Local author, Sheila Robinson told the Rotary Club about her fascination with the “power of stories” last week. Common themes of baddies, and deception, love and rescue are all contained in films, soaps, musicals and books, which entertain us and relate to our inner fears and hopes.

Sheila told Rotarians she started writing adventure stories at the age of seven, after Enid Blyton’s tales gave her a love of writing, which has strengthened over the years. She studied English Literature at Lancaster University, and became a production secretary with the BBC. After living in Australia for nearly five years she returned to live in Warwickshire with her husband, and family.

Sheila writes under the name of S C Skillman, her maiden name, setting her stories in the Cotswold’s and local area. Her thriller “Mystical Circles” is a psychological suspense story, and its sequel “A Passionate Spirit” a paranormal thriller, and you can find them in your local independent bookshop under contemporary fiction. She has also published a guide for aspiring writers, “Perilous Path: A Writer’s Journey” which is packed with encouraging tips, insights and reminders for writers. She also completed two full-length adult novels before writing Mystical Circles.

Sheila has always been fascinated by the interaction of different complex personalities, an inexhaustible source of inspiration for a writer! She advised anyone who wants to be a writer to read a lot, listen to people’s conversations, be observant about the details of your world, and especially about human behaviour and interaction. You need persistence, and to be single-minded to the point of obsession, and have self- belief despite all evidence to the contrary!

You can find out more, and download books from Sheila’s website: scskillman.co.uk, and signed copies can be ordered via her email address scskillman@outlook.com.

Thanking Sheila for her presentation Rotarian David Brain said how much we all enjoyed a good tale and expressed our best wishes for her next book.

Sheila with President-elect David Smith