Frequently Asked Questions
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland. I personally think it is one of the best and most beautiful cities in the world - it is very clean and I always feel safe there. Even though I have moved around quite a bit in my life, I love coming back to Brisbane.
Nowadays, I spend my time between Los Angeles and Brisbane. I have a house just outside of Brisbane and I have family in Los Angeles who I visit regularly.
What are some of your other favourite cities?
Apart from Brisbane, I also love San Francisco and Seattle. I have friends in San Francisco and my husband, who was born in America, has family in Seattle. Both cities are beautiful and are filled with many wonderful cultural experiences.
What are some of your fondest memories growing up?
I remember when I was a very young child, my mother used to read stories to me before I went to bed. She would read to me every night and it was from this that I developed a love for reading and learning. I was always very good at English at school and in my spare time, I would write short stories (usually on school holidays).
Summers were the best - hot, sunny days spent outside with friends, playing cricket, skateboarding, riding our bikes or going swimming. And there would always be huge, electric thunderstorms most afternoons during the summer holidays. These were fantastic!
Apart from hanging out with friends, I used to love to read - and read, and read. I especially loved reading adventure/mystery novels such as Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys mysteries. I also loved reading non-fiction books on history and archaeology - I just love knowledge about anything and everything. I have drawn on my knowledge of history and archaeology as well as my love for adventure stories when writing my novel, The Azura Stones.
How did you get into writing?
After finishing high school, I studied education at the Queensland University of Technology. Because of my love for reading and writing, I majored in English. I was also very good at Business and Law, so I majored in these subjects as well. My parents taught me the importance of having good morals and work ethics, and encouraged me to pursue a career that was stable - such as teaching. So, I decided to go to University to study English and Business/Law. Little did they realise that my love for writing was being fuelled even more through the literature and writing classes I was choosing and the encouragement I was receiving from my lecturers.
I must say at this stage that I don't for one minute regret studying education first - I have many wonderful memories of students I have taught in the past, student I have helped encourage, helped to make a difference in their lives, helped to reach their goals and to excel in their chosen careers. Such experiences have motivated me to write more seriously - not just short stories to share with my English classes, but novels through which I could share meaningful storylines and good lessons in life with students of all ages.
What are you working on now?
I am working on a sequel to The Azura Stones. There were many questions in the first novel that need to be answered and some situations that need to be developed more. So, the sequel will be a new adventure for Hayley, Alex and Spence, with some ties to the first novel. It will also introduce readers to some new characters, both good and bad. There are a few twists in the plot line that should keep readers on their toes right up to the very end, so look out for the sequel sometime next year!!What are some of your favourite books?
I have lots of favourite books, but some of my all-time favourites that I like to read over and over again are:Do you have any suggestions on how to improve my writing skills?
- Read, read and read some more! It is important to read as many different books as you can and to take note of the writing styles of different authors.
- Brainstorm topics. Think of topics and genres (ie. writing styles such as fantasy or adventure) that you are interested in. You will be more motivated to write if you choose topics or writing styles that interest you.
- Set aside at least 30 minutes at a time and just write. Write about anything that interests you. The more you write, the better you will become at writing.
- Now, take what you have written and see if you can improve it. Can you add descriptive words into your sentences to clarify your ideas? Do you need to rearrange words in a sentence to help create fluency throughout your written piece? Have you expressed your ideas logically and clearly?
- Read your work aloud to see if your main ideas have been written logically and clearly.
- Finally, read more and write more.