Where do your ideas come from?
Anywhere and everywhere. They flutter by like butterflies and sometimes I’m lucky enough to catch them.
What is your interesting writing quirk?
I march on the spot at my stand up desk to get some exercise while reading out conversations between characters to see if they work.
When did you write your first book?
I wrote an historical romance when I was 14. I shared it with my friends then put it aside to write a murder mystery.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Read – eclectically. Watch TV – Scandinavian and UK crime series and dramas, historical sagas, sci fi, documentaries, nature shows. Walk our dog Chloe along the beach path. Dabble in art and photography.
List some of your books.
The Seven Day Dragon – Seeing isn’t always believing. A different dragon story for MG readers.
The Fifty Per Cent Princess and Other Goodnight Reads – There is magic, mystery, adventure and fun in this short story collection for young readers.
When the Moon is a Smile – a picture book about adapting to change when parents no longer live together.
Parramatta Rosie – A tale about adventure and friendship in Colonial Australia.
Which of your own books is your favourite?
Like my children and grandchildren, they are each special in their own way. You don’t Know Me? – a stranger danger tale about an elephant and a tiger – was my first published book so that was the realisation of a childhood dream to become an author.
How did you learn about the craft of writing?
Initially by reading and writing. Later, I joined writing groups and attended workshops, talks and conferences.
What is the best thing a reader has said about one of your books?
That I must keep magic dust in my desk drawer and sprinkle it on the pages of my stories.
What is your newest release?
Monelli & Me, a YA novel about finding out who you are and where you belong when those you love most have been keeping secrets.
Favourite line from your book?
A part of my life was missing. A piece of the jigsaw that was me.
