I grew up in a very diverse part of South Africa. Not many people have the pleasure of getting to know more than what they are told, they do not get to experience the many different ways of life before deciding that the road in front of them leads down many paths and not one straight line. I think that in this day and age if I can write not only for the pleasure of writing but to allow someone the escape into a fantasy world that can open their eyes to the endless possibilities in front of them, that in itself is the greatest influence. To help people enjoy or love what you do.

I fell in love with reading when I was very young, as soon as I could read. The first book I read was Harry Potter, it made me want to create something so beautiful that places brought to life the essence of the stories. It sparked the flame of creativity that pushed me towards writing. I started to broaden my imagination, putting pencil to paper in the hopes I could create something beautiful. I wrote my first story at the beginning of high school and took off from there, learning and growing as I continued to improve.

I have always drawn from personal experiences. I leave behind a piece of myself in every story I write. Of course, it is topped mostly by fiction. In Keeping Secrets, I have found that because it was the first book I have ever been so proud of and worked so hard on, there is more of myself in it. In the characters, in their experiences, in their hopes and dreams, and in the way they see the world. I hoped that the more I put into it the more people can relate, that they can compare it to a similar situation and it would help them as reflecting on it has helped me.

I have read so many great novels and series and admired the authors for the world they could create and the beauty they could inspire. I just wanted to experience it from their point of view. To know that others out there loved what I have enjoyed creating. I wanted someone to fall in love with different worlds as I had done so many times.

I currently have a few stories in the works. I like the inspiration to lead me while I write. And with all things, it does take a little time. I like to broaden and tip-toe into other genres of writing and hopefully, it will come out better than I expect. I look forward to writing to my heart's content.

Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling, Pittacas Lore, Jodi Picoult. Just to name a few that have inspired me.

Mostly with my family or simply filling my time with things that make me happy. I enjoy reading and drawing, judging movies and videos with my sister, playing with my dog, or just binging a good series. But nothing will beat good company with better conversation.

The first story I ever wrote was a zombie apocalypse survival fiction story. It started out as a contest between a friend but I enjoyed writing it so much that I continued with it and eventually completed it. When my friends read it for the first time they loved it and I had never felt so proud of something that I created.