After trying many different forms of writing, in 2005 I decided that I wanted to focus on the novel and took a leave of absence from my work as an educational psychologist to complete an M.A. at Manchester University’s Centre for New Writing. I aim to write the sort of fiction I enjoy reading; novels that are accessible but with a literary edge, reflective about life and rich in character development and description. I have over thirty years' experience of the impact of early childhood experience upon adult relationships and use this knowledge to develop my characters' personalities, even in historical fiction.