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Just Breathe

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Amber Hartley is a young woman faced with many challenges at one of the most fragile times of her life. Dealing with loss, whilst balancing school life and relationships, unlocking the key to her past, to find present answers so that she can trust, learn to forgive other’s and embrace how it feels to finally forgive herself, through bravery. Fighting for what it right, standing up against all odds, Amber resembles everything we hope to do but often do not. Sensitively touching on the restrictions of anxiety, self -evaluation and family secrets, woven around the lives of high school students. Amber takes you through a journey you may be travelling right now, encouraging you each step of the way. It’s a bumpy road, and panic is on the rise, but what will be, will be.
I always enjoyed writing from a young age. Though I was a late reader, my mother patiently and lovingly persisted to teach me the fundamentals of reading, with homemade flash cards, rhyming games on the trampoline, and reading to me at night. At the age of 7, I finally learnt to read and developed a love of all things literature ever since. I struggled at school but immersed myself in drama, English, and choir. In no way was I popular, and worked very hard to get to where I am, and had a father who encouraged me with lined unused notebooks from work, those old, hard, black covered books were like winning a lottery! I would proudly read my poetry to the class and my teacher would encourage me to keep writing. After leaving school, I worked in the field of disability assistance, tutoring in English, childcare, and was a support teacher’s aide at a school. My struggling has made me extremely understanding to other people’s needs and I wanted to further help others in my writing. I ran writing groups for both adults and children, and after forming bonds with youth, was inspired to write something to boost their self-esteem, to encourage them to always do their best, no matter what. This is what my father taught me, and I pass on to my children and to the ones I teach. Just Breathe, is a book that deals with real issues that preteens and teenager’s face in their every daily lives and gives heart-warming tools of how best to overcome trials faced. It touches on differences, friendship and conflict, and overall self-realisation. If what I write touches someone’s life in some way, and gives them strength to believe in their abilities, then that is the greatest reward I’ll ever receive. Barbara Utley.
* It gives an honest and open account of school life, showing that not everything is easily explainable in the dynamics of relationships. * Just Breathe challenges the reader to look deeper into the character’s perspective to truly understand the secrets behind social behaviours and how it affects the individual. * The main character in Just Breathe, “Amber”, is a character that is highly relatable. She strives to find herself through dealing with a troubled past, and deals every day with anxiety, which is often mistaken at school for prudish snobbery. * Honourable Mention for the genre of Yound Adult Fiction in the Royal Dragonfly Competion 2021
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