tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62712864898832569412024-03-05T04:48:10.635-08:00Dare to DreamAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-76551117907786195702015-06-13T05:41:00.001-07:002015-06-13T05:41:49.854-07:00Dare to Dream Has Moved!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hello, hello,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Dare to Dream</b> has moved to a new home and I would <i>love</i> you to come visit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After two years, tens of thousands of visitors and one award, I thought it deserved a virtual makeover - and a slightly less clunky domain name :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thank you so much to everyone who has emailed me over the past two years about the blog and how it's helped you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Your messages have meant the world to me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>So, what can you expect to find at the new site?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Well, there are some fresh new posts:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Plus a collection of all the most popular posts from this site:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/top-posts/" target="_blank">Top Posts</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find out about working with me when I relaunch my <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/coaching/" target="_blank">coaching </a>and <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/events/" target="_blank">workshops</a> in September.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>And</i> there's some very exciting news about <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/books/dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">Dare to Dream, the book</a> and fund-raiser.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KXNOt3fSJkaUKWxPTDqXlwUeyxOaofG2s5YlxZ19ebLTB_mlqwVf-duffik8AKcLtuzovWVTEW_nko3ne6yXnA59hdDB2tnHtSRqxnBEkKHUiWJ3q0Jy82OocAlgE3r2CJGZh8Zu8fg/s1600/D2D-eBookjacket-aw1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KXNOt3fSJkaUKWxPTDqXlwUeyxOaofG2s5YlxZ19ebLTB_mlqwVf-duffik8AKcLtuzovWVTEW_nko3ne6yXnA59hdDB2tnHtSRqxnBEkKHUiWJ3q0Jy82OocAlgE3r2CJGZh8Zu8fg/s320/D2D-eBookjacket-aw1.jpeg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hope to see you over there - and thanks again for all of your support.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Siobhan x</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-78204024144380551112015-01-27T10:54:00.000-08:002015-06-13T05:45:34.398-07:00Join the True Face Revolution<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">'I feel so fat - even though I know I'm not.'</span> </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">'I wish I was as pretty as her.'</span> </i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">'Ever since they divorced I feel angry all the time ... like I hate the world and want to hide away.'</span> </i></blockquote>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">'Some days I go without meals to try and get down to a size 6.'</span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>The above quotes are taken from some of the many emails I've received from readers of my young adult novels.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All from different teenage girls living very different lives but with one thing in common: <b>they feel unhappy or unable to be their true selves.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There are many reasons we can end up afraid of showing our true selves to the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>::</b> Pain and rejection can make us rush to hide behind protective masks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>::</b> Tough times can cause us to lose sight of who we really are.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>::</b> And then there's the relentless pressure from the fashion industry and media to reach their images of air-brushed, starvation-inducing 'perfection'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>:: </b>Not to mention the glossy world of celebrity that we're all supposed to aspire to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Two years ago I had a dream.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I dreamt of writing a book that would help and inspire girls and women to overcome these pressures and <i>dream boldly, love passionately and live authentically.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Almost immediately my inner voice of doom started saying things like, <i>who are you to do that? How would you know what to write?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But actually, who was I <i>not</i> to do it? When I was younger, my parent's divorce, my lack of confidence and my fear of getting hurt all combined to make me hide my true self from the world for many years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It wasn't until I reached my late twenties that I finally started finding my way back to the real me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>And then everything began changing for the better.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My home life, my relationships, my work life - were all transformed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And the best thing about it was, I no longer needed to look outside of myself or change myself to find happiness. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So when, two years ago, I saw a tweet from a publisher looking for new non-fiction titles I quickly fired back a message saying I had an idea for a book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She asked me to tell her more so I sent her a quick pitch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She asked me to work the pitch up into a synopsis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So I sent her a synopsis.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Then she asked me to write the first three chapters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And then she made me an offer and I set about writing the rest of the book, weaving together my own personal story with those of other women and girls, all interspersed with advice and techniques and empowering exercises.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRsIxOatCMB1WQIw2NxJJL-Z0JeNZuGOmSjFXJlMetMGwcY1P2CM9v2jkwsqBUEZvcgmyXX2W4JyPSXSzbCMCoda4HwFx1_a54n4F1mciBZP2EGzuYqUi2GlFkpXZPkz82mOMNRtZFS0/s1600/securedownload-4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRsIxOatCMB1WQIw2NxJJL-Z0JeNZuGOmSjFXJlMetMGwcY1P2CM9v2jkwsqBUEZvcgmyXX2W4JyPSXSzbCMCoda4HwFx1_a54n4F1mciBZP2EGzuYqUi2GlFkpXZPkz82mOMNRtZFS0/s1600/securedownload-4.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>True Face is being published by Faber & Faber on 2nd April 2015. You can find out more and pre-order a copy <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/True-Face-Real-Fearless-You/dp/0571313388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422348655&sr=8-1&keywords=true+face+siobhan+curham" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But the more I talked about the book with other people, and saw their impassioned reactions, the more I realised that there needed to be more than just a book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For <b>True Face</b> to work; for girls and women to overcome the relentless pressure on them to be something they're not, and to feel free to <i>dream boldly, love passionately and live authentically</i>, it needed to become a community.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>And there needed to be a revolution in the way we view ourselves and live our lives.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And so my dream for the <b>True Face website</b> was born. A place where women and girls can come together to encourage and inspire each other.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbyJCtkCZAYhKr3aVzQmFZmSIm9SxpPpn5hqfvhaaoE2kj__O-KgQvLnO_PoA_fBDnbx7Mo7MTNaoveBnAcMFK1RhNRtcSzTxiVMoe4CU2kJLSaj_zIgbQQ_6ur9kFNdV1jdlYHB2LnM/s1600/securedownload-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbyJCtkCZAYhKr3aVzQmFZmSIm9SxpPpn5hqfvhaaoE2kj__O-KgQvLnO_PoA_fBDnbx7Mo7MTNaoveBnAcMFK1RhNRtcSzTxiVMoe4CU2kJLSaj_zIgbQQ_6ur9kFNdV1jdlYHB2LnM/s1600/securedownload-3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A site full of advice and guest contributions and interviews ... and music!