The little girl is me.

That photo was taken by my mum in the circus when I was 5 years old. The scene in my novel is exactly how it happened. That lion cub was huge and had to be held slightly off my lap otherwise I’d have been smothered by him. I remember feeling thrilled but also a bit scared, which is what accounts for my odd expression in the photo.

The novel itself grew out of a short story I wrote that was based on that photograph, and my mum is credited as the author photographer on the back cover of the book.

She thinks that’s pretty much the most hilarious thing ever to have happened in the history of hilarious things.

And thank you, I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. :-)