I wasn’t always a writer.
I started life as a lonely little dreamer somewhere in the south of France. A few years later, I went to University in the lovely pink city of Toulouse, where I read first Political Science and then Law. My first job as a lawyer was in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and I had the funnest time partying and learning Geordie alongside professional English.
Towards the end of my tenure in the northeast, I met my Welsh husband, and we moved to Paris where I got a job in an Investment Bank. A few more years of lawyering later, I had thoroughly exhausted that particular vein of entertainment and decided, for a bit of a change, to have one baby and, soon after, another.
Then started the most turbulent, painful and marvellous years. The cycles of deep depression and grandiose elation that had been the rhythm of my life ever since late childhood came thicker and faster than ever. After a particular bad bout of mania followed by a spectacular breakdown, I was – to everyone’s relief – diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder.
The years that followed were much quieter, and the miracle of modern medicine smoothed the peaks and troughs of my moods until I was finally, though still impaired, at least comfortable.
Slowly but surely, one lifestyle change at a time, I climbed out of the hole my mind had dug for me, but I still found myself unable to hold down a job, apart from that of stay-at-home mother (which is, as everyone knows, the thoughest thing you’ll ever do).
I turned to writing fiction for something to do with my brain while my mind and my body were healing. I soon discovered it was nothing short of my calling. I sat down one bleak January day to write a short novel, and I haven’t stopped writing since.
I decided to work as an indie author and self-publish my books, because my condition doesn’t mix well with work deadlines or the stress of dealing with anyone other than myself and my many moods.
Beyond my intimate experience of mental illness, I’m also in recovery from emotional abuse and dysfunctional relationships. My trials and tribulations inform my writing, and my wish is that my readers may find hope and comfort in recognising some of their troubles on the page.
Although I set my stories in a dystopian world of my invention, I like to keep my characters and their relationships as realistic as possible. I write about survivors of natural disaster, abuse or illness. I write so that readers will be encouraged and remember that no matter how tough the challenge, battles can be won if you persist.
This is why I have decided to support certain charities, by giving them some free advertising on my website or helping visitors to support some worthy causes close to my heart and get involved. Read more about my chosen charities here.
Please don’t leave the website without signing up for my mailing list (of course I’ll never ever give or sell your details to anyone). This will enable me to send you release dates for the upcoming books as well as the free spin-off stories that I write about my supporting characters.
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I hope you’re enjoying your visit. Why don’t you click – here – to read more about the Skyriders books.
Happy reading,
Florence