The A is for Alex and the X is because my parents saw no need for a middle name. Wilkinson was the last name of a grandad who I never met, but who my gran loved and missed. “A Wilkinson” struck me as too generic for a pen name.
I was born and raised in the West Country of England, which is probably why I gravitate to places with rolling hills, picturesque coastlines, and periods of endless rain. Places like the Basque Country in Spain, or where I live now, in Lyttelton, New Zealand.
Lyttelton is part of Banks Peninsula and a short drive, or long bike ride, from the city of Christchurch. Unlike the surrounding Canterbury Plains, Banks Peninsula is extremely hilly. My studio is built into a steep slope in a garden overlooking Whakaraupo/Lyttelton Harbour.
It’s a great place to write when I’m not gardening, paddling, or messing about in the surf.
“The Keeper” is my first novel. It’s a self-sufficiency romance, but it is also about a relationship between a student and her teacher. If you want to read why I chose that subject, click below.
