Category Archives: Young Adult

Octocon 2019

Awesome authors, Dubh Linn, Fantasy Romance, Octocon, Out and About, Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi Romance, Space Opera, YAIE, Young Adult,

On Sunday the 13th of September we’ve having a mini-Octocon (just the one day – I think everyone is still exhausted after Worldcon). All the details are on the website and the programme is now up.

I’m absolutely delighted to be a guest, especially as the theme is fairies! And I’m also there as Jessica Thorne so looking forward to talking about Sci-Fi Romance as well. You can find out what I’m up to here and the details are below. It’s an amazing line up. I hope to see many of you there. Come and say hello.

11am The Fae in Popular Culture
Room 4&5
Tags: panel
Jack Fennell (m), Ruth Frances Long, Lora O’Brien, Peadar Ó Guilín, Karina Steffens

On one hand we have the dangerous creatures of Irish mythology and Terry Pratchett’s malicious Lords and Ladies; on the other, sexy elf-lords and twee little creatures with their homes in trees. How have our perceptions and cultural understanding of the Fae been altered, influenced or completely disregarded by modern fantasy novels, Hollywood, and TV shows like Carnival Row and Charmed?

2pm Author Readings
Room 12, 2pm – 2:25pm
Tags: reading
Ruth Frances Long, Peadar Ó Guilín

Guest authors Peadar Ó Guilín and Ruth Frances Long/Jessica Thorne read from their recent work.

3pm
Romance in SFF: Not Just a Sub Plot
Room 11
Tags: panel
Ellen Brickley, Jack Fennell, Ruth Frances Long, Atlin Merrick (m), C.E. Murphy

Many SFF stories involve romance – it’s part of human nature, after all. SFF romance as a subgenre is as varied and creative as the genre as a whole but has often been .dismissed and undervalued. But why should lovers (of romance) settle for it being considered second-best to dragons and rocket ships?

5pm From the Terror in the Night to a Bedtime Tale
Room 4&5
Tags: panel
Karina Coldrick, Diane Duane, Ruth Frances Long, Peadar Ó Guilín, MaryBrigid Turner

Once gruesome cautionary tales of warning, fairy tales somehow became cute children’s stories instead. Is it time for a return to the horror stories of old or do they need to evolve to remain alive? Are any of them no longer suitable for modern audiences, and is there room for both Disney sweetness and the grimmest of Grimm for children and adults alike?

 

A Bookish Tour of Ireland

Dubh Linn, links and stuff, YAIE, Young Adult,

http://stackedbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/crack-in-everything-book-cover.jpgI’ve been running around a bit the last month between Worldcon (which was amazing) in Dublin and then up to Titancon (also amazing). And now I will be in the editing cave for most of September.

But I was delighted to find out that A Crack in Everything is included in Stacked’s “A Bookish Tour of Ireland” today. It’s an amazing round up of YA books set in Ireland. Thanks so much for the inclusion.

Check it out.

I’ll be at Octocon on the 13th October in Blanchardstown. There will be badges and ribbons. Oh yes. More of them.

In the mean time, I’d better get back to work. Jessica Thorne is very demanding. 😉

Angels everywhere

Dubh Linn, links and stuff, YAIE, Young Adult, , ,

I got a wonderful email today to let me know that A Crack in Everything is on a list of 10 Glorious Young Adult Fantasy Books About Angels. There’s a super list of books featuring angels and apparently an AI generated video describing them. (!)

So if you’re interested in angel books have a look.

Of course A Crack in Everything, and its sequels A Hollow in the Hills and A Darkness at the End are available in all good bookshops. They have slightly less jogging and winged sprites and more desperate escapes, blood and terror but hey. 😀

And now back I go to working on the new Jessica Thorne project. More soon. <3

Happy New Year

Cover Love, Fantasy Romance, New Books, New releases, Sci-Fi Romance, Space Opera, YAIE, Young Adult, ,

Happy New Year to all. And here’s to a great reading and writing year, which begins for me very soon with the publication of The Stone’s Heart, by my alter-ego Jessica Thorne on the 19th February.

The Stone’s Heart is the sequel to The Queen’s Wing. As it follows on directly from the first book, some of the story is in Bel’s point of view and the rest is in that of her bodyguard and friend, Petra Kel’s. Petra was one of those characters that was just meant to be a bit part in the background. But Petra being Petra, refused to stay there. And why would she? She’s awesome.

Yes, I had a minor character who wouldn’t shut up and wanted to be heard. Shocking! (/sarcasm)

For those of you on Netgalley, The Stone’s Heart should be appearing there in just over a week. It’s also available for pre-order on Kindle.

Come back to Anthaeus for another adventure, reunite with old friends and meet some new ones and find out what Petra’s been hiding all this time. And what Zander got up to on Cuore (or some of it anyway).

Any thoughts on who else should feature in future books, I’d love to hear them.

World book day…

Life Happens, Out and About, Writing Craft, Writing Life, YAIE, Young Adult

World Book DayIt’s that time of year again. World Book Day is almost upon us. It’s more like World Book Month though if you’re an author doing school visits. Not that I would change that for a moment.

There is nothing so exhilarating(and/or terrifying) than a room full of teenagers gathered to hear you talk about writing. Like a grown up. Like you know something about it. Like a real author.

You know what I mean.

But while not my natural habitat, I find school visits to be a whirlwind of excitement. I love talking to readers and hopefully future readers. And of course writers or hopefully future writers. There are a lot out there. We always need more.

So while it is nerve racking (seriously, I’ll shake like a leaf beforehand and collapse in a heap afterwards) there is also nothing so worthwhile for an author than getting out there and directly connecting with your readership.

And the questions… oh my, the questions…

This week I’ll be going to Drogheda Grammar School on Wednesday 1st March and on World Book Day itself, Thursday 2nd March, I’ll be in Dubray Bookshop in Bray talking to local students. The following week I’m going to Coláiste Chillian in Clondalkin and High School in Rathgar. All this and work too.

*gazes longingly at bed and promises self I’ll sleep in April*

Die Chroniken der Fae – In Liebe und Hoffnung

Cover Love, Dubh Linn, Interviews, YAIE, Young Adult,

So excited to share this – the cover of the German edition of A Darkness at the End, featuring a familiar and beautiful face.

Die Chroniken der Fae - In Liebe und Hoffnung von Ruth Frances Long
Die Chroniken der Fae – In Liebe und Hoffnung von Ruth Frances Long

I can’t get over how amazing these covers are and how beautifully they capture the characters.

In case you missed it as well I’ve been in the Irish Times, and A Darkness at the End got a mention in the Sunday Independent. And I’ll be hosting #writerswise on twitter on Thursday evening. All busy here.

Magpie Encounter at Octocon

Dubh Linn, Octocon, Out and About, Writing Life, YAIE, Young Adult, , , , ,

I had such a wonderful time at Octocon including the somewhat surreal experience of meeting one of my own characters! Fantastic Magpie cosplay, including threats of violence, weapons and menace.

A writer’s dream come true. Or possibly a nightmare…

magpiekate

Hoping for a relatively quiet Halloween weekend but next weekend I’m up in Ardagh for the Frightfest! Here’s hoping I don’t get followed!