I grew up on a farm near Mundulla in South Australia . Well, I probably shouldn't say I grew up because growing up is still on my ‘things to do before I die' list. (I'm not ready to give up splashing in the rain, chocolate crackles and jumping castles yet.) So maybe I should say I spent the first seventeen years of my life on a farm, with my mum, dad, brother and sister. It was a wonderful place for imaginations to run wild — the shearing shed could be a castle or a dungeon, and the sheep could be our loyal (if somewhat stupid) subjects, or ferocious woolly dragons. My pony was a winged unicorn one day and a Melbourne Cup winner the next.
I loved reading and loathed the cold weather, so I usually spent the winter months curled up inside with a good mystery or thriller. One frosty winter's day when I was twenty-five, I put my book down, jumped in my trusty car and headed north arriving a week later in Cairns after losing every gear except first. I took this as a sign and decided to stay.
Now, eighteen years later I am eternally grateful to that old Toyota ! I'm still living just north of Cairns with my husband and three boys and I can splash in the rain without feeling the slightest bit cold. And I can read stretched out by the pool instead of huddled inside.
When I'm not writing or reading, I enjoy playing cricket with my boys, swimming, playing tennis, bushwalking and watching scary movies. I don't enjoy housework, so I don't do very much of it — I'd rather dream up another story.
My first picture book with Scholastic Australia is titled I've Lost My Kisses (May 2007) and features illustrations by Nick Bland.
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