Sheila O'Flanagan

Author profile

born

Dublin, Ireland

gender

female

website

http://www.sheilaoflanagan.net/

About this author

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As you can see, a Dubliner all my life. My parents owned a grocery shop in the Iveagh Markets, in the Liberties area of the city and I guess city blood runs through my veins.

As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.

I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.

I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dea...more As you can see, a Dubliner all my life. My parents owned a grocery shop in the Iveagh Markets, in the Liberties area of the city and I guess city blood runs through my veins.

As a child I enjoyed reading and telling stories and everyone thought that I end up in a job which had something to do with books and literature. But though I applied for a job in the library all of the job offers I got were in commerce.

I turned down lots of them before my mother accepted one for me (I was on holiday at the time). It was in the Central Bank of Ireland and that’s how my career in financial services began.

I started out in administration and then moved jobs until finally I was working as a dealer in a commercial bank. Eventually I was promoted to Chief Dealer (the first female CD in the country). I traded lots of different things – foreign exchange, swaps, options, bondsâ€¦all of the kind of things you read about in the papers and that sound very technical and difficult. Of course once you’re doing it, it’s not half as technical as it sounds.

But I still loved reading and writing (which I did in my spare time) and I desperately wanted to write my own book. I guess I never quite got over the fact that I was never offered the library job! In my thirties I decided that it was now or never and I sat down, stuck Chapter 1 on a page, and started. I wrote the whole thing before sending it off.

I was offered a publishing deal (with no advance) by an Irish company but only if I wrote a different book! So back to the drawing board, I started again. It was another two years before it was published. It wasn’t until I’d written a few books and was offered a contract (this time with an advance!) from another publisher that I felt able to give up my trading job and write full time. So, even though it took a long time, I eventually realised my dream of being a full-time writer.

And now I also write a business column for the Irish Times.

When I’m writing a book I want to do three things:

* Tell a good story
* Make the reader feel like they know the characters
* Make each book better than the last

I don’t write for any particular audience but I suppose I must have people like me in mind – people who have busy lives and who like to escape into someone else’s for a while.

I love writing books. I hope you enjoy reading them.(less)

77 posts
Sheila O'Flanagan's Blog

Sheila O'Flanagan isn't a Goodreads Author (yet), but she does have a blog, so here are some recent posts imported from her feed.

Canada Water Library Event Monday 28th May

Hi UK readers

I’ll be in the fabulously impressive Canada Water Library on Monday 28th May at 7pm, along with fellow author Sasha Wagstaff, author of Changing Grooms and Heaven Scent. Like me, Sash is a reformed banker! We’ll be talking about how we swapped the Boardroom for Books (a good call, I think) and answering any questions you might have on writing and publishing. Tickets are free but th...

View more on Sheila O'Flanagan's website »

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Published on April 26, 2012 01:51 • 6 views

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Books by Sheila O'Flanagan

Average rating: 3.47 · 3,194 ratings · 296 reviews · 30 distinct works

	Bad Behaviour 3.51 avg rating — 314 ratings — published 2007 — 10 editions	My rating:
	Isobel's Wedding 3.48 avg rating — 241 ratings — 6 editions	My rating:
	Too Good to Be True 3.34 avg rating — 265 ratings — published 2003 — 12 editions	My rating:
	Yours, Faithfully 3.60 avg rating — 211 ratings — 6 editions	My rating:
	Caroline's Sister 3.66 avg rating — 178 ratings — 5 editions	My rating:
	How Will I Know? 3.39 avg rating — 187 ratings — published 2005 — 9 editions	My rating:
	My Favourite Goodbye 3.67 avg rating — 172 ratings — 6 editions	My rating:
	He's Got to Go 3.40 avg rating — 170 ratings — 10 editions	My rating:
	The Perfect Man 3.29 avg rating — 165 ratings — published 2009 — 6 editions	My rating:
	Someone Special 3.41 avg rating — 175 ratings — 5 editions	My rating:

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Between the Lines: 100 books from my tbr-shelf	88	163	Dec 19, 2009 01:27am
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