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm so happy to announce that the <b>True Face website</b> has now gone live - <a href="http://truefacerevolution.com/" target="_blank">right here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have a fantastic <b>guest interview</b> to kick things off - one that will have you laughing, jotting down inspirational notes and possibly crying towards the end (I know I did!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am also looking for <b>contributors</b>, so if you'd like to submit any writing, photography, artwork, videos or music with a <b>True Face theme</b>, please <a href="http://truefacerevolution.com/" target="_blank">take a look around</a> to find out more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This dream of mine has been a long time in the making and it's proof once again that if you keep the faith and take a risk and get your inner voice of doom to shut the hell up (!) anything is possible.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Here's to a world where we can all dream boldly, love passionately and live authentically.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Here's to starting a revolution!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>SIDE NOTE: GIRL ONLINE</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>As you can probably imagine, there's a lot of work involved in plotting a revolution! As well as launching the book and running the website, I'll be touring the UK giving <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/True-Face-Real-Fearless-You/dp/0571313388/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422373107&sr=8-1&keywords=true+face+siobhan+curham" target="_blank">True Face</a> talks and workshops. So, since some of you have asked, I'd also like to take this opportunity to confirm that because of all these added time pressures, I won't be working with Zoe Sugg on her second novel. It was, however, an absolute pleasure working with Zoe and I will be cheering her on from the sidelines.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-33499316701203039282014-12-10T08:26:00.000-08:002015-06-13T05:46:59.321-07:00Girl Online ... For the Record<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>For legal reasons I'm not able to talk about the specific details of my involvement with Zoe Sugg's novel <i>Girl Online</i>.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">However, now that </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I'm receiving messages from complete strangers accusing me of things that are a million miles from the truth, and now that my family are becoming furious and distraught at some of the comments about me on twitter - I feel I need to set the record straight as far as I am able to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Firstly, I did not agree to work on <i>Girl Online</i> to 'get rich'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Neither did I do it to 'get famous'. People who know me know how ridiculous that accusation is. But for those of you who don't know me, here's what I think about wanting to be famous...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>I think it's a hollow and dangerous dream.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When you build the foundation of your life and happiness on the adulation of strangers it's like building a house on sinking sand. It could disappear at any moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Far better to build your happiness on the rock solid foundation of love. <i>Love for yourself. Love for others. Love for what you do.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love writing books and I love helping others write books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And I especially love being involved in the creation of books that help others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Books that deal with real and serious issues such as cyber bullying, homophobia and anxiety.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Books like <i>Girl Online</i>. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was hugely impressed that, when given the dream opportunity of a book deal with Penguin, Zoe Sugg chose to create a storyline that dealt with these serious issues - out of a desire to help her fans.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And, when I was offered the opportunity to help Zoe, I also saw the opportunity to help get important and empowering messages across to her incredibly huge fan-base.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Messages about self belief, anxiety, sexuality and - <i>oh the irony</i> - online hate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>That was my sole motivation for taking the job.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But - and this is a big but - I did have some issues with how the project was managed. Issues which I expressed on more than one occasion. Issues which I'm afraid I'm not allowed to go into. And issues which have nothing to do with Zoe. I've seen at first hand how caring and considerate Zoe is. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've been very impressed with how she finds ways to use her (completely unexpected) fame to help others, whether that be through her vlogs, blogs, books or becoming a digital ambassador for the </span><a href="http://www.mind.org.uk/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">mental health charity MIND</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So, to those of you who have accused me of acting like a victim because I dared thank some of the people who have been sending me messages of support, you don't know what has been going on behind the scenes in this project. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Whilst I was very grateful for the acknowledgement, I didn't know that my full name would be in the book. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I did not invite any of this attention upon myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm not remotely interested in cashing in on someone else's fame. The thought of doing so turns my stomach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This may seem hard to believe in our current celebrity-obsessed society, but I'm really not interested in fame, full stop.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I truly don't care how many twitter followers I have.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I do not need to 'get verified' to feel validated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All I want to do is be a good mum to my son and get on with my life, writing and coaching others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mistakes have been made, but I still feel very proud to have worked with Zoe on <i>Girl Online</i>.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By breaking sales records - <i>because of Zoe's humungous fan-base</i> - book stores such as Waterstones are ending the year on healthy profits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Penguin, and many other publishers around the world, are now able to afford to offer more unknown writers book deals. Whether you like it or not, this is the financial reality of today's publishing industry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thousands of young people across the world have been tweeting excitedly about reading a book!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And countless young people have been talking about how the book has helped them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I think it would be really healthy to have a broader debate about transparency in celebrity publishing. But please don't blame Zoe personally for a practice that has been going on for years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I really hope that once this storm settles, people will focus on the serious issues at the heart of <i>Girl Online</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>In the UK alone, 45,000 children contacted</i></b></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><a href="http://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect/bullying-and-cyberbullying/bullying-cyberbullying-statistics/" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank"> Childline</a> about bullying last year.</b></i></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Over half of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people have experienced homophobic bullying in school.