I grew up in South Devon, living in a small village in the South Hams. Devon is an amazing place; it was natural for me to set my novels in this county. Many celebrities choose to live here. Kate Bush has her residence not far from my family home.
As a young girl I had the privilege of knowing Christopher Robin (son of AA Milne). Christopher owned The Harbour Bookshop in Dartmouth, where my mum was a teacher. Mum would take us to the shop so she could purchase books for her school students. I would sit on Christopher’s lap and he would read to me. He inspired me to read a variety of books.
After leaving school I lived in Germany. I worked as an au-pair in a small Bavarian village looking after three boys. At weekends I lived in the town of Füssen, near the fairy-tale castle Neuschwanstein. We would swim in the lakes in summer and skate on the lakes in winter. It was a fun place to live and work and enabled me to learn the German language.
I own a classic yacht moored in Sydney. My husband (who is a keen sailor) sent me on a two-day extensive sailing course on Sydney Harbour. When I am not busy with other things, I enjoy spending time on the boat.
I am a messy cook. I love cooking but am very messy. I can get impatient if things don’t cook quick enough. I have no artistic flare when it comes to cake decorating. If there was a show called ‘Disaster Chef’, I would probably win.
I love horses and spent my teenage years riding. We had a local riding stables where I would spend my weekends and school holidays. Here we would feed, groom, tack up, and ride the horses. My favourite pony is the Connemara (Irish horse).
I trained as a nurse at The Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Gloucester is a great city and I really enjoyed my time there. I leant to drive in and around Gloucestershire and Wales, often being told to keep my eyes on the road as I liked gazing around at the scenery. You grow up fast when you train as a nurse as you are exposed to so many unique situations.
My favourite place is Dartmoor. From a young age I would spend time sitting on Dartmoor daydreaming. I love the rugged wild terrain, its tranquillity meandering streams and rivers, Tors, and legends.
I decided to write crime fiction as I am intrigued with forensic techniques and the methods used in solving crimes. I am privileged to be married to a forensic expert. Together my husband and I work on the crime scenes for my writing. When plotting a murder, we discuss different aspects relating to forensics. For example, if I want someone poisoned, we will look at different poisons, the effect it has on the body and the way the team will detect this poison. If someone is to be shot, we discuss the ballistics; entry and exit wounds and the exact damage caused by particular fire arms. It can get awkward if we are discussing this in a café and someone overhears us!
I also try to demystify for the general public some of the sophisticated instrumental techniques used in state-of-the-art analytical laboratories.
I speak my mind! I like people to be honest and say what they are thinking. I am a strong-minded woman but do not feel the need to use femininity to my advantage. People should get results from sheer hard work and determination not because they need to be a designated quota. I do not let myself feel intimidated by others. I also don’t waste my time on negative aspects. I judge people on their genuineness and not by what they think will impress. I will stand up for what I believe in. I like strong world-leaders, not wishy-washy ones who try to appease.
Moorland Forensics: Devil’s Realm by Julie D. Jones is out now.