The Chocolate Maker's Wife

Karen Brooks is the author of 11 books, an academic and newspaper columnist. She has a PhD in English / Cultural Studies, is an award-winning lecturer and has published internationally on popular culture, education and social psychology. When not writing, Karen loves being with her family, her fur kids – the dogs, spending time with friends, cooking, travelling, reading and dreaming. She lives in Hobart, Tasmania in a stone house built in 1868, which has its own wonderful stories to tell.

Born in East London, Willow studied at East 15 Acting School. She's toured Germany, Poland and Japan performing Shakespeare. At home in the West End, she's played Sheila Birling in An Inspector Calls and toured the provinces with Dickens's Hard Times and Moliere's The School for Wives. Willow is also one half of Really Big Pants – a children's theatre company taking original plays to children aged between four and 11. She enjoys recording voiceovers for computer games, online training videos, commercials and indents, and ADR on numerous television programs and films.