I keep myself busy even if I don't mean to. I've started developing immersive 3D software for mobile phones and PC, the intention being to create an interactive advert for my new book. I also do contract work for both local and international charities, and I've been fortunate to travel to some fascinating places. The majority of Majeena (my first book) was written in Tanzania, and I completed the first ten chapters of Ten To The Power (my second book) in Myanmar.

When my first nephew was born, I was only 6 years old. I thought it would be fitting to write his mother - my sister - a story about Frankenstein. It came complete with pictures of the unearthly beast I was expecting.

I don't like to put pressure on myself. I don't like stress. So I usually spend my days writing in short bursts. 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, interspersed with cups of teas and Dr Who. Most of my writing process is thinking about stuff rather than writing about stuff, and I'm often walking around town or lying on my bed, looking like I'm doing nothing in particular.

Hansel and Gretal, the Ladybird editions. The impact on me was relentless nightmares about witches and a distrust of sweets. I was scared of witches for years and I even had a lucid dream in which I could tell I was dreaming, so I put my hand through my head to see what would happen - the moment I did, I saw dozens of angry witches all around me, chasing me into my house.

I put a reference to that in my book Ten To The Power.

For each of my 2 books the design was specific to the story and audience. For Majeena I wanted a line drawing of the creature called Umni Yama, who was part-bat, part-wolf, and part-giant. It was just a vision I'd had for a while. I met an artist who agreed to draw it for me and he came up with the most amazing picture. For Ten To The Power I started from scratch but, because the digits "1011" were important to the story, I added those to the edges. I wanted the cover to be clinical and yet breaking apart, to represent the disintegrating realities the main character experiences.

1) Foundation by Isaac Asimov - because of the scope, the beauty, the vision, the intelligence, the originality, etc. Any story that combines formal logic with spaceships is unbeatable in my eyes.
2) Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov - because of The Mule, the GREATEST villain/antagonist ever. There's a pattern emerging here.
3) Majeena by M.P. Adams - okay, this is cheating, this is my own book. But I spent so long with these characters, learning of their intricacies and shortcomings, that I had to include it. I loved being in that world and watching everyone's story unfold.
4) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - I read this book in Tanzania after it was recommended to me by a good friend there and I connected with its simplicity and soulfulness. I haven't read it since, but I wonder if I would have enjoyed the book as much if I had read it elsewhere. There's something about the time and place you read a book that can change everything.
5) The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - this was the first proper grown-up book I read as a young teenager, and I spent a full summer holiday reading it in my garden. I had a few tears by the end when I learned what happened to Aragorn after the events of the ring. I felt like I just seen a whole lifetime pass before me, and that sort of emotional impact doesn't leave you quickly, even if the story is about elves and dwarves. A few years later I did some research about the book's poetry for my English Literature A-level.

News articles, I'm absolutely addicted to them, which can be absurdly depressing. I'm partial to a popular science book every now and again too. Right now I'm reading a couple of Stephen King books I missed from a few years back. He makes writing seem so easy, I'll not hear a bad word about him.

I use a Sony e-reader, because I like to have the freedom to connect my device straight to a PC and copy across my own files. I'm also one of the new, unusual people who can read a book on my phone - I got through the entire Sherlock Holmes series on my old HTC Hero during a two week holiday. I've got nothing against people who only read solid paper books, though, because I understand the need for a tangible experience of turning pages - in many ways the book is a technology still far beyond ereaders, and I don't see the technology getting anywhere close to it for some time. But it will, eventually. For now, I'm of the mindset that it's all about the words; I'll quite happily read words on a screen, on a scroll, on a sheet of paper, on a brick wall. Whatever. Just give me words!

When I start writing a story, I often have the story planned out. But I won't start writing until I meet the right character, and by that I mean I like to wait to have characters fleshed out in my head first. When I start writing I find the characters end up surprising me and, more often than not, they hijack the story. Without fail, one of the characters will start pulling the story in an unexpected direction. I really hate it when that happens, but I also love it when that happens, if you know what I mean. It's like having a naughty child of whom you can't help but be proud.

My desk is effectively my lap, so I suppose I can only describe it as a fleshy, nobbly thing that frequently moves. I use a laptop and I sit wherever I can find a comfortable space. Sofas, coffee shops, park benches. I don't get disturbed by loud noises, music or interruptions - I'm quite fortunate in that regard and I can be writing conversations on my computer while having conversations with other people.