Before I started writing, I lived a very different life.

My first career was in Marketing, working with brands like Pepsi, Heinz, Guinness, and Sony - and I loved it. It was fast-paced, creative, and great fun… until, in my thirties, everything changed overnight.

I was hit by a severe, physically disabling illness.

For a long time, my world became incredibly small. I spent years in a darkened room, in constant pain, unable to walk, talk, sit, stand, or write. I relied completely on my husband and family for care - a level of dependence that’s hard to describe, and even harder to forget.

I was one of the lucky ones, though. I found a way back from Very Severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E.), a cruel illness many people sadly never escape from.

As I slowly began to improve, and grew a little stronger, I turned to gardening as a kind of therapy. In caring for plants, I found strength, purpose, and - to my surprise - joy. And, before long, a sense of fun began to creep back in, too.

That’s where the character, Lady Muck, came from.

She became my way of sharing that fun with others, through my Grow Your Own, Lady Muck Style magazine columns - a mix of reality, fantasy, and not taking life (or myself) too seriously. For me, it was a way to escape the harsh realities of living with ME.

Later, when we took the huge decision to move to sunny Spain to help ease some of my ongoing pain and symptoms, I found new inspiration. My Postcards from Andalucía series follows the adventures of two fun-loving travellers navigating life in southern Spain - with a touch of fiction thrown in for good measure. (A girl is allowed a little creative licence.)

More recently, I’ve started writing my Growing Well articles, where I share some of what I’ve learned (and am still learning) about health, wellbeing, self-care, and modern life - gently, honestly, and without any pressure to get it all right.

My journey has been long, messy, and at times very hard. I still live with the possibility of relapse, all these years later, which I guess keeps life interesting in its own, rather terrifying, way.

But one of the greatest gifts it’s given me is this: the chance to write stories that make people smile.

For a long time, there wasn’t much in my own life to smile about. So being able to bring a little lightness, warmth, and laughter to others now means more to me than I can quite put into words.

And I hope to keep doing just that for many years to come.

With love, Catherine 🦋

More information, and links to Catherine’s books below ⬇️