Book Republic

(via martinaboone)

Robert Frost

leannewaters:

I’m very proud to announce the date of the upcoming book launch! My forthcoming title My Secret Life: A Memoir of Bulimia is being launched on Tuesday, November 1st 2011.

The evening kicks off at 6.30pm in The Dublin Bookshop on Grafton Street and will include an opportunity to buy My Secret Life, book-signings and guest speakers. It would be great if we could get a good turnout so be sure to spread the word and I hope to see you all there! :)

You can RSVP to this event on Facebook by following the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=278484828848241

Thank you all for your wonderful and unyielding support.

Leanne x

Have a read of this article from BR author Derbhile Dromey, writer of ‘The Pink Cage’. Here Derbhile gives advice on how to find time to write amidst the busy structure of your everyday life…a must read for aspiring authors! 

A few days ago, I read about a writer, quite well known, who said that she had given up because it was taking too much valuable time from her family life. She said she loved her new career in pottery, but I still thought it was a pity she wasn’t able to balance her time so that she could enjoy family life and writing life.

Time is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that aspiring writers encounter. ‘I don’t have enough time,’ they say. ‘I wish I could find the time.’

But the truth is, if you really want to write, you’ll find the time.

This might sound like a very arrogant thing to say from someone who doesn’t have a job outside writing, doesn’t have children and doesn’t have a husband (yet!). But time isn’t the real issue. The real issue is fear. That and the natural human tendency to take the easy route. It’s so much easier to channel surf or go on Facebook than face the blank page or computer screen.

Even in the busiest life, there are little pockets of time that you can use for your writing. Our creative writing tutor had us map out our time on a spreadsheet to help us figure out where those pockets were. And there are always more of them than you think.

Early Mornings

Are you a morning person? Why not take advantage of the stillness and peace in the house while everyone else is asleep. It’s an easy way to snatch time for yourself without interrupting the rhythm of your work and family life. Or you could swap a book for a notebook on your daily commute.

A Writing Lunch

Do you read while you’re eating your lunch at work? Why not swap the book for a notebook? It might mean that you need to escape to your car, but giving your mind a break from the cycle of work will energise it for the afternoon. If you enjoy socialising with your colleagues, you could still do it at the coffee break.

While You’re Waiting

We spend a good bit of our lives these days waiting, in a queue at the bank, in a doctor’s surgery, or on hold while you’re on the phone. Writing doesn’t have to take place in a sacred, silent space. You could be waiting a long time to find one. If your life is hectic, you write where and when you can. And at least you won’t have to silently fume at the time you’re wasting.

In the Evenings

Evenings are the time when we slump into a happy torpor in front of the telly, or curl up with a good book. Writing can be the last thing on our minds. But it’s also the longest stretch of time we have in a day. And for night people, it’s when they’re most alert. Besides, delving into another world can be a very relaxing way to spend time. Like a holiday for your brain. And you don’t even have to miss your favourite programmes – you can Sky Plus them.

The best news of all is that you don’t need to spend hours every day writing your masterpiece. All you need is 10 minutes.  In 10 minutes, if you write like fury, you could end up with 300 words. That’s 2,100 words per week. And more than 100,000 words in a  year. Even if you wrote nothing, you’d still be moving your writing forward by taking the time to think. Put in those terms, your writing goals will be a lot more attainable. And your fear barrier will melt away.

- Derbhile Dromey

If you would like to read more useful writing tips from Derbhile Dromey, then simply click here to follow her blog, Writerly Derv.

Almost as good as the real thing… Check the photo posted by The Memory of Trees author Mick Rooney - the cake version of his forthcoming novel!

The second installment of Gillian Duffy’s video diary is now online. Gillian answers some questions that have been sent in and also discusses useful writing techniques. Her book, ‘The LA Commandments’, will be launched by Book Republic in ten days time and it is now available as an e-copy off Amazon.

Countdown to the book launch is on!

Have a look at Gillian Duffy’s first vlog, author of ‘The LA Commandments’. More vlogs to come soon, so watch this space!

“16 days and counting…hope to see you there. G ;-)”

- Gillian Duffy, author of ‘The L.A. Commandments’

Gillian’s book is being launched by Book Republic on 18 August 2011. For more information on the launch click here, and the book trailer for ‘The L.A. Commandments’ is available to view here.

‘Chantilly Dawns’, by Lissa Oliver

From James Tait Award and Longman History Award nominee, Lissa Oliver, comes a gripping horseracing thriller.

When top jockey Marcel Dessaint loses his racing licence, his whole world falls apart. Accused of deliberately pulling up healthy horses, Marcel is passed a verdict of ‘Gross Misconduct’ and forced to face the enmity of his peers. With a famous face and nowhere to hide in Chantilly, Marcel becomes an outcast in the only world he knows.

With The Derby now out of his reach, he struggles to overcome his own self-doubt, while battling to uncover the truth behind the horses’ defeats and clear his name.

As he gradually fears he may have been betrayed by one of his closest friends, he discovers all too late that it’s not just his licence on the line. Lives are at stake…

To read an extract of ‘Chantilly Dawns’, click here.

maverick-house:

Maverick House has just reprinted Welcome to Hell: One man’s fight for life inside the Bangkok Hilton. This is the 15th edition of Welcome to Hell so far! You can purchase a copy of this book on amazon here or you can download the kindle edition here