As all good thing come to an end, I'm in the UK today on Old Kitty's blog for my last blog tour stop.
Old Kitty is a prolific, loyal and warm hearted blogger. She's also a poet and short fiction writer whose work appears in 100 Stories for Queensland and 100 stories for Haiti, amongst other publications.
'The Irish Writers' Centre is launching the 3rd annual Irish Writers'
Centre Novel Fair Competition. The evening will include talks by
Patricia Deevy from Penguin Ireland and two past participants in the
Novel Fair, Niamh Boyce author of The Herbalist and Janet Cameron author of Cinnamon Toast and the End of the World.'
To read about my experience of the novel fair, click here
The Pickled Body is a new online poetry magazine. The theme for issue one is The Red Shoes.
The call out alone is inspiring - here's what they have to say....
'We love Kate Bush’s 1993 album The Red Shoes, inspired by a film we adore, Powell and Pressburger’s 1948 masterpiece – itself inspired by Andersen’s timeless fairytale. Among other things, The Red Shoes explores the conflict between dedicating your life to art and allowing the quotidian world to stop the dance.
So we want poems that possess or are possessed. Poems that move, that ache, that vibrate with the same energy as the Powell and Pressburger film or the music of Kate Bush. Poems that ask “have you ever seen a picture of Jesus laughing” (Why Should I Love You?); that say “it’s all right, I’ll come round when you’re not in” (You’re the One); that whisper: “just being alive, it can really hurt” (Moments of Pleasure); that “split me open with devotion” (Eat the Music). Poems that sing powerfully with the fire in your own life when you create, and you find those shoes impossible to take off.
You write because you must – but at what cost? Show us what possesses you. Send up to three of your best to thepickledbody@gmail.com by September 30th. As for wearing red shoes while composing – we’d particularly like to receive poems written while wearing nothing else.'
Nuala is an award winning novelist, short story writer and poet. Here's The Irish Times on her latest short story collection Mother America - ‘Ní Chonchúir’s precisely made but deliciously sensual stories mark her as a carrier of Edna O’Brien’s flame.’
One of Nuala's questions was Who are the women writers who make you think yes! and why? You can read my answer, and the full interview here
Next week I'll be in the UK for my last interview chatting to Jennifer aka Old Kitty.
'One of the longest running literary journals in Ireland' celebrates its 38th Anniversary Edition this year. The editor is Paddy Bushe.
Submissions in both English and Irish are welcome.
Write your name and address on each page & send no more than 6 poems to:
The Stony Thursday Book, The Arts Office, Limerick City Council, Merchant's Quay, Limerick. Or email: artsoffice@limerickcity.ie
The deadline for submissions is Friday 16th August 2013.
Columnist and writer Gwen Loughman posts with wicked humour and complete honesty about family life, motherhood & running (amongst many other things) on her Wonderful Wagon Blog
- as she says herself - 'this blog is my attempt at recording the mayhem that is my life with the intention of reading back over it in my Autumnal years and laughing.
I'm really delighted to be over chatting with her today, you can read my interview with Gwen here
I'm a very happy woman :) There's a wonderful review of The Herbalist in today's Irish Times. It's written by Anna Carey, and can be read here
Here's an extract: 'Boyce’s subject matter may be dark, and she treats it with the
seriousness it deserves, but she writes with a lightness of touch not
often seen in the genre; this is the most entertaining yet substantial
historical novel I’ve read since Joseph O’Connor’s Star of the Sea. You may not expect a book about fear and repression to be not only enjoyable but funny; The Herbalist often is.'
This is a hugely impressive and wonderfully assured debut novel. I can’t wait to see what Boyce does next.
The IWC novel fair will run again this year! Twelve lucky winners will be selected to present the synopsis of their novel, the finished novel itself and biographical material to top Irish publishers and agents. I was one of the winners in 2012 with my novel The Herbalist, I'd highly recommend entering.
It is open to novels of any style or genre but the writer must not have already published a novel.
Here's a few general guidelines, but you need to check out the Novel Fair Website for the full details...
Send a 3 copies of a synopsis (max 300 words) and 2 copies of (up to five) chapters of your novel (max 10,000 words.) Attach one synopsis to your application form, the other two should be attached to the copies of your manuscript.
There's no min word count for the final novel but a minimum of 50,000 words is recommended.
