My mother was born in a small village near Cassino, in southern Italy. The story she told of being hidden with her siblings inside wine barrels in an old pigsty during the German occupation of Italy, was the inspiration behind the original draft of The Cause Of All Fear. 

'Viola' was my Italian grandmother's maiden name.  

I am an 'Indie' crime thriller author and a proud member of The Alliance Of Independent Authors (Alli) and the Crime Writers' Association (CWA). 

My writing career began when I responded to an advert for a horse racing magazine. I contributed articles for several years and had a book published. This formative writing experience resulted in two novels for younger readers. That was then ...