Interviewed by Sue Leonard
Published in The Irish Examiner on 26th January, 2013
Beginner’s Pluck Martin F. Mullen.
At 8, Martin wrote an essay based on a horror movie. His school, concerned, called his parents in.
“I loved writing ever since,” says Martin.
Martin moved to Ireland at 10. After school, he tried various apprenticeships, then lived in London for five years. Returning to Cork in 1980, he joined CCLY Radio – a Pirate station, as a presenter. In 1989, he joined Radio South, which was bought out, and became 96FM.
By 1991 he worked with Neil Prenderville, producing his chat show.
“I Wrote stuff for him, to generate radio interest, and was responsible for the ‘wind ups.’
In 1999 he went to Crete, living there for five seasons. He now writes, and has some small businesses.
Who is Martin F. Mullen?
Date of birth: 15th December, 1955 in Sheffield.
Education: De La Salle, Macroom.
Home: Clonfada, Macroom, County Cork.
Family: Wife Mary; Greg, Ben and Lisa.
The Day Job: Full time part time writer.
Interests: History, particularly first and second world wars; evolution; riding and tinkering with my motorbike; cooking; walking my Boxer dog: listening to audio books.
Favourite Writers: Robert Louis Stevenson; (He’s a distant cousin.) Enid Blighton; Luke Rhinehart; Irvine Welsh; Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.
Second Novel: The sequel to Harry’s Decision.
Top Writing Tip: Don’t be Lazy. Get on and do it. It’s like walking the dog. When you get there its invigorating and you feel as if you could walk forever.
Web: www.sites.google.com/site/martinfmullenwriter Twitter: @mullenf
The Debut: Harry’s Decision. The Grace Nolan Foundation Ltd; €9.99. Kindle: Not available.
Francis Conroy wakes one morning in an unfamiliar bed, and finds himself married to a woman he’s never met, and the father of two children. He’s in England, near his childhood home, when in reality, he lives in Cork with another wife and three children. How will he cope with this parallel life?
“I wondered what would it be like. People would think you were crazy.”
The Verdict: An Innovative flight of fantasy; fast paced and compulsive.
© Sue Leonard. 2013
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