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Orna Ross

Goodreads Author

Born

in Waterford, Ireland

Website

http://www.ornaross.com

Twitter

ornaross

Genre

Historical Fiction, Poetry

Influences

W.B. Yeats, Charlotte Emily Bronte, Winston Graham, Susan Howatch, Bar ...more

Member Since

December 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/ornaross

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Orna Ross is an award-winning historical novelist, poet, who also writes creative guidebooks for authors and others.

An international bestseller, she enjoys book sales in 120+ countries worldwide and her awards include the Goethe Historical Fiction Grand Prize Award for fiction, Gold Literary Titan award for poetry, the Romantic Novelists Association's Indie Champion Award, The Writers' Digest's Top Websites for Writers, and The Bookseller's Top 100 people in publishing.

Her novels are multi-layered, historical, cross-generational family dramas, full of mystery and intrigue, and blending Irish and international settings.

Her poetry books are lyrical companions for creative minds.

In 2009, while undergoing breast cancer treatment, Ross coined ...more

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Orna Ross’s books

Average rating: 3.9 · 1,010 ratings · 189 reviews · 52 distinct works • Similar authors

	After the Rising (An Irish Trilogy Book 1) 3.78 avg rating — 349 ratings — published 2006 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blue Mercy 3.64 avg rating — 222 ratings — published 2012 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Before the Fall (Irish Trilogy, #2) 3.97 avg rating — 156 ratings — published 2012 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	After The Rising & Before The Fall: Two-Books-In-One 4.29 avg rating — 42 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Her Secret Rose: A Literary Historical Novel (Yeats-Gonne Series Book 1) 3.69 avg rating — 32 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Dance in Time 3.65 avg rating — 31 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Allowing Now: A Book of Mindfulness Poetry 4.92 avg rating — 13 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Secret Rose 4.43 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Poetry For Christmas & Other Beginnings: Twelve Inspirational Poems for Deep Mid-Winter 4.07 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Selective Rights Licensing: Sell Your Book Rights At Home and Abroad 4.69 avg rating — 13 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Orna Ross's Blog: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Poetry

Short Story: Amber Scorched with Honey (Maud Gonne finds Lucien Millevoye is Married)

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Published on December 12, 2025 02:00

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Orna is Currently Reading

Orna Ross is currently reading

There Are Rivers in the Sky

by Elif Shafak (Goodreads Author)

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Sep 01, 2026 09:32AM

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The Safekeep

by Yael van der Wouden

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Aug 08, 2026 04:37PM

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Land

by Maggie O'Farrell (Goodreads Author)

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Jul 16, 2026 02:23AM

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Orna’s Recent Updates

Orna Ross is currently reading There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 01, 2026 09:32AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross rated a book really liked it Excellent Women by Barbara Pym	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 31, 2026 01:40PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Excellent Women by Barbara Pym. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Excellent Women by Barbara Pym <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross rated a book really liked it Bella Poldark (Poldark, #12) by Winston Graham	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 21, 2026 11:47AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Bella Poldark by Winston Graham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Bella Poldark by Winston Graham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross wants to read Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home: A Memoir by Natalie Goldberg	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 09, 2026 02:42PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home by Natalie Goldberg. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home by Natalie Goldberg <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross is currently reading The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2026 04:37PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross is currently reading Land by Maggie O'Farrell (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jul 16, 2026 02:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Land by Maggie O'Farrell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Land by Maggie O'Farrell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross rated a book it was amazing The Hours: A Pulitzer Prize Winning Historical Novel of Literature and Survival by Michael Cunningham (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Hours is Michael Cunningham's homage to Virginia Woolf, a novel that sees her great book 'Mrs Dalloway' as a chord sounding through her life, and the lives of two of her readers. In unfolding his triptych tale, Cunningham spans the main political ...more
Jun 26, 2026 04:55AM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hours by Michael Cunningham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross rated a book it was amazing The Hours: A Pulitzer Prize Winning Historical Novel of Literature and Survival by Michael Cunningham (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Hours is Michael Cunningham's homage to Virginia Woolf, a novel that sees her great book 'Mrs Dalloway' as a chord sounding through her life, and the lives of two of her readers. In unfolding his triptych tale, Cunningham spans the main political ...more
Jun 07, 2026 08:07PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Hours by Michael Cunningham. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Hours by Michael Cunningham <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross rated a book it was ok The Copying Cat by Dark Mawson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 07, 2026 08:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Copying Cat by Dark Mawson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Copying Cat by Dark Mawson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Orna Ross rated a book liked it Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words by David Whyte (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 07, 2026 08:05PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Consolations by David Whyte. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Consolations by David Whyte <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Orna Ross (?)

