Showing posts with label #tirgearrpublishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #tirgearrpublishing. Show all posts

Friday, 9 February 2018

Cover Reveal and Now ready for Pre-Order


It's here, it's happening and I am so happy, thrilled and loving the cover of my sequel, 💝💝💝

Don't Call Me Mum, 
Lacey Taylor Story, Book 2.









Lacey Taylor’s life was turned upside down by the stroke of a pen, putting her on a path to find her birth mother, Cora Maguire. But Cora is not the maternal type. Their relationship is strained as Lacey struggles for Cora’s affection. When Lacey’s life-path takes an unplanned twist, Cora becomes furious. How often can Lacey deal with life’s struggles without finally succumbing to them?

use the above link to read the opening pages of Don't Call Me Mum.

To Pre-Order your copy now for the special promo price of 99c/99p and be the first to receive it on publication day, March 7th 2018, go to your favourite book site and order it. 
Feel free to share the good news, thank you. 

Monday, 11 December 2017

A New Release for Christy in January 2018


It is always nice to host a fellow writer but when that author is also a fellow author of the same publishing house, then it's a real pleasure. Please take time to check out this new release coming on January 10th 2018, from Christy Nicholas. All the information you need is right below. Enjoy.

Misfortune of Vision is book #4 of the Druid's Brooch Series for Christy Nicholas. A historical fantasy set in 12th century Ireland and is available for Pre-Order NOW  


Amazon Celtic Fairies, Fables, and Folklore! Bestselling author (top #100 Amazon Canada, #1 in Paranormal Fantasy, Canada) 


Christy Nicholas, also known as Green Dragon, is an author, artist and accountant. After she failed to become an airline pilot, she quit her ceaseless pursuit of careers that begin with 'A', and decided to concentrate on her writing. Since she has Project Completion Disorder, she is one of the few authors with NO unfinished novels. 
Christy has her hands in many crafts, including digital art, beaded jewelry, writing, and photography. In real life, she's a CPA, but having grown up with art all around her (her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are/were all artists), it sort of infected her, as it were.
She wants to expose the incredible beauty in this world, hidden beneath the everyday grime of familiarity and habit, and share it with others. She uses characters out of time and places infused with magic and myth.                                                                                 



Blurb for Misfortune of Vision

Prophecy Can Be Dangerous 

In 12th century Ireland, Orlagh has been Seer to her king for forty years. He doesn’t want to hear her prophecies of war and destruction, and dismisses her efforts to warn him. Therefore, she is determined to fulfill her own quest: to find a worthy heir for her magical brooch. 
In the course of events, she must pass judgement on a thief, escape a Norman war camp, and battle wits with a Fae lord. She receives some prophecy of her own and enlists the help of a grizzled old warrior, who happens to be a long-time friend.






To connect with Christy and to pre-order your copy, check out the following links.


I wish Christy wonderful success in her writing and looking forward to reading more from her in the future. 

Wednesday, 2 August 2017

Competition Time coming up

Hello, everyone. I am going to run a copmetition over on my FaceBook author page if you are interested in entering. The winner shall get a signed paperback copy of my novel, My Husband's Sin. If you already own a copy, thank you, but you could still give it as a present to someone in your life, so nothing to lose by heading over and liking my page, 💓 Also if you prefer, you can ask for a copy of my westerns instead.
FaceBook Author Page.
https://www.facebook.com/Mary-T-Bradford-Author-464343040298924/?pnref=story

If you prefer to get your copy rather than waiting for the competition, use the below link, also on amazon.com
https://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Husbands-Sin-Mary-Bradford-ebook/dp/B00MX5TJZ2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Here are some of my latest reviews for my novel, in case you are wondering if it's your thing, 😀

5.0 out of 5 starsmasterful
ByAmazon Customer on July 29, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition
A difficult idea to come to terms with, which I suppose is the whole point of the novel. What do we really know about each of the characters in the story? What do they know about each other? The author enmeshes us in the situation and it can be difficult to come up for air.
I was intrigued by the publisher’s description and carried on being intrigued as the story worked itself out, always going in directions I hadn’t anticipated.
A masterful piece of writing.


