About Me

Janet Pywell is the author of nineteen books spanning multiple genres, including the internationally acclaimed Mikky dos Santos crime thrillers, the gripping Ronda George domestic thrillers, and the popular Westbay Romance series, as well as two collections of short stories. Alongside her writing career, she runs her own novel mentoring programme, supporting aspiring writers in developing their craft.

With over thirty years’ experience in the travel and tourism industry, Janet has lived and worked extensively abroad, spending twenty years in Spain and a decade in Ireland, where she founded and managed her own marketing company. Her wide-ranging travels and international perspective bring depth and authenticity to her storytelling.

Janet holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. She has taught on both BA and MA Creative Writing programmes at Canterbury Christ Church University.

A passionate and dedicated mentor, Janet works with writers of all ages, sharing her knowledge and experience through classes, seminars, and workshops. She is committed to helping others achieve their writing goals and takes great pride in nurturing new talent. She is also a regular speaker at literary events, where she enjoys connecting with readers and fellow authors.

To further enrich the authenticity of her work, Janet has undertaken specialist study in areas including forensic psychology, antiquities trafficking, screenwriting and maritime history, completing courses with the University of Southampton, the University of Glasgow, the University of Kent, and the University of East Anglia.

In 2024, Janet was asked by her good friend Jo Rzymowska MBE to write the biography of Jo's parents. Barbara came over on the Kindertransport aged fourteen and Julian escaped the Nazis through the tunnels of Warsaw.

The Dash of Life is a powerful biography of displacement, resilience and legacy. It was a new beginning but with vastly different challenges.

At a time when antisemitism, hatred and division are once again rising across the world The Dash of Life offers an urgent and moving reminder that history lives not only in the past but in people today, and that every life deserves to be fulfilled and to be remembered.

It’s about the quiet determination of survivors and the responsibility of the next generation to bear witness.

This moving tribute to Jo’s family and their survival, explores the legacy of the stories we inherit and why remembering them matters now more than ever.

When we look at a gravestone, we see two dates separated by a simple dash. Small and often overlooked, that dash contains everything; the joys, sorrows, struggles, courage and love that made a life.

Collaborating on this book has been a life changing experience...