I am a teacher aide working in the mainstream at Waimea College on the outskirts of Nelson. Writing is a form of relaxation where I can escape the daily grind into a world of my own making. It’s wonderful and using this to raise money for charity is even better. All the proceeds from the sales of these books are a donation to the charity for which they were written.
When I was about five, and with the help of a stapler and a pack of crayons, I wrote, illustrated and published my first book, and haven’t looked back since. Short story competitions are a favourite and I don’t think I’ve entered a competition and not been placed.
The idea to use my writing as a fundraiser came about because a colleague at work was struck down with breast cancer for the second time and I wanted to help. My first novel ‘What’s In A Name?’ was published in 2017 to raise money for the Nelson Cancer Society. My goal was to raise $4,000 but sales easily surpassed that. ‘All For Love’ published in 2020 raised money for the same charity and ‘Spies Lies and Secret Agents’, published in 2019 supported the Nelson Marlborough Helicopter Trust. To date I have raised over $20,000 for charity.
‘Danger in the Darkness’ is my latest book. Different from the others, this one is a teen read and is raising money for Ronald McDonald House in New Zealand.
When I am not at work or writing, I love walking the dog at dawn, horses and, of course, my family and friends.
