Who are the true heroes?

Someone sent me some lovely feedback on 'The Storm' last night. They asked why I decided to write something so different to 'Becoming.' It's an interesting question. I knew when I started writing 'The Storm' the logical step was to write 'Awakening', the follow up to 'Becoming.' But when you write you're never sure where it's going to take you, and I felt I wanted to try something new and different. It was important for me in trying to develop my writing. I'm also a bit contrary. One of the questions that I kept asking when I was writing 'The Storm' was - who are the real heroes? History is filled with tales of kings and queens, leaders and generals. This is the history they teach us at school. But the true heroes are all around us. They are the people who built our communities, lived and died for our families, friends, and neighbours. What remains of those heroes is love and memories, and it’s vital we keep those alive. At the centre of 'The Storm' is the story of a rescue, of a lifeboat. I grew up hearing the bang of the rockets announcing the launch of the lifeboat. There was a mystery and intrigue every time you heard it. There was danger and fear. You knew that people’s lives were at risk, and we heard stories of many that never returned. Of course, the story is about more than just a boat. The important people are the ones who risked their lives in it. How many people are alive today thanks to the heroism of those people? How many of us wouldn’t be alive today, if it wasn’t for them? This thought fascinated me, and in a way I wanted to help ensure their story was heard.Writers, historians, musicians, artists and all creatives play an important role in keeping our heroes alive. I hope my books are more than just stories, but also make people think and reflect on the world. Love is a key theme that underpins ‘The Storm.’ Love of family and community, and the lengths people will go to in order to protect that love. ‘The Storm’ is also about love and strangers, how we view and treat them, especially when we think the people and things we love are being threatened.‘The Storm’ is inspired by a historical event but it isn’t a history book. It is pieces of history filtered through my imagination. The beauty of being a writer is you can take fragments of truth and turn them into new and different versions of the truth. It’s one of the many joys of writing. I hope I have done those heroes justice, especially Philip Jefferson. He strikes me as a hero in its truest sense, a remarkable man. His story deserves to be heard.