I have always wanted to write a book for as long as I can remember. If you were to ask me why it’s taken me so long, I suppose it has a lot to do with confidence and self-belief. I definitely think this is something I have had to work on and develop over a number of years, even decades.

I asked for a typewriter for Christmas when I was eight years old and I remember the excitement of putting my words on to a page and letting my imagination take over. When I was at school, I loved to write stories. I was a very shy child, but I had a teacher, Mr Flanagan, who encouraged me and helped me believe in myself, in all aspects of school. When I went to Secondary school, I wrote a story about a circus and it was up on display in the corridor for a very long time, even after I left.

Felicity Flipflops is about a young child in foster care, who has an attachment to a pair of flipflops bought for her by her grandmother when she was younger. The timid 11-year-old has had many different school placements and has struggled to be accepted, often being laughed at and taunted due to her choice of footwear. There are many children in the story from different backgrounds, facing many difficult challenges in their lives (as we often do). They are becoming more emotionally intelligent and able to cope with these thanks to the support from a very ‘mindful-orientated’ teacher, Miss Green.

The young characters (most of them) are mature and loyal, and really understand what it means to be a good friend and support each other. They understand that people can be who they want to be, dress how they like, have their own interests, etc.

Children who have read the story have told me they have giggled, shed tears, learnt about emotional wellbeing and the importance of sharing how they feel. This makes me so happy, as I want you, the readers, to laugh and learn from all of my stories, and always believe in yourselves, no matter what you are faced with. I will post about wellbeing and I’d like you to share with me what you feel you have learnt from reading Felicity and her friends’ story. Please keep an eye on updated wellbeing posts, blogs and newsletters. I can’t wait to interact with you all, and hopefully, help you with your confidence so that you can achieve your dreams, even much sooner than I did.