Success for Swansea author Marly Evans , a retired primary schoolteacher, came from a family influence. When she became a grandmother to twins Ava and Daniel, Marly looked forward to the day she would be able to read them stories that would spark their imagination. Now she’s written them herself. Tales from Little Gam, a series of rural Welsh stories, draws on the unspoilt Gower countryside and the mischievous charm of its animals, inspired through Marly ’s life with Jeff, a seventh generation Gower farmer. Marly began writing with the belief that Welsh stories have “an appeal that can reach well beyond our borders”. All the stories are true, and in many ways, quite unique.

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AmeriCymru: Hi Marly and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. When did you decide to take up writing childrens'' fiction?

Marly: I created stories for my own children, Catrin and Gareth Owain when they were at primary school age, but it was not until my twin grandchildren Ava and Daniel arrived six years ago, that I really began to take the whole thing seriously.

AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about the ''Little Gam'' series?

Marly: My inspiration for the Little Gam series came from life with my partner Jeff, who is a seventh generation Gower farmer. While developing the stories, we created a ''Little Gam Model Village'', pictured first in Spring and later in Winter. Three films were made, in English and Welsh, complete with narratives, now showing on Youtube. Each book has a seasonal theme and are centred around the village, its unspoilt countryside,colourful characters and mischievous animals.

AmeriCymru: The books are set in the Gower peninsula, south Wales. Care to describe the area for the benefit of our American readers? Is ''Little Gam'' based on any particular Gower village?

Marly: ''Little Gam'' is based loosely on the very quaint village of Murton, in Bishopston, in an area of outstanding beauty. It is a typical Gower village with a post office, inn, bakery, farm, church on the Green, smithy, and school.There have been some changes.

AmeriCymru: You are also a poet. Can you tell us a little about your poetry?

Marly: Writing poetry was my first passion, and this occured earlier in my life. I wrote many poems and some were published.I took my inspiration from life.

AmeriCymru: Where can people go online to buy your books?

Marly: My books can be bought via my book website:- www.talesfromlittlegam.wordpress.com

AmeriCymru: What''s next for Marly Evans? When can we expect to see the next in the ''Little Gam'' series?

Marly: The next book is entitled '' Summertime'' and will be on sale in a few months.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Marly: In my books, I have tried to create a world, which illustrates Welsh village life with all its humour and daily goings-on. All the stories are true and in many ways, quite unique.