To quote Wales’ most famous poet, Dylan Thomas, to begin at the beginning:
My name’s Liz Hinds and I’m a writer. More of that later but for now let me tell you that I’m also a golden-retriever-loving granny. I live in Wales, on the edge of the beautiful Gower Peninsula – the first Area of Outstanding Natural beauty to be designated as such in Britain – with Husband. You’ll hear plenty about him- and it won’t necessarily be complimentary – if you read my blog!
I am very proud of being Welsh and since lockdown began in March 2020 I’ve been trying to learn the language, with trying being the appropriate word. It’s a very difficult language to learn especially when you’re not in the full bloom of youth any more. Fortunately I don’t need to be able to speak Welsh to support the Welsh rugby team.
I love reading, writing, walking with my grand-dogs, fun socks, and ice cream, but not as much as I adore my grandchildren. My faith also plays a large role in life but, rest assured, I’m quite a nice Christian. I may mention it from time to time but I hope it’ll never feel intrusive or forced.
I’d like to tell you that it was my childhood dream to be an author and that I’ve never veered from that track but … that wouldn’t be true. My desire to help animals encouraged me to become a vet – until I saw a programme on television where the vet had his hand up a cow’s bottom – that was a turning-off point for me. Another television programme gave me the idea that owning an oil well might be quite profitable. Just think, today I could have been the JR Ewing of Mumbles, if unsupportive family members hadn’t discouraged me from asking the bank manager for a loan to buy an oil well.
At school I was very good at English and languages but shyness and an inability to adapt an accent sent me off down the science route through university (biology and oceanography since you ask) and work (computer programming as the only job opportunities for second-rate oceanographers were in the Antarctic where there were no doors on toilets) leading me to what I always really wanted, marriage and motherhood.
But even then my writing was confined to sick notes and shopping lists until until I rediscovered the joy of writing, and, even better, the glow of pleasure when one’s writing is liked.
It began with a small church newspaper, and led to a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. Early successes written with Daughter made me think getting published was easy, and so it appeared to be until I tried finding an agent/publisher for my first novel.
After too many rejections to think about I finally self-published This Time Next Year. Followed many years later – I still persisted in trying to find an agent – by The Dog-walking Club.
Since then I’ve completed three more novels including the follow-up to This Time Next Year, This year … maybe, and my newest release, Danger With Lashings of Caviar. One novel remains unpublished – that may happen one day – and I’m in the process of writing another.