So writing a novel is not as easy as you expected?

Not at all. I think that most people think that writing a novel is just that: sitting down and writing a novel. But there are plot lines to tie up, time lines to control, characters to build and inconsistencies to avoid. You don't want Joe's blue eyes to suddenly change to green halfway through the book. Then there's the research. I spend a great deal of time just researching and checking my facts. For me, writing has also been educational. Every day I learn something new.

What advice would you give to an aspiring novelist?

Read the how-to books and take out of them what you need. Write a book you would enjoy reading. But more importantly, read and read and read! I can't stress that enough. You can't expect to be writer if you're not a reader.

How many books have you read?

Reading is one of my great joys in life. I'm a voracious reader. If the book I'm reading is exceptionally gripping I'll finish it in one sitting. I've probably read somewhere in the vicinity of 5,000 or more books in my lifetime.

What are the other great joys in your life?

My man, my dog, friends and family, and life itself. As clichéd as it is, one of my favourite sayings is, “Today is the first day of the rest of our lives.” How true is that?