About the Author
I was born in the U.S.A., in the ancient rolling hills of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. My parents loved reading and our house was always full of books. My childhood seemed to take a long time. It made me restless, and when I was finally grown up I decided to try to find a few adventures outside the pages of books. So I got a passport, bought a ticket, and took a plane to London. That was the start of everything.
Now I live in Devon with my husband and son, Kit, and two spoiled but beautiful cats. We live in a very old house beside the Exe river. People have lived in our house for centuries, and I can find adventure every day just by stepping outside in the evenings. When the sun has set but the sky is still the dark blue of twilight, the rooks gather in the ash trees. They scream at each other before launching into the air for one last mad, swirling dance before nightfall.
Writing takes up most of my time these days, but when I’m not writing there are lots of things I like doing. One of these is fencing.
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I fence foil at my local club one or two nights a week. Foil fencing is called physical chess, and it is the hardest thing I have ever tried to learn. I’ve only been fencing a year and a half and am not very good yet, but I am determined to get better.
I also enjoy visiting islands with my family during school holidays. Here we are on our favourite islands, the Scillies:
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My son is an expert at modern technologies and a world class Nintendo gamer. I’m more at home with centuries old technology. I love to sort a sheep’s fleece and spin it into yarn, which I then knit or weave into clothing or rugs. Here is a picture of my spinning wheel and my Toika counterbalance loom.
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I do, however, have a soft spot for a slightly more modern technology. Here is a photo of my beloved Suzuki 250X motorbike.
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FAQs
Why do you write?
Because, for me, a good story is one of the very best things in life. Stories entertain us and help us think. They also let us have adventures without getting lost, eaten, drowned, murdered, hit on the head, or coming to a bad end in any of a thousand different, distinctly unpleasant ways.
When I was a child I constantly made up stories to entertain myself. I was, of course, the heroine. I often died a painful and noble death secure in the knowledge that I would be resurrected safe and sound for the next thrilling episode. Meanwhile, the greatest adventure in my real life was going to the library. I knew I wasn’t just climbing stone steps into a dark, cool, slightly smelly room full of books. I passed through stone portals into a magic realm. A thousand worlds waited for me in the library, a thousand adventures, a thousand different people I could become.
What is your favourite book?
There too many good books to have one favourite, but a book I enjoy very much is Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s a witty reworking of the classic fairy-tale premise of an orphan forced to leave home to seek their fortune. It’s both funny and exciting; the heroine and hero are flawed but appealing, and the plot is full of clever twists.
Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas are everywhere. The trick is noticing them. If you’re too busy or too tired, an idea can come right up to you and kick you on the shins, and you won’t notice. That’s why it’s so important to find daydreaming time.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I was good at maths and science as well as English, so I liked everything except P.E. Which is strange because I’m quite sporty now, but I just didn’t like team games.
