Caroline E. Farrell's Blog, page 4

It was indeed a Fright-Ful Friday at Leap Castle

It was a joy to curate the Short Horror Film Programme for Fright-Ful Friday at Leap Castle, an annual event run by the Offline Film Festival in County Offaly. This sold out evening of all things spooky and fantastical took our large group, by bus, from outside the very hospitable Ormond Clubhouse, Emmet Square, Birr, and onward to Giltrap’s Pub in Kinnitty for prosecco and finger food. Then back on the bus for a moonlit journey to Leap Castle for the screening of the short horror films — wel...

The Librarian’s Cellar Book of the Week: Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession

The core of ‘Leonard and Hungry Paul’ concerns the friendship between two men, both single, one recently bereaved, the other living with his parents as his sister’s upcoming wedding plans unfold. The supporting characters speak from the pages, they are so well developed, and the drama is so quiet and familiar, were it not for the beautiful writing from Hession, this novel might otherwise seem a little mundane in it’s depiction of everyday life. However, this novel is themed on human connectio...

FRAMED: Screening Updates

October / November is gearing up to be a wonderfully spooky time for my short film FRAMED, still making it’s way on the film festival journey. So far, FRAMED has been officially selected to screen at 22 festivals in Ireland, UK, USA, Japan and Canada!

Here are the latest dates, with more news to follow! As always, I am thrilled for our excellent cast and crew!

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Halloweenapalooza: Iowa. USA October 11th

 

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Ottawa Spookshow and Fantastic Film Festival: Ottawa, Canada. October 20th

 

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Halloween...

The Librarian’s Cellar Book of The Week: Inside Out by Demi Moore

I have always admired Demi Moore for her achievements, and was aware that her early life had not been easy. However, in ‘Inside Out’, Demi’s honesty is at times shocking and heart breaking. Behind the glamour, the fame and the money, she relates a very human story of vulnerability, strength, struggle, addiction, magnificent ups and devastating downs, but I never got a sense that her writing was coming from a place of bitterness. It is of course, her story, and therefore, her side of the story...

LADY BETH at FARRELL & NEPHEW

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of visiting Farrell & Nephew Bookshop in Newbridge, County Kildare and to chat with Dermot, Maeve and the lovely staff there. Established on the Main street over 60 years ago, this eclectic store also specialises in local interest and history of the area. Now that the schoolbook buying frenzy has subsided, drop in and browse their shelves – and you might even find a copy of LADY BETH there!

 

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Signed copies of LADY BETH are now in stock.

Farrell and Nephew...

Book of The Week: I CONFESS by Alex Barclay

On the remote Beara Peninsula in West Cork, Ireland, Edie and Johnny invite a group of old schoolfriends to reunite for a birthday and also to showcase the former convent school they have renovated into a luxury resort. However, as a storm builds outside, and the power goes out, dark events that marred all of their childhoods threaten to resurface… and there is a killer amongst them.

I CONFESS is an intricate whodunnit, layered with flashbacks and disturbing reveals. Because of the ensemble o...

The Hiding Game. A feature Interview with Louise Phillips

Thanks to Net Galley and HACHETTE BOOKS I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of THE HIDING GAME, the latest novel from Louise Phillips. The novel, published today, is a gripping courtroom drama and you can read my recommendation HERE.

What struck me while reading this latest thriller are the themes of grief and mother/child relationships that feature strongly in The HIDING GAME, so I asked Louise to expand on her inspiration for the story.

Louise: I was four years old when my infant sist...

You’re still here, Da, and I see you.

My Da turned 86 last week. His younger self would not appreciate his image being posted here. His younger self was a force to be reckoned with. Fiercely independent, intelligent, sometimes belligerent. We didn’t always get along. We didn’t always see eye to eye. That was his other self. The product of his own pain. That was my other self. The product of my own pain.

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This is now. His basic needs are taken care of. He is safe. He is minded. But it’s not him. It’s difficult to visit. It’s diffi...

The Librarian’s Cellar Book of The Week: The Hiding Game by Louise Phillips

Heather Baxter is an attorney who by day, defends a young girl accused of killing an infant boy in her charge, and by night, is tormented as she tries to make sense of her mother’s unsolved murder, many years earlier. Through her journey of discovery, Heather uncovers several links between the two cases, often in terrible danger as she moves ever closer to a cruel and ruthless killer. A thoroughly enjoyable thriller combining exciting courtroom drama with unsettling secrets, mystery and intri...

The Librarian’s Cellar: Book of The Week – All That Glitters by Thomas Maier

‘ALL THAT GLITTERS Anna Wintour, Tina Brown, and the Rivalry Inside America’s Richest Media Empire’, by Thomas Maier, is an appropriate title for quite a complex book that may prove to be a useful addition to the study of American media, politics and pop culture. The author delves into the Condé Nast empire run by S. I. Newhouse Jr. and creative guru and influencer Alex Liberman. Perhaps the most interesting element of the book is how it examines the contribution of Anna Wintour and Tina Brow...