What inspired you to start writing?
A profound diversion to reality. Not so much in my private life, but in my working life - I just couldn't get contented in the work force. Working for other people always seemed such a farce, as all my good ideas, time and energy was being channeled into someone else's purpose and aspirations and I found I was seldom credited when I did do good work. But writing and storytelling is my forte and something that I do solely for my own enjoyment and that of my closest friends - even today this is still the case.

Who is your role model/mentor?
My role model in life would have to be my mother, who is a very spiritual woman and a Reiki Master. Since we discovered esoteric doctrine in my late teens, she has always encouraged my interest in the weird and wonderful and has always been there to mull over theories with me no matter how fantastic or unbelievable. As far as a mentor for my career is concerned, however, my agent Selwa Anthony has always been there to guide me right, and offer wise advice when I felt lost or disillusioned. I have often referred to Selwa as my fairy godmother, for if there is a wish that I make for my career, she is the one who sees to it that my wish is granted.

Which writers do you most admire?
I admire anyone, published or no, who can knuckle down and finish penning a story. But the writer's I most admire are those whose who wrote books I constantly use as research references, like Murry Hope, Zecharia Sitchin, Geoffrey Ashe, Alice Bailey, Helena Blavatsky and many others. These are all writers of non-fiction and I admire their work so greatly, because their pains with research and writing have been far more extensive than my own.

Which of your books do you like the best? Why?
My favourite book of my own is always the one I'm currently writing. Why? Because as I write and research I am constantly learning knew things, which I pass onto my readers via my tales. The only thing more exciting than having your mind opened to a new possibility, is opening someone else's mind to the same.

Which of your characters do you most hate and why?
I couldn't hate any of my characters if I tried, not even the bad guys. My devotion to the souls in my tales is what keeps me penning their stories day after day. I suppose I do resent Tory Alexander a little, because my readers do so adore her, that she steals the limelight from other characters that are also close to my heart. Still, I know that when Tory's adventures do come to an end, I shall miss her company more than any other character it has been my pleasure to work with.

Which do you find more interesting to write about: good or evil characters? Why?
I find evil characters are more interesting, because you have to dig much deeper to find their motives and discover what makes them tick. And usually once I understand them better, they didn't really seem like bad guys anymore, just mistreated, disillusioned souls who have not had all the great breaks that the heroes have had. The bad guys are also the driving force of any story, as without great evil to overcome, no great good can be achieved.

How do you overcome writers block?
By listening to music that sets the mood of the tale I am trying to write and by heavily researching topics and eras that pertain to my plot. Sometimes writing at odd hours, like 2am, frees up the flow, as the muses seem to have a lot to say when the rest of the country is asleep.

What's the most adventurous thing you've ever done?
I suppose going on tour with the Radiators and crew was fairly adventurous and loads of fun too. But even more challenging than this was getting pregnant with my first child and during the last six months of the pregnancy, we rebuilt a house! We were still laying the tiles on the kitchen floor when I went into labour. We moved in three days after the birth and had no electricity for the first few days … now that was an adventure.

What five books/items would you want to have with you if you were stranded on a desert island?
1. The book I'd want would be a dictionary on poisonous critters.
2. The means to kill the critters (bug spray, a sword) the latter would probably be best and come in useful for other things also.
3. A First Aid Kit in case my defensive strike failed.
4. My reading glasses, so that I could read my number 1 choice. Glasses would also come in handy for lighting fires - I saw Lord of the Flies.
5. An expensive bottle of bubbly, to celebrate having a peaceful moment alone when I wasn't working on writing a book.

If the world was to end tomorrow, how would you spend your last 24 hours?
I'd spend my last 24 hours sailing around the Bermuda Triangle, seeing if I couldn't get myself misplaced in time and avoid the whole disaster. Hey, there might just be a story in that concept.

Which animal do you consider your "totem"?
Without a doubt my totem animal is the Dragon. Not just because I was born in the year of the Dragon, or because my first story was about Maelgwn Gwynedd the Dragon of the Isle. The reason I feel so akin to the Dragon is because it is a creature of realms Otherworldly, where I spend a good deal of my time these days.

What's your favourite quote (or joke)?
'Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure - it is our light, not out darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves "who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?" Actually, who are we not to be? As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.' - Nelson Mandela

What imaginary friends did you have as a child?
I had an imaginary boyfriend when I was about thirteen, who I used to climb out my window at night to meet with. I had all my friends thoroughly convinced that he existed and they delighted in my tales of our adventures. But pretty soon the real deal came along and my mystery man was immediately dropped. My imaginary meetings with my boyfriend, became imaginary meetings with pop stars instead - my friends liked these tales even better as they could be involved.

