1. Born in Bolton, England, which is your favorite childhood memory?

My earliest memories are of the holidays we used to have in Blackpool, Northwest coast of England. I come from a big family, so there were always enough of us to play a good game of football or cricket on the beach. We didn’t have a lot of money back then but we had a lot of fun.

2. At the age of 20, what inspired you to join the RAF embarking on a career that spanned nine years?

I’m the youngest of 9 siblings, 6 brothers and 3 sisters. All 5 of my brothers served in the British Forces. When it came to my turn I chose the Air Force. I liked the idea of working with aircraft.

3. Spending 7 years at The Natural History Museum in London, how would you describe your experience of working as a Scientific Officer?

This was the job the really opened my eyes to the big wide world. I worked with many incredibly interesting people; from academics & naturalists to celebrities & the media. I travelled to and worked in institutions like the Smithsonian in Washington DC and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. My imagination blossomed with what I saw in the collections accumulated by some of the greatest naturalists of our time. I got to handle specimens collect by Charles Darwin and Captain Cook.

4. How has holding a degree in Biological Sciences helped you shape into a Science Fiction author?

When you delve into the science of how life has developed it is mind blowing. How our bodies work, how our cells regenerate and replicate, how we are able to reproduce copies of ourselves; this is the stuff of science fiction. Anyone with a basic understanding of biology and a vivid imagination can create awe inspiring stories using the facts surrounding the makeup of life.

5. How do you balance time between writing books and managing Subsea Engineering company in Ghana?

At the moment I am working a rotation of 4 - 5 weeks in Ghana followed by 2-3 weeks at home in England. Working away gives me a lot of alone time in the evenings and weekends. That is the time I am most productive with my writing. It means when I am home I can dedicate time to my family.

6. How do people you meet during your travel inspire you for your writings?

Working as an expat you get the best of both worlds; immersing yourself in the culture of the country you are working in and meeting other like minded expats. Learning the traditions and beliefs of other nationalities is always inspiring. Add to that the mysteries surrounding other expats you encounter; foreign office workers, business men, charity workers, students, tourists, etc...., the output is an abundance of fuel for your imagination.

7. What inspired your first novel, Unparalleled? What challenges did you face while getting your first book published?

I was reading Michael Crichton’s novel Timeline, whilst sat outside a Tiger Enclosure in a zoo. In the book the MC’s were sent back in time to medieval France, materializing in the middle of a full blown battle. In the tiger enclosure, a huge mail Bengal Tiger was prowling up and down the fence line. I started to imagine what would happen to one of Crichton’s characters if they were to materialize inside the enclosure. That was the start of unparalleled. The book underwent many revisions before I settled on the way I wanted the story to go. The prologue to the published edition is the only bit that remains from my original idea. Getting the book published was a breeze, thanks to Clink Street publishers of London. They were extremely supportive throughout the process. The hard part was sitting back and waiting while someone else handled my creation.


8. How would you describe your writing? Do you think your writing process has changed much since your last book?

I consider myself a down to earth, pragmatic person with a strong imagination. These two qualities kind of contradict each other. I’ve tried to capture that in my writing. Basically, putting ordinary people into extraordinary situations. With my first book I am confident I have demonstrated my ability as a story teller. Moving forward I’d like become more established as a writer.


9. Who inspired the character of Stuart Milton? How do you come up with character names?

Stuart is pretty much me. He’s the only character in the book through which I project my own emotions, morals and beliefs (hope I’m not incriminating myself here!). I came up with the name for Stuart using my middle name and the the name of the street where I had my first home. Other character names are quite random, though some are inspired by people I know or have met.

10. When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?

I am not writing for fame and fortune. I am just happy to share my imagination with others.

11. What is your author dream? Do you have any other aspirations that aren't writing related?

I’m just happy to share my imagination with others...No really, my dream is to be a professional writer. To be able to jack in my day job and churn out novels like Stephen King or James Patterson. Non writing aspirations? Learn piano and get better on the guitar.

12. According to you, what elements grab the attention of readers from the first page to the last page of your books?

Mystery, twists and turns, and most important of all, relatable characters with relatable emotions.

13. What types of books do you enjoy in your downtime? What are your top three favorite books of all time?

I enjoy Sci-Fi above all other genres but am open to anything with mystery and solid characters. My top 3 books, erm.....
1) Timeline - Michael Crichton
2) The passage trilogy - Justin Cronin
3) Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger.

13. How do you think concepts such as Kindle, and e-books have changed the present or future of reading.

The great thing about Amazon & ebooks in general, is it gives everyone the opportunity to publish their writings. So much talent may have been missed if it wasn’t for this kind of media. The down side is that life is too short to enjoy all that is available (for now at least).