Rubbing spines with the greats

What do Frederick Forsyth, Lionel Shriver, Roddy Doyle, Jeffrey Deaver, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Philippa Gregory, Sara Gruen, Sheila O'Flanagan and others have in common? They've all rubbed shoulders, or spines, with the 22 authors of Original Sins.

Okay, so it was on a table display in Stonehouse Books, Kilkenny. But I'm sure they enjoyed it, just the same!

On a more serious note, the members of  Two Roads Creative Writing for Publication in Kilkenny are approaching their ultimate weekend after 4 years together. Like our Original Sins anthology, we're tightly bound in perpetuity. Our energy and motivation has been brought to a peak by publication, with group members giving press and radio interviews left, right and centre.

But now we face the long walk. Will other members follow yours truly into the indie publishing world of Amazon Kindle / Smashwords and social networking platforms? Can we keep our focus and continue to strive until we achieve whatever individual breakthrough we seek? If Kilkenny manages to stage a practically focused Creative Writing Masters, will our elation, confidence and drive have endured?

Of course it will. We can. Good things come to those who seek them.

Heartfelt thanks to John McKenna and Suzanne Power for being our mentors. We are writers, we write, therefore we are.

Many hands make light work! Marketing and distribution of an independent book

It's now one week since the launch of the group anthology Original Sins. I have 29 copies of the first 500 left in a box in my dining room and folks will be fighting to the death over them this weekend. Hopefully Tim will bring down another 500 from Dublin!

If this had been solely my own book then I would be umming and ahhing about where to push it, who to ask and trying to deal in advance with the inevitable rejection from bookstores, reluctantly confessing to friends and family that I had published a book and expecting the world to discover my greatness in its own time. (Case in point with PERIL, although readers love the book once they do discover it.)

However, Original Sins is a group effort and that group has every kind of character within it. We have, amongst others, journalists, marketing folk, busy bees, on the road sales types, a relative of Obama and then there's a fella who gives funny speeches. It feels like Legion in the Bible but there's no curing this multiple personality disorder, and just as well! Because the book is now in ten bookshops and available on three websites. It's appeared in four newspapers and has a radio slot planned for readings. 'Splinter launches' are scheduled at different locations e.g. nudefood café in Dungarvan, Co Waterford on May 6th (please dress appropriately because you know I will) and large quantities of wine will be consumed by authors and readers alike. I certainly need a lot of wine to read out my serial killer contribution from THE BAPTIST. No-one will leave empty handed and we'll soon be out of copies.

The book is published through NUI Maynooth's MACE imprint, which is how it has worked its way onto Amazon and Waterstones, but the rest is pure graft by the author team. Take a look:

Original Sins is available to buy at:

IN STORE

The Book Centre, 10 High Street, Kilkenny 056-7762117
The Book Centre, 25 John Roberts Square, Waterford 051-873823
The Book Centre, 5 South Main Street, Wexford 053-9123543
Barker & Jones Book Shop, 2 Poplar Square, Naas, Co. Kildare 045-856130
Maynooth University Bookshop, John Hume Building, NUIM, Maynooth, Co. Kildare 01-6285629
Dubrays Book Shop, Market Cross Shopping Centre Kilkenny 056-7752800
Stonehouse Books, MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre, Kilkenny 056-7790780
The Blessington Book Store, Main Street, Blessington, Co. Wicklow 045-857730
The Bookworm, Liberty Square, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
Easons, Thurles Shopping Centre, Co. Tipperary
Nolan’s Book Shop, New Ross, Co. Wexford

ONLINE

NUIM shop

amazon.co.uk

Waterstones

IN PERSON

You can order copies from any of the 22 authors who will organise purchase from the distribution team.

IN LIBRARIES (lending)

Kilkenny Library

Carlow Library

Kildare Library (Naas & Newbridge)

Waterford Library

Tipperary Library

So, what's the secret to this distribution? Shamelessness. Each author might be a bit embarrassed by their own contribution and self-promotion but they firmly believe in the worthiness of the anthology contributions from the other authors. This is a highly talented bunch and each of us feels honoured in the company of the others. We have no problem promoting each other in ways that we would shy away from if solo.

