Much of my life has been as a gypsy without roots.

I travelled as a child, went to many schools, ending my education in a strict Catholic convent in Malta while my parents lived in Cyprus.

I was set on an acting career and after working as an ASM in the Theatre Royal Windsor, I won a place at the London Academy of Music and Drama (LAMDA).

My acting career was brief. I went off to Germany, Norway, Sharjah then on to Singapore and Malaysia as an army wife. I kept journals of my time in the Middle East and my first novel, Falls the Shadow, was published by a small independent publisher. 

Eventually tired of an itinerant life, I moved to Cornwall and put down roots. Having secured an agent, my next two novels, Listening to the Voices and The Sleep of the Birds were published by Headline. 

Sea Music was published by Harper Collins to critical acclaim, followed by Another Life, The Hour Before the Dawn and Come Away With Me. 

At the end of 2009, I took the decision to take time off to travel. I visited Oman, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and lived for a year in Karachi, Pakistan. The result is a book set in Pakistan called In A Kingdom By the Sea.