I promise I will post something of substance soon! But first, if you’re in the UK or Ireland and intrigued by a story of passion, betrayal and World War I, White Feathers, haven’t yet read or bought it, and would like to get your mitts on a copy, O’Brien Press are doing a giveaway with Goodreads, so hop on over!
In the meantime, in this entry “Love in the Time of War”, I blog on the publisher site about writing White Feathers and the inspiration behind it. This blog entry is based on the speech I made on the night of the launch and the core of it is this:
When women are treated as subjects, not citizens, that is violence. When the mentally ill are cast in newspapers and books as weak, worthless, second-class folk, because they break down under intolerable pressure and cannot go on – that is violence. When the old and comfortable condemn the young to struggle with old men’s battles, as they sit by a roaring fire with the finest amontillado – that is violence of generations. When powerful interests work with gloved hands, silencing the truth, muzzling its witnesses, so that the fine feelings of the power élite are not affronted – that is entrenched violence.
Go there to read more!
I will be taking to the boards to read an extract from the book for the Caca Milis Cabaret Old Music Hall Event on Saturday September 13th. For those who were at the launch, I won’t be reading from the same extract, so there’ll be a bit of variety. I love the Caca Milis (there should be an accent on the “a” but my keyboard won’t co-operate with me) as I was there two months ago. It takes place in Arthur’s Pub in Thomas Street, would be delighted to see you there.
Am also VERY pleased to see that White Feathers is back in the Top 10 books for LoveReading. LR did a pre-publication promotion for it – but now, when you see the competition it’s dealing with, from established authors, it’s fending for itself very well since being out and published. (EDIT. It has now been superseded by Fatty O’Leary’s Dinner Party and The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman. Oh well, twas nice while it lasted!) To add to my pleasure, I’ve just discovered that White Feathers is in the bestseller chart for Dubray Books this week. I think, at the risk of promoting my own stuff, it’s a dramatic, wide-ranging narrative and it helped that the characters really made me care for them – I hope the reader feels similarly.
Last, a bit of music for Friday evening. This piece by Palestrina appears in the novel, in a quite emotional scene. I had the privilege of singing it once. Ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.
Susan Lanigan - WWI Historical Fiction 