About the Author ere...

What inspired me to write?

Well, I suppose it began in my childhood. I really loved writing stories, always striving to come up with something different. Years later, I would tell bedtime stories to my two young daughters, delighting in their looks of wonderment and fits of giggles as they listened wide-eyed to my unconventional tales.

Even as a child, I imagined that sometime in the future, I would write a book or two. However, as it does with many people, work gets in the way of such ambition – the commonplace pressures of buying a home, raising a family and keeping a job. And so it was that I reached middle age before metaphorically putting pen to paper.

I have since written three books, each a full-length novel:

Devine Enigma - essentially a story of spiritual time travel – represented a steep learning curve, not just in terms of writing, more so the various trials and tribulations of seeking an agent or publisher willing to take a chance on an unpublished author. Regretfully, this work was put on hold, maybe to surface again one day.

CAPUOUN - a completed work of fantasy - is set in an imaginary, yet grounded world, not dissimilar from our own late-middle ages. It has heroes, villains and warring nations and is very much character driven, the protagonists earthy and recognisable. There is no magic as such, no dragons, vampires or demons. I dare to think it conjures a realistic world of good and evil and that its style has a literary edge. My family are convinced it’s my best work. Even so, my heart told me to go with Disturbing Time.

WHY DISTURBING TIME?

Where to start … I think the early spark of an idea came to me as I was completing a very extensive study of my Nottinghamshire family ancestry dating back to the early 17th century. So much of the later research was concentrated on census information taken every ten years from 1841 to 1901 -Victorian times that offered a mine of valuable information. In doing so, I also became familiar with the 19th century layout of Nottingham’s streets and locations and establishments – all good for utilising the places and times of that era.

Then I thought about another era – the 1960s, a time I was personally familiar with – Nottingham as it was then, the pubs and dance halls, the fashion and mood of those rebellious days. Then I thought how effective it might be to marry the two eras together … but how? Time travel? No that didn’t quite fit … how then?

I remember reading a series of books by Dennis Wheatley, an author who wrote about the occult, and it started me thinking. I liked the idea of a mystery, particularly one that dabbled with the supernatural – nothing gory, no dancing sheets or skeletons – something more grounded that might just be possible … ordinary Nottingham folk entangled in an extraordinary situation … the two eras connected by past-life experiences - four 1960s people hunting down their Victorian counterparts, then in turn, becoming haunted by those same long-dead spirits … and there it was - all I had to do was create the characters and their situations - develop a story around the theme … Disturbing Time....

WHICH AUTHORS HAVE INSPIRED ME?

Charles Dickens, Daphne Du Maurier, George Orwell, Patricia Highsmith, H.G. Wells, Rosemary Sutcliffe, John Connolly, Joe Abercrombie, Isabel Allende ... and so very many others.

Such writers create scenarios and characters that readers care about - classic tales to become immersed in. And in my own modest way, I hope to emulate at least a little something of their skills.

What do I like to do when I'm not writing?

I've always liked to balance physical activity with more intellectual pursuits, having had an almost non-stop exercise regime since my early teens, together with a lifetime love of reading and design.

I also enjoy gardening and, believe it or not, painting and decorating - in ever decreasing amounts.

Entertainment wise, I love western films, true-crime series and podcasts amongst others.

Most of all though, I like to spend time with my family - my wife of many years , our two daughters and their respective other halves.