The author has worked as a teacher of English language and has a degree in Humanities with Literature. She enjoys reading 19th-century fiction, in particular Charles Dickens and Thomas Hardy. Having grown up in Devon, Alison Huntingford has always had a strong affinity to the county, despite being born elsewhere. One of her favourite pastimes is genealogy and she was therefore delighted to find an ancestor who came from Exeter in Devon. His story inspired her debut novel, The Glass Bulldog. Her second novel 'A Ha'penny Will Do' is also based on family history. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their pets, listening to music, going to the cinema and gardening.