I was born in Belfast in 1975, adopted at four months and raised in Galbally Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. I am better known locally as Fionnuala McGoldrick but decided to adopt the pen name Fiona Cassidy for writing (because Cassidy is my maiden name of which I am very proud and as people can actually pronounce Fiona without saying F...wha?).

I was educated firstly in St. Joseph's P.S. Galbally (where my father was Vice-Principal and my mother a teacher and I could get away with nothing!!) and then at St. Joseph's Convent Grammar School, Donaghmore. After the births of my two eldest children I went on to complete several management qualifications before graduating with a Diploma in Communication specialising in Training and Development from Loughry College in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone. This was a very wise decision on my part as I met my partner Philip there who was an Audio Visual Technician who taught my class about the importance of giving a good presentation one memorable night! (Forget Dateline - just become a mature student and let the lecturer ask you out after ferociously batting your eyelashes and praying that he'll notice you!)

I have experience of working within Customer Service, Personnel and PR in Tesco, worked for nearly six years with a charity who support the victims and witnesses of crime when they're giving evidence in court and have recently started a new job as an Outreach and Promotions Officer for a rural charity who run a 24 hour helpline and am based in Loughry College, Cookstown (where Philip still works...we're just destined to be together all the time...sigh!)

Philip and I have been together for nine years and our noisy brood are to Donaghmore, where we currently live, what the Von Trappes were to Austria (minus the enthusiastic climbing of trees wearing curtains!) We have five children between us Colm 15 (mine), Úna 13 (mine), Catríona 13 (his), Ciarán 11 (his) and Áine 3 (ours) and collectively are proud to call ourselves a very happy family.

I have always had a passion for reading which eventually led to an ambition to write and my dreams came true on 8th April 2009 when I was offered a three book publishing deal with Poolbeg Press Ltd. My first romantic comedy book called Anyone For Seconds? hit the shelves on 2nd November and I'm proud to say stayed at no. 6 in the Irish paperback fiction book chart for several weeks! My second novel entitled Anyone for Me? is due to be published in August!

I always write about what I know hence my first book is about two single parents who meet, fall in love and try to conduct a relationship whilst managing the trials and tribulatiions of a step-family...now where would I have got my plot from there?? Although I do hasten to add that the horrible teenage daughter in the book was purely fictional as my girls are angels...no really! My second book is written in a similar humorous vein but deals with the subject of adoption where a young woman goes on a madcap journey fraught with difficulties to try and find her birth mother. Unfortunately I had to improvise slightly as I have never met my birth mother but who knows what the future may hold!

I collect jewellery, handbags and shoes and want a walk in shoe cupboard a la Carrie Bradshaw! I love films that make me laugh until I cry and am a sucker for a happy ending and would need another room to house the books I have purchased over the years. My favourite authors are Sharon Owens, Lisa Jewel, Erica James and Sinead Moriarty and I love listening to Feeder, The Feeling, Taylor Swift and all the good stuff from the 80's and 90's (when my children allow me control of the music channel that is...)