Authors in the shadows can lead very interesting lives full of inspiration for the next engaging story: I am the author (and sometimes illustrator) of 12 children's picture books. Three new books were just recently released. I am a certified Canadian audiologist and had an amazing 23-year career that took me to Kuwait, England, and the far north of Canada (Northwest Territories and Nunavut), culminating in an eight year stint as the head of the audiology unit in a large rehabilitation hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2013,
I went back to school to complete a second master's degree, this time in education, and I am now a teacher of English as an additional language. My husband, an educator with many hats, had followed me around the globe for 23 years and now I follow him. My first job teaching was in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. We traded in the parkas, heavy boots, gloves, scarves and pollution masks for short-sleeved shirts, sunglasses and sandals and relocated to Yaoundé, Cameroon almost two years ago.
Many of my books have been inspired by the children I have worked with as an audiologist and ELL teacher. Most have received 5-star reviews and one recently received a silver medal for cover design. I had the pleasure of reading one of my books to the three and four year old Pre-K classes and it was sheer delight to hear them giggling throughout the reading. I am still very much in the shadows when it comes to selling my books (very difficult from Africa), but it tickles my heart when students find my books in the library and announce, "Ms. Dawn, you're a real live author!" Knowing that my books bring on laughter and tears brings me great joy and I dream that one day my stories will touch more and more people around the world. My time will eventually dawn (pun intended).
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