Hello lovely readers

Whether you are a fan of my books or just having a nose, thank you for stopping by. I know how busy life can be, so take five minutes and sit back to read some useless facts about me!

My childhood nickname was Cam. My adult nickname is HappyMrsH, which has become my username on social media! And in fairness, I do smile a lot. I wear my heart on my sleeve; you wouldn’t want me on your poker team. I love to sing and dance around the kitchen island. Not necessarily well, but in my head, I’m a Broadway star. My children think so too.

My first job was pumping fuel in a petrol station when I was eleven. I pretty much hated that, the smell being the worse. And in my memory, it always rained when I was working; my hands were always cold. I have also worked as a waitress, babysitter and horse groom on a part-time basis while I was in school to earn pocket money. My first full-time job was with Aer Lingus.

I overuse the word LOVELY. The way I see it, there can never be enough LOVELY in the world.

I won my first writing award when I was twelve years old, in a national writing competition that my school principal, Master O’Shea, encouraged me to enter. I always dreamed of being a writer but never pursued this until I married Roger, who encouraged me to take a chance and give it a go. Over a decade later, I’ve never looked back. He likes that he was right. So do I.

I met my husband Roger, aka MrH, in Ron Blacks, a bar in Dublin, probably drinking a gin. He won me over with his cheeky wit and old-world gentlemanly charm. We love each other a lot.

We have two children, Amelia and Nate. I also have a stepdaughter, Eva. I work hard not to be one-bit evil. These three are my life.

I was born in London but moved to Wexford when I was ten. I also lived in Dublin for nearly twenty years and loved it there. It’s where I met MrH! But the pull to return home was strong, and we’ve been back in Wexford since 2010. Read more about this here. I think Wexford is the most beautiful county in Ireland. Okay, I might be biased.

I write around my children’s schedules, so I often survive on five or six hours of sleep. Speaking of sleep, I’m not Dr Carmel Harrington – the renowned Sleep Specialist.

I survived an earthquake on the 27th floor of a hotel in the Philippines. Won’t lie; it was terrifying.

I am severely allergic to Mercury, as in swollen lips, tongue, and eyes.

I learned how to drive and passed my driving test all in the space of two weeks.

I spent my childhood horseriding. My pony was called Mr Bojangles, named after one of my favourite songs. I now live on the same road I trekked on every evening after school. I like that a lot. And I named a character’s horse Mr Bojangles, in The Girl From Donegal, in honour of my lovely pony.

My favourite family holiday destination is Orlando, Florida. My favourite city is New York.

I am wicked impatient. I self-published Beyond Grace’s Rainbow because I was too impatient to wait out the slush pile. See?

I credit my father for my imagination. His motto when telling tall stories is – never to let the truth get in the way of a good tale. I credit my mother for my love of books, who always read to me and my siblings as children.

I love Tayto crisps, or indeed any cheese and onion crisps. But Mr Tayto stole my heart first.

My favourite motto is – all that matters is family.

I once did a parachute jump to raise money for the National Council of the Blind. Loved it.

I flew around South Africa in a two-seater Cessna aircraft. I wouldn’t do that again.

I have two sisters and a brother – every childhood memory includes these beauties.

I’m 5′ 10″, so I’m used to people’s first reactions to me going something like this, ‘Oh, you’re tall.’ That never gets old.

I have an eye disease called Scleritis, which is painful and unpleasant when it flares up.

I cannot resist buying pretty notebooks – if they have an inspirational quote on the front, all the better.

My place of zen is Curracloe Beach.

I read a lot – I usually have a paperback, audio and Kindle book on the go simultaneously.

I have a thing about rose gold, with my favourite piece being my grandmother Maggie’s wedding ring, which I wear every day. She’s my guardian angel.

I adore Oprah. She’s a clever one.

Annie, Sarah, Catherine, Hazel, Fiona, Davnet, Siobhan, Gillian, Caroline and so many more … If Carlsberg did friends …

I hope you enjoyed those silly bits of trivia about me. For those of you who have read my books, thank you for your support. I love hearing from you and always read your lovely reviews too. When you take the time to write one, it’s like giving me a little hug. If you haven’t read my books yet and you are interested in finding out more you should head over here next!

Oh, and if you are an aspiring writer, I know how hard it is to get that first break, to get noticed by an agent or publisher. But honestly, I’m proof that it’s never too late to chase and catch your childhood dreams. I’ve never worked harder than I have since I started to write, but I’ve also never been happier.

Whatever your dreams are, don’t let them slip away.

Sending love to all,

Carmel

xxx