I was born in Bletchley (home of the wartime code-breakers!) and I grew up in Bedfordshire which is in England. I always said I wanted to be a writer, but I didn't actually get round to it for quite a long time.

 

I trained to be a primary school teacher and spent many years teaching. Those years taught me what children like in stories and how they respond to humour and suspense. Reading to an audience of children is just amazing.

Meeting a fan of the Robyn Silver books
Meeting a fan of the Robyn Silver books

 

Here are the answers to some of the questions I often get asked in fan mail:

 

1. What's your favourite animal?  Well, it's elephants - they're very intelligent - but I also love cats. We have a pet cat called Inky who is black with one tuft of white hair on his tummy!

 

2. Where do you get your ideas from?  If only I knew I could invent stories faster! I think ideas for books are a bit like dreams. They float around in your subconscious (the sleepy part of your brain) and if you can catch one you can use your imagination to make up a story.

 

3.  Why did you decide to be a writer?  I love stories. I never really thought being an author was something I could achieve. It sounded too difficult! But writing is just a skill and if you practise it you can improve a little every day.

 

4.  What's your favourite food?  Popcorn (salted), jelly, chocolate, cupcakes with icing.... Mmm!