Wilma Hayes has escaped twice!

She is a native of western Canada but fled to England in 1985 to avoid snow and harsh winters. The memory of them has been useful in her writing, but she has no wish to experience them again!

She is a Professional Home Economist, educated at the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) and had a career in the profession in Canada for several years. In England she worked in state and public school administration as Bursar until she finally escaped to the countryside in 1996. So far nobody appears to have missed her.

Her passion for writing is ably supported by her husband bringing coffee, and a view of a cottage garden.

The Author

Writing groups taught Wilma how to write 2000 words every time!

Bravely breaking that mould, she then wrote four novels set in the Welsh Marches: 'Freeing My Sisters', 'Things I Haven't Told You', 'Red Snow' and 'The Word Garden'. (They are also published as e-books.) A fifth may follow, depending on how enthusiastic she feels about it.

Returning to short stories but with more substance, she produced a collection of seven short stories on a single theme.  Naturally they became seven sets of seven. Whoever thought that writing forty-nine short stories was clever, needs a long rest in a dark room and a glass of wine. Wilma didn't and 'Stories to Commute By (Or Have a Cuppa With)' were published as e-books.

Private requests resulted in researched non-fiction: 'I Wouldn't Have Missed It', an autobiography (ghost written), 'William L Hayes, World War One Dairy' was published as a website (www.williamhayes-ww1-wardiary.co.uk), 'Honouring W L Hayes, MC, World War I, 1915 - 1919' and 'Honouring Pte Ernest S Cecil, 1915-1919'.  These are limited editions, published privately.

Looking again at all those 2000-word short stories, Wilma will, as soon as she learns how, publish some in a blog for more people to read on their commute to work or with a cup (or glass) of their favourite.