Interview With Author Kathleen McDonnell

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1. What inspired you to write this book? A deep interest in Irish history, a longing to know what my ancestors experienced during the Great Famine, combined with a lifelong love of traditional Irish music and ballads.  

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for? The story is based on the life of my great-grandmother, a survivor of the Great Famine, who crossed an icean, lived  through a war and dwelt in three different countries. It's fact-based historical fiction, a family saga written for readers who are keen to learn about the past and how it shapes our lives in the present.  

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? An understanding of the courage and the hardships experienced by the Irish people in the last few centuries, and undermining the stereotype that they're not just a bunch of cute leprechauns.  

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? Title is the character's chosen name, a nickname in Ireland for Bridget. The publishers, AoC of Montreal, designed the cover around the one existing photo of Bridget Sweeney, my ancestor and subject of the book.  

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers?  Don't count on making a living from writing. The main thing is to believe in your own work, and to find the readers who'll "get" it (I'm still looking).  

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Audiobooks: Listening is the new Reading. And e-reading on screens rather than paper. Once a physical book is read it becomes another piece of "stuff" you have to figure out what to do with (unless, of course, you intend to re-read it or consult it for research.) With both these formats you don't have to think about it.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes, too many to list.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I don't think much about "style" when I'm writing - I'm much more occupied with STORY, about what's happened, what's happening now and to whom, and what will happen next. I have no idea to whom my writing is similar.   

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Learning the actual facts of the Great Famine, and realizing how that suffering affected members of my own family, was emotionally overwhelming at times.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Because the story and the characters are so absorbing you'll find it hard to put down.  

About The Author: Kathleen McDonnell is the author of more than two dozen books and plays, ranging from comedy to memoir to nonfiction to young adult novels. Writing is her “day job” but she also finds time to play and sing traditional Irish music. She lives on Ward's Island, a 10-minute ferry ride from downtown Toronto, and swims (almost) year-round in Lake Ontario.

• a link to a website or social media page:  https://kathleenmcdonnell.com

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 10, 200,000 page views. With over 5,700+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum