So I got a book and a baby in the space of a month. Baby Jo, called after Robbies grandfather Joe Heffernan was born just after 3 on the 5th of May, the 5th of the 5th, it has a nice ring to it! And eight copies of A Place Called Perfect landed on my desk a few weeks later. There were celebrations all round!
A Place Called Perfect will be launched on August 11th in Easons on O Connell Street and all are welcome… more celebrations to come!!
A Place Called Perfect had it’s cover reveal over on Book Lover Jo’s blog this morning. I’m so happy with the outcome, blown over! Check out her post HERE.
It was illustrated by the extremely talented Karl James Mountford, you can check out more of his work HERE.
A Place Called Perfect is available to Pre-Order NOW from Amazon. CLICK HERE
I’ve just been signed to Usborne Publishing (when I say just it was a few months ago but I’m slow at the blogging, I resolve to solve that issue!)
I went over to London to visit them in March and had an amazing experience, not anything I had imagined. To give you an insight into my imaginings, I had thought I’d meet black suited, white shirted corporates holding files and drilling me on everything from what Violet ate for breakfast to the colour of Boy’s sock (he doesn’t own any!) as I sat at one end of an enormous polished table and they sat stern at the other. It wasn’t at all like this (and probably never is) it was very informal, Anne and Sarah (my editors, sounds very surreal to say!) had lunch ready and we ate and chatted before going over the story. It wasn’t at all like a Leaving Cert exam, much more of a “Mocks” situation!
I’ve now to finish another round of edits and then send it back via the invisible interweb. Fingers crossed.
(As this post was written postdraftmously the said draft has been finished and sent to Anne due to a lovely and much missed stay at Annamakerrig in Monaghan thanks to Kilkenny Arts Office)
Above is a picture I drew to celebrate! (the signing, not the draft finishing!)
There once was a fellow named Tim,
who was really, put politely, quite dim.
He had a problem with the size of his feet,
wanted them dainty and tidy and neat.
One day, a renowned doctor friend,
told Tim he was headed round the bend.
Wrote a prescription for an incredible shrink,
who was paid to just sit there and think.
He said “um and ah and well…
I see the problem, the solutions quite swell!”
Sitting up from his leathered arm chair,
he fixed poor Tim with a stare.
“Go home and fill up your belly,
with chocolate and doughnuts and jelly.
And bread and potatoes and meat,
’til your belly starts to swallow your feet.”
Tim followed docs orders to a tee,
soon the evidence he could literally see.
His feet being eaten away,
were half their size by the middle of May.
Now he walks tall, full of pride,
not behind leather nor canvas will he hide.
His rapidly vanishing feet,
now dainty and tidy and neat.
One last problem he took to the shrink,
paid him again to just sit there and think.
“I have it,” doc said his eyes shut,
“don’t get that fine hair of yours cut.”
“It’ll grow right into your eyes,
chopping that belly to half it’s fine size!”
I’m working on a piece at the moment which is in a small way inspired by “The Son of Man” a painting by Magritte. The painting is a self portrait, which I think is great, I’d love to meet a man with an apple for a face. I think we’d become firm friends, he’d be great to have around if a little peekish. Anyway, so my work is inspired by the painting and by the idea behind it, it is based around a conflict between the present that is hidden and the present that is visible, also note his partly revealed right eye (just noticed my mistake it’s the left eye actually just looks like the right one), ummm more food for thought.
Anyway I have posted the painting above. I just noticed this bit of a blog makes me sound quite profound, a little deep and an expert in the field of arts, off course all of these things are completely true of my character, I’m extremely deep especially when asleep.
Here’s a little more of Magritte.
