What Inspired the Story

~~STORY SPOILERS BELOW~~

If you haven’t read The Parents With A Sleepover Secret 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 the school bully Angel’s parents at a sleepover. After a thorough investigation, Mya reveals that Angel’s dad lost his job but felt too scared to give Angel the bad news. Angel’s parents argued so much because losing his job means their lives have changed in a big way.

What inspired the story?

First, I remembered when my parents used to argue and how much it upset me. I didn’t understand that sometimes parents argue just like kids.

Second, I was inspired by adults who can’t cope with giving kids bad news. They tell stories instead of telling the truth because they don’t want children to be upset. I wanted to show that the outcome could have been so different if the adults had been honest in the first place.

The School Pet Who Went Missing addresses the same issue in a different way. Both stories show what happens when adults avoid telling the truth. The children involved try to guess what the problem is, but they guess wrong. It makes such a big mess of the situation!

Why do parents argue sometimes?

There are several reasons why parents argue including having a new baby, lack of safe/big enough housing, and financial problems. In the book, Angel’s parents argue because without her dad’s large income, they can’t afford their massive house, cars, swimming pool and other fancy stuff anymore. For the first time in Angel’s life, they’ll have to spend less money.

What’s coming up next?

I wanted to share what inspired The Parents With A Sleepover Secret, a story about parents who argue. The next book I’ll discuss will be The Fat Girl Who Never Eats. If you want to know what inspired that story, sign up to my mailing list for future updates.

Thanks for reading!

~~STORY SPOILERS 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.

I wanted to share what inspired The New Boy Who Hears Buzzing, a tinnitus story. The next book I’ll discuss will be The Parents With A Sleepover Secret. If you want to know what inspired that story, sign up to my mailing list for future updates.

Thanks for reading!

~~STORY SPOILERS BELOW~~

If you haven’t read The School Pet Who Went Missing 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 Malcolm, the school pet who went missing. She suspects that their lost pet was kidnapped, but unfortunately he passed away.

What inspired this lost pet story?

My cat went missing one night and we never saw her again. It was so painful to have her with us one day and live without her the next. Her toys, bed, and photos were all reminders that she was still missing.

I went outside every morning before school, shaking her food box and calling her name. Unfortunately, she’s been gone for 25 years now (Time flies!), so we’ll never know what happened to her. I hope that she found a new family and lived happily for the rest of her days.

So did my missing cat inspire The School Pet Who Went Missing, a lost pet story? Yes, but so did my hamster Malcolm who passed away…

Was Malcolm the hamster real?

Yes, he was such a lovely hamster! I remember him running around in his massive orange ball, knocking into this and that. When I took him out of his ball, he would sit there and watch a little TV with me. Then he’d try to run away to explore the house. One time he almost escaped because I wasn’t paying attention. Oops!

I met Malcolm when he was only two weeks old! He was so tiny and cute! We saw Malcolm with his mum and several siblings. I chose him because he playfully (I think…) slapped one of his siblings. Fortunately he grew up to be very friendly and loving.

Unfortunately most hamsters only live for 2 years. Malcolm was two years and nine months old when he passed away. The Malcolm in the story died of illness, but the real Malcolm died of old age.

What should you do when a pet dies?

Losing a pet is similar to losing a human family member. It makes you feel so sad. You wonder how you’ll live without them. Fortunately there are several ways to accept a dead pet and move on with your life.

Grieve them

Common signs of grief include crying, losing your temper, feeling extremely sad, and even denying what happened. It’s okay to grieve your own way.

When my hamsters and dog died, I cried a lot. It hurt so much. You might cry a little or a lot. You might not cry at all. Do whatever feels best.

Announce the bad news

Soon you’ll have to tell family and friends that your pet died. They might cry because they had happy memories with your pet.

Hold a funeral

It’s time to say goodbye. You can say a prayer, read a poem, share happy memories, leave flowers, and anything else you feel like.

When we buried Malcolm, we placed him in a tiny box and left some treats inside. My dog was at the funeral, so she had the chance to say goodbye, too.

Be happy

It’s hard losing a pet, but you’ll feel better when you remember the good times together. What moments made you laugh or cry happy tears? You can write happy memories in a book and include photos of your pet so you’ll never forget them.

When my cat went missing, I remember seeing a photo of her when she was a cute, little kitten. I missed her a lot, but it was nice seeing how tiny she used to be.

Love other pets

Your other pets might grieve too. Yes, it’s true. Dogs, cats, small pets and even horses show animal signs of grief. So remember to show them lots of love!

What should you do if your pet goes missing?

The Malcolm character in the story was missing at first, but turned out to be dead. Fortunately, some missing pets are found alive and well. If your pet goes missing, it’s important to act fast to find them!

Here are some steps you can take right now:

• Check your whole house at least twice. A tiny pet like a hamster could hide anywhere.
• Check your front and back garden. A house cat might hide in bushes or a shed because they’re scared.
• Ask neighbours to check their homes and gardens.
• Email local vets, animal hospitals and rehoming centres. Show them your pet’s photo.
• Ask your parents, carers, etc to put up missing posters around town.
• Ask an adult to check social media to see if someone found your pet.
• Ask God to bring your pet back or make sure your pet finds a new loving home.

I wanted to share what inspired The School Pet Who Went Missing, a lost pet story. The next book I’ll discuss will be The New Boy Who Hears Buzzing. If you want to know what inspired that story, sign up to my mailing list for future updates.

Thanks for reading!