Rosemary Hayes lives and works in Cambridgeshire. She has written numerous books for children including historical and contemporary fiction and fantasy – many of which have been shortlisted for awards. She is also a reader for an authors’ advisory service and enjoys helping unpublished writers to hone their skills. Rosemary lived in Australia for six years, and her first children's novel Race Against Time, set in Australia, was runner-up for the Kathleen Fidler Award. Rosemary's first Frances Lincoln book, Mixing It, about the relationship between a Muslim girl and a non Muslim boy against a background of terrorism, was shortlisted for the South Lanarkshire Book Award. Her next book, Payback, is based on the actual experiences of a young Muslim woman who was brave enough to defy her family and reject the husband chosen for her.

Payback gives a welcome and often gripping airing to this topical issue, examining concepts of family honour, religion, love and the place of women in society in an accessible way.