Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I am an author and RSPCA Inspector from Norfolk. I have a degree in English Literature and Linguistics from York University and have been investigating animal cruelty and neglect and rescuing sick and injured animals for almost 20 years. In my day job, I deal with very difficult and often emotional situations and meet all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds. My career provides some of the inspiration for my fictional work.
I live in an old cottage in the country. I have a husband, 5 children, 2 dogs, a cat, 2 giant African land snails and currently one rescued hen who thinks she is a dog, so finding time to write can be a challenge. I am happiest outdoors, growing fruit and vegetables in the garden, walking the dogs and family holidays usually involve walking up mountains in summer, skiing down them in winter and sleeping in a tent whenever possible.
I love spending time with my large, noisy, chaotic family, cooking meals for friends and playing board games. I always have at least one book on the go and have always dreamed of writing my own novel. I now dream of writing more.
The Essence of Bliss is my debut novel.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I prefer to write outside. I have a double camping chair and I put it on the lawn and sit at one end with a dog on the other. Bobby was my canine writing companion during the writing of The Essence of Bliss but sadly we lost him before he was able to see it published. Bonnie has now taken up his mantle and joins me on my chair in the garden. In sunny weather, I wear a hat. In cold weather, I wrap up warm. On rainy days we retire to the conservatory and write to the soothing sound of the rain on the roof.

What authors have influenced you?
I believe that I have been influenced by every book that I have ever read. There is something to take from everything. When I am moved by a book, I yearn to be able to similarly move others. When I am disappointed by a plot or a style or the writing of a book, I am determined not to make the same mistakes. I love books with some element of magic, from a whisper of otherworldliness to outright fantasy but am particularly inspired by those set in the world as we know it, with a twist. I think of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and The Time Traveler's wife by Audrey Niffenegger when I think of the books that I would most like to have written.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
The best advice I can give is just to get on and do it. I always knew that I wanted to write but never felt that I was in the right place in my life. I was working, I was getting married, I was having children and being a mum. I told myself that when I had children and had some time off work, I would start to write. It didn't happen. I told myself that when the children got a bit older and started school, I would start to write. It didn't happen. I eventually realised that there is never a perfect time to start writing but if you want it enough, you have to make the time. Even if you're stealing 45 minutes in your lunch break or half an hour between eating dinner and starting on the packed lunches for the next day. Get up 20 minutes earlier. Go to bed half an hour later. Delete that game from your phone and just get on with it because there will never be a better time.

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Life is fragile, it is short, it is gone before you know it. Live the life you have, be thankful for what you have and enjoy it every day.

What are you reading now?
I'm currently reading Go Tell The Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon, the ninth book in her Outlander series.

What’s your biggest weakness?
I think I take too much on all of the time. I never stop and am sometimes too busy to just take a moment and enjoy life.

What is your favorite book of all time?
I love everything that Diana Gabaldon has ever written. I think my absolute favourite would be the third book in her Outlander series, Voyager.

What has inspired you and your writing style?
The books that I have read all of my life are my inspiration to write. I have devoured books since I was a child and love the way a great novel can make me feel. I love to be moved by a story and find that it is often the human element and relationships and romance that are at the heart of the stories I love the most, whether those stories are historical, magical, fantastical or science fictional. I take inspiration from all aspects of my life and I am incredibly lucky to have a job that gives me access to all kinds of people, situations and circumstances. As a writer, I am never off duty.

What are you working on now?
The Essence of Insanity, sequel to The Essence of Bliss, is well under way and I have so many ideas for a prequel and further books set in the same reality. My head is full of ideas for loads more books, I just need to find the time!

What is your method for promoting your work?
I am working on the sequel, The Essence of Insanity. I am hoping to have it finished and published in 2025. I also already have a prequel in mind, born out of characters that developed as I was writing and realised that their story needed telling too. I believe that there will be more books in the series to come. My head is full of ideas. I just need the time to get them all on paper.

What’s next for you as a writer?
I am already working on the sequel to The Essence of Bliss and after that, I will begin on the prequel and/or the next book in the series. I would love to try my hand at a James Heriott style series, based on my own career and, one day, to work on a colourful fantasy series with illustrations, designed for older children with dyslexia who can struggle with traditional black on white text.

How well do you work under pressure?
I’ve never been someone who could stay up all night working to meet a deadline. My brain starts to malfunction if I’m under too much pressure and after about 9pm, my mind turns to mush and I can’t produce anything that makes sense. However, I think that a certain amount of pressure is necessary in order to get me to sit down and get on. There are always so many other jobs that need doing so I have to be strict about writing time or it would never get done.

How do you decide what tone to use with a particular piece of writing?
That’s a tough question and obviously a little tricky as I have only written one book so far. I don’t think it’s something that I think about consciously. The story and the characters dictate the style and I just go with the flow.

Author Websites and Profiles
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