A: I have always loved home and family and to me, people are more important than anything else. I grew up in Adelaide as part of a large family with six brothers. I married and had two sons and a daughter by the time I was twenty-five. When they had had grown up, we divorced.

Living alone was a new experience for me and I believe I grew as a person through it, becoming much more independent and self-reliant. During these years I had time to examine and question many of my beliefs and delve deeper into 'what life is all about'. I still haven't fully solved that riddle! At this time I lost my youngest son from renal failure; a sad way to learn more strength. Then I met my husband Peter, and so started happier times started happier times and my 'second' life. Now, twenty years later, we are if anything, closer than ever. We share many interests; music, books, travelling.

Life hasn't always been easy for us; we had some rough patches. Worst of all was to lose my other son and my daughter, a terrible blow to both of us. Soon after we lost our daughter from breast cancer, eight years ago, we retired and decided to leave Sydney and 'take to the road' in a caravan, with our dogs, Mimi and Lucy. In need of therapy I started writing. I wrote travel articles about the places we visited and was overjoyed to be published. Three years ago we decided to settle in the beautiful Great Lakes area of New South Wales, where we spent 18 months building a new home and we are now both busy establishing a garden.

A: Yes, I believe a website is a must for every writer to present their work to their readers. Mine is at www.kateloveday.com In it you will find an excerpt from Inheritance and a glimpse into my current work. Also, for those who are interested in seeing more of this beautiful country of ours, there are some shots of Australia and one of my travel articles. I will change this article on a regular basis to showcase different areas of Australia. I hope readers will enjoy a look at parts of Australia that are different to the arid outback, which seems to be the normal perception of Australia held overseas.

A: My first book, Inheritance, is a Romance/Mystery set in Far North Queensland, in an area close to Cairns. It is the story of the challenges facing Cassie Taylor, a young Sydney woman, when she inherits a cattle station, Yallandoo, a property that has been in her family for generations. Although she has spent time there on holidays, how can she run a cattle station?

Knowing the potential for tourism in the area, and wishing to make her mark, she decides to add a tourist lodge to Yallandoo. Little does she realise that this will endanger everyone close to her, as well as the aboriginal heritage on her property.

When a fire partly burns down her cabins and she receives threatening letters, she knows someone is out to stop her, but she has no idea who or why. Could it be Mark, the dashing, entrepreneurial neighbour who has stolen her heart or Stella, a gallery owner, who covets her secret treasures? Or perhaps Ben, willing to do anything for a quick dollar and who ultimately pays a terrible price for his duplicity?

It is a story with plenty of action, but also about people in all their diversity, with their emotions, their vulnerability, their beliefs and ideals and how these guide their actions. Love, betrayal and greed all emerge, as they seek happiness and fulfilment.

A: Elated! To finish a story of 110,000 words after having only written articles of 1500 to 3000 words before, seems astonishing; there were many times when I didn't think it would happen! But it was not until I sent it to a publisher and received a contract in return that I could actually believe it would finally appear in print.

A: Online from my publisher Wings ePress or, for a signed copy, through me at my website.

A: It took me a year to write and then I put it away for about nine months without looking at it; I just wasn't sure that it was any good. Then I brought it out and gave it a final re-write and hoped for the best!

A: Often something quite small will spark an idea; a news item, what happens to someone I know (I ask myself-how would I cope with that?) or a place that interests me. I am a great watcher, of people, places, events. If something captures my attention I play 'what if?'

A: Yes. I suppose all writers draw on their experience of life to know their characters and how they will act and react. For instance, I started writing Inheritance when I was in Far North Queensland, the setting for that story. I was experiencing life there at first hand. There is a scene where Cassie, Mark and the two children in the story go by boat to a tiny island to swim and snorkel, viewing the beauty and wonders of the coral reef below them. I had done this. When Cassie lost her uncle whom she loved I knew the pain she felt. When she was trying to establish her business I was aware of the challenges she faced. And when she was betrayed I knew something of that too.

A: As a lover of books all my life, wanting to write is an extension of that. At school I won prizes for essays. In my twenties I tried my hand at writing short stories, but never submitted them for publication. Then raising a family and helping to run a family business made me put such aspirations aside. When I wanted to start travel writing, while caravanning in Australia, I completed a travel writing course by correspondence. That taught me a lot about writing in general.

As a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, I have found the articles by other authors to be of great help. As I live in a regional area I have not attended conferences but, through the Romance Writers, I was fortunate to have Tricia McGill as a mentor for a time. She helped me a great deal, for which I am truly grateful. I also entered contests and while I didn't win any, I found the feedback invaluable.

A: So far, most of my time has been spent trying to get my website right. Thank heavens for a husband who is more technically minded than me! Once my book is released, I plan to send my book out for reviews and to do media releases, which should bring me some interviews. I will also contact bookshops and libraries, in my area and in Queensland where the story is set.

A: I think it would help greatly to be a born salesperson but I am not. I find the idea of 'blowing my own trumpet' very difficult!

A: My publisher promotes on their website, with a link back to my website.

A: The query letter is very important. It is your first contact with a potential publisher. It is your only chance to create a favourable impression and determines whether or not you will be asked to submit your work for appraisal. The letter should not be too long, should contain a brief overview of your story, including any research you may have done for it, and perhaps how you came to write it. Add details of your writing experience, membership of associations, anything that shows you are serious about writing. Keep it brief, remember publishers are busy people and receive many query letters. You should attach a short synopsis of the story.

A: I researched publishers on the internet and sent query letters to those who would accept unagented submissions, and sounded as if they may be interested in my type of story. Some replied, some did not. I was fortunate in that the first publisher who requested to see my story, sent me a contract.

A: Now I just want to get on with writing. I had a part break while we were building our new home and while I was compiling our family genealogy but now that is all behind me and I have set myself a goal of finishing my next novel before the end of this year.

A: I think most writers find it difficult to be objective about their own work, at least until they gain the confidence of having had books published. If you rely on family or friends to give you an opinion of your story you always have the uneasy feeling that they may be unwilling to hurt your feelings by being honest. Join groups, look for objective feedback from critique groups and by entering contests. Learn as much as you can by attending all workshops you can, and above all by reading. Read novels by your favourite authors, how-to-write books, articles by other authors. Read. And write. And remember that writing is as much about hard work as inspiration. Sometimes things won't be easy but perhaps my philosophy on life may help you. "It doesn't matter what happens to you in life, it is how you handle it that counts."

A: I am currently working on two books. I am three quarters of the way through the first draft of my next novel, provisionally named 'Red Gold', a historical set in the 1870's. It tells the story of Kitty Morland, a young woman living in England. In a moment of despair Kitty commits an audacious theft, stealing something to which she believes she has a moral right. Desperate to avoid gaol - or worse - she and her mother flee to Australia.

On board the ship carrying her to the other side of the world Kitty meets three men who will influence her future – Jan van Mayen, a South African diamond merchant, Rufe Cavanagh, a dashing Colonial, and William Barron, English aristocrat. When they reach Sydney, nothing goes as Kitty expects, and she ends up bypassing a chance at love and happiness with Rufe. A loveless marriage takes her to the timber cutting area of Bulahdelah, home to the giant cedar trees, known as 'red gold'. Circumstances force her to take over the running of the timber cutting business. But just when she seems safe, her past catches up with her.

The second, a non-fiction, is a cook book featuring healthy, low fat main meal recipes that may be prepared and cooked in thirty minutes or less. Called 'It doesn't have to be take-away', I hope it may be a small contribution towards helping to overcome the obesity crisis in the community today.