I am a writer and tutor of creative writing for universities in the UK, and an older mum to a wonderful boy, age 12. We live in Portugal, way up in the mountains, and we have two ponies and a dog. Inspired by my son and our travels in our campervan, I am writing a series about a magic campervan, which allows me as a writer to retrace my itchy feet while exploring the minds of children and the minefield of parenting. I have found being a mum the most challenging part of my life so far. I am, apparently, a pre-twothousander. When I did my MA in Creative Writing in the last century, I was influenced by magic realism (and realist magic) and now I am fascinated by this generation who switch from magic to realism with the flick of a finger. As a teenager myself, I lived in Berlin during the time of the Wall and, later, studied Russian Language and Literature. Those days inspired my novels, The Last Dance over the Berlin Wall and The Strange Tale of Comrade Rublov.
I began the Trials of Tricia Blake several decades ago when I was nineteen and finished it after my MA in my thirties. I had an agent at the time who loved it but, sadly, failed to sell it. I later self-published it but it never reached an audience. I am delighted that it's been read and enjoyed here. Unlike later work, this novel is grittily real.
Thank you so much for reading.
