1. Why do you write novels?

My rhyming books are written in the way I used to read to my children to enthuse their love of books and reading – plus I love to make people smile.   Reading rhymes is the best way to learn to read, and helps new readers who are finding things a bit trickier. There are definitely more books in the pipeline to add to ‘Shirley Murley’s’ life story.  When I present to primary schools I also take copies of ‘The Cat In The Hat’ which is the rhyming book I loved as a child, and ‘Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy’ which is another favourite.  It gives me great pleasure to see their hands shoot up when I ask who has copies at home – I hope that one day that will happen for my own books, too.

2. Who inspired you?  

I have always written rhymes and poems, but when my husband and I were expecting our first child we said ‘Oh, if we have a daughter we should call her Shirley so that she would be Shirley Murley’.  This spread out into ‘if she had curly hair she would be a curly Shirley Murley’ and the idea grew in my head from there.  So the inspiration was the joke we told everyone over 28 years ago, which came to the fore every time someone was having a baby.  Although I have to say, if I hadn’t met and married the amazing Mr Murley then ‘Shirley Murley’ would never have been created so does that give him a role in inspiring me…?

3. What’s the essence of your style? The part, if removed, is not your voice anymore?

My rhyming I think – my tagline is ‘There’s always time to rhyme’ which I have to say I would have made shorter if I had seriously thought about how long it would take to write when I have a queue of children waiting for a signed copy of my book!  I rhyme, all the time, from 6 until 9, but it’s fine, the pleasure’s all mine.

4. What was your dance-around-the-kitchen moment in writing?

The most amazing feeling was of course when I signed the contract to have ‘Shirley Murley’ published, but I have to say that I have a little dance every time someone contacts me to say they have bought my book, and every time someone asks me to sign my book for them.  I think being a new author you do have that feeling of being a bit of an imposter author, so getting positive feedback is just the best feeling.

5. What do you want to accomplish in your writing career?

I would like to one day be able to say that writing is my main source of income!  I still work in a primary school office which I absolutely love, but writing and visiting primary schools as a visiting author to talk to the children about books and my publishing journey is something I am so passionate about.  Of course, I believe that ‘Shirley Murley’ would be a great kids TV programme, so fingers crossed the right person believes in me one day!

6. Can you ever envisage not writing novels - running out of ideas or energy?

I never seem to have enough time to sit and write down all the new book ideas I have for ‘Shirley Murley’s’ life.  I think I will always be writing rhyming books now that I have found my inner creativity.

7. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Don’t listen to the ‘careers adviser’ at secondary school who said that there was only banking or secretarial as a career choice for me! Oh, and 28 years ago when we joked about ‘Shirley Murley’ I wish I had taken the plunge and written it down and sent it to a publisher!

8. Away from writing, what are your passions, and what do they mean to you?

My family and friends mean the world to me, and spending time with them is just perfect.  They have all been so supportive as I start this mid-life career change!  Besides that, my husband and I love 70’s and 80’s music and we go to live music events and festivals whenever we can.  

9. How would your best friends describe you?

I would like to think they would say I am fun to be with, caring, generous and would do anything for anyone!

10. What’s a significant question to ask you, that no other interview has to date, and what’s the answer, only for New2theScene?

When I am rich and famous (note the ‘when’ not ‘if I become’!!) who will play you in a movie about your rise to stardom?

I would like to think that someone like Dawn French would enjoy my rhyming books, and I can just hear her voice reading my books out loud in a movie!  If she was busy, I think that as a complete contrast Judi Dench would make an amazing Me, reading and writing rhyming children’s books.