Interview session with Wakey Wakey Rise and Shine author Amanda Bakewell.
Young Jess loves much of her life, living in a beautiful castle. A seemingly idyllic life, in a loving and happy community. But there’s a dark shadow hanging over it – an invading dragon that has a terrifying hold over the castle and everyone who lives there.
As everyone falls into hopeless fear, Jess begins to wonder. Is there no way to change her terrible situation? Jess must face her darkest fears and discover who she really is.
Will she take the leap of faith and find the light that will finally lead her home from fear?
We spoke to author Amanda Bakewell about how she found her inner peace and how her children’s book can help others do the same.
Is there any special significance to the title?
Many years ago, I had an idea that I would write a book with this title. There was always this feeling that it would be a spiritual book about waking up to the truth, love, and light that we all really are, within. Also, working as a therapist over the years and deepening my own spiritual journey, the meaning behind the title became clearer. I experienced more and more the space of peace, love, light, and clarity within, a feeling of waking up to truly coming home and remembering the light and shine that we really are.
The title also has a lightness and ease about it which I feel is fitting too.
What inspired you to write this story and want to share it?
I had a recurring dream when I was nine years old. There was a series of five dreams that always continued from where the last dream ended.
They didn’t really make sense at the time, but they always stayed fresh and clear in my mind. Over these last few years, the underlying meaning of the dream has become clearer, leading to many ‘lightbulb’ moments of clarity and understanding.
I now feel that the message behind the dream has become more of a reality in my day-to-day life.
By facing my fears, being with them, feeling them, hearing them, and not running away and hiding from them, I am able to find a deeper place within myself.
I found a space where there is always peace, love, and clarity. I can still feel and see any fears but they do not take me over, and I can have a compassion and kindness for myself that takes those fears on. Underneath the seeming darkness of the fear, there is aways light, truth, freedom, love, and liberation.
I feel that when we are born, the sensations of life are so strong that they pull us out of ourselves, and we forget the light that we truly are. We are temporarily lost in the limited world of just being our minds, in fearful survival mode and trying to earn love, approval, and safety. This will always lead to fear and suffering. But this is our signpost to come back home to the true nature of love and light that radiates from within.
Because I had the dream as a child, it felt fitting to write it in the genre of children’s fiction.
I also think, as humans, we have always conveyed deep truths and meaning within the power of storytelling.
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What do you want readers to know about your life that corresponds to your book?
We all have fears, but they are not who we really are. I live my life by choosing to focus my attention, my consciousness, within, by realising that true freedom, love, and joy is an inside job that wells up and flows outwards, not the other way around – that my ‘life’, relationships, objects, and possessions provide love, security, and peace.
The dragon in my book represents the fears that we all have, the fears that can make us feel frozen, helpless, powerless, and lost to do anything about them.
The struggle with fear allows us to find a path back to the truth and energy that we always were. The dragon is our way home all along.
I have worked with many clients as a hypnotherapist over the years, and I love the moment, no matter what fear or emotional state they are in, when they get to experience the inner love, peace, space, and clarity of who they really are.
My dad shared his love for animals and nature with me, inspiring me to become a veterinary nurse and later teaching others to do the same. It felt very natural to include real-life tales of the absolute joy of being around nature, animals, and birth.
Are there any unique qualities to the book?
I feel the book can be read at many different levels. Although based on a dream that I embellished into a short book, it does have a much deeper message. I feel dreams can be very insightful and guiding. The unique quality of this book is epitomised through the age-old power of storytelling, showing deep truth and insight about who we are and how we are doing on our journey through life.
I hope the reader can find huge insight, guidance, and liberation to discover the truth of who they really are, underneath the fears, worries, anxieties, and resentments that seemingly overwhelming us, to be able to learn to witness life, to be aware and observe life from the powerful being that they truly are. I feel we are here to experience the joy and wonder of life, seeing through all the disturbances that fear brings, choosing to be with the consciousness within, learning to liberate and free ourselves.
This is not a religious book, but I do feel that it has deep spiritual meaning.
The book invites the reader to go within and deeper to discover the greatness and love that they always were and are.
Are your characters fictional, or are they inspired by anyone the reader might know?
The leading character is named after my grandmother, Jessica, who has passed away now.
Her experiences throughout the book are very much based on how I experienced myself within the dream and certain events that were and have remained prevalent in my life – my love of animals, nature, spirituality, the deeper meaning of life, and who we truly are.
My own very dear father died when I was twelve, and my husband passed away when we were both forty years old. This gave me a deeper understanding of sadness, love, and grief.
My children, Ashleigh and Alex, are woven within the characters in the book too, especially experiencing and appreciating unconditional love.
Other than that, I have tried to make the other characters purely fictitious.
Thank you for the interview.
About the book
Title: Wakey Wakey Rise and Shine
Author: Amanda Bakewell
Content: Wakey Wakey Rise and Shine is an illuminating and liberating story of finding the courage to see the truth behind a lifelong and terrifying fear. It’s about unlocking the mystery of time behind warring castles and a seemingly invincible dragon and what truly lies in our hearts.
About the author
Amanda Bakewell enjoys living in Derbyshire with her two children, Ashleigh and Alex, her dog, Jess, and Puzzle, her cat. She was a Veterinary Nurse, then Lecturer and Examiner for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.
Her husband’s passing in 2010 inspired Amanda to fully explore her lifelong passion and interest in the scientific and spiritual aspects of well-being and life. She became a Reiki Master, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Emotional Freedom Technique Practitioner and Meditation Teacher.
She began her own Holistic Therapy practice called Lucid Therapies, guiding truth-seekers to awaken to the truth, love, and well-being of who they really are.
She has travelled and loves it — from road trips across South Africa, Hawaii and Sri Lanka to a year backpacking across SE Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the U.S., as well as tours around the UK in her camper.
Amanda is a wanderer at heart who feels at home with her family and in nature.
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