I’m Beth D. Bates, a writer, mum of three and enthusiastic collector of new obsessions. I started writing fiction because I thought putting my daydreams somewhere might quieten my brain a little. It did the opposite. Six months later, I had written my first manuscript, accumulated an alarming number of books and podcasts about writing craft, and discovered that research is an excellent excuse to disappear down increasingly specific rabbit holes.

 

I have ADHD, so novelty tends to become part of the process. If a character has a hobby, there is a reasonable chance I will try it too, and if something catches my interest, I want to know far more about it than any sensible person requires. 

Fungi have already achieved special-interest status and spread through both my writing and my house. I love conspiracies, folklore, strange science, complicated characters and conversations that reveal more than they appear to.

 

My husband is regularly recruited to read dialogue aloud, and I am always happy to receive a book recommendation or a fresh research trail to follow.