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>More than 16,000 young people in the UK are absent from school due to bullying.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Research suggests that <a href="http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-statistics/children-young-people/" target="_blank">20% of young people</a> have a mental health problem in any given year.</i></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Surely statistics such as these are what we should all be getting outraged about? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-49668831320418696742014-10-17T04:06:00.000-07:002015-06-13T05:47:47.976-07:00Dear Dare to Dream: Should I Self Publish My Novel?<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Dear Dare to Dream,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I feel a bit like I've lost my mojo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This year, I started sending the first three chapters of a novel I've written out to literary agents.</span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Three of them asked to see the whole thing but then never got back to me, not even to say no. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I've worked on this book for four years and I feel it's good enough to be published, but I am now losing my confidence and I worry that if I self publish I will make a fool of myself. Basically, I feel like a crap writer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">A writer friend of mine is dead against me self-publishing, telling me that I'm good enough to get a book deal, but I just don't know and I'm such a hands-on type person. It hurts sitting around doing nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I've started working on another novel but it feels as if I'm just building sandcastles. I want to have something published to give me the confidence and power to write.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Have you ever felt this way? So down in the dumps?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">And should I take the bull by the horns and just self publish, even if so many tell me that it's 'vanity publishing'? I know it sounds silly but I can just see my colleagues sniggering behind my back and saying, 'she thinks she can write!' Stupid, I know. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I guess I just need some encouragement, or just to know that others have felt this way too...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Dear Down in the Dumps,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Once upon a time, writing made me so sad, I sat in the corner of my kitchen floor and cried.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I cried so long and so hard, I forgot I had a chocolate cake baking and it burned to a cinder.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Normally, <i>nothing</i> makes me forget I have a cake baking, s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">o yes, writing has definitely made me as down in the dumps as you are feeling right now.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But I wasn't crying because I couldn't get a book deal. I was crying because I'd got a book deal, had three novels published, and then been dropped by my publisher.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And the reason I felt so cake-burningly bad was because it truly felt as if my life was over.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And it truly felt as if my life was over because getting a book deal had meant so, so much to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It had made me feel good about myself for the first time in years.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It had made me feel as if I'd finally achieved something in my work life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It had given me the confidence to leave a relationship that had been destroying me from the inside out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>It had made me believe that I was finally a writer.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>I wasn't a university drop-out any more - <b>I was a writer</b>.</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wasn't a loser in love any more - <b>I was a writer</b>.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wasn't worthless any more - <b>I was a writer.</b></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I thought that losing my book deal meant that I was no longer a writer. Just as you think that not getting a book deal makes you a 'crappy writer'.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>But I was wrong.</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And so are you.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Having a book deal does not make you a writer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Writing makes you a writer.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Writing even when you're bone-tired and emotionally drained.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Writing around the edges of your busy life because you'd rather do it then than not at all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because you can't do it 'not at all'. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because the words and the stories and the characters and the feelings are just bursting to come out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And they all want to burst out through you and your own unique voice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>So, dear <i>Down in the Dumps</i>, you have a choice.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can either let a bunch of strangers who can't even be bothered to reply to you determine your fate, or you can take full control of your writing destiny.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That's what I did, when I lost my book deal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After crying and burning a cake and throwing a pity party for about a month, I picked myself up and I found my way back to the beginning. Back to the time when I wrote purely for the love of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And I wrote a novel, purely for the love of it and I self-published it so that I could give it away for free, purely for the love of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>About a month after the book came out, I was invited to speak on a panel at London Book Fair.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My fellow panellists were two best-selling authors, a very well-known literary agent and the head of a major publishing house. I was invited along as the token self-publisher.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">During the course of our debate I was roundly sneered at and put down by my fellow panellists - to the point where one member of the audience walked out in disgust.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There would have been a time when this would have really upset me, especially when one of the novelists suggested that the book I'd self-published was probably crap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But if anything, her sneering only got me more fired up. Because I wasn't writing to massage my ego or for money or fame, <i>I was doing it for the love of it</i>. And I might not have been a best-selling novelist with a book deal, but at least I wasn't a self-important twat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My self-published novel went on to win a national book award and I now have book deals with eight different publishers, in three different countries. But I'm also building my own indie imprint where I can enjoy complete creative control over my writing career.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>I'm proof positive of the incredible things that can happen to writers when they take their careers into their own hands.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But don't just take my word for it, pay a visit to <a href="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/" target="_blank">The Creative Penn</a>, a fantastic website run by indie author, Joanna Penn. It's crammed full of inspirational interviews with </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">writers who are achieving phenomenal success without a traditional book deal. An</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">d it also contains loads of helpful tips and advice for writers who want to achieve the same.