Where were you born and brought up? Has the place and its culture reflected in your writing?
I was born and brought up in Ireland, I love my country. It’s a magical place and I try to spend as much time in the countryside as possible. In my writing I wove in as many Irish things as I could, I set the book in Dublin. My children did tell me not to use the name Caoimhe in my book though, as they thought Americans would have too much trouble trying to pronounce it!
Who all are a part of your family? How do they inspire you to write?
I have four children and I live with them and my Husband, and our cat and dog. I didn’t have a cat before, but one of the main characters in my novel is a cat so I thought I’d better get one so I learn a bit more about them! I want to create a better world for my children - adults are grown-up children so I thought I’d focus on adults as my main audience, however watching my four children growing up I’ve been inspired to write some children’s stories too. Watch this space!
How have all your jobs, including being a mom, inspired your writing and your stories?
I’m a healer and a spiritual teacher for my ‘job’, its more of a vocation than a job. So everything that I am gets put into my books, whether they’re self-care books teaching how to heal yourself, or my trilogy, The Inner Compass. I feel after writing the trilogy I’m only beginning to find my voice, the writing in itself has inspired me to do more of it.
What is your ideal setting to write? How often do you get the chance to write in it?
My ideal setting is in the countryside in the morning with the sunshine coming through a window, a cup of hot tea by my side, and plenty of space around me. When I’m working on a particular piece and am having trouble with it, I arrange time to get away so that I can be in a similar space, and work things through without interruption.
What are the other things you enjoy doing apart from writing and reading?
I love teaching and facilitating healing sessions. Doing energy work is the most fun I have, after writing of course! Working with groups brings a synergy and a magic alongside it that is difficult to encapsulate into words. I think that’s where I get most of my inspiration from, the healing work, being witness to people’s transformation process. It’s a joy and an honour for me.
You have written so many books. Which story is the closest to your heart and why?
Right now, it’s Marissa’s story through the trilogy – Awakening, where she realises she isn’t happy and wants more out of life; Transformation, where she struggles internally having to understand the shape of the world; and Expansion, which I have just finished, where Marissa steps into her power only to find that things are not always what they seem. I’m Marissa, but I’m not her - we all are Marissa in a way. I’m loving how I can use her as a vehicle to teach spiritualty, healing and the values that I hold dearest to my heart – congruence, integrity and authenticity.
Your stories cater to a very wide audience. How do you ensure that your readers enjoy what you write?
I don’t! It’s up to them – I do the best work that I can, as the person that I am in this moment. If the readers like my books, that’s a bonus. If writers tried to write to please an audience then they’d not be true to themselves. I think we all have a unique voice, and if we don’t say what we need to say, in the way that we want to say it, then we are doing the world a disservice.
How long does it take for you to find a suitable name for your books? Do you think that a book name is less important, more important, or as important as a good book cover?
The title of the book materialises along with the book itself, sometimes the book title is the anchor from which the book can grow. But in other cases, I search for a title and it is elusive until the very end!
Where do you normally get ideas for your characters' names or personalities? Do you draw inspiration from real life or are they all made up n your head?
A little bit of both – I tend not to put real people in my books, particularly the self-care books, as client work is confidential and I don’t want people to recognise themselves, nor does it feel appropriate ethically to do that. However I do get inspired by real people and real peoples stories. My books are an amalgamation of most of these things.
What would you label as your muse, if not inspiration, behind your work?
My inspiration comes from God. The one who must not be named! However, I have no fear of naming him. God is in everything, it’s the lifeforce, and everything is alive. It’s so beautiful and wonderful, it fascinates me and I love to climb into a good story and see how the life inside of it is woven all together.
What do you do to cope with writer’s block?
Go for a walk, give myself space, do energy work around it and trust that the worlds will come in their own good time. There’s nothing worse than feeling under pressure. It’s always best to disconnect from what is blocked, do something else, something completely different and get the flow back again. Then, before you know it, the words come tumbling out. Usually at 4am!
What is your writing dream? How close do you think you are to achieving it?
I’m living it – being able to write my books and send them into the world is magical. I get to choose what I do each day, how I spend my time, and who with. I am grateful for every reader who finds my books, and if they’re inspired or heal something in them because of the way I shape things, then that’s my gift to God, for giving me all that I need to live a life that I love.
