Blogger’s Books: Mary Bradford

~ beetleypete

Today, I am pleased to feature the published author, Mary Bradford.

Here is her own short bio.
Mary Bradford is an Irish author who has written across genres, her main genre being Women’s Fiction. She has overcome open heart surgery to focus on her writing and in her time out for relaxation she loves to crochet or knit. Family is important to her and her writing reflects this with the ups and downs of relationships explored. Her short stories have been published in many magazines, newspapers and anthologies both in Ireland and abroad, Germany, India, and the USA.

Mary has sent me an article, and I am reproducing it here, unedited.

My Journey to Writing a Novel

When I began writing short stories and flash fiction, I wondered would I ever write a full novel, but being honest I often dismissed the thought. Sitting down to write a book is time consuming, takes dedication, discipline and of course a great story. My hands were full as a mother to four children and time was scarce, so the short stories and flash fiction pieces suited me perfectly.
Yet the yearning to know if I could do it, write that novel and hold it in my hand, feel the paper, admire the cover, kept tapping me on my shoulder and poking its head beneath my face as I stared at the sheets of paper before me. I wrote longhand, all pen to paper for me then.
Then at a funeral, I began to wonder what secrets lay buried in the graveyard. Stories that would never be told. An idea began to unfold in my head and when I started to write the story, my novel was born. My Husband’s Sin is a contemporary novel set in both Dublin, Ireland and Chester, England. It involves the Taylor family, in particular, Lacey. She’s the youngest in the family, and when their mother, Lillian dies, a revelation in her will shatters the family unit.
Published by digital Tirgearr Publishing in Ireland, it received great reviews on Amazon and I thought that was that. Until my readers asked what happened next? I was pleasantly surprised and so the second book in what has now become The Lacey Taylor Story came about. Don’t Call Me Mum, was published in March 2018. Can you guess what happened next? Yes, the readers wanted more and I am at present planning the third and final novel of this trilogy.
So from wondering if I could ever write a novel, I’ve ended up writing a trilogy, which means when you have dreams go for them. There will be moments of doubt, fear, exhaustion and hair-pulling but so worth it when you finally write those two magical words, The End.
Don’t let the word-count or the genre of what you are writing sneak beneath your skin and sow seeds of unnecessary worry. Writing your story is the important aspect you need to concentrate on, all else takes a back seat. Once your story is told, that first draft completed, then stand up and take a bow. Many people talk about writing a book and often start one, but it is those who finish it are the writers.
Now the hard work begins, editing, fixing plot loopholes, developing characters, and everything else in the kitchen sink needs to be attended to. But you have a full manuscript to work with, the buzz of excitement will see you through. Remember, if you do it once, you can do it again!
Happy writing.

Here are some links to Mary’ work, available from Amazon.
Also her site and social media links.

https://marytbradford.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Mary-T-Bradford-Author-464343040298924/
https://www.instagram.com/marytbradford/

Please check out her site, or follow the other links, and show her some support from our great community.

30 thoughts on “Blogger’s Books: Mary Bradford”

  2. There are moments when I see writing a book as emptying a swimming pool one teaspoon at a time, and it seems overwhelming. Concerning oneself with word count is like counting how many times you’ve dipped the teaspoon into the pool, and worrying about how many more times you’ll need to dip it, and whether you have the time and perseverance to finally get to that last dip. All you can do is continue to dip, dip, dip…

    “Now the hard work begins, editing, fixing plot loopholes, developing characters, and everything else in the kitchen sink needs to be attended to.”

    That statement seems to describe the common approach to writing. Good or bad, I don’t work that way. I toil on sentences, and very slowly build paragraphs until I’m satisfied before moving on. I feel fortunate if I end up spending only three hours on a Word page (I’ve been known to spend as many as eight hours!). When I do reach The End, the only task left is to typeset the text, and think about the cover. In the case of my two detective novels (there won’t be a third), I’ll also have to find someone to turn my maps and illustrations into professional images.

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    1. Thanks for your own version of the creative process as it applies to your work, David. Eight hours on one page of MS Word is one of the reasons why I have never written a book! 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. Thank you for reading and leaving your comment. Each of us works differently. I couldn’t imagine spending that many hours on a page, it must be exhausting. My way that suits me, leaves me drained and yet we still turn up the next day to do it all over again. Happy writing, David.

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    1. Thanks, Cindy. As you know, I like to showcase fellow bloggers and writers.
      (Up to chapter five of your book. I’m quite a slow reader sometimes. 🙂 )
      Best wishes, Pete. x

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  4. They sound like good reads, Pete. I like Mary’s message to not give up. It’s true so many people start off to write a novel and stop about a third of the way through. It takes determination to carry on regardless of the self doubts.

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    2. Many thanks Mary for reading. I agree it is tough going but rewarding for sure. The middle part I think for most authors is the tiring hard slog bit. We start off excited and then slow down and then once we know the end is in sight, we dash off towards it. Happy writing Mary.

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