A bit about me ...

I was born in Adelaide, South Australia, grew up in the Adelaide Hills, with a few teenage years in Darwin.
Also a year in upstate New York aged 16-17 as an exchange student. Went to university in Adelaide, majoring in English and Drama, then worked as an attendant in the Australian Pavillion at Expo 74, in Spokane, Washington. 

Since then have worked, among other things, in PR, as a photographer, and as an actor. Acting is a very similar process to writing - it's all about getting into other peoples' headspaces.

My brother will kill me! Our mum took
 thrifty hand-me-down dressing just too
    far here - guess whose old bathers Tom's
wearing?!

Had a wild and woolly childhood riding ponies, mucking about in boats and going off on expeditions into the bush, often all day. My sweet and vague mother didn't have much of a clue where we were or what we got up to - she never seemed to worry, and we were (mostly!) fine. A country girl herself, she was a woman pilot of renown, and an expert on seashells. My brother and I spent many, many hours criss-crossing Australia in the back of a (very slow!) 4 seater Cessna with our parents - my mother said we used to fight so much she couldn't fly the plane!  

I think many kids' lives today have become way too sanitised, busy and over-organised. Too much emphasis on achievement - there's no space just to dream ... 

What do you think?

I met my husband at university - dropped a water bomb on him from three floors up, drenching him completely! We got out of the rat race of Sydney (though we love going back there to visit) when our three kids were little. They're now all grown up and have flown the coup - love it when they deign to pay us a visit! We live in a gorgeous spot - you can only see one other house, way down the valley - near Orange in the Central West of New South Wales. 

With, of course, the inspiration behind The 12th Dog - Arlo the naughty Maltese Shitzu. Plus his big bro Tibetan Terrier Toggie. Also The Ghost at the Point heroine Poppy the bad cat, and two beautiful and very friendly failed ex-racehorses - whom I nonetheless would not be game to ride! My favourite things to do - include reading (naturally), stomping about the paddocks plugged into my ipod, pottering around the garden, going to the theatre, chatting on the phone/email ... Anything (smack wrist!) but sit down and get on with my next book! 

Or rather, copywriting job. My busy double life as a copywriter (writing for websites, blogs, brochures etc) sadly leaves me very little time for writing books these days. But I'm determined that that's going to change ... Watch this space!