Irish Historical Fiction Author Stephen Finlay Archer Launches The Irish Clans: Book Five, Revolution, in the complex novel series of Irish revolutionary events from 1915 to 1923

Angels Camp, CA. August 15, 2021. When an Irish American rocket scientist turns historic novelist, Irish history comes front and center. Author Stephen Finlay Archer has launched The Irish Clans: Book 5, Revolution, part of a complex novel series The Irish Clans of Irish revolutionary events starting in 1915 and ending with a civil war in 1922–1923.

The Irish Clans is an epic story immersed in the tumultuous Irish revolutionary wars. The once mighty McCarthy and O’Donnell Clans, overthrown in ancient times, are not extinct. They are linked on two continents by a medieval pact entwining military history and religious mythology. Divine intervention plays a pivotal role in unearthing the secrets of the Clans’ treasure and heroic exploits. The patriotism and passion of Celtic heritage lies at the heart of this intriguing story.

“In The Irish Clans: Book 5, Revolution, the Clans implement a plan to utilize the McCarthy gold for the coming revolution before rebel forces begin hostilities,” said series author Stephen Finlay Archer. “There were many heroic struggles for freedom by Irish patriots to immerse my characters in, and the amazing interconnections amongst various historical relics and artifacts of the Gaelic civilization related to these two great clans provide a tantalizing and mysterious trail for the treasure hunts. I believe these factors are why my story is so fascinating.”

He further states, “Readers who are interested in Ireland’s struggle for freedom and its storied but often mystical history will enjoy The Irish Clans series. Readers who enjoyed da Vinci Code, National Treasure or Outlander will be enthralled by my stories.”

The Irish Clans: Book Five, Revolution ISBN: 978-1-952314-00-1 will be released December 2021. The paperback version of the book will sell for $14.95.

Stephen’s website: StephenFinlayArcher.com, LinkedIn (Stephen Finlay Archer), and Twitter @StephenFinlayArcher. Archer’s blog Irish to the Core is posted every Wednesday.

Previously published novels in The Irish Clans series include Book One, Searchers ISBN:978-0990801948 , Book Two, Entente ISBN: 978-0990801955, Book Three, Rising ISBN: 978-0998691008, and Book Four, McCarthy Gold ISBN: 978-0998691046.

BLURBS:

“Archer has created colorful, sympathetic characters, all striving for better lives. He packs this dense volume with pungent details, giving the reader necessary context…he leaves the characters adrift at the book’s end, with the reader wanting more. But throughout, the author takes what could have been dry genealogical research and skillfully converts it into a layered historical drama. An engrossing beginning of what promises to be an involving generational saga about Irish immigrants.” Kirkus Reviews for The Irish Clans: Book One, Searchers.

“…One of the most meticulous writers of historic fiction on the Emerald Isle isn’t based in Dublin, but rather in the California Gold Country…Given that 39 million people in the U. S. have Irish roots, Archer’s Clan series offers a welcome doorway for anyone to start imagining that chaotic and tragic Irish past so unbreakably tied to the American experience.” Scott Thomas Anderson, Sierra Lodestar

“…Archer saw a moment in time he thinks also encapsulates the best of American character: bravery in the face of oppression; blood-soaked sacrifice for high principles; the power of persuasive writing when it’s aimed at finding justice. “I thought if I wrote about those ideals and added an interesting story, maybe it would get some readers thinking about our own society, and where it’s headed today, Archer said.” Sacramento News and Review

2019 Fiction BookLife Prize Critique, The Irish Clans: Book Three, Rising.

(Overall, 8.75/10)

• “Plot: Archer’s novel is well plotted throughout. The novel is clearly written, giving the reader an engaging storyline to follow and the great gift of knowledge of a period in Irish history that is not abundant in historical fiction. (9)
• Prose/Style: Overall, the prose is well crafted, providing the reader with a mixture of a love story, brutal battles, and the search for a lost sibling. The novel felt authentic and true to the time period. (8)
• Originality: Archer’s exemplary novel is filled with original details and touches. The characters and subplots give the story extra flair and add even more strength to the novel. (10)
• Character Development: The main characters of the novel are well-developed and easy for the reader to connect with. Morgan and Tadgh will have the reader rooting for a happily-ever-after ending, and readers will be rapt while following the adventures of Collin trying to find his long-lost sister. (8)”

“Archer combines just the right amount of history, intrigue, mystery, romance and violence to pique your interest page after page. “ Amazon Reader

