I always enjoyed the Roald Dahl books when I was younger, owning the whole set and reading them repeatedly to ensure I knew them intimately. The first book that really had an impact on me was Lord of The Rings. I had tried and failed to read The Hobbit several times before that and found a copy of LOTR in a second-hand book shop. I fell in love with the characters, shared their plights and entered the world in which Tolkien had given us. This is what lit the spark within me and the words began to form in my mind which would build worlds and characters of my own and write about how their lives progress as they face the challenges that are set them.

Lord of The Rings by J.R.R Tolkien For the reasons set in the question of my first book read.
The Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr - Books given to me by my late father that I treasured for not only their sentimental value but for the value of the characters I cared for.
The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson - A fantastic series of books that bring a whole new level to fantasy for me.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - This book changed a lot about how I see and treat the world.
A song of Ice and Fire - For the simple fact that the books are worth the wait for them.

Fantasy will always be my go to genre and for pleasure, I think that I would head first for the Harry Potter series. Books that can be enjoyed by any age I find the characters relatable and the story enjoyable. No matter how many times that I read them I will always enjoy the story and look forward to how it develops.

My desk is a folding dinner table in the office (spare room). On it stands two screens, one for writing and the other for youtube or Netflix to accompany the journey into the worlds I am creating. Also, on my desk stands a typewriter that reminds me how writing has evolved and the tactile feel of pressing the keys can help shift the block when it descends.

The first story that I can remember writing and showing anyone was a sad tale of a boy named Colin that witnessed his parents die in a car crash. I will say that I was eight years old and the teachers at my school were quite concerned. Never sure where this particular story came from and it was something left behind in years long past.

The books that I have recently begun releasing are actually a short prequel trilogy to a book that I had written before titled: Forgotten Paths. I felt that the world and lives of the characters within need a history and the backstory would not have justice in a chapter or two within the book. Unity introduces us to characters that remain throughout the first three books and play large roles within the next set of full-length​ novels.

The world is forever changing. New ways are being developed constantly to make our lives more convenient and this has become so of publishing your story. Traditional publishing is now harder and often requires the extra step of securing an agent, this too grows harder as more and more people tap into their creative side. Indie publishing/self-publishing gives us more control over our books and more chance to see our stories enjoyed. I am still heading down the traditional route to secure a publisher but I am also going to use the tools out there to help me along my path.

With each letter written or typed, I feel a sense of accomplishment. Each chapter helps create my world and each book finished gives me the chance to share it with others.

As comfortable as the bed feels when I​ wake up each morning, a burning compulsion not to waste the day helps pull me from the warm embrace of the covers. If I have writing planned or an urge to put words upon paper then I move myself to complete my chores so that I can devote as much time as possible to the craft I love.

Working in my day job, cooking and spending time with the love of my life and the people I care for.

I have a mixed approach to the way I write. If it is a book that follows on from another story then I will start with the outline to help guide me. If it is a new idea then I will grab a pen or open a notepad and let the words flow until it slows and then I may have a break or outline the story. After the first draft is complete I will read through and make the changes that are needed before I let others read it and give me their thoughts about what may need changing, how the characters develop and any errors that there may be.