Offaly writer's second book hailed as 'incredible achievement'

RAHAN-born author Mary Minnock launched her second novel last Thursday evening at the Midland Books store in Tullamore.

Mary self published her first book, Homesick, early this year and was already working on Love Lost, a novel which has is earning positive reviews.

Speaking at the launch, bookstore owner John Ryan praised the writer for her hard work and dedication over the last couple of years.

“Publishing one book is an incredible achievement but it's clear now that she's prepared to build on this and the best is yet to come as she perfects her craft,” he said.

Homesick was nominated for a CAP (Carousel Aware Prize) award, the leading prize in the Irish self published and independent book sector. The CAP patron is the 2024 Booker Prize Winner, Paul Lynch.

Homesick, which John Ryan said was described as a highly character driven novel, with great emotional depth, was also a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards in the United States.

Love Lost focuses on a family in turmoil and turns on the relationship between a separated couple, Mag and Dennis, who lose their daughter in a car crash.

Though they've barely spoken in 10 years the tragedy forces them to come together and investigate the mysterious circumstances of their daughter's death.

John said: “A review describes Love Lost as a beautifully written, heartbreaking story which has us completely engulfed in the characters' emotions from start to finish. It's another very accomplished work for Mary to add to her repertoire.”

“So I decided to self publish, and I'm so delighted,” she said.

A mother of four girls in her 50s (her oldest daughter Mathilde designed the covers for both books) who now lives in Dublin, she had two key pieces of advice. First, never consider yourself too old to do anything.

“Especially in a creative endeavour never say to yourself you're too old,” she said. “You'll never be as young as you are now so just do it.”

Second, she urges everyone to enjoy the positive moments in their lives. “Really take pleasure out of every little positive that happens in your life. Just enjoy it, never think, 'Oh, I could have been so much better, I could have had this extra thing', just enjoy the moment.”

She said it makes her day when someone writes to her and says they really enjoyed her book and she was thrilled to be shortlisted for the CAP award. “I don't think I could have been happier if I was shortlisted for the Booker prize.”

In a question and answer session, the writer, who is now working on her third novel, explained that she knows the beginning and end of her stories first and then fills in the middle.

“I do know what's going to happen. I'm not sure how it's going to happen, that's what I don't know and I don't plan that so very much.”

She stresses that fictional books are exactly that, works of fiction, but says everyone has life experience which they can apply to stories.

“We all have things that happen to us and then you use [them], you exaggerate or you twist what happened to you.”

She uses real life settings for locations and homes in her books. For example, she uses the home of a friend in Dublin where she lived while in college in Love Lost. It becomes Mag's house.

And Dennis, who is a mechanic, lives in an apartment above his garage which is modelled on “where Granny Minnock lived above Tony's pub”.

She also said that writing is work and must be treated as such. “Eighty per cent of it is keeping your bum on the seat, that is so hard,” she said.

“I say to myself you cannot leave this seat until you have 500 words. Even if they're rubbish words, you write 500 words. And once I get there I actually am happy to be there and it comes and I keep going.”

She cautioned that most writers do not make money, with the average “successful” author earning only about €10,000.

“It's a bit of a shame because you do put your heart and soul into everything and then you realise you're never going to make money on this. You just don't.”

That said, she stated that independent authors are paid more per book sale than those whose books are published in the traditional way.

One way a reader can help a self published author is by writing a review online on a website like Amazon or Good Reads. Extra reviews lend credibility to the book and its author.

She revealed that her next book asks the question: “To what extent are people prepared to put themselves and their families in danger to do what's right?”

In this instance, she is undecided about the ending. “I'm hesitating between two endings and I don't know which way I'm going to go. I could be depressing or I could be a little bit optimistic and I don't know which way to go,” she said.

“And I think depressing is the way it's going to go. It makes more sense in that context.” Laughing, she added: “Sorry!”

Love Lost is available to purchase in Midland Books (€14.99) or online.