*** 
The fall-out affects every member and they struggle to regain the happy family unit they once sharedJuly 16, 2017
This review is from: My Husband's Sin (Kindle Edition)
This book transported me to Ireland. I smiled, laughed and cried with this book. All I can say without giving spoilers is I loved reading this. It was my first book by Mary T Bradford and I’m now going to look for more. 4.5*

***
A brilliant story, that takes numerous twists and turns22 July 2017
This review is from: My Husband's Sin (Kindle Edition)
A story focused on an Irish family of four siblings who have their world ripped out from under their feet following the reading if their mothers Will and the journey this takes them on.
This book is brimming with strong characters who all have their story to tell alongside the turmoil they have been thrown into.
Demonstrating the strength of family ties and how no matter how well lies are hidden the truth always materialises in the end.
A brilliant story, that takes numerous twists and turns throughout

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

California Dreaming 2017

State flag & Old Glory
I have been quiet on social media recently as I took myself off to California, USA. I had never travelled to the States before so this was an exciting trip for me, in more ways than one. I was also meeting up with some authors for some chat and sharing, all connected to writing of course!
I stayed in Hotel Huntington Beach, which proved to be a lovely hotel with friendly staff and good food.

So who did I get to meet?

First off, I met with writers, Earl Chessher and Mary Ann Osness, both living in the area and members of Fiction Writers Group (FWG). Earl is an accomplished writer with many titles under his belt https://www.amazon.com/Earl-Chessher/e/B011XZY0NS . Mary Ann is starting out and enjoying success with her debut book, Lost https://www.amazon.com/Lost-M-Osness-ebook/dp/B018EYG052


Aleigha & myself with Strider. 
Next up was a lunch with a fellow Tirgearr Publishing author, Aleigha Siron. I was thrilled to meet Aleigha. She and I enjoyed lunch at Rubies, at the end of Huntington Pier.
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Siron_Aleigha/index.htm
It was a pleasure to also meet her husband, Bob and her dog, Strider.







Earl, Mary Ann, Myself & Justin 
On the Friday, again it was time to meet with Mary Ann and Earl, but also joining us was another FWG writer, Justin Ames.

A lively discussion took place on all things publishing, inspiration and projects that were ongoing.
Travelling from Ireland, (11 hour direct flight with Aer Lingus) I really appreciated the hospitality and friendship shown to me by so many. It was a wonderful experience and one I intend to repeat. Now to get working on all I decided to do, motivated by all I met.


Sunday, 31 May 2015

Sizzling Summer Ahead, Cover Reveal Today

One Night in Barcelona

Revealing a cover is always an exciting time for an author. I so enjoy it and today's cover reveal is my 3rd. I love this cover and I know you will too. One Night in Barcelona is part of the City Nights Series from Tirgearr Publishing.
Whether this summer will be sunny and warm or pouring with rain, I can guarantee a HOT SEXY read where all your senses will sizzle!!
Launching on June 24th, my erotic romance, One Night in Barcelona, will have you booking your plane tickets for this great city.

It is now available for pre-order on Amazon sites and Smashwords, so don't delay get your name on a copy of One Night in Barcelona.
PRE-ORDER LINKS HERE http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Bradford_MaryT/one-night-in-barcelona.htm


Sunday, 17 May 2015

Another Title for Jeff.


I am excited to welcome fellow Tirgearr author Jeff Gardiner to my blog and to share his new novel with you all. 

Mary Bradford: I want to ask you about your new novel, Treading On Dreams. Will you tell us about the theme behind it, and what were your thoughts on writing this book? 

