Kate Cary

Q: What were you like at school?

Shy, very shy. It's amazing how many teachers this annoyed. Teachers secretly like the naughty kids ;)

Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?

A psychiatrist

Q: Which three words describe you best?

Smart, kooky, funny

Q: What is your favourite word?

syllabub

Q: What makes you cringe?

earnestness

Q: What are you afraid of?

Everything except needles and rats

Q: When did you last have a really good laugh?

On Wednesday

Q: What is your most treasured possession?

My brain

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

I collect photos of old Hollywood stars from the 1930s and 1940s

Q: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?

Fell in the Serpentine

Q: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Librarian. I can't think of a more wonderful job than bringing my two favourite things - people and books - together

Q: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?

I feel exactly the age I am. I feel 42 and I like being 42. It's quite the best age to be.

Q: If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Lady Jane Gray. I'd like to tell her that she's remembered fondly.

Q: What quality do you most admire in a person?

Humanity

Q: What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

Lindisfarne

Q: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

The person who never made a mistake never made anything

Q: How long have you been a writer?

Since I was 4

Q: Was there a specific moment in your life when you decide to become a writer?

When I was 20

Q: Where do you do your writing?

I have a corner of landing at the top of the house

Q: What are the best and worst things about being an author?

Working from home is wonderful. It makes it far easier to be a mother. The worst thing is having no colleagues to share the ups and downs with.

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

Odd things I hear in passing; they balloon into whole books in my head

Q: Which of your own characters do you most identify with?

Yellowfang, from the first series of Warriors. She's fierce and grumpy but her heart is true

Q: What do you do to combat “writers’ block”?

At some point in every book I feel I've forgotten how to write and that every word I type is nonsense. I know from experience this isn't true, so I just carry on writing and stop caring whether it's nonsense or not. I figure I can go back and fix it later.

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

Emily of New Moon by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Never stop reading, never stop writing and don't be frightened by rejection