L S Matthews

1.Keenan and Kel (once laughed so hard, I nearly fell off the sofa)

2. Angry Beavers/ Spongebob Squarepants

3. Charmed/ Malcolm in the Middle

1. 1. I love and am fascinated by all animals, birds and reptiles - I've shared my home and life with lots of different species, including rescued wildlife. I used to reschool "problem" horses and ponies. The photo is of me on one of my favourite horses I ever owned, who wasn't a problem - except she didn't like jumping that much, so rushed to get it over and done with. Looks like I'm having a conversation with her about it here...  One of my favourite animals is the guinea pig. If you love them too, check out the marvellous, sadly late, Peter Gurney's site for loads of information http://petergurney.com . Here's three of our baby guinea pigs:    
2. I rather like plumbing, drainage, and taking mechanical/electrical things apart to fix them - sadly discovered this rather late in life, so I have a lot to learn...
3. I wasn't very good at Maths and was terrified of it at school to the point of phobia. The way in which I wasn't good is now called dyscalcula, apparently. But through helping children with Maths, I've come to love it - and to understand I'm good at some parts, and how to cope with the areas where I have problems. So if you feel the same, don't give up on it! http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/dyscalcula.html
4. I am also ambidextrous (meaning, you don't really have a strong right or left handedness) which you'd think would be a good thing, but can lead to being clumsy if you don't understand it.
5.  I never really "got" clocks (due to something they now call"rotational dyslexia"), but again if you understand how your brain works, you can learn to manage very well..I've just noticed on the site (link shown above) explaining dyscalcula, that's included as one of the problems...   
6. Music has always been important to me, and I listen to a huge range, play electric guitar and am trying to pick up the violin again (I used to play as a kid). So far it sounds...Owch! Never been able to read music, though people have tried to teach me and I understand the theory alright...I expect that's got a name, too. Actually, once again, I notice it is mentioned as connected to dyscalcula, see link. If you like an indi, soulful, female-and-piano, P J Harvey- type-thing, check out http://www.myspace.com/lucindamatthews . You've spotted the name -yes, she's my niece, but honest, I'm not biased....
7. I always wrote my own stories and little books from a very young age. My hand used to ache, so I kept them short. Now I use touch-typing and word-processing, so it's easier to write for longer - yahoo for new technology!
8. No-one comes between me and my food. I'm naturally thin (no, it's not clever, there is no willpower, and you can be too thin, so don't admire/crave it) and fairly laid back, but when I get hungry - which, sadly, seems to happen with no warning - I am savage. Those people in the baker's queue ahead of me don't know how close they come to being thrown aside or climbed over. But there, if I can override this strange temper, you can too.
9. I also paint and sculpt (when I have time) professionally (see the Art page) 
10. I can plait hair really really quickly - must be useful for something, sometime??!

I think up plots in my head, keep adding to them, changing bits which aren't so good in hindsight, and usually only think of one of the most important parts of the story when I've thought it's almost finished. I don't generally write anything down. I have tried the "using a notebook" technique, but I tend to lose the notebook, or bit of paper, or discard the idea anyway. My method is called daydreaming, and it is generally held to be very wicked and wrong, especially if you are a child or not paid to do it for a living (like a grown-up artist, advertising executive, author, poet,etc.) so I shouldn't really go around recommending it..but if you already find you do it naturally, you can't really help it. Just try not to put the milk in the cupboard and the cereal in the fridge, would you?

 Here is my handy guide - Daydreaming: If You Have To Do It, Keep it Safe

 Good times for daydreaming are:

•  when you first wake up or you are going off to sleep (NOTE: This should take place in bed, not in a lesson at school)
•  when you are waiting somewhere boring, like for a bus or train or a lift (NOTE: remain seated/ standing safely away from kerb or platform edge - and you'll still have to watch you don't ignore the transport when it arrives, so it ends up going without you..)
•  washing up and "automatic sort of jobs" that aren't likely to go wrong if you don't concentrate (generally cleaning and tidying is safe; homework and revision is NOT included in "automatic sort of jobs")
• long-distance running (but not while you cross roads)

 Bad times are while you are:

• In class (unless your teacher tells you to - unusual, but possible)
• Being lectured by parent/guardian/teacher (possibly about daydreaming)
• Being spoken to by someone who started with the words: "Now it's very important that you listen to these instructions.." or "Whatever you do, don't forget the..." or "I'm relying on you to..." (or similar)
• Driving, or riding a bike, skates, or boarding; riding a horse (a branch will get you in the face, or horse will shy/trip/buck/rear/bolt - maybe all of these - for no apparent reason)
• Using heavy machinery, light machinery, hand-tools etc.
• cooking (includes watching something doesn't burn, for someone else who is temporarily absent)
• In goal(any sport), or should be fielding, passing, scoring goals etc.
• In charge of safety of small children, animals etc.

Hodder Children's Books (Also the place to visit if you want to book a visit/workshop from the author for your school or organisation)

Random House website (author spotlight) Has a long, detailed interview revealing much about the writing of Fish.

Like to read about my dog? If so, click below: 

http://www.lsmatthewsonline.co.uk/allaboutdingo.rtf