And By The Way for FREEEEE

International cover

To celebrate the global launch of The Butterfly Novels, the first in the series, And By The Way is freeee for a limited period. Please do help yourselves and share with anyone you think might enjoy. Just click here:

amazon.com – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009SMWI6K
amazon.co.uk – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009SMWI6K

Here’s what the critics say:

‘Deegan nails Alex’s caustic teen voice and leaves the reader rooting for her heroine throughout…’ IRISH INDEPENDENT

‘This is a gem of a book; intriguing, deep and thoughtful. Alex is a feisty heroine, and her voice rings strong and true. Teenagers – and adults – will adore this book. It kept me up half the night.’ IRISH EXAMINER.

‘An engaging and emotional read that leaves you wanting more – bring on the second installment.’ RTE GUIDE.

‘It was such a powerful, emotional, beautiful book, one I loved to pieces and gobbled up as fast as I possibly could. I just can’t wait to read more by Deegan – it was just so freaking amazing!’ THE BOOK ADDICTED GIRL.

‘Let it be known, there is panty melting.’ FOREVER YOUNG ADULT

‘I was expecting romance, aw, and good writing. All those things are in there but this book is so much more… This book has everything you could possibly want in a contemporary title… And By The Way is amazing in the way it is so believable. Alex’s actions make sense even when they are breaking your heart.’ LUNA’S LITTLE LIBRARY

‘We can’t explain our fascination with the spawn of the rich and famous but it won’t go away. AND BY THE WAY… is our latest addiction and it’s the first title in the new BUTTERFLY NOVELS series….super compelling.’ KISS MAGAZINE

‘AND BY THE WAY… is a journey through grief, love and self-discovery. It’ll break your heart and make you laugh – both at the same time. And by the way…you’re going to love it.’ DUBRAY BOOKS, Staff Recommended Reads.

‘I absolutely loved it. I was so engrossed in it that my family started pulling it out of my hands.’ AUTHOR, KERIS STAINTON.

‘This book was amazingly good.’ BOOKFLAME

‘And By The Way is an amazing, heartfelt book that’s perfect for fans of YA contemporary! … Denise Deegan sure knows how to pack in suspense to say the least! … Deegan’s writing was also fabulous! She truly captured Alex’s voice to the point where I felt like I was reading a real teen’s diary at times…. Thrilling, unique, and nearly flawless, And By The Way is a surprising new contemporary read that will have readers with one last demand at its finale: Where’s the next one? Highly recommended. Grade: A’ LAUREN’S CRAMMED BOOKSHELF

‘You know that little percentage at the bottom of your e-reader that tells you how much of the book is left. Let’s just say I was sweating this one out until the very last few percentages! I really don’t know where this book has been hiding… I’m sad it’s over as I feel like I could read about Alex forever.’ BURIED IN BOOKS

‘This is an absolute gem of a series.’ I WANT TO READ THAT

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International Award Win

 

Overjoyed that Through the Barricades has won the international SCBWI Spark Award. As someone who has huge respect for SCBWI, I’m humbled and honoured. I’m also INCREDIBLY HAPPY!

To celebrate, Through the Barricades is 99c on Kindle until the end of January. Yaay!

You can get it here…

amazon.com, click: here

amazon.co.uk, click: here

Surprise Appearance by my Hero

As someone who has watched Forrest Gump at least fourteen times (I had to stop counting at some point), you can imagine the excitement when he appeared in this lovely quote on Through the Barricades by the, very generous, Martina Reilly:

 

‘Things I look for in a good book – character, plot and the author’s ability to make me care. Denise Deegan does this in spades in Through the Barricades. OK, the historical backdrop lends itself to a pacy narrative – Ireland from 1914 to 1916 – a tumultuous time in her history – but it takes a clever writer to weave the history and not let it get in the way of the plot.