So what next? I know that I should print colour handouts of PERIL and shamelessly promote it at all the anthology events, but that would be embarrassing. What if it offends? I shall wear a disguise. Wait, I already have a beard and a woman's name. Jane Alexander please post me that all-in-one body suit and Mark / Saffy I'll be ready for the blog interview in a jiffy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Ireland's newest anthology

I want to share with you what happened to the 22 authors of this book over the past four years. Where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing when we said we were ‘going to writing college for the weekend’. Strange events have occurred.

When we arrived here in Hogwarts as first years - young witches, wizards and muggles – we were all nervous. Did we have the magic in our quills? Professors John Dumbledore McKenna and Suzanne McGonnigle Power made everyone welcome. They soon had us flying around on our broomsticks, playing Quidditch and chasing the golden snatch around the grounds. The rigours of John’s morning register and the spiritual escape of Susanne’s talking in tongues were strange, but we believed them when they said the Philosopher’s Stone was within our hearts. He that must not be named tried to sow doubt and fear in our fledgling egos, with terrible deeds such as putting do not park here stickers on our cars, but his powers were weak. The professors had us under their protection.

Year two - some found themselves prisoners in Azkabhan, torn and tortured by Dementors. There they lost their minds and their writer’s muse. We hope they’ll escape one day to join us. Meanwhile, a fresh intake arrived here at Hogwarts and were trained in the Dark Arts. They endured new hardships, such as lack of custard cream biscuits at tea break, outbursts of writers’ zeal from John and Suzanne forgetting the matches for her candles. They began to tune in to the subliminal hypnosis of John’s reading voice and experiment using Suzanne’s powers. There were whispers of self-doubt in ears at night from he that must not be named but together the students found the Horcrux, destroyed the second beast and dreamed of walking amongst literary giants.

The third year and existing students received an invitation by owl to attend the Two Roads course. Some of them were also too weak to escape Azkabhan and they languish in agony there. The lucky ones gathered here to look down their noses at the new first years and fight over the chocolate digestives. John, weakened by frequent growing and shaving off his beard, found increased strength with the launch of a new book of magic The Space Between Us (available on amazon.com and at all good book stores). Suzanne put herself through pre-nuptial purification rituals and took us on a journey of self-discovery where we discovered...ourselves.

Year four and the final struggle with the Death Eaters of doubt commenced. Hermione Powers married her Ron and brought the powers of Angel Journey (available on amazon.com and at all good book stores) into battle on our side. Dumbledore McKenna allowed us increased playtime to perfect our spells. Our writers’ muscles became bunched with self-belief and huge with the strength of inspiration. We stood shoulder to shoulder against the dark forces and destroyed the remaining Horcruxes of self-doubt one by one. Then we poured a piece of our own souls into Original Sins (available on amazon.com, at all good book stores and also right here tonight).

The world is full of writers who will never experience the joy that publication of their work brings. Tonight, here in Hogwarts, 22 authors have made that first, vital step.

As Bill Clinthon and Barrack Omama recently said at a cocktail party, Original Sins is the best anthology the world has ever produced.

Never let fact get in the way of fiction.

A confection of original sins

The April 8th launch of this anthology is the culmination of three years' work by twenty-two Irish writers. Suzanne Power and John McKenna have been our guides and mentors on the Two Roads course run by NUI Maynooth in Kilkenny. This is a paperback of 200 pages containing short stories and opening chapters of novels. The book will be available at the launch and in good bookshops throughout the South East of Ireland. (Also UK pre-order through amazon.)

Yours truly has featured with opening chapters from The Baptist and I'm a bit nervous as I have to read at the launch. Not nervous because of the showmanship (I'm karaoke king!) but because The Baptist is a bit risqué. If you plan to attend then don't be put off by that or by the 'Theology Hall' venue - there'll be wine!

Suzanne, John and the team have edited and produced a very professional anthology.

Suzanne Power is an Irish journalist and published author of several works of fiction and non-fiction. Her latest offering Angel Journey is a beautifully written book that draws you gently yet very persuasively into one woman's honest and deeply sincere journey through the realm of spirit.

John MacKenna is a playwright, broadcaster and published author of several works of short stories, fiction and non-fiction. His recent novel The Space Between Us is a disturbing and shocking story of relationships, deftly told.

A closing thought: have you taken the right road?

The Road not Taken

by Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
and looked down one as far as I could
to where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
and having perhaps the better claim
because it was grassy and wanted wear;
though as for that, the passing there
had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
in leaves no feet had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference.



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