Local pens novella for charity

Twenty-five-year-old Fiona O’Malley from Tullamore is set to launch her second ebook, the 60-page novella “Goodbye Mrs Robinson”, in the Bridge House Hotel next month.

Though normally resident in London, Fiona will return to Tullamore to launch her latest offering on December 15 at 4pm. Half of the ebook’s sales will be donated to the international humanitarian agency GOAL.

According to the author “Goodbye Mrs Robinson” is an Irish, very black comedy about a brother and sister who find themselves in a very complex plot to claim money from their foster mother’s insurance. Set in Galway, the novella is about two orphaned children - Aoife and Conor - trying to break free from their contrary foster mother, Helen Robinson.

Fiona thinks viewers who enjoyed “In Bruges” and “The Guard” will like her new book. The book is her second, after “What Would Kate Do? The Diary of a Walking Disaster”. She’s also the author of “The Daily Fail: the Musical”, and is nearly finished the second of the “What Would Kate Do” trilogy.

She explained that the reason she chose to release something very different to “What Would Kate Do” was because she wanted to write something unlike her romantic comedy writing past.

“I love writing the ‘What Would Kate Do’ books and thankfully people seem to like them,” she said. “All of the reviews and feedback have been great so I’m delighted to be able to say that I’ll be completing the trilogy this year with plans to release the second ‘What Would Kate Do’ in June 2014. Having said that, I was very anxious to write something completely different to these chick lit books and ‘Goodbye Mrs Robinson’ couldn’t be more different. It’s a story about a woman who is politically incorrect, extremely offensive, racist and narrow-minded but too narrow-minded to see it. She’s a hugely flawed, hugely burdened woman but she’s also got a softer side and although the story is a black comedy, it has a bittersweet side to it.”

Fiona’s latest book will cost readers just 99p. She said she decided to give it a low price because “it’s a short, easy-to-read book and half of the money made from book sales will be going to one of my favourite charities, GOAL, to support the incredible work they do in third world countries”.

Fiona leads a very busy life in London, where alongside working on the final two instalments of the “What Would Kate Do” trilogy she’s also penning a new theatrical production “Grim” with composer Joseph Alexander. Although she’s highly motivated, she also credits those around her with her success.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my class A friends, wonderful family and our very supportive fans,” she said. “That’s not false modesty or polite pretence. I just don’t want the pressure of people building me up to more than I am. I couldn’t be more ordinary if I tried. I come from a very humble single parent background and things weren’t easy when I was growing up but I’ve got an amazingly strong mother and fantastic girlfriends who ground me and support me through thick and thin. There is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t be where I am today without the wonderful people in my life.”

“Goodbye Mrs Robinson” is self-published through Byers Ink Editorial Services. It will be available on Amazan, Apple iBooks and all major ebook distributors including Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Sony, eBookit Store and Google Books ten days before Christmas.

More information on Fiona’s new book is available by visiting www.facebook.com/GoodbyeMrsRobinson.