I had a lovely time visiting book shops in Kilkenny City today, so for anyone who wants signed copies of The Herbalist (I'm not an egomaniac honest - people have been enquiring after them!) they are now available from Dubray Books, The Book Centre and Stone House Books.
Liz from Stonehouse Books asked me to come back to the shop to do 'something quirky' in the autumn, so it won't be your average book reading - I'll keep you informed! I also met Kathleen there, and she's the second person I've been in touch with from Portland, Oregon who's reading The Herbalist! Its wonderful to meet readers, its not something I considered when I wrote the book, but its quickly become one the nicest parts of being a published author. And I'm grateful too, to the reviewers and readers who 'get' my book, and feel for the characters, and have put it at number five in the Irish bestseller charts, which is no mean feat when Dan Brown has returned to push us all around - no offence Dan :)
As The Herbalist blog tour comes to its last few stops, I'm delighted to be over at crime writer Louise Phillips Blog. I met Louise when she was working on the book that became the very successful Red Ribbons. She's about to publish her second novel The Dolls House which sounds chilling to say the least. Feel free to leave comments or ask questions, its nice to know that someone is reading!
One of Louise's questions was....
What is the most important thing you have
learnt about your writing during the last twelve months?
You can read my answer and the full interview HERE
I'm over at writer Shauna Gilligan's blog today where she asks me some fascinating questions about writing my novel The Herbalist.
Shauna is the author of Happiness Comes From Nowhere, she has been published widely and she has read from her work
and presented on writing at conferences in Europe and the USA.
Here's just one of the questions Shauna asked me...
Writer Vanessa Gebbie asked me this question in relation to my
novel and I think it’s a wonderful thing to ask: if you could have a
painting of one scene from the novel which would you pick and why? And
who would you have create it?
You can read my answer, and the full interview by clicking Here
Today I'm talking to Kate Dempsey about voice and clothes in The Herbalist.
Kate runs Emerging Writer Blog - which is the by far the best blog going for information on submission opportunities and competitions - I was quite addicted to Kate's blog when I first started writing!
Kate is also the author of Some Poems. She was shortlisted for the Hennessey New Irish Writing award no less than
three times, has been widely published and runs
the Poetry Divas Collective, 'a glittering group of women who blur the
wobbly boundaries between page and stage at cool events all over Ireland.' And if that wasnt enough, she also blogs about poetry for Writing.ie
Writing this from inside the house pictured above - today's my last day
at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, an amazing place to spend a week...
I'll be reading from The Herbalist at the Annual Book Club get together in Castlecomer Library, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny tomorrow evening. The Annual Bookclub Get Together looks all set to be a wonderful night - there will be readings from the Moths Against Glass Anthology, a pop up bookshop courtesy of Stonehouse Books and refreshments. The event starts at 8pm and all are welcome!
-Book Club Get Together - Castlecomer Library - 8pm- Thursday 27th June-
I was delighted to find out today that The Herbalist is Number Five in the Original Fiction Bestseller Top Ten! So a big thank you to all of you who are reading it and have put it there :)
Today I'm talking with Celine Mescall about her book, Graces and Blessings From Ireland, which by the way is being launched on Friday 21st in Langtons of Kilkenny by Suzanne Power. So, first off, congratulations
Celine on a beautifully produced book, can you tell me how it all began - when
did you decide to write Graces and Blessings, and why? Thank you
for those lovely comments Niamh. I can't remember exactly when I wrote
the first blessing but I had been "thinking" them for a long time. As
children we heard our parents thank God for most things in life and it was
natural for me to follow suit. However I must have been in my twenties or
thirties before I gave serious consideration to God and to Goodness and the
miracle of Nature. Then I began to thank God and the Universe in earnest and
writing my thanks was the next step. When my
friend Sheila gave me a gift of a notebook with a beautiful tapestry cover it
was the perfect time to transfer my scribbles from scraps of paper and backs of
envelopes on to pristine white sheets. I had over fifty written in the notebook
before the idea for the book began to form in my mind.
What would you like people to get from the book?
