My Day on a Plate: Kate Mosse, author 4am Start with a very strong, very sweet cup of black coffee. I don't have a sweet tooth but I can't wean myself off brown sugar in coffee. Write for three and a half hours non-stop - my most creative time, when my thoughts are uninterrupted. 12pm Baked beans on toast or, if it's publication day, a special treat of a pub lunch at our local, where I order all the vegetable side dishes. I'm vegetarian but don't fancy a full-on meal. 4pm Lemon and ginger tea with a pecan and maple biscuit - the only time I eat anything sweet. I'm sluggish in the afternoon, so that's when I do all my emailing and chores. 6.30pm Glass of white wine while my husband makes a lentil stew. 8pm Read a novel before bed at 9pm. "The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales," by Kate Mosse, is published by Orion (£14.99) Like a lot of authors Kate has an unconventional work pattern and food is fairly low down on her priority list. Caffeine and sugar fuel her work - not the best recipe, of course, but I suspect she'd find it very difficult to change. She eats well later in the day, but it's not surprising that by then she's feeling sluggish.