Why Northern Ireland?

I'm a native of Norn Iron and being born in the 70's I've seen the horrors of The Troubles and the pain they caused so many people and families throughout our country. I left, when I was eighteen, as did so many of my generation, to go to university and it was over a decade before I moved back to Co. Down.   Like Charlotte, in Twisted Truth, I often returned to visit my family and once the peace progress started was amazed by the changes I saw. Things that I couldn't even begin to comprehend would ever be possible. Like my character, although my life was elsewhere, I also always felt a little twinge every time I left.

Despite all of its problems I love Northern Ireland. I've been back in Co. Down for eight years now and whilst it saddens me to see our politics still remain largely entrenched, elements of division and mistrust still evident, we live in a beautiful landscape with so much to offer. I mentioned in a previous post how encouraging I found the amount of tourists we met this summer, who finally felt safe to visit this little patch of the globe.

When I picked up the laptop and started to write Twisted Truth in 2010 I decided to include several chapters set in the 80's developing the teenage relationship between Charlotte and Mark. Whilst I couldn't write about that era without mentioning The Troubles I kept any mention of it to a minimum, wanting to show that it didn't control every element of daily life for all citizens of Northern Ireland and even though horrific things happened, on an almost daily basis, it became a part of every day life. For many it didn't stop them living ordinary lives and as teenagers we had the same issues as those in any other country. So much, fiction and non-fiction, had already been devoted to the topic I wanted to write about a Northern Ireland without every page referencing hatred, bombs and bullets.

When I uploaded the MS to Authonomy the feedback said that people were interested in The Troubles, what was happening, what it was like to grow up through that and they wanted to see more of it. When I edited, cutting out a lot of the teenage chapters and restructuring the story, I added in more glimpses of life in the 80's and how it affected the characters.

Most of my writing is set in Northern Ireland because there is so much inspiration to be found within the landscape, the people and the history. Whilst I'd like to see us move forward and have my children grow up in a more accepting, peaceful society I recognise that we still have a long way to go. Much has changed but more still needs to be done and none of it can happen with the signing of a document or one single compromise. It will take a very long time for decades of pain and suspicion to be healed. So, whilst my stories may mention our striking scenery and tourist attractions there will also be elements that reflect the past and the issues that we're still trying to resolve.

I hope some little part of what I do in this site will encourage more of you to visit NI and see what it, and its people, have to offer.