Brian Kirk's Blog

Does this make you think of Scotland? Yes? I thought so. A tartan blanket figures prominently in my 1916/2016 novel and this was an idea I had for an eye-catching cover. I think I’ll have to think again.

The proofing of the novel is now complete and I signed a contract with Original Writing on Friday last. I chose to use them because I don’t have the time to do it all myself and, having met with them, I am convinced by their professionalism and understanding of what I’m trying to achieve. I’m hoping to have the novel ready for late November / early December so there’s not much time to waste. The working title throughout has been Rising but, on advice, I’m changing it to The Rising Son.

As part of the package with Original Writing, The Rising Son will be availble as an e-book also in all formats. More about that later on. For the moment I must go back to my “To Do” list: agree cover design and image, write up acknowledgements, prepare blurb for cover, bio, arrange venue for launch/launches, plan a sales strategy of some sort etc etc. I’m sure it will all work out in the end (he said, hopefully). Once the product is good enough, the rest of this stuff becomes easier I believe.

I’ll leave you for now with a draft of the blurb for The Rising Son, a version of which will eventually appear on the back cover (whatever that cover might be).

One boy. Two worlds.

It’s 2016 and Jack O’Connor, a twelve-year-old London boy, is confused. He is left in the care of a grandfather he never met in a city he doesn’t know by his mother who wants to be left alone. While in Dublin, in his grandfather’s house, Jack is drawn to an old blanket. The blanket belonged to his late grandmother and seems to have magic powers.

It is the week of the centenary of the 1916 Rising and Jack’s grandfather sets out to teach him some history. In doing so he awakens in Jack a sense of his Irish identity. Thanks to the magic of the blanket Jack gets to see the events of the Rising first-hand and, at the same time, he uncovers the truth about his own family, past and present.

1 comment