I've been living in the Caribbean since June 2004. My husband and I left the UK for a life unknown on the island of Antigua in the West Indies. We knew things would be different, we knew life would have its challenges, we knew it was a risk, but as the saying goes, "If it was easy, everyone would do it." We've met a lot of visitors here who say, wistfully, "Oh, we'd love to do that." But in reality, it's difficult to make the break, especially if you have children. We don't. The adventures started the day we arrived and, things haven't stopped. It is definitely a life less ordinary. 

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I only seriously started writing fiction with a view to publication a couple of years into our new life. I'd always written a journal - if I had a problem I needed to solve, a situation I needed to think through, I'd write it down. I never considered anyone would be interested in what I had to say. 

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It was only after meeting a published author on the beach one weekend that I began to experiment with writing. She was a keynote speaker at a literary festival being held at a local hotel and I was taken with her enthusiasm for writing.

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We kept in touch by email and after telling her a couple of stories from my life, she told me I was a natural storyteller. Scotty, my husband, had always encouraged me to write, but Marita gave me the extra boost of confidence to begin this voyage. Thank you Marita. 

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After some initial short story competition and publication success, I took a step back and began to learn more about the craft of writing. A number of books helped me along the way. (See Craft books I would recommend). 

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I joined an online writing community, and found a group of people from whom I've learned a great deal. When you live on an island with a permanent population of 85,000, it's a pretty small talent pool from which to pull, and finding like-minded writers wasn't easy. The online group was the perfect solution as it provided a mutual support network where I could hone my skills, as well as give and receive critiques.

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I have made some wonderful writing friends, whose support and encouragement have kept me writing. To all of them, thank you. But the one person who has always been there cheering me on, is my husband. He is the one who started it all... Scotty, you are my world!

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