“Woven into the mystery are the Clansmen, with foresight to insure the future of their country. Brave and believable characters…” Amazon Reader

“The story continues to be action packed with danger, love, war and the whole mystery with the family clans.” Amazon Reader

About Stephen Finlay Archer

Stephen Finlay Archer writes Irish historical fiction illuminating Ireland’s heroic, challenging and mystical past. His latest series, The Irish Clans covers the Irish revolutionary period from 1915 to 1923. This Irish family saga full of swashbuckling characters and page-turning action tells the true story of Ireland’s conflict with England. It is also a personal portrayal since the fictitious story involves his own ancestral family as they are drawn into the conflict of their Irish homeland, and his birthplace of Toronto, Canada.

Archer lives in Northern California with his wife Kathy. He is a member of Writers Unlimited in California Goldrush Country and the North American and Irish branches of the Historical Novel Society. Before his retirement, he was a ‘rocket scientist,’ managing large-scale delivery-in orbit, satellite systems for the U.S. Navy and NASA/NOAA. His weekly blog Irish to the Core is posted on Wednesdays and may be found at StephenFinlayArcher.com/blog and his books are available on Amazon.com, link: https://bit.ly/3qaZixw.

Stephen Finlay Archer may be reached at:

• Website: StephenFinlayArcher.com/contact
• Twitter: @SFinlayArcher
• LinkedIn: Stephen Finlay Archer
• Email: StephenFinlayArcher @ gmail . com

AUTHOR: Stephen Finlay Archer

TITLE: The Irish Clans: Book Five, Revolution

TRIM SIZE: 5.5 X 8.5

PRICE: $14.95

Word Count: 109,000

ISBN:978-1-952314-00-1

PUB MONTH: December 2021

SALES HOOK: Irish Revolution and Divine intervention bring the McCarthy and O’Donnell Clans together, now on two continents fighting against the English and unearthing the secrets of the Clans’ treasure.

DESCRIPTION: The Clans implement a plan to utilize the McCarthy gold for the coming revolution before Republican forces begin hostilities. Brutal consequences are suffered under merciless British oppression before continuing the search for the O’Donnell treasure. And just when the path to success is beginning to unfold, the secret Templars and Barbary pirate descendants plot against our Clans and each other. They know nothing of the O’Donnell treasure but think the clues lead to something far more valuable that has been lost for more than two thousand years.

KEY SELLING POINTS of INTEREST

THEMES: Revolution, settling scores, common cause, treasure hunt, ancient religious mysteries, family saga

GENRE: Irish Historic Fiction with war, action, pursuit of treasure

AUDIENCE: Target market of 33 million Irish Americans

• Major cities with large Irish population
• Many influential Irish societies
• Irish festivals and literary events
• Sympathetic 70 million Irish diaspora

AUTHOR BIO:

Stephen Finlay Archer writes Irish historical fiction illuminating Ireland’s heroic, challenging and mystical past. His latest series, The Irish Clans covers the Irish revolutionary period from 1915 to 1923. This Irish family saga full of swashbuckling characters and page-turning action tells the true story of Ireland’s conflict with England. It is also a personal portrayal since the fictitious story involves his own ancestral family as they are drawn into the conflict of their Irish homeland, and his birthplace of Toronto, Canada.

Archer lives in Northern California with his wife Kathy. He is a member of Writers Unlimited in California Goldrush Country and the North American and Irish branches of the Historical Novel Society. Before his retirement, he was a ‘rocket scientist,’ managing large-scale delivery-in orbit, satellite systems for the U.S. Navy and NASA/NOAA. His weekly blog Irish to the Core is posted on Wednesdays and may be found at StephenFinlayArcher.com/blog and his books are available on Amazon.com, link: https://bit.ly/3qaZixw.

AUTHOR WEBSITE, SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

• Author website: StephenFinlayArcher.com
• Twitter: @SFinlayArcher
• LinkedIn: Stephen Finlay Archer
• Email: StephenFinlayArcher @ gmail . com

AUTHOR RESIDENCE: Angels Camp, California

COMPARATIVE TITLES:

• Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown
• Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
• The National Treasure, Catherine Hapka
• The Hobbit: There and Back Again, J. R. Tolkien
• A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
• Lord of the Flies, William Golding
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J. K. Rowling
• Lord of the Rings Trilogy, J. R. Tolkien

PUBLICITY HIGHLIGHTS:

