Who is C A Hargreaves

The life and journey of a working mum.


All presents have a past, all journeys have a start, and all parents have a childhood. I am a mother and a published author now. But I haven’t always been where I am now. So before I can talk about where I want to be I need to look at where I have come from.

The Past

Okay, okay I won’t bore you to tears with the whole story, skip of the ugly parts about domestic abuse; not to me; as much; but to my mum. Skip over the many nights and days of seeing my mum drunk and silly.

The year is; I think 2000; I have just started a computer course, I am 20 years old, and I meet the future love of my life Peter. Tall; man is he tall 6 feet 3 inches, dark hair (didn’t know at this stage that he also came with the brooding part of the tall dark and handsome).

We were friends for ages, at least six months. Then one night we were lying in bed watching a movie (I had my own flat and had been out of home for at least 2-3 years) The Matrix I think it was… and I leaned over and nervously kissed him… and he kissed me back… anyway 6 months or so later I was getting ready to celebrate my 21st and hello no period.

8 months later on 16 September 2001, and after 14 or so hours of hard labor out pops Aidan; 8 pounds 3 ounces. And there is my boy, but to be honest by that stage all I wanted to do was sleep.

Over the next two months I slowly adjusted to being a mother….this is for a whole nother article though… then one morning I get a knock on the door, it was Peter’s mum I think, “there’s a phone call for you Cindy”.

It was Peter’s birthday (19 November 2001) so I didn’t think anything of it. It was Poppy’s wife (Mum’s step mum) “I’ve got some bad news, don’t go to your mum’s this morning, she passed away through the night.” None of this sunk in until I went to the funeral home and touched my mum on her hand; it was cold and hard like cement…. Even though I had my 2 month baby in his front pouch I fell apart.

9 months or so later opps number 2 is on his way, we decided to get married. When Aidan is 18 months old (23 March 2003) Jared enters the world (funny thing Aidan was born at 1.25 in the morning and Jared was born at 1.25 in the afternoon both on a Sunday).

By this time I and Peter had spilt…. There was a few years there when the only civil thing we could say to each other was about the kids…. (Once again a subject for another article) but over time we have become friends again.

Okay, okay, it is 24 August 2004 Aidan, Jared and I are heading to Australia to live because I needed the support of my sister and dad. During this time 24 August 2004 to 10 January 2007 I slowly work through my depression, and start really working on my writing…. Have always written but during this time I got my very first Laptop.

10 January 2007 arrive back in the country and there he is My Peter is waiting for me… I must have looked hideous. We live in Avondale, Auckland together for about 6 months and then Peter decides it’s all too much for him…. I few months later I move back home to Whangarei, we stayed with friends for a couple of weeks to a month and then I got a house.

It was in that house that I started CinHar Publishing, my new baby. January 2009, not sure the exact date… sometime around my 29th birthday. Mainly worked on small articles and short stories. June that year I published “A Simple Guide to Skincare”

The Present

And on to this year 2010, I hit the big 3 oh, my son’s are 6 going on 7 and 8 going on 9, I have written “Children of the Curse” the Prelude it is currently available as an eBook and I get the first lot of 50 back from the printers this week.

In the final editing stages of “Shield of Darkness” Book 1: Children of the Curse.

Oh, also, in March I embarked on a new journey in the form of doing a Bachelor of Applied Science with yep you guessed it a Communications Major. My first course is “Writing for the Web” and this is where I met (through cyber space as my course is online) my rock star of an editor Justine of Just Right editing.

Anyway back to what I was saying I am in the final stages of Shield of Darkness (SOD) and it will be in Justine’s hands on Friday.

Also in the process of re-vamping cinhar.net.

Writing outlines for the other Children of the Curse booklets, and other storylines as they come to me.

Once I have finished Shield of Darkness I will be working on “Memory and Power” or is it “Power and Memory” Book 2: Children of the Curse due for release 19 August 2010.

Have I mentioned that I am dyslexic? Well it can be rather annoying especially when I get nervous and I start to stutter as well. Cause then not only do I say things all mixed up I also get stuck on words. “F F Fox Mr… you dr dr dr dropped your sock.” Okay so I’m not normally that bad but you get the picture. But also sometimes when someone is speaking it sounds like an alien is talking and all I hear for a few seconds is gibberish.

The Future

I want CinHar Publishing (CHP) to support me and my boys, that is I can come off my benefit and earn a comfortable wage…well heck at this stage I would simply be happy if CHP could replace my wage on the benefit.

To get to this stage, I am re-designing cinhar.net to focus solely on CinHar Publishing. I am going to get a simple listing in this year’s phone book. As well as get some advertising literature made and distributed. As well as organize a book signing for Shield of Darkness as well as any other publications.

Also sign a minimum of two new authors for the Caprice Fiction line and at least 4 for Simple Guides.