Catherine Alliott started her first novel under the desk when she worked as an advertising copywriter. She was duly fired. With time on her hands she persevereed with the novels, which happily flourished.

In the early days, she produced a baby with each book, but after three stuck to the writing as it was less painful. She writes with the nearest pen in exercise books, either in the garden or on a sofa.

Home is a rural spot on the Herts/Bucks borders which she shares with her family and a menagerie of horses, cows, chickens and dogs, which at the last count totalled thirty-four beating hearts, including her husband.

Some of her household have walk-on parts in her novels, but only the chickens would probably recognise themselves. The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton is her tenth book and first for Penguin.

Additional information:

• She's scared of computers.
• She's hopeless at reversing but always leaves a note.
• She's better than she looks at tennis.