Hawarden author's dream comes true as first published novel set to hit the shelves

Mum-of-two Fiona Phillips - known as Fi - has been for years an aspiring writer, and finally had her break when she received news that Burning Chair Publishing had agreed to publish her novel.

Fi's, from Hawarden, debut novel - titled 'Haven Wakes' will be available from October 1 and is the first in 'The Haven' series.

For many years Fi worked as a freelance copywriter with the dream of one day being an author.

The 53-year-old said: "After years of not being recognised, I chose to approach publishers directly and thankfully Burning Chair Publishing has chosen to print the novel.

"Writing about magical possibilities and adventures is my passion so to get my first novel published really is a dream come true."

Talking about her inspiration to become a writer, she cites her childhood experiences as shaping her career aspirations.

"I grew up in a house of books, and as an only child to parents who were the age of most of my friends’ grandparents, I was allowed to read any of the books I wanted to.

"My father was a story teller He had a relaxed way of storytelling, with a wry smile at the happy tales and a serious look at the sad ones."

And following a near-death experience aged just 8 when she was hit by a car - leaving her hospitalised - she found herself with little to do but write.

She added: "Once I’d read the books my school and parents had brought me, I was left twiddling my thumbs, well, just the one – the other was secured in plaster. I was bored, and as my hospital friends mostly left the ward to go home, I began looking for something to do.

"When my parents were told that there would be lesson plans to fill out, they brought in some pencils and a pad.

"With my right arm in plaster, it was impossible to use that hand, so I began to write with my left hand. The result was scrawly and all over the place, but it was writing nonetheless.

"I wrote about the children on my ward. I wrote a letter to my favourite teddy bear. I wrote a list of what was in my bedroom. It didn’t matter what it was, any old rubbish, I wrote it down just the same. If I didn’t have enough to read, I wrote myself a story - I was now a writer."

The dystopian adventure novel is aimed at children from ages 11 to young teenagers.

It is set year in the year 2110 - where everyone has their own robot, and magical worlds are just behind the next door.

The protagonist is Steve Haven, who always thought he was just another ordinary twelve-year-old boy.

Well, as ordinary as you can be when you’re the nephew of Rex Haven, founder of the Haven Robotics Corporation.

But when Rex dies in mysterious circumstances and Steve is given a strange artefact known only as the Reactor, he finds out that the world he thought he knew is a lot stranger and more threatening than he ever imagined.

On the run from a group of dangerous villains, Steve finds himself plunged into a hidden and curious magical world. With his parents missing and no one in the normal world he can trust, Steve must join with his new-found magical friends to discover the truth about the Reactor and his uncle’s death.

You can follow her at fiphillipswriter.com

Or on Twitter - @FisWritingHaven