I live in West Yorkshire and am married with three grown-up children (2 boys and a girl) and four grand children (2 boys and 2 girls), three cats and a dog.

I have a B.Sc. Degree in Applied Educational Studies and a Masters Degree in Special Educational Needs. Before I took early retirement to write full-time, I taught English up to A-level at an inner city school in Bradford with a predominently Asian population.

Prior to that for 12 years I was in charge of an educational unit for pregnant schoolgirls and schoolgirl mothers. For two years I taught a Creative Writing Class for the Workers' Educational Association.

For eight years I worked as a village correspondant for two local newspapers.

I have also worked as a volunteer for Victim Support and for Witness Support in the Crown and Magistrates Courts.

A founder member and chairperson of the Airedale Writers' Circle, set up in 1995, I have won the Article Section of their Open Competion for the last three years.

My hobbies are reading, going to the theatre and playing the piano - although I'm not very good at the latter.