Yound Adult Fantasy series FLIGHT tackles big issues such as trauma and disability

 

When I first started writing the Flight series, way back in 2008 (can you believe it?) I had vague ideas about what I was writing about, I mean, ACTUALLY writing about. Often, it's not until I finish the book that I realise the exact theme I was addressing in the story. Weird isn't it? As writers, we can't help but infuse our writing with own experiences. There's a little of us in every character. That's called authenticity! But so much of it seems to be subconscious. 

 

Writing book one - Rebel

At the time of writing Rebel, book one in the series, I was personally dealing with the effects of spinal surgery and a painful, developing medical condition that wasn't going to be properly diagnosed until 2020. The pain I experienced, 24 hours a day, every day, was in my neck, the centre of my back and down my arms. My main character, Reeve Surehand, is a half-breed Dragonkind, with beautiful wings and the ability to fly, however his race are banned from doing so. When he breaks the law, the law breaks him, by having him publicly flogged and then removing some of his flight bones in one wing. He never flies again. I was able to describe the exact pain, in detail, because it is what I live with. Like many teenage boys, Reeve is impulsive, (some call it reckless), tenacious and doesn't take things seriously. He see the world as a huge playground he wants to explore. And that is perfectly normal and good, but when you have a serious injury and your people expect you to lead them into a war with their oppressors, a more serious attitude is required. Reeve finds another way to fly, but it requires him to accept that his actions landed him where he is and he must now work hard to show his people he is up to the job of leader. Buy HERE

 

Writing book two - Runaway 

In my previous job I had worked with kids who had been through significant trauma and/or had learning disabilities or difficulties. In writing book two I was mindful that trauma, despite what some people say, isn't something you can erase from your life, especially by just talking about it. You have to learn to live alongside it, to move ahead with your goals and dreams, despite what happened to you; to find that inner strength and light to make your life satisfying. This is complicated by being a teenager, with all its emotional extremes! The main character, Sye, daughter of Elessa the Seeker, is also a Dragonkind. She struggles daily with the trauma of her mother's death, which she witnessed, and the abuse by her alcoholic father, who struggles to contain his own grief. At the same time she is a feisty, talented metalworker with close friends, a wonderful mentor, an irascible animal familiar and a secret ability that she is yet to discover that will actually save her entire race. The problem is that she focusses so much on her pain and her feelings of unworthiness that she misses what is actually going on around her. When a challenge is laid at her feet, she accepts reluctantly, but goes on to discover her own worth and more importantly, that life is what you make it. Despite your trauma. Buy HERE

 

Writing book three- Renegade

I will admit, I have been putting off writing book three. It's nearly 20 years since I started this epic fantasy, with its four races of people, their individual languages and culture, even creating the language of dragons! It is an epic task to keep it all going, even though I love it. Book three is about the third main character, Zeth Surehand, half-brother to Reeve. He is a human (called 'Meer' in the books), who is in love with Sye, a dragonkind girl. This itself is a challenge, but complicated by the fact that they live in a time of war. Zeth is a born soldier and his desire to honour his soldier father leads him into perilous danger, however, he may never be accepted by his father's army. His worth as a person is tied to his ability to fight. But what if the enemy isn't who everyone says it is? That's as far as I know is the REAL message of this book. By the time I finish it, I will be able to tell you  more!

 

The Boy Who Went to War - The TRUE WWII STORY of Jim Haynes

 

Jim was a thirteen year old butcher's apprentice in Nottingham when he first decided to go to war and serve his country. By the time he was seventeen he was in Special Forces in Malaya - a famously brutal campaign with details still secret to this day. Jim was an ordinary boy who lived through incredible experiences, like so many of his time. That's why I wanted to write his story and share it not just with his family, but with the world.

 

I first met Jim when I was walking our two Border Collie females around the neighbourhood. His gorgeous, young male dog, Neville came prancing out to greet them and we humans struck up a conversation. Some time later Jim agreed to tell his World War II story and have me write it for him. We spent five years teasing out the details and sometimes struggling with technology and mental health issues, bouts of Malaria and so on. It was at once painful, cathartic and meaningful. His family had never heard anything about his wartime experiences, although they had been affected by its impact upon Jim.  Buy the book here

 

At the book's release we held a big book launch in a beautiful old building and many friends and family attended. It was a very emotional day for us all. When Jim stood to speak and struggled though his tears the room was absolutely silent. In that moment, we all shared a tiny bit of his pain, but he bravely  spoke to the crowd. I think he was proud of himself for finally sharing his story and connecting his children and grandchildren to their heritage.

 

Every ANZAC Day I remember Jim. Both my grandfathers fought in WWII but I never got to tell their stories. Jim was like a surrogate grandfather to me. And I miss him. 

 

You can read all about his life in Nottingham and the various adventures and experiences of his war service, in so many locations. 

 

Buy Jim's book here 

Back to School Anxiety - What you can do

Is Your Child Too Anxious For School?
BUY HERE  print or ebook

 

It's back to school time! It should be exciting, right?But  some parents are struggling to get their child to return. Why does this happen? What can you do to help your child?

It's important you chat to your child, calmly and quietly and get them to express what they are feeling. Feeling anxious is NORMAL and that is the point to make. However, feeling anxious can seem overwhelming, physically, because the brain perceives there is a threat and floods your body with adrenaline, getting ready to either fight back or flee from danger. This makes your breathing shallow and fast, your head dizzy. 