Publicity Campaign through Frazier Public Relations

• Advance Reader Review Campaign
• Targeted email mailer to US Bookstores
• Targeted email mailer to members of Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance
• Targeted campaign to historic fiction book bloggers
• Weekly Blog Irish to the Core targets Irish history and historic fiction buffs
• Targeted email mailer to author’s email list (reviews, book launch)
• National and International media campaign including radio, television, podcasts, print interviews
• Targeted email mailer to Irish societies, associations, festivals
• Book Tour for book talks and signings
• Social Media campaign

KEYWORDS:

• Irish Revolution
• Irish War of Independence 1919–1921
• Family Saga 20th Century
• Treasure Hunts Ancient
• Irish History Celtic
• O’Donnell and McCarthy Clans
• Michael Collins Irish Revolutionary
• American WW1 Entry

BLURBS:

“Archer has created colorful, sympathetic characters, all striving for better lives. He packs this dense volume with pungent details, giving the reader necessary context…he leaves the characters adrift at the book’s end, with the reader wanting more. But throughout, the author takes what could have been dry genealogical research and skillfully converts it into a layered historical drama. An engrossing beginning of what promises to be an involving generational saga about Irish immigrants.” Kirkus Reviews for The Irish Clans: Book One, Searchers.

“…One of the most meticulous writers of historic fiction on the Emerald Isle isn’t based in Dublin, but rather in the California Gold Country…Given that 39 million people in the U. S. have Irish roots, Archer’s Clan series offers a welcome doorway for anyone to start imagining that chaotic and tragic Irish past so unbreakably tied to the American experience.” Scott Thomas Anderson, Sierra Lodestar

“…Archer saw a moment in time he thinks also encapsulates the best of American character: bravery in the face of oppression; blood-soaked sacrifice for high principles; the power of persuasive writing when it’s aimed at finding justice. “I thought if I wrote about those ideals and added an interesting story, maybe it would get some readers thinking about our own society, and where it’s headed today, Archer said.” Sacramento News and Review

2019 Fiction BookLife Prize Critique, The Irish Clans: Book Three, Rising.

(Overall, 8.75/10)

• “Plot: Archer’s novel is well plotted throughout. The novel is clearly written, giving the reader an engaging storyline to follow and the great gift of knowledge of a period in Irish history that is not abundant in historical fiction. (9)
• Prose/Style: Overall, the prose is well crafted, providing the reader with a mixture of a love story, brutal battles, and the search for a lost sibling. The novel felt authentic and true to the time period. (8)
• Originality: Archer’s exemplary novel is filled with original details and touches. The characters and subplots give the story extra flair and add even more strength to the novel. (10)
• Character Development: The main characters of the novel are well-developed and easy for the reader to connect with. Morgan and Tadgh will have the reader rooting for a happily-ever-after ending, and readers will be rapt while following the adventures of Collin trying to find his long-lost sister. (8)”

“Archer combines just the right amount of history, intrigue, mystery, romance and violence to pique your interest page after page. “ Amazon Reader

“Woven into the mystery are the Clansmen, with foresight to insure the future of their country. Brave and believable characters…” Amazon Reader

“The story continues to be action packed with danger, love, war and the whole mystery with the family clans.” Amazon Reader

BISACS:

• Literature & Fiction>Genre Fiction>Family Saga
• Literature & Fiction>Historical Fiction>Cultural Heritage
• Literature & Fiction>British & Irish>Historical
• M, T & S>Thrillers & Suspense>Historical
• Travel>Europe>General>Ireland
• Literature & Fiction>Historical Fiction> WWI
• History>World>Revolutionary

Historical Fiction Company

Editorial Review of Revolution: The Irish Clans (Book Five)

He counseled Michael Collins to act as if the Republic was a fact. He would often say, “We defeat the British by ignoring them. As the American John Adams once said, ‘Revolution starts in the hearts and the minds of the people.’”

This immersive and jam-packed story begins with the Irish revolution in 1915 and extends to the civil war ending in 1922 to 1923. To say this is epic is putting it mildly, and to just simply note that there are mythological elements which bind the past and the present would not do the book justice.

The author brings to the reader an incredible history of the McCarthy and O’Donnell Clans, and while history tells of their defeat in ancient times, they are by no means extinct. Linked by blood and a medieval pact across the ocean, Ireland and America, the lives of the characters entwine in a quest to support the revolution headed by none other than the infamous Michael Collins. While one part of the family, Collin and Kathy O’Donnell, seek to begin a new life, settling in a home and raising children, in Toronto Canada, another part of the same family, Tadgh and Morgan McCarthy, fight on the front lines to bring freedom to Ireland, fighting alongside Michael and a host of other revolutionaries.