Jeff Gardiner: It’s the worst thing in the world: being in love, or even obsessed with someone who doesn’t feel the same way about you.
“Let’s just be friends” or “I don’t feel the same way about you” are terrible phrases to hear. There’s very little you can do about it whilst clinging on to your dignity, unless you plan to provoke or bore them into eventual submission. The message is pretty clear.
It’s not easy to then ignore the images, emotions, thoughts and fantasies dominating your mind, as those cruel words echo through it (usually when you wake up at 3am). But just for your own sanity you’ve got to decide whether to continue with the friendship and hope – risking serious hurt as you watch them get involved in other relationships; or to give up on them entirely.
In Treading On Dreams, Donny is obsessed with Selena who is engaged to the perfect man. But Donny refuses to give up, and he bides his time. It’s a risky strategy, which is very likely to go horribly wrong.
I wrote Treading On Dreams in an attempt to explore how those feelings of hope and desire mix with the jealousy and anger rising from romantic and sexual rejection. Donny attempts to distract himself from his obsession by enjoying other sensual and sometimes overwhelming new experiences, guided by his dubious friend, Jaz. It’s contemporary fiction, with twenty-something characters learning about love (or not).


Blurb:
Donny is obsessed with his housemate, Selena – but his love is unrequited. He enthusiastically accepts her willing friendship, which only fuels his deepening fantasies.
 Jaz is their crazy landlord who likes sleeping with women – lots of them. He takes pleasure in educating the once innocent Donny in the hedonistic pleasures of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. It blows Donny’s mind.

Selena is engaged to Melvin – the perfect man – but is also keen to befriend the ever-demanding Donny ... until she falls pregnant and her wedding looms.
Donny expresses his true feelings at the wedding, causing mayhem and anger. But there remains a chink of hope: perhaps Selena’s marriage to Melvin is not quite as perfect as it seems.


Now Read an Extract from TREADING ON DREAMS:

Donny sat in his room reading, until interrupted by a light tap on his door.
‘Is it okay if I come in?’
Selena!
He jumped up and opened the door. ‘Of course. I always allow beautiful women into my bedroom.’ She didn’t respond with her usual coy smile.
‘I need to have a chat with you, Donny. Is now a good time?’ She sat on the corner of the bed and he sat next to her, carefully cradling his drink.
‘Donny, I get this feeling you and I have been getting quite close recently and I’ve really enjoyed your company and friendship.’
Donny’s face went hot.
‘Yes, it’s been wonderful. I love being with you.’
‘Well, I don’t think we should spend so much time together.’
Blood pumped in his ears and it almost deafened him. ‘Sorry?’
‘I only want us to be friends. I don’t want any more than that, Donny.’
‘Oh… no, okay.’ However, it wasn’t him speaking; he was a character in a corny film.
She walked out without looking at him or saying another word.

***

The phrase haunted Donny’s mind, echoing through the lonely darkness of each night: ‘I only want us to be friends.’ He imagined Selena saying it to him with her face warped into a mocking snarl.
After a while, the tablets started to lose their effect and waiting to drift into sleep was a tortured agony, but the more he thought about sleep, the more awake he felt.
How stupid he was to believe he ever had a chance with Selena. Scared of bursting into tears when meeting her, he avoided her for a few days, until one day he walked in on her making a cup of tea.
They both smiled politely but managed to avoid a conversation. Once Selena had made her drink, she quickly scuttled off to her room for the evening.
Donny struggled to put his thoughts together with his mind a jumble of loss, vulnerability, and dismay. 


Some interesting facts about Jeff and how to get in touch with him

Jeff is a British author and editor, born in Nigeria, now living in West Sussex. Treading On Dreams is published by Tirgearr, and his other novels are Myopia and Igboland (both published by Crooked Cat), and he also has a collection of short stories and a non-fiction work to his name. Jeff recently gave up teaching to concentrate on writing, editing and performing, and has just signed a three book deal with Accent Press for his ‘Gaia’trilogy.

Jeff’s Website: www.jeffgardiner.com

TREADING ON DREAMS purchase links:



Mary Bradford: I want to thank Jeff for dropping by and sharing his work with us and wish him great success with his novel. 


