Until now, most of the action in my books has taken place in New Zealand, because that's where I live, though I got there by way of Scotland where I was born. When I was eighteen I met the love of my life who was in the Royal New Zealand Navy. More than thirty years on we're still together and have two sons, two small grandsons, a gorgeous little granddaughter and a wheaten terrier that thinks she runs the house. 

I've always been a voracious reader, and romances are pretty good reading in the middle of the night when your husband is thousands of miles away. But I never considered writing one myself, until a continuing education English teacher asked why I wasn't in a creative writing course instead. 

For the past ten years we've lived out in the country in Auckland's wine district. Living surrounded by wineries that I have used in my books. That said, I do love to travel and my new series, International Affairs gives me the perfect excuse. 

As I write, I can watch the native birds from my study window; fantails and tuis flit among the tree ferns and palms, while I conjure up heroes a woman would travel to the ends of the earth for. 

The way I did. 

I can be reached at fhousden@xtra.co.nz