I've been writing for most of my life, poetry and stories, but I only began publishing in 2004.

My greatest joy is in the creative process, getting immersed in the world-building, forming the characters, seeing my ideas take shape, in that moment where I figure out a devious plot twist or a perfect scene.

Like most writers trying to get published for the first time, I had no clue of what to do, so I did what any good writer does, I researched. And in that research I stumbled across Lulu.com (this was before Createspace), a free service to self-publish. I thought, why not, I'll test the waters, and see if people like what I write. I published a book of poetry and a book of short stories and both were reasonably well received. I published a novella after that, Chronicles of the Undead, that got great reviews and I was hooked.

Fans are the reason I keep publishing, the reason why every writer risks rejection and criticism. Because there's nothing sweeter than a good review or a word of praise.

I'm not sure it's the first story I ever read (in fact it probably isn't), but the story that had the most profound impact on me was All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury. It's the first time I realized the what power a story could have on reader, what emotional resonance words could hold. It's still one of my favourite short stories.

Mostly I read fantasy novels, science fiction, historical fiction, mysteries and historical non-fiction.

My favourite authors are many, but the top few are: Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman, Guy Gavriel Kay, Agatha Christie, Morgan Llywelyn, and Jane Austen.

My five favourite books are: Dune by Frank Herbert, Sailing to Sarantium by Guy Gavriel Kay, Possession by A. S. Byatt, The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (a recent addition to the top five), and 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn. They all have the same qualities of exquisite storytelling and remarkable characters.

I'm a bit of an artist myself, so I suppose I approach cover design from a composition and colour viewpoint. I want something that catches the eye, and draws you in, while still reflecting the book's content.

I'm working on several projects at the moment. I'm putting the finishing touches on my skewed fairy tale book, Fairy Tale Fusion, which hopefully will be out in October 2013. I'm also working on the sequel to Ruined City, Whispers of Gods and Spirits, a story collection set in the same fantasy world as Ruined City (and there will be a story about what happened after the ending of that book). Plus, I have two steampunk projects I'm writing, a story collection, and my novel, the Duke's Assassin, an alternate history/steampunk/vampire tale set in Halifax Nova Scotia. And lately I've been thinking of writing a second Killers and Demons book.