A Carer and a Writer - Anne-Marie's Story

Award-Winning part-time historical fiction writer and Lifeways Area Manager, Anne-Marie Carter, shares her story on balancing life as a published author of Victorian fiction and West Midlands Area Manager.   

Anne-Marie published her first book back in 2010, eight years before she joined our Lifeways team. Spending her 14 previous years working with a charity, she has a drive for both helping others and writing historical fiction based on true events – all of them are set in Victorian London. Her novels include 'Caged Angel', 'The Butterflies are Free' and 'Far Above Rubies'.   

But why the two jobs? - you may ask. Surely, you only need the one? How do you balance the two?   

"If only all authors were as successful as JK Rowling! Writing has always been a hobby that I enjoy when I am not working. Writers need characters and I am always fascinated by people’s character and motives, good and bad. Working in the ‘real’ world gives me lots of ideas for stories. Plus, writing helps me relax in my spare time, so it isn’t hard to balance the work.  

As an Area Manager, I also find that no two days are the same, which is the best thing about my role. Most of my day is taken up with talking - either on in services, meetings, or on the phone. There’s also a lot of tea-drinking that goes on!  

Even though I love writing, I also enjoy working for Lifeways. I love the people and never knowing what is going to happen next! I always really enjoy getting to know the people we support, and I’m amazed at the way in which they adapt and manage to find ways to make the best of any situation. It’s also great to watch staff progress - whether that‘s through taking on new roles and developing their career with Lifeways, or by learning new skills so they get more out of their role as a support worker."  

To see how you can join our Lifeways team like Anne-Marie, Visit our careers page.