Cathy Hopkins lives in North London with her husband and two mad cats. It took her until she was 35 to decide what she wanted to do when she grew up (be a writer), so she has had a variety of other jobs. She trained as a secondary school teacher but instead of teaching, joined a rock and roll band, Driving Rock and the Rockettes, as one of the Rockettes. She’s also worked as an occupational therapist, a scriptwriter, a newspaper reviewer on Sky News, a script reader for the comedy unit at the BBC and an aromatherapist.

Writing for teenagers is easily the most enjoyable work Cathy has ever done as she says it gives her the chance to re-live being fourteen and permission to do all sorts of things in the name of research – like reading all the great teenage fiction there is these days, watching T4 and Ugly Betty and reading serious magazines like Bliss and Mizz.

The Mates, Dates series is Cathy’s first fiction writing (though she has had sixteen non-fiction titles published). Cathy is the author of the incredibly successful Mates, Dates and Truth, Dare books, and the highly acclaimed series Cinnamon Girl. The Mates, Dates series has sold over a million copies in the UK and the USA has also been sold to fourteen countries abroad. While the series has come to a close with book 12, it continues with non-fiction titles, and the characters also crossed over in the Truth, Dare series.

You can find out more about Cathy and join her fan club for newsletters and updates here.