A lot of stuff, you may, or maybe not, want to know.
Hey, there. Thanks for visiting!
If you’d like to see how Irene writes about herself in the third person, read on.
Did you read Nancy Drew books? How about the Hardy Boys? And Trixie Beldon? And when you were even younger, Harriet The Spy?
Irene has always loved a good mystery. She’s assuming if you’re reading this you do, too.
If you’d like to take a cozy break from reality, you might enjoy Irene’s Olivia Twist cozy mystery series that take place in the fictional small town of Shadow Falls.
Her books are a feel-good, some think humorous, read, at times with a touch of romance–nothing graphic.
What does her character Olivia Twist have in common with Irene?
Although all characters are fictional in the series, Olivia’s personality and body reading skills, chakra and shadow knowledge are based on Irene’s real-life learnings at…
…a three-year intensive program at The Rhys Thomas Institute, a ten-day psychosomatic intensive with Carole Maureen Friesen and her mentorship with Margaret Lynch Raniere
Who taught you to read?
Irene’s mother used to read to her children and they loved it.
Below is a picture of her reading to Irene and her two siblings at the time (she now has four). That’s Irene in the plaid dress hanging over the book.
One day, when Irene was five years old, her mother sat her down and placed the book, Peter Rabbit, in front of her. She patiently taught her daughter to read (even though her mother had a 4-year-old and a 2 1/2-year-old to look after).
Irene is forever grateful and thankful for that time with her mother who passed on her love of reading.
Irene read before school and after school. Often during school…
…sometimes she got away with it and sometimes she got caught.
Like the time in grade 7, she pulled out a book when the Geography teacher was lecturing (this might explain why she can rarely answer a geography question in a Trivia game).
Anyhoo, Irene got caught up in her Nancy Drew book and didn’t see the teacher sneak up on her. He slammed his pointer down on the desk beside her book—talk about a heart-thumping experience.
Funny, how that’s the only thing she remembers from that geography class.
When she wasn’t reading, she was daydreaming, making up stories.
But she didn’t start writing until later in life because of a limiting belief…
…that real writers just went into a cabin in the woods somewhere and there, surrounded by nature, magically spewed out a book. Something she could never do.
Then at fifty years old, she found out that writing is a craft one can learn and jumped all over it (because it’s never too late to follow your passion).
In 2019, she entered the Daphne Du Maurier Writing Contest and was thrilled to be a finalist. And she’s never looked back.
The cat Shadow was inspired by Irene’s real-life Cornish Rex, Neo.
Irene feels the need to tell you a little bit about Neo.
Now back to first-person writing.
Neo was with me until July 2022. He loved to sit in front of my gas fireplace.
Then one day I had to replace my gas fireplace, but the heat didn’t reach the floor as the old one did.
So, I had to buy Neo a little chair so he could feel the heat he loved so much.
He was 17 years old when he passed and I still miss him. I didn’t think I’d ever want another cat, but now six months later…
…I have 3 Cornish Rexes. See the picture below.
A four-year-old named Razzle (in pic forefront).
A six-month-old named Shadow after the cat in my books (in pic centre).
A one-and-a-half-year-old named Annie after my character Olivia Twist’s best friend (closest to the couch).
Now that I’ve told you too much stuff about me, I’d love to hear from you.
If you would like to connect, feel free to send me an email at Irene@IreneJorgensen.com.
P.S. Have you picked up your free novella yet?
