Orna Ross

Her Secret Rose Orna Ross

Publisher Marketing: Willie Yeats was 23 years old in 1889, when Maud Gonne, six feet tall, elegantly beautiful and passionately political, came calling to his house and "the troubling of his life" began. He spread his dreams under her feet, as they set about creating a new Ireland, through his poetry and her politics, and their shared interest in the occult. Yeats forged a poetic career from his unrequited love for Gonne, his unattainable muse. But as this novel says, "when looked at from the woman's side of the bedsheet, most tales take a turning. This one's no different." Delving deep into their letters and journals, and communications of the family and friends around them, uncovers a story that doesn't quite fit the poetic myth. Packed with emotional twists and surprises, Her Secret Rose is a novel of secrets and intrigue, passion and politics, mystery and magic, that brings to life 1890s Dublin, London and Paris, two fascinating characters -- and a charismatic love affair that altered the course of history for two nations. "A delicate balance of fact and fiction which kept me riveted from beginning to end." thebookbag.co.uk ..". Ross has ransacked (her word) the best scholarly sources for her facts and ingeniously knitted a complex tale of betrayal, revenge, suspense, murder mystery - and surprise." Irish Independent Contributor Bio:  Ross, Orna ORNA ROSS has worked in every branch of books publishing: as author, editor, teacher, mentor, novelist, poet and even as an (accidental) literary agent. Since 2012, she has been successfully self-publishing her own books and she is founder and director of The Alliance of Independent Authors. Get an email when Orna launches a new book: http: //www.ornaross.com/connect/new-book-out/ ORNA SAYS: "My NOVELS usually take the form of family-based dramas. Often they are historical fiction and usually there's a murder mystery or other buried secret from the past causing chaos in the present. I enjoy writing emotional twists and surprises around big themes -- identity, family loyalty, the struggle between freedom and belonging. My POEMS are simple and accessible and tend towards the inspirational. My NONFICTION is about applying the creative process to everything in life. We've all been educated to neglect our creative capacities -- a big mistake, as the Creative Age overtakes the Information Age. Thankfully, as with strength in any other muscle, we stop losing it by using it. The 'Go Creative!' books show how to become more creative in every aspect of life. INSPIRATIONS: #1: HISTORY: I agree with Mr Hartley that the past is, indeed, another country and it's my favourite place to travel -- reading and writing historical fiction is my favourite thing to do. I'm especially drawn to bohemian times and places where shackles are thrown off and creativity flourishes -- fin de siecle Paris (1890s); literary revival and revolutionary Ireland (1910/20s); hippy (1960s) and gay lib (1980s) San Francisco... #2: GENDER: I write the kind of women's fiction that explores what it is to be a woman, in various times and places. But I think both men and women have feminine and masculine dimensions. We are all seeded by man and born of woman and we all carry 'male' and 'female' characteristics. How these play out, in an individual life and in different societies, is endlessly fascinating to me. #3: IRELAND: I don't only write about Ireland but it is a strong influence. Because so many millions have emigrated from there, its stories reach beyond its own shores. There is always a particular flavour to Irish writing and readers tell me they experience in my books too. #4: THE SEA: Everything I really needed to know, I could have learned by watching the waves. #5: THE SPACE BETWEEN THE WORDS. About which the less said, the better.