I worked in publishing for over 30 years, marketing children’s and educational books. From writing copy and communications, I turned to murder mystery games. A friend told me they were probably easy to write. (They’re not, but they are fun both to write and to play).
During lockdown, I started creating short stories based on anecdotes that were often recounted in my family, eventually turning them into a script for an audio play.
The Granny Fi stories which play a starring role in Book 1 of The Sam Holliday series do exist, if not in print. The stories were inspired by my grand-daughters, and their grandmother, Fiona.
The first book in The Sam Holliday series, Dying to Draw is my first cozy crime novel. The second, Dying to Write, is out 28th October, and the third book, Dying to Speak, is scheldued for February 2026.
Living on the edge of the Cotswolds gives me plenty of opportunities to combine thinking about stories while out walking. I’ve pondered many plot dilemmas on a walk, and come up with character names and traits. I have a habit (which I’m trying to break) of giving too many of my characters names that start with the same letter, which is a recipe for confusion. Talking of recipes, when I’m at home, you’ll find me cooking for friends and family, or with my nose in a book.
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