St Helens author's new book will be a fitting tribute to the Queen

The 29-year-old’s 5th book for children tells the story of the Loch Ness Monster being invited to tea at Buckingham Palace by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As Rebecca and illustrator Lorna Gray were putting the finishing touches to their book and planning the publication launch for the end of September, the Queen sadly passed away at Balmoral Castle on September 8.

The book is now a fitting tribute to the longest serving monarch and how she continued to serve her country, despite her health concerns in recent years.

A Monster Tea at the Palace

Rebecca said: “It’s a funny story about the day the Queen invites her oldest friend Nessie – the Loch Ness Monster – to dinner.

“Unfortunately, Nessie has a huge secret which accidentally messes up the occasion.

“It was difficult to write as I wanted to celebrate a mythical figure from history while acknowledging the Queen who was a pillar of consistency, love and duty throughout her life.

“A tea party with the Queen and Nessie seemed like the perfect way to do both.

“The Queen’s death came as such a shock just as we were preparing to tell everyone about our latest book – a very royal story about the Queen and the Loch Ness Monster.”

Lorna Gray illustrating the book (Crumps Barn Studio)

Rebecca received the visibility award in 2015 for shedding light on invisible illnesses and advocating awareness for hidden conditions.

She has spent the last few weeks with vivid green hair to highlight dystonia, which is a movement disorder that causes muscles spasms and contractions.

Rebecca also lives with classical Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes frequent joint dislocations.

The mum-of-two was diagnosed with dystonia just over a decade ago, when she was studying to be a midwife, and has been an ambulatory wheelchair user ever since.

Around 100,000 people are affected by dystonia in the UK but knowledge and awareness of the condition is limited with sufferers having to fight for the right diagnosis and treatment.

Rebecca said: “Dystonia explained simply is part of the brain sends incorrect signals which cause muscle to spasms.

“This can range from a little bit of pulling and discomfort or my voice being affected, to obvious spasms that cause tremors or odd postures.

“Little things like writing with a pen I generally cannot do for more than a few minutes without it causing spasms and when I'm writing my books they all have to be done on my laptop.”

Rebecca was diagnosed with classical Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS) not long after she was diagnosed with dystonia and this causes her joints to dislocate easily when she has a spasm.

She also suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and epilepsy.

She said: “Living with invisible illnesses can be frustrating and depressing.

“It’s so easy to get disheartened and I sometimes feel side-lined.

“I was training to be a midwife but had to stop and even writing gets hard.

“I do have to be strict with myself and ensure that I now only type my work.

“I used to write up all my work in notebooks but my fingers would dislocate all the time.

“While my invisible illnesses may mean I have to control how much I do in a day, they won’t stop me from continuing to strive onwards.

“I do what I can as I am also a mum to two children aged five and three with my fiancé.

“Living with invisible illness is difficult, but it isn’t what people think.

“This is one of the reasons why I am passionate about remaining an open book on the subject and campaigning for awareness. “

Rebecca McDowall with green hair for Go Green for Dystonia, which runs for the month of September

A Monster Tea at the Palace has been written for young children to enjoy at bedtime as well as older children and Rebecca is marking the launch with a series of book signing events across the north west, including The Book Stop in St Helens and Waterstones in Warrington.

Rebecca said: “So much of life is living in wonder, hope and the magic of make believe.

“I’ve attempted to merge reality with that wonderful sense of possibility.

“I can’t wait to share the full story of what really happened when Nessie came to the palace to meet the Queen!

“I wanted to tell a story which might explain why Nessie isn’t seen very much anymore.

“That’s the wonder and joy of Nessie - she has always been so mysterious but why?

“For me, it was easy to picture sitting down by the loch and wonder what you would feed her if she came to tea.”

Rebecca will be at Waterstones Warrington on Wednesday, October 26 between 11am and 1pm and at The Book Stop in St Helens on Thursday, October 6 from 11am until 2pm.