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I also recommend you read the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Pro-Steven-Pressfield-ebook/dp/B0087TUM54/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413488785&sr=1-1&keywords=turning+pro" target="_blank"><i>Turning Pro</i> by Steven Pressfield.</a> It's a kick up the butt in book form.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only people who sneer at self-publishing and call it 'vanity' publishing these days are old-school, self-important, literary snobs or unhappy people too fearful to chase their own dreams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm sure your writer friend has your best interests at heart, but self publishing isn't a sign of failure - it's a sign of enterprise and passion. It's the sign of a true writer who doesn't want to let anything hold them back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If a musician builds a following on Youtube prior to getting a record deal they aren't laughed at or called stupid. Just ask Jessie J or the Arctic Monkeys or Lily Allen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>So, why not follow their example?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Get your book out there. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Get writing the next one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Get back to the beginning and write and publish for the love of it. Nothing else.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">You aren't building sandcastles, you're building imaginary worlds for others to enjoy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">And you're building a happier future for yourself by daring to dream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">As Ray Bradbury so eloquently puts it:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>“To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories — science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.” </i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Wishing you much love and writing happiness,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Siobhan x</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-19668712635673384892014-09-02T03:00:00.001-07:002015-06-13T05:48:25.701-07:00Dear Dare to Dream<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Dear Dare to Dreamers,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's September, the start of a new season and a new school year, and so, in the spirit of fresh new beginnings, I'm very excited to announce a brand new feature on this blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I've been wanting to introduce a more personal and interactive element to <b>Dare to Dream</b> for some time now and as I often receive emails from you, asking for advice, I thought it would be a nice idea to incorporate this into the blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoo0QYm_mNENYFm1bB-sKRsWJrsHt5jyCJQcldkg_0dfC43p0lpQzHdh35U3jcL_IunVkTA45IHZSoIJgfRMJivsbRrGg3dFo1RDGaeUQM70608PIUi6s9Ci5b95fINq5MgZYQ79GSEc4/s1600/IMG_20140826_114718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoo0QYm_mNENYFm1bB-sKRsWJrsHt5jyCJQcldkg_0dfC43p0lpQzHdh35U3jcL_IunVkTA45IHZSoIJgfRMJivsbRrGg3dFo1RDGaeUQM70608PIUi6s9Ci5b95fINq5MgZYQ79GSEc4/s1600/IMG_20140826_114718.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So I'm starting a <b><i>Dear Dare to Dream</i></b> feature, where you can write to me directly and anonymously, for advice on achieving your dream and I will answer your letter on this blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Just think of me as an agony aunt for dreamers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>So, what should your dreams be about?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pretty much anything really. Here are some prompts to get you started:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of achieving a particular career goal.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of finding true love.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of not feeling so lonely, stressed out or sad.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of feeling more healthy and vibrant.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of being able to let go of a past hurt.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of manifesting a happy future.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of being able to start all over again.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of being able to deal with a very difficult person in your life.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of finding the confidence to stand up to a bully.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of being able to get over a break-up.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of finding the something missing from your life.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of working out what that 'something missing' is.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of not having palpitations every time your bank statement arrives.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of conquering your job or exam stress.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of coming to terms with a loss.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of getting over a failure.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of coping with success.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you long to be seen - or heard.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>:: Maybe you dream of finding your way back to your true self.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Whatever the dream, I'm here to help.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All you need to do is drop me an email at:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">daretodreamletters[AT]gmail[DOT]com</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>All emails will be published <u>completely anonymously</u>, along with my reply.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And my reply will be full of practical and heartfelt advice, drawing upon my own personal experience and my work as a coach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Over the years, I've been able to achieve ever single dream on the prompt list above so I feel certain that I'll have plenty to offer and share.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Another thing I've learnt over the years is that when you give up on your dreams, you give up on yourself and your right to be happy.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We all have a right to be happy but sometimes we need a helping hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Or a supportive blog post.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The <i>Dear Dare to Dream</i> inbox is ready and waiting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXGTuuwirml9e9_12xbEzUK1ocwoZj6c9-fCiJopawSGKfttZMOp_57eO0289dEU_fJH3eT5GUeOpcl2ZOti-yQ8RwtbjUqoCPnf-pkAQquHsNq8kcGpzzq_B09xRkAHX38TmF1qK4pA/s1600/Default.htm_txt_mailbox.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXGTuuwirml9e9_12xbEzUK1ocwoZj6c9-fCiJopawSGKfttZMOp_57eO0289dEU_fJH3eT5GUeOpcl2ZOti-yQ8RwtbjUqoCPnf-pkAQquHsNq8kcGpzzq_B09xRkAHX38TmF1qK4pA/s1600/Default.htm_txt_mailbox.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Here's to reaching out and helping each other...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Siobhan x</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-71933678345118008332014-02-03T13:27:00.000-08:002015-06-13T05:48:50.742-07:00Julia Buckley: Dreaming of a Fat Burn Revolution<div id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1391174922291_115595">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>I'm really proud and excited to welcome a special guest to </i>Dare to Dream<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-style: italic;"> </span><i>today. </i></b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.juliasfitnessblog.com/" target="_blank">Julia Buckley</a> is a fitness journalist and trainer. She is also my friend. When she recently achieved her dream of seeing her first book, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Burn-Revolution-Boost-metabolism/dp/1408191563/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391460294&sr=1-1&keywords=julia+buckley" target="_blank">The Fat Burn Revolution</a>, published and it became an Amazon bestseller within a week, I knew I just had to get her on the blog.