Pauline McLynn lives in Dublin with her husband, Richard, and two cats named Brenda and Alice. She used to have other cats too - Mutt, Geoff, Noel, Brendan, Snubby and Geezee. When she was growing up in Galway, in the west of Ireland, her family had dogs - Roberta, Lady Pink Weasel, Dennis and TD. Her brothers used to call her 'verucca head' and 'hook nose' (serio) but they don't do that any more, at least not to her face, which is good. She has a wonky, crackly right knee from doing Irish Dancing (probably the wrong way!) when she was younger. Pauline still loves performing and is now an award-winning actor, perhaps best-known for playing the role of Mrs Doyle in Father Ted and Libby Croker in Shameless. She is also very good at knitting and has written eight other novels, but Jenny Q, Stitched Up is her first book for teenagers.