Hello and Welcome!

I'm delighted you have taken a moment to visit my site.

Today, Wednesday 7 October 2020, I’m working from home and delighted not to be stuck in traffic as 'Operation Fanacht' seems to be in full fight today - as the country steps into Level 3 mini lockdown - delaying progress on motorways all over the country.

How the world has changed, and how quickly we have readjusted. I'm so glad I had so many holidays and breaks away over the course of my life - I never in my wildest dreams thought it wouldn't be available to us anytime we took a notion. But dreaming and hoping and planning will have to keep me going as I fill my notebook with all the places still on my list of travel priorities as soon as the world is accessible again.

Resigned to the fact that COVID-19 is around to stay for another year or so, I have given in and accepted things as they are now. No choice really!

I've applied to join an online crime writing course with Cork Co Council due to commence at the end of October. Fingers crossed I'll be selected. It is facilitated by Declan Burke, best selling author in the genre, and runs for 10 weeks. So that would be something to enjoy over the winter and hopefully help me make better progress on the novel I'm writing.

Indulging in lots of reading - fiction and non-fiction - over the last few months, I’ve finally given in to the voice in my head that has been picking away at me to stop procrastinating and get back to writing for real. I’ve made all the excuses, allowed myself be lazy, convinced myself I’m probably too busy to fit in writing etc. etc. etc. ...basically all the excuses I could possibly think of not to just sit down and write. And luckily my characters were waiting eagerly to also experience life in lockdown through their plots and subplots. It is fun making up stories, it is hard work turning them into a coherent book - with timelines, red herrings, twists and turns.

I'm reading Graham Norton's new book at the moment and have ordered Edith Egar's latest book from Bandon Books Plus - my local bookshop.

All five of my books are still being read in all formats and Where There’s A Will is regularly downloaded on Audio version and borrowed from libraries in large print.

I Am Free - the book I was ghost writer and publisher for - is available here on Amazon or in bookshops nationwide. 

For those of you who are writers, keep writing! And readers everywhere - sincere thanks because without readers....ah well, that’ll never happen. I couldn’t imagine a life without reading. Once you’ve got a book for company, you’re never lonely or bored! 

Stay safe, stay active and be happy ...

Take care,

Mary.

Email me mary@marymalone.ie

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Love Match - my first novel