Well, just a quick note to say it’s happening. It really does appear to be happening. When friends told me just how slowly the wheels of publishing turn, I remember thinking that surely they must be exaggerating! I mean, I’m no techno-wiz but I know that if I were to buckle down and self-publish a book, from typing The End to holding that sweet-smelling papery infant in my proud maternal paw, would take about 6 weeks.
But that’s not the road I opted for and guess what? Everyone was right, traditional publishing is heart-breakingly slow. But today I took a small but significant step closer. I spent the morning with the talented Ana Dorado of abdphotography.ie and it wasn’t awful, and I didn’t hate every minute of it. Being horribly and congenitally camera shy, from earliest years, I had been dreading the photoshoot for the cover photo of The Accidental Wife, my short story collection which won the Eludia Prize in 2014 and is being published by Sowilo Press this summer. Ana couldn’t have been better, funnier or gentler and the hour flew past. She even snapped a few photos of my dog for posterity. (I still can’t believe I suddenly own a five year old Cavalier, but that’s a different story.)
I can’t wait to see my headshots, it’s brought the whole book project into focus at last……
Orla McAlinden. 
Brilliant. And I’m sure you’re only gorgeous and your baby is a beaut. X
When I look at myself in a mirror, I seem to be a rational, fully-formed adult female human of normal enough appearance. When I see a photo of myself, I appear to be a cruel photoshop combining all the worst features of Quasimodo with the physical and facial expression of Harry Houdini in a sinking bag of cement full of weasels. Inexplicable. Ana Dorado is a stunning photographer though, so fingers crossed.
Orla, we never see ourselves as others do. And I’m not placing a prescient value on your attractiveness. But you’re a good looking woman. And, most importantly, you’re brilliant. The photographer made hay whilst the sun shone. Can’t wait to see the book cover. I’m so excited. I fully intend basking in refracted glory by telling everyone about my friend, the published author.
Well, I don’t know about refracted glory, but I do hope that all the good friends who have had to listen to me, ad nauseum, whittering on about this book, will all come to the book launch and bathe in a couple of large glasses of wine! Watch this space…