I'm a British author, editor and screenwriter who once lived in California but far preferred the British weather (no, not being ironic here) and fled to London, which has now been my home for many years. Having spent my childhood with my nose in a book, it seemed a natural progression to write myself. I say a 'natural progression', but still... I hesitated. Then I was kick-started into writing by a great friend of mine who was a psychologist. She said: You think like a writer, so why don't you just get on with it? I did! I've had three books published by Victor Gollancz Ltd in the UK, and Bantam and Avon in the US. Unorthodox Methods was the first in the series, followed by A Collector of Photographs and the Ireland-based Fine Distinctions. It is a crime series featuring the characters of former California sheriff Kevin Bryce and artist Katharine Craig, charting their turbulent romance amid murder and mayhem.  But life took some funny turns after the publication of those books and I found myself a jobbing writer and editor, working on everything from a series on ghosts and paranormal research for a part-works magazine, to academic writing (working with some distinguished historians - great fun!), to working on B2B magazines (not such great fun), to working with the Cabinet Office (bizarre). But they were all great learning opportunities, ones that inform your writing all round. I encourage anyone interested in writing to expand into doing different things and learning about new audiences. It teaches you what it means to be a professional. Working on the paranormal series, one of those oddball freelance assignments that come out of the blue, turned out to a defining experience. Did I know anything about the topic when I started? No, not really. But during the research I found some deep psychological resonances lurked in these stories. Also, they're great fun - a chance to let your imagination really rip free. It gave my writing a new direction. With the publication of The Knightmare, I've started a new series of books with a supernatural twist.

A Collector of Photographs was short-listed for an Edgar Allan Poe, a Shamus, a Macavity and an Anthony Boucher award. Fine Distinctions was also short-listed for an Edgar.