When I was a kid in Texas, we didn't have computers, mobile phones or even color television. But we had books, which I loved because they took me to imaginary places. My two favorite books back then were "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hogdson Burnett and "The Princess and Curdie" by George Macdonald. When my own kids started reading I became a big fan of Roald Dahl. My top authors now include Frank Cottrell Boyce and Eva Ibbotson.
My first piece of writing was at age eight, a puppet show for my class at school. (Actually I dictated it to my mother, so maybe that doesn't count!) I've always known I wanted to be a children's writer. My early stories and poems weren't especially good, but I kept on writing. If you like to write, don't give up! You will get better and better if you keep on trying.
Some things I like:
Some things I don't like:
What embarrassed me most as a kid: