Mental health charity worker explores motherhood and grief in new book

Sunday 20 November 2022

An award-winning local author and mental health charity worker has published her latest novel, telling the story of a mother's search for the truth in the face of grief...

Dreena Collins first began writing at University, where she studied Creative Writing under the novelist Patricia Duncker.

At that time, she had some poetry published in magazines and periodicals but explained that "as can easily happen, life got in the way".

Dreena explained: "Four years ago, I was struggling with my sleep, and I felt restless, slightly dissatisfied somehow. I turned to writing with more commitment and approached it like a project. I had a timetable and set myself a target of writing a short story per week. I didn't succeed – but I got pretty close.

"Since then, I have published five short fiction collections, two omnibus collections, one poetry chapbook and three novels. I don't have to use the set structure I set up before; my deadlines are fluid, and I don't need to safeguard set blocks of time for writing because I do it all the time. If I'm not working, sleeping, eating, or with my family, I am writing – or doing something associated with it."

She has also been placed, shortlisted and long-listed in several writing competitions, including Flash500, Retreat West and The Bridport Prize. 

Dreena said: "My advice to anyone who is considering taking up a creative pursuit is not to wait for the right time. It’s now."

Although her story collections centre around powerful contemporary themes such as grief, disability, and homelessness, all of Dreena's novels so far have been published under her "fun and uplifting" alias, Jane Harvey.

Pictured: Dreena has also authored the Hummingbird House Series under her more cheerful pen name.

However, new novel And Then She Fell is Dreena's first novel under her real name, taking departure from her light fiction to cover some challenging topics. The story focusses on themes of motherhood, modern challenges, and a search for the truth.

Main character, 57-year-old Catherine Keely has had her world ripped apart by grief. Independent, insightful, and intelligent – she is also the only person who finds her daughter’s death suspicious. Susie fell from a balcony while on holiday with friends, and one year on, Catherine is determined to unearth the facts about that night. But how well did she truly know Susie, and who – if anyone – can she now trust?

With hints of intrigue, gaslighting, and coercion surfacing, Catherine must be careful, or her own safety could be at stake. And Then She Fell explores the secrets and lies around Susie's life through the eyes of a strong and faithful protagonist.

With a unique structure, the reader experiences ten possible scenarios to explain the tragedy as the narrative unfolds. Follow Catherine's journey as she explores the reasons for Susie's death, and you may find that - just like Catherine - you are unsure exactly what to believe.

Explaining the inspiration behind the book, Dreena said: "My memory is slightly hazy, but I think the idea of the structure came to me first. Although I do want others to read and appreciate my work, ultimately, I write for me, because I love to. I can be easily bored and impatient, and I like to be experimental.

"Writing in this way meant that I could explore a range of topics, and the ten tales of the fall were akin to writing ten short stories within the book. Plus, due to the nature of the incidents described (no spoilers!), some of them are quite erratic and allowed me to stretch myself and play with words."

She added: "I wanted a main protagonist who was a woman in their late 50s. Middle-aged women are prodigious consumers of fiction, but they aren’t often represented in books. Fiction tends to have younger people in their twenties or early thirties or much older characters. I wanted to write about a strong and intelligent but ‘normal’ woman – without a hint of romance!"

Pictured: "If I’m not working, sleeping, eating, or with my family, I am writing – or doing something associated with it."

Although she was initially nervous to publish the book due to its "unusual" structure, Dreena has been delighted by the response so far.

She said: "Since the launch (just days ago), I have been blown away by the reviews I have received. The novel has been picked up by many American and Canadian book bloggers, who I don’t know, and their praise has been incredibly touching.

"One reviewer (with 300 reviews on ‘Goodreads’) made me laugh with her words: 'This is one of the oddest books I’ve read... It is also one of the best stories I have ever read. It’s pretty powerful.' That’s exactly what I set out to achieve."

Dreena's book can be purchased on Amazon and you can find out more about her writing on her website.