
I wrote a post a few days ago about my love for being inspired – you can click here to read it.
Basically, in that post I announced that I will be interviewing my blogger friends here on WordPress.com as a way of being inspired. Inspired by their dedication, motivation, their writing and blogging journeys, their photography and much more.
Today is the first post in the series. The blogger/writer being interviewed is Robbie Cheadle. I don’t recall how Robbie and I became blogging friends, but I must say she is so inspiring and wonderful. I hope you enjoy this three-part interview with Robbie.
Where does the inspiration to write come from? Featuring Robbie Cheadle Part 1
In this three-part series, we will be speaking to Robbie/Roberta Cheadle who has written books in several genres, whilst running a household, working fulltime as an accountant, and actively managing two blogs.

Robbie lives in South Africa (SA), and is married with two children, and has a senior position in an international accounting company. Yet, she has found time to publish seven children’s books, and publish fictionalized memoirs with her mother, and branch out into horror. Along with writing books, she runs two blogs, she has expanded her writing skills into editing, research and beta reading.
Robbie is a true inspiration for myself. She has so much energy in all aspects of life. She fits everything in – as we will all discover through this series of interviews with her.
Today we are going to focus on her children’s books.
Where did the inspiration come from?
In 2015, my son, Michael, was nine years old and my niece seven and a half, and their naughty but cute antics inspired me to start writing poetry again. I continued to write for the remainder of that year and expanded into helping Michael write his ideas about a little man who lived in a world where you could eat everything (Sir Chocolate) into rhyming verse stories.
Michael has a vivid imagination and would talk about the characters, Sir Chocolate and Lady Sweet, who lived in Chocolate Land and who went around their world, helping others and putting wrong situations right.
My initial aim with writing these stories was to encourage Michael to read and write as he has a learning barrier and writing, particularly, was difficult for him.
Michael and I read the stories to the children at Sunday school, and one of the other mothers gave me the name of a friend of hers in the UK who published books. I submitted our stories to TSL Publications and that was the beginning of my published books journey.
The Illustrations in the books are quite unique – tell us more.

The idea of illustrating them using cake and fondant art was mine. Fondant art and cake decorating have been a hobby of mine for years and this story idea lent itself to edible illustrations. Michael has always been interested in baking, cooking, and food art so he used to sit with me when I did my fondant art and make his own creations.
I started taking pictures of our artworks and using them to illustrate our books.
How did the idea of including a recipe in Sir Chocolate books come about?
My brother-in-law, who works in advertising, suggested we add the recipes and make our books into a first cookery book for children. It wasn’t difficult for me to come up with simple recipes that children could make under adult supervision as I’ve always baked.
A Family Effort
The creation of the Sir Chocolate Books series was a real family effort with suggestions and ideas contributed by my extended family. My older son, Gregory, has also helped with my writing by filming and editing my YouTube videos and baking demonstrations for our channel.
Will there be more children’s book?
Michael and I have seven published Sir Chocolate stories as well as a number of Sir Chocolate stories that are available for free download on Robbie’s Inspiration (Roberta Writes blog). There will be no more published Sir Chocolate Books as Michael has grown out of the series now.
I have a second book in the Silly Willy series which is about three quarters complete and I am hoping to finish that during 2021.
I do enjoy writing for children, and I will continue to do so, but for an older age group.
The Interview continues…
In part two, we explore how Robbie started her writing journey, how she got into writing about World War II, Horror and Supernatural, editing, becoming a beta-reader and researching for her books. Finally in part three we learn about her writing habits and her advice to bloggers and wanna be writers, and how she juggles it all.
Are you inspired, motivated ?
I hope you liked this first part of the” Let gets inspired” series. It is amazing to read from Robbie’s experience that an opportunity presented itself – maybe without her looking for it. I certainly believe life can create magic opportunities that appear from nowhere (or maybe the universe was listening to her heart and her heart was saying…. and bingo it happened).
Do let me know your thoughts on this post in the comments in below. And do visit again to read part two and three of Robbie’s interview. After which I have five other bloggers interviews lined up, and may be more as 2021 progresses.
Thank you for popping by. Do share your thoughts below in the comments.
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Wonderful review on Robbie. She is one blogger who I love to read all her posts. She always motivates me and so talented is she, Bella. I love her way of making awesome cakes from fondants and such a great writer too. Thank you so much for this fantastic share.
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Thank you
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You are always welcome Bella. Must say a wonderful review you have done, lovely presentation too. Thank you so much.
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Thank you
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Welcome.
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Thank you, Kamal. I appreciate your lovely comment.
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You are always welcome dear Robbie. Love your positive attitude towards Life. Love and light to you 😊😊😊😊❤️❤️❤️❤️
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Robbie is so talented, she quite the all-rounder.