Tuesday, 27 January 2015

A Fresh New Voice, J.D. Martins


WARNING, OVER 18 CONTENT FOLLOWS


Today I have the pleasure of welcoming and introducing a new author in the erotic romance genre to my blog. He is J.D. Martins. So, allow me tell you a bit about him.
JD Martins has been called Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Philippine and English and Australian. He is none of these.
He's lived in four cities in three countries on two continents, but he doesn't feel like he's travelled very much. His life in each city was rather mundane and he didn't get out much - tending to move his pen more than his body.
He still aspires to see much more of the world - probably when his wife becomes rich enough to let him retire from day jobs.
He would like to live like Ernest Hemmingway: periodically sending novel manuscripts to his publisher from various far-flung corners of the world, though he's not sure the quality will be quite the same. Until then, he has contented himself with living like Robert Graves - in a pleasant part of Spain with a quiet life - and being able to do some things that Hemmingway did - trout fishing in Spain, game hunting in Africa, watching bullfights and running with the bulls, - and a few that he did not get to do - surfing, skydiving, bungee jumping, and getting erotic stories published.

Find J.D. on Facebook:



ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK,
Danny left Dublin for Madrid two years ago, but still scans the crowd in the Irish pubs for the face of someone from home. Though doubtful he'll ever recognise anybody, one evening he sees Aisling, a girl he'd known - or wished he'd known - at university. Beautiful but haughty, she'd always ignored Danny, and though he'd fantasised about making love to her, she'd never so much as smiled at him.

To his amazement, Aisling is extremely friendly when she meets him all these years later and away from home. She is still snobby and condescending, but Danny decides to make her night as enjoyable as he can, hoping for one last chance to impress her and make his teenage fantasies come true. As the sultry Madrid night progresses, mere lust grows into affection, and Danny begins to see her snobbery as something else entirely. Will Aisling see Danny as more than just a way to pass her night in Madrid?


NOW THAT WE KNOW A BIT ABOUT THE BOOK AND AUTHOR , WHY NOT ENJOY AN EXTRACT FROM ONE NIGHT IN MADRID?

Extract from ‘One Night in Madrid’ by J.D. Martins

Draining the glass, Danny placed it on the bar, debating whether to have another pint, or stroll home and have a glass of wine while he prepared dinner. The plan was just one pint, but he needed to tell himself that twice; once when he went into the bar and again when he'd finished the drink.
And then he saw her.
She stood quite near, surrounded by a tight knot of people at the edge of the dance floor that had parted momentarily. She wore a cotton summer dress that showed the sweep of her shoulder blades and spine. The dress was floral, red with splashes of black and dark blue. She wore soft brown leather sandals that were almost invisible against her tanned feet. Her toenails were painted red but her fingernails were French polished. A silver or white-gold bracelet hung from her right wrist, and on her left she wore a silver wristwatch, which a discreet look later told him was a Patek Philippe. In her ears she had diamond stud earrings, and on the ring finger of her right hand was a silver ring with a blue stone he couldn't identify.
He didn't see her face straight away, yet something deep inside him said it had to be her.
In college, he'd often stared at this girl's long blonde hair from a few seats behind in the lecture theatre, while far below them a maths professor droned on about matrices. He knew the shape of her head and neck, had observed her tie up that hair, amazed at the beauty of the fine, straight filaments, the way the strands slid like silk over one another, yet held as one tight rope. When she was an infant her mother had clearly decided ever cutting such hair would be a sin, and she’d concurred. She plaited it, put it in a ponytail, tied it up around a clip made of what seemed to Danny like a piece of wood and two chopsticks, or simply a spare pencil. Sometimes it splayed out across her shoulders like a cascade of spun gold. Now it was pulled up in a silver clasp, to reveal the nape of a long, fine neck, and soft-skinned shoulders.
Those shoulders had been bared before, in a hot September of their freshman year, and later, during the intense study month when the cherry blossoms bloomed and fell across the lawns of campus. Danny had fantasised about slipping off that shoulder strap, letting the silky string fall down along her arm, trailing his fingers along her collarbone and ribs and pushing aside the top to expose her breasts.
When she turned around in the bar and he saw her face, Danny instantly searched through his memory to match her visage, and see all six numbers of recognition. It came out a winner. She stared back at him, her brain no doubt doing the same. Although still early, and most—apart from the pre-marriage revellers—were only on their second or third drink, Danny thought she must have been fairly merry already, because as she recognised him she smiled.
She’d never smiled at him before—not in four years of college. Then again, they’d not interacted much. They'd never really talked, never attended the same classes after second year. He'd always told himself she’d never smiled at him because she didn’t know him. Once or twice, of course, she'd turned around, casually, and seen him. But she'd seen lots of others sitting behind her, too. The back rows of the lecture theatre were filled with Danny's friends, who'd varying levels of interest in her hair and the maths lecture; from zero to all-absorbed.
The chance to get to know her had never come around. She'd majored in chemistry, Danny in computer science. He had taken a chemistry class in second year, but she'd always seemed to sit on the opposite side of the theatre then. His gaze had often paused upon her face as he searched through those assembled in a lecture the way he did through the throng of a bar.
She was stunning. Her frame was that of someone who was fit without effort. A swimmer or a gymnast at some point, she had a fine body, breasts the way Hemingway described, wide womanly hips and a behind that eyes or hands could never tire of. She had crystal blue eyes like deep Antarctic ice, and a button nose. Her mouth was perfect. Her teeth had had money spent on them, but her lips were natural; she had a dazzling smile. But before that moment in a Madrid bar, Danny had only received the coldness of those glacial eyes.

