I started writing novels at the age of eight. I was deeply hurt when I showed my best effort to a teacher who, very kindly with hindsight, told me she didn’t think it was quite ready for publication. Hadn’t my mother said it was wonderful and I had talent? Later, determined to prove her right, I wrote short stories for my adult literacy students and non-fiction articles: the first of those was published in the UK by the BBCs’ Wildlife magazine.

I became an avid reader, haunting local libraries, and buying so many books my husband gave me a Kindle in desperation. He likes books too, and so do our daughters, and we were running out of shelf space. It seems natural, when I was satisfied I had written a racy romantic suspense that reached publication standard, Dangerous Liaisons, to make my own debut on Amazon.

One of my readers asked why I chose a theatre setting for a novel that runs the gambit of love and sex, poverty and riches, includes an historical theme, wildlife conservation, and the forgiveness of God. I didn’t: the setting I knew and loved inspired the plot.

One of my daughters wanted her puppy to audition for the part of Sandy in the musical Annie, that summer’s professional production at the Arts Centre Theatre, the University of Aberystwyth, Wales. She was too young to go alone so I took my dog, trained for obedience competitions, as an excuse to go with her.

The audition drew dozens of dogs, but it was mine the director chose. Life backstage hooked me less than a week into the eight for which the musical ran. I supplied the dog for every musical and play for the next six years: great fun and an amazing opportunity to meet directors and performers, many in plays on tour before their West End premiere.

A career move took the family north and I was invited to sit front-of-house at closed rehearsals of the Northern Ballet. I was able to watch the director, and I was close enough to hear his conversations with his choreographer, wardrobe mistress, lighting engineers and many others involved: utterly fascinating, and a totally different view of a production from backstage.

West End theatres draw me like a magnet. I’ve been incredibly lucky to meet so many celebrities of stage and screen: all of them have contributed to my knowledge, and probably still more to more to my enthusiasm for the performing arts. I hope I’ve succeeded in capturing the real world of the performers in films, concerts, gigs, and especially musicals.