“It's good to have an end in mind but in the end what counts is how you travel.”
― Orna Ross, Beyond The Law of Attraction: A Creativist Compendium

tags: life-and-living, mindfulness

24 likes

“You can have anything you want so long as you realise that you can't have everything you want.”
― Orna Ross, Beyond The Law of Attraction: A Creativist Compendium

tags: creativity, inspirational-success-failure

20 likes

“If you can't change your mind, you can't change anything.”
― Orna Ross, After The Rising

tags: living-well, mind

14 likes

See all Orna Ross's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
2026 Reading Chal...: ~Lindsay's Reading Challenges~	6	27	Feb 20, 2013 09:39AM
Crazy Challenge C...: Winter Seasonal Spell Challenge 2012/13	182	168	Sep 20, 2013 03:14PM
2026 Reading Chal...: The Favorites Yearly Challenge	108	405	Dec 28, 2013 12:11PM
Crazy Challenge C...: A-Z Author 2013	251	204	Jan 06, 2014 07:26PM
ALLi Goodreads Group: * Meet the Authors & Giveaway: Nov 15th	801	425	Nov 27, 2014 08:41AM
The Seasonal Read...: Fall Challenge 2015: Completed Tasks (DO NOT DELETE POSTS)	3254	610	Nov 30, 2015 09:01PM
The Seasonal Read...: Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD	2555	480	Nov 30, 2016 09:00PM
Crazy Challenge C...: Disney Movie Challenge	587	430	Jun 03, 2021 03:59AM

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Orna’s Quotes

“You can have anything you want so long as you realise that you can't have everything you want.”
― Orna Ross, Beyond The Law of Attraction: A Creativist Compendium

tags: creativity, inspirational-success-failure

20 likes

“It's good to have an end in mind but in the end what counts is how you travel.”
― Orna Ross, Beyond The Law of Attraction: A Creativist Compendium

tags: life-and-living, mindfulness

24 likes

“Imagination is not an icing on the cake of life but the oven in which it is baked.”
― Orna Ross

tags: creativity, imagination

14 likes

“If you can't change your mind, you can't change anything.”
― Orna Ross, After The Rising

tags: living-well, mind

14 likes

“It takes a great reader to make a great book. (Creative Self-Publishing)”
― Orna Ross

tags: books, creative-reading, reading

3 likes

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Orna’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-4) post a comment »

date

newest »

message 4: by Susan

Nov 15, 2014 06:28AM

Thank you for the invite! Can't wait to read your book, Blue Mercy!

reply | flag

message 3: by Christine

Jun 25, 2012 05:22AM

thanks for being my friend

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message 2: by Orna

Jan 12, 2012 12:06AM

Shelley wrote: "Dear Orna,
My thanks for following on Goodreads. I can't wait to read your books. My favorite authors are Shakespeare, Sophocles,Homer,Joyce,Dante and last but not least Milton. I did enjoy readin..."

How nice to meet you here and what a wonderful list of authors. I'm a lover of Portugal and great admirer of Saramago.

I hope you enoy reading and look forward to your feedback.

reply | flag

message 1: by Shelley

Jan 11, 2012 10:55AM

Dear Orna,
My thanks for following on Goodreads. I can't wait to read your books. My favorite authors are Shakespeare, Sophocles,Homer,Joyce,Dante and last but not least Milton. I did enjoy reading Junot Diaz's The Brief and Wonderful Life of Oscar Wao, and Jose Saramago's Blindness. Shelley@whirlz on Twitter.

reply | flag

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