My own life has been doubly disconnected, as I've written books under two different names. As an author, your name almost becomes a brand; readers know what to expect.

I do find it a bit disconcerting when your name becomes a brand.

I chose to publish the first 'Shopaholic' book under a pseudonym because I wanted it to be judged on its own merits.

Had I not had children of my own, I would have never written books for children, nor would I have been capable of doing so.

You know, I Google search my own name because I'm so self-obsessed!

When I wrote my first book, 'The Tennis Party', my overriding concern was that I didn't write the autobiographical first novel. I was so, so determined not to write about a 24-year-old journalist. It was going to have male characters, and middle-aged people, so I could say, 'Look, I'm not just writing about my life, I'm a real author.'