Welcome to my blog, Dawne. Shall we have a chat? I welcome your words of wisdom on my blog.

Hello, my name is Dawne Archer, also known as Trekker Girl.

I ventured into writing following my trek in the Sahara Desert in 2012. Before that, I had only written pieces required in my job in marketing. Nothing substantial or with an ongoing theme. Curiosity led me to join a Writer’s Group that advised me to “Write about what you know.” As my desert trekking experience was fresh in my mind (it was more challenging than I expected), that was where I started.

This was my first attempt at giving a voice to my emotions and experiences and I often found it difficult. Each chapter was commented on at a Writer’s Group meeting, with constructive criticism helping me onwards. I found it hard to accept initially but soon realised I had to listen to other opinions whilst keeping my voice.

Reliving the experiences as I was writing about them brought back strong emotions.

I never contemplated giving up the writing side of things as I was focused on that rather than “Will this ever be a published book.”

Most of my support came from the Writer’s Group and my writing mentor Van Johnson who has self-published many adventure novels.

1 in 4 people die of issues related to blood clots, an astonishing statistic from Thrombosis UK, the charity I chose to support on my trek. Also, after 90 minutes of sitting, we lose 50% of the blood flow in our legs. As readers and writers, we often lose track of time, sitting in one position for prolonged periods. Get up and move around every hour or so and be aware of the signs and symptoms of clots. Lucky to have survived the ones I had in my leg and lungs, it is my aim to raise awareness whenever possible and continue to support Thrombosis UK in any way I can.

The best advice given to me about books is… Write more!

The best life advice? Enjoy today, plan for tomorrow and don’t dwell on the past, my philosophy for life.

“If you love memoirs, travel tales, and stories of endurance, this is an essential read.” Taken from an Amazon review, I think it sums up this book.

When I first published it in 2017, I used a photo from my trek for the cover. It was a view of trekkers climbing up the ridge of a huge dune. I felt emotional when I did this climb, as I had always pictured myself in that position. However, this year I decided to relaunch the book. Putting to good use all I have learned over the past few years; this included a new cover. I had some help with it, resulting in the current one. I think it makes much more of an impact.

I have been concentrating on the relaunch and promotion of Trekker Girl Morocco Bound this year. However, I plan to write about some of my other exciting travel adventures in the future.

Thank you for the opportunity to introduce myself to readers of your blog. Your questions are interesting and have made me think about writing in general and Trekker Girl Morocco Bound in particular. Your support is appreciated.

CONTACTS

Email: trekkergirl@outlook.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/trekkergirl2012/

Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/dawnearcher

Twitter: @DawneArcher19

Universal buy link https://mybook.to/TrekkerGirl

Dawne lives a full and active life, indulging her curious nature through travel by any means possible. Backpacking, road trips, cruising, sailing, whatever opportunity comes her way.

Brave or foolhardy? That is the question Dawne asks herself when she stubbornly pursues her goal of trekking in the Sahara Desert to raise funds for Thrombosis UK.

Suffering blood clots in her leg and lung at the age of 26, Dawne’s quest is to raise awareness of thrombosis, donating profits from sales of Trekker Girl Morocco Bound to the charity.

As a radio presenter, she interviews people from all walks of life. Often, she becomes the interviewee, talking about her brush with death and how life is still an adventure, despite her diagnosis of an inherited clotting disorder.

Dawne started writing to describe the ups and downs of her unforgettable desert trek. Reliving her travel experiences encourages her to write on.

Watch out for more from Dawne Archer, Trekker Girl.