Category Archives: New releases

Die Chroniken der Fae: Auf Papier und Asche is out today!

*Ridiculously excited warning*

So, a long long time ago, when I was still in school I was in a German class supposedly learning German. And I had my German book out on the table in front of me and was for all appearances studying very hard.

Unfortunately, I was not actually doing that. I was writing a novel on a book perched on my knees under the desk.

Of course, I was caught, my lovely novel was confiscated and I had the mortifying experience of having to go to the staff room at the next break and ask for it back. It was the only copy. This is long before the days of computers and multiple backups. My German teacher told me it was very good. Which meant she’d read it.

Long_DieChronikenI wished for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. It didn’t. I never learned more than a few words of German. Enough, I hope, to be polite. And ask about sightseeing.

BUT

more fool me because today my novel A Crack in Everything comes out in German from CBT and I cannot read it!!! But it is called Die Chroniken der Fae: auf Papier und Asche (Chronicles of the Fae: from paper and ashes). I have been really lucky to work with the lovely Karen Gerwig as translator. And the cover is BEAUTIFUL! Once more the cover fairies have come through for me with flying colours and the artwork by the wonderful Isabelle Hirtz is stunning.

So, if you are lucky enough to be able to read German, or simply want to own a book with a magnificent cover featuring Izzy Gregory, here is Die Chroniken der Fae: auf Papier und Asche.

*pets*

~oOo~

Also a reminder that I will be in Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street on Thursday evening from 6pm for a YA panel with Claire Hennesy, Dave Rudden and Louise O’Neill. Come and join us!

#YAieDay and Octocon

So, #YAieDay is on Twitter tomorrow, a day when we celebrate all things YA in Ireland, and I’m going to be on from 1.10-1.50 swearing… sorry “talking” about swearing with Kim Hood and Sally Nicholls. Follow the #YAieDay hashtag on Twitter and the full (amazing) lineup and programme is here. Thanks to the marvellous Michelle Moloney King for putting this together.

And then, next week it’s Octocon. And the programme is now up online too. Another brilliant line up of people and lots of YA here.

So this is what I’ll be up to.

Busy busy busy…

  • Friday, October 9
    7pm
    Ireland as a location
    A. Tivoli/Yeats, 7pm – 8pm
  • Saturday, October 10
    1pm
    As the creator Intended?
    C. Gaiety, 1pm – 2pm
  • 3pm
    Historical Inaccuracies.
    B. Abbey, 3pm – 4pm
  • 7pm
    Late Night Panel: Sex In Fiction/Erotica
    B. Abbey, 7pm – 8pm
  • Sunday, October 11
    2pm
    A Fantasy of My Own
    A. Tivoli/Yeats, 2pm – 3pm
  • 3pm
    Irish Mythology And Its International Spread
    A. Tivoli/Yeats, 3pm – 4pm
  • 4pm
    Readings from our Authors featuring Planetfall by Emma Newman
    B. Abbey, 4pm – 5pm
  • 5pm
    Practical Magic: Perspectives of Pagans, Gamers, and Fantasy Authors
    B. Abbey, 5pm – 6pm

The whole programme can be found here. Come along and say hello! I will probably be the person rushing between panels but say hello anyway! 😀

Magical Places of Dubh Linn: The Dubh Linn Gardens & Chester Beatty Library

DubhLinnGarden

In the grounds of Dublin Castle, the Dubh Linn gardens sit on the site of the original black pool. They are decorated with intertwined brick pathways representing eels. The central lawn double jobs as a helicopter landing pad, while small gardens, such as the Garda Memorial Garden, occupy the corners. It is also the site of the Chester Beatty Library, one of my favorite places to visit in Dublin.

Magical Places of Dubh Linn: The Hellfire Club

Hellfire

Montpelier Hill looms large in the supernatural tales of Dublin and even larger in Dubh Linn. Standing on top of it is the Hellfire Club, once a hunting lodge built in 1725. Stones from the cairn beside it were used in the construction and that sort of thing never ends well. It was used by members of the Irish Hellfire Club for meetings and the stories of wild behaviour, gambling, drunkenness and deals with the devil soon followed. They abandoned it after a fire which was reputedly started by one of the members when a footman spilled his brandy. His solution? Setting the man on fire.

Strange occurances, ghostly reports and bad luck continue to be associated with the Hellfire Club.

 

Magical Places of Dubh Linn: Sídheway gate on Bray Head

Sidheway

Doorways to Dubh Linn are everywhere. Sometimes they can be seen and sometimes not, but there’s always some sort of marker, something to identify them. While doing research for A Hollow in the Hills on Bray Head we came across this tree (or maybe these trees?) right in the middle of the path (I use the term loosely, it’s quite a scramble). I had to put it in.

Booklaunch

Windows

We had a wonderful evening on Wednesday. Thank you to everyone who came along or send good wishes. And thank you especially to Bob and the staff of The Gutter Bookshop for putting on such an amazing night.

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Meanwhile, over on Goodreads, The O’Brien Press are giving away three copies of A Hollow in the Hills. You can enter here.

And in their review of A Hollow in the Hills Parents in Touch said ‘Brilliantly drawn characters & a tightly knit plot combine to make an exhilarating read.’