This is Squeak 'helping' me write. Yes, she is smiling.

I've been involved in speculative fiction since 1976 when Paul Collins and I moved to Melbourne where we set up the small press publishing house Cory and Collins (originally VOID Publications). Working as Paul's assistant gave me an insight into the travails of Independant Press publication and a great respect for anyone who does it. Since then I've run a bookshop, then a graphic art studio where I illustrated children's books, had 6 children in 10 years, sold nearly 30 children's books and a fantasy trilogy internationally and established R&D Studios.

I like to support the writing community so I've served on the management committee of the Queensland Writers Centre, and the Brisbane Writers Festival. I was one of the founders of Fantastic Queensland (FQ) which runs Clarion South, the Aurealis Awards (in conjunction with Chimaera Publications). While Vice President for FQ, I organised EnVision, the 5 day spec fic workshop for novel length writers in 2003, 2004 and again in 2005. And I was involved in running the national SF convention Conjure in 2006 where I organised a Pitching Session where aspiring authors could pitch their books to Stephanie Smith from Harper Collins.

I've run workshops on writing at national SF conventions, schools and libraries and World Con 1999. Marianne de Pierres and I were founding members of the VISION writing group which went on to form Fantastic Queensland. Together we formed ROR, the national critiquing group .

I live by the bay with my husband and six children (three in school, one doing a gap year and two at UNI). In 2006 I began an MA in Creative Writing with QUT. Martial arts have always interested me. I studied each of these for five years, Tae Kwon Do, Aikido and Iaido, the art of the Samurai sword.