About Me

Me trying to be serious

This is my about page.  Half the time I’m not quite sure what I’m about but here goes.

Don’t let my surname fool you, I’m Irish.  I was born in Louth and grew up in Dublin. Having lived and worked in various parts of Ireland, myself and my husband along with three of our children moved to Spain, living there for almost eight years.  We moved back to Ireland in 2008, courtesy of the recession.  In 2009 I opened a nail salon in a seaside town on The Irish Riviera.  I feel privileged to live in such a beautiful part of the country.

In October 2012 I began to write my first book.  I had been part of a writer’s workshop in the late 1980’s in Clare, and some of my work was included in their first publication, Sticks and Stones.  As my family grew I had less time for writing, except for the odd poem now and again.  It wasn’t until 2012 that I really put my heart into writing a book.  In February 2013 I joined a local writer’s group and received the encouragement I needed to finish my first book.  What started out as a once off novel, turned into a trilogy.

I write in the Young Adult and Historical Fiction genres because that is what I mostly read. English was my favourite subject in school, and my teacher encouraged me to write, thank you Ms. McGovern.  I am sorry I left it so long to become more serious about writing, but it’s never too late, so they say.  Long may it continue.

85 Responses to About Me

  1. ❤ I have nominated you for a Liebster Award because you are lovely and you deserve it. To accept the award follow my link and follow the posts' prompts ❤ http://thewellinthegarden.wordpress.com/2014/05/26/the-leibster-award/

    Liked by 4 people

  2. Laura, you’re a sweetheart for thinking of me. I’ll have a look but it might be ages before I get around to doing anything about it as I’m up the walls with work and writing for the next couple of months. Hope your own projects are doing well. Hugs, Jean.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. A.PROMPTreply says:

    Wow. I so appreciate you popping by my blog and following. I am so new to this and am totally overwhelmed and impressed so much by your blog! It’s going to take me months to get through all your writings but I’m SO looking forward to it!

    Liked by 2 people

    • I was exactly the same when I started blogging. My husband set up a blog for me announcing the publication of my first book and I left it there because I’m not very good a techie stuff. I was scared stiff of wordpress. Another writer and blogger gave me the push to do something with it by nominating me for something, so I had to post on it in case people visited my blog. It just took off from there and I learned as I went along. Now I have two blogs to run. I’m a sucker for punishment, aren’t I?

      Liked by 1 person

      • A.PROMPTreply says:

        Hah! Don’t know whether that makes you a “sucker for punishment” or just a very versatile person, but whatever it is, I’m glad you did it!

        Liked by 1 person

  4. Vera Komnig says:

    I am glad, that I found your blog, Jean, I MUST follow you 🙂
    Greetings from Vera 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Thanks for the visit. I just noticed we write in the same genres. You have such a deep history in Ireland which can make for wonderful books. Have a blessed day.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I get a lot of my inspiration from my ancestors and the times they lived in. Researching a family tree throws up all sorts of ideas for books. Have a nice Sunday, what’s left of it. Jean.

      Like

  6. vlandaman says:

    Hello Jean! You have very beautiful and interesting blog! Also I am delighted with your operation! I enjoy reading! Blog really interesting! The Best Regards! 😉

    Liked by 2 people

  7. julial213 says:

    Thanks for visiting my blog and for the follow.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Thank you, too, for the follow, Julia. Your own blog is lovely, I especially like the ’tiled’ wall.

    Like

  9. GolNaran says:

    I am so happy to have journeyed into your blog.
    I enjoy your pen.
    I am looking forward to reading more intensively.

    Best wishes for you and your great family, ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Thom Hickey says:

    Thanks for following The Immortal Jukebox Jean. I hope you find much to entertain you ( please feel free to comment!). I look forward to exploring your blog. Regards Thom

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I was delighted to find your blog, Thom. There can never be enough music in the world.

    Like

  12. Willeke says:

    Thank you so much Jean for the very kind comment you left on my blog. I’m still gushing about it, especially from someone like yourself, an Irish writer! I will be visiting your blog regularly, there’s no doubt about that.

    English and Dutch were my favourite subjects in school, together with history and geography. Funny how it all played a role with me eventually moving to Ireland.

