What’s the thing you hate most about the one you love?

Welcome to my website, which will be expanding shortly. In the meantime, here’s a little bit about my new book, The Pile of Stuff at the Bottom of the Stairs, which will be published by Hodder & Stoughton in March 2011.

The book’s heroine, Mary Gilmour, is angry. She feels as if her life is going down a plughole clogged with cornflakes and play-doh. The only thing, she believes, that is standing between her and colour-coded contentment is her husband Joel. Since star charts have worked on improving the behaviour of their two sons, she decides to design the spousal equivalent of one: a spreadsheet detailing every balled-up tissue, every sock on the floor and every wet towel on the bed.

Joel has six months to prove that his credits outweigh his debits. And if he doesn’t prove himself to be an asset, then he’s out of their home and their marriage.

It’s being called “the funniest, most acutely observed novel about marriage and motherhood, children and work that’s been seen in years” and has already been the cause of fierce debate between wives and husbands, partners living together, and even work colleagues. I hope, too, readers enjoy the book and it even gets people talking about all those boring domestic things that can take on enormous significance within relationships.

Do please contact me with any questions about the book or even if you’d like to tell me what’s the thing you hate most about the one you love…