This is extract is from A Life Before, a prequel to Her Secret Rose, which I published some years ago--and which has now morphed into a series of seven books, the first of which will publish… Read More

Please join me in congratulating this week's #IndiePoetryPlease Contest Winner: Ashe Kaye (@afkayewrites), and their winning entry - When the House Creaks The post #IndiePoetryPlease Contest… Read More

I'm working on a series of poems inspired by old Irish poetry: putting them together in a book I hope ... Read more The post Cailleach or Irish Witchery: A New Poem appeared first on Orna Ro… Read More

This is extract is from A Life Before, a prequel to Her Secret Rose, which I published some years ago--and which has now morphed into a series of seven books, the first of which will publish… Read More

Win ebooks and exposure! This week's #PoetryContest is inspired by the hearth and heart - home. 🏡 The theme of this week's #IndiePoetryPlease Contest: Home Place The post #IndiePoetr… Read More

Enjoy "What I Want": A new poem about freedom, creativity, and connection for poetry and all-access patrons. Poetry patrons enjoy an exclusive new poem by Orna Ross every Sunday... and more… Read More

This is the opening chapter from A Life Before, a prequel to Her Secret Rose, which I published some years ... Read more The post Fiction: Extract from A Life Before: Graignaspiddogue, the H… Read More

Please join me in congratulating this week's #IndiePoetryPlease Contest Winner: Angel Santos (@instarflights65), and his winning entry - Anthropos 🏆 The post #IndiePoetryPlease Conte… Read More

Enjoy "Making Time": A new poem about reflecting on the passing of time for poetry and all-access patrons. Poetry patrons enjoy an exclusive new poem by Orna Ross every Sunday... and more. S… Read More

Enjoy "Night Vision": A new poem about the comfort of the night for poetry and all-access patrons. Poetry patrons enjoy an exclusive new poem by Orna Ross every Sunday... and more. Sign up t… Read More

Today's poem is about beginning. It's for all those who want something but are finding it hard to begin. I ... Read more The post Sunday Poem: In the Beginning appeared first on Orna Ross Read More

My favourite 20th century poet, W.B. Yeats, was not a fan of my favourite 19th century novelist, George Eliot. He ... Read more The post “If she had more religion she would have less m… Read More

I wrote this poem when sitting on a holiday apartment balcony in Malta, gazing at a far sea horizon that ... Read more The post Sunday Poem: Teachers appeared first on Orna Ross Read More

This is the first chapter of A Life Before, in which the narrator Rosy Cross introduces herself and touches on ... Read more The post Fiction for Patrons: Extract from A Life Before: Introdu… Read More

I have made changes to my poetry patronage, moving it off Patreon over here to my own website. As I ... Read more The post Sunday Poetry: Changes to my Poetry Patronage appeared first on Orn… Read More

I have made changes to my fiction patronage, moving it off Patreon over here to my own website. If you've ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: Changes to my Fiction Patronage appeared firs… Read More

As it’s Mother’s Day in the UK on Sunday, this week's poem is for all the mothers out there and ... Read more The post This Week’s Poem: The Mother’s Lullaby appeared… Read More

Thank you for your patience with me while I revamped my reader patronage to bring it over onto my website, ... Read more The post I’m Back and Things Are Changing Around here appeared… Read More

Thank you for the growing response to the “Indie Poetry Please” contest, running weekly on my Instagram account @ornaross.poetry How ... Read more The post Poetry: Indie Poetry P… Read More

Thanks for your patience with me while I worked out how to integrate my fiction news and updates with my ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: I’m Back… with a New Podcast appe… Read More

I'm taking some weeks away from the blog, and other activities, as we go through an upgrade here at Orna ... Read more The post I’m on a Blog Break appeared first on Orna Ross Author W… Read More

I'm getting close to publishing the first three books in my Gonne-Yeats series and have been working on the covers ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: Announcing My First Three Gonne-Yeat… Read More

I've mapped out and finalized the Gonne-Yeats series running order. This involved a lot more plotting than I usually do, ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: My Gonne-Yeats Novel Series Ru… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: The Living Moment ap… Read More

The WB Yeats Bedford Park Project is back in post-pandemic action! “Celebrate and Discover WB Yeats” and “Bedford Park 2022” kicked off ... Read more The po… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: What I Want appeared… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Fire appeared first… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Go There appeared fi… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Dream Cycle appeared… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Breakthrough appeare… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Your Story appeared… Read More

I've been thinking a lot about hurting and healing lately — as I approach the end of the first draft ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: All things hurt, all things heal appeared fi… Read More

