Boss’s advice leads to author’s success

WHEN he dropped out of school at the age of 14, Northside man Jonathan Dunne never dreamt that he would one day become an author.

The Donaghmede local and former insurance broker has just published his second fictional novel

‘Fia the Envoy’ from the fantasy genre.

After leaving school Jonathan got into what he describes as

“back-breaking

? work only to be told by his boss one day that he should go back and complete his education.

It was this advice that saw him enrol in a Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) at Colaiste Dhulaigh, Coolock, at the age of 21. Now, with his dream of becoming an author having come true, writing is his labour of love.

“I was semi literate when I returned and have since completed my Leaving Cert,

? Jonathan told Northside People.

“I owe a lot to my teachers and I’m very thankful that I took my boss’s advice to go back to school.

?

The father-of-two became an insurance broker and began to indulge in his writing hobby during his lunch breaks from work.

“I wrote my first book, a sci-fi fantasy book called

‘Academic Octagon’ over the course of a year during my lunches,

? he explained.

“It was a hobby at first. Then I thought: why not think about writing seriously?

“It took about a year of rejections to finally get the first book published. You learn to develop a thick skin otherwise the rejection can tear your heart out.

“My second book was much easier to get published. It took only about three months and 35 rejections.

“I’ve learned that writing is the easy part, getting published is the really hard part.

?

‘Fia the Envoy’ is a fantasy tale set in Ireland which includes many old Irish mythological creatures such as changelings and banshees, as a young girl finds herself a conduit between two worlds.

The book is fantasy fiction but the themes that run throughout it of poverty, bullying and politics are definitely ones people of all ages will relate to.

“I guess when you get your first book published you think you’ve made it but that’s certainly not the case,

? Jonathan stated.

“You’d need to be selling books by the truck load to make any real money out of writing so it’s certainly a labour of love.

?

Despite getting signed for a multi-book deal with his publisher, Jonathan still regrets that writing will not be his full-time job for the foreseeable future.

“I knew nothing about nothing when I went back to school which is why getting back into education was a real eye-opener for me,

? he explained.

“I was always a storyteller and a yapper but I never thought someone like me could write a book but I was wrong and I’ve dispelled those myths that I held.

?

The title

‘Fia the Envoy’ originated from a bench in a park in Malahide, which is dedicated to the memory of a child called Fia.

Jonathan said:

“I fell in love with the name Fia and it struck a cord with me when I read the inscription on the bench which reads:

‘Dedicated to the memory of our daughter Fia, enjoy the moment’.

“I don’t even know how long the bench is there but I hope that in some small way that I’ve helped to keep the memory of a girl and a name alive through this book.

?

‘Fia the Envoy’ costs

?¬10 and is available from most bookstores.