Gillian Dawn Taber, known to many as Mojo,
knew she'd found her calling the moment she opened her mouth and words tumbled out. Toys became mere props for the elaborate stories wandering around her head. The discovery of letters and writing sealed the deal. From the first story she can remember clearly, written around age six, called 'The Blob' to the tentatively titled 'Shadowbeast' that aims to be her next novel, writing has defined every age and event in her life. Ask her who she is and she will answer, 'I am a writer. It is not my job, my career, my calling, but simply who I am.'

Born in London in April of 1964, this child of the era of peace and love didn't get to see much of that as she grew up. The term 'dysfunctional family' wasn't used back then, but it would have been appropriate. Her parents separated when she was eleven, leaving her to cope with a neurotic, drug and alcohol addicted mother, a string of 'fathers' and the constant absence of money. Despite a quick mind and above average intelligence, school became something which was secondary to keeping her family fed. This usually involved skipping school, stealing food and answering the door to bailiffs and the like with whatever excuse would suit. Her creative mind came in use, frequently.

Leaving school, Gillian went into the retail industry and floated over multiple jobs in the ensuing years. These included working with dementia patients, phone/door-to-door sales, primary school teaching assistant and special educational needs teaching. She moved in with her partner and they had four children, whilst wandering around the U.K, from London to Lincolnshire, on to Stockton-on-Tees and currently, Gloucestershire. During these years she also battled post-natal depression and discovered that her mood swings stemmed from Bi-Polar Disorder.

Once her children were grown, old enough to need her less, she decided to stop messing around with the stories she had been writing all her life. It was time to see if she could finally fulfill her ambition, to be an author. At first it was extremely difficult to let her 'babies' go beyond the kind words of close friends, but she adopted a 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' attitude and went for it. This proved to be a good thing.

Her first piece was published in an online e-zine, Neonbeam. The story, 'Freak on a Leash' remains one of her personal favourites and an excerpt can be found on the site. With her confidence boosted, Gillian joined an amazing community, Accentuate Writers, and began to write content for Helium. Money actually started arriving. It appeared, much to her lasting surprise, that money could be made, perhaps even a living, from the words she had always loved so well. Currently, Gillian's stories are about to be published in anthologies from Twin Trinity. More information can be found about these stories in the book section of the site. Links to the Unsent Letters material she has had published will also be available.

Gillian remains in love with words and writes every day. Often she writes rubbish, she acknowledges this, but writing rubbish is better than not writing. A day without writing is like a day without breathing. Fortunately, the magic happens more often than not and stories tumble out of her head, eager to see the light and find an audience. Three novels are in varying stages of completion, short stories appear every week and it is one of Gillian's most heartfelt desires to see the short story genre revived and given new life.

There are two other great passions in Gillian's life. Music is the first. Life without music would be unbearable. Her second passion is her belief in a pagan path. She has been walking that path since her early teens and loves her status as a hedgewitch.

Gillian lives for her writing and for her love of the unique and wonderful people around her, people who provide constant inspiration and love.