Monday 30 October 2017

We Will Remember Them: the Poets of World War I

Readings from WWI Poets at Ballina Arts Centre this November


Mayo-based poets, Mike Byrne and Anni Wilton-Jones will be reading from a selection of First World War poetry at Ballina Arts Centre on Monday, 13th November, from 8pm.

The event, entitled We Will Remember Them, will feature, in particular, poems written by Irish men and women, such as Katherine Tynan, who lived in Claremorris, and Tom Kettle.

There is no admission charge and everyone is welcome.


Friday 27 October 2017

The Ghost in My House by Susan R. Murphy

A Short Story for Halloween


"Welcome to your new home, Donald. I died in this house and cannot leave, and so shall it be with you and your family."

The Ghost in My House by Susan R. Murphy
A treat (not a trick!) awaits horror fans all this weekend and right through Halloween. The Ghost in My House is a short story by Susan R. Murphy that has just been published in Kindle edition and is on sale now on Amazon.

Starting today (Friday, 27 October) and for the next five days, readers can download it for free as part of a special Kindle promotion. The offer ends at the stroke of midnight on 31 October – the Eve of All Hallows – when, as tradition tells us, ghosts and ghouls return to their unearthly domain.

As the title would suggest, The Ghost in My House is a ghost story on a haunted house theme. Donny, together with his mom and dad and his sister, Tiffany, move into a new home – a small house in Lincoln Acres, part of National City in San Diego. At first, it seems like everything that they could ask for but quickly, they realise that they are not alone. A gruesome murder took place in the house many years before, and the victim is still crying out for revenge.

The Immortals by Susan R. Murphy
While it may sound like familiar territory for horror fans and aficionados nevertheless, it is Susan's distinctive storytelling style that will keep you glued, right to the end. Her previous book, The Immortals (published in 2014) is a collection of short stories that have been described as "very, very scary"! Her writing reflects themes and preoccupations with horror, sci-fi, romance, legends and re-interpretations of tales from ancient Greek mythology.

The Ghost in My House by Susan R. Murphy is published by The Manuscript Publisher. It is available to buy online, in Kindle edition through Amazon.

Thursday 26 October 2017

A Journey Through the Heart of Haunted Ireland

The Rising of Haunted Ireland by GhostÉire.
On Sale Now in print and e-book editions
An e-book edition of The Rising of Haunted Ireland by Anthony Kerrigan, Sinead Houlihan, Jenifer Kerrigan has just been published, in time for the Halloween season now virtually upon us. It is available to buy through all the major online distributors – see below.

The book takes the reader on a journey through Irish haunted locations on and off the beaten track, providing a comprehensive overview of the world of paranormal investigations, offering something to the skeptic as well as the believer and those who simply wish to form their own conclusions. Since the initial publication, this time last year, of the print edition, the book has proven very popular with the reading public, selling well at bookshops and venues across Ireland and further afield.

The authors are members of GhostÉire, a team of paranormal investigators based in the south-west of Ireland, who describe their goal as being "to find spiritual and scientific reasons for the paranormal, the supernatural and similarly unexplained phenomena." Their pursuit of this objective has taken them to locations all over Ireland, investigating possible hauntings and supernatural occurrences, accumulating volumes of recorded and independently verifiable source material in the process. Theirs is a world of whispering lighthouses, misty islands, mind-bending gaols, vanished forts and public houses where the spirits flow a little too unaccountably. Tales of sailors, smugglers, pirate queens, Irish rebels, Vikings and spies crop up along the way.

The bulk of the presentation comprises precise, detailed, often graphic descriptions of paranormal investigations, typically undertaken during the dark and eery hours in some of very remote and inhospitable places. It should be noted that the book does come with a parental advisory warning (not suitable for anyone under 16 years) containing as it does, some strong language and possibly disturbing themes.

The Rising of Haunted Ireland by Anthony Kerrigan, Sinead Houlihan, Jenifer Kerrigan, already available in print editions (hardback and paperback), is on sale now as an e-book edition through global distributors such as Amazon, Smashwords, Apple (iTunes), Barnes & Noble, Kobo, amongst others.

Further information about the book (print and e-book editions), where and how to buy can be obtained from the websites of GhostÉire and The Manuscript Publisher.

Wednesday 4 October 2017

SiarScéal Festival 2017: Exciting News for Authors in October

A last call for entries for the Hanna Greally International Literary Awards 2017 has just gone out. The awards, which form part of the annual SiarScéal Festival, will be presented at this year's event, which takes place over Friday and Saturday, 20-21 October. Roscommon County Library in Roscommon Town is the venue.

All entries must be received by 5pm on Tuesday, 10 October. Entries may consist of poetry or prose and can be posted or submitted online. The theme for this year's competition is Beneath Western Skies. Full details of how to enter, rules of entry, etc. are available from the website of SiarScéal – see Competitions page.

Authors and writers have every incentive to get their entries in. The Overall Prize winner will take away a publishing package valued at €2000, sponsored by The Manuscript Publisher. What this will mean is that the winner will have his or her book published professionally, in print and e-book editions, marketed, promoted and formally launched at a future SiarScéal Festival.

There is also a cash prize of €700 for winner of First Prize. The Ger Hanily Memorial Cup will be awarded to a local entry that best conveys 'sense of place' while trophy prizes will be awarded for Highly Commended entries in poetry and prose categories (local, national, international).

Mary Melvin Geoghegan will adjudicate at this years Awards. She will also be reading from her own work. Mary is the author of no less than four anthologies of poetry and has also edited several volumes of children's poetry and verse. Her most recent collection, Say it like a Paragraph, was published in 2012 by Bradshaw Books.

Also headlining at this year’s festival is Eileen Battersby, journalist, art critic, literary correspondent. She will be reading from her debut novel, Teethmarks on My Tongue, published just last year to a great reception, both in Ireland and internationally.

An open mike session will wind down the evening's entertainment. The formal part of the festival concludes at 5pm. Full details, including programme of events, are available from SiarScéal website – see Festival page.

Rose Morris, author
Rose Morris reads from her winning entry at the 2014 SiarScéal Hanna Greally International Literary Awards. As Overall Winner, her prize was to see her book published professionally, resulting in The Splendiferous Tale of Ferdinand Fox (see below), a whimsical adventure story with a cautionary ecological message, told in the form of children's illustrated verse.

The Splendiferous Tale of Ferdinand Fox by Rose Morris
The Splendiferous Tale of Ferdinand Fox by Rose Morris

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