A CREATIVE writer has achieved a lifelong ambition by publishing her first children's novel.

Christine Dawson, 47, who was born in Ulverston, has lived in Saudi Arabia for the last four years on an expat compound working as an executive secretary but she has always harboured desires to unleash her creative juices and write a children's book.

Ms Dawson said: "I have always been interested in novels but working all the time got in the way of my ambitions to be a writer.

"A lot of blood and sweat has been put into writing this book and there have been lots of late nights and early mornings to squeeze everything in but I'm glad that it has all come together and I can't wait to come back to Cumbria and hopefully see it in my local book stores."

The Nomigranates, which was released on August 9 and is available on Amazon, follows a group of tropical fruit people who descend to earth to watch over the children as they sleep. The quirky book is aimed at three to seven-year-olds and can be used by parents as a tool to help their children get into a bedtime routine.

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Ms Dawson said: "I don't think there are any other books that tackle sleep in the way that I have. It acts as a step-by-step guide and gives some great instructions to parents who are struggling to get their children to sleep and I hope that the story is comforting to kids too."

The 47-year-old has been able to visit many new countries by living in the Middle East but is hoping to return to Cumbria permanently by 2018.

She added: "I did struggle out here in my first year as it was quite overwhelming but I've made new friends and I've seen places that I would have never been able to visit before so I wouldn't have changed it for the world.

"However, having seen many countries there is still nowhere quite as beautiful as the English Lake District, which will always be home to me."

ABOUT THE NOMIGRANATES

In her book, Christine Dawson depicts the imaginative story of The Nomigranates, who are tropical fruit people and guardians of children’s sleep.

By day the Nomigranates live and go about their business on the clouds in Cloud Haven, but when dusk falls, the Nomigranates descend to earth to protect children while they sleep.

This book is aimed to help parents create a bedtime that all young children will look forward to.

While getting to know the characters, children will learn about new types of fruit and will be encouraged to sleep easier at night, knowing the Nomigranates are watching over them all the while.

There are nine Nomigranates in total:-

1) Dragonfruit Nomigranate

2) Pomegranate Nomigranate

3) Plantain Nomigranate

4) Mr Date Nomigranate

5) Guana Bana Nomigranate

6) Sugar Apple Nomigranate

7) Tamarind Nomigranate

8 & 9) Mr & Mrs Farmer Abu

The book was published by American publisher Balboa Press on August 9 2016.

It is available through Amazon or on Bookstore.Balboapress.com.

A Facebook page dedicated to the Nomigranates can be found here.