I grew up in on a tropical fruit farm in Far North Queensland, Australia, surrounded by books and animals. This was before the age of mobile phones, laptops and Uber Eats, so it was books and animals that kept me entertained as a child. Besides trying (unsuccessfully) to convince the cats, dogs and chickens to attempt various obstacle courses that I’d designed, I spent much of my spare time reading, writing and drawing.

I was 8 years old when I won my first award for writing/illustrating. The Cape York Peninsula Council of the Australian Reading Association awarded my entry “Renee and the Rabbits” first prize in their 1989 Children’s Book Competition.

As a teenager, school and athletics training and competition kept me busy. I studied art through to Year 12 and would often draw cartoon sketches to give to my friends.

After leaving school I initially planned to study graphic design. But as chance would have it, I instead embarked on a different path after being awarded a prestigious Dean’s scholarship. I completed a Bachelor of Information Technology with Honours (First Class), also meeting my future husband during my final year of study.

A move to first Brisbane, and later, Australia’s cold and (then) tiny capital of Canberra followed after graduating from university. I began a high-flying career as a software developer. But it wasn’t long before I realized that the life of a suit-wearing office professional wasn’t for me, and change was needed. My partner and I decided to take a year off. We bid farewell to our jobs, a drought-stricken Canberra and the world’s most comfortable couches to embark on a year of working and travelling overseas.

During this time, we travelled through over 20 countries in Europe and South America. We participated in work exchanges and did a variety of odd and interesting jobs, including assisting the Australian canoe/kayak team in Italy and Hungary, riding horses and white-washing barns on an Icelandic horse farm, and building a hut out of car tyres in snowy Sweden. Besides books, few things have the power to expand your horizons and shift your perspective quite the way travel can.

Upon our return to Australia, it was clear that a traditional profession was no longer my goal. I enjoyed using the analytical skills and methodical approach that I’d honed through in my IT career, but it felt as though something was missing, some level of creativity and autonomy. It wasn’t until after the birth of my two children that the idea of being a writer really took shape. My kids loved books, and I read countless stories – at breakfast, during toilet training, while playing Lego and at bedtime. Books have consistently been a cornerstone in our young family, and it became clear to me that I wanted to contribute in that space. After introducing chickens to our expanding family unit, I was provided with the initial inspiration for my debut book, “Archie and the Accidental Chicken Heroes”.

Now, in addition to caring for my children (ahem, Sach Enterprises: Head of Sales and Marketing, food, travel and entertainment division), I create and publish books full time. My career as an author and illustrator is still in its early stages, but I am beyond excited to continue writing and illustrating stories for children to enjoy.

Q: Where were you born and where do you live?

I was born in Townsville, Australia, and now live in Cairns, Australia with my husband and two children.

Q: What do you do when you’re not drawing or writing?

I’m an avid reader, often with multiple books on the go at once. I like cooking, and when it’s not stupidly hot I enjoy hiking and cycling. I knit, despite there being zero practical uses for knitted items where I live. I also find mowing the lawn oddly satisfying, with the bonus being that the chickens love the grass clippings. Oh, and I prepare snacks and ferry my children to school and all of their activities. Perhaps I should have listed that first.

Q: What books did you like as a kid?

My mother was a librarian, so I had access to more books than I can remember! I do have fond memories of reading The Black Stallion series, John Steinbeck’s ‘The Red Pony’, John Marsden and Roald Dahl.

Q: Where do you get your ideas?

Ideas come to me from everywhere, at any time! Inspiration comes from my chickens, obviously, my kids, books I’ve read and things that happen day to day. I’ve been known to draw a rough sketch or jot down a sudden thought in my ‘Ideas’ book, in the middle of the night, by torchlight under the sheets.

Q: How did you become a writer?

My husband encouraged me to start and gifted me enrolment to a writing course one Christmas. Once I began, I was hooked. I’ve now published seven books, with at least three more in the works.

Q: What are you going to write next?

I’m currently working on ‘Hencraft’, the fourth installment in my ‘Accidental Chicken Heroes’ series, a fifth ‘Dragon Pets’ book, and two standalone middle-grade fiction stories. After that, who knows? I have more ideas than spare time, so watch this space!