The book itself is available in trade paperback from all good sellers, and online at the usual places.
I just have to mention that the excerpts contain reasonably strong language and shouldn't be read by those likely to be offended.
If you're in Brisbane, please make the effort to visit the magnificently independent Pulp Fiction at Anzac Square Arcade (Shop 28), 267 Edward Street, Brisbane. Call Ron or Ian on (07) 3236 2750.
Tell them I sent you and they'll throw in a lovely paper bag for you to carry it safely home in.
Now just here is an unpublished short
that was the basis for Swim the Moon. The novel
initially started as this story, but even once it was
finished, the tale kept on going around in my
head.
I couldn't quite decide whether these
following paragraphs belonged in the Writing
department or in Music. I think I'll stick them here
for the time-being as it's more to do with music I
listen to while I'm writing.
I suppose it comes as no surprise to learn that I write to
music. Of course it depends on what I'm actually working on
as to what I'm listening too, but as a general rule of
thumb, it's usually Celtic (the main exception that comes
to mind is a current manuscript that's a Dark Thrillery
Effort, quite unlike the others that seems to demand I
listen to Mozart's Requiem or Prokofiev's Romeo And
Juliet). It's all about atmosphere and transportation. Oh
no that's really spooky -I'm sitting here writing this and
Montagues & Capulettes has just come on the radio!
The entire inspiration for Swim the Moon came from a fiddle
tune I heard one Sunday evening. I remember it really
clearly as it was one of those...moments one gets ever so
rarely. I was sitting at my desk, notes and maps for the
High Fantasy Thing strewn about me, basically banging my
head on the monitor in a vain attempt to knock some ideas
into it when I noticed this incredibly mournful piece of
music just drifting around the room, pausing to look in the
shadows and ruffle through my notes. It was Paddy Fahy's
Jig, from Martin Hayes' first self-titled album. I knew of
Martin Hayes through the playing of his father P.J. and his
fabulous Tulla Ceidli Band, but back then he only had the
one album release and wasn't all that well-known. The tune
was just amazing. It just bled from the speakers and
stopped me dead. I sat there, listening to the whole piece,
mind faraway. I could see the beach, the bothy, the lone
fiddle player and I knew something terrible had happened
but also something amazing. The story came from that. The
High Fantasy Thing was put away once again (I'd already
stopped once already to hastily scribble out a 400-page
manuscript about a side character -a manuscript that'll
probably never see the light of publication as it depends
rather heavily on the story from the High Fantasy Thing
being known. Ah well, who knows?). I've been lucky enough
to meet Martin on several occasions and thank him for the
music. He's also mentioned within Swim the Moon as a
fiddler friend of the main character, Richard Brennan. In a
strange turn of coincidence, Martin's second album, was
called Under the Moon.
At the moment, (the Dark Thrillery Effort has been set
aside for a while -it was making me unstable!), I'm writing
an urban fantasy that revolves rather heavily around
putting together and being in a Celtic music band in
Brisbane, so I'm listening to a lot of the regular mob. In
particular, Irish traditional (if you can call them that!)
band Lúnasa who are easily my favourites. Their modern
arrangements of tunes are nothing short of fantastic.
Staying with Lúnasa for a moment, their flute player, Kevin
Crawford has a couple of magnificent solo albums that are
on constant rotation here, and then of course I don't need
to really mention Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill. Their
albums, Live in Seattle and The Lonesome Touch are
essential listening. Of course there's always Solas (though
I hedge towards the earlier stuff with Karan Casey)
Northumbrian Piper Kathryn Tickell, Scottish masters Silly
Wizard (and Andy M Stewart's solo albums) and stalwarts
like Clannad, Altan, Capercaillie and Wolfstone. I can't go
on without mentioning The Bothy Band, Planxty, Patrick
Street, Kevin Burke's, The Celtic Fiddle Festival, Coolfin,
Sharon Shannon, Eileen Ivers and Liz Carroll, Dougie
McLean, Luka Bloom and Christy Moore.