It wasn’t until a few years ago, when I had successfully completed an Open University Degree course, that I decided to turn my hand to writing – and, before you ask, no, it wasn’t a creative writing course. In fact it had nothing at all to do with writing, it was Social Sciences. However, I believe it was the challenge of having to write so many assignments in a manner fully comprehensible to a lay-person, yet within a limited number of words, which gave me the true feeling of what writing is all about.

So in 2001, I began a course with the Writer’s Bureau and my very first article was accepted for publication by The Lady magazine only four months later. Since then, that same magazine plus various others, including Heritage, Scottish Field and People’s Friend, have published many more of my articles and short stories. Now I’ve found that writing has taken over my life and I spend many hours in front of the computer.

In 2005, a couple of my short stories were included in two anthologies. One, being in an International collection, was published abroad, while the other, published in England, was launched in Glasgow during August.

About five years ago, I embarked on my first novel, ‘Only Twelve Days’, a rather tender romance with a part tailor made for Hugh Grant. Sadly, as it is still unpublished, he has yet to read it!

It was then that I decided to move on and write another; something with a little more grit and so ‘The Trojan Project’ was born. This is a fast-paced thriller and tells of how a handful of people are forced to flee for their lives when Sarah, a young mother, makes a terrifying discovery in the Cheviot Hills.

The novel has been accepted for publication by Austin & Macauley Ltd., Publishers (www.austinmacauley.com) and will be available shortly.

At the moment I am working on another novel, ‘Divorcees.com’ as well as continuing with short stories.

I am a member of The Society of Authors; The Society of Women Writers and Journalists; The Women Writers Network; The Edinburgh Writers Club; The Border Writer’s Forum and , as well as being an Associate Member of NAWG (National Association of Writers' Groups).

I also review novels for newbooks, an excellent bi-monthly magazine, which publishes reviews of most of the books that can be found on our bookshelves.