Winds of Change - Blog Tour Guest Post & Giveaway with author Helene Young

Winds of Change

I’ve always pursued a career. It’s been immensely rewarding, paid the bills and given purpose to my day but, as I’m fast discovering, it’s also shaped my identity to the point where change is difficult.

I started flying in 1989 and have been gainfully employed as a pilot ever since. I worked my way through Flying Instructor ratings until I could teach all levels, including other instructors. In 1997 I joined QantasLink in Cairns and became a First Office, then a Captain. Three years on I became a Training Captain, then progressed to be a Check and Training Captain.

I loved my job and enjoyed not only flying the aircraft, but also training pilots. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the understanding dawn when the pieces fall into place. I also enjoyed being able to mentor other women in what is still very much a male dominated industry, although in QantasLink 20 percent of pilots are women – a remarkable achievement against an industry standard of 5 percent.

Two years ago I was grounded because I experienced episodes of vertigo – no one wants a dizzy pilot on a flight deck…

My manager convinced me to come to Brisbane for the role of Qld Regional Flying Manager. By then we were living aboard Roobinesque, our twelve-metre catamaran, so moving was logistically easy. My mum was living independently in Brisbane, but becoming frailer so it was a simple choice to leave somewhere I loved, and our friends, to head south and look after her.

Two years on and it’s time for another change. The pain of turning up to work every day knowing I can’t fly an aircraft hasn't really lessened with time. I know it’s just a grieving process, but I miss flying and the challenges it presents.

I’ve had to acknowledge that a 26 year career in aviation means I see myself as a pilot and that’s about to stop. I’ll be a retired pilot (although I’m technically too young for that!) who used to have the best view in the world.

Luckily I’ve been building a career as an author and we always had plans to do some extended cruising. Come July this year those plans are going to become reality.

In three days time I hang up my wings and test whether writing can be my next career - it will be a little easier to let go of aviation knowing that I’m heading to something else. Whereas Capt G is very happy to be retired, (and he’s a bit young for that too…) I know that I need to have a purpose in my life. I hope that writing will give me that focus.

We’ll sail out of Brisbane and be ‘of no fixed abode.’ It’s daunting, exciting, challenging and will hopefully pay some bills (fingers crossed!) I figure since I produced a book a year for the last six years while still working full time I may be more disciplined than I think. I’d like to produce 2 books a year, one non-fiction, one fiction, but we’ll see.

I know there’s still grieving to be done. Mum’s only just slipped away and I miss her. Leaving Brisbane brings its own sorrow, but I’ll be happy to be on the water and heading north.

There’s lots of adjusting to be done for Capt G and me. No doubt there will be some negotiating required to find our space on the boat 24/7. Settling into a new rhythm that doesn’t involved putting on a uniform or going to an office sounds like a whole lot of fun, but then I may just miss the wonderful team of people I work with. 260 pilots manage to provide many laughs, even my troublesome 1 percent...

I’ll be blogging and sharing photographs on social media as we journey so I hope you’ll join Capt G, Zeus the Salty Seadog, and me as we point Roobinesque to the horizon and see where the winds of change take us. Wish us luck!

Have you had to cope with a big change in your career or in life? How did you do it? Was it hard or an easy transition? I’d love to hear your stories.

Helene

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GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate the upcoming release of my sixth book tomorrow, 27^th May, 2015, I have six prize packs to give away. Four of them are duos of SAFE HARBOUR and NORTHERN HEAT and one major prize is a complete set of my six books. For international readers there is a duo of e-books to be won.

TO ENTER: leave a comment here. Share the post on social media and I’ll double your chances!

Hope to see you through May at the following blogs.

5^th May:          http://bookdout.wordpress.com

7^th May:          http://auslit.net

10^th May:        http://deannasworld1.blogspot.com.au

12^th May:         http://www.jennjmcleod.com

14^th May:         http://ausromtoday.com

17th May:         https://1girl2manybooks.wordpress.com

19th May:         http://writenotereviews.com

21st May:          https://australianbookshelf.wordpress.com

24^th May:         https://nevendbookshelf.wordpress.com/category/reviews/

26th May:         http://teddyree-theeclecticreader.blogspot.com.au

28^th May:         http://australianruralromance.com

31^st May:          http://talkingbooksblog.net

2^nd June:        Wrap up and announce the winner on my blog-

                          http://www.heleneyoung.com

Northern Heat – Release date 27^th May, 2015

          

Synopsis: In steamy northern Queensland, Conor is rebuilding his shattered life. Working at Cooktown's youth centre has given him the chance to make a difference again, and the opportunity to flirt with Dr Kristy Dark. The local GP is hiding her own secrets and struggling to raise her feisty teenage daughter alone.

When a severe cyclone menaces the coast, threatening to destroy everything in its path, tensions come to a head – and the weather is not the only danger. Cut off from the world and with her life on the line, Kristy will have to summon her courage and place her trust in Conor, or they'll both lose someone they love.

Pre-order Buy Links

http://www.booktopia.com.au

http://www.amazon.com.au

http://www.bookworld.com.au

I loved Northern Heat, my review will be posted tomorrow (Wednesday) and I'd recommend Helene's books in a heartbeat. If you want a little taste of what you're in for check out my review of Half Moon Bay and Safe Harbour.