All About Me

Here’s me.  Lover of chocolate and never ending cups of milky tea.

I live in Edinburgh with my family and two cats who bring me dead things when I write in the wee small hours. The cats that is, not my family. I write picture books and middle grade novels, I also have a vague premise for a crime novel up my sleeve. I am represented by Alice Sutherland-Hawes from The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV and Film Agency.

Being the youngest of five children, my mum was hounded by questions from us all day, every day. If she didn’t know how to explain things to us she would say ‘Oh, it’s just a great big jar of…’ and that’s where my blog name comes from.

You will see from all the information on my blog that I am involved in a lot of different aspects of the literary world – from reviewing books for an on-line website to chairing book launches.

I also work for the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, the charity that raises money for the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh.

I have held many volunteer roles in the past – as a ‘paired reader’ at my local primary school, a child protection officer at my local community football club and a co-chair of SCBWI Scotland network. At the moment, I co-ordinate a local book group made up of volunteers from St Columbas Hospice, Edinburgh. We even have our own blog!

Songs I listen to over and over again:

The Light by The Proclaimers

Candy by Paulo Natini

Close to Me by The Cure

Everybody Changes by Keane

In The Shadows by The Rasmus

LA Woman by The Doors

Bring Me To Life by Evanescence

Dream Catch Me by Newton Faulkner

Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder

Cry for You by September

Somebody I used to Know – Walk Off The Earth