Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Thursday, 3 November 2016

Newgrange: Monument to Immortality being reprinted

I have received good news from The Liffey Press. Newgrange: Monument to Immortality is currently being reprinted, following its recent selling out. The first edition was published in 2012 and is now sold out. The new print run should arrive at the distributor on 16th November, and so should be available in the shops shortly afterwards.

This is the second of my non-fiction books to sell out. Island of the Setting Sun - In Search of Ireland's Ancient Astronomers was first published in 2006 and sold out in 13 months. It was republished as a second edition in 2008 and has since sold out again, but regrettably is not being republished at this time. I would like to see Island being republished as I think it will continue to sell for years to come.

Friday, 21 October 2016

'Newgrange - Monument to Immortality' is out of print, but the good news is it's being reprinted for November

Newgrange Monument to Immortality.
Some very significant news (and opportunities hopefully) on the publications front. My book Newgrange: Monument to Immortality has sold out. This is very positive news and shows how popular this work has been as an alternative avenue into exploring Ireland's most precious ancient treasure. The even better news is that I've just spoken to The Liffey Press and they're going to do a second print run, which should hopefully be available some time in November.

This is the second time one of my books went out of print. Island of the Setting Sun (with co-author Richard Moore) sold out in just 12 months after its initial publication in 2006, and was revised and expanded and republished in early 2008. HOWEVER, Island of the Setting Sun also recently sold out (again), and in this case it is not being republished by The Liffey Press. So I will be seeking an alternative publisher as I believe this book will continue to sell for years to come.

On the fiction front, my novella Land of the Ever-Living Ones is almost out of print and although it is available for Amazon Kindle, I would like to have it reprinted in hard copy format. This simple story of a lovely dialogue between a young boy and a wise sean-draoi (old druid) set in ancient Ireland has proven very popular and has received some very positive reviews. Here's one from Amazon.com:
Having read Anthony's excellent non-fiction titles, I was enthusiastic about his foray into fiction. What a treasure! I smiled, laughed, thoughtfully let tears run down my cheeks and didn't want it to end! Sometimes I felt myself telling the story of the seandroi, others I was the young, rapt listener and throughout felt that this is how history is supposed to be conveyed. My wife and I rarely like to read the same genre but I had to share this with her and she loved it too! Anthony, please publish in hardcover so this wonderful gift can be passed on and on!
Anthony Murphy's books - non-fiction (left) and fiction (right).

Further to all this, my first full novel, The Cry of the Sebac, has not yet been published in hard copy format, although it is available on Amazon Kindle. I would LOVE to see this book in print and believe it has a very strong message for today's world from the myths and megaliths of ancient Ireland. Here's a brief summary of The Cry of the Sebac:
One boy can be more powerful than an army.
A boy meets a mysterious talking bird, a floating hawk who claims to have lived forever. Guided by the bird, he glimpses his own destiny. He alone must save mankind from rushing over the precipice to his doom. The boy will have to prevent an apocalypse. But how? The bird, who calls himself the Sebac Gaoth (Hawk on the Wind), takes him on an extraordinary journey through mind and space to meet the Tuatha Dé Danann, those who are foretold to come to the aid of man for a battle to save the world. In the process of revelation, the boy helps the Sebac to realise something of his own origins and destiny.

On top of all of the above, I am continuing research into another work of non-fiction, which will be based on some of the most ancient myths of Ireland, offering new insights and tracing the creation and origin myths of this ancient island. I'm hoping to make progress on this book during the coming winter, all going well.

Click on the video below so see footage from the launch of Land of the Ever-Living Ones in 2013:



Links:
Newgrange: Monument to Immortality - Amazon reviews
Land of the Ever-Living Ones: Amazon reviews
Island of the Setting Sun: Amazon reviews

Sunday, 10 July 2016

'Above Below' - a documentary about Newgrange author Anthony Murphy and his fascination with the monuments


This is a segment from a half hour documentary about Newgrange Monument to Immortality author Anthony Murphy and his journey from being a newspaper journalist into writing books about the ancient monuments of the Boyne Valley.

The film was made by local film maker Martin O'Donoghue. In this segment, Anthony talks about his many visits to Newgrange and discusses some of his personal insights into this ancient wonder. He talks in particular about how he wanted to write a book devoted to Newgrange, having included the monument as part of a wider look at the ancient landscape in his first work, Island of the Setting Sun.

The project is a precursor to a much  larger, full-length documentary film on the subject, exploring the meaning of Newgrange to people today. Planning for that larger film has begun.

A screen shot from Above Below with Anthony Murphy.