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Yes Bella so true. I have sent you my picture on your email address let me know if you have received it
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Thank you, Bella, for this lovely post. It is much appreciated.
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Welcome and thanks for bring such a great person to interview.
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A lovely interview Bella and Robbie is a true inspiration. I especially love how she uses the cake fondant to create her illustrations as it comes so naturally to her.
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Thank you, and thanks to Robbie for a great interview. Yes Robbie’s Fondant art is amazing, and then using them as illustration for books amazing.
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Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures and interview.
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Excellent, Bella. Love the interview series. Well done. 🙏😊
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Thank you Jeff
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You’re welcome, Bella. Always my pleasure.
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😊
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Lovely to meet you, Jeff. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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Robbie is a great person so generous in her responses
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Terrific post Robbie and I am sure it will inspire people to write…you are a wonderful example to us all with your tireless energy and ability to combine full time employment with a full writing and blogging schedule.. hugsx
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Thank you Sally. Robbie is amazing truly amazing, how she fits it all in. Her passion and energy. She definitely inspires me. She is a great person to interview and answers questions so fully and openly.
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Thank you, Bella. I enjoy writing and blogging and that makes all the difference.
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Thank you, Sally. I think it is a case of being organised and prioritising writing and blogging during my spare time. I never watch TV.
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Not watching TV – really is a game changer. The amount of time we gain by not watching TV.
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We don’t have television we just watch series and films when we have the time.. xx
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Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:
I am over at Bella Shah’s lovely blog, ThoughtsnLifeBlog, with the first in a series of three posts about what inspires me to write. Bella shares all sorts of articles about motivation, achievement, inspirational quotes and meditations. Do have a look around while you are there.
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Thank you
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This is a lovely blog post to read in the wee hours of the morning after I have woken up from a vivid dream and am unable to fall back asleep. I love the (at least with hindsight…) organic flow of Robbie’s creative journey — that she was listening to her son and his stories about Sir Chocolate living in an edible world, that she wanted to help him find a way around his learning barrier regarding writing, that she realized the illustrations could be made out of something edible (which she already was very skillful at creating), that one of the mothers at her church knew a book publisher, that her brother-in-law suggested the idea of including recipes, etc. I look forward to reading future segments of this interview. Thank you both for this morning’s inspiration!
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Good morning in the wee hours. I hope you were able to get back to sleep again. Yes, Robbie’s journey not PLANNED, organic an accident , almost! The universe, life sometimes guides us without knowing and magic happens. All it takes is courage, action, no doubt, and try our chances. Because a path can open to us, but my personal fear can hold me back.
Robbie’s story is so lovely, encouraging and organic. It certainly empowers me and inspires me.
Thank you for your wonderful comment and contribution to this.
Regards bella
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I did seem to get guided towards writing and publishing, Bella. I always had an interest in writing and I loved reading, but may never have made the jump to actual book writing if it weren’t for my two boys.
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isn’t that just wonderful how the universe read your heart and here you are.
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I am glad you enjoyed this article. I think I was meant to become a writer and the stars aligned themselves accordingly. My sons both enjoy reading and history so my efforts have paid dividends.
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I loved this very inspiring article about Robbie – I really don’t know how she manages to achieve so much, a true creative soul. Toni x
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She is amazing, learn more in part 2 and 3. Additionally I have other bloggers lined up. We are all different and our circumstances are different, so it is good to be inspired and take from others to drive us forward. At the same time being true to myself.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Regards bella
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I look forward to reading the other interviews, Bella. I love reading about people and their lives and journeys.
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I hope I just do the interviewee’s justice.
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Thank you, Toni. Rebecca Budd, another truly inspired blogger told me she thinks writing is a form of meditation for me. I believe she is right about that.
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I can see writing as a meditation – I always did as journal. But blogging and engaging just adds another level to writing. And if one day I every get to writing a book (or books), I am sure I will feel more meditative.
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Terrific interview, ladies. Robbie is proof that not having enough time is an excuse. It all comes down to how we choose to spend it. Surfing online for hours or scrolling your Facebook feed doesn’t accomplish your goals. If you want to make something happen, you make the time. Thanks for sharing, Bella. I enjoyed learning more about Robbie.
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You are quite right Jill. How we spend our time is either helpful to us or it hinders us.
Thank you for your great input to this discussion.
Regards Bella
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Hi Jill, you have hit the nail on the head. If you want to do something, you must make time for it and fight to achieve it. You know all about this being a successful NoWriMo writer.
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oh Wow Jill that is something of an achievement.
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Great to see Robbie featured here! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thank you.
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