I've always been a creative person

I wrote my first mystery story in Mr Cuskelly’s class when I was ten. The goodies and baddies were all trying to get their hands on a mysterious package, and there were plenty of thrills and spills. I used the word ‘suddenly’ five times in those 580 words, and Mr Cuskelly circled every one of them. At least I had a killer ending. ‘What was in the package? I guess we’ll never know.’ It’s a wonder Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven didn’t enlist me  right there and then. 

Since that auspicious start, I’ve had more than 150 short pieces published including short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction, magazine articles, devotions, inspirational pieces and academic articles. I’ve also been writing songs since primary school. Most of my publications are under my married name of Nola Passmore. So why am I using Nola Lorraine for this website? Check out my first blog post What’s in a Name for all the juicy details.

Genre butterfly anyone?

My debut novel Scattered is being published later this year by Breath of Fresh Air Press. It’s inspirational historical fiction, with mystery and romance elements. Do you like the way I managed to squeeze four genres in there?

I love variety. My published short pieces include stories set in the past, present, and future. Some are funny, some are sad. Some are fictitious, some are true. However, the thing most of them have in common is that they offer hope in a world of challenges. I chose the tagline ‘Weaving Words of Courage and Hope’ because that is what I want to offer my readers, regardless of the genre. For a free sampler of my work, please  subscribe to my newsletter.

Photo by DreamyArt on Pixabay.

Hi Ho Hi Ho. Did someone say work?

That love of different genres, also extends to my study and work life. I have  a PhD in psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing and a Certificate IV in Christian Ministry.

 I taught social psychology at a regional university for about twenty-five years. There were some great moments, but it was time for a change.

Since 2013, my husband Tim and I have run our own freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish. Now we work from home, which allows lots of time for creative bursts in between clients. 

Our two gorgeous cavoodles, Molly and Holly, are very pleased with this arrangement.

But wait, there's more!

I have been married to my soulmate Tim since 1998. He’s also a former academic, and we met at the Christian staff group at Uni. Our faith is important to us, and we are involved in our local church. We live in southeast Queensland, Australia.

When I’m not writing, I like walking the dogs, playing with the dogs, cuddling the dogs. Did I mention that I have dogs? Molly’s the gold one. Believe it or not, she’s the mother of Holly, the black and white one. 

I also love swimming, cycling, bushwalking, playing my guitar, catching up with my writing buddies, watching old movies, and dabbling in art.

I’d love to interact with you through social media. You can connect with me on my Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest sites. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ll be sure to get the latest news. Talk to you soon!

Photo credit: Author photo by Wayne Logan from WRL Photography.