**********
 


I WANT TO THANK, J.D. FOR DROPPING BY AND I WISH HIM GREAT SUCCESS WITH ALL HIS WRITING PROJECTS.
TO READ MORE AND ENJOY THE FULL STORY J.D. HAS TO OFFER, YOU CAN FIND ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AT THE FOLLOWING LINKS. 







Tirgearr Website:





Thursday, 21 August 2014

Almost There, One More Sleep



Page 2 of The Vale Star today.



With what has been a very tough emotional week, a close family member is very ill, it is wonderful to see it brighten today. There is an article about me in today's paper and people are so nice coming up to me and congratulating me on my novel, My Husband's Sin, due out tomorrow. I was getting hugs too and I love hugs.



Then this afternoon, some of the swag for promoting my book was delivered. I got really excited as I and my writing friend, author Daniel Kaye, worked hard on them. They are gorgeous. So I shall be getting them out over the next few days. My Husbands Sin is coming alive!



Check out the photo to see the postcards, aren't they cool?
On the front is a picture of my fantastic book cover and the blurb from my novel. Then on the reverse is an author bio and links to where it is available to buy, plus my photo of course. It is making it all so real now. Must say I'm nervous.
Tomorrow it all happen's!


Thursday, 7 August 2014

Publisher Releases Excerpt from My Novel

Excitement mounts as I get closer to the launch date of my debut novel, My Husband's Sin. My publisher,Tirgearr Publishing Ireland has released an excerpt from my book and I am delighted to share it with you. I really hope it whets your appetite for more. So get your e-readers dusted off, even your computers, you can download to these also, so no-one will feel left out!

Let me know what you think in the comments box below. The count down to August 22nd begins...

To read the excerpt, click on the link below.




Friday, 18 July 2014

Cover Revealed Today


It's here, so feast your eyes on my wonderful cover. I'm dancing, singing, and hopping around the room. MY HUSBAND'S SIN is revealed, what do you all think? My good friend, author Daniel Kaye, said he could hear my screams miles away and I even managed to shatter his windows! So join in my dance, jump for joy and watch the windows people!

My Husband's Sin is a story about loss but not in a sad way, it is about how people adapt their lives when the worst is thrown at them. We all have heard that the pen is mightier than the sword and in this novel it is shown to be appropriate. Lacey Taylor receives a letter from her Mum, Lillian, destroying all that Lacey believed to be truthful in her life. But what Lillian hadn't bargained for, was the effect her letter would have on her other three children.
And so the story begins, what happens next? Will Lacey and her siblings recover from the amazing revelations or will the Taylor family fall apart?

All shall be revealed on August 22nd when MY HUSBAND'S SIN will be launched by Tirgearr Publishing, Ireland.
Keep tuned in for the launch day when I'll be giving away some prizes and maybe a free copy or two.

Let the party begin!






