Sharing what I know to help others to grow…
AUTHOR
I am an accomplished and successful author, mentor, journalist, teacher, speaker and publisher with over 30 books and hundreds of articles under my belt. Not only was my first book, French Tarts, accepted by the first publisher I approached when I was still in my early twenties, but I went on to be published by Macmillan, McGraw-Hill, Pitman, Paradigm and Zodiac. I moved abroad in 1987 and spent over 30 years living and working in Dubai, Oman, Norway, the Netherlands, Brunei and Malaysia, repatriating to England in 2020.
PUBLISHER
I started Summertime Publishing in 1997 in order to publish my most well-known book, A Career in Your Suitcase, now in its fourth edition. Expanding into partner publishing in 2008, Summertime and its sister imprint, Springtime Books, have published over 200 books for worldwide clients with me as Managing Editor and Jack Scott, author of Perking the Pansies as Business Manager. All our books can be found at the Expat Bookshop and our websites.
TEACHER
My love of ‘sharing what I know to help others to grow’ has led me to teach thousands of would-be writers worldwide to write articles, columns, how-to books and life stories. A conference speaker and workshop leader since 1998 I run writing retreats annually at the Watermill at Posara in Tuscany. An established and highly-regarded writers’ mentor, I have worked with hundreds of new writers, many going on to publish and sell their work. My ability to give concise, constructive feedback make me the natural first stop for new writers in a range of genres, often in the living and working abroad and personal development categories.
I run programs online both in groups and 1-1, including Start Writing Your Life Stories, Your Life in Review, Online Writers’ Circle and How to Write a How-to Book.
MENTOR
I work 1-1 with clients, helping them to brainstorm and plan a saleable book with a clear market that increases their professional reputation. Ask me to assess your work, do ‘big-picture’ edits and help you reach the final manuscript stage.
