mythoughtsonapage

[1tric]

Thank you.

I am most definitely not religious, but yesterday I went to Mass to say goodbye to two extraordinary men. Thankfully it wasn’t a funeral service, but it was a sad occasion. Both men were priests, who are leaving our community, Fr Pat, to another parish after nine years and Fr Charley, who is retiring after twenty years among us. I arrived a little late and the normally only half full, large…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

above water.

What can I say. I am blown away by the kindness of my amazing blog and writer friend Beth, from I didn’t have my glasses on. Casually, she said, I will post about your book when it is released in the United States. I was delighted, but this is so much more than a mention. Thank you Beth. I might be a writer, but today I am lost for words at your kindness and generosity. However, having got to…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

And then Dad stepped in...

And then Dad stepped in…

Today, I tried to throw out an old pair of shoes. A scuffed, well worn, pair of runners, coated in the dirt of yesterday’s hill walk with the backs broken, just as my mother warned me they would, when as a child, she caught me pushing my foot into my shoes without opening the laces. They were in my bedroom, laying on their side, next to their replacement pair, which I’d bought yesterday in the…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

A Brief Hello

It’s many months since I sat to write in this blog and so much has changed, so let me get you quickly up to date. I had Covid… as did most of my family, although they blame me entirely for their getting it, (they may or may not be correct on that one) but thankfully, we all got better. Co-incidentally, can I tell you what a gifted mother I am? I managed to give it to my eldest, who is living in…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Real, live book news

Real, live book news. My book Above Water is almost here. @HachetteIre thank you for all your help and support.

Believe it or not the day has finally arrived when I can announce to the world my book. It has a name, Above Water, and a publisher,  @HachetteIre and a date… February 4th 2021. It also has a cover!

I had imagined this day, during the many days of writing, and thought it would be one in which I would celebrate loudly. However, after all the work and the excitement of getting to this moment I…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Mixed memories

Today I should have been in Dublin, the home of my childhood. I should have woken early and enjoyed a breakfast with family before leaving, our arms laden with flowers and planted pots, to make our way to the graveyard to remember the first love of my life. My Dad and my wonderful Mum who now rests beside him.

Because of Covid, I was 200 km away from the place I wished to be.

Howeve…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Stop the world I want to get off

Stop the world I want to get off

You know when life is just plodding along nicely and then a tornado arrives into your world and leaves you spinning? Yes? Well, so it has been for me over the past few weeks.

There I was, in my heavenly retreat, Allihies, West Cork, enjoying my holidays, when the word came through that my edits for my book were in. Excited and worried there was a lot to do, I was not sorry I’d no laptop on…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

So now, 'The End' is near...

So now, ‘The End’ is near…

Anyone remember me? I’m the one who disappeared off the face of the earth a few months ago to write my memoir. Well guess what? It’s finished. Well draft one is finished. It was quite a slog, writing most days for the past six months and averaging 5000 words a week but last week I finally typed those magical words, ‘The End.’

I’d thought I’d be elated, thrilled, filled with a sense of achievement…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Today we remembered

Today, I remembered Mum, as it was this day last year she left us. I remembered the week before, as she readied us for her leaving and I remembered the previous two years and the toll they took on her.

Then, as I thought of her I remembered her fighting spirit. Her never giving up. Her compassionate and caring nature. Her laughter and wicked sense of humour.

In the past week I’ve felt far removed…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

So, how are you all doing?

What a difference a few weeks make? We are truly living through history. It’s hard to believe that this virus has effectively brought to a halt much of the world.

Here in Ireland we are not too many weeks into it. We watched in dismay as it took hold in China and Italy and for the most part we seem to have learned many lessons, with the shock announcement last week that all schools and colleges…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Writing update and a belated happy birthday.

I thought I’d just let you all know how I’m getting on with my book writing. Well, so far so good. I’ve a deadline for mid-May which is alarmingly close but I’ve it all worked out. All I need to do is write 5000 words a week, edit the previous weeks work and never go out!

I may or may not be succesful in completing two out of three of those weekly goals.

In other news, I am now the mother of no…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Writing update and more news

Writing update and more news

You know the way sometimes life is so mundane at times… well mine is anything but at the moment. Not only am I beavering away writing my memoir, due to be published next year, but I do have other significant news.

Last year I was asked if I would take part in a podcast series commissioned by BBC Sounds, about George Gibney, my swim coach and abuser. The story of our search for justice is…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Happy Birthday to me.

Happy Birthday to me.

No, I have not come out of my writing cave to announce my birthday, (it’s on St Patrick’s Day in case you’re asking) but to celebrate this blogs birthday. ‘My thoughts on a page,’ is seven years old.

As it is barely visited by me these days, I thought I’d call over and say hello. I owe such a debt of gratitude to this blog and all of those who have read it over the years. It was here I first…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Good news alert... very good news alert

Good news alert… very good news alert

What better way to begin the New Year than to be able to tell you all my news. I have a book deal with Hachette Books for my memoir! I’ve wanted to shout this from the rooftops for the past month but I had to wait for official sanction.

A large dose of gratitude is due to my agent, Faith O Grady from Lisa Richards Agency who believed in my writing and Ciara Considine of Hachette Books Ireland,…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

This months writing diary.

This months writing diary.

So here it is the final Inspiration Diaries post of the year. Every month myself and five other writers, (three experienced and successful and three hopefuls) share our writing month.

This month we shook it up a bit and shared who has inspired us, our highlights and goals for 2020. I’ve loved sharing my own journey with you all as well as getting a nose into the lives of other writers. Fingers…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Capturing the moments.

Growing up most of our photographs were of holidays, birthdays, gatherings or special occasions. If I were to have taken a ‘selfie’ as a teenager, people would have questioned my sanity. Nowadays, I rarely pose or share photos of myself and often forget to take my camera out during special occasions, but that doesn’t mean, I don’t like photos. I do, and rarely a day goes by without my taking at…

View On WordPress

[1tric]

Hows our writing going? October.

Hows our writing going? October.

I know I’m a little late with this as today I sent off November’s issue, but, as they say, better late than never. The short version is, I’m alive and well and still writing, as are my fellow writers!

Every month I feature in the Inspiration Diaries on the Inspiration Projects blog. It is an all too true look at what is happening in the world of three very successful writers and three writers yet…

View On WordPress