The Inspiration for The Sea Sisters Swimming Club by Sue McDonagh

One of my favourite people to chat to is fellow Choc Lit/Joffe author Sue McDonagh. We both share a love of writing books and crochet. Today, Sue is going to tell readers about the inspiration behind her latest novel – The Sea Sisters Swimming Club and, as I’ve been fortunate enough to read an advance copy of the book, I will include my own review at the bottom of the post. Over to Sue …

Hi, I’m Sue McDonagh, writing this in South Wales – the rainy one in the UK, not the New one on the other side of the world (both are lovely!)

In my ‘real’ life, I’m an artist, and these days, both forms of creativity have blended so that one informs the other.

Although I’ve always appreciated how the written word entertains and used it over the years to write letters and articles, my first novel only sprang into life when I learned to ride a motorbike at fifty.

Since then, five novels have been published and every one of them has borrowed from my life – The Sea Sisters is no exception. I’m very grateful that Morton S Gray has invited me onto her blog to talk about it.

I’d planned that my Book Five heroine, Fran, a police sergeant, would have been stabbed while on duty, forcing her retirement. I’d already begun the plotting process when I suffered a surprise heart attack. With complications, it required a six week stay in hospital before surgery could be attempted, and as it was during Covid, I was not allowed visitors the whole time.

I decided that this prolonged stay – referred to by my family as my ‘spa retreat’, waited on hand and finger as I was by the fabulous staff at the University of Hospital of Wales – might as well be my book five research, so I gave my poor heroine a heart attack instead. It’s fair to say that the entire scary experience has engraved itself on my memory so it was easy to recall, which came in very useful when correcting my occasionally faulty timelines during the editing process.

I’d been sea swimming regularly with a local group for eight months following a traumatic incident in my life. The sea and the company of the ladies in the group went a long way towards healing my spirit and I wanted to write something to celebrate that.

I decided to write The Sea Sisters focussing on Fran’s recovery, how much it had changed the focus of her life, and showing the friendship and encouragement of the local swimmers.

In a way, writing it became my own therapy and I was quite sad to get to the end of the story and leave Fran and Wyn and the rest of the characters I’d grown to love. I’m delighted that my new publishers also love them and that they form the first of a new series. I hope you enjoy reading about their stories as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

I can’t end this blog without mentioning that The Sea Sisters Swimming Club bears one of my own paintings on the cover! With a new and bigger publisher, I was prepared for the news that they would want to re-brand me using their own in house designers, and I was absolutely thrilled that they liked my work enough to use it. Mind you, I painted it half a dozen times and never gave up hope!

About Sue McDonagh

When I’m not writing or painting, I’m motorbiking, eBiking, crocheting, reading or looking after my grandchildren. I recently started needle-felting too – it’s fast becoming another obsession. There aren’t enough hours in the day!

To keep in touch with Sue you can use the following links:

Facebook Author Page Twitter Amazon Author Page

About The Sea Sisters Swimming Club

A BRAND-NEW ROMANCE ABOUT SISTERHOOD AND SECOND CHANCES IN TRANQUIL WALES TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS SUMMER.

Fifty-year-old police officer Fran Doherty thought she had a good few years left in her. But if a heart attack while dancing the night away at a disco in a sequin dress isn’t a sign to slow down, then she doesn’t know what is . . .

Fran’s waved goodbye to the force and hello to her pension. But who is she without her job?

She decides to get away from it all in Llanbryn, an idyllic seaside village in Wales. It beats feeling sorry for herself and watching Homes Under the Hammer all day.

Fran’s soon taken under the wing of the Sea Sisters, a group of inspirational women of all ages and sizes who swim in the ocean. They challenge her to move on from the past and face her life-long fear of the sea.

And the strapping Wyn catches her eye. He appears to be the local troublemaker, but perhaps Fran’s got the wrong end of the stick . . .

The closer she gets to Wyn, the more she’s unable to deny the feelings he brings out in her. And Llanbryn feels more like home with every passing day.

Fran feels more alive than she has in years, but Wyn has his own emotional scars. Maybe they can help each other?

Readers will be captivated by this story full of humour and heart. Perfect for fans of Caroline James, Jessica Redland, Sue Moorcroft, Sarah Bennett, Jo Thomas, Sarah Morgan or Beth O’Leary.

Buying Link : The Sea Sisters Swimming Club

Other Books by Sue McDonagh:

Buying Link : Summer at the Art Cafe

Buying Link : Meet Me at the Art Cafe

Buying Link : Escape to the Art Cafe

Buying Link : Hopes and Dreams at the Art Cafe

Morton’s Review of The Sea Sisters Swimming Club by Sue McDonagh publication date 29 August 2023

Definitely a treat of a book and five stars without reservation:

Fran is a survivor and a woman cast adrift by a heart attack which cut short her police career. She is finding the adjustment to life outside of the force difficult and unsettling. She really doesn’t know who she is at the beginning of the novel. An opportunity to house sit by the sea in Wales offers her the chance to explore options for her future and rediscover her spirit.

Wyn is also wounded by life after an accident changed him forever both mentally and physically. He agrees to teach Fran to swim and they get ever closer, but he is hiding secrets of his own and has a needy ex-wife.

I can swim but have never achieved the easy confidence of some of my friends and would be too scared to swim in the sea or the deep end of a swimming pool. Fran sounds very similar to me at the beginning of the novel and so I instantly related to her.

Enjoyed the references to the Art Hotel encountered in other Sue McDonagh books and the comradery of the sea sisters. I loved some of the secondary characters too – Elin, Gavin, Caitlin. And the novel made me want to enjoy coffee and cake by the sea, even if I don’t venture into the waves beyond paddling, but who knows I may get braver like Fran after being shown a glimpse of possibilities by this book.

A feel good, inspiring read which made me want to read more of Sue McDonagh’s novels.

Thank you for visiting my blog – Morton S. Gray – Author. I hope you enjoyed this post. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Morton S. Gray news – all of my six Borteen Novels are now available on Kindle Unlimited! Details here