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Kathleen McGurl

~ Where past and present collide…

Kathleen McGurl

Category Archives: Uncategorized

Publication day and other news

07 Wednesday Aug 2019

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good news, The Forgotten Secret, The Stationmasters Daughter

Today is publication day for The Stationmaster’s Daughter, and I can’t wait to find out what people think of this one! It was inspired by my brother’s work volunteering on the Lynton to Barnstaple railway restoration project – he’s been involved with that for 30 years. I adore this cover – that girl is EXACTLY how I imagine my character Annie!

perfect

 

In other news, The Forgotten Secret is currently on promotion in the US, selling at just 99c. Yesterday after a Bookbub promo, it climbed to number 13 in the overall chart which had me VERY excited, checking its rankings more times than I care to admit. If you’re wondering what Bookbub is, please click the link above and consider following your favourite authors. You’ll get emails when they release new books or when their books are on promotion, so you are the first to hear!

Here’s my book in the charts when it was at its highest point, ahead of a couple of rather well known books:13 in the US

And finally, I posted an important document back to my publisher the other day… one that contained a signature and a commitment to write another three books… So I had better get on and write them!

Blog tour – coming soon!

30 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Promotion, The Stationmasters Daughter

I had such a great blog tour for The Forgotten Secret organised by Rachel’s Random Resources that I immediately booked another one for The Stationmaster’s Daughter. The tour starts on 20th August, and here’s the complete list of bloggers involved. I’ll post links to each blog review as they appear, on the book’s page on this blog.

So looking forward to publication of this book – just a week away now!

The Stationmasters Daughter Full Tour Banner

Mr Cavell’s Diamond in Portuguese!

23 Tuesday Jul 2019

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good news, Mr Cavell's Diamond, translation

Today is publication day for the Portuguese translation of my first novel, Mr Cavell’s Diamond, by Brazilian publisher Leabhar Books. I’m really excited to see how this one does – the publisher tells me there’s a real demand for Regency novels in Brazil!

Here’s the cover they made for it. It’s not quite Worthing but I love the mysterious house by the sea.Cover

You can buy the novel here in Portuguese, or here in English!

100th anniversary

21 Monday Jan 2019

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Dail, Irish war of independence, The Forgotten Secret

Today, 21st January 2019, is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Dáil – Ireland’s parliament. The Dáil was not recognised by Britain, and thus the Irish war of independence began.

The war ended in 1921 with a signing of a treaty that split six counties of Ulster away from the rest of Ireland – creating what we now know as Northern Ireland (although those in the republic tend to refer to it simply as ‘the north’).

Many in Ireland were not happy about that treaty, and civil war ensued (1922-3) between the pro and anti-treaty forces.

And of course some anti-treaty forces (the IRA) continued fighting over the decades until the Good Friday Agreement finally brought peace in 1998. (Peace that Brexit may endanger, but this isn’t supposed to be a political post so let’s not go there!)

My new book, currently available for preorder, is partly set during the war of 1919-21, telling the story of Ellen, young and in love with an idealistic Republican fighter. In the present day, Clare inherits a farmhouse in county Meath, and discovers long-forgotten secrets that allow her to unearth Ellen and Jimmy’s story…

hqdigital_9780008236991_happypublication_38

Instagram

29 Monday Oct 2018

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I have bravely decided to open an Instagram account. I am @kathleenmcgurl there if you use the platform and want to follow me. I have absolutely no idea how to use it as yet!

Added three pics just so my profile isn’t completely empty.

New cover for The Emerald Comb!

27 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Books, Uncategorized

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covers, Emerald Comb

I’m delighted to share with you this gorgeous new cover for The Emerald Comb. While I liked the picture on the original cover, I never felt it was quite right for the book. This one is perfect. That house is exactly how I envisaged Kingsley House to be, and I love the new tag line.

The Emerald Comb new cover

I’ll always have a soft spot for this book as it’s the one that landed my my first publishing contract.

And what to do with the old cover? Well, why not do a Banksy, courtesy of Photofunia…

PhotoFunia-1540581944.gif

Novel Points of View

13 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

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Lake District, The Drowned Village

I have recently joined six other writers to contribute to a shared blog, the Novel Points of View. 

Today it was my turn to post something, and I have written about the summer’s drought, and where the inspiration for The Drowned Village came from. Please do pop over to take a look!

Haweswater

Walking up the Old Corpse Road above Haweswater – inspiration for The Drowned Village

It’s a good and varied blog about all things writing-related, and a new post goes up every Saturday, or thereabouts.  Do come and join us!

Publication!

21 Friday Sep 2018

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Promotion, The Drowned Village

I’m delighted to announce that The Drowned Village has finally been published, and is available to buy as ebook, paperback or audiobook. It’s available from all the usual online retailers, and is also in Waterstones and Foyles. I’m off to my local Waterstones tomorrow to see if I can catch a glimpse of it, out there in the wild!

Next week there’s to be a blog tour to promote the book. I’ll add links to the Drowned Village page on this blog, but meanwhile here’s the itinerary. I’ve completed an interview for one blog, and the others are reviews. Follow along to find out which actors I’d like to see playing the main characters, and what I’d choose as a theme tune. (Great questions, but had me scratching my head trying to answer them!)

Drowned Village blog tour

There’ll be other exciting book news coming along soon. Keep checking back to keep in touch!

The past revealed

18 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Blogging, Uncategorized

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inspiration, The Drowned Village

It’s been one of those summers, hasn’t it? The prolonged drought in the UK meant barely a week went past without there being news of some new historical or archeological remains being discovered. Ancient earthworks revealed when the grass or crops died, or reservoirs drying out to reveal long lost drowned villages.

Of course this all fascinated me, not least because my new book (out this week!) is called The Drowned Village and focuses on a dried-out reservoir revealing an old village, and the secrets buried within.

preorder promo

Here are some links to news stories about what was uncovered by the drought. All amazing stories, and I know for certain if I hadn’t already written The Drowned Village I’d be inspired to write such a story now!

Haweswater and Mardale (the valley my novel was inspired by)

A ‘lost valley’ in Cornwall

And not just in Britain – here’s a reservoir in Wicklow, Ireland that dried out

Here are some older, archeological discoveries made due to the drought

And more from Scotland

I’ve always felt the past is still there, just beneath our consciousness somehow. We only need scratch the surface and we are reconnected with it. If I pass through an ancient doorway, I’m always drawn to wondering about all the people who’ve passed through it before me…  I guess that’s why I love writing dual timeline novels!

Speaking of which – here’s the link to The Drowned Village, out on 20th September, available from online retailers or your local Waterstone’s.  I can’t wait to find out what people think of this one!

 

 

Happy St Patrick’s Day!

17 Saturday Mar 2018

Posted by kathmcgurl in Books, Uncategorized

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Promotion, The Girl from Ballymor

shamrock To all those of Irish descent, and everyone else, have a wonderful St Patrick’s Day! If Ireland beat England in the Six Nations rugby this afternoon, thereby winning the Grand Slam, it’ll certainly be a joyous occasion in this house. My husband is a committed fan of Irish rugby. (If you read my books carefully you might spot references to Munster Rugby club in them – it’s the only way I can persuade him to read them.)

the-girl-from-ballymor_highres

My Irish book, The Girl from Ballymor, is currently just 99p for the ebook – what better way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, especially given the awful weather forecast for the weekend, than curling up with a good read?

And if you’ve already read it, thank you! I’d appreciate a brief Amazon review, as those really do help sell books.

Whatever you’re doing today, have a good one, and Slainté!

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