    Also quite looking forward to reading your books. I used to work in a library after studying library sciences so books are my life.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I was delighted to find your blog, and meant every word I said. I haven’t been writing books for very long and they may not be the kind you normally read. If you have an ereader check out a sample first. Looking forward to reading more of your posts.

      Like

  13. Julia says:

    Hello:)
    Thank very much for joining MyRedPage:)
    As a warm welcome, I am extending you an invite to a new weekly photo challenge, this week’s theme is ‘enchanted’!

    ‘Camera Lucida’ – Enchanted

    Hope to see you at the exhibition:)

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Thanks for sharing your amazing adventure–in life. I’m glad you’re writing your book.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to write a book but better late than never, I suppose. 🙂

    Like

  16. Vous êtes très belle. Et j’aime votre style, votre belle écriture.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Je suis juste sincère.

    Liked by 1 person

  18. elizabeth stokkebye says:

    Thank you for following my blog Thoughts & Sensibilities. I invite you to my other blog, Mystic Strings, where I draft stories – http://bit.ly/1Jc5tGN – thank you!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. Thank you Elizabeth, I’ll be delighted to follow your other blog. It’s lovely to meet you.

    Like

  20. Congratulations on your books, and following your passion…at no matter what age! I love Historical Fiction – my favorite genre 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  21. slfinnell says:

    I just have to say we have a unanimous agreement in my home that you are my Aunt Glenda’s twin. That is a compliment just to clarify 🙂
    So pleased to find your blog!

    Liked by 1 person

  22. I’m a big YA fan and working on my first YA project. Glad you found my blog, and that you enjoyed my post. I’ll leave a light on, so stop by Jean’s Writing anytime. It’s great to connect with other writers, the internet is a wondrous place.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. It’s never too late to start. Thanks for that.Best of luck always.

    Liked by 1 person

  24. Su Leslie says:

    Thanks for following ZimmerBitch; much appreciated. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Jane Lurie says:

    Hi Jean, Thank you for following my photography blog, Jane’s Lens. I hope you enjoy my work. I will check out your writing– inspiring that you found your passion.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Jean, I can just take a minute & tell you how pretty you are!! 😍😍😍

    Apart from that , this is such a fun blog!! Love it❤️❤️ Hoping to be in touch.

    Your new reader,
    Noorain ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  27. A very interesting and inspiring blog. It is very interesting what you said about researching a family tree throws up all sorts of ideas for books, I certainly found a great story plot for a book on my family stories. All the best! Adrian

    Liked by 1 person

    • It’s nice to meet you, Adrian, and thanks for your lovely comment. Yes, there is so much inspiration right under our noses with regards to family history, I found a lot more than I’d bargained for researching my ancestors. 😉

      Like

  28. elizabeth stokkebye says:

    Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    Liked by 1 person

  29. GeorgieMoon says:

    Interesting! And the Jrish Riviera! I went there earlier this year, on a ferry, when I had to take our cat to stay with relatives in Ireland……. But that’s a other story……

    Liked by 1 person

  30. You must be missing her but she sounds like she’s in a good place. When we moved to Spain we had to find homes for our lovely dog and two cats. Friends took them in and I made sure they were well settled. It’s really hard saying goodbye but it would have been unfair to bring them to such a hot climate and we were renting to start with so that would have been another problem.

    Like

  31. jlfatgcs says:

    Hi Jean. Any writer and reader who loves YA books best of all and sheds a tear over Laura Ingalls Wilder books is tops on my ‘list’. I teach preschool, write a blog, and am passionate about reading aloud. I’m glad I found your blog!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks so much for connecting, I’ve been to your blog and look forward to lots more of your posts. I can’t count how many times I cried over Little House……… and in my in-laws at that. Every Sunday after dinner the show was aired and the family sat around to watch it (including some of my brother-in-laws). At any tear-jerking scenes a row of heads would turn towards me and watch me sniffle – and I still married one of them, in spite of the teasing. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  32. aj vosse says:

    Gosh! A successful author that follows my blog! I am truly honoured! I must learn from you as I feel the need to be published as well!

