Liz Carmichael

Though glad to be born a Scot, I've spent most of my life in other countries. I'm now settled in Victoria, Australia, near my daughter and her dog, Charlie, who I take for long walks, which is good exercise for both of us. This is as close to soothing the travel bug as I get these days, but being with Charlie is a most relaxing and fun-filled activity.

Another form of relaxation for me is drawing and painting, but I also do illustrations for my books whenever possible.

Since I first discovered the great escape of being lost in the world of books, at a very young age, I cannot let a day go by without a good book to read, and there's no way I can get to sleep without reading first.

When teachers praised my stories, I knew someday I would be a writer. And as historical fiction is my favourite reading material it makes sense to writer in that genre. Researching historical details, though, can get me so caught up I sometimes forget to get on with writing the story.

Over the years of study for my Dip. Art(Professional Writing and Editing), I discovered how little I really knew about the craft of writing. That learning led me into editing for others. Then onto teaching writing and editing for two years, until the need to concentrate fully on my own writing nagged at me again.

My favourite authors, in no particular order, are: Sue Monk Kidd, Sara Donati, Geraldine Brooks, Vanora Bennett, Sarah Dunant, Cormac McCarthy, Markus Suzak, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Robert Harris. For Crime: Michael Connelly, Minette Walters, Jeffrey Deaver, and Dean Koontz for his crime with humour. Newest favourite authors are Anne Obrien and Pauline Gedge - writers of historical fiction, of course.

The book trailer for In the Shadow of Vesuvius was made by Chuck Pride of "American Pride Productions"