Tuesday, 10 June 2014

Meet writer Kate Robbins

Today I have the honour of bringing to you a wonderful writer Kate Robbins who released Promised to the Highlander with Tirgearr Publishing recently which is part of The Highland Chiefs series. Below are an excerpt from her book for you to enjoy and a short synopsis of what it is all about in Promised to the Highlander, just to whet the appetites.  I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.

Nessia Stephenson's world was safe until a threat from a neighbouring clan forces her to accept a betrothal to a man whose family can offer her the protection she needs. The real threat lies in her intense attraction to the man who arranged the match—the clan's chief and her intended’s brother, Fergus MacKay.
When powerful warlord Fergus MacKay arranges a marriage for his younger brother, William, he has no idea the price will be his own heart. Fergus is captivated by the wildly beautiful Nessia, a woman he can never have.
When the feud between the MacKay and Sutherland clans escalates, Nessia, William, and Fergus all must make sacrifices for their future. Longing and loss, honour and duty. How can love triumph under such desperate circumstances?

Excerpt from Kate's book,

William paced while Fergus leaned back in his chair with his long legs stretched out and his arms crossed over his chest. Stephenson was late, not by much, but enough to make William fidget and Fergus take notice. Their three younger siblings, Freya who was in her sixteenth year, John who was fourteen, and eleven-year-old Stephen, waited as well, all in various states of impatience.
The great hall was large and welcoming with dark wooden beams framing the ceiling and walls. Fergus had counted the eighteen beams along the length of the room about a hundred times. William had worn a permanent path on the wide plank floor in front of the red sandstone hearth beneath the many MacKay hunting trophies. Young John sighed again.
“You know, for a man who isn’t eager to meet his future wife, you’ve got quite a set of nerves there lad,” Fergus said to William.
William straightened his linen shirt and smoothed his tunic as he glared at Fergus. Yet, the comment was absorbed and William ceased his pacing to sit on a chair near the fire. Fergus watched his brother adjust his belt again. The young man wore his usual dress, but had taken greater pains today to perfect his appearance. Fergus glanced down at his linen shirt and leather sleeveless tunic. William’s long hair was tied at his nape while Fergus’s was left hanging loose. Fergus recalled having to take extra pains upon his betrothal. Thankfully, those days had passed and he needn’t overly worry anymore. A young lass would surely find William’s neat, respectable appearance appealing. He hoped so, but before he could dwell on it further a servant entered, announcing the arrival of Thomas Stephenson, his daughter Nessia and several of their clansmen.
William sprang to his feet and crossed the floor in a few quick strides to greet them. He continued to fidget as Fergus sauntered up from behind.
“Thomas! Welcome. We thought we’d have to send out a search party soon.” Fergus led the stout man into the great hall.
“Aye, the road was a bit rough with a wagon in tow.”The man’s brow was streaked with sweat and he looked weary from his travels.
“We’ve had a lot of rains this harvest, there’s no doubting that.” In truth he would have gone searching himself had another hour passed. Earlier that day he’d heard more rumours about Ronan Sutherland. Apparently, the lad had agreed to his father’s suggestion and would commence his campaign in the coming days.
Fergus sensed William stiffen beside him as Thomas began the introductions.
“Fergus, William, this is my brother Neville and these three are my sons, Colin, Robert, and Camden my youngest. And this is my daughter, Nessia.”
Fergus acknowledged each man in turn. When the introduction came to the girl and his gaze fell on her, his breath caught in his throat. With black hair and bright blue eyes, she stood proudly before him with her chin lifted and all the regal confidence of a noblewoman. She displayed no fear or reservation at all, something which was unusual in most men he met, but was more so in a woman. The gentler sex usually cowered before him—not this lass.
Fergus stared at her, his heart drumming hard inside his chest. His guts clenched as if he’d been punched. He had to force himself from moving toward her to touch her hair, which looked like spun silk, for surely it could not be real.
Fergus remembered his brother then, and tore his gaze from her to find William’s eyes wide and his jaw slacked. An unexpected pang ran through him. When he
turned back it was to find her still staring at him, seemingly unabashed for staring openly at a man. A bold one, then. Fergus drew his brows together. What did she want?
To buy Kate's book go to the following links below, 
E-book available at these links.
Now for a bit about the author, who is Kate Robbins?  

