I have been writing for as long as I can remember. When I couldn’t form the words and sentences needed to craft a story, I would draw pictures and then fold the pages together to make my own “books”. My earliest stories were all a variation on the Cinderella story as I loved drawing ballgowns.
Her Name Was Rose
When I was a teenager I wrote a lot of bad poetry. I mean, really, really bad poetry. I also wrote short stories and, on one occasion, a play. The highlight of my week was a creative writing workshop after school, led by Irish author Anne Dunlop, who I remain in touch with to this day.
I was determined I wanted to write for a living, but instead of channeling my energy into creative writing, I decided to pursue a career in newspaper journalism. I never held any ambitions to be on radio or TV, for me the real joy was always about crafting the story through the written word.
I qualified with a Masters in Newspaper Journalism in 1999. I had been part of the first in-take of this new course at Ulster University and I was the only student to graduate with my MA on the first go. I insisted on going to graduation anyway, even though I knew I would be sitting among strangers. I had worked very hard to earn those letters after my name!
I then took up a post as a journalist with the Derry Journal – where I worked for 17 years. It was a varied and exceptionally interesting job and I covered everything from the petty sessions at the local Magistrate’s Court, to the historical inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, to interviewing celebrities.
My favourite stories to cover were stories about “ordinary” people living extraordinary lives. Tales of survivors, of long lost families, of campaigners, of people living their dreams. There was no greater feeling in the world than being trusted to tell someone’s story.
I returned to creative writing when I was 29. I was then a mother to a two year old son and felt the need to chase some of the dreams teenage me had had. I set myself a goal of writing my first novel by the time I turned 30 and six months later I completed my first novel, Rainy Days and Tuesdays, which went on to becoming a top ten bestseller in Ireland.
Outside of writing, I have a mild obsession with Michael Buble. If you meet me, ever, there is a good chance I will tell you about the time I met him and got my picture taken with him.
I have never wanted a pet. Ever. In my life. So I now have two cats and a puppy thanks to the persuasive powers of my son (now 14) and my daughter (9). All three have wound their way into my heart but mostly our puppy who has become a surrogate third baby.
I left my journalism career behind in 2016 to pursue my writing career full time. It was the scariest thing I have ever done professionally because it required me to have the confidence to sit up and tell the world, and myself, I believed in what I was writing. Exactly one year and one week after I signed my voluntary redundancy papers, I got an email telling me I had been offered a deal with Avon, my dream publishers.