The Early Edition Blog

Arthur Quinn: The Card Game

Alan — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:22:04 +0000

The Arthur Quinn website will be rebooted in the next couple of months in the lead-up to Hell’s Keeper. And when it is, you’ll be able to download this Trumps-style card game to print and play. These aren’t all the cards but here’s a sneak peek anyway!

World Book Day 2013

Alan — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:10:08 +0000

World Book Day is just around the corner (Thurs 7 March, in fact) and I’ll be touring a few bookshops that week. I had a fantastic time last year and can’t wait for it this time.

The details are of where I am all week are below. Hope I see you somewhere and if not I hope you have a wonderful World Book Day [week]!

Monday – Dubray Dun Laoghaire

Tuesday – Dubray Galway

Wednesday – Eason O’Connell St

Thursday – Eason Blanchardstown

Saturday – Waterstones Drogheda

The Scared is scared

Alan — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:08:50 +0000

This short goes on a bit at the end but is still a really sweet little film. Thanks to @didotdesigns for the heads up!

Lucky

Alan — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 13:12:42 +0000

I studied in the National Film School, Dun Laoghaire and in 2007, I made a short film called ‘Lucky.’ I always liked the film but never completed a satisfactory final cut – (other college projects got in the way and I had moved onto several more ideas.) Anyway, I came across it on a hard drive over the weekend. I sat up till the early hours two nights running to work on ‘Lucky’, tightening the cut up, replacing the audio with better sound FX and music and adding a few touches that I learned over the intervening years.

It tells the story of a young boy struggling with his English homework. (It’s more fun that it sounds!)

Anyway, here’s Lucky for your viewing pleasure. Six years in the making.

Exciting Update Time!

Alan — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:55:13 +0000

I’m delighted and excited and thrilled and any-other-happy-adjective-you-can-think-of to reveal that I have signed to an agent! His name is Ben Illis and he’s an Associate Agent at A.M. Heath. The agency has been around since 1919 and include such luminaries as George Orwell, Flann O’Brien, Hilary Mantel and the late, great (and neighbour of mine) John McGahern. Ben himself has a really exciting client list with a couple of books due out this year that I personally can’t wait to read.

Anyway, this is a big step for any writer and I’m overjoyed by it. I can’t wait to get working properly with Ben and to continue bringing lots of exciting, adventure-packed stories to bookshops near you!

New Author Photo

Alan — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:45:58 +0000

Here’s my new author photo from my very talented friend Deirdre O’Toole.

‘Bye 2012

Alan — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 18:22:42 +0000

One year is coming to an end and the other is right around the corner. Time to look back (and look forward.) So here are some things I liked/disliked over the last 12 months and things I’ve planned for 2013.

Highlights of 2012:

Being chosen for the first ever UNESCO Dublin City of Literature Childrens reading project
Meeting so so SO many Arthur Quinn fans and forgetting about any earlier book events nerves
Matilda: the Musical
Barcelona
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
Locke & Key: Clockworks by Joe Hill
City of Bohane by Kevin Barry
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Croc & Bird by Alexis Deacon
ZomB by Darren Shan
Argo, Looper, Paranorman, Skyfall, Cabin in the Woods
Boardwalk Empire Season 3
Finally watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer from start to finish!

Lowlights of 2012:

Prometheus, Dark Knight Rises
Homeland Season 2
HHhH by Laurent Binet (didn’t live up to the hype at all.)

Plans for 2013:

The release of Arthur Quinn and Hell’s Keeper (I’ve been looking forward to this one coming out since before book one! There are some big surprises coming and I can’t wait for them to be finally revealed.)
I have a VERY rough idea for a short film that I’d like to make. It’s been a few years since I wrote/directed anything so it’ll be nice to get behind the camera again this year.
There are some books coming out in 2013 that I’m really looking forward to. Neil Gaiman and Joe Hill’s new works are top of the list!

Christmas Countdown: 1!

Alan — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 09:00:09 +0000

Lots of Arthur Quinn Christmas treats here.

Christmas Countdown: 2

Alan — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Olive the Other Reindeer is a wonderful little Christmas film and you can enjoy the whole thing on Youtube.

Christmas Countdown: 3

Alan — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 08:57:31 +0000

Nothing says Christmas like gingerbread and I found this great simple recipe. Other recipes I’ve tried have been too bitter or even too time consuming. But this one is perfect. I advice rolling it quite thick so you get nice chewy cookies.
Via BBC

Ingredients
- 350g/12oz plain flour, plus extra for rolling
out
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 125g/4½oz butter
- 175g/6oz light soft brown sugar
- 1 free-range egg
- 4 tbsp golden syrup
To decorate
- writing icing
- cake decorations

Method
1. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda,
ginger and cinnamon and pour into the bowl of
a food processor. Add the butter and blend
until the mix looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in
the sugar.
2. Lightly beat the egg and golden syrup
together, add to the food processor and pulse
until the mixture clumps together. Tip the
dough out, knead briefly until smooth, wrap in
clingfim and leave to chill in the fridge for 15
minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line
two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
4. Roll the dough out to a 0.5cm/¼in thickness
on a lightly floured surface. Using cutters, cut
out the gingerbread men shapes and place on
the baking tray, leaving a gap between them.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly
golden-brown. Leave on the tray for 10 minutes
and then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.
When cooled decorate with the writing icing
and cake decorations.