Molly’s
friend Aleisha was a Pixie and had a pet peather. Molly would love a pet
peather, but mummy said no pets were allowed of any sort. Lullaby was a mix
between a peacock and a panther and was super cuddly. Her long tail of soft
feathers fluffed up when she wagged it. Her tummy was bluey-green like
Aleisha’s hair.
Not every night but some
nights, Aleisha visited Molly in her dreams. Where Aleisha lived was warm and
cheerful. Velvet grass grew along the trees and pretty flowers too. Their sky
was deep purple and the rain fell in large orange drops.
“Lullaby and me are soulmates,” Aleisha explained. Molly wanted a soulmate, it sounded nice but she guessed her mummy would say no to that too. Molly spent a lot of time on the naughty step, picking the wallpaper off near the bottom stair. Why didn’t mummy believe her when she told her about Aleisha? They were best friends but mummy said, ” that’s all nonsense, go outside and play with real friends.”
When Aleisha and Molly were together, they played hide and seek around the forest and darted behind the waterfalls. The next morning Molly would be so tired and her hair would have grass or moss through it. She loved being with Aleisha and patting Lullaby.
This night, Aleisha looked sad. The two friends cuddled in to Lullaby. “I wish you lived in Pixie-land.”
“Me too.” Molly sighed.
“Then stay. Don’t go
back.”
Molly thought of her
mummy. She would be cross again when Molly’s bed would be empty. Lullaby’s tail
wrapped around the friends and they slept.
Family is important to Mary and her writing reflects the ups and downs of it all, and what people go through daily. She has been writing short stories for several years and enjoys success with her fiction in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies both in Ireland and abroad, namely Germany, India, and the US. Her stories have been both short/long listed in various competitions. It was because of this success, Mary took the plunge and self-published her first collection of stories titled, A Baker’s Dozen (2012).
When one of her stories kept growing she ended up with her first published novel, My Husband's Sin. This novel turned into a trilogy, with book 2, Don't Call Me Mum, and book 3, No More Secrets following it. Her latest novel, To Live With A Stranger, is based on her Grandmother's country cottage and is a firm favourite with readers.
Mary continues to write novels, novellas, and short stories, dabbling too in playwrighting.
In 2019, Mary attended the University of Limerick and studied for a MA in Creative Writing, receiving First Class Honours.
When taking a break from writing and reading Mary loves to crochet. Living in County Cork, Ireland, she is married and is a mother of four children. Having overcome open heart surgery in 2008, Mary made the decision to dedicate more time to her writing. With her children raised and starting to spread their wings, this became possible.
Now, Mary is also a Nana, a role that brings her happiness and lots of love.
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Mary T Bradford 