My story

Hi.  Thanks for popping by.

Rusty dog

I am a writer and author. More importantly though , I am a mum to three young children – twin boys and a girl. We live in Devon with my rather lovely husband, Mark, and our labrador, Rusty.

Becoming an author has been a real dream come true!

Early years

I learnt to read and write later than many children, but once I got going I didn’t stop which lead to me submitting most of my schoolwork in rhyming couplets.  Even my science papers!  I attended a Steiner/Waldorf school through which my creativity was encouraged.

It seemed natural then that I embarked on a Creative Writing degree and fell further in love with writing, not only in a poetic style, but also for theatre stage, screen, and short story too.  I particularly enjoyed writing my disseration on comic poetry prior to graduating (even if I cringe when I read it now). 

City life

Following alot of international travel, I moved to London where I trained as a nurse at the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing. (Sadly I was not encouraged to write my nursing reports in rhyming couplets. Shame really.)

Whilst training at King’s Hospital in London I met my now husband, Mark.

The lure of coast and countryside.

We have both always loved nature and the great outdoors, especially the sense of calm and tranquility that comes with it.  So we moved to Devon.

We have beaches, hills, rivers, and forest within a few miles of our house and I can honestly say that I do not miss city life at all.

Family life

A year after our wedding day  we welcomed twin boys into our lives.  “A shock to the system” does not even come close to describing how life-changing that was.  Then, when they were just three years old, our daughter arrived and our family was complete.

You raise me up

Whilst the whirlwind of family life carried on, I continued to work for the NHS.  However, when our twins were both diagnosed as autistic, I found the work-life balance harder and harder to manage. Following a breakdown I decided that I needed to look at a “Plan B”.

Plan B (which, with hindsight, was actually Plan A)

This is when a publisher picked up my manuscript for The Tomluc Tree, which I had written during the early sleep deprived months of being a beyond-tired-mum-of-baby-twins.  I had left it in a drawer for a few years having lacked the confidence to show anyone.  Some of The Tomluc Tree was written with a view of the beautiful Devon scenery.  Other parts were penned in supermarket carparks whilst the boys slept in their car seats.  (The latter proving not quite as romantic or inspiring.)

Global pandemic

None of us saw that coming did we?!

My second book, Painting Rainbows, was written whilst homeschooling my three primary school aged children during the UK’s first lockdown.  This story was inspired by several things, namely how the rainbow symbol brought communities together during the pandemic, and how it came to represent the efforts of the NHS.  The concept of being “loved the way you are” is not only a quiet word in my own ear about self esteem, but is a universal theme and a particularly important thing for children to know.  It is also a dedication to my own children who face  their own extra challenges, but will I’m sure “reach high and far”.

Things that inspire me

So many things….

My children, for reminding me several times a day that life with no filter is hilarious, enough, beautiful, intriguing, fun, challenging…. the list goes on.

My husband, who, despite being dyslexic (as is one of our boys), pushed himself through medical school and now works in the stressful world of medicine.

I also feel inspired by where I live.  I did not grow up in Devon, but moved here in 2008 and am very happy to call it home now.   ‘Devon is Heaven’!

Things I love

Writing.  Chocolate. Nature.  Blue sky.  Reading.  Blossom.  Kindness.  Honesty.  Avocados. Devon.  (Not necessarily in that order.)

Things I don’t love so much

Courgettes. Exams.  Rudeness. Selfishness.  Being too hot.  Pâté. Goats.  Anything to do with goats.  Arriving late.

Contact me about

If you would like me to champion or be an ambassador for issues I am passionate about:  Nature, autism, dyslexia, mental health, community initiatives, childhood reading and writing, early years support, children in nature, or things with a similar theme and ethos, please get in touch.  

World Book Day event 2022