writing – Amnesiac's Library

A Return to Form

April 30, 2023April 30, 2023 RichardLeave a comment

I’ve let an unconscionable amount of time slip by since I last posted to Amnesiac’s Library so I’d like to re-introduce myself. My name is Richard Kirk. Friends know me as Rick. My twin passions are art and books. I have a WordPress blog where interested parties can keep up with the art end of things, but I created Amnesiac’s Library some time ago to document my love of books, real paper books (full disclosure, I do have a Kindle, 3 in fact, but it’s just not the same is it?) Amnesiac’s Library is a dedicated place to highlight what I am reading, cool used book shop finds, book related things that catch my eye and from time to time, my own writing. If you love books as much as I do, please consider subscribing to Amnesiac’s Library!

Magpie’s Ladder Audiobook

September 17, 2020September 16, 2020 RichardLeave a comment

I am very fortunate to be able to offer all three of my books to date in audiobook format. Late this summer, my collection, Magpie’s Ladder was produced as an audiobook by Encyclopocalypse Publications. It joins The Lost Machine and Necessary Monsters on Audible. If you go to Audible, you can hear a sample of Jake Ruddle’s excellent narration.

Endpaper Illustration from the Signed Edition from PS Publishing

I hope you enjoy this look at the endpaper illustration from the print edition from PS Publishing. This particular illustration was reserved for the signed edition.

Almost October

September 13, 2020September 13, 2020 RichardLeave a comment

An illustrated edition of my novel Tailor of Echoes will be published sometime in the spring by PS Publishing in the UK. I’m really pleased about this as they did such a great job on my collection Magpie’s Ladder. Over the winter, I will be drawing the illustrations, and I’ll post a few teasers here.

I let this blog rest over the summer while I adjusted to all things Covid along with the rest of the world. But, autumn is almost here, a time when I always feel particularly connected to all things book related. I’ll be posting about my work, my current reads, interesting covers and illustrations and so on. I hope the blog will pick up some new readers along the way.

Beyond the Reach, Richard A. Kirk, 2020, ink on paper, 14” x 18”

Tangled Slope

February 5, 2020March 19, 2020 Richard

It’s the nature of writing and publishing that things take forever to happen. Regardless, it’s my intent to update Amnesiac’s Library regularly.

For the past few months I’ve been working on a number of new projects. One in particular has moved ahead of the others, a fantasy novel with the working title of The Tangled Slope. I’m 25,000 words into the first draft, and this week I decided to step back to review, and to structure things a little more. I don’t write with much of a plan in the early stages. I write with images and fragments, which are a little like nascent neurons seeking pathways to something more connected. Like the brain, there is a serious pruning after the first rush.

I’m happy with what I have – or will be, with some tinkering (okay a lot of tinkering), and consequently this project will be the one I pour my efforts into during 2020. My goal is to have a solid first draft by June. By that time, I hope to have some good news about my next-to-be-published novel Tailor of Echoes, and have the next volume of The Darkling Lands available. WRT the latter, as with volume one, volume two will include a short story along with a generous collection of art.