Grew up on the North East coast – I have one sister, one husband, three grown up children. Before I could make a living out of writing I did lots of jobs – typing, bits of teaching, cleaning a church and working in a retreat house.
Likes
Reading, theatre, dance, wildlife and woodland, gardens, castles, cathedrals, Northumberland, North Wales, Scotland, Shakespeare, Shaun the Sheep, Pingu, teddy bears, fish and chips, and oranges.
Dislikes
Bad manners, bullying, any kind of injustice and unkindness, junk mail, TV reality shows, smoking, shopping malls, tuna fish, and having to get up in the mornings.
Favourite authors
Too many to list, but includes – Jane Austen, C S Lewis, Lucy Boston, Elizabeth Goudge, Jerome K Jerome (I read Three Men in a Boat when I need something to make me laugh).
FAQs
Q: Why did you become a writer?
A: I’m no good at anything else.
Q: How long does it take to write a book?
A: Depends on the book! Could be weeks, could be years! A Mistmantle book takes about eight months, but I’m always writing something else at the same time.
Q: Where do you get your ideas from?
A: Everywhere! Things I see and hear, things people say, and that wonderful question ‘what if?’.
Q: What advice would you give to somebody wanting to write?
A: Read, read, read. And write. And read some more. Read widely. Go on reading.