I’ve been writing since the eighties, when in a space of ‘nothing to do’, I began Mills and Boon. After chapter 3, it became my own story, and because it didn’t properly follow the strict guidelines, was not accepted. However, parts of it were adapted into a television series by TVNZ.

After another abortive attempt at the romance genre, and moving to Opotiki, I turned to short stories of the amazing people and events when I worked with the unemployed and Maori people of the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Writing application forms for funding for the restoration of a historic building in Opotiki came next and then my life turned upside down. Following a call from my soul, I left home and went to Queenstown. There followed nine years of travel within New Zealand.

I woofed my way around the South Island for years, a journey of personal growth, writing a diary of ‘growing wisdom’. My rich experiences have yet to be mined for writing, but I painted many of the places I travelled through. Three years of this journey was spent in Upper Hutt working with children again. I’m a retired teacher and business woman. I’d joined writing groups and attended workshops in their ground-breaking community library. I wrote memory stories, poetry and stories for children. I joined POWERtalk to be more confident in public speaking. I wrote speeches and won their national short story and poetry contests and came second internationally for the fiction story.

A new fiction writing group, again in the library, headed by Cat Connor, a local crime author, provided constructive teaching and the challenge of nanowrimo: write 50,000 words in one month. By this time I’d begun house sitting in the North Island. The isolation provided the time and opportunity to learn the self discipline needed to achieve writing 1600 words in a day, excluding research. My first novella emerged.

When I sold my Opotiki house, I settled in Katikati and joined the local and Tauranga writing, art and POWERtalk groups. Jenny Argante became my editor, polished my work and I self-published my own book for children aged 8-12 on earth science, Doctor Peter’s Good Earth Magic. My next book is a work in progress.

I’ve contributed to the Tauranga Writers Anthologies BYLINE, and my poetry is published in the Valley Micropress. I have a blog: kinsahaysblog.com. with environmental or personal stories. Purchase my book from kinsa.hays@gmail.com