Kate Robbins writes historical romance novels out of pure escapism and a love for all things Scottish, not to mention a life-long enjoyment of reading romance.
Kate loves the research process and delving into secondary sources in order to blend authentic historical fact into her stories. She has traveled to Scotland twice and visited the sites described in her Highland Chiefs series.
Her Highland Chiefs series is set in the early fifteenth century during the reign of James Stewart, first of his name.
Kate is the pen name of Debbie Robbins who lives in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada with her man-beast and two man-cubs.


Many thanks Kate for dropping by and wishing you great success with your Highland Chiefs series.




Saturday, 17 May 2014

Guest Interview with David O'Brien

This morning I welcome David O'Brien to my blog for a chat. Earlier this week I introduced Dave during the #MyWritingProcessBlogHop, he will be hosting the blog hop on Monday 19th so do remember to go read his thoughts on writing. But for now let’s sit back and have a chat with David and get to know more about him.

David O'Brien
Mary Bradford:  Have you a favourite author?
David O’Brien:  I think Hemingway was my favourite for a long time, and hasn't really been replaced. I'm a big fan of Hardy, despite a bad experience at school with The Mayor of Casterbridge, but that world is a little too distant to me. Whereas the things Hemingway wrote about are more immediate, and apart from war, thank God, I've experienced a lot of them to some degree. That allows you to see just how expert he is at crafting his stories.

MB: When did you start writing, are you a full-time writer?
DO’B: I started writing poetry as a teenager and soon branched out into short stories, but prefer to write novels, because unlike Hemingway, and more like Hardy, I am very wordy when I write. It takes a great effort to cut things out, even when I know they're superfluous. I am not a full-time writer, though I give more of my time to writing now that I am only teaching part-time this year, and have had my first novel accepted for publication
.
MB: Do you have a set time for writing? Are you a morning or evening writer?
DO’B: I am a disaster! I write when I have time and the inclination and the energy all at once. I am lucky that the inclination is nearly always there, so it's just a matter of having time while I still have the energy. I'd love to be one of those people, who can get up at 5am and do their writing before the world awakens, but I love my sleep too much, and I stay up too late at night - I blame that on the Spanish timetable, but it's a lack of discipline, really.

MB: Tell us a little about your latest work.
DO’B: Paul is the oldest of a new generation of a race of people, who the rest of us would call werewolves, if we knew of their existence. They are hidden in plain sight, though, as they are identical in appearance to Caucasians. They differ physiologically, however, in having much stronger lunar rhythms, to the point where during the three days and nights of a full moon they are almost completely controlled by their hormonal instincts. They have been persecuted for centuries and the remnants of the race have escaped Eastern Europe but are so dwindled that Paul has been given leadership of a group of young men who must seek wives outside their own kind. The Pack, as they call themselves, has roamed the city for years, and Paul has done well in keeping them controlled and out of trouble. Paul has always known he must settle down and leave the pack to roam under someone else's leadership. But when he meets Susan, someone he instantly recognises as a potential life mate, he discovers that actually handing over control is going to be hard to do. More difficult than that is the step of telling Susan the secret of his identity - something his family insist he do, so that Susan can decide for herself if she wants to marry what she'd have called a monster. Not only is it hard to voice something he has always hidden, but he is afraid that she will be abhorred by him once she finds out the truth.
For her part, Susan believes Paul is the perfect man - besides his juvenile tradition of going off drinking with his mates every month. She wants him to give all that up, but sees that Paul is a creature of habit, and that it will be hard to settle him down completely. However, she discovers she is pregnant and decides that Paul has to decide between continuing to act like an adolescent every month, and becoming a grown man and father who stays at home. 

