Up until I was nine, my parents had a vintage typewriter. Pressing down on the round white buttons; hearing that clickety-clack and the famous ‘ding’ before sliding it across was magic to my ears. And the smell!!! Ah, the smell of sweet ink on fresh paper as the strikers struck back — with eyes aglow, my younger self wished to be a writer someday…
Trilogy
Behind the Smile
2012 – The Year My Story Began to Stir
Well, let me tell you how the story inside of me was born... I was lying on my side following an afternoon nap, staring at my doorknob, when I felt two firm hands on my back pushing me. As I was alone, I immediately began to tense up and freeze. Yet, the hands on my back continued to push me, tipping my body slightly over the edge of the bed. As this happened, tingling began to rise from my toes to my head, and then my ears started ringing so loudly that I screamed out, stretching my mouth to its full capacity, only to learn quickly that my jaw was clenched shut and I hadn’t uttered a sound even though I heard and felt myself scream. Although I am prone to sleep paralysis, I took this as the universe giving me a sign - the starting point for my story: astral projection / out-of-body experience. And just like that, as Carrie Bradshaw would say, the door of opportunity flew wide open.
2013 – Enrolled at The Open University
As I embarked on my career as an author, I sought to build my writing and analytical skills by studying English Literature. For 6 years, I balanced work in the leisure and hospitality industry with studying while creating a storyboard and developing a deeper connection with my characters.
2014 – Cardiff Children’s Literature Festival
It was mid-way through my first year as a student when I attended Cardiff's Children’s Literature Festival. I had the opportunity to listen to a talk by Barry Cunningham OBE — the publisher of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Following a brief chat with Mr Cunningham, I was inspired to evolve my book idea into a trilogy.
2016 – Wrote Draft 01
With the knowledge, tools and plan I had built over the past four years, I quit my job in leisure and moved to my auntie’s and uncle’s in Crete for the summer, where I began writing book one of Behind the Smile Trilogy. During this time, I also began integrating with other writers on social media and developing a new-found love for poetry. .
2017 to 2019 – Editing & Graduating
While working in hospitality and studying part-time, unexpected shifts in life during these years caused many challenges and changes that delayed the progress of my trilogy. But I didn’t give up the dream. I carved out time whenever I could to build on each chapter. Then, in 2019, I graduated with an English Literature degree.
2020 to 2024 – The Break I Needed
In March 2020, COVID-19 locked down. For the first time since the universe opened the door, I worked solidly on my trilogy. COVID-19 also allowed me to transition away from the hospitality industry and freelance as a copywriter, and in 2022, I co-founded Owen & Davis. Now that my first book, Behind the Smile, is precisely where I want it, I’m looking forward to finally turning: ‘This time next year, I will be published’ into ‘I am a published author’.
Also during this time…
Short Stories & Poetry
I’ve been crafting a collection of short stories and poetry, weaving elements of truth into modern fairytales. The first from the collection of short stories to be published will be a contemporary take on Little Red Riding Hood, only now, she's all grown up.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading my collection of poetry and prose as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.
About my Writing Style
Without a doubt, for better or for worse, I am at one with my insatiable imagination. As an avid dreamer and a nostalgia lover, my mind does anything to escape the traumas passed down by my ancestors. As a result, my work tends to stem from a spiritual connection to dreams, trauma and folklore. I believe in the power of the dream state, which often synergises with my quirkiness and unconventional thinking to enhance my creativity in crafting modern fairytales that help with the healing process.
Poetic Flair
Having such a hyperactive imagination, I find poetry therapeutic and an extremely useful tool when piecing together prose. Its rhythmical creation gets me into the zone to write a strong plot and do justice to my characters that have been waiting patiently to escape my mind and be brought to life. There’s something about integrating a variety of terminology to generate as much imagery as possible into each stanza and create something bigger than oneself.