Iris B. Willinger, 52, was born in Austria as an only child - to parents who were also only children. So, there was not much family to go around. A rather unique set-up amongst her peers. To add to this, a lack of friends - due to moving around a lot - also weighed heavy. Hence, Iris turned to books as her best friends, writing and art. It was how she tried to make sense of her world, the lack of company and help entertain herself.

She grew up bi-lingual and has been published in German and English from an early age on. Iris describes her life as 'off the beaten path' - also because she considers herself an arch-introvert and eccentric. She always struggled with connections and relating to people - so became more of an observer of life. This is where her writing came in as a form of therapy too, and she openly admits, it saved her sanity and life on a few occasions.

Iris used to run the writing programs at the renowned Ardington Academy in Oxfordshire. In her early career she worked as a journalist and environmental reporter, and has a passion for nature and wilderness, that's why she prefers living far from the maddening crowd. She often goes on long adventures and spends many months as a true 'digital nomad', just travelling around, gathering new experiences and inspiration.

She is an autodidact, and the genres she writes in are vast. From historic thrillers to rom-coms, from sci-fi to children's books and fables as well as non-fiction, such as self-development books and historic biographies. She also worked as a ghost-writer for many creatives and ghost-wrote a historic biography of Caroline Chisholm (by Pat Connole) now in the Australian National Library - and collaborated on a supernatural trilogy over 3 years with a Chicago client, as well as various screen plays and a Sci-Fi Saga.

Iris has been an avid solo world traveller and spent many years in France, the USA, Ireland and further afield in Africa and Asia. She is however based in the UK. A keen photographer, she enjoys exploring new cultures and remote destinations. It gives her limitless opportunities to broaden and deepen her writing. Most of her novels feature actual locations she has been to, from street corners to cafe's. She is a fan of historic and geographical accuracy ... and listening to her own life story is like delving into an adventure novel itself.