Born and raised in the harbour town of Cobh, Co Cork, Michelle joined in Irish army at the age of 18, where she went from recruit, to infantry soldier, to Peacekeeper with the UN, to instructor back home in Ireland.
During her time in Lebanon, as tracer rounds lit up the sky above her and artillery rained down, she got to experience first hand the camaraderie between soldiers and the sense of humour that got them all through some frightening situations. She also got to experience how ordinary families tried to live in conflict zones and these experiences have inspired so much of her work to date.
The Invisible is Michelle's fourth book, but the second in The Lindsey Ryan series, following on from While Nobody is Watching, which is currently in development for television and inspired by her military experiences and the types of relationships that form within army ranks.
Artistic director of the Spike Island Literary Festival, Michelle is represented by WGM Atlantic Literary & Talent agency