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.

Advertisement

On being Irish

I’m an Irish writer. I knew that obviously! I’d just never given it any thought – at least not until the very lovely book blogger, Linda Hill, invited me to write about that very subject on her blog, Linda’s Book Bag. And it really made me think.

Here’s a little snippet:

When Linda – kindly – invited me to do a guest post she said:

‘I feel there is something very special about the literature that comes out of Ireland. Is it the sense of community there? Is it the legacy of great Irish writers? Is there a history, culture and tradition of tale-telling? Is there something about the Blarney Stone tradition tied up with the concept of narrative perhaps? Is it the rain which means finding indoor pursuits is a necessary evil? Are the Irish obsessed with stories?’

I blame the rain – for everything. The End.

OK, that wasn’t the end. It was the beginning. And you can read my – actually very considered – answers on Linda’s blog – because I’d like you to visit it! It’s a great blog. Just click: here.

And huge thanks to Linda for really making me think about what it means to be Irish and writing.

 

 

 

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.