When did you realize you had a passion for writing?

“Hmm, I’m not sure I do have a passion for writing. I find it interesting and challenging. I enjoy it (most of the time). It’s frustrating and occasionally satisfying. So many different things. It’s also my job, so I have to turn up for work at my computer whether I feel like it or not.”

Who has influenced your writing?

“I think everything I’ve seen, read, watched and experienced influences my writing. You absorb things every day without even realizing it. Before I wrote Numbers, I read Northern Lights by Philip Pullman and I think that had a huge influence on me. He’s a brilliant writer.”

Have you always wanted to be an author?

“No. It didn’t occur to me to try writing until I was in my mid-thirties. I studied Geography at university and did a variety of jobs after that. I only started writing out of curiosity – to see if I could do it. It took a while to find out what I enjoyed writing and then more time until I found a publisher. It’s been quite a slow process – maybe I’m a late developer!”

Why did you decide to focus on appealing to a teenager audience?

“I didn’t actually decide. I was writing for my daughter, who was fourteen at the time, but really I just wrote the story that I had inside me without thinking too much about who else might read it. When I’d finished it, I didn’t know if it was an adult or a teen book. When I met my publisher, they were keen to publish it as a teen/YA book and I’ve carried on writing for that audience ever since. It’s a real privilege to write for teens. It’s brilliant meeting readers and getting emails – they give very direct feedback, and sometimes it’s clear that my books have struck a chord with a reader and that they mean something very special to them.”

Did you have any previous novel attempts before you published “Numbers?”

“Yes. I wrote two novels for younger children. I sent them to lots of publishers but was rejected by all. Quite rightly, because they weren’t very good, but I learnt a lot writing them.”

What inspired you to write “Numbers?”

“I wanted to write something my then teenage daughter might read, something a bit edgy. I thought that writing about someone with a special gift (or curse) would be interesting. Jem, my main character, just wandered into my head one day when I was walking my dog. All at once, I knew everything about her, including her ‘gift’ of seeing death dates.”

What was the most challenging aspect of writing this novel?

“Numbers was really a joy to write. I didn’t have a contract or any particular expectations of the book, so I just told myself the story in my own time. The first draft took about six months to write, and I wrote it in the early mornings before I went to my day job. I suppose editing it for the publisher was more difficult than writing the first draft. I had to work on developing my characters and making sure the plot rattled along, but even that wasn’t too stressful.”

How did you react to winning the Angus Book Award?

“I’m so lucky that Numbers has won several regional awards in the UK, as well as some in Europe too. I’ve been totally surprised and really delighted by the reaction to the book. The Angus Book Award was really special, because teen readers themselves vote for the award, and I was lucky enough to go to Scotland and meet some of them. They gave me a very warm welcome.”

What are some of your aspirations for the future?

“My main aspiration is to write a better book next time. I want to keep challenging myself and exploring what I’m capable of. (I think that’s a very ungrammatical sentence – maybe I should aspire to learn some grammar!)”

What would you advise students hoping to become authors?

“If you are interested in becoming an author, try to write something every day. I didn’t do any formal creative writing courses, but learnt through writing. I think it’s important to try different styles and genres to find out what suits you. And try to enjoy your writing. If you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point?”