Hello!

Welcome to my new website/blog.  First off , I wish to say a huge thank you to the creative and gifted Colleen Sheehan for her work on this site and for giving it its professional gloss.  Anyone who would like support in starting up a new website, or have their Facebook or Twitter pages redesigned, their ebooks formatted or any one of a number of excellent services, click on this link.  You will not regret it.  write.DREAM.repeat Book Design

Sunday 25 October 2015





Hi!

It's been a few (very busy) days since I last posted, exciting days, demanding days. Interesting things (for me) have been happening. The new cover for The Doom Murders is complete (It has been published on Inspector Sheehan's facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/inspectorsheehan

The new version (ebook and paperback) of The Doom Murders is also ready for publishing and should appear early next week.

And the little mystery game that I was asked to write to coincide with the launch of The Doom Murders, gave my publisher the idea to introduce a handy read for people in airports, doctor's waiting rooms, and other places where they can whip out their phone or ipad and while away time. She's calling them Crimson Shorts and my little murder game, Murder at Loftus House, is the first of them to be published. It is now available in ebook and paperback format at Amazon, Smashwords, CreateSpace, Crimson Cloak Publishing. .and other ebook outlets as well. That came as a very pleasant and surprising piece of news this morning. I did not expect that. See it here:

Murder at Loftus House: An Inspector Sheehan Mystery




















Saturday 26 September 2015



Hi. The Doom Murders by Brian O'Hare is soon to be published as a paperback by Crimson Cloak Publishing. Carly McCracken, President and owner of the company, asked me the other day to prepare a 'mystery' competition to coincide with the book's launch and to introduce prospective readers to Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sheehan. i.e, Solve the Mystery. Win a Prize.

I have now sent her a scenario that sets up the scene, provides background information, introduces the characters/suspects in the mystery, and at the end of which the murder takes place. This information will be offered to the general public via Facebook, twitter and blogs. Each day thereafter further clues will be provided though a series of interviews with each of the suspects, one interview per day for five days.

At the end of the sixth day, readers will be asked to identify the murderer, explain what clues led them to this conclusion, and write in detail how they believe the murder was carried out. Answers will be sent to a specific email address rather than posted on FaceBook for others to see. The three best answers will be published a day or so after the competition closes and the winners will each receive a copy of the newly printed book.

This exercise will take place hopefully within the next few days. Keep an eye on this blogspot, as well as on twitter and facebook, for further news.

For more information go to Inspector Sheehan's FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/inspectorsheehan




Wednesday 16 September 2015

Quite excited today.  My publisher has made no bones about her dislike for the ebook cover of The Doom Murders. The CCP editor, Veronica Castle, is now going through the final edit of the MS for publication, and I have just been introduced to Matic, one of CCPs very talented cover designers.  She now has some specifics about the book's themes, some scenes from it, and a couple of words from me.  I look forward to see what she is going to come up with.

Sunday 13 September 2015


I had a great blog party on the 10th and enjoyed interacting with my visitors. A big thank you to all who visited and left comments.

The RRBC committee have now judged the comments and they have listed my winners as follows:

*$10.00 Amazon Gift Card - Rhani D'Chae

*$5.00 ITunes Gift Card - Larry Hyatt

*One copy of the award winning, non-fiction paperback: The Miracle Ship - Jan Hawke

*One e-book copy of the award winning first book in the Inspector Sheehan Series: The Doom Murders - Bethany Turner

*One ebook copy of the award winning contemporary fiction novel: Fallen Men - Stevie Turner



The RRBC Congratulations to all of the winners. To those who have won copies of my books, I hope that reading of them will not be too dull and experience for you.


Wednesday 9 September 2015

RRBC Book and Blog Block Party


A big welcome to my friends from RRBC and anyone else who might happen by.  


Hi and “WELCOME” to Rave Reviews Book Club’s BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY at the Official Site of:


 Brian O’Hare and the 
DCI Sheehan Mysteries

Location:  Northern Ireland


Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today:



*$10.00 Amazon Gift Card
*$5.00 ITunes Gift Card
*One copy of the award winning, non-fiction paperback: The Miracle Ship 
*One  e-book copy of the award winning first book in the Inspector Sheehan Series:  
The Doom Murders
*One ebook copy of the award winning contemporary fiction novel: Fallen Men 


# of Winners for this stop:  5


Note (re the paperback): I can arrange for this to be posted to an American winner by my publisher.  Anywhere else, I will post it myself.



Competition Rules: 

Read the blog and leave a comment at the end. That’s it. Your comment can be humorous, serious, bland, or it can be astute, erudite or astringent. The choice is yours.



FIRST OFF

Let me say, this is a new site, so there’s not a lot here to hold your interest. And right away we’ve got a problem because one of the RRBC’s key instructions was that we should make your blog stop fun, exciting and interesting. Jeez. ‘Interesting’ on demand? Being an infant, in blogging terms, I don’t even have a clue what I’m supposed to be doing.

Okay! Let’s see. What have we got on this site? There are a couple of short essays on Page One about what prompted me to write Fallen Men and The Doom Murders. The one about Fallen Men is vaguely interesting, I think. Dunno about the other one. Then there’s a page that tells readers about the whole four of my books. Yawn! And then there’s a page about me. Wow! Don’t know if any one could be interested in that but hey, if you are, knock yourself out. It’s the second page.