    You live in a beautiful part of the country and I have to confess… we haven’t made it down there yet but it stays on the to do list… perpetually renewed every time I read something about that part of the world!

    Trilogy… my, I have some catching up to do! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Well thank you for such a lovely comment. I’m not sure if I’m all that successful, lol, but I seem to be doing something right as regards finding readers. We can all learn from each other and I’m so thankful for the internet and being able to connect with so many like-minded people from all over the world.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. How wonderful to meet you ( (thanks to Jean over at socialbridge). I live in New England, my blog is 5 years old (gasp, it seems like a year), I teach creative writing classes and have published two books..so far. I love love love how we writers share our stories (of writing, of living, of family, of love and losses) with each other.

    Liked by 1 person

    • It’s lovely to meet you, too. I feel the same way as you do about writers sharing with each other. Blogging is so good when there are no writers groups nearby or if you work on the evenings they meet (as I do). Thank goodness for the internet.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I teach weekly creative writing classes and meet up with writers, yet still I enjoy and learn so much by reading and sharing blog posts. I encourage my writing students to get on-line and subscribe to some blogs. What a great experience!

        Liked by 1 person

  34. Hello Jean! I know, I haven’t responded to your comment on my About page yet…oops! I am up and down on this here writing seat and have been exploring all your links and books in dribs and drabs and must say, I am enjoying absolutely everything I discover.

    I fear I am entering that stage you speak of where writing takes a back seat to everything else in life. No matter how I try to, time for myself is scarce…as I type this children just in door from school, questions, questions, questions, and needs. I don’t want to ever wish time away so just have to roll with it for now…

    Tell me, what are those symbols on the sides of this here page? When I enlarge the page they disappear off the edges. Just curious!

    I do look forward to getting to know you more and am delighted by this connection.

    Melissa 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Melissa, I’m so happy to have connected with you, too. I totally get what you mean about writing taking a back seat when you have a family to take care of. The days when your children are young and still living with you are so precious, make lots of memories with them. In the long term, it’s that time spent busily living your life that you will look back on and draw from and it will inspire you in ways you can’t even imagine. Those black and white symbols are supposed to be hieroglyphics, I downloaded a free to use image from somewhere and used it for the background. I’m looking forward to reading how your poly tunnel gardening progresses and seeing lots of photos.

      Liked by 1 person

  35. Quick question: I note that you’re a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors. Do you find this to be a worthwhile organization? Thanks.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I’m not fully sure, yet. It depends on how much support you might like or need. I’m trying it for this year but I was already doing well on Amazon when I joined but I thought it would be good to be a part of a group who are recognized as being well organized and knowledgeable about being an independent author/publisher. At least, I hope they know what they are doing because I’ve still got so much to learn. I joined writing.ie when I was writing my first book and that’s quite a good site but you don’t have to be a member to have access to it’s information and advice.

      Liked by 1 person

  36. petrel41 says:

    Congratulations!

    I have nominated your blog for the Blogger Recognition Award.

    More about this nomination is at

    Blogger Recognition Award, thank you Xena!

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Rashminotes says:

    Hello Jean! You have a wonderful blog; look forward to reading many of your posts:)

    Liked by 1 person

  38. inesephoto says:

    Such a delightful post, Jean! I was thinking of you today when I met those German traveling blacksmiths, two young lads in Waterford. They were heading to Youghal, I gave them a lift to Kilmeaden from where they planned to hitchhike. May be you will see them somewhere at the strand, because it is where they were heading 🙂 They are looking for the craftsmen who would give them work for a week or two. It is a part of their training. Two young lads in blue costumes and hats, with the wooden canes.

    Liked by 1 person

  39. willowdot21 says:

    great to meet you, and thank you for the follow I look forward to reading your blog!! 😃

    Liked by 1 person

  40. So nice to meet you, and nice to connect with you here! Slainte!

    Liked by 1 person

  41. Yurena says:

    Hola Jean. Acabo de encontrar tu blog por casualidad y seguro que lo visitarè a menudo porque me parece muy interesante 🙂 Saludos de Yurena (de Tenerife, una de las Islas Canarias pero residiendo en Bulgaria por trabajo)

    Like

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