Iona Carroll
IONA CARROLL
In 2012, Iona set up and tutors a very enthusiastic group of fiction writers – The Kelso Writers’ Workshop www.kelsowritersblogspot.com as well as being a co-editor of the Scottish Borders Council’s literary magazine, The Eildon Tree, a bi-annual publication which is in its twenty-fifth issue.
She is an avid book reviewer, mainly of literary fiction and biographies and her reviews appear regularly in publications such as New Books Magazine and elsewhere. Her many short stories have been published in the UK and Australia in magazines as diverse as Carillon and Studio.
Iona’s thoughts on the writing life are that, in order to be a writer, one has to be a reader first and to love books. Combine this with observation, imagination and life experiences and a novelist is born.
She is an avid book reviewer, mainly of literary fiction and biographies and her reviews appear regularly in publications such as New Books Magazine and elsewhere. Her many short stories have been published in the UK and Australia in magazines as diverse as Carillon and Studio.
Iona’s thoughts on the writing life are that, in order to be a writer, one has to be a reader first and to love books. Combine this with observation, imagination and life experiences and a novelist is born.
WANDERERS ALL
Drawing on stories from the author's own family history, and combining fact with fiction, this book tells of the struggles, heartbreak and joys of emigrant settlers in Australia and New Zealand.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wanderers-All-Stories-emigrant-families-ebook/dp/B0D47YRJYR
"By delving into the lives of her emigrant ancestors following what must have been a massive amount of research, and coming up with stories that tell us not only what these characters were like as people, but also about the many hardships thrown at them by fate, the writer has created a colourful tapestry of human experience and endurance over the past two centuries."
CRYING THROUGH THE WIND
This is the tale of Oisin Kelly, beginning with his mother, Annie as she struggles to come to terms with her love for two brothers. Married to Bernard, she is attracted to his brother, the mysterious and much misunderstood, Mick. Annie's strong Catholic faith engenders a deep sense of guilt, at the same time it helps her to cope. The story, set in 1950/60's Ireland, moves forward, sometimes gently, sometimes turbulently, combining pathos and humour.
Although Crying Through the Wind is very much Annie's book, the stage is set for Oisin who has a quest of his own.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crying-Through-Wind-Story-Oisin-ebook/dp/B00JMDFEIO
Although Crying Through the Wind is very much Annie's book, the stage is set for Oisin who has a quest of his own.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crying-Through-Wind-Story-Oisin-ebook/dp/B00JMDFEIO
FAMILIAR YET FAR
With the Vietnam War as background, life in 1970’s Australia was a time of social and political change. When young Irishman, Oisin Kelly arrives in the outback Australian town of Kilgoolga his life is still haunted by past events. Bitter and disillusioned he has vowed never to return to his old life in Scotland, but as he struggles to come to terms with this new and sometimes frightening environment, he falls under the spell of the enigmatic Eleanor Bradshaw. He is totally unprepared for what happens next.
Deception, intrigue and misplaced loyalty are at the heart of this work of fiction as Oisin discovers that things are not always what they seem.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Familiar-Yet-Far-Story-Oisin-ebook/dp/B0170O0EJA
Deception, intrigue and misplaced loyalty are at the heart of this work of fiction as Oisin discovers that things are not always what they seem.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Familiar-Yet-Far-Story-Oisin-ebook/dp/B0170O0EJA
HOMECOMING
The story of young Irishman, Oisin Kelly continues in this third novel. Oisin has settled in the outback Queensland town of Kilgoolga. Here his life becomes entwined with Vietnam War veteran, Harry. Past traumatic events affect both men in similar and sometimes surprising ways. A dark shadow is present at different times throughout this often emotional and powerful story. As Oisin discovers more and more secrets, he begins to wonder where his life is leading and where his home truly is. Decisions have to be made as to which force is more powerful. Will it be the power of love over evil that will truimph and bring him home?
"Evocative lyrical writing, creating an environment you can smell or see, and an eye to the traditional structure of the novel. With author Iona Carroll we feel we are in safe hands and tackling a subject that Frost magazine supports, in association with the charity Words for the Wounded
(www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk)"
Margaret Graham(aka Annie Clarke – Girls on the Home Front)
Editor – Frost Magazine
Here's a small extract from HOMECOMING
to whet your appetite...
BALLYBEG 2015
Some memories never want to let us go. Those special memories sneak into our mind at unexpected moments, and there they linger, never to be forgotten remembrances. They tease us, and they cling, like barnacles attached to a wooden pier, under the water, hidden, out of sight until the tide turns. These precious memories belong to us alone. At least that’s what Annie Kelly thought of these phantom teasers, for Annie was all full up with memory now. Many years ago, she had told herself that some of her very own particular memories were best kept secret, just like those barnacles. She huddled these days in front of the turf fire, bunched up, weary and old, with her worn Connemara shawl wrapped around her thin shoulders. The shawl was a memory. She held the wool against her cheek; the warmth was still there, and it brought comfort in the memory of it. Bernard had given her the shawl their first year of marriage, another lifetime away. Often, it was hard to remember Bernard’s face. This worried her. She thought of his brother, Mick at times like this. It was easier. Mick’s face was clearer. But more often than not, it was her third son, Oisin that she thought of the most.
OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES
This collection of twenty-four short stories captures the lives of ordinary people in surprising and often entertaining ways.
A fourth and final book about Oisin Kelly, titled The Candle Burns Low, will complete the series.
Iona also has a collection of short stories planned and a few more novels in the thinking stage!
Iona also has a collection of short stories planned and a few more novels in the thinking stage!
