"For as long as I can remember I've had a compulsion to write; short stories that were rarely submitted and never published, odd jottings of poetry and prose that were shown to no one, stuffed away in drawers and eventually discarded. I once began keeping a diary, but whenever life became extra busy or especially interesting it was difficult to find the time and during the quieter periods nothing seemed worth recording. After my children had grown up I gained a certificate in further education and found myself teaching English to foreign business executives. It was then that I began to write a series of case studies for use as teaching material; these were eventually published in a series entitled 'Management English'. This seemed to rekindle the creative spark and I began writing short stories, some of which were published. The next step was a full-length novel, which brought me into contact with the agent who advised me to try my hand at a whodunit."