What would be the first thing you'd do if an alien spaceship landed in your backyard?
Actually, I think this may have already happened. When we were working on rebuilding our house, the back lawn got a bit neglected and grew quite long. We came up one weekend and looking out the kitchen window I noted that the lawn looked mowed. Upon closer investigation, my mother and myself discovered that it hadn't been mowed, but flattened into a perfect circle - much like a crop circle. That's when I knew that this was certainly the right home for me. As for what I would have done if I'd been at the house at the time - I suspect I would have asked them if I could go for a spin in their spacecraft.

If you could go back in time to change any event in history, what would it be and why?
Easy. I'd want to prevent the sinking of Atlantis and the loss of an advanced civilisation and their thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and know-how that we are still struggling to match today. If there was one giant step backwards for mankind in history, I believe this would have to be it.

What major scientific advancement do you think will be made this century?
I am hoping this century will finally see science produce hard proof of the existence of the soul. This would bring about the fusion of spiritual doctrine with physical healing. More and more, science is discovering emotional causes behind physical ailments, and once the medical profession get seriously devoted to the spiritual, mental and emotional prevention of dis-ease, by working on healing mankind's etheric bodies, the better off we shall all be.

If you could possess any psychic/supernatural talent, what would it be?
Physical teleportation. Living an hour out of the city I get really sick of long drives to go shopping, visit friends etc. How nice it would be to simply think of a destination and then find yourself there - I greatly envy my characters in this regard.

What food could you not survive without?
Tea. I go crazy when I can't get a good cup of tea. It must be brewed strong, not too much milk and a little sugar. Yum. I could quite happily live without food, were it not a requirement of survival - it's a waste of time and it slows the creative flow while you're digesting. I think tea and hot baths are two of life's greatest little pleasures.

Describe your Utopia
My Utopia would be a realm of thought matter that was subject to my own imagination. Where I could constantly be creating and improving upon those creations with every thought. Hey, I just described my own Brain - I guess I'm in utopia every time I sit down to write.

Make a prediction about how you think the world will end
The world will never end; it will just change form - a fact that is true of everything in the universe.

If you were granted three wishes by a genie, what would you wish for?
1. An end to world conflict
2. An end to world poverty
3. An end to environmental destruction
Nothing for me thanks, as I am already truly blessed.

Is it true that The Ancient Future is being made into a TV series?
It is true that the option on the first trilogy has been purchased by Marjean Holden and her company 11 Dragons. She has written a proposal based on 3 x 22 part TV series. Depending on who comes to the party in the money department, this proposal could turn into 3 feature films per book, or a combination of both TV series and Feature Films, it’s really to early to tell at this stage. I give updates of any progress in our community NEWSLETTER. Marjean is in LA selling the project as I write.

Who would you cast in the main roles?
I trust that the right people for the job will come along. I won’t really have too much say in the affair, but if I do get my way I’d like to see a fair whack of new talent in the cast.

What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the book that was to be released after the Alchemist’s Key, but due to another Chosen trilogy and my book of short ghost stories Ghostwriting, it was put on hold. This story is Book of Dreams, which was originally a film script I started writing and never finished, so finally this tale is finding a conclusion. After this I have two other tales lining up to be written.

A) Being of the Field – In an alternative universe the crew of an interstellar Astro-Marine Institute investigate a mysterious anomaly taking place on a large water planet in a neighboring solar system - the smallest sample of this gaseous anomaly appears to have an infinite capacity to generate power. But a more shocking discovering follows, when the gaseous substance proves to be not only intelligent, but also an agent of creation.
B) Mystique – An amazing clairvoyant born in the 19th century, whose talent is frowned upon and repressed through early life, uses an arranged marriage to escape her family. On the first night of her honeymoon she flees her new husband and escapes into Europe, determined to seek others with psychic talent and knowledge of the otherworldly realms that have shrouded been in Mystique.

When will it be released?
Book of Dreams will be released late 2003.

A book will follow around the same time of year in 2004 and 2005.

Are your books available on audio cassette?
Not at present.

Do you believe in reincarnation?
Well if there is no such thing as reincarnation, then life seems like an awful waste of knowledge and experience.