We are all so busy these days running around and trying to keep up with
life, I would love us to take a few moments of stillness to appreciate life and
give thanks for it. If I may give you a couple of examples; this morning when I
opened the polytunnel I was struck by a green aroma! Difficult to describe but
it was the smell of growth and new life emerging. I couldn't help but fill my
lungs with it and give thanks for it and on Monday when I was held up in
traffic I had time to look at the clouds in the sky. I can never remember the
names of cloud formations but they were so lovely I thanked God for them.
The blessings pay a real tribute to the small but essential elements in life,
you say in your introduction that saying grace doesn’t have to be formal or
even serious, some of the blessings are gently humorous, one of my favourite is the one
for Apples -
For me, plucking an apple from the tree and biting into its cool,
crisp
freshness is a truly spiritual experience.
I understand where Eve was coming from.
Amen
Niamh, I do think the beauty and the grace is in the small stuff like
biting into an apple or popping open a pea pod and if it brings a smile to your
face the all the better. I" think" grace far more often than I say it
aloud but I can, occasionally, be heard welcoming new shoots of flowers and
vegetables first thing in the morning and blessing their arrival!
You have an eye for detail and your writing is beautiful, do you like
poetry, do you write poetry?
I wrote my first poem just over a year ago and it came to me in a flash
while I was walking in the woods, it was a magical experience and I couldn't
wait to get home and write it down. I have always loved poetry and keep some
favourites by my bed for dipping in and out of. There is a collection by the
late Bonnie Quinn Cotter called "Woman with Altitude" which I love
and I was recently given a gift of "ten poems to change your life"
compiled by Roger Housden, Mary Oliver is in there along with Derek Walcott and
Pablo Neruda.
I've just
come to the end of a creative writing course with Suzanne Power and John
McKenna. John introduced me to a number of poets and his own recent collection
"Where sadness Begins" is filled with humanity and pain and
nostalgia. My favourite one is "The Last Day of April" which rings
bells for me.
So Celine, where can people buy Graces and Blessings?
“Graces
and Blessings from Ireland" is available in Bridie's shop, Johns Street,
Kilkenny and also in the restaurant in Kilkenny Castle. I am researching other outlets at the moment but the book is available
directly from gracesandblessings@gmail.com
And finally, what is next for you Celine in terms of writing?
That is
the big question Niamh, getting a book ready for publication takes time. Helena
Duggan who illustrated and designed the book and myself had great fun on the
project but now it’s time to start writing again. I would love to be inspired
once again to write a poem and I will leave myself open for that. In the
meantime there are some experiences from my life in Brazil which I want to
commit to paper as well as the thirty or so more graces and blessings which
haven't been included in this book.
I really hope you get your Brazil stories collected Celine, and thanks so much for coming over to answer questions on the eve of your first book launch, you may think up some blessings for writers on occasions like these next :)
The Herbalist blog tour continues - today I'm over at Theresa Milstein's Blog talking about how I started writing. Theresa and I have been blog friends since my first posts over four years ago, despite the fact that she lives in Arlington,
Massachusetts and I live in Laois, Ireland. We share a love of writing and a curiosity about the process. Theresa writes novels for young adults and has also published short stories and poetry. You can read our interview by clicking HERE.
I just received a letter that made me scream (in a good way)- I've been awarded some writing time at The Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Monaghan. So a big thanks to Kildare County Councils Art Office - I'll be heading up to Monaghan on Friday with a big smile on my face. And it's lovely to get a letter - it really is a dying art. I asked my ten year old what he thought the woman in the Cassat painting was doing, he thought she was cleaning her face with a napkin! I'm bringing him straight home to lick an envelope :)
Celine is an elegant, witty, intelligent, warm and powerful writer, and this is a book full of heart and wisdom, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Its designed and illustrated by Helena Duggan.
Delighted to be over answering questions at Alison Wells Blog Head Above Water today. I met Alison in 2009 when we were both shortlisted for the Hennessy Award for fiction. She asked three questions about the writing of the novel. You can read my interview with Alison Here
I'm still reeling from the book launch in my wonderful home town of Athy. The novel sold out in a matter of minutes and the Library was packed to capacity. I'm overwhelmed by the support - and will post in more detail about it when I've recovered! A big thanks in the meantime to everyone who came :)
It's publication week for The Herbalist, so I'll be out and about doing a bit of chin wagging. Just click on the links (in colour) to find out more...
Interviews...
My interview with Miriam O Callaghan on the John Murray Show can be listened to HERE
My interview on Writing.ie can be read HERE
Good Reviews...
