I’m a writer with a deeply held love for language. This love has taken me to remote island villages, medieval cities and ancient alpine fortresses. For a brief moment, it even landed me a job as a tour bus driver for a helicopter company.
These days, I spend most of my time writing and teaching English, sharing my love of language with students and colleagues.
My current writing projects include a number of junior fiction books.
When I’m not teaching and writing for children, I enjoy the company of my husband and son, our hilarious golden retriever and our entertaining free-ranging chooks at our home south of Sydney. I also like to dabble in gardening, graphic design and recipe-free cooking, and have been known to collect subscriptions to online dictionaries!
When did you start writing?
I started writing in Kindergarten. My first story was about a pirate called Jim.
As a kid, I wrote stories, family newspapers and plays for friends. I’ve been writing for fun ever since. I seriously started writing for kids in 2018.
Where do your ideas come from?
My ideas can come from anywhere and usually come from being observant and curious about the world around us. It’s also important to let yourself daydream and wonder.
I always have a notebook with me to write down ideas that pop into my head.
What was your favourite book as a child?
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame was probably my favourite.
I also loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, lots of Roald Dahl’s books and the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. Anything that sparked my imagination.
Where do you write?
I have a desk at home that overlooks our garden. I love watching the little birds dart in and out of the trees and birdbath.
When I’m not writing at my desk, I like to scribble in a notebook when I’m out and about.
Who is your favourite author?
I have been inspired by Jackie French for years. She is an amazing children’s writer, but I also have lots of her books about gardening and chooks.
If you could have any invention, what would it be?
I wish I had a cloning machine, so I could have more of me. One to write, one to travel and one to do all the boring housework.