Hello! Thanks for dropping by!

I’m Barbara and I write books for young people and adults (buy the books published by Cranachan HERE and The Reluctant Rebel, Scottish by Inclination and Made from Girders here) – and I visit schools for workshops and author events. I absolutely love being out and about, visiting schools and book festivals.

I have a new book out in April 2024! Take a look at this fab book trailer!

My two latest books are Made from Girders which lifts the lid on what goes on on and around the Forth Bridge, and the children’s adventure Rivet Boy which is inspired by real people and events during the bridge’s construction.

I know that 2023 is almost over, but if you want to find out a little about what I get up to, this summary of the year before will give you a flavour:

I am also the author of a bunch of other books for 8-12-year-olds. All of them are adventure stories, mostly inspired by history and nature.

Spot the odd one out – Scottish by Inclination is a book for adults, about immigration and the right to belong. That one is a good one to read if you are interested in finding out more about my life.

You can click through to the pages on individual books, look at my news section, follow my blog or browse to find out about the things which inspire my writing, check information about visits and upcoming events and so on. I’m always in the process of adding information and updating various sections, so keep checking back for the latest!

By the way, I love connecting with readers and with other writers, so please leave comments on my blog and follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter by clicking on the icons – I’d love to hear from you!

Go on – take a look around!

Fun Fact:
I’ve won an actual AWARD for both The Siege of Caerlaverock and The Chessmen Thief! The Historical Association awarded these two books the Young Quills Award for their category in 2021 and 2022 respectively. I am so delighted, especially since the first round of judging is entirely based on children’s reviews! Even more incredibly, The Reluctant Rebel is longlisted this year. I don’t fancy my chances as there are some outstanding books in the running, but I’ll keep you posted!