I'm stunned by and grateful for the huge positive response to the book. The Herbalist was named Book Of The Week by Donal O Donaghue in the RTE Guide. Justine Mc Carthy, in the Sunday Times, called it a 'devilishly good debut novel.' Sinead Gleeson described it as 'sharply rendered and full of dark humour' in this Irish Times article.
Good News...
The Herbalist has been announced as the Board Gáis Energy Book Club Book Of The Month, you can find out more here
I'll be stopping at eight different writer's blogs over the coming weeks, and each will be asking me three questions about writing and the novel. I hope you find it interesting and feel free to leave comments or questions. I'll be filling you in on any interviews or readings over the next few days from this blog post, and then I'll be back to blogging as normal.
I'll be taking this show on the virtual road for a series of mini- interviews this June. These guys are all brilliant multi genre writers as well as bloggers, so it should be a very interesting trip - 6 th June
The Sean O Faolain Prize is open for submission till the 31st July. The judge is Joyce Russell.You can find out more here - The Sean O Faolain Prize
For Poems -
The Patrick Kavanagh Poetry Award for a first unpublished collection is open till the 26th July. You can send 20 poems (but they have to be less than 40 lines each) ... the judge is Brian Lynch and you can find out more Here.
Maggie Breen's first collection, Other Things I Didn't Tell has recently been published by Scallta Media. I relished the poems in this book, Maggie has an almost uncanny ability to evoke the details of childhood - from the slap of wellies against bare legs, to the 'wrinkly witch fingers' of a child in the bath - the vividness of imagery throughout the book, is quite startling and original. Paula Meehan has this to say about Breens work -
“Maggie
Breen digs deep into personal memory to unearth a vivid picture of a
rural childhood, to reclaim that childhood in language, and to
reinhabit with power and grace the landscape of those early years. She
shines light into the darkest reaches of community and family life and
celebrates the tenacity and endurance of the child self. She gives us
poems rich in promise: even as she unpacks the complex baggage of a
young Irishwoman determined to take the world on her own terms, she
succeeds in celebrating the very blessings of that difficult path.
These poems bring to mind Kavanagh’s beautiful phrase —To look on is enough / In the business of love.” Paula Meehan
Most of the poems are from the 'I' point of view Maggie, but as we know the poetic 'I' is not always the poet. Is this collection autobiographical, is it inspired mainly by specific memories? For the most
part, the poems are indeed specific memories, mainly from my childhood.
In some cases, for example, 'Hypnotist' this is a combination of
memories and feelings rolled into one event. I know that the incense
would have only been used for funerals and in the poem I am portraying
the pattern day in the local graveyard. My association as a child with
the graveyard, seems to collect all these memories and ideas together
into one merged sensation. I guess this is anyway how a child's mind
and possibly even an adults mind might work, i.e. mixing some feelings
and events together to form one idea or picture. 'An Ghlaise Bheag' is
also a collection of memories and thoughts rolled into one moment in
time. In this case it's my adult voice talking. Throughout the book,
the 'I' is the poet and represents the ideas, emotions, experiences of
the poet, both grounded in reality and dream. The later sections become darker, especially section three... I certainly agree that Section three is darker, heavier. In
this section, the poems draw inspiration from dreams. They tend to be a
merging of real events on the one hand and ideas from dreams and
meditations on the other hand, while the heart of the poems remains
true to the basic emotions of reality. For example in 'Haven', I want
to convey the feeling of complete and utter devastation at losing
something precious. There also is the theme of femininity and having
children, which I would feel is something that I lack. In my mind, it
brings into question my femininity and mourns my lack of children.
Can you tell me more about drawing inspiration from dreams? I've
been fascinated by dreams for a long time too. About 15 years ago, I
had a lot of nightmares. I'd wake up in a cold sweat, the fear from the
dream, keeping me awake for hours after. I'd write then, while I was
awake, sometimes light fantasies to forget and sometimes, when I
remembered snippets of the dreams, I'd write them down, writing the
fear out of me, I guess. I didn't really analyse my dreams/nightmares
at the time, I just knew the emotions that I felt when I woke up and
how remembering even fragments and writing them down, helped. Then
about 3 years ago, I did a writers's workshop in Anam Cara Writers'
Retreat down in West Cork called 'The Poet and the Dream' with poet,
Paula Meehan and dream-worker, Juliet Clancy. During the workshop, we
read out our dreams and worked the dreams, basing the work we did on
the Jeremy Taylor’s ten basic assumptions about dreams. It was real
revelation for me. From then on, I have kept a pen and paper beside my
bed.
