Young Kildare author publishes first novel
Afterlight is written by Cait Maria from the Curragh Camp
A Co Kildare author has just published her first book - a novel described as a contemporary Irish romance.
Afterlight is written by Cait Maria from the Curragh Camp and is available to buy on Amazon and Kindle.
Cait said the novel follows seventeen-year-old Tara Dunne, a girl who’s been through more than most teenagers her age.
She adds:" When Ciarán Travers, a boy from her past, moves back home from Galway, the two cross paths again and slowly rebuild what life and circumstance broke apart.
"Afterlight is a heartfelt story about love, resilience, and finding hope in familiar places."
Publicity material about the book describes it as follows:
Tara Dunne doesn’t believe in fresh starts. Not after the man that broke her, not after the video that will not stop haunting her, not after years of silence that left her angry at the world and at herself.
Then, Ciarán Travers walks back into her life.
She met him once, years ago at a party, a blur of music and laughter. Four years later, in the small Irish town they both call home, he is suddenly back, steady in ways she is not and impossible to ignore. He should not care, not when she is chaos wrapped in a hoodie with fists ready for a fight, but he does. And when Tara’s past collides with her present, Ciarán is the only one who refuses to let her drown in it.
But healing is not simple. Not when rumours spread faster than truth. Not when old wounds reopen. Not when facing the person who hurt you means tearing yourself open in front of everyone.
Tara’s story is not about falling apart. It is about fighting back. It is about friendship, found family, and the kind of love that feels like safety after the storm.
Set in Ireland, Afterlight is raw, heart-shattering, and ultimately hopeful. A story about surviving the dark and learning how to live again when morning comes.