So Nicole Lily has won a copy of The Treachery of Beautiful Things. Congratulations Nicole.
There’s a great selection of tales in those comments. Everyone should give them a read. So many ideas popping about in my head right now like the demented plotbunnies they are and here I am meant to be taking a little time off. 
I love giveaways. I’ll have to do some more soon.
The cover of The Treachery of Beautiful Things by the very talented Danielle Delaney, is a contender in the Cover Contest 2012 at Cover Cafe. It’s in the Alternate Reality section and up against some stiff competition, so I’d really appreciate your votes!
“Designer Danielle Delaney used a compilation of stock images, including the central photograph of the girl by Mayer George, to create this cover of THE TREACHERY OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS by Ruth Frances Long.”
Isn’t it lovely. Still takes my breath away.
And don’t forget that you can still enter to win a copy of THE TREACHERY OF BEAUTIFUL THINGS here on my website until the 8th.
May 1st is the feast of Bealtaine, or May Day, an ancient seasonal festival signally the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere, a time of fires and fertility rites. It is the day of the May Queen, the mythical figure who presages the arrival of summer and an important element in my novel The Treachery of Beautiful Things.
Folklore suggests that after the most beautiful girl in the village had been picked to be Queen of the May, she was dressed in white, a garland of white flowers placed her head, she was paraded through the village, taken to the forest and sacrificed to the trees.
Jenny, in the Treachery of Beautiful Things is forced to take on the mantel of May Queen, but makes herself stronger than a tradition, so matter how old it might be.
I’m now the type of person who can’t look at pictures of a May Pole without a little shudder, even if it is made by Sylvanian Families (true story – I was toy shopping and had to leave before I made a little scene with hysterical giggles.)
Research into the folklore which underpins our traditions is a great way of adding richness to stories, to developing a depth of meaning. That meaning might not be apparent to many, it might upset some, but the sense of the old lurking behind new words, in between the leaves and blossoms of the May Tree, makes stories resonate for the reader.
~~~May Day Competition Time~~~
For a chance to win a copy of The Treachery of Beautiful Things in hardback, please leave a comment below telling me about your favorite bit of folklore or fairytale. The competition will run for a week, until the 8th of May when I’ll pick the winner.
The paperback edition of The Treachery of Beautiful Things is now available for pre-order and will be out on the 1st August (Lughnasadh, another Celtic fire festival, this time for Harvest. Let’s hope that’s a sign.) Check your local bookshop or Indiebound, Powells, Book Depository, Amazon.co.uk, or Amazon.com
Very excited today as I came across this list of
including The Treachery of Beautiful Things. Check it out!
Happy-making.
And now back to edits I go…
I made a thing.
The base image came free from Dreamstime.com and I thought it fitted with the quote from The Treachery of Beautiful Things. I’m using Paint.net, which isn’t too difficult to pick up. Takes a little bit of trial and error but it’s intuitive enough (or at least I could make it work so that’s a good advert for it). I haven’t played with images for a while but I’ll have to try and do a few more soon. They’re fun.
We were back in Marlay Park yesterday in search of the fairy tree. Spring has well and truly arrived and the fairies appear to have been hard at work expanding their treetop fortress. Last week I finished the first draft on a new WIP, a timeslip story which is making me squee quite a bit (it also accounts for my uncharacteristic quietness). So I needed some down time and a day in the park is the perfect thing. I recently came across a new word (new to me) – a Nemophilist – One who is fond of forest or forest scenery; a haunter of the woods. So I have a word for me now! I’m hoping this down time will last for a short while. I have lots of books to read, some things to crit and some crits to wait for. In the meantime, here are some photos from yesterday.
So excited to post this – a fan-made book trailer by Emma Danziger for The Treachery of Beautiful Things
I will squee and squee and do the dance of a happy author. Lovely images, lovely music.
Thanks so much Emma
And I also have a lovely bit of news to share — I am now represented by Sallyanne Sweeney of Watson, Little Ltd in London. More excitement is clearly to follow.
Can you tell I’m liking the video reviews? You guys are awesome!
Thanks you so much and I’m so glad you both enjoyed, and “got” the story I wanted to tell.
In other news Epic Con 5, which I attended this weekend as a guest was wonderful fun. Myself, Celine Kiernan, Peadar Ó Guilín and Deirdre Thornton talked about all sorts of things — from editors to superheroes, from getting published in/from Ireland to Irish mythology. And we mostly stuck to the topics. Mostly…
Hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Thanks to all the organizers and attendees.
And on Friday night was the Pen Ireland dinner, which was fabulous in so many ways. I got to meet lovely people and hang out in swish surroundings wearing a posh frock. What more could I want?
So now it’s back to life, back to reality, and back to the writer’s cave…
Shhh, I am not really here. I am working very hard. I promise.
But I had to post about this super review for The Treachery of Beautiful Things which I came across this morning from Beauty, Books & Ramblings. It comes in both Spoiler free and Spoiler-ific varieties so you can take you pick, but go and look. I particularly like
The pros: Beautifully written, incredibly
imaginative storyline, flawless world building
The cons: Honestly cannot think of any!
Rating: 5/5
Recommend? Oh my goodness yes!
and of course
With beautiful world-building, fascinating characters, and ancient lore intricately and flawlessly woven into the story, The Treachery of Beautiful Things is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read
I will look at it sparkle all day and smile.
In other news – I will be at Epic-Con in Maynooth on the 23rd & 24th of February, and of course at Octocon in October. I hope to be in some other places too.
I have no other news. The Ninja puppy and the Patchwork Cat continue their covert war of attrition.
And I am writing. Something new. I think. Look, there was this plot bunny, sitting there all on its own. It was so pretty. So I went over to it. AND A WHOLE MOB OF PLOT BUNNIES ATTACKED ME!
It’s so shiny and new though. SO SHINY.
Back under cover I go. Talk soon.
