| Questions and Answers |
1. Why did you feel compelled to
write these books?
I developed the Liffey Rivers Irish
Dancer books because I thought
mysteries unraveling within the
backdrop of Irish dance competitions
(feiseanna) would be a novelty and
greatly appealing, not only to Irish
dancers, but also to fans of girl
detectives like Nancy Drew.
2. Why would someone want to
read them?
Little girls want to be big girls. Liffey
Rivers is a “tween girl.” Irish dancers
have their own heroine with Liffey
Rivers and non-Irish dancers have an
exciting girl detective series set in the
popular Irish dance world.
3. Do these books correspond to
any current “hot news” or current
press?
Yes. Interest in Irish dance keeps
growing. There are several Michael
Flatley shows continuing their world
tours year after year and many other
entrepreneurs have successfully
produced Irish dance shows as well,
such as Gael Force.
In 2009, there were over 225,000 Irish
dancers at Irish dance competitions
throughout the world. Countless other
Irish dancers choose not to compete
and instead perform in dance dramas
and traditional Irish figure dances as
an art form for delighted audiences.
4. What are the specific benefits
that readers will gain by reading
your work?
First: Entertainment. Quoting Irish
Dancing Magazine: “If you’re after an
early night, this may not be the book to
pick up –once you’ ve started reading
it you’ll find it very hard to put down.”
Second: A bit of painless knowledge.
The Mystery of the Winking Judge
takes place in London and Dublin. The
first book, Liffey Rivers and the
Mystery of the Sparkling Solo
Dress Crown unfolds in St. Louis and
introduces the reader to social issues
such as Native American Indian
injustice and conflict diamonds. The
fourth book, In the Shadow of the
Serpent, takes place in South Africa
when Liffey and her aunt are on safari
en route to a feis in Johannesburg.
Liffey is always acquiring knowledge
about the history and culture of the
places she visits.
Third: Extensive information about the
world of Irish dance.
5. Describe the contents of The
Liffey Rivers Irish Dancer Mystery
books in plain English. Give a
general overview of the books in
one sentence.
Sparkling Solo Dress Crown:
Liffey Rivers, while competing in an
Irish dance competition in St. Louis,
manages to foil an international
criminal smuggling plot as well as
dance her soft shoe jig in less than 24
hours!
Winking Judge:
Liffey Rivers, while touring the National
Portrait Gallery in London, discovers
that the crowning portrait of Queen
Elizabeth I is a fake and later unravels
the mystery at an Irish dance
competition in Ireland.
Secret of the Mountain of the Moon
The tug of an ancient Celtic Blood
Moon compels Liffey Rivers to return
to Ireland to search for a mysterious
lady who wears a diamond 'M.'
In the Shadow of the Serpent:
While on safari in South Africa, en
route to an Irish dance competition in
Johannesburg, Liffey Rivers employs
her Irish dance skill to survive an
attack by a deadly Black Mamba snake
before she walks into a deadly trap
waiting for her at the Johannesburg
Feis.
6. Who is the audience for these
books?
The audience for the Liffey Rivers Irish
Dancer mystery books is huge.
Quoting Celtic Cafe’s online Buzz
Magazine, “Irish dancers and those
who are fans of the dance will love
Brenna Briggs’ books....”
Other categories of readers would
include:
1. 8-13-year-old girls who are mystery
enthusiasts.
Quoting Writing Notes from The Sligo
Arts Office: “Reading the book recalled
for this reader the Nancy Drew and
Hardy Boys mysteries once borrowed
from Bray Carnegie Library...suitable
for readers 9-12...This reader is a wee
bit older but still enjoyed it immensely.
2. People who love anything Irish.
There are millions of them everywhere!
There are Irish dance competitions
held in surprising places like Moscow
and Mexico City as well as all over
Europe and the United States where
countless people are tracing their Irish
roots online. New Irish festivals and
feiseanna appear every year.
3. Irish communities throughout
the world.
There are arteries of people who claim
Irish roots everywhere on Planet Earth
with Irish heritage centers and social
clubs and St. Patrick’s Day parade
organizations, etc. etc. etc.
4. Non-Irish dancers such as ballet,
tap, jazz and cloggers would enjoy
Liffey Rivers books very much
because of its performing arts
emphasis and the universal bond that
exists among dancers.
