The former Benalla resident drew on many of her own life experiences in her debut novel, Stolen, which the tells the fictional story of a young boy who goes missing in north-east Victoria.
“It’s sort of been a dream all my life, thinking I could write one and that I’d like to write one,” Cheryl said.
“I’ve had these ideas, but I never made time for it.
“Your life is busy, I was a full-time teacher and then when I retired, I still did part time.”
An Essenhigh before marriage, Cheryl grew up and completed her schooling in Benalla before spending the last 42 years in Myrtleford.
And it was here, during the first stage three lockdown, where Cheryl, along with so many others, was stuck at home that she finally found the time, and courage, to put pen to paper.
“I was on a happy hour chat with friends over messenger on night and I said to them, ‘I feel like I should write a book. I’ve been reading a lot and I’ve got these ideas. And they said, well, write it’. They encouraged me,” Cheryl said.
And once she started, Cheryl admits the writing bug took over.
“I was just obsessed with it, it just flowed out. I would wake up in the early hours of the morning and write for five hours – and I had never in my life done that sort of thing. It took over me,” she said.
Writing every day, Cheryl finished the draft in just under a month before two friends helped edit the story.
“They both went through it with a red pen and checked for spelling and punctuation and anything they didn’t make sense of and wrote comments,” Cheryl said.
And now that she has got a taste of it, it seems Cheryl isn’t stopping at just one book.
She’s already planning to write another.
Cheryl encouraged anyone who may have an urge to write a book to ‘just do it’.
“I think if you’ve ever thought of it, then it’s a great chance to do it,” she said.
“It made me a lot better person, just being at home, I appreciated things more.
“To actually do it, and to feel like I’ve really achieved something, I do feel proud of myself for following through and publishing it.”
● You can purchase a copy of Cheryl’s book, Stolen, at the Benalla Newsagents for $25. It can also be purchased at Myrtleford Xpress and the Whorouly café. Alternatively, phone Cheryl on 0427 002 193.
6°C