Growing up very happily on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, I was a dreamy child, forever reading. At one time, we lived right beside the bush at Frenchs Forest, and my siblings and I had our own green kingdom, with caves and trees and amazing-shaped rocks. This was where my love of nature began, and these days I’m a keen bush walker.

The eldest of six daughters, we were a noisy, active and affectionate family, swimming at nearby beaches, playing netball, walking to school and fighting over who had borrowed what item of clothing. Fiction remained my escape through my teens, and I devoured mysteries, historical fiction and romances. My English composition was read aloud in class, and I loved writing. Creating a book of my own remained a secret dream, but I knew no authors, and such a literary world seemed impossibly distant and hallowed.

Teaching English and History seemed like a great alternative, so with a double major under my belt, I have now taught boisterous, lovable teenagers for decades. Adding Drama qualifications opened up the world of writing again, as I penned monologues, duologues and adapted plays for my students. I even trod the stage in local productions, including as Ruth in Louis Nowra’s Cosi at Laycock Street Theatre, and co-directed school productions of The Sound of Music and Pirates of Penzance.

Once retirement beckoned, I immediately set to work; holed up in my study daily became my new job. I adored this fictional world as the characters and setting came alive, and I still feel this way. Producing two Young Adult books in quick succession, Collision and Corrosion, brought a real sense of accomplishment. Delivering school workshops reinforced the joy of creating.

I love the writing process; I write anywhere, and there’s always more to learn. There is great inspiration at the many writers’ festivals and events that I attend. Other writers are very generous in their advice and support.

Participating in local writers’ groups, completing numerous writing courses sharing and workshopping my and others’ work, entering competitions and learning the art of pitching all contribute to improving my craft as a writer.

When I’m not at my desk, I can be found sailing up Cowan Creek, swimming in the sea, eating up the miles in my van Harriet, playing with the grandchildren, singing in a local choir, or wandering up a bush track. Life is good!