What was your favourite book as a child?
Star Wars on video. I didn’t read very much and I certainly didn’t read anything that influenced my style of writing until I was in my twenties. The only fiction book that really inspired me was The Education of Oversoul Seven by Jane Roberts.

I want to be an author - what should I do?
Read the series on writing that I’ve put together for our on-line newsletter. The first installment How to start writing a manuscript is in Issue 2 - June. How to keep writing a manuscript is in Issue 3 – September. Issue four will contain tips on finishing your manuscript and readying it for presentation.

Will you read my manuscript?
See the piece I wrote on Script Assessment and Editing in our newsletter, Issue 3 - September.

What is your favourite colour?
Black is my favourite colour to wear. But I like Purple & Aquamarine Green to look at.

What’s it like to be an author?
As being an author is the equivalent of being a professional daydreamer and day dreaming is far and away what I am best at, being an author is great! I make my own hours, my workspace is in the next room and I get to spend a lot of time with my family. Still, it’s not as glamorous as one might expect – you spent most of your year living like a hermit and then once a year when a book gets published, you get thrown into the limelight for a week or so and then its back to being a hermit.

How do you get your ideas?
From books, everyday experience, TV reports, everywhere really – I can find a story in anything! Also see Issue 2 – June of our newsletter.

What do you do when you’re stuck for ideas?
I don’t know, it’s never happened – touch wood. But I touch on this topic in Issue 2 – June & 3 - September of our newsletter

What other jobs have you had?
I did a lot of retail sales, mainly music. I’ve worked for a casting agency, and I’ve worked in a couple of film studios doing studio management. I did set design and construction for the Wendy Matthews ‘Tour de Lily’ Tour. I’ve been the door girl for the Radiators for a couple of tours, and I’ve run a gourmet deli. A really mixed bag of jobs now I look at it.

Where do you live?
About an hour and a half out of the Sydney CBD on the Hawkesbury River.

What’s your favourite animal?
Scottish Fold Cats – like my Arthur McCloud. I can’t have a cat where I live now as there is too much wild life to consider.

Have you ever studied to become a writer?
No never, I was lucky to make it through the School Certificate.

Were you very good at writing at school?
I was great at writing stories, but I always lost half my mark on spelling and punctuation.

What is the worst thing about being an author?
Bad reviews and critics.

What is the best thing about being an author?
Getting paid for doing what I love and inspiring people.

What research do you do for your books?
That really varies from book to book, see our AUTHOR NOTES AND GLASSARIES section of this web site, or the Bibliography in the back of all my books.

Where can I buy your reference books?
The Adyar Book Store in Clarence Street Sydney. Adyar are also Online – I buy all my reference books from them.

How long does it take you to finish a book?
It takes me about one year to write and then a six-month editing process follows.

Do you like reading?
Yes, but I read non-fiction mostly, science and esoteric books being my favourite. I avoid my own genre at all costs. If I read fiction I’ll chose a fellow Aussie to read like, Caiseal Mor, Kim Wilkins, G M Hague, Ian Irvine, Louise Cusack and the list goes on.

What are your hobbies?
Yoga, Gardening, Reading, Entertaining and I’m very found of Playstation especially all the ‘Tomb Raider’ games.

What are your major influences in life?
My Mum, my husband, my daughter and friends. New Science and technology I find most inspiring, along with esoteric doctrine and all the unexplained mysteries of this world.

Do you believe in ghosts and spirits?
Absolutely – read my book Ghostwriting for more insight into why.

What about magic? Do you believe in that?
I believe in everyday magic – like creating your own reality – every time I wish something into being I feel that nothing is more magical than that.

I want to learn martial arts – what should I do?
Talk to those on my message board as many of my members learn a martial art. I have not trained in any of the martial arts as yet, although I plan to start with my daughter as soon as she’s old enough.

What’s this about a Community Charity?
Every six months we vote on a new charity to support. There are a lot of very spiritual souls hanging around here, so we thought we could do something to aid the big picture, to ‘walk the talk’ as it were. See the Community CHARITY section of this web site for the details of the latest charity we are supporting.

What can you tell me about the Nefilim?
I learned everything I know about the Nefilim and the 12th planet from Zecharia Sitchin who wrote The 12th Planet, The Wars of Gods and Men and many other great books on this subject. You’ll find his books at Adyar.

What star sign are you?
I’m a Virgo by western astrology and a Dragon by Chinese Astrology.

Why don’t you have a chat room?
For a variety of reasons this is not something we are able to offer at this time. You are very welcome to exchange ICQ/Messenger log-ins etc on the message-board.