Additional information
by Grace Jolliffe (Author)
A Short Story for Kids who Love Football. Shane dreams of being a football hero. But his coach says he'll never make the team because grannies, cross-eyed cats and even one-legged nuns make better moves than him. He needs to practice but nobody will help. His dad's too busy eating ginger biscuits and getting lost on the Internet and his mum prefers to be upside down doing yoga. But Shane is determined and when grandad comes to visit he comes up with a drastic plan. Will Shane ever make the team? Not Just Another Football Story Football Mad isn't just about football. It's one of those stories that adults enjoy as much as kids. Busy parents can empathise with Shane's Mum and Dad who are trying to juggle work and family life. In a lighthearted way, this story reassures us that there's no such thing as perfect parents, or perfect children - we are all just human. Praise for Football Mad 'Wickedly funny and highly entertaining - Football Mad follows the efforts of Shane Cooney as he tries to persuade his nerdy dad that playing football is far more important than surfing the net. Will Shane succeed in making the first team? Will his dad ever lift his eyes from the computer? Grace Jolliffe's sense of mischief comes to the fore in this enjoyable battle of wills. Written to tickle your funny bone.' - June Considine AUTHORS NOTE Football Mad was first broadcast on Ireland's RTE Radio One as part of its children's radio series. The story is set in Ireland and is narrated by the main character, Shane.
Author Biography
From Liverpool to Galway
Grace Jolliffe was born in Liverpool but left as a teenager and now lives on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. She shares her life with her husband, two dogs, ten hens, and two lucky ducks.
Grace spends most of her time making up stories, and after spending many years in admin jobs she is happy to admit she finds the fictional world preferable to the office world.
Grace used to write regularly for a children's radio show until the program was axed.
This galvanised her into finding a new outlet for her work, and so she began publishing her children's stories on Amazon.
Ballyyahoo
Grace loves walking around the country lanes and seashore because this provides her with inspiration for her stories.
She has created a fictional town called Ballyyahoo which has its own website where you can find information, photographs and lots of stories about this magical place. To visit go to www.ballyyahoo.com
In addition to writing for children, she writes thrillers and black comedy for adults. She has also written for television and radio, wrote and directed documentaries as well as several award-winning short films.
Piggy Monk Square
Grace's first novel, a crime thriller called 'Piggy Monk Square, ' was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers' Prize, optioned for film, and broadcast on RTE's Book On One.
Grace loves websites and has created a few of her own. She writes all the articles and stories for her sites and takes all her own photographs.
Where to Find Grace Join Grace's reader's group at www.gracejolliffe.com
Grace also has a site for creative writers which has lots of free information, tips and exercises. www.practicalcreativewriting.com
