Gina Blaxill wanted to be an author pretty much from day one – she started writing properly when she was eight and hasn’t stopped since. She lives in North London and studied English at Cambridge University, where she specialised in schoolgirl fiction and took part in a lot of musicals. These days she works in schools liaison, helping teenagers figure out the mysteries of higher education. Apart from writing she enjoys drawing comic art and exploring London and has big soft spots for dogs, stately homes and fruit.
Gina wrote Pretty Twisted while stranded in a small village on the Norfolk-Suffolk border without a driving licence. Ros’ side of the story comes from Gina’s own experiences growing up in London (though she never skived off school or got caught up in a police investigation!). Jonathan’s was inspired by the year Gina spent working in Norwich, during which she got an idea for what it might be like growing up in the countryside from the teenagers on her long daily bus rides (this bus service makes an appearance in Pretty Twisted as Jonathan’s “7am zombie bus”).
Her favourite teen authors include Tamora Pierce, Kevin Brooks, Jenny Valentine and Keren David, though her absolute favourite author is the queen of crime, Agatha Christie.
