About the Author

I am a first-time author from the North of England, and The Adventures of Ivy Sharp grew from my love of old villages, quiet mysteries, clever children and the kind of places that feel as though they are holding secrets in their stone walls.

Although Ashwick is imaginary, it feels very real to me. It is inspired by the northern towns and villages I have always loved, places with cobbled squares, church bells, lime trees, small shops, old houses, nosy neighbours, loyal dogs and stories tucked away behind ordinary doors.

I have always hankered after a simpler life. The kind where people know the sound of each other’s footsteps, where a walk to the village shop can turn into an adventure, and where the past is never quite as far away as it seems. Ashwick is my version of that place. It is warm, familiar and full of heart, but it also has shadows, secrets and the occasional raven watching from a church roof.

Writing Ivy Sharp has been a joy because Ivy is the sort of girl I would have loved to read about as a child. She is curious, brave, observant and just a little bit impossible to manage. With Max the Jack Russell at her side, and the mysterious Colonel in her thoughts, she notices the things grown-ups miss.

This series is my love letter to childhood curiosity, northern villages, old-fashioned adventures and the quiet belief that even the smallest person in the room can change the course of a story.