In my pre-author life, I was a chocolatier and made handmade chocolates under my business, Sinful Indulgence Chocolates. I was one of the pioneers when it came to offering chocolates for corporates and small businesses. I took the company logo and prepared a custom mould to fill with chocolate, where most companies were only printing the logo on the wrapper.
2. What is your nickname?
I have been called many things. My oldest friend calls me George, which I like as I was named after my Grandfather. But Georgie is what I’m mostly called.
3. What is your greatest fear?
That I can’t find the answers that I need to help a loved one.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Emotional, rhyming, honest, creative, always changing, fun, makes readers smile.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Persistent, researcher, evolving and always thinking.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
Oh gosh, too hard to choose just one. I like Winnie the Pooh because he is so innocent and goes about life at a leisurely pace, plus he gets to hang out with Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit and Eeyore all the time. But as I dabbled in chocolate during my early life, stepping into Willy Wonka’s shoes for a day would be amazing too.
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
1977 and hug my grandparents one more time.
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
Slow down. Time to put yourself first for a change.
9. Who is your greatest influence?
Another too-hard question. I think all the people I have had relationships or friendships with over the years have influenced me in some way. I like to think that I have taken a little piece of something from all of them that has helped me in my life’s journey. Whether that be something to strive for or something to be cautious of, every experience counts.
10. What/who made you start writing?
I can’t remember the actual moment. I wrote a poem when I was eight, which I won a certificate for. It was for a weekend paper, in the kids lift-out section. I didn’t pick it up again until the birth of my first child. He was a non-sleeper and I sat at the foot of his bed writing a murder mystery. By the time he was ready and could understand what I was reading him, my murder manuscript wasn’t a good idea, so I made up stories for him. I’ve been making up stories for children ever since.
11. What is your favourite word and why?
Children. I have them and love them to bits. I write for them and love it to bits. I get to share stories with them during school visits, which I also love to bits.
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I have so many I love, so I feel it would be a betrayal to choose just one. Instead, I’m going to say my picture book, In the Shadow of an Elephant? Why? Because this book came from several emotional places. Mainly, while dealing with the grief of losing my mother, so there will forever be that one last connection to her. Another is to remind myself of the magic you can create when you work hard and believe in yourself. Plus, who doesn’t love a picture book?
