As featured on Writing.ie https://www.writing.ie
https://www.writing.ie/tell-your-own-story/gift-of-time/

The Gift of Time by Chele Crawley

Writing.ie | Magazine | Tell Your Own Story | Writing & Me

Chele Crawley

• 20 April 2026

The Gift of Time! Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today: Mullingar writer Chele Crawley tells us how a life-threatening illness spurred to finish her debut novel.

It was a shock cancer diagnosis, at just 35 years of age, in the autumn of 2023, that led me to get serious about finishing my debut novel and bringing it to market. I had been beavering away on a manuscript for several years at that stage, and I had recently joined Inklings, a local writing group, with the intention of improving my writing, when bang – out of nowhere, I found a lump in my left breast.

Within weeks, I was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, an aggressive, fast-growing cancer. As a mother of a young child, I immediately could only think about acting fast and doing everything in my power to stop it in its tracks. I needed to be around for my little girl. I needed to survive. It was that profound, life-altering event that shaped my thinking: Life is short, and you must seize the moment.

NO MORE PUTTING IT ON THE LONG FINGER

When you know that you have a target on your back, gunning for you, it makes you move. There was no more putting the book on the long finger. It couldn’t wait until tomorrow. When you don’t know what the future holds, whether there will be a next year, it propels you to re-evaluate your priorities and do the things you really want to do.

For me, that was spending time with my family and friends and completing my manuscript. I suddenly had razor-sharp focus. I was battling a serious illness, on a rigorous regimen of treatments, yet when I wasn’t in the hospital, or bed-bound following the induction of first-line chemotherapy, I could reliably be found at my laptop, hammering the keys. Throwing myself into my writing was utterly cathartic. It was just the tonic I needed. Well, that and the top-shelf stuff that the Bons Secours in Glasnevin were giving me.

HONING THE CRAFT

I learned an incredible amount about honing the craft of writing during that time: attending Inklings, my local writing group, taking online classes to improve my writing skills, and reading as much as possible. The great Stephen King says you must read to write, and I absolutely agree that reading is like a ‘software update’ for your brain. It embeds and codes in your mind, allowing you to absorb new vocabulary, sentence structure and storytelling techniques. As a teacher, I am always encouraging children to read more, but in the throes of adult life, I had forgotten about the joy and growth it could bring me. I came back to it in a big way, and books have now become a massive part of my life.

I am a member of two book clubs in Mullingar and regularly share my two cents about books on TikTok. Reading and writing are both quite solitary activities, yet since joining my local book clubs and my writing group, they have become communal experiences. The book community offers such a rich sense of community and emotional connection, and now I can’t imagine my life without it.

THE GIFT OF TIME

I recognise that I was blessed with time in 2024. The illness obviously forced me into a corner. I was too weak to work, but my mind was strong, and so, that time on sick leave in a strange sort of way was like time that was gifted to me. ‘I’m all about seeing the positives in a bleak situation, so in a strange turn of events, my cancer journey provided me with the gift of time, and I was determined to use it to full advantage.’

Two and a half years later, I am happy to report that I am in remission and back teaching in the classroom since spring last year. I absolutely adore teaching, but it is extra sweet to have this other side of my life, a creative side that indulges my love of the written word.

AMAZON #1 BESTSELLER

This week, the manuscript that became known in my house as ‘my cancer project’ was released, topping Amazon Ireland’s bestsellers list within twenty-four hours. Lady Dixon’s Niece came out of the trap fierce, strong and hurtled along at a galloping pace. It’s been unbelievable, and it just goes to show that hard work truly does pay off. It truly is the stuff of dreams. I had hopes it might enter the top 30 for a little bit, but I certainly couldn’t have predicted this rocket launch.

HISTORICAL ROMANCE

Lady Dixon’s Niece is a richly imagined romantic historical fiction novel set in England during the Regency era. It follows Annaliese Schmidt, who happily trades her modest agrarian life in North Devon for the sophistication of high society on the assumption that it will be her ticket to social mobility. However, Annaliese soon learns that the path to society comes at the cost of her moral compass.

The path to society is a rather tumultuous one for my protagonist, Annaliese Schmidt. Masquerading under a cloak of deception at the behest of her aunt, she must navigate challenging social conventions, fend off the unwanted advances of a saccharine-tongued neighbourhood creep, and quell the whims of a cunning blackmailer who threatens to expose her secret.

Readers will have to get their hands on the book to find out what happens, but I can promise they won’t be able to stop turning the pages to discover where it leads and how the façade comes tumbling down.

PATH TO PUBLISHING

My path to publishing has been very similar to that of many successful writers who have come before me. I knocked on the doors of traditional publishing houses, got a lot of nicely worded rejections, and even a couple of offers, which I ultimately decided against accepting. We place so much emphasis on getting a writing deal, but the reality is that some deals are bad, and in life, sometimes, no deal is better than a terrible one.  And to that end, I decided to carve my own path, self-publishing my debut novel. On this first outing, I am paddling my own canoe, and I’m looking forward to seeing where that canoe will take me.

LOOKING AHEAD

Lady Dixon’s Niece will be officially launched in Mullingar Library on Thursday, May 21^st. I can’t wait to raise a glass to all the readers who have purchased my Regency drama. It’s they that got me to this position, and it is they that will drive demand for its sequel, which I’ve already started. Looking ahead, I am excited about the summer festival season.

I will kick start it at The Maria Edgeworth’s Festival in Edgeworthstown on Saturday, May 22^nd. I am honoured to be included in the billing, and another highlight for me will be a festival I’m on the organising committee for this year’s Mullingar Literary Festival, which is building on the success of its inaugural year, with a scintillating weekend of literary events. It’s these types of events that are inspiring the wealth of writing talent in this country, and I’m so proud to be part of something that does just that.

(c) Chele Crawley

About Lady Dixon’s Niece:

England, 1812

When Annaliese Schmidt is invited by her well-to-do aunt, Lady Dixon, to trade her agrarian life on the wild moors of Devonshire for the sophistication of high society, near London, she assumes this will be her ticket to social mobility. However, the naive eighteen-year-old will soon learn that the path to society comes at the cost of her moral compass.

Masquerading under a cloak of deception, Annaliese must navigate challenging social conventions, fend off the unwanted advances of a saccharine-tongued neighbourhood creep, and quell the whims of a cunning blackmailer who threatens to expose her secret.

In a game of cat and mouse, can Annaliese keep up the pretence?
Can she continue to lie once she finds herself falling for a kind, handsome and unassuming son of a baron?
Will the audience spot the elephant in the room when she is coerced into performing on stage in a ridiculous farce that parodies her rags-to-riches scheme?
When will the façade come tumbling down?

Lady Dixon’s Niece is available in both paperback and Kindle format from Amazon.

About the author

Chele Crawley is an Irish author with a passion for Regency-era storytelling and complex, character-driven narratives. Lady Dixon’s Niece marks her debut novel.