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ABOUT ME

I was born in Canberra just over 40 years ago (oh my goodness - am I that old already? I still feel like I’m ten). In Canberra I lived with a family of builders and learnt how to walk on roofs and hammer nails at a young age. I didn’t like dresses but I loved make-believe. My brother and I would dress up in our favorite superhero outfits (he was Zorro and I was the cowgirl, Annie Oakley) and do daring stunts that made our parents’ hair turn white. I was also mad keen on sports and tried lots of different ones. I was a ballet dancer and a gymnast in the beginning. At eleven I took up hockey and this became my lifelong sport. I also had a go at judo, basketball, volleyball, softball, jazz and tap dancing, athletics and rowing. But hockey was always my favorite. And no matter where I travel I run into other hockey players. It’s a great sport.

I’ve always loved reading and from a young age my mother bought me beautiful books, many of which I still have. I remember reading all types of stories, from fairy tales, to mysteries, to teen romances. My dad used to tell me stories - he is a great storyteller.

I wrote poems and stories from a young age, too. I remember getting a good mark for a poem when I was in Year Five. It was a poem about my favorite piece of food - a coconut slice! I self-published a book when I was in Year Eight. It was a murder mystery. I did the printing and artwork myself. I only printed two and gave them both away.

When I realised I couldn’t be a kid forever; I went to university to find out what sort of career I’d like. I thought I’d be a teacher but ended up becoming an audiologist. This is someone who looks after deaf and hearing-impaired people. It’s a great job, if you like looking down people’s ears all day. You never know what you’ll find looking in someone’s earhole!

(Fishing with my family. Click this image to see a larger picture. It opens in a new window.)

To become an audiologist I had to move to Sydney. This was a great adventure for me as no one from my family in the last three generations had ever left Canberra. I was looking forward to going to a warmer place for a while.

Sydney was fun and fast-paced, a bit of a change from the frost and fog of Canberra. I got married and started work. I did some writing courses and moved to Adelaide for a couple of years. When we came back from Adelaide, I so busy having kids and working I didn’t really have time to think about a writing career, but finally in the new millennium the writing bug hit with a vengence!

I had my first book, ‘A Slimy Secret’ published early in 2002. ‘Pea Brain’ followed at the end of that year. ‘Dead Giveaway’ came out in January 2004 and ‘Speech Day’ in September 2004. I have an epicture book out as well. ‘The Elephant Waits’ was illustrated by my good friend Gail C Breese. She’s a windy character but we don’t hold that against her! Next year I’ll have two more books coming out. Most of my stories are bizarre, full of imagination and fun. To find more about them go to the MY BOOKS and NEW BOOKS links.

Here I am at the launch of 'Pea Brain' with my friend
Kate ( a deaf actress) signing the story while I read.)

(How excited was I when the eel was released?)

About the time I started writing I also got sick. It took a while for the doctors to work out what was wrong with me but eventually they found out I had Coeliac's Disease, (pronounced 'Silly Yaks'). That means my lamingtons are now gluten-free. To find out more about Coeliac's Disease click here.

I now live in Western Sydney with my husband and an assortment of children and animals. I hope one day to be organised but weird stories keep popping into my head so organisation will have to wait. I still play hockey and am always changing my hairstyle. One day I’d like to shave it all off, but my kids say I’m embarrassing enough without going bald.

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(Here I am at my book signing with lots of readers from
the local school. Click to see a larger image.)