Helen Dickson
I was born in South Yorkshire where I still live with my retired farm manager husband. We have been happily married for fifty years. On leaving school I entered the nursing profession which I left to bring up my two sons. I began writing shortly after my second son was born. I was absolutely delighted when I had my first book, HONOUR BOUND, accepted by Mills & Boon. After that I had to juggle my work with raising children and keeping a chaotic farmhouse. Writing is something I enjoy and it gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction. Yes, it's a solitary occupation and people are always asking me how I can stand it, but I don't mind the kind of solitude that allows you to think and let your mind expand and wander along exciting highways denied you when others are present. I am a born optimist and an incurable romantic. The past has always interested me, which is why I write Historical Romance. I enjoy researching my subject, for it is a balance of imagination and the accuracy of research that makes a good story. In the beginning I work out a brief plot, but in the end it never bears any relation to it. I love seeing the characters come to life and develop personalities of their own. When I finish a book I always intend to have a break from writing, to catch up on things I set aside until the story is finished before embarking on another, but invariably my imagination begins to stir and in no time at all I'm off again. I enjoy music and walking and I'm an avid reader - books of any genre, but I think crime is my favourite.
