I've been in journalism for more than two decades, a career that began with work experience aged 15 on my local newspaper. After college (Birmingham Poly, where I got a 2:1 in communication studies), I trained for a diploma in journalism. Following a stint as chief reporter on the Poole Advertiser, I moved on to the Southampton-based Solent News Agency, where I helped to build up its fledgeling features department.

Moving to the smoke, I shifted for a while at Woman, Best, That's Life and Sunday magazine, before landing a staff writer's job at Woman. A promotion to commissioning editor followed soon afterwards, and I left to pursue a freelance career after having my first daughter in 2001.

As a freelance, my work's appeared in a wide range of magazines and newspapers, covering many different subjects - although I've forged a special interest in family and health matters. For more about my features, see the Features page of this website.

In 2007 I was commissioned to write my first two books, and having delivered both on time and to much satisfaction, I've since been asked to write seven more. Here's what the people I've worked for in the last few years say about me. For more about my books, see the Books page of this website.

As well as being a writer, I'm mum to two little girls who, inevitably, have provided me with personal experience of a whole range of tricky parenting matters.

I like to point out that, despite being the author of a number of excellent books offering help to parents who are bewildered and besieged by their kids, I remain thoroughly bewildered and besieged by my own.

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