I live in Tasmania, off the southern coast of Australia – 12 hours south of Melbourne by vehicular ferry. It is a land that inspires me every day. Famous for the vocal Tasmanian Devil, world-class salmon, a sustainable timber industry, and a Wilderness World Heritage area, we have a population of around 500,000, large areas of temperate rainforest, and you have to work hard not to have a water view of some kind. Tasmania is famous for four seasons in one day. We can get a sea fog rolling in of an evening, snow on the mountains around us overnight, an early morning drizzle, and then you can get severely sunburnt, even though it is only 14 degrees Celsius (57F) because the air is so clean, and consequently, everyone packs their jacket and keeps an umbrella handy whenever they go out, all year round.
I love the natural world, and as I get older, I am appreciating the historical aspects of the places I live and visit. I love family and friends, animals from tardigrades (aka water bears and so very cute 🙂 ) to blue whales, and all creatures in between, I love forests and oceans, mosses and fungi, and most importantly, I love making up stories where they can all be brought to life on the pages I write.
Although I am now semi-retired (so I can write books), I spent the majority of my life nursing and teaching. I had a career in agriculture (predominantly horses) and went back to university at 30 to become a nurse and got my PhD at 55 (it’s never too late!). I have worked as a jillaroo, riding instructor, registered nurse, Director of Nursing in a rural hospital, and many years in between and since, as an academic, lecturing in both nursing, and dementia-specific, degree programs. I loved teaching, but now it is time to fulfill my other passion in life, getting my stories down on paper.
I published my first book on November 3rd, 2020. My second book was published in an Anthology on April 5th, 2022, led by Jane Hinchey with fellow co-authors Christine Bernard, Polly Holmes, Kelly Ethan, Maggie Mundy, Paula Lester, and Belinda White. Once time in the anthology ended, I then published Familiar Unspelled myself. I have a lot of work to do on overcoming imposter syndrome (like many writers), but I hope you stay with me on my journey and enjoy the stories I have to tell.
Feel free to contact me anytime using the Contact Form below with feedback or even just to say hello.
Cheers for now, happy reading, and may you always have a furbaby or critter to curl up with.
Susanne.xx