Beginner’s Pluck

Nicola Doherty didn’t aspire to be a writer. “I didn’t think I had what it takes. My ambition, always, was to be an editor.” And after, university, she moved to London and became one — working mainly in non-fiction.

In 2007, when she was made redundant, Nicola moved to the Folio Society, where she worked, part-time, as a copy-editor.

“I thought about the story for a long time, then just started from the beginning. I’d just broken up with a boyfriend, and it was a wet summer. I wanted to transport myself somewhere sunny, and write something that would cheer me up.”

Who is Nicola Doherty ?

Date of birth: Apr 28, 1977. Dublin.

Education: Muckross College. Trinity College Dublin. (English.)

Home: London. “But I come back to Dun Laoghaire a lot.”

Family: Partner, Alex. Parents, two elder brothers, five nieces and nephews.

The Day Job: Copy writer for the Folio Society. (part-time.)

Hobbies: Running. “I’ve done two half marathons.”

Favourite Writers: “I’ve always loved Jilly Cooper and Marian Keyes, but I’ll read anything. I enjoy American fiction like Jonathan Franzen too.”

Second Novel: “A girl goes back in time to fix the mistakes she made with an ex-boyfriend.”

Top Writing Tip: “Keep going. Push through whatever isn’t convincing you and it will improve. And get good feedback. I sent the book, as I wrote it, to a friend. She said, ‘I like it, send me more.’ That really helped.”

Web: www.nicola-Doherty.blogspot.com

Twitter: @nicoladoherty_

THE DEBUT

The Out of Office Girl. Headline: €9.99 Kindle: €8.72

Alice is in a rut. But when her boss becomes ill, she’s sent to Sicily to help a ghost-writer edit a film star’s autobiography. Luther Carson is flirtatious, and good at diverting Alice from work, but it’s not all idyllic. Luther’s manager is trying to block the book, and the ghost writer’s wife gets cancer. Will Alice deliver?

The Verdict: A gorgeous debut, reminiscent of early Jilly Cooper. Fun and frothy but realistic too.

— Interviewed by Sue Leonard