Crazy for You by Domhnall O'Donoghue - Book Tour
Crazy for You by Domhnall O'Donoghue @Domhnall1982 @lovebooksgroup @MercierBooks
When Clooney Coyle promises Vonnie Gallagher they'll be friends for life, he has no idea what he's letting himself in for. The lonely and eccentric Vonnie quickly becomes obsessed with the kind-hearted but insecure actor, and her misguided crush soon develops into something much more sinister, which leaves Clooney's career in tatters.
But when fate takes a strange turn and elevates the pair into an overnight celebrity couple, Clooney must decide whether to embrace the fame he has longed for since childhood or end the ridiculous charade before Vonnie's jealous - and murderous - inclinations spiral out of control.
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Author Interview
1. What is the first
book that made you cry?
As a child, I remember
being rendered heartbroken by Marita Conlon-McKenna’s Under the Hawthorn
Tree - a stunning historical novel following three young siblings
attempting to survive the Great Famine. It’s an excellent resource for children
to learn about a devastatingly dark time in Irish history.
2. How long, on average,
does it take you to write a book?
As a journalist, sitting
in front of a computer, typing away, is second nature to me. Thankfully, I’ve
been able to incorporate this discipline into my work as an author.
In terms of first
drafts, I’ll set myself realistic targets like 2,500 words per day for a month, say. However, a first draft is
essentially my rehearsal room where I play with the various plot points, themes
and characters - the hard work starts after that!
It took me about six
months to get Crazy For You to a place where it was presentable to my
agent. The editing process with my publisher then took an additional five
months.
It might sound silly,
but I realised early that you really have to like your book because you’re
going to be living with it for a long time – both before and after it’s
published!
3. How do you select the
names of your characters?
Most of the time, my
characters’ names will have meaning. For instance, in my second book, Colin
and the Concubine, the Turkish concubine is called Azra, which means ‘virgin’,
‘pure’ or ‘chaste’. One of the origins of Colin comes from France, and is a
derivative of Nicholas, meaning ‘victory’. In the book, Colin spends his life
being beaten by his older brother but strives to get the upper hand.
4. What creature do you
consider your "spirit animal" to be?
The phoenix. I firmly
believe that no matter our circumstances, we can always regenerate and start
anew.
5. What are your top 5
favorite movies?
I adore screwball
comedies - I wrote an essay on the genre for my Master’s in Screenwriting. If
only all research was sitting at home, popcorn in hand, watching Carole Lombard
or Barbara Stanwyck getting up to high jinks!
Here are a few
favourites from that genre: Bringing Up Baby; Some Like It Hot; It Happened
One Night; His Girl Friday; The Lady Eve.
6. If you were the last
person on Earth, what would you do?
As a result of COVID-19,
there is an end-of-the-world feeling in the air, isn’t there?
Well, writing is largely
a solitary process, so it would probably be business as usual for me! Although
not having any readers might prove problematic…
7. What fictional
character would you want to be friends with in real life?
I adore Agatha Christie
and think I Poirot and I would be fast friends! My brother currently lives in
Brussels, where the famous detective grew up - so, investigations aside, we’d
have plenty to discuss!
8. Do you have any
advice for aspiring writers?
When I was studying for
my Master’s in Screenwriting, a rather colourful lecturer announced one day:
“Don’t give me that nonsense about walking along the seafront looking for
inspiration - grab your pen and just bloody write!” While a tad inelegant, that
concept has always remained with me: “just bloody write!”
9. What book do you wish
you had written?
By coincidence, I just
posted a review on Goodreads this weekend saying something to the effect of:
‘If asked what book I wished I’d written, it would be this.’ The book? Eleanor
Oliphant is Completely Fine. I was certainly late to the party but devoured
it in a day. Miraculous.
10. Tell us 10 fun facts
about yourself!
- I trained as an actor at
Trinity College, Dublin.
- I now act in an Irish-language
drama series called Ros na Rún.
- I also work as a journalist and
have a column in Woman’s Way magazine.
- I specialise in travel writing
- two of the main settings in Crazy For You are destinations I
previously visited as a journalist: The Jamaica Inn, Jamaica, and Das
Central in Solden, Austria.
- My partner is from Venice. I
wrote my first book, Sister Agatha, there four years ago.
- We have a cat called Prince.
He’s a ginger Persian rescue cat. The rescue centre gave him the name
because he was abandoned there on the day the singer died.
- My favourite colour is blue.
Our entire apartment is blue - a light, delicate shade. It’s so peaceful.
- I share a birthday with Francis
Bacon, Evelyn Waugh and Julia Roberts (28 October).
- I’m obsessed with astrology
(I’m a Scorpio. My rising sign is also Scorpio and my moon is Pisces. A
tsunami of water and emotion!)
- My idol is Madonna - I have
been obsessed with her since I was seven. In my bedroom, I would spend
hours dancing to The Immaculate Collection! She even features in Crazy
For You!
11. If you could live in
any time period, what would it be and why?
A fortune-teller once
told me that I suffered throat problems because I was hanged for a being a
religious martyr during the Spanish Inquisition! That didn’t end too well for
me so it would be prudent to avoid that particular time period!
As an actor, I’m
continuously getting the opportunity to dress up. I played Jonathan Harker in a
college production of Dracula when I was 19, and I adored wearing my
three-piece suit! So, for sartorial purposes alone, maybe I will opt for the
late nineteenth, early twentieth century!
12. What is your
favorite genre to read?
Comedy. I adore the
likes of Jonas Johansson, Gail Honeyman, David Sedaris, Roddy Doyle, Marina
Lewycka, Chibundu Onuzo, Bill Bryson, Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward...Oh my
days, the list is endless!
Biography
Hailing from Navan in the royal county of Meath, Domhnall is a graduate of the Bachelor in Acting Studies Programme, Trinity College Dublin, later completing a Master's in Screenwriting at Dún Laoghaire IADT.
He now works as an actor and a journalist, dividing his time between Galway, where he films TG4’s award-winning series, Ros na Rún, Dublin and Venice, where he and his Italian lover continuously promise their well-worn livers that they will refrain from quaffing so much Prosecco. (Unfortunately, it seems some vows, just like nearby Rome, were not built in a day.)
Wine-drinking aside, for more than four years, Domhnall has also enjoyed the responsibility of being Assistant Editor at Irish Tatler Man, a title whose various awards includes Consumer Magazine of the Year. Thanks to this role, he interviewed a host of high-profile names such as Tommy Hilfiger, Chris Pine, Kevin Spacey, David Gandy, and Jacques Villeneuve.
Domhnall has written for the majority of Ireland’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the Irish Independent, The Irish Times and RTE Online. He also writes a monthly column in Woman’s Way, the country’s biggest-selling weekly magazine.
His first novel, Sister Agatha: the World’s Oldest Serial Killer, was released in 2016 to critical acclaim (Tirgearr Publishing). His second book, Colin and the Concubine, was published earlier this year by Mercier Press, Ireland's oldest publishing house. Book number three is called Crazy For You and will be published once again by Mercier Press in June 2020.
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