Althea Gyles, the artist and writer who designed the cover of WB Yeats's The Secret Rose (which I reproduced on my ... Read more The post The Life of Althea Gyles: Designer of The Secre… Read More

It's time to submit your poems for a chance to feature in Indie Poetry Please! My Indie Poetry Please! feature ... Read more The post Indie Poetry Please! Call for Submissions – May 20… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Configured: A True S… Read More

Fancy taking part in this historical fiction giveaway from The History Quill? Five great historical fiction writers (and me). Six ... Read more The post Fiction Friday: Enter The History Qui… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: The Journey appeared… Read More

This is an extract from the first book in my Yeats-Gonne series, A Life Before This One, a biographical fiction series about ... Read more The post “Sparks of light.” E… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Two Mirrors appeared… Read More

This is an extract from the first book in my Yeats-Gonne series, A Life Before This One, a biographical fiction ... Read more The post “Honor Bright”: Extract from the novel A Li… Read More

2022 is going to be my year of audio. I'm working with In Ear Entertainment to get all my books ... Read more The post Day Out At Glendalough: Audio Poem appeared first on Orna Ross Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: The Ring appeared fi… Read More

It’s time to submit your poems for a chance to feature in Indie Poetry Please! My Indie Poetry Please! feature ... Read more The post Indie Poetry Please! Call for Submissions –… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Where Are You? appea… Read More

This is an extract from the first book in my Yeats-Gonne series, A Life Before This One, a biographical fiction ... Read more The post “A Family, Together” Extract from the novel… Read More

Creativity is everywhere, touching every human life, every minute of every day. In city and country, on land and at ... Read more The post Creativity is Everywhere but Where are You? appeare… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Good Morning appeare… Read More

I’m delighted to announce that Allowing Now has won Gold Award at the Literary Titan Book Awards and honored at the ... Read more The post Poetry and Mindfulness: Allowing Now win… Read More

This Sunday’s poem of the week was published on Instagram on St Patrick’s Day (which I celebrated in very non-Irish ... Read more The post “My Mantle”: A new version… Read More

I’m taking a bit of a blog break from now until Sunday 27th March 2022–heading off to the Canary Islands ... Read more The post Taking A Blog Break appeared first on Orna Ross Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: The Way of the Womb… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Seeing Eye appeared… Read More

My novel in progress is A Life Before This One, the first book in what has become a series of ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: Counting the Words To My Next Novel appeared first on Orn… Read More

This week, in “One of Mine and One of Yours”, my inspirational poetry reading on Instagram Live, we featured “I ... Read more The post Inspirational Poetry Reading: “… Read More

I normally post the poem that received the most likes or comments on Instagram on my blog here each Sunday, ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Trying appeared fi… Read More

If you don’t already know, my Yeats-Gonne book Her Secret Rose (first published in 2015) has morphed into a Yeats-Gonne ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: Extract from A Life Befor… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: Lazy Day appeared fi… Read More

A while ago, I came across an idea that has made an enormous difference to how I plan my novels: ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: Using Haiku Poetry to Plan a Novel appeared first on O… Read More

A while ago, I learned a marvellous story planning technique from fiction writer and teacher Linda Cracknell—using haiku poetry to ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: Haiku Fiction… Read More

It’s time to submit your poems for a chance to feature in Indie Poetry Please! My Indie Poetry Please! feature ... Read more The post Indie Poetry Please! Update appeared first on Orna… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “Recalling Bri… Read More

To celebrate Valentine’s weekend, I thought I’d share the beginning of a short story about a famous Irish love story, ... Read more The post Friday Fiction: A Traditional Irish L… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “Life Beyond D… Read More

Ninety-nine years ago, my great-uncle Con (my father’s uncle, pictured left), was shot and killed in the Irish Civil War ... Read more The post Remembering the Irish Civil War 1922-23… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “Due Time&rdqu&hell…Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “Above the Wat… Read More

Over on my Facebook page, we’ve been discussing the word “feminal”. It means: “relating to a woman” and I came ... Read more The post Feminal: A New Word for Wo… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received the most ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “Moon Over Wat… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “That Spray of Raindrops” “Look,” she starts to say. “Look at ... Read more The post Poem of the Week: That Spra… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received most likes ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “That Spray… Read More

One thing I love about writing historical fiction is doing the research. I often have to stop myself digging too ... Read more The post Isabella Pollexfen Varley: Artist and Aunt of WB Yeats… Read More

