Category Archives: New Books

Cover Reveal – The Mirror of Her Power by R. F. Long

New Books, New releases, , ,

I’ve been locked away in the editing cave but I’m just sneaking out into the sunshine for a moment to go …

Ta-DAH!

And reveal the cover for my new paranormal romance which comes out next week (NEXT WEEK! EEK!).

The Mirror of Her Power is being released from Taliesin Publishing on the 5th June. It’s my first full on paranormal romance since Soul Fire and I’m really excited about it. Magicians living amongst us, desire and magic going hand in hand, steamy encounters, ancient enemies and untold wonders.

And all quite over-18s only. (sorry under 18s but you only have to wait a few months for A Crack in Everything, promise. And it will be SO worth the wait!)

Are you ready?

The Mirror of Her Power

Magic and desire – the magicians are among us

Mia’s life as a bike messenger has a few perks, mostly the glimpses she gets of the hot and mysterious Balthazar. But while making a delivery to his home, a strange bracelet attaches itself to her arm and everything changes. Balthazar is a magician, and Mia is fated to be his apprentice.

Only Balthazar doesn’t want an apprentice. The last time he tried to share his life and his power with someone it ended in ruin. He won’t risk that again. But magic and lust are intricately connected, as are the fates of magicians and their apprentices. The desire that ignites between the two of them is more than he’s prepared for, and maybe it’s more than just desire.

When Balthazar’s former apprentice, a powerful and dangerous sorceress returns with vengeance on her mind, he’ll have to join forces with Mia, or risk losing her forever.

Along with his last chance of redemption.

I’ve always loved stories about magicians and magic and this particular story, characters and world just begged to be told. Even though I’ve been focusing on YA recently I simply could not shut Balthazar and Mia up.

Oh and Emrys.

Especially Emrys. Oh my goodness, he never shuts up! Wants his own book next. Cheeky boy.

The Mirror of Her Power will be available as an ebook from the 5th of June from Taliesin Publishing and all the other online retailers. As soon as I have the buy links, they’ll be up here 😀

Hope you love it as much as I do.

The Mirror of Her Power

News Glorious News: a New Series

New Books, Writing Life,

At last I can share the news I have been sitting on until all the i’s were dotted and the t’s crossed.

Then we’ll all do a happy dance, okay?

I’m writing a new YA series for O’Brien Press, set in Dublin and its surroundings (although probably ranging further afield as well) featuring the folklore of the Sidhe, the Irish fairies, and their angelic and demonic cousins. I’m so excited for this one as it has been a while in the making and I’m so delighted to be working with O’Brien Press. I’ll post more about it’s inception and the world these characters inhabit as we get nearer the time. I can’t wait to share it all with you.

The first book in the series “A Crack in Everything” will be out towards the end of next year.

And now for that happy dance, let us all run amok!

Amok

The Treachery of Beautiful Things Paperback day

competition, Cover Love, New Books

It’s paperback release day. *throws confetti & lets off fireworks*

Cover for Paperback edition

Pretty cover is still ridiculously pretty! And now has ominous words!

To celebrate I’m giving away a signed copy of the hardback or the paperback (your choice) of The Treachery of Beautiful Things, and a beautiful oak pendent from the Irish Archaeology shop.

In Celtic folklore the oak is the king of the trees. One of the many legends I touched on in The Treachery of Beautiful Things is that of the oak king and the holly king, and their eternal battle for control of the forest. As the seasons turn, one or the other takes control, defeating the other. But the seasons always turn, and the king is always reborn so the battle continues. Until one king finds a way to enslave the other.

The oak is a majestic tree. There’s one just over my backgarden wall.

So in order to win, leave me a comment telling me your favorite tree or tree legend. The more the merrier so tell your friends and spread the word about the giveaway. It’s open worldwide and I’ll close it this time next week (8th August).

Come one come all. Help me celebrate being a paperback writer. *wanders off singing the Beatles*

Happy May Day – Giveaway

competition, New Books, New releases,

 

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

The Treachery of Beautiful Things booklaunch

Awesome authors, New Books, New releases, Out and About, Photo Moments, ,

What a wonderful night. With photos to prove it…

Look at my pretty book! Look at all the pretty books!