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Here she talks about going from PE hater to fitness expert and offers her advice on daring to dream . . .</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1391174922291_115594"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>Welcome to Dare to Dream, Julia! First of all, massive congratulations on the recent publication of your book. We first met several years ago at the Harrow Writers' Workshop, so I know that having a book published has been a long held dream of yours. How does it feel to actually achieve it?</b></span><br /><br />It's been such a long process, but now the book is out there it hardly seems real (I signed with Bloomsury back in July 2012). One thing that brought it home the other day was when one of my clients said she spotted two women doing one of the workouts from the book together in the gym. It's amazing to think people all over the country (and beyond) are really out there doing the training. ...I think I'm still working on getting my head around it!</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9O6vxJDb75amWB0DM7MFfiO9XOwT4YO5P30Bg3C3BAS3p95p8ozXwtcBGjnkUn7OKaIkhzoNBNhsXITPXCmW-I5BKa8okHBfiYOFQNVCd2TWRISOc5n_SuQhY8-kT5S6nGWA11djruUg/s1600/juliab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9O6vxJDb75amWB0DM7MFfiO9XOwT4YO5P30Bg3C3BAS3p95p8ozXwtcBGjnkUn7OKaIkhzoNBNhsXITPXCmW-I5BKa8okHBfiYOFQNVCd2TWRISOc5n_SuQhY8-kT5S6nGWA11djruUg/s1600/juliab.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former PE hater, Julia!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Have there been any scary aspects of achieving such a big dream? And if so, how have you dealt with them?</span></b></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1391174922291_115608"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Oh yes, lots of scary aspects! First, I was worried about whether the editor at Bloomsbury would like it, then I was worried about whether people would buy it, and then whether they would like it. And even now people are buying it and telling me they love it I still get scared that they'll change their minds!<br /><br />I've never doubted that the advice and programme presented in the book were good - I've seen it make such a positive difference to so many people's lives, even I couldn't convince myself TFBR wasn't a highly effective and enjoyable fat loss fitness programme. I just kept reminding myself of that when those worries start to creep in. I suppose the real fear was that I might not have presented the advice in a way that people would connect with. But feedback so far is that, quite the opposite, people are saying the book speaks to them in a way that no fitness or diet book has before, which is absolutely fantastic for me to hear.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Back when you were coming to the Harrow writers' workshop you were initially more interested in writing fiction. Can you tell us a bit about what led you to make this change in direction with your writing? And do you have any advice for anyone reading this who might be having doubts about an initial dream of theirs and wondering whether they ought to change direction?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />I haven't really thought of it as a change in direction before... I'm not sure if it is really, I still dream of publishing a novel. I think I'll have a lot more confidence in that now I've had this experience with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Burn-Revolution-Boost-metabolism/dp/1408191563/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391460294&sr=1-1&keywords=julia+buckley" target="_blank">The Fat Burn Revolution</a></i>. As a freelance journalist I've been writing for a living for a long time so I approached the book in a similar way to landing a magazine feature - just massively scaled up! I knew there was a need out there for a book like TFBR so I just went for it. Sometimes you have to go with the flow I guess!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">How did you stay focused on your dream in the early days? I know from my own personal experience how hard it can be to write an entire book. What it was that kept you going?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />I don't remember ever thinking I wanted to give up, but I was certainly very daunted by the size of the project. Sometimes I wondered if I could ever get it all done. With a book like this, there's a bit of "donkey work" involved. The introductory, advice chapters flowed out quite easily, but writing the exercise descriptions was a bit of a slog. I think my background in fitness probably helped, you get used to pushing your boundaries and keeping going when your brain starts offering excuses to stop. The willpower and self-belief you build up through that definitely carry over into other areas of like and help you deal with all types of challenges. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">So fitness clearly plays a very important part in your life and yet you hated PE lessons - which I was really shocked to discover by the way! Can you tell us a bit about how and why you changed your opinion of fitness in this way. And do you have any advice for any reluctant keep-fitters out there?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />Yeah, I talk about this in the first chapter of the book, it has surprised a lot of people! PE at my school was all about competitive sport and I just wasn't the competitive type. Plus I wasn't good at any sports - which meant I'd spend the whole lesson getting shouted at, both by the teachers and the other girls in the team. I don't blame the girls at all now, of course, or even the teachers that much really, that's just how it was then. I believe PE lessons are lot better nowadays, I certainly hope so! The first time I discovered that exercise could be fun was when the PE teacher got us doing a Jane Fonda workout video one day. I liked it so much I went out and bought the video! And it all sort of snowballed from there over the years. I wrote about that in the book to help people realise that even if they've never been "sporty" fitness can definitely still be fun. Starting out with something you can do in private at home that you can adapt to suit your own level is a great place to start for a lot of people and that's something I'm offering in <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Burn-Revolution-Boost-metabolism/dp/1408191563/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391460294&sr=1-1&keywords=julia+buckley" target="_blank"><i>The Fat Burn Revolution</i></a>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Obviously with fitness programmes like <i>The Fat Burn Revolution</i> the emphasis is on the physical benefits of working out but can you tell us your experience of the emotional benefits of exercise?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />I mentioned above about how fitness helps you build up confidence in your abilities and "staying power". With the type of training in TFBR people tend to make progress very quickly and that can be very affirming. Feeling healthy and energetic makes you feel confident and lively, which gives you a more positive outlook on life. Increasing your physical strength helps you to feel mentally and emotionally strong too. When you pick up a weight that you couldn't lift just a few weeks ago, it makes you think "what else can I do that I couldn't before?" You realise that even things that are impossible for you right now can be made possible in the future if you put in the effort required to make it happen. And that's pretty powerful stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">So, having seen your first book soar up the bestseller lists, what are your dreams for the coming year?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />To spread the Revolution far and wide! I want to help as many people as I can discover the fantastic difference fitness can make to their lives.<br /><br />The <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/fatburnrevolution/permalink/1443048439259101/" target="_blank">TFBR Facebook group</a> already has over 300 members and is buzzing with people sharing their experiences of the programme. Of course, it's early days because the book was only released a couple of weeks ago, but they're doing really well. I'm so looking forward to seeing the results they get and hearing about how good they feel at the end of the 12 week programme.