Mary Pat Hyland is an award-winning journalist whose columns on Web sites were carried by more than 90 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. She is fluent in Gaeilge, the Irish language, having studied in Connemara, County Galway. She read her Irish-American-themed short stories at Sin-é Cafe in Manhattan in 1992.
     Hyland's work has been influenced by American writers such as Eudora Welty and Anne Tyler as well as Irish novelist Maeve Binchy. She enjoys creating memorable characters with crisp, fast-paced dialogue.
     In January 2008 she published her debut novel, "The Cyber Miracles." Its appeal has proven to cross age and gender lines. Average Amazon.com review rating: five of five stars.
     In September 2009, Hyland released the sequel to her acclaimed first novel. "A Sudden Gift of Fate" draws from both her Irish ancestry and the place where they settled in America — Keuka Lake in the heart of New York State's Finger Lakes. The author has visited Keuka every summer of her life, and has witnessed the wine industry bloom from a few major wineries to more than 100 smaller, estate-style operations across the lakes.
     She has just released her third novel, a loose parody of Dante's Inferno—3/17—that follows a band of Irish musicians in America as they experience pre-St. Patrick's Day hell.
     In all of her works, Hyland uses Gaeilge and Irish slang, providing a lexicon at the back for translation.

2009: Winner, National Novel Writing Month, 2005: First Place editorials, New York State Associated Press; 2006: Honorable Mention column, New York State Associated Press; 2004: Honorable Mention editorials, New York State Associated Press; 2002: Special Mention daily column, Syracuse Press Club; 2003: Special Mention daily column, Syracuse Press Club.

The Cyber Miracles
A fun companion to the novel, this blog includes upcoming events, reviews, an excerpt from the first chapter, a soundtrack list to the novel, cast notes, author Q&A and even recipes from the story.

A Sudden Gift of Fate
Companion to "The Cyber Miracle" sequel, this blog includes information on writing/publishing the work, the video trailer for the book, characters, a soundtrack to the novel, information on the Finger Lakes Wine Region and more to come.

The Terminal Diner: Book Trailer
Official trailer for Hyland's new novel released July 2011.

Mary Pat Hyland - Author