When I was a girl, I spent many hours reading. I loved being taken away by stories about fairies; on adventures in foreign countries; planets in the universe; digging into sci-fi stuff; and immersing myself in the stories about fictitious families that resembled some real families I knew. It was great fun. I was enthralled at how the authors created the worlds, and the characters to live their lives in the worlds they created. Reading is still a major part of my life and couples nicely with my writing.

I thought I wanted to be an astronaut when I grow up. I’m not grown up yet. That’s why the image above is on this page. The reality of my life started after I saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. This adventure for the astronauts landing on the moon sparked my interest in sci-fi stuff. What if the astronauts landed on other planets? My imagination exploded. I discovered if I put words together in certain ways, I could take myself away from reality and play in any place I created. I have many unpublished books in my second drawer of these places. One day … maybe …

And that astronaut dream ... that's for when I really grow up ... whenever that will be.

The obsession with words has morphed into my writing career which I started about 30 years ago after a scuba diving holiday on Heron Island off the Queensland coast. As I transitioned from numbers to words, I didn't have the confidence in my writing so it has taken me all of those years to feel comfortable in my writer's shirt. Even with three published fiction books, numerous articles in magazines and newspapers, and hundreds of thousands, maybe a million plus of practiced written words, it still feels unusual. Apparently, this is quite normal.

Before my books were published I wrote five romance books that were rejected. Ouch, that hurt. I can now see these were my training novels. I look back at them every now and then and cringe at the bad writing, but I'm also glad my writing has improved and I feel comfortable with my writer's voice. What is most important though is the journey I have had to get to this point in my career.

It has been a journey of highs and lows. The highs have been the encouragement I’ve received from family and friends that kept me writing, while the lows have been important learning experiences for me in all aspects of my life.

Apart from space and cultures, I have been interested in personal growth since my early twenties. People have entered my life for a brief period so that I can learn from them, and for these contacts I am grateful for their wise counsel. Some people have come into my life and stayed, always being there to help me grow and develop as a person. I cannot measure the support these people have given and continue to give me, nor can I find the words to thank them. You have all been special in my life and it is you who have shaped me into the person I am today.

It is my intention through writing my characters’ lives that I will share some of the experiences I have had throughout my life. Some of my characters' experiences are purely fictional. It will be interesting to see if those of you who  know me well will identify those experiences. Let me know if you do by leaving messages for me at my contact page.

I write my blog to encourage you in your daily life. I love to interact with my readers on all levels, so please don't hesitate to leave me a note if my blog touches you in some way.

Below are some of my favourite images. Some have been taken by me and some have been borrowed from other photographers (of course, with their permission).