Caroline Mc Mullan-O'Donnell

I was born in Berkshire in the south of England and moved with my parents back to Ireland when I was seven. I had a wonderful childhood living in the country surrounded by horses and wildlife and a family who worked hard to make sure my sister, brother and I had the best life they could afford.

I was not much in the way of an academic while in school apart from my English classes where I discovered my love of story-telling and writing. Poetry, short stories and songs were my first foray into the world writing, for something other than school essays.

Over the years my writing dwindled as life threw me its many curve balls. I married and had two children, divorced and found my feet. It was during this time that I retuned to writing in earnest. Writing when I had the chance between work, children and just being a mother. My poetry really came into its own at this time as a way of relieving the stresses of the week.

At one point I started a blog called ‘Mother in a Mood’ charting our day to day lives which was a plethora of emotion, fun and discovery. 

I am now re-married and finally an empty-nester with the time to write the way I want to write. I have also discovered that I am more academic than I thought when I made the decision to obtain a couple of Diplomas in Criminology and Forensic Psychology and Forensic Criminology along with a creative writing course in an effort to prove to myself that I have what it takes to be a good writer. During this time I self-published a local history, non-fiction book which was well received.

I love what I do and a lucky enough to have a very supportive family who have encouraged my development. Routine is key to everything I do. I go to the gym twice a week to clear my head of the world around me and find it refreshes my thinking which in turn sets me up for the hours I set aside for writing. 

I am 62 and now a grandmother to my, almost, two-year-old grandson who has opened my eyes to yet another different set of emotions. 

Life cannot get any better than that!