About the Author
I was born a long time ago in Livry-Gargan, a Paris suburb. My father worked for the French Government and my mother was a “domestic consultant,” which means that she advised the house staff on what to do every morning.
I first went to school at the age of five. Leaving the nest and attending school was a significant experience for me: I remained in contact with my very first teacher until two years ago when she passed away.
A couple of years after I started school, the French Government sent my father on a mission to Madagascar. In the early fifties, Madagascar was still a French Colony and my Dad was the equivalent of the Governor of a State. At first I was allowed to tag along, but to my great disappointment, it was decided that the educational system in Madagascar was not good enough for me. I was shipped away to a boarding school in Paris.
After a difficult first year, I realized that being shipped away was far from a punishment: I had been given the opportunity to make the greatest friends one could ever wish for. Most importantly, I had the best teachers- and encouragement- in the world. I completed my education by passing the Baccalaureate, the equivalent of a Bachelor Degree, which prepared me for later study.
After a year spent in Madrid teaching French, I set off for England to study law, economics and politics. I was awarded a degree in English Language and Literature from Cambridge University. It is there that I met my future husband.
I worked for companies in London, and then in Reading where we had moved.
In 1981 my husband’s firm, IBM, sent him to Boca Raton for a three year assignment, which became six years.
After living six years in Florida, it was very difficult to imagine going back to England’s grey skies, especially for me because I found the climate welcoming and similar to that in Madagascar, so my husband and I permanently settled in Florida started our own company and future life.
I channel my life experiences into my writings, some can be viewed on my website http://www.cathystopps.com, my blog or in my new mystery novel, “Let’s do Lunch” which can be purchased on multiple websites, including www.amazon.com. www.barnesandnoble.com . An eBook version is also available.