About Me
My official author headshot (credit Kirsten Photography)
As a kid, I didn’t always find growing up a lot of fun and getting lost in a story or my own imagination was my favourite way of coping. It provided an escape where I could go to different places or live someone else’s life for a time, but it also taught me a lot about people, adventures, possibilities and ways of dealing with life.
My love of stories led me to an English Literature and Language degree at the University of Leeds. Unfortunately being “forced” to read a huge number of books that wouldn’t have been my first, second or even 100th choice snuffed out any affection for literature for several years. Life got in the way too and the combination resulted in me ignoring my writing dream for a long time.
Thoughts of writing began to reawaken through a number of different circumstances several years ago. I was offered voluntary redundancy from my job and I gleefully accepted, with the idea of spending a year pursuing my writing dream. That stretched to five years, before I had to head back into the world of (part-time) employment. The writing journey has been slower than I anticipated, with the time required to learn and develop the craft of writing waaaay longer than I ever imagined.
During that time, I’ve mainly been writing young adult science-fiction – a space opera series (currently a trilogy, but with more books percolating in my brain) and a dystopian/utopian standalone (with duology potential). All four books will be published on Amazon this year – “Give Me The Stars” and “Hold Back The Darkness“, the first two books of the series, are out now!
I was a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) for many years, participating in both the North-West monthly meetings and an online critique group (YayYA). I was also involved with the Golden Egg Academy for a few years. I’ve made lifelong writing friends through both, some of whom are the reason I’m still writing and have got this far! Early on in my journey, two “Writing Fiction for Young Adults” courses really set me on the right path too – one with the Oxford University Continuing Education Department (online with Benjamin Scott) and another with the Arvon Foundation (week long residential with Melvin Burgess and Lucy Christopher).
I’m also a mother to two amazing young men, Jesus follower, coffee snob, late-to-the-party tea lover, sociable introvert and terrible fidget. Welcome to the world of Once Upon A Mel!