MY NEXT BIG THING

The Celtic Tiger is in his prime and the Kerrigans are splashing the cash. They have made it big time, so eat your heart out you small town snobs! But Daddy’s-girl Kirsty wants Celebrity and International Fame and devotes herself to pursuing this dream. Crashing Madonna’s Christmas party doesn’t help, neither does causing a stir on Big Brother but when a video clip of Kirsty goes viral on You Tube, fame arrives with a bang. But Tracey O’Hagan, a blast from a shady patch in the Kerrigan past, has appeared on the scene. She’s mad. She’s bad. And she’s definitely dangerous to know.  Set in the years of the Celtic Tiger, Burning Bright is told in the voices of Kerrigan family members and friends.   It’s funny. It’s believable. And it will definitely make you laugh.  

Cover design by Slickfish

What is the working title of your book?

It’s no longer a working title, it’s the title, it is BURNING BRIGHT

Where did the idea come from for the book?  

Trash television! No, it’s not wasting time, it’s research.   I saw a programme about a wedding-planner organizing “dream weddings” for Irish brides.  He was  ordering elephants for a wedding in rural Ireland.   My jaw fell to the floor.  I knew the Celtic Tiger had made Ireland wealthy.  I hadn’t realised we were quite that wealthy.   Combine that with the ache for fame on the faces of  X Factor hopefuls and how could I resist writing about it?

What genre does your book fall under?

It is a Comic Novel.   I laughed a lot writing it.   I hope you will laugh reading it.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

My friend Jordi Rodriguez Ruiz and I have finished the first draft of the screen play already!   So we’ve  cast it!   The actors would ideally need to be Irish but as long as they could do the accent! 

Saoirse as KIRSTY

Saoirse Ronan would play the main character Kirsty and  Evanna Lynch  her friend Lala. Jonathan Rhys Myers would have to be her handsome but noxious  boyfriend Ross. 

jobathan as handsome but noxious boyriend ROSS

Maria Doyle Kennedy would play Marian her glamorous mother. Chris o’ Dowd would make a great Eamon, her foolishly besotted  father. (A bit young but  make-up and great acting…) The gorgeous Robert Sheehan is a must as  her cynically obervant brother Jake. 

Robert as cynical observant JAKE

Brenda Blethin has to be the “fun” granny – yes I know she’s English but she’d do the accent. Gerard Mc Sorley would look great in a magenta jacket and bow tie with flashing lights  as her “fun” grandad.   Aiden Gillen is definitely Sean the suave family friend whom her father refuses to believe is gay. Pauline Mc Glynn would be totally hilarious as her old-fashioned,crabby granny.  (Too young but again make-up again and great acting.) 

Katie as the mad, bad and dangerous to know TRACEY.

Katie Mc Grath  so evil in Merlin, would be wonderfully nasty as the mad, bad and dangerous to know Tracey O’ Hagan. Top it all off with Colin Farrell as Fergus, Tracey’s lover and I believe we have a hit and several Oscars on our hands!.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?  

A comedy about money, fame and the Celtic Tiger. 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?  

A little over a year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?   

If Roddy Doyle married Carl Hiaasen they might give birth to BURNING BRGHT

Who or what inspired you to write this book?   

Talking to my friend John about the huge cultural and attitude changes that have recently happened in Ireland.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It has sex. It has drugs, And it has rock-‘n-roll!  

When and how will it be published? 

Very soon.   Within the next month I hope – but glitches have a genius for appearing at the last minute.

And now it’s time to pass the baton.  I’d like to tag three diverse writers who are destined for big things: 

Jordi Rodríguez, leads a double life. By day he works in an office. By night he turns into a writer. His main interest is screen plays.  He has written several short films and together we written a feature length film script based on Burning Bright.  He likes to quote what Jean-Claude Carrière said: “A script is like a caterpillar that aims at being a butterfly, which is the film.”

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