I'm a retired newspaper reporter from the North East of England, following my childhood dream of being a novelist. As a kid I read books under the bedclothes by torchlight. Now I dive under the bedclothes, torch in hand, to scribble down conversations between my nutty book characters in case I forget them in the morning.
I’ve written stories since I was about eight years old. I had a toy typewriter (there weren’t home computers in those prehistoric days) and there I would sit, just like a real author, writing novels. I was a huge fan of British children’s writer Enid Blyton, but I invented my own characters, settings and storylines. My dad created me a book cover, on which I proudly put my name and the title of the book.
When I wasn’t hunched over my toy typewriter, you could see me smashing a
tennis ball again the brick end of a block of garages beside my home. For hours on end I perfected my lob, backhand and forehand shots – all the time spinning stories in my head.
The love of writing led me down a career path as a journalist. So when I retired in 2011, it wasn’t a surprise that I returned to novel writing.
My first novel is a children’s fantasy story called ANTics. I get a lot of inspiration for my stories from dreams. And ANTics came from a dream after watching a group of ants carry a potato crisp back to their nest.
I believe you’re never too old to try something new or challenge yourself. In other words Reach For The Stars.

Website: http://www.dakotadouglas.co.uk

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