V Parker KennedyBorn in Birmingham, England, Valerie emigrated to Australia at the age of eighteen and worked in the geological office of a large mine in north-west Queensland. She married a local son and all four children were born in Brisbane, but after a few year, the family moved to Tasmania. She worked all her life as a shorthand writer, never losing her enthusiasm and many varied uses for its use both in her work and in private situations. Valerie now lives on the island state of Tasmania, acknowledging that the best part of every day is walking into her library and switching on the computer. She takes the phone off the hook and only take calls when she has ceased writing for the day. Living alone, she consequently ensures that the joy of writing forms part of each day and believes it is now indubitably bordering on an obsession. Read More Read Less