Who are your favourite authors?

Anne McCaffrey, Terry Pratchett, Isaac Asimov, R.F. Delderfield and Vera Brittain.  I am sure that there are some authors who aren't dead that I also like reading, I just can't think of them at the moment.

What are your favourite books?

Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain, The colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett, The Ship who Sang by Anne McCaffrey and Through the Narrow Gate by Karen Armstrong.

What is your favourite genre of writing?

It is difficult to say what sort of books I like, I enjoy Sci-fi and fantasy, but they aren't the only books I read, as you can see from the list above. If a story catches the imagination, if the characters and setting are believable, then I'll give them a try.

How old were you when you started reading?

I remember an ABC of Pussycats that I had in hospital when I was about 4years old after having my tonsils removed. When I was at school I remember lots of arguments with the local library when they wanted their books back. I was the kid that walked round the playground reading. I wouldn't go anywhere without something to read. When we moved house, the thing that upset me was having all my books put in a tea chest where I couldn't get at them.

How old were you when you started writing?

As a child I was always making up stories. My favourite toy was a Petite typewriter. It was a proper one, and worked just like the real thing, unlike  the sort with a large knob which only did lower case letters.    I don't know what happened to it and all the tales I wrote on it.    The task I enjoyed most at school was when you were told to write a story. I could always think of some yarn to spin.

Did anyone inspire you to write?

I remember having to write a critique about any book of my choice for General English and the teacher asking me for the details of the book because she wanted to read it.   Most of the class picked  "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" but, being contrary by nature I picked a compilation of science fiction short stories called "A Touch of Infinity" by Howard Fast, focusing on one called Cephus 5.   The book cost me all of fifty pence and I still have it.   If anything, this is the one that made me want to create my own books.

What part of the country do you live in?

I live in Penwortham Lancashire, UK.

What do you do for a living?

I work with my husband running a small IT support company, sorting the accounts  and generally keeping the admin side functional. I have degrees in Environmental Science (Sunderland Polytechnic) and Combined Arts  (Open University), both of which have helped give me a mindset to do the necessary research to write whilst running a small company (or vice versa).

Are you married, have children?

I've been married for 38 years and have two grown up children.

Is it easy for you to find time to write?

It is easier to find time to write now that the children are grown up, both having finished their degrees.   There are always distractions but, my laptop is always at the ready when I have an idea.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

My armchair in our living room, with the laptop, is my current writing area but most of the Poly and Anna was written long hand on whatever pieces of paper I could find. I typed up and later put it onto a word processor then a computer as technology advanced. It fermented for a good long while before I finally finished it.

Are there certain times of the day you find most productive for writing?

There is no specific part of the day that is best, I fit writing in whenever there is a quiet time. I write on computer as my spelling is appalling and, after using a typewriter, I really appreciate being able to press a button and have the work neatly prnted out for me. I also like spell checker, though I sometimes argue with that as to how something should be spelled or when it says a word is misspelled but can't come up with any alternative.

Email:   janicenyewriter@yahoo.co.uk