Book are my business: Book blogger Mairéad Hearne

I did a commerce degree in college, then a diploma in computer science and I ended up working in telecommunications — I was in account management and sales and I loved it. 

I was travelling a lot and when I had my two kids, I gave it up. I felt I had really fallen behind with technology, so, in 2016, I started the blog.

It started off being about sewing, hence the name, ‘swirlandthread’, but I always loved reading and I thought I would start doing book reviews. 

I got to know people over the years, other bloggers, authors, and publishers, and they started to send me books.

I wanted to get back to work and I decided to go back to college, so I did the diploma in digital marketing in Munster Technological University in 2022. 

On the back of that, Vanessa contacted me about working for her. 

It was exactly what I wanted, because it tied in what I was doing on the blog, and I get to work on everything she does across her portfolio.

What does your role involve?

On the blogging side, I review books that I like, I’m not a critic. 

I always blog first thing in the morning, after I drop my girls to school. Then I share it on the various social media platforms and sites, and I let the publisher and author know it’s there. 

After that, I interact with the blogging community and share their stuff.

With Vanessa, no two days are the same — I work with her on the author side, she writes crime fiction as Sam Blake; and also on Murder One — the crime-writing festival, and writing.ie. 

One day it could be back-end website stuff — she has three websites — uploading information, updating links, making sure the proper images and assets are in place.

I also assist with social media and look after the digital marketing. When it comes to reading, I have a book with me at all times and I also stay up late. 

I used to read four or five books a week, now it’s about two or three.

What do you like most about what you do?

Obviously, the reading is one of the main things but I have met so many incredible and supportive people, both in real life and virtually.

I always say that I found my tribe — the books community is so welcoming, particularly in Cork. 

Also, Vanessa is a powerhouse and such a positive person, I’ve learned so much from her.

What do you like least?

The social media side of it is getting harder, as some aspects of it are now extremely toxic. 

I do my best to try and avoid the negativity but I find I am spending less time on my phone. 

That is a good thing in ways but I am not having the same level of contact I would have had in the past with other people who are in the same business.

The other thing, which any other blogger will say as well, is the guilt from not reading all the books.

As my husband says, we need to get new foundations on the house. I can’t read them all.

Three desert island books

The first one is Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, which I have read numerous times.

It is one of those books with a message — seeing the bright side of things in the darkest of times. If I was on a desert island, I would try to invoke Morrie and stay positive.

The next one is Spaghetti Bowl by Conal Creedon; the piece where he does the poem for his mother about Beara made me very emotional.

His book would connect me to Cork, and if I was on a desert island, it would take me on a journey each time I read it.

The last one would be The Stranger Times series by the Irish writer Caimh McDonnell, who writes as CK McDonnell, and is based in Manchester. I don’t read a lot of fantasy but I make an exception for anything Caimh writes.

The series is set in a newspaper in Manchester. I would describe it as a mix of the supernatural and the fantastical, with every type of eccentric personality you would want. 

He has a very distinctive Irish wit which runs through the books. If you’re on a desert island, you would need to laugh, so he would provide me with entertainment.