In England, we’re going through our third heatwave within weeks. The fan has been my best friend! It’s been running all day. Unfortunately it can be so hot sometimes that it blows warm air, but it’s better than nothing.
What have I been up to?
I’ve almost finished editing my five Christian stories. I’m halfway through the fourth draft. Major changes included changing the endings and the main characters’ names. Their former names could have led to confusion. God-willing, the next draft should be the final one before I can start publishing them!
Then I’ll start writing the blurbs (the text on the back of books), decide what covers I want, and invite you to be an ARC reader. That means you’ll get to read the books for free before they’re released. This is exclusive to my mailing list subscribers. I hope that at least three of the books are published by next July.
What about the D-twins books?
I plan to reboot them while my Christian books are being published. The books are currently at draft one, so I’ve got lots to do!
What about Detective Mya Dove?
I might release a few more books someday. I’ve got some ideas already. We’ll see how it goes!
I’m planning to change Mya’s book covers again. I’ve had the same covers for five years now. Time flew by so quickly!
What are my future plans?
I’m thinking about releasing at least one sequel to the The Blue Crocodile.
I also wrote a children’s mystery adventure book years ago but never published it. I’d like to release at least one sequel to that book, too. Then I’ll have four series for the first time ever!
If the Christian books do well, I’d love to write more sequels. We’ll see what readers want.
To keep up-to-date, feel free to subscribe to my mailing list. You’ll find it down below.
If you haven’t read The New Boy Who Hears Buzzing yet, please stop reading this blog post because I’m going to spoil the story’s ending…
Okay, let’s start! The story features Detective Mya Dove. She investigates Ricky, a boy at school who keeps hearing a buzzing noise. After a thorough investigation, Mya reveals that he has tinnitus, an ear problem.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus means someone hears a noise inside their head. Others don’t hear it. Possible tinnitus sounds include ringing, whistling, buzzing, whooshing, throbbing and hissing. Some people hear humming, music or even singing. The noise affects one or both ears, seeming quieter or louder sometimes.
I’ve included a video below to show what my tinnitus sounds like.
Please turn down the volume before you press play!
What inspired this tinnitus story?
My tinnitus. It started almost twenty years ago. I was in bed and heard a ringing sound. The doctor checked my ears, I got a hearing test done, and they even scanned my brain! Fortunately, there wasn’t anything to treat, so I was diagnosed with tinnitus.
I wrote this book to raise awareness of tinnitus and comfort others who live with it. According to the Royal Nation al Institute for the Deaf 2025, over 7 million people have tinnitus in the United Kingdom.
Can tinnitus get better?
The Tinnitus UK charity says around 1 in 7 people’s tinnitus never goes away. It is something they live with for the rest of their lives. Tinnitus can become quieter, but it depends on what caused it. If it was caused by a certain condition (hearing loss, physical illness, mental illness or medicine), it could improve or completely go away when the person has started or finished treatment.
In other cases, tinnitus stays the same or gets worse. Fortunately, it can get worse and better again. That happened to me. At least twice, my tinnitus got louder but improved over time until I stopped noticing it.
I’ve also experienced “spikes”. That means tinnitus gets a lot louder for a short period of time e.g. under a minute. Thankfully, I’ve managed to calm myself down during spikes until they pass. By not panicking, your brain starts ignoring tinnitus, which makes the noise seem quieter even if it’s not.
How can you help someone who has tinnitus?
Suggest a doctor’s visit.
Tinnitus can be caused by medical conditions or illnesses like diabetes, so it’s very important that the person goes to the doctor and gets checked out. It’s very likely they’re okay, so don’t worry! If they’re sick, they can get treatment.
Listen if they need to talk.
Being told you have tinnitus can make people feel very sad because often there’s no treatment. If the person feels down, please let them know you’re there to listen. They can talk about their fears, for example, maybe they’re scared of the tinnitus getting worse.
Try not to be too loud.
Up to 40% of people with tinnitus also have hyperacusis. Hyperacusis is when a person’s ears become too sensitive to sound. If you’re making loud noises, it could affect their ears. Don’t be upset if they leave a noisy space. When I had hyperacusis, I could feel movement in my ears like when your ears pop on a plane.
Don’t remind them of tinnitus.
Living with tinnitus is much easier when you don’t think about it. When a person has tinnitus, don’t ask about it. If they’ve forgotten it, that’s good! It means they’ve pushed the noise to the back of their minds. Tinnitus seems much quieter, even silent, when you forget about it.
Important Note: I was not asked or paid to read this book. I borrowed it from the library.
Ella on the Outsideis the first Cath Howe book I’ve ever read. I would be interested in reading more by her.
The story is about Ella, the new girl at school who is struggling to fit in. Over time, we learn more about her past and why her family moved to a new town. She is keeping a big secret. I guessed her secret early on, but young readers might be surprised by it. I didn’t guess the Molly character’s big secret though. It was sad and addressed around three different problems some people face. Depression and hoarding were two of them, but I won’t spoil the third one…
The story unfolds slowly, increasing tension over time as you watch Ella make bad decisions. She doesn’t drastically change overnight, which is very realistic. You see her slowly waking up to how she is being controlled by the villain.
Are there illustrations?
There are no illustrations except for the cute image on the cover, which is included as chapter headings. This is great practice for kids moving away from illustrated books. You might be worried about their attention span while reading books without pictures, but it’s okay because the chapters aren’t very long. I found myself doing the “Just one more chapter and then I’ll go to sleep” game before bed, but eventually I managed to pull myself away…or fall asleep whilst reading.
I’m glad there was no filler. Each chapter includes something new and exciting, so the story keeps progressing to the end.
Do I recommend this book?
Yes! Ella on the Outside is a great story that addresses several issues, particularly social exclusion, bullying, depression and loss. I didn’t see anything that was inappropriate for kids to read or learn about.
I would highly recommend this book.
If you’d like more middle grade books, check out mine here. I write middle grade books like Ella on the Outside that address important topics kids should learn about.
