I was born in England, but when I was seven years old, my family emigrated to New Zealand. I will always be grateful for that decision. It must have been hard for my parents to do that, but we all have wonderful lives as a result.

As children, from that age on, we were always out and about, on our bikes, at the beach, in the bush area behind our house, making bush huts, tree huts, going on adventures, and learning about life. It was the best possible upbringing, and many of the incidents in my novels have come from that time.

My writing has followed an erratic path. I knew I COULD write, when I was sixteen years old, and won a short story competition. In my early twenties, I did several correspondence courses on writing, but life got in the way. Finally, when I was forty four, my first grandchild was born, and that started my writing in earnest.

I have a lot of work tucked away, ready to bring it to life.

'Fire Island' is set at a camp on an island in the harbour close to a large city in New Zealand. This Island, which I have named Sacred Island, is right next to a dormant volcano. School camps are a regular feature at New Zealand schools, and the activities at this camp are a mix of different camps that I have attended, as a pupil, a teacher and a parent helper.

The issue of bullying has always been around, but lately it is becoming more worrying. This story does not involve cyber-bullying, but regular mean talk from unhappy people, which is often what bullies are. How we deal with it depends on our self-esteem and self-confidence. Building these will give us tools to overcome, and being prepared to challenge ourselves with all manner of activities can lead to greater personal esteem.

Keri, the main protagonist has only recently faced being bullied, and some of it was her own fault. But she has to work through these attacks with the tools, and friends, she has.

My next book will be called 'Danger Signs'. It is set at a popular beach resort in New Zealand, which we used to go to with our children. Plenty of scope for an adventure!

Keri is again the main character, along with her friend Mereana. They meet some boys their own age, brothers from a family close by. One brother is deaf, and his older brother Sando, is fed-up having to always accommodate his brother. When I was teaching, I taught hearing impaired children for about ten years, and I was always impressed with their resilience. But I also saw the way families had to work around the impairment. This was often frustrating for the siblings, especially as they reached teenage. Jordan has a lot to teach his older brother!

Having children coming up to me and telling me how much they enjoyed my books and stories. Children who had never previously read a chapter book getting to the end and realising that they had finished it and loved it. That for me is the best reward.

Everything! I try to acknowledge that by using their name in a novel or short story. They give fabulous feedback, both positive and negative, and are very honest in their responses.

Family!
My dog Bailey, who loves his morning walk.
Coffee!
And the possibilities of the day ahead.

Ha! That's a loaded question. I live with my husband on five acres, so that takes a bit of time. I do the accounts for our businesses. That's the main part of my day. But I am also involved in the local community. I belong to the local community group, and we have done a great deal of fundraising to build a walk/cycle track in our area. I also run the local Green Swap, where we exchange produce that is excess to our family's needs. I am also part of a local choir. I managed the accounts for this choir and all the admin, and help arrange our twice yearly concerts, which are always sold out.

PLUS! We have five children and nine grandchildren, and we are closely involved in their lives.

And I also love to read. So I run a book club too!

I remember reading 'Famous Five' and 'Secret Seven' novels by Enid Blyton. Almost all my early reading was based around series; getting to know the characters as if they were my friends. That's why I wanted to do the same for my readers. I loved the 'Little Women' series as I grew older. I think we all like a central character we can identify with.

When I wasn't so busy, I would write during the day, but now I'm restricted to night time. My aim is to get back to taking more time for myself, to write more.

I read widely. Action, adventure, detective, chick lit, contemporary fiction, and other genres. So choosing an ebook is the same as going to a bookshop. What does the cover tell me? Does the blurb appeal? How does the first page read? And, importantly, what mood am I in? Can I deal with something heavy? Or do I need something light?

So, I'll listen to book club members recommendations, and browse for these online. Or I'll choose a favourite ebook retailer, like Smashwords, and go from there.

Having belief in my own stories, and wanting them to get 'out there', especially in this time of shrinking publishing houses, meant taking a leap and doing it myself. The more I get into it, the more I believe it is a great way to continue.

Books I have loved.
1) Life of Pi
2) To Kill a Mockingbird
3) The Kite Runner
4) The God of Small things
5) Skallagrigg

All of these stories are about the overcoming of adversity. The kind of adversity we would find it difficult to deal with ourselves, and therefore admire the strength of the characters we read about.