I am terribly old fashioned (I think) so my favourites are firmly in the past like, Daphne du Maurier, Monica Dickens and Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Goudge but if I move forwards a bit then Stephen King, Marion Keyes, Hilary Mantel....children's books stay with you forever so Enid Blyton, Barbara Sleigh, Dodie Smith, E Nesbit, Oh I could go on and on.........traditional too you see. Of course C S Lewis and Tolkein must be there.

that it is a new day. completely new and I am going to be in it. Today is the day I could have a dream come true.

I like to be creative and rub this off on others around me, encourage them towards their dream or at least being themselves. I love films especially thrillers and clever comedy - Gene Wilder for instance. Very much enjoy sketching and painting, photography and design. Swimming is my sporty thing! lastly but should be firstly, I adore animals of course....

Yes! I was about five or six and it was about a girl and some flowers I think - I remember showing it to Mum and Dad and after that I just kept writing stuff - when I look back it seemed to contain humour then too.

I am very guilty of not reading other e-book authors! Seriously I have looked through them and have read some, and what draws me to a book is the genre, I do like to laugh and if the blurb draws me in, then I'm going to read your book

Just me in the zone. It is like a flower bursting out of me - the words are all there, the story is already written I am just the teller.

It would have been a fairy story - I recall the impact of Hans Christian Anderson and the illustrations in the book I had (I still have) it was death standing over a dying prince - death was black. The combination of the story and this image was very strong. Likewise the little mermaid. The power of these stories has never gone away.

The covers are all my own work. The drawings preceded the writing but now, I could draw a cover to go with the story. I try them out and if I want to keep changing it I know it isn't the right one. Somehow I just know if it is right. So I suppose I work on intuition as much as I can.

The White Witch by Elizabeth Goudge - it contains everything I need, it feeds my soul.
Thomasina by Paul Gallico - about a cat and family relationships - because it is about healing and spirituality
Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh - about a magic cat - such a simply told story that captured my imagination
The Shining by Stephen King - about a family caretaking a hotel for the winter shutdown - best horror story ever
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - the spirit of Christmas breaks through a cold heart! for the spirit of the tale

Got to be Marion Keyes! it's funny, it's romance and I'm guarranteed to like it - it's my chocolate in a book

It's an old travelling trunk of my Aunt's and then my Mum's. It does have a mention in my latest Wonka book.

Last time I spoke to you, it was about another Conversations, plus Joe's Friends I think. Well today I have finally uploaded Lucky Anubis, another Duffel story. Duffel and the Met precedes this one, and thanks to that trickster Anubis, who arrived back at Level 2 when he should have been safely in his case in the Met Museum, the story of his return (SORRY) was begging to be written! He is a strong character, unexpectedly creeping into our affections, and Duffel has taken a bit of a shine (calling him Lucky). Mr Watkins however is not to be won over - his character is like all those people who despite pleading and flattering and negotiating - it goes over their head - but (the idea just came to me) we all have an achilles heel.oh yes. So, the story is centred on Lucky Anubis return whether he likes it or not - Bastet is still on the loose, and the Caretakers Ted and Al, they have more than a little part in the story. We are back in the incredible Met Museum, on 5th ave and Central Park NYC where it is so much fun to set an adventure and time travel. In no time, Duffel and his magic coat take us there again. Now I'm back in the writing seat I do hope to bring you more and until then enjoy this story with love from me X

I grew up in Cambridge and then East Malling in Kent - I guess moving around had an impact on me, forming new friendships, and going to new schools. I think I used reading as my escape into familiar worlds and this is what I love today about writing - I want to create that familiar world for people to escape into and leave the bad stuff behind for a while.

I think it is easily two years or more since last spoke to you from here. Unbelievable. The awful lock down did more damage to all of us, than we can know. Since then, and since my last book Duffel and the Met (I think?) I entered a period of not writing, many reasons one of them having to move home and, hankies at the ready, said goodbye to beloved Wonka. That is still hard for me, and happened around this time last year, 2022. I have just managed finally to upload last years' story, my fifth Duffel called Lucky Anubis which does have a foreward from Wonka. That darn cat to borrow a phrase, helped me to write - it all began with Conversations with Wonka, so goodness knows where to next. Which doesn't answer the question!! But but but - I may try a sixth Duffel story as there certainly is one. And who knows who or what might inspire me - mind open. With much love to all of you out there reading any of my short stories. take lots of care.