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">And finally, if you had to sum up your attitude to life and achieving your dreams in one sentence, what would it be?</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />There's a little card I keep on my desk on which I've written (in glitter pen!) <b><span style="font-style: italic;">How can I make today awesome - for me and at least one other person?</span> </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Thanks so much, Julia and vive la revolution!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>You can hear more from Julia about <i>The Fat Burn Revolution</i> on the video below, filmed when she was interviewed for Magic FM.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>And to receive bite-sized pieces of inspiration of a fitness and fat burning variety, you can follow Julia on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/Julia_B" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-74720470115199358712013-05-27T04:54:00.001-07:002015-06-13T05:49:13.096-07:00How J K Rowling Helped Me Through My Darkest Days as a Writer<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I started writing books during a very difficult time in my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My marriage had come to a painful and traumatic end and I was single mum to a young son.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was a very fearful time - I can remember many sleepless nights spent wondering how I was going to make ends meet and keep a roof over our heads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I also felt like a total failure. Coming from a 'broken home' I had always vowed that I would never put any child of mine through that trauma.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Apart from my son, the only light in the darkness of those days was my writing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I began working on my first novel, <i>Sweet FA</i>, it provided a welcome escape from the harsh realities of my life at the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But my writing itself was not without fear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had no previous experience of writing fiction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hadn't done any courses in creative writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn't have any contacts in the publishing world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wasn't a member of any writing group.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had no idea if what I was creating was any good at all - let alone publishable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wrote mainly when my son was asleep and there were some nights when I would be slumped over my typewriter (I couldn't even afford a computer!) crying with exhaustion and wondering why the hell I was even bothering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was on those nights that one person helped urge me on and gave me just enough hope to keep me typing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That person was J K Rowling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like the rest of the world, I'd read all the stories about how Rowling had penned the first Harry Potter novel in a cafe in Edinburgh as a penniless single mum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But, rather than merely being a heart-warming anecdote, this story became a life-line for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When Rowling talked about her feelings of despair as a single mum I could so relate to her experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the fact that she had kept on working through her dark times; had kept the faith in her creative dream and gone on to achieve such remarkable success, formed a beacon, guiding me through my own fear and doubt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week, I went up to Edinburgh and visited the cafe where J K Rowling had written that first Harry Potter book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having played such an important part in my own vision of hope for the future, it was extremely moving to finally actually be there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And, in a really magical way, it proved to be a gift that kept on giving.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The past couple of months have been a bit of a tough time for me, in that I've suffered some personal loss and felt a bit demotivated work-wise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But sitting at a table in the corner of the cafe, picturing J K Rowling writing away and conjuring up such a magical future for herself and so many readers, I felt a wave of optimism and hope wash over me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Remembering how far I'd come since my own dark days made me feel humbled and excited. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It reminded me that anything is possible if you are prepared to work hard and simply </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>believe</i></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before leaving the cafe I went into the toilets. They were covered from floor to ceiling in graffiti dedicated to J K Rowling from grateful readers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once again, I felt a wave of happiness and excitement. It reminded me what a privilege it is to be a writer - and how thrilling it is to be able to affect people's lives for the better with your words.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Once again, I felt J K Rowling inspiring and motivating me - and urging me on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A bit later, I was walking past Waterstones in Edinburgh. I popped inside and headed for the Young Adult section.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I saw my books there on the shelves it brought tears to my eyes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngjmBOn8ELWJGuBKLO_OuB0MgQaQxKjwxddeh1xJ19I4aZvNAGzSjmZKYcMSDupRtAGCX3SYAB9GcgQ-hdjLQC4kT8eH1hKsyf1oh5J4KpHCTioUeN921FwweZmZHhY214jZvXmXU2ug/s1600/20130524_163936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngjmBOn8ELWJGuBKLO_OuB0MgQaQxKjwxddeh1xJ19I4aZvNAGzSjmZKYcMSDupRtAGCX3SYAB9GcgQ-hdjLQC4kT8eH1hKsyf1oh5J4KpHCTioUeN921FwweZmZHhY214jZvXmXU2ug/s200/20130524_163936.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All those years ago, when I'd sat hunched over my typewriter, with just my love of writing and J K Rowling's example to keep me going, I never would have dreamed that I would go on to achieve all that I have done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And, if I can share anything at all with you to help you through your own doubt and fear, it would be this:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Sometimes, in our darkest times, we need a light to guide us. So, rather than cower in the shadows, seek out your light - whether it be in the form of another person, some words of wisdom, or God / the Universe. Let them lead you on, into your own brighter, happier future . . . </b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-44810956439232112712013-03-26T09:39:00.000-07:002015-06-13T05:49:31.977-07:00Always Remember to Blaze a Trail<!--StartFragment-->
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2009 was one of the worst years of my life. Or – as the
Queen would put it – my annus horribilus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My then partner had been diagnosed with cancer – a brain
tumour – and told he only had months to live.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A close member of my family was being bullied at school and
becoming a shadow of their former self before our eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And my writing career felt dead in the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There were many times during that year when I felt as if I
was drowning. I’m a natural born fighter but there are some times, when life throws
so much crap at you, that you just can’t see a way out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I remember one day, after I’d burnt some toast, sinking to
the kitchen floor and crying for about an hour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I tried so hard to maintain a strong and bright exterior to
