I used to volunteer at the local library when I was 11, because I loved being around books so much and thought the ultimate job in the whole wide world would be to become a librarian and look after books all day. Eventually I decided that even better would be writing books myself, and my dream became to have my own books in libraries.
How do you know your book is finished? How do you stop adding and changing words?
Eventually you just have to believe that it’s good enough. There’s always something that could be changed, but at some point you have to let it go.
How hard is it to think of new ideas?
Ideas come to me when I’m least expecting them, often just before falling asleep. The trick is to capture them and let them grow into something.
Who is your favourite character?
I love Anne of Green Gables, probably because I see a lot of myself in her. I consider her my fictional kindred spirit!
If you were not an author what would you have been?
I’ve already been all sorts of things – an event organiser, a secretary, an accounting assistant, a horse trek leader, a travel writer, a mobile phone sales entrepreneur, a radio voiceover person, a yurt accommodation manager, a branding consultant, a professional house-sitter, and I plan to be many more things throughout my life. I believe that variety is the spice of life, and there’s always time left to reinvent yourself.
Where do you write?
At home, snuggled up on the couch with a blankie over my legs and a hot cup of tea nearby.
What was your favourite book as a child?
Too many favourites to pick one – I loved Little Women, the Famous Five, Trixie Belden, The Wishing Chair, Anne of Green Gables, Horrible Histories, Dr Seuss, The Rainbow Fish, Pippi Longstocking, The Berenstain Bears …
How do you come up with character names/character design?
I think of the character first, and then the name comes naturally to suit the character.
Did you like writing as a kid? Were you good at writing at school?
I’ve always loved writing, scribbling my first poems and songs as a tiny tot, but am terrible at drawing. You wouldn’t want to be my partner in a round of Pictionary!
Can you make a lot of money from writing or do you need another job too?
I have previously worked full time as a writer, writing articles for magazines and content for websites. But now I am mostly busy being Mrs Coconut at our coconut yoghurt business, and try to squeeze in time for writing on the side. I think if you’re passionate about writing and willing to apply your skills in lots of different ways, you can certainly make enough money for a good life doing it.
When did you start writing?
Since I figured out how to put letters together. But the first time I got paid for it I was about 18.
Do you have any exciting projects planned for the future?
I have a book for adults currently in the ‘market review’ stage in the United States, and am planning on taking the world by storm with our coconut yoghurt!
What do you do in your spare time?
I don’t have much spare time these days, so love spending rare days off with my friends and family – playing bananagrams, going for a beach walk, or reading a really good book.