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THE author of
the Harry Potter
books, JK
Rowling, is a
fan of Limerick
fantasy writer,
Darren
O'Shaughnessy.
The bestselling
author has
written a rave
review of
Darren's first
teen horror
book, Cirque du
Freak, and has
also given the
thumbs up to the
second in the
Saga of Darren
Shan series, The
Vampire's
Assistant.
According to
JK Rowling, "the
plot is full of
twists which
leaves the
reader hungry
for more".
It's a review
that has
delighted the
28-year-old
Pallaskenry
author.
"It's the
first time she
has ever
reviewed a book
for anyone and
we are delighted
to be able to
use a piece from
her comments on
Cirque du Freak
on the book
jackets," said
Darren this
week.
"I also sent
her a copy of
The Vampire's
Assistant and
she liked it as
well. We will be
using those
comments on the
cover of the
third book
Tunnels of Blood
which will be
published on
November 3
next."
Both Cirque
du Freak and The
Vampire's
Assistant are
books one and
two in the Saga
of Darren
Shan--an
ordinary
schoolboy until
he gets an
invitation to
visit the Cirque
du Freak, until
he meets Madame
Octa, until he
comes
face-to-face
with a creature
of the night and
is forced to
make a deadly
bargain to save
his friend's
life.
The book
became a
near-overnight
success for
Darren when it
was published by
HarperCollins at
the end of last
year and is
already on its
second reprint.
Darren also
signed a
lucrative deal
with Warner
Brothers, who
took a $1m film
rights option on
the novel.
Equally good
news for Darren
was that
publishers
HarperCollins
had agreed to
publish the
first three
books of the
series in
Britain and in
Europe and
Little Brown
bought the
publishing
rights for the
US.
In The
Vampire's
Assistant,
Darren Shan
struggles with
his new life,
desperately
trying to resist
the one
temptation that
sickens him--and
the one thing
that can keep
him alive. But
destiny is
calling...and
the Wolf Man is
waiting.
The
London-born
author lives at
home in
Summerville,
Pallaskenry with
his parents Liam
and Breda.
His dad works
for a plant hire
firm and his
mother teaches
in Askeaton
National School.
He attended
the local
Salesian College
before studying
sociology and
English in
London. He has
worked full time
as a writer for
the past five
years.
He continues
to write 10 or
12 pages every
day on both his
children / teen
horror novels
and a fantasy
series for teens
and adults.
"I've been
taking things a
little easier
since publishing
the teen books
but I still
manage to write
a lot and travel
around. Since
Cirque du Freak
I've been
invited to
schools and
libraries to
speak to the
readers. We
sometimes act
out scenes from
the books," he
said.
Though Cirque
du Freak is
Darren's best
known book, he
had made the
breakthrough
into the
expanding
international
fantasy market
early last year
with his first
published novel
Ayuamarca, the
first in a
four-novel
series called
The City.
A fan of
novelists
Stephen King and
Clive Barker,
his writing is
in the tradition
of Oscar Wilde,
Jonathan Swift
and Bram Stoker.
Darren
describes
Ayuamarca'as a
mixture of
crime, horror
and fantasy.
Set in a
nameless city in
the near future,
the novel
focuses on a
young gangster
with big dreams
who is
determined to
rise through the
criminal ranks
by whatever
means
possible--even
if he has to
consort with a
serial killer
and betray those
closest to him.
What he doesn't
realise is that
his rise is
being closely
monitored and
guided by the
Cardinal--the
city's evil
kingpin--the
only person who
knows about his
mysterious and
fantastic past.
Book two in
the City series,
Hells Horizon,
has the same
secondary
characters but
is more of a
detective and
thriller.
http://www.limerick-leader.ie/issues/20000722/news08.html
[If you click on
the link you'll
find a photo of
me looking
impossibly
young!!!!] |
