Patricia Gibney.

Mullingar’s top crime author steps out of the dark side for World Kindness Day

Patricia Gibney’s short story ‘Broken Wing’ is featured in Everyday Kindness anthology, out on 13 November

Mullingar-based crime author, Patricia Gibney, has turned her hand to writing about kindness, in celebration of World Kindness Day.

She is among the 55 authors whose short stories feature in Everyday Kindness, a new anthology that celebrates the compassionate acts of everyday life.

Gibney, who published her debut novel The Missing Ones in 2017 and has now written nine titles in the Detective Lottie Parker Series, has sold some 1.5m books and had her work translated into several languages.

Her fictional story, Broken Wing, is about a young girl whose visit to her grandmother has a profound effect on her life and helps her with her grieving 50 years on.

She said: “When I saw LJ Ross’s call for writers to help the less fortunate in our society, especially after being hit by a global pandemic, contributing a story to the anthology was the least I could do.

“I write crime fiction, so writing about something completely different was cathartic for me. The story, though fiction, was inspired from a childhood memory of my grandmother caring for an injured bird she found on the road. I think it demonstrates how a little kindness can help others, even if the act itself appears to be mundane.

“The anthology is for a great cause and I hope people will come on board and support the venture."

Edited by internationally bestselling author LJ Ross, the Everyday Kindness anthology features uplifting tales from new, established, bestselling and award- winning authors.

It came about from the author’s desire to combine the skills of those in the wider writing community to promote positivity and raise funds for Shelter, a vital charity that works to prevent homelessness and bad housing.

LJ Ross said: “The Covid-19 crisis has had a devastating impact on so many communities and individuals around the world, none more so than those who were already among the most vulnerable in our society.

"We felt there was no better time to support Shelter’s vital work and we hope our anthology will inspire readers to feel uplifted by the myriad of ways that compassion can appear in everyday life. We would also like to express our gratitude to all those who contributed to this endeavour.”

Everyday Kindness: A collection of uplifting tales to brighten your day, edited by LJ Ross, is out on 13 November (World Kindness Day), published in hardback (£12.99) and ebook (£2.99) by Dark Skies Publishing. All sales proceeds will be donated to Shelter.

See this week's Westmeath Examiner, out on Tuesday, for an interview with Patricia Gibney.