The number one question I'm asked by readers is 'where do you get your ideas from?' For this collection of short stories, I'm able to answer that!

I was lucky enough to stay in a lovely hotel on a Caribbean island some time ago. It was an extremely popular wedding location and one evening I noticed a bride-to-be having a heated discussion with her partner. My imagination started to run away with me as I wondered what on earth they were arguing about and suddenly I was making up stories about the wedding couple and everyone else who stayed there - Connections is the result!

As you can see from the website Guestbook, readers often ask about sequels to some of my novels. I don't generally like sequels myself, but from time to time I've thought about characters I've created and wondered what might have happened to them. So I've included two stories here with characters from Isobel's Wedding and He's Got to Go. I hope readers who have asked about Isobel and Bree will be happy with how things turned out for them!

I really enjoyed working on Connections because even when it was wet and miserable in Dublin I was imagining myself on a warm, tropical island which was immensely cheering. That feeling was possibly helped by the fact that I had a Caribbean beach photo as my screensaver too! Hopefully, wherever you're reading these you'll get that warm glow…

Not everyone likes short stories - many of these are quite long so with a bit of luck those of you who enjoy getting stuck in will like them anyway. As always, let me know what you think. And just for the record - Corinne is not me!

Reviews

• Delightful short stories set in the Caribbean resort of White Sands in which the author delves into the secret lives of all the guests…O’Flanagan reveals all with great with and poignancy – definitely one of the suitcase on your next holiday – News of The World
   
• A great read and the perfect escape from these dreary winter evenings – The Sun
   
• A fabulous compilation of short stories…reviewing Sheila O’Flanagan is a double-edged sword. I get to read it before anyone else but when it comes to holiday time I’m down one of my favourite authors – Ireland on Sunday
   
• Fabulous stories; clever, involving, moving, funny, sad, every one of them. The perfect book to bring on a flight – Evening Herald
   
• A great book to satisy our voyeuristic side that loves to imagine what other people’s llives are really like – Teeside Evening Gazette
   
• As light and bright as the beach on which it’s set – Belfast Sunday Life