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I've been writing on and off since childhood. Horse stories were my favourite subject during summer holidays spent avoiding my annoying brother. I'd return home with aching wrist and the car half a ton heavier with all the filled up notepads!
I had wanted to be a journalist when I finished school and whilst still a teenager living in France, did a distance learning course. I left the Provence and returned to Jersey where I made it as far as the newsroom of a TV station - but as a Production Assistant. In charge of timings and working with the editor to put the news out live twice a day, it was enormous fun and I did continue to learn from the reporters that worked there. My biggest fountain of knowledge was the editor himself who was both uber-intelligent and talented, and always happy to help. Filming took me to France, Finland, and my biggest trip, the Falkland Islands. We were lucky to work with some amazing people and I had a wonderful time visiting all the sites including a wildlife reserve hardly touched by humans.
Children and work stalled my development of more than just jottings in notepads until I had a chance to break from work and think of something I could actually get to grips with.
'Think of what you know and something no one else has written about' all the great tippers tell you. So I did.
That's how Teenager En Provence came to be. The story of my relocation to France and how we, as a family, fitted in. I wrote about what it was like for a teenager to adapt to this new life.
Now I have a couple of projects on the go and am also writing articles following a course through the London School of Journalism. It helped me understand the magazine and paper markets better and focus on key targets.
I'm married, three beautiful children, two horses, dog and cat. I've recently had the pleasure of adding to my family by way of a son in law and daughter in law.
I also paint if I have spare time, oil and watercolour. I like to take a favourite picture from a holiday, it's very therapeutic. I'm not too bad at oil, ie it passes as a picture! useless at watercolour but it's the enjoyment factor that keeps me trying. I've enrolled in a watercolour evening class, first few were painting an apple but now we've moved on and developing technique in general.
My actual salaried job now is in health and safety. it does all make sense when you understand it. The people I work with do all have a sense of humour and care about others.
I take a lot of my strength in who I am and what I do from my parents, who were amazing people. My dad always had a project on the go, it kept his brain active and he was busy writing his own memoirs when he died aged 86. Mum was the painter with real talent, we tried to lock her away in her studio as often as we could (only joking) and I used to love watching her as a child working with her oils.
I enjoy having all my children home, they're the biggest achievement of my life. I'm so proud of them all, each unique in character but all so capable. It's a true joy to see them grow and become such lovely people.
Birth Place: Nottingham, UK
Accomplishments: Distinction in London School of Journalism's distance learning 'Journalism and Travel writing' course, Feb 09
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