How many books have you written?
41, 17 trade titles, 24 educational titles.

What was your first book?
Stagefright – a contemporary teen book about a group of misfits putting on a musical version of a Shakespearean tragedy.

When did you start writing?
1988. I was 38.

Why do you like to write books for children?
They’re the sort of stories I like to read.

Where do you get your ideas from?
History more often than not.

Are the characters in your books based on real people?
Not usually. Though Kai is a mixture of several naughty pets that I’ve had.

How do you create characters that will appeal to children?
I don’t specifically set out to do that. I do try and make my characters flawed. They’re not perfect. They get afraid and grumpy and sometimes they’re mean.

Who are your favourite writers/illustrators? And favourite books?
Favourite writers: A S Byatt, Margaret Atwood, Tim Winton, JRR Tolkien. Favourite books: Possession, The Name of the Rose, Cold Mountain, The English Patient, The Lord of the Rings.

Which character from a book would you most like to meet?
Aragorn (from The Lord of the Rings).

What do you use to write your books?
A computer. Even I can’t read my writing.

What were you like at school?
A bit of a swot. I liked school.

What is your favourite food?
Japanese. You can eat a lot without feeling sick.

What are your hobbies?
Writing used to be my hobby, and now it’s my job it still takes up a lot of my ’spare time’, usually in the form of reading for research. I am a family historian (more research). I like gardening.

Do you have any pets?
An old cat called Spud. Five goldfish.

What is your most treasured possession?
A five-foot Chinese dragon statue and my album of old family photos.

If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
Retired.