So you want to know more, well, okay then.
Make yourself comfortable while I tell you a little about myself...
I am based in the UK and currently, I've written three novels. The first is a psychological thriller with elements of horror and the sequel is more of a crime/thriller. Both books are set in and around a small market town called Helmsley in North Yorkshire. There are characters you'll either love or hate, jaw-dropping moments, surprising twists, and they are definitely not for the faint of heart.
My arrival on this wonderful planet was mostly thanks to the power cuts in the early 70s. Dark nights, early bedtimes, I don't think I need to add more.
Living in South East London, my father was a caretaker and then a dustman, while my mother worked in a care home for the elderly. I am the youngest of four children and for some reason there are no pictures of me as a baby. Either I was an ugly baby or my parents were just bored of babies by then. I prefer to believe it was the latter. As a child, the summers seemed to last forever and as I recall, the sun was out every single day and bees and butterflies were plentiful, unlike recent times.
I was very accident prone growing up: falling off scooters and bicycles, bumping into things, being hit by a car, falling down a cliff, you get the gist. Plenty of cuts, bruises, and broken bones. I also suffered from pleurisy for a short spell. Not very pleasant.
My father passed away with lung cancer when I was 14. Tough times followed, watering down milk and making things last. Less than a year later I started work as a painter/labourer on building sites. On the one hand I look back and wish I'd finished school, but on the other, it wasn't half cool to have a load of money in my pocket at the end of every week. Aged 15, my friends and I would venture to the only pub in Woolwich that would allow us entry. I remember a round, spinning pool table in the corner where we would frequently spend hours of enjoyment. My first and only live performance was in that very pub. A friend borrowed the guest singer's guitar and we played a song by The Who. People cheered and clapped, but I think more out of politeness than praise.
In the early noughties, a fractured skull and bruising to the brain caused me to suffer mental health problems, which I fight to this day, although I now realise my depression started shortly after my fathers death. My unnoticed suicide attempt after recieving a phone call while away on sea cadet training ship HMS Kent should have highlighted I had an unresolved problem. The phone call was to say he would die in a matter of days. He died the night I returned home, but at least I managed to see him one last time, although, to be honest, I'm not sure he knew I was even there.
As an adult I've had a few car accidents. Most, but not all were my fault. Thankfully, nobody apart from me was hurt. I've never been sure if I was unlucky or just a very bad driver. I did hit a teenage cyclist with my van many years back. I'm extremely thankful he was okay and it was proved by witnesses and police not to be my fault, but it's not a pleasant memory for the youngster or myself to have.
In 2007 I was married in Las Vegas. What a spectacular, unforgettable day, and we are still going strong. We have battled through some difficult times together and my wife was and remains my strength when those dark days come. I have gained an amazing stepson and from a previous relationship, I have two wonderful daughters and now, three beautiful grandchildren. We have three lovely cats in our family: Tilly, Mrs Slocombe and Mr Tibbs. I know it's wrong but Tilly is my favourite. When we got her as a kitten she had cat flu and looked uncertain to survive. I actually took time off work to nurse her back to health. In turn, she has helped me through some dark days.
I've been a carper fitter, a postman, a painter and decorator. Sounds like the beginning of a Frank Sinatra song. I've spent many years working on building sites and maintaining houses, flats, and rooms in residential care homes. And then I wrote my first novel. Wow! Who saw that coming, and how did it come about? Well, my mother used to be an avid reader with many books in cupboards and drawers. One day, I picked up Salem's Lot by some bloke called Stephen King and was blown away. I went on to read James Herbert's The Rats, and Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews. Those three books are responsible for sowing the beautiful seed that led me to write The Mother of all Things and Godless Creatures.
I hope there will be many more to follow and one day, it would be beyond brilliant to write full-time.
We all have dreams and ambitions buried inside. We all go through life and look back upon fond and bad memories. We all have scars and horror stories, but it never has to be the end for us. Better days will come and our stories will continue.
