Hello, I’m Jackie Martin. I’m a former cartoonist and children’s entertainer with many years’ experience working as a teaching assistant and private tutor. I grew up in Langley, near Slough, but I’ve lived in Beaconsfield for the last 8 years with my husband and grown-up daughter, and German shepherd dog which recently passed away. Now that I don’t have a lovely old dog to look after any more, I’m looking forward to qualifying as a primary school teacher in 2012. I try to write entertaining feel-good stories, inspired by real-life characters, my own childhood experiences and case studies from my psychology degree. I persevered in finding a publisher for Burglar Boy thanks to Cornerstones and Kids’ Corner.