About the Author

I've been a writer for over 15 years now, but it wasn't planned!I had a variety of jobs, including secretary, trainee buyer at Harrods, dental nurse, production assistant in a reprographic and printing company and various others. I began to write after joining a creative writing class. I had no success with article writing, or short stories, or fiction, but the first children's story I wrote, for a magazine called Twinkle, was accepted for publication. Hooray!!!Things snowballed and a lot (yes lots and lots) of hard work later I now write full time and have over 50 books published. I still go to the same writing class and we have become a big happy family of writers!For me, writing is the best job ever. I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else. I love to create worlds for young children to enjoy and escape into - whether the stories are educational, bedtime, problem solving or just plain good fun. It's also very exciting to see the first picture roughs, as my wonderful, talented illustrators bring the text to life. I live on the Essex coast in a lovely two-bed-roomed flat, which I share with my husband, Michael. At long last I have an office to write in, with room for all my books and bits of scribbled on papers. The seafront is (still) just around the corner, and I find a bracing walk (it gets freezing when the East wind blows from the North Sea!) or gentle stroll when the weather is warmer, is great for clearing my head and mulling over story ideas. - excerpted from

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