Delicious Inspiration!?
Zoë-Ray, is a bit of a fun loving, vintage lovely who delights in making fantastical cakes, along with any other baking or cooking challenge you want to set her, but novelty cakes are her passion.
Her initial inspiration came from her mother who herself made cakes for many years (after putting down a welding gun) the likes of which Zoë feels she can only to aspire to (her mother’s grand piano, a favourite). Unfortunately there are no decent pictures to share of her mother’s work as she is now retired and they were all taken years ago, when the 35mm Browning flash cameras with wonderful red-eye images were all the rage.
The first real novelty cake she made was for her now husband, Adam. Adam being a horror author she decided upon a cake styled as an open book, with a page full of quotes hand written from his favourite authors along with a line from his very first published novel, Only In Whispers. She set to it and with a guiding hand from her mother, the cake was made, and she was inspired to make more delicious creations. Delicious Inspiration was born.
Her initial inspiration came from her mother who herself made cakes for many years (after putting down a welding gun) the likes of which Zoë feels she can only to aspire to (her mother’s grand piano, a favourite). Unfortunately there are no decent pictures to share of her mother’s work as she is now retired and they were all taken years ago, when the 35mm Browning flash cameras with wonderful red-eye images were all the rage.
The first real novelty cake she made was for her now husband, Adam. Adam being a horror author she decided upon a cake styled as an open book, with a page full of quotes hand written from his favourite authors along with a line from his very first published novel, Only In Whispers. She set to it and with a guiding hand from her mother, the cake was made, and she was inspired to make more delicious creations. Delicious Inspiration was born.
It's not all teacakes and tiaras...
"Trying to be fascinating is an asinine position to be in"
Zoë-Ray, if she must be labelled, is a biker and has been riding all manner of two wheeler since she was sweet sixteen. Obviously a lover of food, she loves to be in the kitchen cooking up a storm, or even the garden, knee deep in mud with wellies on. She's a big nature fan and closet tree hugger but it's rare you will ever find her without lashings of liquid eyeliner; old school glamour is her style and she would never want to be mistaken for a big fat hairy biker!
Her father, a Derry man from the Bogside, no less, eldest of 8 children came to England in the very early 60's looking for work when he was 18, in order to be able to send money back to his mother in Ireland at a time when the average sign in the window read "No Blacks, No Dog's, No Irish". A true fighter and boxer born and bred he eventually made a life for himself here, and at age 21 met and later married her mother. He is without a shadow of doubt, a definite role model to Zoë; a shamefully honest and understated man who has never run from trouble and always held out a helping hand to those in need, not to mention rolling up his sleeves and wading in, in true 'fighting Irish' style. Zoë loves to go back home with him and wander the streets as he reminisces of the good old days along with the tragic memories of the troubles. Derry is Zoë's second home and Ireland holds a special place in heart.
As mentioned earlier, her mother, a strong and positive influence on Zoë's life, is a good old Black Country wench, born and raised on Brades Village and later moved to Rowley, she was a Welder for 20 years and a campaigner of equality for working women in a man's world. However, after giving birth to Zoë, she then moonlighted as a housewife for a spell and took up cake decorating, an obvious choice, swapping a welding gun for a piping bag!
Zoë's husband, Adam; born in Shrewsbury (posh, don't you know) but with a Black Country accent, he too a welder for a good few years whilst writing short stories in his spare time for magazines and newspapers, had his first real break with his novel 'Only in Whispers' being picked up and published in 2004. He then went on a bit of a rampage of drink and excess, but gave in to Zoë's tyranical ways and re-started his writing carer with gusto back in 2009 spreading the demented and dark side of his imagination quicker than you can grab a pillow to hide behind. The couple then set out to establish their own publishing company, Crowded Quarantine in 2011, to bring a new and chilling force to the world of speculative fiction. They don't fear that 'bump' in the night; they feed off it.
Zoë-Ray, if she must be labelled, is a biker and has been riding all manner of two wheeler since she was sweet sixteen. Obviously a lover of food, she loves to be in the kitchen cooking up a storm, or even the garden, knee deep in mud with wellies on. She's a big nature fan and closet tree hugger but it's rare you will ever find her without lashings of liquid eyeliner; old school glamour is her style and she would never want to be mistaken for a big fat hairy biker!
Her father, a Derry man from the Bogside, no less, eldest of 8 children came to England in the very early 60's looking for work when he was 18, in order to be able to send money back to his mother in Ireland at a time when the average sign in the window read "No Blacks, No Dog's, No Irish". A true fighter and boxer born and bred he eventually made a life for himself here, and at age 21 met and later married her mother. He is without a shadow of doubt, a definite role model to Zoë; a shamefully honest and understated man who has never run from trouble and always held out a helping hand to those in need, not to mention rolling up his sleeves and wading in, in true 'fighting Irish' style. Zoë loves to go back home with him and wander the streets as he reminisces of the good old days along with the tragic memories of the troubles. Derry is Zoë's second home and Ireland holds a special place in heart.
As mentioned earlier, her mother, a strong and positive influence on Zoë's life, is a good old Black Country wench, born and raised on Brades Village and later moved to Rowley, she was a Welder for 20 years and a campaigner of equality for working women in a man's world. However, after giving birth to Zoë, she then moonlighted as a housewife for a spell and took up cake decorating, an obvious choice, swapping a welding gun for a piping bag!
Zoë's husband, Adam; born in Shrewsbury (posh, don't you know) but with a Black Country accent, he too a welder for a good few years whilst writing short stories in his spare time for magazines and newspapers, had his first real break with his novel 'Only in Whispers' being picked up and published in 2004. He then went on a bit of a rampage of drink and excess, but gave in to Zoë's tyranical ways and re-started his writing carer with gusto back in 2009 spreading the demented and dark side of his imagination quicker than you can grab a pillow to hide behind. The couple then set out to establish their own publishing company, Crowded Quarantine in 2011, to bring a new and chilling force to the world of speculative fiction. They don't fear that 'bump' in the night; they feed off it.
