I’m an up-and-at-’em early-morning person out of necessity, but I love to savour the slow starts. I’m not a late-night person, though sometimes there’s nothing nicer than sitting with a hot cup of tea in the peace and quiet only nighttime affords.

I have an irrational fear of routine. I also have three incredible kids and one very patient husband who’s endured his fair share of what could, at times, be considered unhinged antics.

I’ve learnt through this humbling process that the ability to write does not make you a writer. That things worth doing take time - lots of it. That authentic authors deserve more credit. Writing a book is not for the faint of heart. I’ve never felt so vulnerable and inspired all at once. And doesn’t inspiration find you at the strangest times (and not once when I was in front of a computer, ready and praying!)

I’ve squeezed writing, and reading, into every fleeting opportunity: on my phone, in my car at training sessions, in the stands, before school, after school, late at night, or on those rare days when the universe aligned and gave me a few solid hours to just write.

This has been eighteen months in the making. I submitted my first version three months in, hindsight is a tough teacher! I’ve made every mistake known to (wo)man. Turns out, your inner circle isn’t just there to tell you hard truths - they’re there to proofread. Find that circle from day one. Don’t wait until you’re finished because you're too scared to ask. Start there. Let them read it, typos and all, so you’re not eating humble pie at the wrong end of the process.

I’ve never loved, hated, loathed, and learnt so much from a single project. Truth be told, my blink-and-you’ll-miss-it attention span has never focused this long on anything! To everyone following along, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...in the moments when I wasn’t rocking in a corner questioning why, of all the star signs, I got the one that doesn’t relax or slow down enough to enjoy the simple things in life.