the outside world but inside, I could feel myself slipping away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s at times like these that you need an intervention. You
need someone to step in and shine a light on your darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For me, it came in the form of a conversation with a friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was one of those rich, late night conversations in which
you really connect with another human soul. My friend was a fellow writer, and from a
similar background, growing up on a London council estate. He’d obviously seen
that I was drowning and so he set about throwing me a life line made up of his
words – it definitely helped that he was a poet!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Amongst many other things, he
told me that he saw me as being just like a shooting star and that I mustn’t
ever stop blazing a trail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For most of that year I’d felt more like one of those dud
home fireworks that splutters and fizzles out to disappointed sighs. It felt
incomprehensible that he should see me in this way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But his words lodged in my brain – and gave me something to
cling to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I went home emboldened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>My partner wasn’t going to die.<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>My family member wasn’t going to be bullied any more.<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>And I was going to write another book – and publish it
myself.</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I knew that it would be all too easy for me to slip back
into my feelings of depression, I got a shooting star tattooed on my wrist as a
constant reminder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnI7jV5757E9od2YIfUPUFNZZNfuQzqLVPTlJmRLr2ofDH9eLX2xny8XWp5nPZesHeEDLDpqoPZXIsP-qIkvSkg4l2wDrlB81m4qjqXxNxL31N-r-1uc2KXud15r-wYRcTUEb3IhGtSRw/s1600/20130326_162641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnI7jV5757E9od2YIfUPUFNZZNfuQzqLVPTlJmRLr2ofDH9eLX2xny8XWp5nPZesHeEDLDpqoPZXIsP-qIkvSkg4l2wDrlB81m4qjqXxNxL31N-r-1uc2KXud15r-wYRcTUEb3IhGtSRw/s200/20130326_162641.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Shooting Star Tattoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And from that moment on, before I said or did anything, I'd think to myself, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">what would a person who's just like a shooting star do? How can I blaze a trail?</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My partner ended up defying the doctors and surviving. Sadly, we broke up, but we remain best friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I helped my family member who was being bullied move to a new school
and they are now back to their happy, carefree self, with a wide group of new friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The book I wrote and self-published went on to win a
national award. (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I couldn’t help smiling when I saw that the award itself was
star-shaped.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The book then went to auction and the publishers I signed up
with said how much they loved my star tattoo – and could they incorporate it into
my name on my book covers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fast forward to last Thursday, when I had a launch party for
my new novel, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finding Cherokee Brown – </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">my
second novel with that publisher. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As I stood there about to give a reading from the book,
I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnVTdpUxH4axASIQ6o1HoSvwDPBi4ewhvxg-XwdNw1H7AH1Ahr40t5YPQRZP4-vktD8B0TiRjqJaSScGXkr1ff0sxkE4U3YC_BxE0G4HImem3vZ8b1MWTuUmbxj_yt3kL08KDkOSNiAI/s1600/35030_10151513556049728_750597031_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnVTdpUxH4axASIQ6o1HoSvwDPBi4ewhvxg-XwdNw1H7AH1Ahr40t5YPQRZP4-vktD8B0TiRjqJaSScGXkr1ff0sxkE4U3YC_BxE0G4HImem3vZ8b1MWTuUmbxj_yt3kL08KDkOSNiAI/s320/35030_10151513556049728_750597031_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading at my Book Launch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There was my ex-boyfriend, smiling and cancer-free. There
were the posters of the book with the stars designed into my name. There were
my closest friends – my rocks during that terrible time. And there were so many
other, newer friends, who didn’t even know me back in those dark days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And here I was, about to read from a book I’d written about
bullying – inspired by what we’d been through during that dark time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was such an important lesson in never giving up, no matter how hard things get.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And, echoing around my head were my friend’s words – said to
me, but applicable to everyone:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">‘You’re a just like a shooting star – you mustn’t ever
stop blazing a trail.’<o:p></o:p></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></b>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15665277347233261655noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6271286489883256941.post-17322735697142827722013-03-04T05:05:00.000-08:002015-06-13T05:49:44.981-07:00Finding Cherokee Brown<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Three years ago I had a dream.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Somebody close to me was having their previously happy life
ruined by mindless bullies. Within months they’d become a withdrawn shadow of
their former self – attempts to fight back had failed and the teachers at the
school concerned claimed to be powerless to act. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This wasn’t the first person I’ve known to have suffered at
the hands of bullies – as a life coach, I’ve seen numerous clients still
suffering from self esteem issues years after childhood abuse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know all of the arguments about bullying being an
essential part of growing up – a rite of passage necessary to toughen kids up
and a valuable life lesson. A life lesson in what though? That cruelty is
something that just has to be accepted? Is this really all that we aspire to as
a so-called civilised society?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
According to a UK government report, <b>46% of all young people
will be bullied at some point in their life. 38.4% of young people were victims
of cyber bullying last year. 28% of young people feel unable to tell anyone and
so, suffer alone.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three years ago, fired up by fury that bullying should still
be such a prevalent and accepted part of our culture, I had a dream that I
would write a novel challenging this. A novel about someone determined to find
the courage to fight back against her bullies and hopefully inspire and uplift
other victims. A novel that would throw a spotlight on the shortcomings of our
education system when it comes to bullying, and our failure as adults to
protect our kids from this kind of abuse.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwo0PuMRvLSdI3653-ZMcjNWxZlNGPNUH56QHLEkkjMazJm9moVvepAzpmnddMyTr94UPnHghRFVFQ5KtpH2SBzxg6A9qlgACTNKnYsHzJAOXcbz9EH7cmoY3VX3gzLY-AiXZV6SZzzU/s1600/Finding+Cherokee+Brown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwo0PuMRvLSdI3653-ZMcjNWxZlNGPNUH56QHLEkkjMazJm9moVvepAzpmnddMyTr94UPnHghRFVFQ5KtpH2SBzxg6A9qlgACTNKnYsHzJAOXcbz9EH7cmoY3VX3gzLY-AiXZV6SZzzU/s320/Finding+Cherokee+Brown.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Today, my dream has come true, and my novel, <i>Finding
Cherokee Brown</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, has been published. I
usually find it painfully difficult to promote my own books, but with this one
I have to swallow my embarrassment and become a shameless plugger if it is to
reach the people I wrote it for and if its message is to be heard. With modern
publishing being what it is – and with me not being a reality TV star /
footballer’s wife / Middleton sister – I have no mega-buck marketing budget..
