A Book's Soul

Here's something I've been saying when I give talks on my tour and it is true. There's usually a book behind the books I write, like a bright shadow or a soul. The book, well really the play, behind The Hunter's Moon is Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Like his work, my book is a mostly-happy fairy romp where all the lovers wind up together at the end. The book behind The Summer King is actually mentioned in my book -- Ian carries it in his knapsack -- Wuthering Heights, one of the few books I like to re-read. Darker, dealing with death and love, Emily Bronte's book has a hero who is also its villain (sound familiar?) And if you look at the accent of Sandy, the English hippie, you will see it is the same accent as the servant in Wuthering Heights. Ah, these little things that keep a writer inspired and happy while she is working.

Stay tuned

Sorry, I've been neglecting this blog while on tour. Everything is going in the tour journal on my website (click on the butterfly) and then a few bits and bobs on the personal blog. Good news: all the bookstores say I am selling well, my readers are wonderful, and the tour is going great. When I get back to Ireland I will be posting pics of my research for The Summer King on this blog e.g. gorgeous pics on top of the mountains of Croaghaun and Slievemore on Achill Island.

Tour Schedule

So here's the cover of the new and utterly revised edition of The Summer King. It is done in shiny metallic inks and that blue has to be seen to be believed. Exquisite. Weird spooky thing: the girl in the picture looks like me when I was young and I even had a dress like that. But the cover artist couldn't have known. Meanwhile, my webmaster has set up a special page showing my tour schedule with a map (thanks, Piers!). You can access it by clicking here: www.ormelling.com/tour_2006.htm. I'm almost ready. Who knows, I might get the chance to blog when on tour.