Lucy Courtenay was born in Northern Ireland, went to school in Dorset and studied history at Bristol. Her chequered career included stints as a tea lady, a press officer, a singer, a porcelain dealer, a TEFL teacher and an editor, before she finally saw sense and started writing children's books. Despite driving a proper car these days, she misses the vintage custard-yellow camper van that used to own her. In her family, she has trouble deciding who is more handsome: her husband or her two sons. She has a cat called Crumble.