About Me

Born in Leeds, but now living on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales in the little cathedral city of Ripon, I write short stories, articles, reviews and even the odd poem. Competition successes include twice winning a free place at the annual Writers’ Summer School in Swanwick and – much to my surprise and delight – a Weekend Rover pass to the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.

2013 saw the launch of my series of e-Books; three collections of short stories – Anyone For Murder?,  Had We But World Enough and Swings & Roundabouts, now also available in an omnibus edition and as a paperback.

In 2014 came Easy Money For Writers And Wannabes, my handy guide to writing ‘fillers’ for magazines and newspapers.

2015 saw the publication of my first novel, which is partly autobiographical. Set over three time periods in a fictitious French village, Shadows of the Past tells of love, war, crime and a great deal more. Its prequel, Foreshadowing, is free to download from Amazon or Smashwords.

Wheels on Fire, my first book for the 10-13 age group, appeared in 2017. In the aftermath of a tragic accident, Kaz is set on vengeance. A school trip to Paris provides the ideal opportunity.

Workhouse Orphan came out in 2018. Inspired by the memory of a brave young man way back in my family tree, it tells the story of a young Londoner barely in his teens when he is sent north to toil in a Yorkshire coal mine. Now also available as an audiobook.

After more years than I care to remember spent teaching modern languages in the UK and abroad, I now work as a supporting artiste (‘extra’) on  Emmerdale, a television ‘soap’ set in a fictitious Yorkshire village. The hours spent waiting to be called for ‘my’ scenes give me plenty of time to jot down ideas, some inspired by the many different people I meet on set.

After writing, my main passions have been travel and salsa (dancing, not the sauce, although I like that too), which have inspired many a story line. Unfortunately ill health (husband’s, not mine) has restricted the former and completely put paid to the latter for the time being. I am also available locally for talks on my television work, which has also included appearances on Heartbeat, The Royal, A Touch of Frost, The Final Quest and The Weakest Link, and on various aspects of writing.

I am currently Chair of Ripon Writers’ Group, Secretary of York Writers and a member of Promoting Yorkshire Authors.