The Shameless Plug

Posted byFractured Faith BlogPosted inA Fractured FaithTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kirkwood Scott is looking for a home! As I continue to query literary agents with my first book – ‘The Kirkwood Scott Chronicles: Skelly’s Square’ – I’m also on the outlook for any small, independent publishing houses who publish urban fantasy literature. Would they be interested in running with my tale of Kirkwood Scott, Meredith Starc and Harley Davidson as they battle an ancient supernatural evil on the back streets of Belfast?

The book is a fantasy adventure but addresses the very real issues of mental illness, addiction, disability and self harm as our three heroes battle their own internal demons while facing the external threat of Colonel Augustus Skelly and his Company, a ragtag ensemble of Waterloo dead who have returned to wreak havoc on the city and beyond. Only Kirkwood and his newfound allies stand in their way, aided by a wine sodden tramp, Cornelius Dobson, and Emily O’Hara, a tragic ghost girl from Meredith’s past.

At present the book is a 120K manuscript which has been through a beta reading exercise and is now being revised by a professional editor. It is anticipated that this will be complete within the next few weeks, whereupon I would be in a position to submit the completed manuscript to interested parties. The book leans heavily on my own experiences with mental illness and knowledge of the Belfast homeless community.

It tackles these issues head on, interlaced with a healthy dash of Belfast wit and humour. If you know of an agent or publisher who might be interested in my writing then please pass this post on to them. In the meantime I will keep blogging and working on book two in the series along with a number of standalone projects I am currently plotting. The writing never stops. Thank you!

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

51 thoughts on “The Shameless Plug”

  1. How prevalent is the mental illness issue? A few days ago I found some agents and editors who don’t want to deal with trigger topics in fiction. Just an FYI as you continue to find your book baby a home.

    Praying for you!
    Tambra

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      1. Oh, nice! Like that character that had a TV show, Monk? That’s interesting. I love quirks in a character. That makes them more human and relatable to me and I enjoy the book so much more.

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  2. It is very sad what tambra is telling us. Stephen, i pray that you get this lublished. I for one would read it, it sounds to be pure genius, and I know only too well the battling with demons bit. I want to see thus book publushed. Keep going Stephen. Even if you get rejection after rehection, which I hope you don’t, keep going. This book deserves to see the light of day. God bless you in your quest Stephen

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    3. Not all agents are against trigger issues, just some of them. Which is why as writers we need to read their guidelines carefully. We all need to continue with our projects, study the market and write the books of our heart. I’m cheering all of y’all on! My favourite author was turned down quite a few times, finally got a traditional contract, then, things went to hell in a handbasket (none of which was her fault), and now she has millions of her books in print, is a New York Times bestselling author and some of her series are being made into movies.

      We can do this!

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      1. Oh wow tambra. That is incredible. I wanted to say that to Stephen too – that many really famous authors were renected time after time. But Stephen you have the strength and determination to carry on regardless. Your story is so original. Tambra, what an experience your friend hadM. Wow! I can’t wait to read Stephen’s book either, go for it Stephen.

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  4. I believe you’ll find a publisher soon. Writing a 120K manuscript isn’t easy, and if you could accomplish this, then you have the perseverance required to find an agent/publisher. Best wishes 🙂

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  5. That you may be facing a “trigger taboo” publishing problem is a logical idea. Mental illness frightens as many people now as it did back when the only treatment option was institutionalization. Publishers seem to enjoy putting out tons of sensationalist fiction full of graphic descriptions of grossly aberrant behavior which is undeniably caused by psychopathology, as long as its connection to mental illness is never mentioned at all. A book like Dennis Lehane’s Shutter Island can achieve acceptance because it masquerades as a common mystery/thriller and conceals the protagonist’s psychological disorder until the end.

    Novels which, from the start, may be more forthright about the existence of mental health issues among their characters, probably scare off most agents and publishers. My having written a novel about characters with mental illnesses was one of several reasons why I didn’t seriously consider going the traditional submission route with Irish Firebrands – along with my having a fiercely independent nature that refuses to “submit” to anyone, as far as my Art is concerned! 🙂

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  7. Pingback: Keep going – Victoria Ray
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  13. The length will be challenging. That’s a main problem. This is your first book. 120k makes it hard. Not impossible, mind you, but challenging.

    Look for small publishers that do not require an agent. If possible try to lower the word count or see if you can split in two parts. Be creative.

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