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"Having been an avid reader since childhood I have always found a joy in the written word and have experimented with various styles, trying my hand at both poetry and prose, since my schooldays.

My writing really developed and matured, however, during three glorious years as a mature university student reading English. I encountered, and was initially influenced by, a rich cornucopia of writing skills, talents, and styles across the centuries until, as I blossomed, I found my own, distinctive, voice. Whether writing essays, letters (something I've always enjoyed), or my first tentative attempts to express my thoughts and emotions in verse, I found enormous fulfilment in starting with a blank page and then seeing the words flow from my head and my heart or, often, being inwardly 'driven' by a word or phrase that clamoured for release.

I was delighted when my first poems were accepted by a publisher in 1996 and I have now had the pleasure of appearing in print eleven times in various anthologies.

Being selected as one of Peter Quinn's showcased writers has been a huge accolade, and I hope you enjoy reading this brief selection of my work as much as I have so enjoyed writing it."

Love Shades costs £3.99 and can be purchased from the author directly. Contact via email at diane.lyle@btinternet.com, phone 07786 620624, or by post at Ty Bach, 62 Sidney Road, Ludlow, SY8 1SH.