Helena Close who now lives in Liscannor Co. Clare, was born in Cork in 1959 and grew up in Limerick. She studied Sociology and English in UCG, and has been writing full time for the past ten years. She has co-written four books with her best friend Trisha Rainsford under the pseudonym Sarah O'Brien. They are now writing a sequel to their very first book Hot Property. Helena's own first novel, Pinhead Duffy, was published in 2005. The Cut of Love, her second novel, was published in March 2009 to much acclaim. Her third novel The Clever One was published in April 2010. She has just finished her fourth novel for which she received an Arts Council Bursary. She received a further Arts Council Bursary in 2012 for a collection of short stories. She was appointed County Limerick Writer in Residence in 2012. In March 2013 she was appointed Writer in Residence with Limerick County Youth Theatre. She is also a member of the prestigious Eigse Michael Hartnett committee. "Helena Close's novel 'The Cut of Love' is a remarkable book that expands the frontiers of Irish popular fiction... " - The Irish Times "An impressive, relevant and entertaining read... " - Irish Independent