MB: Do your books require much research?
DO’B: It depends. Most of my books have something of science and ecology in them, so they need a certain amount of fact checking, just to back up the general ideas that are in the back of my mind from my academic life. Leaving the Pack needed little extra information because it's physiology of the werewolves is imagined, and only loosely based on the little biochemistry I know. My next novel, Five Days on Ballyboy beach (which I am currently working on editing to make it digestible!) only required a few paragraphs about surfing added to bits and pieces of real experience and imagined scenery. My long-term WIP, Palu and the Pyramid Builders though does require a lot of research. It is set in the Pre-Columbian Caribbean, and the setting is based somewhat on a holiday in Guatemala and Honduras, as well as short trips to Mexico and the Greater Antilles, I don't know near enough about that environment to be able to just pull things from memory. So I've been taking notes on several books and plan to read more when I get back to it.

MB: Where can we buy/see your work?
DO’B: Here are some links to my blog and places where you can buy Leaving the Pack.


D O'B: Thanks for having me on your blog and for asking such interesting questions!

MB: It has been my pleasure David. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Thursday, 17 April 2014

Guest Interview with Jeff Gardiner


I had the pleasure recently to chat with Tirgearr author Jeff Gardiner and ask him a bit about his writing. Below are some of the questions I asked him.



Mary Bradford: Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, do you still live there?
Jeff Gardiner: I was born in Jos, Nigeria, but left when I was young (my parents were missionaries out there). I’ve lived most of my life in the UK, mostly in South-West London. My teenage years were spent in Ealing, which is considered the ‘Queen of the Suburbs’. I now live in West Sussex. Other than writing and spending time with my children, I listen to a lot of rock music and watch films. I love films from every decade and culture.

MB: Have you a favourite author?
JG: Michael Moorcock is a big influence because he breaks down genre boundaries. He’s always considered to be a fantasy author, but his mainstream fiction such as ‘Mother London’, ‘Gloriana’ and the Col. Pyat sequence are really his finest achievements. My book about his works will be coming out later this year, entitled ‘The Law of Chaos: the Multiverse of Michael Moorcock’. Another writer whose books excite me is Haruki Murakami.

MB: When did you start writing, are you a full-time writer?
JGAs a teenager, I wrote smug, self-obsessed poetry that I really should consider destroying, before someone else sees it. I won a fiction competition and had another story published in my early thirties, then a collection of my stories published (horror, romance, humour – an eclectic mix). My first novel, ‘Myopia’, is a finalist in The People’s Book Prize, which is exciting. I wish I was a fulltime writer, but I teach part-time. This leaves me one day a week to concentrate on my writing, which is great, but also very frustrating.

MB: Do you have a set time for writing? Are you a morning or evening writer?
JGI have children, so it’s a matter of working around them. Evenings work best for me because the kids get up early. I’ve realised how important it is to use every moment you have. Procrastination is your greatest enemy.

MB: Tell us a little about your latest work.
JG‘Treading On Dreams’ (Tirgearr Publishing) is a coming-of-age novel about obsession and unrequited love. Donny is a sensitive man, in love with Selena who is too perfect for him. He quickly learns that he’s going to have to toughen up if he wants to impress her. It’s the eternal question: how do you respond when someone doesn’t feel the same way about you? Do you give up?
Igboland’ (Crooked Cat Books) is set in Nigeria during the Biafran War. Lydia is a missionary’s wife who gets caught up in conflict and passion as she attempts to create her own identity, thousands of miles from her home in England.


MB: Do your books require much research?
JG‘Igboland’ required a great deal of research into Igbo culture and beliefs, which
are fascinating. The protagonist, Lydia, becomes inspired by two Igbos she gets to know – Grace, a victim of the war, and Kwemto, a local doctor. Igbo spiritual beliefs, known as Odinani, are very interesting. We in the west could learn a great deal from their profound view on life and the world around us.

MB: Where can we buy/see your work?
JG: Below are the links to my various author pages and sites for my books
Jeff’s Website: http://jeffgardiner.com/

MB: What an interesting life you have Jeff and your books sound wonderful. It was very good of you to give us some of your valuable writing time to do this interview, it is much appreciated. I hope you will come back again to keep us up to date with your work. 
JGThanks for inviting me over to you blog. All the best.