I grew up in the great coal-mining region of North Nottinghamshire in the days when life revolved around the ‘pit.’ Many people lived close to the mine, worked down the mine and socialised on Friday and Saturday nights at the Miners’ Welfares that were dotted around the towns and villages. I was surrounded by hard-working people who’d enjoy a well-deserved drink or two while dancing their troubles away… and often great storytellers who’d keep each other engaged and entertained with tense tales that relayed the drama of their week. What an immersive education for an aspiring writer!

I couldn’t be happier doing the job of my dreams now, but the fairy tale was a long time in the making. After many years sending out my work to agents and having no luck, I decided, at the age of forty, to go back to university and study for a BA and then an MA in Creative Writing. I signed with a top literary agency and secured my first publishing contract before I graduated. I worked two careers side-by-side for three years (writing and accountancy) while I honed my craft and worked to build a following of loyal readers.

My time at university was not wasted. My MA dissertation became my first psychological thriller, SAFE WITH ME, published in 2016. Enthusiasm for an assignment for a module on my BA in English and Creative Writing prompted me to develop it into my first Young Adult novel. It was one of four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult titles I wrote as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books, including the critically acclaimed ‘Smart’ and ‘A Seven-Letter Word.’ These socioeconomic-diverse stories are set in Nottinghamshire and focus on various difficult issues young people often face and are wrapped up in a page-turning mystery that helps them remain popular for discussion in schools across the UK.

All my ideas come from the rich tapestry of real life and I’m always on the lookout. Things I’ve heard, read, seen are all up for grabs… truth really can be stranger than fiction! The smallest seed of an idea can grow into a gripping storyline if it ignites my imagination and that’s certainly the test for me. If a concept niggles at the back of my mind, if I keep toying with it in my quiet moments, adding on little building blocks to the characters and plot… then I know an idea is a ‘keeper’ and has a chance of sustaining an 80,000 word novel.

I like to write every day if possible because that’s the best way to keep the story fresh and real in my mind. I can only work in silence (usually possible, thanks to my noise-cancelling AirPods!) but once I have a peaceful backdrop, I can – and do - work virtually anywhere.

In my spare time I love walking, particularly on the North Yorkshire coast. I read, and listen to audiobooks, across all genres, and enjoy eating out and holidaying - both in the UK and abroad. I live in a small Nottinghamshire village with my husband.