The connection begins with the Black Tom explosion near Ellis Island which damages the Statue of Liberty, a fireball which nearly kills Collin and Kathy… and links Germany to the Irish Clan na Gael who is trying to use the German war to their advantage… that is, to find a way to export guns from America to Ireland for their cause while hiding the shipment under pretense that the guns are going to Britain for the war effort. Enter Tadgh McCarthy.

Tadgh uses his contacts in America while staying with his wife’s brother, Collin, to put the deal in motion. All is set and all goes well… at least for a time. Without giving away any spoilers, the author does a remarkable job in revealing the actual history of the time period, the passion and the patriotism fueled in the fiery hearts of Ireland’s Gaelic heritage… not just during WWI but tracing the roots into the far past where religious myths and divine intervention, where ‘luck’ plays a role in unearthing a vast Clan treasure, one which funds the revolution.

In one quote from the author, he states that ‘readers who are interested in Ireland’s struggles for freedom and its storied but often mystical history will enjoy The Irish Clans series. Readers who enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, or Outlander will be enthralled by my stories.’ I have to concur his statement, for the essence of all three of those books resonates in just this one book alone, and now I am intrigued to start with book one and read them all.

At the heart of the story is real people who simply want a better life for themselves and their families, and Mr. Archer does a remarkable job at offering us well-rounded, passionate characters in extraordinary circumstances. This book is alive with action and lush detail, giving the reader an Irish history lesson wrapped in an intense and captivating story.

This is drama to the ultimate level. It has it all – history, adventure, intrigue, war, passion, love, escape, betrayal, sorrow, pain – all the elements which connect us all as humans. This engrossing book is a voice speaking from the past and linking history to the possibilities of myths and the promises of the future.

I began this review with the poignant quote stated to Michael Collins, the quote by John Adams of revolution beginning in the hearts and minds of the people. This vibrant story captures this in every detail – the lengths a person, a country, will go to find freedom from oppression. Every society has its story of freedom. This is Ireland’s story, and the implications echo across generations and across oceans. ‘Man’s inhumanity to man’ screams loud in this book, the sacrifice, the blood, the bravery, and desperation for justice.

From a reader’s standpoint, the prose was easy to follow, and very engaging, providing just enough history to infuse knowledge while not diverting from the storyline. Mr Archer is quite the original storyteller, taking elements from all the aforementioned books and crafting a well-told story; however, my one side point is that about halfway through, I felt I was reading two different books. When the storyline veered from Bloody Sunday to the search for the ancient lost medieval treasure, I felt as if I switched books… not so much in engagement and interest (as the story still intrigues) but just in the flow. I understood why the switch was necessary as Archer introduced the mystical Celtic vein, but I did feel like I went from reading “Rob Roy” to “National Treasure.” Overall, though, even with the switch, I was always immersed in the story and the development of what happens to the characters and their fight for freedom.

Some of my favorite passages from the book:
The side trip taken by Collin O’Donnell to Independence Hall in Philadelphia when he sees the Liberty Bell — “The impact of liberty, the concept of freedom, resonated. There was damage, that crack, but he took comfort in the fact that history on the side of righteousness had prevailed. Perhaps this would be a model for Ireland.”

The brutality and oppression experienced by the revolutionaries — “The IRA had just killed three soldiers in Dublin, the first such deaths in that city since the battles in the Easter Rising. As a result, Churchill authorized the Black and Tans to begin burning towns and killing civilians. This reminded Griffiths of the slash and burn tactics employed by Cromwell’s monsters during the Confederate wars of the sixteen hundreds. Something drastic had to be done.”

“God in heaven, this is a tragic day for Ireland.” — the presentation of Bloody Sunday is heartbreaking. Michael Collins ‘disappears like a ghost into the fog’ after Tadgh and Morgan survive the episode at the stadium, and Tadgh vows to him to find a way to continue to help the cause. Thus, he and his wife, Morgan, delve further into their family history in search of the treasure and secrets hidden in the Book of Ballymote.

I am left on the edge of what is to come, and I look forward to continuing the saga with Tadgh and Morgan McCarthy.

Revolution: The Irish Clans (Book Five) is awarded five stars by The Historical Fiction Company.

Book release in December 2021.