So you catch your dreams on waking by writing them down?Yes
I always have a pen and paper beside the bed. When I wake up, I usually
gather a few key words from the different scenes I remember and then
sit up and write as much detail as I can. The key for me is not to get
too hung up if and when I don’t remember much. Sometimes some tiny
detail remembered, even the emotion I have when I wake, is enough. I
then can channel even the residual feeling from the dream, to write in
that moment, just write whatever comes into my head. Mostly I remember
a few scenes at least. Either way, I write whatever I remember of the
scenes and the feelings and this can then turn into a poem or story,
sometimes almost as I wrote it and sometimes after several drafts.
Do you attempt to interpret them or just lay them down as they are?
Initially
I just write them down. Later, sometimes hours, sometimes days, I read
over them, work them to strip back/unveil what the dream wants to tell
me. I try not to force it too much. Often, there are multiple meanings
in dreams and the dreamer can best follow what rings true for them.
Often the relevance of a dream or alternative meanings, will become
clear after a period of time.
I think dreams can help us, that they know more than we do. What do you think, would you agree?Yes,
absolutely. To quote Taylor, I believe that analysing dreams is “using
dreams to tap the wisdom of the unconscious”. In working with my
dreams, I have had many situations, where dreams have brought me this
“wisdom” and advice. A few nights ago, I had a dream, it related to the
nervousness I was feeling in my life at having recently left my day job
to pursue my writing and painting. The dream confirmed to me the need
to continue to trust my instincts which I followed when making these
choices.
Do you meditate to find a poem or is it a happy by product?
When
I meditate I work in a similar way to how I work with dreams. I often
meditate before writing or painting, to ground myself, to clear my
mind. If any images or feelings come, I try to put these into words and
if words don’t come, I draw or paint to express my responses. I follow
the track leading from these meditations which then sometimes lead to a
poem, a story or a painting. So, yes, in fact, a poem is more a happy
coincidence of a meditation than a primary goal.
You paint as well! I'd love if you came back at later stage to talk about your art. As we end I'd like to ask about the last poem in your collection. 'Secrets' ends with - 'I knew it was
better/not to tell'...is this telling us that absolutely all is not revealed here, and nor should it be? I
would agree that all has not been revealed in my poems. It feels more
like a layer of truth has been uncovered and is being spoken about,
which in turn is a kind of preparation for the next layer to be
uncovered/unveiled. It feels like a ritual. For me personally, there is
a very strong need to speak out.It's like a mission that I need to
fulfill. I believe that in speaking out, in bringing into the light,
topics such as suicide, depression, abuse, etc., it can help people who
are weighed down with these and can give a voice to and empower people
who may not have had a voice before. Whether I believe that all should
ultimately be revealed or whether some things should go unsaid, I think
it depends on the context/situation. In speaking, I tend to see myself
on the side of revealing all rather than holding back. Though in
writing, I believe the truth can be expressed without all the details.
That said, it is not my aim to hold back details as a kind of trick to create a dramatic effect, it's more that I want to pare back to the centre of things, to present the essence.
What poets do you admire? Paula Meehan, Mary O'Donnell, Leanne O'Sullivan, Brendan Kennelly, Seamus Heaney. Seamus
Heaney's 'Mid-Term Break', which I read in 5th or 6th class, had a
massive effect on me. I remember sitting in the classroom listening to
the teacher reading it, having to clench my teeth to stop myself from
crying. I realised the power of words and of sharing a story, in all
it's rawness.
Do you have a favourite quote or saying that helps keep your writing self on track? 'Be brave, write the truth'.
Thanks Maggie! Click Here to buy Other Things I Didn't Tell
Return to Me
Maggie Breen
I don’t want to hear your words anymore,
that force their way in and down my throat,
like tar funneled into me,
by a raving mob of men, frothing at the mouth.
I don’t want to answer you anymore,
with words that turn me insides out,
blood dripping from my sockets,
like tears.
