Page 20 - Rooftops Summer 2019

‘ got enough material for quite a few books yet!
How do you write – do you have fixed times of the day? Is it an hour here and an hour there kind of regime?
I work part time, and after the school pick up I tend to sit down and write for a couple of hours. I have one day off a week and treat that as my main writing day when the house is nice and quiet.
Ever had writer’s block?
There are many times when I’ve sat at my computer unsure of what to write next, but I’ve just gritted my teeth and got something - anything - down on the page. My motto is, ‘some bad words are better than no words’, as at least then you have something to work with when you’ve finished, however terrible they may be.
I think you live in Bury St Edmunds or near to the town? Do you have a family? I’ve lived in the Bury St Edmunds area for the last 17 years and have recently moved into the town with my husband and two children. We love being so close
to all the facilities, particularly the bookshops.
How long have you been an author – what did you do before?
I didn’t think seriously about being an author until I did a creative writing course in 2015. I was lucky enough to get an agent soon after the course
“There are many times when I’ve sat at my computer unsure of what to write next, but I’ve just gritted my teeth and got something - anything - down on the page.”
finished, and then a two-book publishing deal with Usborne last year. I currently work in local government writing policy documents, so a lot of writing is involved in my day job too!
Are you inspired by other writers?
Hugely. I really admire adult fiction author Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions and more recently The Corset, as she effortlessly weaves historical fact with riveting mysteries. There are many children’s authors who inspire me, including the queen of historical fiction, Emma Carroll, who has the perfect blend of great plots, historical settings and characters, and a children’s author called Lucy Strange who wrote a fantastic mystery called The Secret of Nightingale Wood.
When is the book out and where can people buy it?
The Garden of Lost Secrets is published by Usborne on June 13 and will be available in all good bookshops and the usual places online. I think it would be a great read for anyone who loves Ickworth (no matter what their age) but is primarily a wonderful read for children age 9-12.
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