I didn’t seriously get into writing until I was in my thirties, despite always wanting to be a writer – yes, yes I know everyone always says that! But it’s true. As a teenager I wrote quirky short stories and intense dark poetry which is hilarious when I look back at it. It’s a million miles away from my writing style now which is humorous and fast moving.

After my English degree, I decided to have a year off. I had very little idea of what career I wanted to pursue. I plucked English teacher out of the air really, because I loved my subject. I’d like to say that I travelled widely during that year and built wells in Africa, instead I drifted, learnt to type, wrote more intense short stories, planned to travel in America for three months financed by working at a summer camp. All my friends told me not to do it, that I would hate it. They were right, I hated it, and had to leave early. As I collected my plane ticket home the organisers told me that I had spoiled the special relationship that existed between our two countries. Which saddens me because I love New York and most American TV series!

I then spent a year at Oxford taking a Postgraduate Certificate of Education in English. That was a lovely year, where I had a condensed version of the Oxford experience – cycling past the dreamy spires, punting etc. Then it was in at the deep end at a London comprehensive. I liked teaching and the children. There was just one small problem, I didn’t like being in school, far too regimented. So I decided to try and get into radio. I would have preferred to pursue the writing dream but I was way too scared of not having a PROPER job. I joined the BBC, in 1990 on the bottom rung as a secretary, and over the next few years worked my way up to become a radio producer. Good things about that time: met some fantastic people who made me laugh so much [with them, not at them] and met my husband and oh I enjoyed working in radio as well.

Around 1996 I took the scary plunge and went freelance so I could continue to work in radio [and therefore eat – I cannot do the starving artist routine] and finally write. I had ideas for several novels including Valentine and I wrote light hearted features for magazines, covering subjects from body hair [where do you stand on hairy backs kind of thing - answer as far away as possible] to going on a nudist beach [never again].

In 1999 I had my son Joe. The turning point in my career as a writer came when I was introduced to the literary agent Maggie Hanbury who was interviewing ghostwriters for a celebrity autobiography. Back in the early noughties the ghosted celebrity autobiography was a pretty new idea. I hadn’t read any, though I did read celebrity mags, in a guilty pleasure sort of way, for which I blame the birth of my son. I’m sure he’s going to blame me for something, so I may as well get in first. While I was writing the autobiography I had twin girls. Becoming a mother of twins was such a life changing moment that occupying someone’s else’s reality offered the perfect escape and I am sure kept me sane. Since then I have ghostwritten more autobiographies and five novels.

In 2008 I was offered my own book deal by Random House. Valentine came out in May 09 and A Funny Thing About Love comes out on 5th August 2010.