Gloria McBreen is the self-published author behind Secrets In The Babby House, a Historical Fiction novel set in small-town Ireland. What We Reading sat down with Gloria to talk about everything from life in Ireland, the challenges of promotion for indie authors to having her book discussed in her own book club!
Thanks for speaking with us, Gloria! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
Like a lot of writers, I loved writing from a very young age. I wrote stories and poems when I was a child but only my parents got to see them. Then life as an adult took over and motherhood became the priority. I never gave up reading though and deep down I always knew I’d write a book one day.
When I moved to the West of Ireland – from the North East – with my husband and youngest child, I retired from my job and started up a holistic health blog. Interacting with other bloggers from all corners of the world reawakened my love for fiction writing. I got back into writing short stories and poems, although I’m far from being a poet. I got fantastic support from my family and close friends when I told them I was ready to write my novel.
It took me a very long time because I had a lot to learn as I went along. Writing a full-length novel is totally different from writing a piece of flash fiction. Although I was fully committed, there were times when I felt like throwing in the towel but my husband and friends wouldn’t hear of it! They kept me at it.
Talk to us about your Secrets In The Babby House. It’s been a book you’ve sunk a lot of love into, right?
Yes, I sure have sunk a lot of love into Secrets in the Babby House. I grew up listening to stories from my parents and family friends. Stories of fiction, truths, and gossipy half-truths. I’ve always enjoyed stories from the old days. How people lived, the clothes, the food, the shops. I like looking at old things and wondering where they came from and who they once belonged to.
I prefer to read historical fiction than contemporary fiction so I wanted my novel to be set in the fifties or sixties. I always liked the idea of setting the story in my hometown – a small town in the North East of Ireland – so that’s exactly what I did, and it worked.
Small-town Ireland in the fifties was very different to life as we know it today. Repressed sexuality, social and religious expectations, gossip and twitching curtains. Okay… perhaps not very different!
Often the rich have more secrets than the poor, and in Secrets in the Babby House, the skeletons in the cupboard come out in the end, bringing with them even darker secrets and more deception. The characters deal with prejudice, school yard bullying, snobbery, abuse and guilt. There’s a little humour in there too.
Flossie Lynch is heartbroken when her only love, Frank Connolly, marries another. So when John O’Malley – the well-off catch of the parish – proposes to her, she resigns herself to a marriage of convenience, hoping to learn to love him.
For John, Flossie is mostly a respectable wife and caring mother to their son – and the perfect façade for his dark secret. But bloody Frank Connolly and his blackmailing wife are making things difficult for him.
Another victim of his jealous wife’s abusive behaviour, Frank stays in his loveless marriage for the sake of his two wee girls. He turns his childhood fort into a babby house to give them a refuge from their cruel mother. But for Frank, there is no refuge.
When Flossie rekindles her friendship with Frank, she tries desperately to save him from a life of misery and promises to always look out for his daughters. As the two star-crossed lovers near a second chance, tragedy strikes, forcing Flossie to make good on her promise – while attempting to protect her husband and son.
But as long as there’s a Connolly with a score to settle, there is no escape from the past and no promises for the future.
And we saw it was chosen to be the book up for discussion in your very own book club! How was that experience?
I have to say it was a very enjoyable experience. An hour of talking about my book with people who have a genuine interest was quite motivating. The feedback was very positive. Many of the readers felt a strong sense of nostalgia reading my story; the descriptions of the shops and pubs in particular, and the different ways people had of socialising and dating in the fifties, sixties, and seventies.
It was interesting to hear how readers perceived the characters in different ways. Why they liked or disliked them. It proves yet again that reading is very subjective.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author? Are you someone who throws themselves into the stories they write?
That’s a hard one to answer. I can perhaps answer as truthfully as I can based on feedback from my audience. One of my strengths is creating believable and authentic characters. I like to write the truth, which means hard work and struggles for the character. I base them on real people with real flaws and imperfections. I prefer realistic plot lines and not everything has to be ‘happy ever after’, but rather a conclusion that suggests a road to happier times.
I do throw myself into my stories. It’s hard not to. I hate being disturbed while I’m writing and I hate having to leave it to do mundane but necessary tasks. (Eating and washing is just as important as writing)
Talk to us about one of your biggest successes so far.
Secrets in the Babby House is my biggest success. Writing my book was the biggest challenge I’ve ever set myself up for. It was worth every moment of mental torture! But now that I know the basics of putting a novel together, I’m hoping that my next one will go smoother.
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
The first adult novel I read was Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews and I absolutely loved it. I was so engrossed in it. I remember thinking that reading a novel was so much better than watching a movie. I read all of her novels after that.
What do you think is the biggest obstacle facing independent and aspiring authors these days?
The marketing side of indie publishing is very challenging. It can be costly to self-publish (to do it well), and most authors don’t have a hefty budget for marketing. It’s also quite difficult to get people to write reviews and the longer the book is on the market the harder it is, I think. It takes a while to build up an audience.
If you could go back in time and give your younger self one tip, what would it be?
I would say, always follow your gut and learn how to say ‘no thank you’ to people when you feel uncomfortable about things.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
I’m working on my second novel and I’d like to try the traditional route next time, even though I’m aware that it has its challenges too, just like indie publishing. But I’ll make a final decision on that when the time comes to publish book two. I really enjoy writing. Some say it’s a lonely endeavour but not for me. I enjoy my own company to a certain extent, and I hope I’m still writing when my husband has retired to the golf course.
Check out Secrets In The Babby House on BuyTheBook and all of Gloria’s work on Twitter or at her website
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
