Chief Designer. It is probably due to his early death in 1966 that the US were the first to land on the moon. His Soyuz spacecraft is still in use today, and has now taken on a new significance (video from BBC – sorry about the ad). I guess, as my space-mad husband pointed out, you could say he won in the end. 😉

Books I love, writers I admire

2) Alan Garner’s books have been really important to me for as long as I can remember. Here he is talking about The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (video from The Guardian) and the influence of Alderley Edge on his books. He describes perfectly the way I feel about Dalkey and Killiney, and how landscape works its way into writing. To (probably mis-) quote:  “Here I learned the rockness of rock, the treeness of tree and the skyness of sky” – “…a sense of otherness about the place that goes back as far as there have been people to react to it”.

History

3)Pictures of people re-enacting the Battle of Hastings amuse me!

Funny

4) Hogwarts online amuses me too!

and finally

5) RNA is Fabulous at Fifty. Get all the goss! 😀

So that’s it for now. I will be at Octocon over the weekend, talking books, sci-fi, fantasy and chasing my children all around the place. If you’re there say hi!