All I have is my dream, and the power of word-of-mouth.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, take a read of the reviews below, and if you like what
you see, and if you feel just as passionately as I do about bullying, then
please buy a copy – and when you’ve read it, please pass it on to somebody you
feel might benefit from the book’s message.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some people say that bullying is an inevitable aspect of
human nature. My response is that actually love is the only ‘inevitable’ aspect
of the human condition. Bullying, like anger, hatred and fear, is only ever
learned. And it can be unlearned too – if enough of us say, ‘no more’. That is
my dream today – that enough of us start saying no to bullying, wherever it
takes place – be it in schools, the workplace or relationships.<br />
<br />
As the strapline for <i>Finding
Cherokee Brown </i><span style="font-style: normal;">says – <b>‘</b></span><b><i>everything
changes when you dare to dream</i></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><b>’.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<h2>
Early Reviews for <i>Finding Cherokee Brown</i></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>‘Siobhan Curham has written a great book that deals with
bullying, identity and being brave enough to be yourself. . . This is a lovely
story that had me rooting for Cherokee all the way . . . and her journey of
self-discovery is delightfully written</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.’ <b>The
Bookseller</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>'Finding Cherokee Brown is young adult writing at its best. Dealing with difficult themes and real teenage problems, it offers an inspirational and hopeful message. A must read.' </i><b>We Love This Book</b></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>‘I loved
Cherokee as a character. Her voice and her plight drew me in from pretty much
the first page. She is immediately likeable, and as a self-depreciating
underdog, she is incredibly easy to root for. Not all authors can successfully
pull off a witty, fast-talking stream of teenage girl monologue, but Siobhan
Curham manages to do so in style. . . The strong writing and characters combine
to form a mixture that feels meaningful, and had me emotionally engaged with
the story throughout . . .The original narrative elements simply add to the
enjoyment of the reading experience. The vividness of Cherokee's voice brought
to mind that of Lennie from The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.’</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <b>The Book Bag<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<i>‘A tightly woven, entertaining and moving story . . .
Curham has met the challenge she outlines in a letter to the reader – Cherokee
Brown is an ‘inspirational, interesting heroine’, a victim of bullying,
‘determined to fight back in her own original way…’ She is funny, resilient,
but by no means perfect. She is never presumptuous, and always willing to fight
back . . . A pleasure to read.’</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> <b>The
Nocturnal Reader<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>‘Anyone
who is being bullied, has been bullied in the past, or is bullying someone
should read this book. Cherokee is a very inspirational character and the book
itself carries a powerful message. Overall, I loved this book! It is funny,
poignant and really makes you think. 5/5!’</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <b>The Mile Long Bookshelf<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>‘I
thoroughly enjoyed Siobhan Curham's debut 'Dear Dylan' which was published last
year, so I've been looking forward to reading more from her ever since.
'Finding Cherokee Brown' is another great title which I read in one sitting
because it was such a brilliant story. </i></span><i>It
centres on fifteen year old Claire Weeks who decides that she is going to write
a story about her life after finding an old copy of a book called 'So you want
to write a novel?'. What starts off as an attempt to escape from her day
to day life, soon turns into something even more powerful and life changing
when she discovers a huge family secret which makes her question everything she
thought she knew about herself. Claire aka Cherokee was a great main
character. Curham can really write people who you warm to instantly and
feel enormous empathy for. She has several issues to deal with in the
book, one being the fact that she is bullied at her school. This is something
that a lot of people have faced at one point or another in their lives and I
enjoyed seeing her finally decide to fight back and not let the bullies get
away with it. I thought it was interesting that one of her teachers fails
to deal with the teens who are taunting her. It shows that even adults
sometimes suffer confidence issues, feel powerless and cannot stand up against
other people. Claire feels like she doesn't fit in with her family, since her
mother remarried and had twins. Throughout the book she gradually learns
that everyone has the power to change their own life and that wonderful things
can happen when you take control of your own destiny. </i></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Anybody
being bullied or bullying others should read this book because it features a
truly inspirational heroine and has a powerful message to convey about the
power of both the written and spoken word. It is also moving, poignant
and funny and is another great title from a fantastic author.’ </i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>A Dream of Books</b></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>DARE TO DREAM HAS MOVED</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can find the new site <a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fresh new posts include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/hello-world/" target="_blank">15 Things I've Learnt From 15 Years as a Writer</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/dear-dare-to-dream-how-can-i-overcome-illness-to-achieve-my-speaking-dream/" target="_blank">Dear Dare to Dream: How can I overcome my illness and become a speaker</a></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://daretodreamcoaching.co.uk/2015/06/13/an-exciting-new-chapter-for-dare-to-dream/" target="_blank">An Exciting New Chapter for Dare to Dream</a></span></div>
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