Teen publishes children's eco novel

Tiffany Wynne had always been an avid reader, but it was during the quiet hours tucked away and poring over pages that the precocious teenager realised her true calling: writing.

Inspired by novels she was reading and the natural world around her, Tiffany began crafting her own story, pouring her heart into the adventure that would soon become her first published novel: ‘The Adventures of Rosie & Sweetpea: A Forest in Trouble!’

Written under the pseudonym ‘Tiffannie H. Wynne’, Tiffany from Cloverhill admits the journey from pen to publication wasn’t always immediately straightforward.

She wrote her first draft of the new children’s novel back in 2019, while still in primary school, for a storytelling competition that was advertised at the time.

“It didn’t win so it went in a box for a couple of years. But about a year or so ago we pulled it out, dusted it off and decided to fix it up,” says Tiffany, thanking her mentor mum Elliesue for encouraging her daughter to pursue her writing ambitions.

A more mature reflection served Tiffany well in her writing endeavours, spending hours more in refining the manuscript, and losing herself in the colourful lives of the characters she created.

Set in the picturesque Cavan countryside, Tiffany’s story follows 11-year-old Rosie O’Sullivan, an animal-loving girl with a fierce sense of responsibility. Her life changes when she meets ‘Sweetpea’, a talking fox who asks for help to save their forest home from destruction from developers.

Intertwining themes of environmental stewardship, friendship, and courage, together they embark on a daring mission to save the animal’s woodland home.

Places that many local people will know also make an appearance - like Castlesaunderson where Tiffany regularly goes for walks with her family.

Even the small forest to the rear of the home Tiffany shares with her family serves as inspiration to delve deeper into her own love and sense for adventure, as well as a desire to create a world where anything was possible.

She is well aware the themes explored in the book have a deep resonance at the present time, but doesn’t believe the concepts are too advanced for children of all ages to learn from and enjoy.

“I really enjoyed the process [of writing]. I love animals. Rosie loves animals as well. So we’re very similar.”

Tiffany is the youngest author in her publisher, Book Writing Inn’s stable.

Producing a book requires many participants, Tiffany would find. Such is the vibrancy of her characters that she needed an illustrator, who in this case was a close friend in America, Tina Vinson. She hand sketched each drawing and from from there, publisher Book Writing Inn brought it all to life.

While this book is only the beginning of Rosie and Sweetpea’s adventures together, it is also a starting point from which Tiffany is determined to keep writing.

As a young author she says she “couldn’t have asked for a better partner” than Book Writing Inn which is a publishing house with a presence both in the UK and US.

“Their team supported me every step of the way, from turning my ideas into a polished manuscript to creating a beautiful cover that perfectly captures the spirit of my story. They truly cared about my vision and made the entire process exciting and stress-free. Book Writing Inn didn’t just help me publish a book; they made my dream of becoming an author a reality.”

The 17 year-old was homeschooled for the past five years, going back to attend mainstream classes as a fifth year student at St Bricin’s Secondary College in Belturbet last December.

But despite those additional demands she is keen to keep writing, and expects several more instalments to come from adventures involving Rosie and Sweetpea.

The next book is “almost finished” Tiffany reveals. “It’s very exciting.”

‘The Adventures of Rosie & Sweetpea: A Forest in Trouble!’ can be bought online in both book and digital download from Amazon, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Bokus (Sweden) and many others worldwide.