Monday, April 26, 2010

Nightwish - Over the hills and far away

Here's a fantastic video by the Finnish band Nightwish. They fired their lead singer, this amazing woman Tarja Turunen, some time ago and she now sings solo. (Posted one of her fantasy videos months back.) This is the kind of music I would love to see scoring a film version of The Celtic Princess. A writer's dream.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Celtic Princess

With three contracts signed, sealed and delivered it's time to make the Big Announcement. In fact, my agent - the amazing Marianne Gunn-O'Connor - has already posted the news in Publishers Marketplace, so this is an echo. Yes, my new YA series has legs at last and will be out next year in Canada with Scholastic, in Japan with Shogakukan, and in the United States of America with Penguin Putnam. Very exciting! Stay tuned for who will publish it in the UK and other territories. The Celtic Princess is a mythological adventure series about the 16 year old daughter of the High King of Tara who strives to be a warrior to avenge her father's murder. She is helped by a handsome slave-prince and her beloved wolfhound. I'm also developing the story as a graphic novel. Here's some early artwork from the gifted James Brady, blogged with his permission (copyright: Jim Brady).

Monday, April 19, 2010

OR Melling on Facebook

I'm not one for social network sites chiefly because of all the work it would involve. As is obvious this past while, I am having enough trouble trying to keep my blogs up to date! Don't ask me what I am doing with my time. Well, actually, I'm working one day a week in a beautiful garden on the side of Bray Head, writing two books, taking occasional courses in script-writing, meeting with friends, meditating, reading, visiting my favourite Buddhist Centre, running a spiritual library in a convent twice a month, looking after my cat, occasionally looking after my daughter (studying for exams), visiting my family, helping to run a dance co-op, um, I think that's it. ANYHOO, even though I am not on Facebook, I am: http://pa-in.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&gid=93920199128. Thank you Bethany. Very nice!