1. The idea for The Cake Shop in the Garden came to me when I was on my very first canal boat holiday with my friend, Sue. I was supposed to be relaxing, but the journey from London to Leighton Buzzard on the Grand Union canal was truly inspirational.
2. I started baking when I was about twelve. My nana, who started work in a bake house when she was just the same age, taught me in my school holidays. She was an amazing cook and there was always an apple or a meat pie in the oven whenever you visited.
2. My favourite cake is a chocolate brownie - the gooier the better. I have the most amazing recipe for them, but they're not the most attractive cakes you'll ever see.
3. I do like a Victoria sponge, but I like it to have a bit of buttercream in it. I can see the 'jam only' traditionalists shaking their heads.
4. I've had cake cooked for me on a camping trip high in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal when I was researching for my book, With or Without You. It was made by our chef, a lovely man called Mr Bom. There were no roads or shops and so he'd carried all the ingredients for twenty miles and made it in a pressure cooker. It tasted fabulous.
5. I am completely addicted to The Great British Bake-Off and Masterchef.
6. I have a full-size cardboard cut-out of Mary Berry in my office.
7. My favourite place for cake is Chesters in Cumbria. I go to the Lake District on holiday every year and this is always my first port of call. If you're ever in the area, you must go. The fabulously kitsch Cake 'Ole café in Skipton, North Yorks comes a close second.
8. Until I started writing The Chocolate Lovers' Club I had no appreciation at all of good chocolate but I learned to love it during my research. I put a stone on while writing those two books and have still to lose it!
9. My favourite chocolate is Lindt 70% cocoa - a lovely rich dark chocolate. It makes amazing chocolate mousse. I have one square every day after my lunch.
10. I'll be writing two more books in the Chocolate Lovers' series. The Chocolate Lovers' Christmas will be out later this year.