Interview In Writers News Feb 2010
Annette Publishes Second Book in Writers News Feb 2010
Annette Publishes Second Book by Emma Shipley
Annette Dunlea has recently published her second novel Always and Forever, which follows her first book The Honey Trap. She has also had short stories and book reviews published in local newspapers.
Annette has been a bookseller, teacher and a library cataloguer but gave up her job when her mother became ill after two strokes. She took up writing as a hobby to escape the pain of watching her mother suffer. ” I bought a laptop that week and blew the dust off my old notebook which held my secret notes for my book. I began to type literally one word at a time and I haven’t stopped yet. Its infectious. It really is a way of life now”.
“Always and Forever is a story about a farmer’s daughter who dates the lad next door and wins The Rose Of Tralee Beauty Queen Prize. They marry and have a family. Then Katie discovers a lump on her breast and goes through a period of denial until her breast cancer is confirmed. She is dying, so she sets about organising her funeral and writing a survival DVD for her husband to help him raise the kids”.
The book is about a subject close to Annette’s heart. “I watched my aunt die of cancer and she organised her own funeral. She remained the strong one in the marriage right to the end. My book is about the ordinary unsung heroes of everyday life : parents, grandparents the people who never make the news or the papers but who live courageous lives devoting their lives to others”.
Annette is currently researching her third book about an orphan. “The recent Ryan Report in Ireland of clerical abuse appalled me and I want to give these women a voice. I believe this story must be told so we never forget and the actions are not repeated”.
Writers News February 2010
Inkwell Newsletter Nov 23rd 2009
Annette J Dunlea has just published her second novel: Always and Forever: Katie The Rose of Tralee. The book is a sweet Irish tale of two farmer's children falling in love and marrying is set in Tralee in the 1980s and centres on Katie's coming of age. She wins the Rose of Tralee festival and on that night her boyfriend proposes. They marry and a terrible fate falls on the family. Annette's website is http://www.annettedunlea.com . Both her books The Honey Trap and Always and Forever are on sale now and her anthology of poetry is soon to be published. Annette says:
"In 2005 my mum had 2 strokes, it broke my heart to see her so ill. We struggled for two years to help her regain some of her strength. Mum was guilt ridden that I gave up my job to mind her so she encouraged me to find a part -time job or hobby. I began to write short stories to escape the pain of watching her suffer. To my shock they were all published. I always had a dream of writing a book but was afraid to say it out loud. I worked as a bookseller and knew every second person thought there was a book in them but never got to sit down and write it. Then I saw an interview with Cecelia Ahern who like myself had always kept a diary and she encouraged people to give it a go. Weeks later on the Late Late Show Cathy Kelly and a few other Irish authors were interviewed and their advice was just jump in one word at a time and write, write, write. They said write everyday and keep writing and your current story will be better than your previous effort. They preached practice was the only way to find your voice. So I did I bought a laptop that week and blew the dust off my old notebook ontop of my wardrobe which held my secret notes for my book. I began to type literally one word at a time and I haven't stopped yet, its infectious. It really is a way of life now. My laptop is like my right hand. I am always checking emails, updating websites, writing articles, trying to raise my profile on the Networking sites etc. I have a very busy life. I am not rich but I write every day of my life and I am happy. If I write a bestseller someday well that would be great but that's every author's dream. For now my writing is a great hobby that brings pleasure to its readers".