You might like to know a few things about me. My husband’s name is Richard and we have been married for over forty five years. We have three sons – I sometimes find this very hard to believe as it seems only yesterday they were cuddly little boys, not the hairy monsters of now.

I was born in a place called Bootle situated on the edge of Liverpool: the Second World War was on at the time. Our house was an end terrace very close to the docks, a favourite target of enemy bombs. We suffered a few near misses and eventually moved to a new estate in Kirkby. I attended commercial college and became a shorthand typist.

Being a teenager in such a wonderful, vital city with its numerous theatres, cinemas and dance halls was very exciting. I was a regular devotee of all three and had a great time. I still have friends from the old days whom I see whenever I go back to Liverpool - I shall always think of the place as ‘home’.

In 1960, Richard’s job caused a move to London then, in 1965, to Essex where we have lived ever since, the last twenty four years in Colchester, the oldest recorded town in England.

I started to write at about the same time as I got married: mainly short stories –over the years, I have had about one hundred and fifty published in magazines all over the world. I also wrote two novels that were never published and would have liked to continue writing longer works, but by then the children had started to arrive and, being a rather inefficient mother, I stuck with short stories, knowing that I could at least get them finished.

In 1981, I had a full-length musical play, When Adam Delved and Eve Span
produced at the local theatre. The following year, my novel Lila was published in America. However, it wasn’t until 1990, when the boys had left home, (one still regularly returns with his washing), that I rented an office and got down to writing full time. Four years later my first saga, Stepping Stones was published by Orion. It seemed only natural to begin the story in Liverpool and, following this, Orion commissioned me to write a trilogy set in ‘my city’ during the war. Since then, I have had a saga published every year.

Nowadays, I write in a small building especially built for me in the garden - I had written in a shed for many years, but was driven out by some especially large spiders.. I cannot describe how much I enjoy writing: starting a new book and wondering where it will lead me, creating the characters, typing THE END when I finish a story that has taken nine months to write, feeling a little sad at having to say ‘goodbye’ to people who have become almost friends.

So, there we are: that’s me. If you would like to read more about my books, you will find this in the next section.

With warm wishes to you all,

Maureen Lee

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