Exciting chapter ahead for Kilmuckridge author Sheila
Wexford’s reputation for cultivating authors continues to bloom.
The first novel by Kilmuckridge based author Sheila Forsey has just been released in a digital version, and it will get its print launch next month.
Sheila received a publishing deal from Endeavour Press, London, for her debut novel ‘Mending Lace’ which was released on Kindle on August 30.
The print paperback will be launched in Stone House Books, Kilkenny on Thursday, October 19, and in The Book Centre, Wexford, on Friday, October 20.
It will be officially launched by best-selling Wexford author Carmel Harrington whom Sheila credits as ‘a wonderful mentor and supporter of Irish writers.’
Carmel has described ‘Mending Lace’ as ‘beautifully descriptive and emotive.’
Sheila is represented by the Trace Literary Agency in America. She said ‘Mending Lace’ is a contemporary novel which is interspersed with secrets of the past.
The story centres around Sive and Dan who find their comfortable life is shattered in the aftermath of a car accident.
While Dan tries to recover, Sive uncovers a trail of deceit and financial chaos which has the power to destroy them.
Sive’s life is further complicated by her mother in law, a formidable woman who rules her clan with an iron fist.
The book is described as a story of love, loss and redemption, and a wonderfully woven story of people coming to terms with who they are, what they want and all they have learned along the way.
Sheila (47) is the daughter of Kathleen Devereux and the late Tommy Devereux of Kilmuckridge.
Tommy was well-known for his story telling ability and Sheila credits her childhood memories of these stories as a major stepping stone into her journey as a published author.
In the 1990s, Sheila was an active member of Kilmuckridge Drama Group and received an All Ireland Best Actress award for her role in Tennes- see William’s play ‘The Glass Menagerie’.
She also took on numerous roles with the Watergate Theatre and New Theatre Group during her time living in Kilkenny.
A few years ago, with the support of her husband Shane, she made the decision to walk away from her business of ten years in Kilkenny and enrolled in the creative writing certificate course for publication through NUI Maynooth. Sheila now sits on the committee of the Wexford Literary Festival. In 2015, she returned to her native Kilmuckridge where she lives with Shane, and their three children, Ben Faye and Matthew. Sheila said that without their support, her dream of being an author would never have been fulfilled.
She is currently writing her second novel and also facilitates creative writing workshops for beginners. Find Sheila on Facebook for more information.