"She is too fond of books, and it has turned her brain."
Louisa May Alcott.


About Me

I am an author, writing instructor, storyteller and fundraiser living in Surrey, British Columbia.

I came to Canada in 1971 after growing up in the UK and Iraq, serving six years in boarding school in Cornwall, spending a heady year in Paris, sharing a cold flat in London for two years, and surviving almost a year as a 'mother's helper' in New York.

Books have always been important to my family; many of my dearest memories are about reading:  

So perhaps it's no surprise that I've spent more than 30 years working in public libraries.

I started writing when my daughter was little, and over the years published short stories, articles and essays in a whole bunch of different magazines and journals. Some are listed here.

In 2007 I started writing for kids. My first children's novel MEETING MISS 405 came out in October 2008 and has been nominated for a couple of awards. THE BALLAD OF KNUCKLES McGRAW came out in spring 2010 and has also received award nominations. A midgrade historical novel ELSIE AND THE SILVER RAIN came out in the fall of 2010. a YA novel for reluctant readers called BEYOND REPAIR is due out in April 2011, followed by THE WRONG BUS is the fall. You'll find complete info. about all my books here.

Perhaps one day I'll get back to the two adult novels languishing in my files -Who Do You Wish Was With Us and Shrinking Viola. Meanwhile, I'm having so much fun coming up with new stories and sharing them with readers, school kids, and other writers.

Download a brochure about my services here.
Some trivia about me is posted here.
Information about my presentations is here.
Read my interview on the Inkygirl blog here.
 

Memberships and Affiliations

I am a member of the following organizations: