Author
CHRISTINE EDWARDS
'Writing takes us to new horizons.'
Christine Edwards
'Writing takes us to new horizons.'
Christine Edwards
Christine Edwards
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A BIT ABOUT ME
I was born in Chester in 1962 and yes that makes me 60! After reading psychology at Warwick University, I attended Crewe and Alsager College where I studied for a PGCE in infant education. Teaching took me to Hampshire. My first teaching post was in a new primary school in Basingstoke. I moved to teach in Hook, and started climbing the promotional ladder to become deputy head, and my final move took me to an infant school in Chandler's Ford. After twenty years in teaching I was faced with a decision, apply for headships or do something else!
I made, what most of my friends and family considered to be a brave decision and resigned, put my house on the market, borrowed a rucksack from my sister, and bought a one way ticket to Greece! After working in a bar and renting beach beds for a couple of months I decided I wanted to become an actor so returned to the UK, applied, and was accepted by Birmingham Theatre School. It was acting that sparked an interest in writing. |
As a teenager I feared the sea and the sharks that swam there. Plucking up the courage to try a scuba dive in 2006 and making over 1000 dives around the globe since, everything changed. I adore sharks so they have become the theme for my debut novel SHARKS ARE SCARY AREN'T THEY? So what is the book about?
A moving Young Adult novel (12+) about an unlikely friendship formed over a fascination with sharks. Touches on thought-provoking themes such as human impact on the environment, plastic pollution in the ocean and the protection of sharks and their habitats. Written by an experienced diver with a passion for sharks.
"Conquering a deep rooted fear of the sea terrified of the sharks that roamed there, I made the astonishing decision to try a scuba dive in 2006. The moment I sank beneath the waves and glimpsed the world below the surface I was well and truly hooked. Since that first plunge underwater, I have been fortunate to have dived over 1200 dives in seas and oceans around the globe. My fear of sharks has changed to become a passion. Whenever I would describe my shark encounters to friends or family they invariably expressed concern and questioned why anyone would dive with such a dangerous species. My book came out of the need to redress the balance for this wonderful fish. Sharks have existed for 450 million years, well before the dinosaurs and still exist today. They are being hunted and cruelly killed for their fins and are probably one of the most misunderstood creatures on our planet. The knock-on effect will be catastrophic. Oceans without sharks will cause negative changes to other species, without this apex predator maintaining other fish in check and ultimately our coastlines and reefs will suffer. The oceans need sharks!"
SHARKS ARE SCARY AREN'T THEY? Depicts the emotional journey of Charlie Parker, a fearful twelve-year-old boy, and Jane Jones, a retired dentist and scuba diver, who meet by chance on a beach. Despite the years that separate them, they discover they are more alike than they could have imagined. Sharing the world through the eyes of sharks, hearing about the struggles and dangers they face and how they are on the brink of extinction, brings our two friends closer together. In this book there are stories of shark encounters, the majesty of the underwater world and how the impact of human activity and plastic pollution is affecting their habitat. Most of all, the two characters learn about the power of the human spirit to change in the face of adversity.
A moving Young Adult novel (12+) about an unlikely friendship formed over a fascination with sharks. Touches on thought-provoking themes such as human impact on the environment, plastic pollution in the ocean and the protection of sharks and their habitats. Written by an experienced diver with a passion for sharks.
"Conquering a deep rooted fear of the sea terrified of the sharks that roamed there, I made the astonishing decision to try a scuba dive in 2006. The moment I sank beneath the waves and glimpsed the world below the surface I was well and truly hooked. Since that first plunge underwater, I have been fortunate to have dived over 1200 dives in seas and oceans around the globe. My fear of sharks has changed to become a passion. Whenever I would describe my shark encounters to friends or family they invariably expressed concern and questioned why anyone would dive with such a dangerous species. My book came out of the need to redress the balance for this wonderful fish. Sharks have existed for 450 million years, well before the dinosaurs and still exist today. They are being hunted and cruelly killed for their fins and are probably one of the most misunderstood creatures on our planet. The knock-on effect will be catastrophic. Oceans without sharks will cause negative changes to other species, without this apex predator maintaining other fish in check and ultimately our coastlines and reefs will suffer. The oceans need sharks!"
SHARKS ARE SCARY AREN'T THEY? Depicts the emotional journey of Charlie Parker, a fearful twelve-year-old boy, and Jane Jones, a retired dentist and scuba diver, who meet by chance on a beach. Despite the years that separate them, they discover they are more alike than they could have imagined. Sharing the world through the eyes of sharks, hearing about the struggles and dangers they face and how they are on the brink of extinction, brings our two friends closer together. In this book there are stories of shark encounters, the majesty of the underwater world and how the impact of human activity and plastic pollution is affecting their habitat. Most of all, the two characters learn about the power of the human spirit to change in the face of adversity.