But anxiety isn't always helpful. It begins with a single thought:  I'm in danger! And sometimes that thought is an overreaction, rather than a useful signal. Social anxiety isn't danger, but your brain doesn't know that!

Modern life is supposed to have given us freedoms and more leisure time, and yet kids seem to be suffering even more from anxiety. I believe technology and our obsession with it has contributed to this phenomenon. Kids spend hours a day glued to screens, instead of interacting with real people, chatting, reading facial and body clues, smelling, sensing, touching. This makes them less able to interpret what they see in their environment, causing confusion which results in anxiety. If children aren't physically active, their body doesn't learn to figure out its physical limits through play. Physical activity, especially for boys, releases pent up emotions and energy, helps them process what is happening in their environment and is crucial to self confidence. Play is also important for social skills, as children learn to interact appropriately, discovering what is acceptable in the group, how to play fair, how to resolve conflict etc. Some children need help with learning these things, because it doesn't come completely naturally to them or they might be a little shy. 

The power of this book
Self-knowledge - My standpoint is that children should be empowered by recognising they are prone to anxiety, and accept they will probably always be that kind of person. Stop fighting it, I say!

Managing, not suffering - Learn how to manage it instead. Be realistic about the triggers that set you off and learn how to minimise their effects on your life. I mention lots of different techniques and ideas in the book, as well as the 12 monsters themselves, which represent the unhelpful messages that repeat inside your mind over and over.

Physical effects  - To break free of that, you must first understand the physical aspects of what anxiety actually is, so that even though it feels like you're going to die/pass out/have a heart attack/suffer major embarrassment you know that it is just adrenaline flooding your brain and body, and that if you breathe deep and focus your mind it WILL pass.

What age group is this written for?
I designed it to be read independently by children aged 7yrs+ but it is equally accessible and interesting for teens and even adults. The idea is to take the scariness away and replace it with a humorous take on being an anxious person. Being an anxious person is not the end of the world, or your life, it's just a way of thinking - that you can learn to control.

 Why I wrote this book
When I wrote this book for my clients and their families I had no idea how quickly I would get through the first 100 copies. When I visited schools I took copies with me. They sold out. Everywhere I go people pick up the book and exclaim, "Wow, I wish I'd had this when I was a kid!" Now it sells all over the world.

Review of Epic Fantasy Novel RUNAWAY by Dawn Meredith

I was so pleased to see this review of my latest book, Runaway, the second in my epic fantasy series. You can read the review here: review of Runaway in Buzzwords, an ezine for childrens writers. Here is a sneak peek:

"Runaway: Book Two of the Flight Series by Dawn Meredith (Self Published), RRP $31.08 Young Adult ISBN 9-798303-573949

Reviewed by Susan Hancy

Think the warring factions in Lord of the Rings battling it out for supremacy – these were the images that came to mind reading the fantasy novel Runaway, the second installment in Dawn Meredith’s Flight trilogy...  I can’t imagine the time and attention to detail that has gone into crafting this novel and the trilogy as a whole. The story contains a plethora of characters and subplots, and each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view. I did need to revisit chapters between readings to check who had done what to whom, but at the same time this style of storytelling gave me insight into the various motivations that were on the go and had me turning the pages to see how Rizer’s conspiracy and Sye’s journey would transpire."

 

 

 

 

 

Runaway - young adult epic fantasy novel by Dawn Meredith

 So, it's finally born! I had a wonderful book launch in September, attended by LOADS of people and it was such fun. We enjoyed delicious finger food and I ended up talking about my process for writing a novel, how I put everything up on my studio walls, because the audience really wanted to know! I also talked about how my background, especially my childhood, informs how and what I write about.

About book three...

I have started planning book three in the series, titled Renegade. Its a long way from fully planned out but I am getting there. (I even, Sssssh! started thinking about book four.)

 

 

Elkwood - new edition is HERE!

 

ELKWOOD 

ISBN 979-8310633872 

BUY HERE

 

I'm very excited to tell you that the NEW EDITION of my young adult novel, Elkwood is here! What do you think of the new cover? 

 

So, what is Elkwood about?

Charlotte Emily Campbell is the queen of Harlington High. With her beauty, money and knack for controlling people, Charlotte's future looks golden. Until her carefully constructed world is devastated by the discovery of a secret from her past. A secret she cannot control. Charlotte loses everything she ever thought was important. Her body is betraying her, changing into something she does not recognise. Something very powerful. Something the sinister organisation, Elkwood, are determined to acquire. Only Gabe Murray, a new guy with a mysterious past, is not afraid of her. Once she was surrounded by admirers. Now she is surrounded by nerds, for they are the only people who can help her fight against the omnipotent resources of Elkwood. But her greatest enemy may lie much closer - within her.

 

'The World According to Us' anthology

 

One of the great joys of writing is hanging around and learning from other writers. We share ideas, laugh at our mistakes, edit each other's work and inspire each other to keep going when we're in a slump.

 

My local writing group started producing a very professional looking anthology a few years ago and, most importantly, making it available online for purchase. This means not only can the authors obtain copies, but others can too. From all over the world!

Our last offering was 'The World According to Us' in 2023. It has been my pleasure for the last three anthologies to be responsible for the theme and the cover design. Trying to find a common theme among such a varied group and their writing presents a bit of a challenge, but it has been so much fun!

Here is our anthology for 2023 The World According to Us