NEWS


My writing has followed a strangely circuitous path. From writing articles for academic journals, I progressed to writing book length academic reports. From there,  after a serious illness, I wrote to two religious books, one an autobiographic memoir, the other, The Miracle Ship, a strange and incredible biography of a most extraordinary man, a miracle worker. Retired by now, and fancying a move to writing fiction, I was prompted by the widely-reported shenanigans of corrupt clergy in Ireland to write a contemporary fiction novel, Fallen Men.

And then, because my favourite genre for the past several years has been crime thrillers, I thought I’d have a go at writing one of my own, et voila, there appeared The Doom Murders.

And now, there’s something happening in my writing life that might interest visiting writers. I found a publisher…yeah! You guys know how hard that is… who is willing to publish all my stuff. Crimson Cloak Publishers is owned by a lovely lady called Carly McCracken. Carly liked The Doom Murders with it’s introspective but perspicacious (Like that? That’s the way we writers talk!), anyway, the perspicacious Detective Chief Inspector Sheehan. She suggested a series. A series? Yeah, a series, and my immediate reaction was, ‘No way that’s possible. I’ve only written one detective book in my life. Where would I start?’

But guess what? I have only just this week completed Book Two of the Inspector Sheehan series: The 11:05 Murders. I thought initially I might have enough of a plot for about 50000 words but the final tally was 104500 words. Go figure! I am not sure when Carly will be able to get it out but I am hoping it won’t be much longer than about six or seven months from now. Not a soul has read it, not my wife, not any family members, not even the beta readers who were reading and commenting upon The Doom Murders during the process of my writing it. This time I wanted to hug the new story to myself. Don’t ask me why. Was it because The Doom Murders won a couple of awards and garnered 37 very positive reviews on Amazon.com and I’m afraid to let anyone see the sequel in case it doesn’t measure up? Maybe. Or as it because the plot this time is much more complex and I just wanted to be able to drift back and forward making multiple changes without having to reference them to anyone? That would probably be true. Or did I just want the thing to be whole and complete before anyone came to it? Whatever the reason, I am now totally without feedback. Writers among you will recognise that that’s a scary place. Do I want feedback? Of course I do…but I’ll deal simply with Veronica Castle, Crimson’s Cloak’s indefatigable editor, and go by what she says. Fingers dutifully crossed…but that doesn’t mean that I’m not crappin’ myself.

Five Great Indie Writers

Many of my colleagues in RRBC have been supporting me with tweets and other comments.  I would like to point towards a few great writers, members of the RRBC, who have supported me and whose books gave me that special frisson of enjoyment as I read them:

Rebecca Reilly

Rebecca is a pastor who has been in ministry for several years. She enjoys writing mysteries (Into Dark Waters and Haunting Megan), but has also written humour (Diary of a Christian Woman: How I Used 50 Shades of Grey to Spice Up My Marriage), a children s chapter book (The Geek Club), and two picture books (Heart of a Kitty and Jammers and His Flying Bed Adventure). Right now, Rebecca is working on follow-up novels in all four genres. Read Haunting Megan, a heart-stopping story from the pen of a gifted writer.

Robin Chambers

Robin is a very erudite, retired school principal, well versed in Philosophy and Literature. Despite this, he has chosen to write children’s fantasies. One of the great books from the Myrddin’s Heir series is Gifts from the Gods, a hugely appealing children’s fantasy that many adults, too, will derive a sneaky enjoyment from.

J.M. Shorney 

J.M. Shorney has graduated from writing about vampires to thrillers.  Her flawed hero, Aidan McRaney, will soon become a by-word for thriller readers.  Meet him for the first time in her gripping, suspense-filled thriller, Progeny of a Killer.

Ronesa Avila 

This is actually the pen name for a collaboration between Rebecca Carter (very supportive member of the RRBC) and Anelia Samovila. Their book, Mystical Emona is a story to touch the hardest heart. A mystical and wonderful world leaps from these pages. Absorbing reading.

Harmony Kent  

From a peaceful and lyrical opening to a horror story in the mould of Stephen King, The Glade will keep you riveted. A delicious spine-chiller, skilfully written.

If anyone has got this far, thanks for sticking with my blog, and thanks for coming.

And remember, genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

And finally, If somebody says to you that they shall lose no time in reading your book, don’t take it as a compliment!!

Wee Note

If anyone would like to make the acquaintance of Chief Inspector Sheehan and his
team, The Doom Murders will be available for the next month or so at a reasonable $2.08 (£1.32).


Fringe Festival, Edinburgh


My wife an  I visited the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the middle of August. The Royal Mile was filled with characters weird and wonderful, but none so strange as this guy.



And Finally

Below is a photograph of Marcie who treated us like royalty in Guiliano’s Italian restaurant when we were in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago. My wife asked her if she would like to take me home but, alas, she already has two dogs and a cat and has no room for any more pets.


MARCIE AND ME



Tuesday 21 July 2015

The Miracle Ship Has Been Released by Crimson Cloak Publishers





Hi! My new publisher has now published the first of four of my books, The Miracle Ship. I apologise to anyone who has been trying to buy it during the last couple of weeks while the change in publisher was being made. It is now available in both paperback and ebook versions,

We have decided to go with the orignal cover but the editing is now professional and complete. Not likely to be seen in British bookshops; their demands are crazy. They want between 35% and 40% of the book's price as their cut. They want postage paid from the US AND they want to return all books not sold, again with postage paid by the publisher. What business could countenance terms like those? But never worry, The Miracle Ship is available from Crimson Cloak Publishers, Smashwords, Amazon, Kindle, and Ingrams. And, coming soon, Apple iBookstore, Barnes and Noble, Nook, Sony Kobo and others.