Hi everbody, wherever you may be. For the past 30 years I have been fortunate to live in the spectacular Blue Mountains wilderness west of Sydney in Australia; with my writing desk overlooking the canopy of a glorious eucalypt forest in the valley below.

Inquisitive daily visitors include screeching sulphur-crested cockatoos, swooping rainbow lorikeets, pouting red, green and blue-plumed parrots, plus the occasional swirling, wide-eyed wedge-tailed eagle, all flying past to offer inspiration…  and a cheerful ‘g’day’.

Glorious rotational scenes of the Blue Mountains are featured on this site, with beautiful accompanying music by Blue Mountains pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins.

My favourite writing genre is ‘historical fiction’ and I've had some success with short stories and am now dabbling in a short one-act play. I have completed four novels, three of which have been published in one form or other, with the ink only just dry on the fourth.

My published books are: 'Hitler ~ The Secret', set in Austria and Germany between 1931 and 1952 and available at Smashwords as an e-book; 'The Voices of Crabtree Lane' set in England in the late 1950s, launched in April at the London Book Fair; and my first book, 'Wonder, Thunder and Blunder Down Under' - a memoir of my careeer as a journalist and my travels around the world - with a few tips on how to survive living with Australians!

The fourth book is also historical fiction and is titled 'Zimbabwe ~ Eye for an Eye', set in that country between 1975 and 2013. I lived there for three years and reported on the horrendous civil war. This website will feature more on this novel in the coming weeks.

Back on my latest publication, I'm delighted to say that publicity for 'The Voices of Crabtree Lane' resulted in a series of five interviews with some excerpt readings with the BBC and some healthy sales.

I was also extremely proud to have spoken about the novel with the delightful, intelligent children of my two former UK schools - Doddinghurst Junior near Brentwood and Widford Lodge at Chelmsford. The youngsters had some remarkably advanced and often difficult questions about the book, the inspiration for my writing, my childhood in Essex and my adopted country of Australia.

My first book, 'Wonder, Thunder and Blunder Down Under', was a personal memoir which also attracted considerable publicity. It is now being edited as an e-book but can be seen, sampled and purchased in its original format via my old website at www.tenpoundpom.com.au.

Promotional blurbs and excerpts for all three books can be found on this site, as can a brief biography, an explanation of 'Why I like to Write', a few of my successful short stories and some sample chapters. When completed, my website will also include samples from my short plays, a newsletter and a blog.

I thank you and invite you back soon to taste and hopefully savour my fiction, fantasies, facts and foibles.

Best wishes for now and enjoyable reading.

Spencer Ratcliff