I arrived on Australian shores by boat from England in the late 1960s. After decades in rural South Australia—where I built a life first around horses, then nursing—Tasmania called to me with an irresistible whisper.
Since making the Apple Isle my home in 2016, I’ve found myself surrounded by English-style architecture, trees and gardens that speak to my heritage in ways both mysterious and profound. These colonial buildings and ruins, with their secrets and shadows, have become more than just characters in the paranormal tales I need to weave.
My passion for English history in Tasmania drives me to create fiction that offers balance to the well-documented tales of grief and suffering. While acknowledging the island’s complex past, I hope to craft stories that hint at the resilience, wonder, and unexpected beauty that also shaped this remarkable place. The island’s natural environment—its ancient forests, misty mountains, and wild coastlines—inspires my writing with a sense of both mystery and reverence.
Reading across countless genres has expanded my storytelling horizons beyond paranormal history. Inspired by a grandson mad about dinosaurs, I need to finish a space adventure featuring a prehistoric sidekick, while my granddaughter’s need for strong female protagonists has birthed the idea of a swashbuckling 1800s ship captain who navigates Tasmania’s treacherous coastline with piratical flair. These family connections remind me daily of why our stories matter.
My path to writing has been as winding as Tasmania’s roads. From horse woman to nurse to earning my PhD at 55 (proving it’s never too late to reinvent yourself), each chapter of my life has added layers to my storytelling and lessons I hope to weave into my narratives. Working part time (for the moment), I count the days until my desk becomes my full-time domain, where my love for research and writing consumes me—interrupted only by my writing buddy, Nettie, who insists on regular breaks to chase her ball.
Blessed with a family who indulges my “crazy ideas,” I gaze out over our piece of Tasmanian paradise, already hearing whispers of what historical mysteries my protagonists need to unearth next.
Until my next book, may you get lost within the pages where Tasmanian history blurs with the beyond.
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Cheers for now, happy reading, and may you always find the perfect reading nook wherever you are.
Susanne. 🐾