3rd November 2021 saw the launch of The Lucky Diamond, my first middle grade children’s fantasy. It’s been a wonderful, exciting, stressful, and busy year! My dream of seeing my book on the shelf in bookshops was realised when The Lucky Diamond was stocked by the two largest bookstore chains in Ireland plus independent stores. […]
Category: Fantasy
Book Review: Amari and the Great Game
“Being good is a choice, and it’s one you have to keep making.” So Maria Van Helsing tells Amari, and this theme is threaded throughout the book as Amari, surrounded by enemies, old and new, must choose between right and wrong, being selfless or self-interested, or showing forgiveness and mercy to those she has reason […]
Book Review: A Pinch of Magic
Quick Aside: I have added a new page to my website to display my books. If you’d like to check it out, please go here or access via the menu. I’d appreciate any feedback and/or suggestions. Thank you so much! Betty, her elder sister Fliss and younger sister Charlie live on the isle of Crowstone, […]
Book Review: The Healing Star
Fourth-grader Julia (which I think puts her at nine or ten years of age) and her grandmother, Grammu, are really close, cosmic-twin close, sharing, among other things, a love of stars. When Grammu gets the disappearing illness, Julia is determined not to lose her. Fortunately, there is a star predicted to fall the following night, […]
Q3 Writing Update
October is almost upon us so it seems a good time to give a writing update on what I have been doing the past few months and what is ahead for the rest of the year. Revenge of Queen Rose release The last few months have been busy, with the launch of Revenge of Queen […]
Book Review: The Green Ember
The Green Ember was first published in 2014 but I only came across it recently when my sister recommended I read it. She thought I’d like a fantasy tale featuring sword-wielding rabbits. I didn’t like it… I loved it! (Apologies, channelling UK Bake Off the professionals!) Siblings Heather and Picket are two young rabbits approaching […]
Book Review: Rea and the Blood of the Nectar
This story opens in India on the eve of Rea’s twelfth birthday. Rea is devastated to discover that instead of celebrating it with her, her twin Rohan has planned a secret midnight game of cricket with his friends. Determined to spoil his fun, Rea sneaks out of the house after him and forces her way […]
Book Launch: Revenge of Queen Rose
I am thrilled to announce that today, Monday June 27th, is publication day for book 2 in my middle grade fantasy series, Revenge of Queen Rose, so this is a special post to mark the occasion. June has been a busy month for me, between interviews, delivering fantasy writing workshops to eager and very talented […]
Author Interview: Sangu Mandanna
If you’re been following my blog for a while, you will know that I loved Sangu Mandanna’s Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom, one of my favourite reads from last year, and probably my favourite middle grade read in 2021. I was really thrilled therefore when the author, Sangu Mandanna, agreed to an interview. Thank you […]
Book Review: A Dragon in the Library
Dragons, libraries, and magical books – oh my! Seriously, who wouldn’t want to read a book with these elements? 10 year old Kit doesn’t like reading or books, and wants to spend the holidays mucking about outside, but to please her friends, Alita and Josh, agrees to visit the library (briefly!) while they check to […]
Valinora Troy 