J.M Lane | Updates

Absence

J.M Lane — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 18:50:57 -0500

Full text can be found at https://www.writing.ie/tell-your-own-story/j-m-lane-why-i-write/

Surprise Early Release

J.M Lane — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The wait is nearly over.
On March 30th, the next chapter in the bestselling, award-winning Raven Chronicles arrives on Kindle, with the paperback landing April 1st—and this time, the story does not hold back.
Setanta is no longer the boy who stood at the water’s edge. The world has opened, and what waits within it is older, darker, and far more violent. Villages fall silent. The land itself feels wrong. And at the centre of it all is a name whispered in fear—the Blood King.
This is a story of rising power and brutal consequence. Of ancient hunger and the cost of standing against it. Setanta is not just trying to survive anymore—he is learning how to fight.
Expect sharper action. Deeper mythology. And a darkness that no longer hides in the shadows.
March 30th. Kindle.
April 1st. Paperback.

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From a Small Story to a Living Myth: The Raven Chronicles

J.M Lane — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When I first began writing The Raven Chronicles, it started as a much smaller story than it has become today.

At its heart, it was simply a tale about a family. A father, a mother, and a boy trying to understand the strange world he had been born into. The first book, Setanta and the Lady by the Water, follows that quiet beginning. It is a story about discovery, about a young boy slowly realising that the stories whispered in Ireland’s hills and rivers may be far more real than anyone ever imagined.

But as Setanta’s journey continued, the world around him began to grow.

Ireland itself became a character in the story. Its rivers, bogs, tombs, and mountains began to reveal the older world beneath the surface. Creatures from Irish folklore stepped out of shadow. Ancient spirits stirred. The past refused to stay buried.

By the time we reach Setanta and the Hungry Ones, the story has widened into something larger. Setanta is no longer just trying to understand his family or his past. He is beginning to face the darker forces that move quietly through Irish legend.Now, with Setanta and the Blood King, the scale of the story has grown again. Ancient enemies rise, the dead gather in dark flocks, and creatures drawn from some of Ireland’s oldest myths begin to move openly across the land.What began as a small story about a boy and his family has become something far larger, a saga rooted in Irish mythology, where heroes, monsters, gods, and ancient legends all collide.

And the journey for Setanta is only just beginning.

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A New Story on the Horizon: Where the Curlew Sings

J.M Lane — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

While the world of the Raven Chronicles continues to grow, I’ve also been quietly working on something very different.
My upcoming novel, Where the Curlew Sings, steps away from Setanta and the world of myth to tell a darker, more grounded story set in the Irish landscape itself.
This is a crime-horror novel rooted deeply in Ireland’s ancient past, its folklore, and the quiet places where history and belief still linger in the soil. It explores how the old world and the modern one often sit side by side in Ireland, sometimes peacefully, and sometimes not.
At its heart, Where the Curlew Sings is a story about place, memory, and the strange pull of the land itself. The curlew’s call has long been part of the Irish countryside, haunting and beautiful, but in this story that sound may carry something far older than birdsong.
I’m looking forward to sharing more about this novel soon. For now, I’ll just say that this is a very different journey from the Raven Chronicles, but one that still carries the same love of Irish landscape, folklore, and the stories hidden within it. ]]>

A Darker Chapter in The Raven Chronicles

J.M Lane — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The world of The Raven Chronicles continues to grow darker.
With the upcoming release of Setanta and the Blood King, Setanta’s journey takes a dangerous turn into the heart of one of Ireland’s oldest legends.
In this third instalment, Setanta finds himself facing Abhartach, the Blood King, an ancient tyrant who clawed his way back from the grave and now commands the terrifying Sluagh, the Host of the Unquiet. Villages live in fear beneath dark skies as the dead gather in flocks and the land itself begins to sour.
Armed with little more than his sword, his wits, and the loyalty of his hound Fiadh, Setanta must rally frightened villagers, uncover ancient knowledge, and prepare for a battle that may decide the fate of more than one small corner of Ireland.
Like the earlier books in the series, this story draws deeply from Irish mythology and folklore, bringing old legends back to life in a darker and more dangerous world.
And the journey is far from over.
Readers can expect another announcement soon, as the title of the next Raven Chronicles book will be revealed shortly. The road ahead for Setanta is only just beginning, and the shadows gathering across Ireland are growing deeper s

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Signed Arc Copy

J.M Lane — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A quick update for everyone following Setanta’s journey.
I’m delighted to say that Setanta and the Blood King will be released April 1st.
To celebrate, I’m giving away a free signed ARC (Advance Review Copy) to one reader before release day.
If you’d like a chance to get your hands on an early signed copy, just comment below or send me a message and I’ll pick a winner soon.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the Raven Chronicles so far. It truly means the world.
— J.M. Lane

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Out April 1st

J.M Lane — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A quick update for everyone following the journey of Setanta.
I’m delighted to say that Setanta and the Blood King will be released April 1st.
This is the third book in the Raven Chronicles and the darkest chapter yet. Setanta faces the ancient Blood King Abhartach and the terrifying Sluagh as the legends of Ireland grow darker and more dangerous.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the series so far. I can’t wait for you to step back into this world.
— J.M. Lane

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Free Ebook

J.M Lane — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Setanta and the hungry ones giveaway on Amazon

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Author Talk ATU Sligo

J.M Lane — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Author Talk and Reading at ATU Sligo

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