Louise Phillips's Blog, page 57

First US Book Review....5 Stars!!!

The SAN FRANCISCO BOOK REVIEW gives LAST KISS - 5 Stars!!!
“Louise Phillips is exactly the kind of writer that lovers of detective fiction will enjoy no matter where they live….” READ FULL REVIEW BELOW

NOVELICIOUS REVIEWS LAST KISS!!

NOVELICIOUS REVIEW of LAST KISS - "Gritty,shocking & satisfying...fast-paced, dark & intriguing.." 


READ FULL REVIEW Here 

Let's Celebrate!!!

The Online FACEBOOK Party to Celebrate all 3 Novels RED RIBBONS, THE DOLL'S HOUSE and LAST KISS, being available in the US, both in kindle and paperback form, will kick off at 4 pm Irish time!! 

Visit the event, leave a comment, share something or whatever way you like to take part and you will be in the draw to win a VERY SPECIAL PRIZE... 

If you like a quiz, there will be a few of those, along with various pics and videos, but the main emphasis will be to celebrate and have a little fun!! AND ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME....PLUS INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!!! 

It's a public event, so click HERE and join!

Blackberry Picking - Seamus Heaney

When I went out walking earlier on, the blackberries were in abundance along the mountain hedgerows, despite it being early October.  I thought again, as I did last year about Seamus Heaney's poem, Blackberry Picking, and it seems like the perfect way to celebrate. I hope you enjoy it too.


LISTEN Blackberry Picking

Seamus Heaney


Late August, given heavy rain and sun
for a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it
leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for
picking. Then red ones inked up and that hunger
sent us out with milk-cans, pea-tins, jam-pots
where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots.
Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills
we trekked and picked until the cans were full,
until the tinkling bottom had been covered
with green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned
like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered
with thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard's.
We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre.
But when the bath was filled we found a fur,
A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.
The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush
the fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour.
I always felt like crying. It wasn't fair
that all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped they'd keep, knew they would not.

Join the Online Party!!!

If you're on Facebook and you would like to join in the fun next Friday the 3rd October at 4 p.m. Irish time....you can join HERE

Beginnings.......

I'm feeling a little emotional right now. Beginnings and endings and sometimes the bit in the middle, can do that to me!

This morning I started novel 4. I had marked the date on my calendar and so the day came, and one way or another I was going to begin. I won't give you the working title for the novel yet. It's best to keep these things and your fictional story close to you in the early stages. Fiction can be like that, it can get messed up by the real world getting hold of it too soon.

Anyhow, the journey has begun, all 1038 words of it, and at some point in the future, probably around 100,000 plus words, the first draft of this writing journey will exist. I don't know the exact form it will take, not being someone who knows the plot of their novel before they write it, but I do know it will mean something to me by the end of it, and hopefully it will be a story people will enjoy reading.

Right, off to make a cuppa.....see you on the other side!

Dundalk FM 100 - The Creative Flow!!!

I'll be chatting with the lovely Jacinta Matthews of the Creative Flow - DUNDALK FM 100 this evening at 7 p.m.

The Creative Flow picked LAST KISS as their Book of the Month for September, so I'm looking forward to hearing listener feedback and reviews and of course chatting about LAST KISS!!!

Paperbacks available in the US!!!

October 1st this year will be a very interesting day......


It will be the first time paperbacks of RED RIBBONS, THE DOLL'S HOUSE and LAST KISS are available to order in the United States....including via Amazon.com

It is also the day set in my diary to go into relative hibernation for Novel 4....

Hard to put the two together...so I will be setting the alarm clock for 5.30 a.m. Irish time to get some writing done, making me 'writing guilt' free when promoting the US availability.....

All ideas and suggestions on how to celebrate online are most welcome!!!

FLASH 500!! Closing date 30th September!!

ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT.....Closing date 30th September!!!
I am thrilled to be the judge for this quarter's successful Flash 500 Fiction Competition. Now in its fifth year, this quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of 31st March, 30th June, 30th September and 31st December. 
The results are announced within six weeks of each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on their website.
You can read competition details HERE  ...Good luck!

Queens of Crime - Irish Style!

FREE EVENT at the Kildare Readers Festival but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL.....

Booking online on at www.riverbank.ieor call box off on 045 448327!!!
Keep up to date about all festival events HERE