About Me
Hi,
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My name is Amanda Paull. Well, that's my pen name, not my real one, which helps to keep my writing separate from my day job.
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I grew up in the North East of England and couldn't wait to move away. However, after studying and then living both in England and abroad, I returned to the North East and wouldn't dream of living anywhere else now.
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Going to Grammar school in the days when teachers wore black caps and gowns, and walloped at will, wasn't much fun for a shy, quiet child like myself. So, I just kept my head down, did my homework and tried to stay invisible.
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I used to love daydreaming and making up stories in my head, but I never thought about writing them down. In those days, writing wasn't an enjoyable pursuit, it was more of a time to tow the line and avoid being hit by a flying blackboard rubber. I was the type of pupil who would have been mortified to have 'made' a teacher launch one at me, so I would have shown respect by not ducking.
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A short career in teaching was a revelation, to put it mildly. After going back to University, I settled into my current post in the public sector, where I am very happy.
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It was Jim, a work colleague, who suggested around 12 years ago that I write a book. Apparently, my contribution to coffee break conversations always seemed to be either tragic or hilarious. But to me it was just normal stuff. No-one would want to read about that.
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Then, a couple of years later, while sunbathing in Mallorca with my boyfriend, who is now my husband, and a glass of Cava, the idea of writing a humorous fiction novel came to me. I didn't need to make it all up though as I had a plentiful supply of funny real life snippets.
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To get started, I studied creative writing through the Open University, which fitted nicely around my job and, to my delight, was absolutely nothing like school.
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Since then I have published my debut women's fiction novel, Pictures in the Sky and I'm currently writing my second, Painting Bananas. I also have a series of four humorous short stories in the Scott Family Short Stories Series.
The only downside I have encountered so far is that my day job has really started to get in the way.
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Please feel free to visit my blog from time to time and I would love to hear your comments along the way, which you can do on the contacts page. If you like my stories and would like to become an ARC reader, just drop me a line at: contact@amandapaull.co.uk
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Amanda x
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