I fell in love with Maggie, Daniel and their friend Michael from their first introduction. I loved Maggie’s fire and Daniel’s devotion to her. I loved how their relationship developed and I enjoyed the almost Forrest Gump-ness of the book as Maggie interacted with important Irish figures. The pieces written about the trenches in the First World War were really moving as was the devotion Maggie’s family had to each other. Bravo Denise.’ (Martina Reilly, best-selling author of Proof)

 

More on Through The Barricades here:

amazon.co.uk

amazon.com 

Now I’m off to make it fifteen times. A very happy 2017 to you all.

The review that made me cry

Authors work in a vacuum. We edit and edit and edit to get our stories as good as they can be. And yet, when we send them out into the world, we have no idea – none – how they are going to be received.

We hold our breaths. We pretend we haven’t published anything. Well, some of us do. I do.

Then the reviews come. And we can no longer live in denial.  

Today on twitter, book blogger, Linda Green (Books of All Kinds) tweeted a link to her review of my new novel, Through the Barricades. It made me cry. In relief. In appreciation. She got it. She got what I had been trying to achieve with my story. I was – and am – and will always be – grateful. Linda knows that – I’ve told her – many times, now – poor thing! I do hope that other reviewers and book bloggers realise just how important they are to us. And how much we appreciate them.

Here is Linda’s review (I want to print it onto my duvet and snuggle up in it forever):

THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan is by far my favourite book of 2016. Through the hypnotic characters of Maggie Gilligan and Danny Healy, not only do we get to see an important moment in Irish history come alive in front of our eyes, we also get to understand the harrowing life that so many lived back then, and the undeniable strength and spirit of those that changed the face of Ireland forever. But this is not just a history lesson. This is a story about love and friendship. I fell in love with Danny and Maggie’s relationship as it evolved, with Maggie’s fierce determination to make a difference and improve life for all those she encounters, while Danny literally places his life on the line to protect the woman he loves like no other. We follow them along their dangerous journey as they make new friendships and try to make a change for everyone’s future, and we also get to see the effect this has on their families, watching on the sidelines. THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan does not shy away from the harrowing impact of war or death, and it certainly made me emotional at times, but it was the moments of pure love in this tale that really brought a tear to my eye. THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan is a powerful, emotional story about love – love for one’s country, love for one’s family – and the need to stand up and make yourself heard, to make a difference. Something we all need to be aware of today. THROUGH THE BARRICADES by Denise Deegan is nothing short of stunning and I know it is a book I will re-read for many years to come.
BOOK RATING – 📖📖📖📖📖 5++++

 

 

Publication Day!

Very happy to announce that my new novel, Through the Barricades, is out today, in time for Christmas.

It’s a story of love through war and revolution. It’s a story of family and what it means to be Irish. It’s a story of the pressure that can come with a fathers’s last request. And it’s a story of fighting for what you believe in, and risking all that you hold dear.

Here is the jacket copy:

‘Make a difference in the world,’ are the last words Maggie Gilligan’s father ever says to her. They form a legacy that she carries in her heart, years later when, at the age of fifteen, she tries to better the lives of Dublin’s largely forgotten poor.

‘Don’t go getting distracted, now,’ is what Daniel Healy’s father says to him after seeing him talking to the same Maggie Gilligan. Daniel is more than distracted. He is intrigued. Never has he met anyone as dismissive, argumentative… as downright infuriating.

A dare from Maggie is all it takes. Daniel volunteers at a food kitchen. There, his eyes are opened to the plight of the poor. It is 1913 and Dublin’s striking workers have been locked out of their jobs. Their families are going hungry. Daniel and Maggie do what they can. Soon, however, Maggie learns that the only way to make a difference is to take up arms.

The story of Maggie and Daniel is one of friendship, love, war and revolution, of two people who are prepared to sacrifice their lives: Maggie for her country, Daniel for Maggie. Their mutual sacrifices put them on opposite sides of a revolution. Can their love survive?

Through the Barricades is available on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. Really hope you enjoy. Have a wonderful Christmas.