I want to be five,
to dance in the dew-damp grass at the back of our house,
Published
in The Stinging Fly and The Scaldy Detail, Maggie Breen has been
writing since as far back as she can remember. Compelled to write as a
form of speaking out, she draws inspiration from the familiar at home,
childhood memories, her extensive travels and vivid dreams. Originally
from Monageer, Co. Wexford, she divides her time between Sallins, Co.
Kildare, and Dingle, Co. Kerry.
Shauna Gilligan's first novel is called Happiness Comes from Nowhere. I'm delighted to chat to her about her writing time, it might spur me on a little as I've written nothing for days....oh the shame :)
Welcome to the blog Shauna, you're working on a phd
as well as your own writing - so how many hours (or minutes!) do you get to dedicate to fiction in an average week, or is there an average week?!
Thanks for having me on your
blog, Niamh.
Yes, I’m doing a
PhD in Writing (University of South Wales) and I’ve got my Viva Voce on June
12th (that’s the oral exam where you defend your PhD thesis) so I’m nearly there with that one, thankfully!
I write every day,
without exception. I try and dedicate late evening/early night to writing –
that is, after my children are in bed, so usually from 9pm until whatever time
I can manage. So on average it’s two to three hours a day, usually four days a
week, sometimes seven. There are times when I lose track of time and it’s after
midnight but other times, I’ll just do some editing and head to bed early. Bottom
line is, though, if I don’t do some writing every day, I really miss it.
What is your favorite form at
the moment? How do you prioritise one form over another time wise, do you have
a set system allocating sections of that time for say research/poetry/stories/
your novel or does it vary?
Though I’m working on some
stories right now, I have to say I tend to let the mood dictate what I do and
tend not to prioritise unless there is a deadline involved.
I write long and
short fiction and most of the time switch between the two, without a set
system. However, when I am researching for my novels, I tend to write short fiction
and often find that elements of the research creep into these pieces. I find
that having a form other than that
which you are trying to work on (especially when it’s tough going), frees you
from that worry of stopping. Likewise, when I’m deep into a short story and
find myself flailing, or needing a break, I’ll head back to the novel. When I’m
engaged in academic research or writing, it’s the same process. That way I’m
still engaged in the creative process. One of my writer friends who writes
poetry and fiction says he can’t switch between the two like this, so I’m
guessing that it is somewhat easier with mixing short and long fiction, despite
the different forms. I also bake, which works wonders for finding solutions to
tricky narratives or characters. I make a mean lemon cake.
Do you find different forms
almost have their season? (as I mentioned previously I like Sept for starting
into a novel as the month has a ‘knuckle down’ kind of energy for me and summer
can be difficult for sustained writing sessions as my children are at home so
in an ideal world it would be my short story season.
That’s an interesting
question, Niamh. I have to say, so far I haven’t found a season for a form. I
tend to reserve a week for pure writing (away from work, family, friends) twice
a year – usually late summer/early autumn or early spring – so maybe there is
something to do with a sense of finishing or starting, as you have pointed out.
Carver wrote short stories sitting in his car while waiting to collect his
children from school. But I think you can do those short bursts with novels as
well, work on episodes or sections of the narrative but of course you also need
that ‘knuckle down’ period.
What would you say to your younger self
about writing time and the different forms, what do you wish you had known
years ago?
I think I’d tell my
younger self to stop worrying what it all means, and not to stop because life
seems busy or somehow incompatible with the intense creativity that comes with
writing. (I stopped writing regularly in my early twenties and didn’t return to
it until my mid thirties).
With regards forms
of writing, I’d say just write, worry about the form or what type of writer you
are later. That all comes with time, but the craft takes a lot of working and
reworking.
I wish I had known
years ago that just because you stop writing the urge to write doesn’t go away,
even if you ignore it! So you might as well just keep at it!
Thanks Shauna, that was inspiring. And best of luck with your Viva Voce!
Shauna blogs at A Girl's Writing Is Never Done . Born in Dublin, Ireland, she has worked and lived in Mexico,
Spain, India and the UK. She lives in County Kildare, Ireland with her
family. Her work has been published widely and she has given public readings
of her fiction in Ireland and USA and has presented on writing at
academic conferences in Ireland, UK, Germany and USA. Happiness Comes from Nowhere (London: Ward Wood, 2012) is her first novel.
'
