BBC ARTS EXTRA INTERVIEW + QUICK BOOK UPDATES

I actually have things to put on this blog! Wow, good times. So last week I was just shooting out the door to meet my dear friend Heather McGarrigle (check her blog too! http://thepatchworkquill.blogspot.com/) for a spot of lunch in The Potted Hen in Belfast - great meal it was too - when, out of the blue, I got a phone call from a lovely lady at the BBC named Ruth Sanderson asking me down to talk about e-publishing and Amelia Black on the show, Arts Extra. Bricking it though I was, it was a tremendous experience and the kind words from both Ruth and the host of the show, Marie, really gave me a confidence boost in regards to my work.

So would like to say a huge thanks to them for having me, when far more knowledgeable sorts probably should have been asked. The snippet from the show itself is embedded at the top, and the main theme centres around Ewan Morrison's (also featured on the show) article he did the day previously for The Guardian which is featured here :: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/30/self-e-publishing-bubble-ewan-morrison

Quick update on book related stuff while I'm here...

• My second book titled A Boy Named Hogg is now in its third drafting phase and progressing quite nicely. Aiming for a June/July release.
• The Unseen Trials of Amelia Black has officially begun. Been so much fun returning to it again, after a year away from it.
• Also possibly have a wee children's picture book story in the works involving a mouse with a house, a boy robot made of tin and a kind gentle monster, who's not really a monster named Quinten. It's not far off completion but I'm currently not 100% what I will do with it.

New year, Oh The Places You'll Go...

I realise how bloody awful I am at posting on this blog, compared to my dearly beloved film blog. Just never really know what to type here. Determined to make an effort this year though with random ramblings, photography plus updates and press bits on my books. Plenty of exciting stuff to come this year in terms of writing.

Plans for 2012? Besides attempting to make a living from this gig, June will hopefully see the release of my second book currently titled, A Boy Named Hogg. While I polish that, I can confirm the sequel to The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black is in the early stages and with a prayer may see the light before the end of 2012. And maybe my first venture into children's picture books. Maybe...

For now though I'll leave this first post of 2012 with some cause of optimism. A video from Burning Man festival 2011 of all of Dr Seuss' beautiful poem, Oh The Places You'll Go as told by the eclectic performers and attendees. Truly heartwarming and inspiring.

TTFN (Ta ta for now...)

A.G.R.

Happy Halloween - All Hallows Read!

I know, I've been terrible at posting on this blog for the past few months for one reason or another. If I wasn't currently burying my head trying to write my next book I would have had a little seasonal ghost story to share on this. But alas, it was not to be.

However just want to post this video of the great, all knowing, all wise, Neil Gaiman talking about the wonderful idea of All Hallows Read! I think this is a fantastic concept! Anything to get more people reading.

Which on that note, just want to say thank you to everybody who has bought The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black so far and even enjoyed it!

So yes, go pass on scary books, horror books, gory books, even pass on my book this All Hallows Read!

Take it away Neil...

George Moore 1949 - 2011: A tribute to a good man, and a better father.

Family portrait by the wonderful, the marvellous, Gillian Reid.

If you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook as of late, you may have noticed how hard things have been for my family. If you haven't then I regret to say that my dad, George Moore passed away in the early hours of last Friday, August 12th.

In the build up to the service - which was sincerely beautiful - we had been fretting over finding a fitting passage, without being asked, I went away and wrote something from the heart, something I felt summed up my dad as a person for those who knew him and for those who didn't have the pleasure. Something fun and light hearted. He would've frowned had been otherwise.

It seemed to go down a storm, but only because of my wonderful big sister Katy's magnificent delivery. Unlike this feckin eejit and my extremely wise and all knowing older brother Patrick (I mean that with zero sarcasm), both my amazing sisters, Katy and Hannah are fantastic public speakers and I know deep down I couldn't have delivered this poem with such cheer and such bounce to get a rare round of applause at a funeral. That's real talent.

So my gift to all who have shown such amazing support to my family over this difficult time, is to share this genuinely personal piece of writing which I intend to hold close to my heart for all time.

Whatever may come after it, know that this is my proudest moment as a writer:

He wore glasses, rarely goggles.

His iconic phrase was surely, “the mind boggles.”

He was a father, a brother,

A Morris Minor loving punter.

He once owned an Audi, a Merc, and a Porsche.

Some of my friends would say, he even had ‘the force.’

He was a tinker, some ways a tailor,

He loved movies with soldiers and spies.

He loved museums, mainly the Ulster,

Chasing his children round Botanic would probably leave him in a fluster.

When he married a beautiful woman called, Shirley,

Kids called Patrick, Katy, Andrew and Hannah were to follow shortly.

He’d drink a fine wine, a port, a shandy, cite off one of his speeches,

And once all is said and done he’d shout: “We’ll fight them on the beaches!”

Music you say? Beware, you’ll be there all day,

Though with such wonderful company I know you’ll be glad you stayed.

So I ask you to join me, in these friendships we’ve forged,

To celebrate the life of a man called, George.

The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black

Finally! Over the last year and a half I've spent a lot of my free time crafting this story, The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black. And after all is said and done, here it is finally for your own personal enjoyment!

Price: £2.30 on Amazon.co.uk | $3.78 on Amazon.com | EUR2.99 on Amazon.de

If you buy it and enjoy it then, well I'll frankly never be able to truly thank you for it. Though I would appreciate if you were able to spread the word of my book, the character and her magical adventure. All devoted readers of the blog for the past two and a half years, now I ask of you to write a review for me.

Sincerely,

Andrew (A.G.R. Moore)

The Synopsis:

Amelia Black is a kind, curious and wonderful soul. Like her dear mother and father, who were equally kind, curious and wonderful, she was a keen explorer of the unknown. When her parents vanish without a trace, she finds herself swept into another universe. An Unseen Universe.

In the Unseen Universe, Amelia discovers a power within herself, which will change her life forever. Under the watchful eye of her faithful butler and lifelong friend, Julius E. Dawson and an ill-tempered pixie (just don’t call him a fairy) named Sid, watch as the extraordinary girl ventures into a magical universe full of pure goodness and unrivalled darkness.

Revelations of her past lie with a mysterious King of the Unseen Light, while her destiny may lead her to what lurks in The Dark.

Front cover and a release date! Exciting times.

Isn't it pretty?

The book will be released next week, Friday August 12th 2011! How exciting, right? Right!

Few details still to be ironed out in the formatting department, but generally everything is ready to go.

Title: The Unseen Chronicles of Amelia Black

Price: £2/$3.20*

Available on: Amazon's Kindle Market and Smashwords.com

Don't have a kindle? Kindle apps available for free: HERE

Hardcopy version? Coming soon for a very limited time. Watch this space.

*U.S. price not confirmed, relevant to current exchange rates.

New illustration preview - fly my pretty!

"The King ushered his honoured guests into the beautiful royal courtyard, where docked the most magnificent airship ever conceived."

I know, I know, I've been saying this a lot over the past month, but I mean it this time! It's really not long now until the book is ready to launch. I'm so excited, terrified and hyper just thinking about it. Thank you all for your patience.

Two ladies I'll be thanking again and again over the next while is Gillian for her wonderful illustrations - once again, see above, below, right, but not left! And Laura Gray for the countless hours of her own time put into editing and cleaning the whole thing up. Both have helped make this reality, and I doubt I'll ever be able to truly repay them for it.

IT'S COMING