Having spent the two previous days getting apologies from those who couldn’t make it (with perfectly valid reasons of course), with a major concert on in Dublin, the Junior Cert exam results out that day, and traffic chaos, I was expecting no one to make it but we had a great turnout in the end. Yay! I didn’t get to talk to everyone, nor as much as I would have liked to but it was fantastic to see so many people, new friends and old. (Yes, I got into trouble for mentioning my “oldest” friends — I think I am forgiven now, barely. “The people with whom I have been friends the longest” isn’t quite so snappy though.)

Bob from The Gutter Bookshop introduced us,and Celine Kiernan spoke so kindly about The Treachery of Beautiful Things.

The wonderful Celine Kiernan

And I thanked … well everyone in the world really, virtual, imaginary, and real.

Speechifying

But eventually I shut up again and we had cake.

Did I mention the cake? 😀

Oh yes, there was cake

I didn’t actually get any cake because I was signing books

Signing books

but I’m told people enjoyed it and the hoard of small children surrounding the table earned themselves the nickname “The Cookie Monsters”.

And then it was time to go home. Thanks so much to everyone who was able to make it, who sent good wishes and celebrated online. I had a fabulous evening. I hope you did too!

Ruth and Celine – see how much fun I’m having?

Next up, it’s Titancon, from the 21st of September, in Belfast. I’ll be on the literary panels, and signing books. Check out those guests! Can’t wait!

The Treachery of Beautiful Things is now available, from Dial Books at

Indiebound |  Book Depository | Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk | Barnes & Noble | Powells

and at your local bookshop.

eta: I forgot to add – The Treachery of Beautiful Things got a STARRED REVIEW in the ALA Booklist – their review is here.

Out in the wild – Book Launch imminent

Awesome authors, Life Happens, New Books, New releases, Out and About, ,
In the wild…

The countdown is on to the book launch. My brain has switched into its usual stress management mode – BAKE ALL THE THINGS!

Venue: The Gutter Bookshop
Date: Wednesday 12th September – 6.30pm until 8pm

Free and Everyone welcome. Encouraged even.

There will be cake. Just saying.

The book will be launched by the wonderful and talented, not to mention award winning Celine Kiernan.

There should be photos (if I charge my camera and find a photographer). And there might be wine. (*ahem*)

So come one, come all to the Gutter Bookshop tomorrow evening and see what happens.

~~oO0~~

The Treachery of Beautiful Things

by Ruth Frances Long

Now available:

Indiebound |  Book Depository | Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk | Barnes & Noble | Powells

and your local bookshop!!!

Launch Day – The Treachery of Beautiful Things

New Books, New releases, Publications

And what a wonderful day it has been so far.

All the lovely wishes, the people saying hello and congrats, friends and strangers, and the photos people have been sending of the book appearing on their eReaders!

I’m so happy that we’re here, and that Treachery (which was once just May Queen) is out in the world. So thank you to everyone who helped — friends, crit partners, gnats, agents, editors, everyone. You’ve all been amazing.

Now available:

Indiebound |  Book Depository | Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk | Barnes & Noble | Powells

and from your local bookseller

Inspirations for The Treachery of Beautiful Things – Author Video 3

Author video, Blogtour, Booktrailer, competition, Guestblogging, Interviews, links and stuff, New Books, New releases, ,

Oh my goodness – only one more day to go. How fabulous! It’s so exciting. Tomorrow is the Book Birthday!

This week we’ve had: an interview with me at Xpresso Reads, a wonderful Dream Cast at Book Me! and a guestpost from me about some of the things that went into writing The Treachery of Beautiful Things at Nick’s Book Blog.

It’s the last day of the The Itching For Books Blog Tour but there are still a few coming up over the next few days, so keep your eyes pealed!

Thanks to the joy of Irish weather (which went from unpredictable to biblical today) the last video was filmed entirely indoors but as its about the Ridgeway, the Uffington White Horse and Wayland’s Smithy, that didn’t really matter. Last year while researching The Treachery of Beautiful Things I took a trip to the Ridgeway, so there’s lots of pictures taken there. And it was lovely and sunny!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the videos, the glimpses of some of the inspiration of this book and I hope you’ll enjoy The Treachery of Beautiful Things. It can be bought everywhere from tomorrow (and in a couple of places already) or it can be ordered from (among other places) …

Indiebound |  Book Depository | Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk | Barnes & Noble | Powells