My writing journey began at thirteen with a short story called “Looks Aren’t Everything” – a dramatic tale of teenage love that probably involved far too many exclamation marks and not enough actual plot!

Then came my memorable GCSE English exam, where I was asked to write a two-page story. Clearly, I missed the memo about brevity being the soul of wit, because I handed in thirty pages! The story was called “The Runaway” – rather fitting, as my words have never learned to behave and stay within their designated boundaries. And yes, in a twist of irony that only life could deliver, this enthusiastic overflow of creativity led to me failing English. (Though I like to think I’ve had the last laugh on that one!)

My twenties saw me dabbling in poetry, pouring my heart out about love, family, relationship dramas, and losses – five of which actually made it into published collections. But then life did what it does best: it got complicated. Marriage, a business to run, and children to raise meant my writing dreams were temporarily filed under “Someday Maybe.”

That “someday” finally arrived after a chance encounter with bestselling author Jojo Moyes at Harts Books in Saffron Walden, Essex. She lit a spark that turned into a full-blown writing inferno, and I haven’t looked back since.

March 2020 saw the release of my debut novel, “Reasonable Lies,” and suddenly my writing addiction had a purpose! I’ve since self-published seven novels, two novellas, and eight children’s books – not that I’m counting (okay, I totally am).

As a proud born and bred Essex girl, I still call it home, sharing space with my husband, our two grown-up children, and Robbie the West Highland Terrier – who has yet to offer any useful plot suggestions despite all the walks we take together.

When I’m not typing away at my next story or trying to convince my characters to behave (spoiler alert: they never do), you’ll find me jetting off to my favourite destination, Italy. There I would be exploring Italian vineyards, pretending I’m researching for my next book. In reality, I’m probably just hunting down the perfect tiramisu to go with my Barolo wine, but don’t tell anyone!