Born in London and currently living in Somerset. The initial inspiration for my books came from a walk on Berrow beach a couple of years ago. The sea bed there is constantly swirled up by the strong tidal reach and the water is always murky and brown. As I walked along the shore I noticed a fisherman up to his thighs in muddy water and watched as he pulled a fish from the sea. It struck me that the fish had always been there, but I had not been able to see it until the fisherman hoiked it flapping from the soupy water. It was only a short leap of imagination to wonder what else might be hidden in the murky depths and by the time I returned home, Retishella mermaid and her watery world were created.