I write and publish my poetry first on Instagram. Then on Sundays, I post the poem that received most likes ... Read more The post This Sunday’s poem of the week is: “Long Light… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “Long Light” Every light creates a shadow, the stars can’t shine ... Read more The post Poem of the Week: Long Light appeare… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “Into Ease” My darling, let’s not sigh to see day fade, ... Read more The post Poem of the Week: Into Ease appeared first on… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “The Scribe in the Wood” Continuing my series of adapted old ... Read more The post Poem of the Week: The Scribe in the Wood appea… Read More

One thing I love about writing historical fiction is doing the research. I often have to stop myself digging too ... Read more The post Researching “A Life Before This One”: The… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “The Hermit’s Song” Early Gaelic (a.k.a. Old Irish) is the form ... Read more The post Poem of the Week: The Hermit’s… Read More

In researching the prologue to my Yeats-Gonne series, which is told from the point of view of WB Yeats and ... Read more The post Illustration by JB Yeats of “The Stolen Child” a… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn” Here we have it, an urn’s ... Read more The post Poem of the Week: Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn a… Read More

We’re back! Sorry it all took a little longer than expected. No matter how “realistic” I try to be, my ... Read more The post We’re back! appeared first on Orna Ross Read More

I am taking a blog break as I’m working on a new website that will launch here in November, together... The post Blog Break and new website appeared first on Orna Ross Read More

By request, our next Go Creative! workshop, on the 8th of October, will be about Finding Your Flow: Overcoming Resistance... The post Finding Flow: Overcoming Creative Resistance & Block… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “Milky Way” Her feet in the early morning light are whiter... The post Poem of the Week: Milky Way appeared first on Orna Ross: No… Read More

Do you write about environmental, eco, planetary themes… or follow a writer who does? Heads up about the Orna Ross... The post Sponsoring the Green Stories Writing Competitions appear… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “Whatever” Whatever you do, my dear maker, don’t go looking for... The post Poem of the Week: WHATEVER appeared first on Iri… Read More

The After the Rising & Before the Fall blog tour is almost over Since the start of September, bloggers have... The post After the Rising & Before the Fall: Blog Tour Almost Over appe… Read More

Each Friday, I publish an extract from my work in progress, currently Dancing in the Wind, based on a true... The post Friday Fiction: Yeats-Gonne Series: Divorcing John MacBride appeared fi… Read More

It’s time to submit your poems for a chance to feature in Indie Poetry Please! September 2021. My Indie Poetry Please!... The post Indie Poetry Please! September 2021 appeared fir… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “Showerings” INTERPRETATION OF AN ANCIENT IRISH WEDDING BLESSING May the blessing... The post Poem of the Week: SHOWERINGS appeare… Read More

I’m delighted that After the Rising & Before the Fall (Centenary Edition) was honoured as an award-winning finalist, in the family... The post After the Rising & Before th… Read More

I run a creative planning membership for indie authors and poets, which includes a monthly workshop and other resources. The... The post Next Creative Planning Workshop: Crafting Reader Emai… Read More

I mostly post my poetry first on Instagram, (unless it is a patron-exclusive poem). Then, each Sunday here on the blog,... The post Poem of the Week: Followings appeared first on Irish… Read More

Each Friday, I publish an extract from my work in progress, currently Dancing in the Wind, based on a true... The post Friday Fiction: Yeats-Gonne Series: Maud Gonne is Arrested appeared fir… Read More

Each month, I post one of my best poems exclusively to my poetry patrons in Patreon. Among other benefits (more... The post Poem of the Month: The Deer’s Cry appeared first on Irish Au… Read More

My most popular poem on Instagram this week was “The Miracle of Reading” Those who give are never alone And... The post Poem of the Week: “The Miracle of Reading” app… Read More

Each Friday, I publish an extract from my work in progress, currently Dancing in the Wind (Book 4 of the... The post Friday Fiction: Yeats-Gonne Series: An Unequal Marriage appeared first on… Read More

Calling all first time poetry publishers. The John Pollard Foundation International Poetry Prize 2022 is for an outstanding debut poetry... The post Just Published Your First Poetry Book? ap… Read More

I mostly post my poetry first on Instagram, (unless it is a patron-exclusive poem). Then, each Sunday here on the blog,... The post Poem of the Week: LOVE HURTS? NO WAY appeared first o… Read More

The story opens in 1916. The world is at war, Irish freedom fighters have just staged an armed rebellion in... The post Dancing in the Wind Snippet: AN UNEQUAL MARRIAGE appeared first on Iri… Read More

It’s time to submit your poems for a chance to feature in Indie Poetry Please! August 2021. My Indie Poetry Please!... The post Indie Poetry Please! Submission August 2021 appeare… Read More