Dashe Roberts spent most of her life living on either coast of the US. After several years working in the New York theatre scene, she moved back home to California and began writing her first book, Sticky Pines: The Bigwoof Conspiracy. Dashe has since moved to London, where she lives with her husband, her young son and her dog, Monkey.

Taken from Dashe's website:

Hello reader!

I’m Dashe Roberts, author of the spine-tingling middle grade mystery series STICKY PINES and other sci-fi adventures for kids.

I love inhabiting the stories created by my favourite authors and filmmakers, and over the years these imaginary realms grew so indispensable to my reality that I decided to create my own. I love books, films and games that contain elements of mystery, adventure and the uncanny, and you’ll find these elements throughout my work.

I also adore nature, dark chocolate, dog slobber, and video games. Some people say you’re not supposed to play video games as an adult, but those people forget that the entire point of being an adult is that you get to set your own rules. Burritos for breakfast!

I’m an American based in the UK. I grew up in Idaho and California, but moved to London some time ago, which is where I live with my husband and an adorable dog called Monkey, who would be an Instagram influencer if he had opposable thumbs.

Over the years I’ve worked as a theatre producer, playwright, actor, and English teacher. But I’ve always been obsessed with books, and long dreamed of becoming a professional author.

In 2017, I graduated with a Masters degree in Children’s Literature from Goldsmiths, University of London. Throughout my studies, I was fortunate to work with some literary heroes: Sara Grant, author of the Chasing Danger series; Linda Buckley-Archer, author of the Carnegie nominated Gideon trilogy; and Michael Rosen, author of the legendary We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and so many other great children’s books. It was a huge privilege and I learned a great deal from them.

It’s not easy to become a published author! But it is easy to become a devoted reader – and that’s where my journey began. Maybe it’s where your own writing adventure will start?

When I was a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on. In middle grade, when I was 11 years old, I broke my ankle and had to spend six weeks wearing a cast. In the hot Californian summer! Where I could no longer go swimming! I was devastated, until all of my friends gifted me books that made me feel much better.

I discovered so many new authors, series and characters to enjoy that summer, I barely thought about my dumb ol’ ankle at all. And since we were out of school, and I had ​‘broken leg sympathy points’ from my parents, I was even able to up stay up late reading with a flashlight.

The point is, books are amazing, private journeys you can go on at any time, in any place, and they can take you anywhere that you want to go. Even if you have a broken ankle in the summer! I dig that. Reading books can inspire you to write and tell your own stories: with a little imagination, you might create something brilliant that you never thought was possible.