About the Author

M.P. Grace was raised without television, in a place and time where children made their own entertainment. Her love of books, especially reading with a torch after lights out, and listening to radio plays late at night, fed her imagination. As a child, many poems and plays were written, pen pals received long letters, palaces were drawn in chalk on the drive way, and friends were dressed up to take roles in the plays. Cubby houses, dolls houses and puppet theatres were built and decorated with recycled bits and pieces.

It is not surprising that M.P. Grace became a designer, helping others to build their dreams, which include homes, yachts and hotels. In 2009 she met the Coachmaker, and they soon became firm friends. Their mutual interests in art and history bonded them as kindred spirits. Each helped the other with their creative endeavours and daily lives. The magnificent Coach, built at Manly for Queen Elizabeth II, brought the author's life full circle as it often drew M. P. Grace back to Manly, which was her first home when she emigrated to Australia in 1979. The coach inspired M. P. Grace to capture some of the magic of Manly in her book, The Magic Carriage.

The author lives in Australia with her husband. She spends her time writing, designing, travelling and caring for the aged.

To contact M. P. Grace, email: mpgrace@magiccarriage.com