I need to start my story by saying that my mum is NOTHING like the character, Davina, in my novels!  In fact, they are complete opposites.  My mum is quite a formal, reserved lady who is engaging but measured in her behaviour.  Whereas Davina is an exuberant, colourful character who intentionally captivates any room she enters, leaving a trail of admirers in her wake.  She is definitely my favourite character, which is why she features so heavily in my second book. 

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But I digress!  This is supposed to be my story.  Well, my story also started with my mother, who is an extremely capable businesswoman, chef and sportswoman.  She played county badminton, county netball and even made the qualifiers at wimbledon, even though she wasn't coached and didn't even own her own raquet until she was 21!  Without a doubt, most people harboured the tacit expectation that I would follow in her footsteps.  However, it appears that all of those talented, athletic genes skipped a generation... because I have 2 left feet and have always struggled with coordination!  Sadly, my common sense didn't kick in either until I was about 30, so the combination of poor choices and poor coordination made for a series of highly unfortunate situations!  Although I usually laughed my way through them, many others took a dimmer view of my misfortunes.  Those unkind comments and unfavorable comparisons with my mother and peer group meant that I struggled with a sense of worthlessness for many years.

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Thankfully, I no longer compare myself to others and now I look back with hilarity on my many disasters.  In fact, they have turned out to be a blessing... because there were enough to fill my first novel and provide laughter to many.  Those disasters also form much of the backdrop to Laura's story in the filmscript.  Although I am not as clumsy as I used to be, I am more than happy to laugh at myself when I do make mistakes.  Nowadays, my value is settled and the events of life and unkind comments of others no longer challenge it.  In fact, due to my own experiences, I have been able to help others stabilise their view of their own value too.... hence my first non-fictional book was birthed!

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Surviving an unexpected divorce whilst keeping my heart right and banishing bitterness was probably the biggest challenge that I have ever faced in my life.  It took me several years and many failed attempts, but I got there in the end!  I thought it might be helpful to cut years off the journey for other people who struggle with unforgiveness... hence my second non-fictional book was conceived.  Within 2 weeks of its launch I was already receiving feedback from people that it had helped, which has made my personal journey feel worthwhile.

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Where did the film come from?  Well it was a natural progression.  When I wrote the book, I always visualised a film.  In fact, I would see the scenes in my mind and then write them down.  The fact that it is a musical is quite ironic... because I have the voice of a cab horse!  God may love my singing voice on a Sunday, but I am not convinced that anyone around me ever does!  Due to my limitations, I could only get the script so far because I could hear the basic song melodies in my head and write the lyrics into the script, but I couldn't get it any further.  Every time I asked God what to do, a face appeared in my mind.  The face was of a lady at church who I didn't know - Mary Robbins.  After 3 months of this face appearing, I approached Mary..  She beamed with delight... because she had been praying for a project!  Mary took the basic 'melodies' that I sung into my phone (I use the term 'melody' generously; really they were a set of groanings) and transformed them.  We learnt how to work together, encouraging each other to draw out the unexplainable extra that turns a song from average to soul-connecting spectacular.  And the rest, as they say, is history... A Rampage of Chocolate the musical fim was born.  Now all we need to find is the film producer/director to bring it to life.

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I am on a roll now!  There is a second musical script in the pipeline (A Rampage of Grace) and the outline of the third novel is gently germinating in my brain.  With many more life experiences to draw from there are many more books and films to come.

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I have shared a small insight into the journey that has led to my books and film, however what I haven't shared is the 2 things that mean the most to me - my faith and my family. I have been blessed with 3 gorgeous children and 1 grandchild.  For me, raising them has been the greatest privilege of my life.  Even as a single mother, I intentionally only worked part-time, so that I could invest all my efforts into raising my children.  I saw it as an investment in their future and a worthwhile sacrifice.  Now that they are turning into caring, kind capable adults, I believe that was the right decision for us.  I am so proud of the people that they have become.  They may not be perfect, but they are doing life much better than I ever did at their age!

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So what about my christian faith?  Well it underpins everything!  It is the structure that underpins my family and the reason that I am still here on this earth.  When life was tough, God was tougher.  Even though I was a single parent, I never felt alone.  When we didn't have enough, God always provided.  When others were unkind, God wrapped me in love.  If there is one thing that I have learnt... God is trustworthy and He is ALWAYS there for you!

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