Vanessa O'Loughlin explained

Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin is an Irish literary coach. She is also, as Sam Blake a published author.

Career

In 2006, Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin moved from a career in event management to self-employment, founding Inkwell Writers Workshops to run fiction-writing workshops taught by bestselling published writers.[1] [2] During the post-2008 Irish economic downturn, the company was renamed The Inkwell Group and became a publishing consultancy. O'Loughlin publishes crime fiction as "Sam Blake".[3]

In 2019 she was elected to the Management Committee of the Society of Authors.[4] In 2024, she was elected as the new Chair,[5] succeeding Joanne Harris.[6] [7]

In 2022, O'Loughlin was one of over 100 authors to contribute to 100 Ways to Write a Book – a compilation of author interviews put together by author Alex Pearl during the COVID pandemic.[8] [9] [10]

Sam Blake

In 2015, the Bonnier Twenty7 signed O'Loughlin to write a three-book series of crime novels featuring Garda detective Cat Connolly and set in Dublin. The first book in the series was Little Bones, and was released, as were the two subsequent volumes, under the pen name Sam Blake. Little Bones went straight into the Irish fiction bestseller list at first place and stayed there for four weeks,[11] eventually featuring in the Irish top ten for eight weeks. In Deep Water and No Turning Back also entered the Irish bestseller lists.

In January 2020, standalone thriller Keep Your Eyes On Me was released by Corvus Books, together with an audio recording from Bolinda Publishing narrated by Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch. Keep Your Eyes On Me was also a No.1 Irish Times bestseller.

In January 2022 The Dark Room, was published by Corvus Books.[12] [13]

In 2023 her debut YA was published with Gill Books, Something Terrible Happened Last Night, followed in May 2024 by Something's About to Blow Up. She is continuing with adult fiction however and Three Little Birds (January 2024) was her tenth book.

Writing.ie

O'Loughlin founded Writing.ie in 2011; it developed into an Irish writers' web resource that covers literary events and offers advice to writers.[14] [15]

The Irish Independent describes writing.ie as "a one-stop shop for authors."[16]

Personal life

Fox comes from St Albans in Hertfordshire, England.[11] She moved to Ireland with her fiancé, a member of the Irish police force, Shane O'Loughlin, living first in Bray, County Wicklow, then in nearby Kilmacanogue; they have two children.[11] She cites Daphne du Maurier as a major inspiration.[11] [17]

Notes and References

  1. News: McBennett . Fiona . 11 January 2015 . Meet Irish women behind publishing powerhouses . 16 June 2015 . The Irish Times.
  2. News: Brennan . Marjorie . 19 March 2014 . Writers' workshop proves a novel experience for best-selling author . subscription . 22 June 2015 . Irish Examiner.
  3. Web site: May 2015 . Three-book deal for Sam Blake (20 May 2015) . 18 June 2015 . crimeire.blogspot.com . Crime Fiction Ireland (blog).
  4. Web site: Reed . Martin . 2019-10-24 . New members elected to SoA's Management Committee - The Society of Authors . 2024-01-25 . . en-GB.
  5. Web site: Reed . Martin . 2024-01-23 . Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin elected new Chair of the Society of Authors - The Society of Authors . 2024-01-25 . . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Anderson . Porter . 2024-01-23 . UK: New Leadership at the Society of Authors . 2024-01-25 . Publishing Perspectives . en-US.
  7. News: Bayley . Sian . 23 January 2024 . Fox O'Loughlin elected new SoA chair, succeeding Harris . limited . 25 January 2024 . . En.
  8. Web site: 2023-03-16 . Talk Radio Europe in Spain: 16 March 2023 . dead . http://web.archive.org/web/20230327222459/https://player.talkradioeurope.com/ondemand/Talk_Radio_Europe_in_Spain_2023-03-16_20-00-00.mp3 . 2023-03-27 . 2024-01-25 . Talk Radio Europe.
  9. Web site: Pearl . Alex . 2022-02-04 . The Author's Saga Webinar Series Piick a Book interview . 2024-01-25 . The Author's Saga . YouTube.
  10. Web site: Pearl . Alex . 10 January 2022 . 100 Ways to Write a Book by Alex Pearl and Charles Harris . 2024-01-25 . writing.ie.
  11. Web site: Harris . Charles . 2020-11-05 . Interview: Sam Blake #1 bestselling author . 2024-01-25 . Charles Harris author . en-GB.
  12. Web site: Blake . Sam . 21 January 2021 . The Dark Room: Eason No 1 Bestseller! . 2024-01-25 . Sam Blake Books.
  13. Web site: Meet the Author: Sam Blake . 2024-01-25 . Suffolk Libraries . en.
  14. News: Vanessa O'Loughlin's book deal. 16 June 2015. The Irish Times. 22 May 2015.
  15. News: O’Sullivan. Marése. Preview: International Literature Festival Dublin. 16 June 2015. UTV Ireland. 15 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150618160142/http://utv.ie/Blogs/2015/05/15/Preview-International-Literature-Festival-Dublin-37335. 18 June 2015. dead. dmy-all.
  16. News: 18 August 2014 . Paperback Writer: Do Irish writers make a living? . registration . 16 June 2015 . Irish Independent.
  17. Web site: 2016-12-03 . Vanessa's crime and passion in Kilmac . 2024-01-25 . Independent.ie . en.

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