Shield of Lies

Crystal Run #2

by Sheila O'Flanagan

The follow-up to The Crystal Run

'I know how much you love Carcassia. You were prepared to die for it. It must be terrible to realise that you have been betrayed.'

Kaia is from a world in which blind sacrifice is a virtue, and a Runner's life expendable.

It took Joe, an outsider, to show her that she must question the truth.

Now, Kaia and Joe have been taken prisoner.

Trusting her sworn enemies is the only way out.

Kaia and Joe must risk their lives and return to Carcassia to prevent more Runners from racing to their death.

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2018

About the author

As you can see, a Dubliner all my life. My parents owned a grocery shop in the Iveagh Markets, in the Liberties area of the city and I guess city blood runs through my veins.

As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.

I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.

I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bonds…all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.

But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.

I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.

And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.

When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:

* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last

I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.

I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an absolutely amazing book I really recomend it for 12 years and up who love action and mysteries but you have to read the crystal run before this!!!!!! Because if you don't read the crystal run before it will make absolutely no sense!😁😁😁

[Maria Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book better than the first book. This second book had much more excitement and really like the story line. I liked that it picked up on the details missing in book one. l feel the ending was good, but felt it was not too clean of an ending and a tad bit abrupt and wondering if there is a sequel or book three forthcoming. I would like to know what becomes of Kia and Joe and Carcassia.

[Emily Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, along with book one, are SUCH GOOD BOOKS!!!!!!😄😄😄 "Sho"/ (Joe) and Kaia are such unusual characters yet you can't help cheer them on. I very much hope there's going to be a book three or I will just lie on the floor.🙏🙏🙏

[Brooke Kitzhaber]

This book was so much more exciting that book one. I really did love reading it. There were twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. How is such a lovable character.

I just wasn’t a fan of the ending. It was pretty abrupt and didn’t seem to wrap up any of the loose ends. Left me wanting more!

[Stella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was in love with the first book but the second one was definitely underwhelming, I overall enjoyed the book but the thing that annoyed me was that the main characters always got away with everything and never got caught, always finding short cuts. There were some moments that were teeth-clenching but never heart-stopping or shocking. And the ending was certainly the worst, I was left unsatisfied and underwhelmed but maybe that’s just because I expected so much from the sequel.