I grew up in North East London. I had an Anglican-orientated upbringing and education but never really accepted the bible as an accurate, believable, document. There had to be more logical explanations. The older I became, the less convinced I became.until it became blatantly obvious that it was an allegory. So what was the truth? What was the real history? Could the miracles be explained? Was the gospel story explaining events in a way that has been misinterpreted?

In my teenage years I began writing poetry, which I still do. I later moved into short stories and finally, novels.

As I said before: a more logical - and human - explanation for the gospel events. Assuming Jesus was a real person (of which there is serious doubt), who was he, who did he represent, what was he trying to achieve?

Simple - cut out the middle man - use modern technology.

Turning research into a story - trying to bring the past to life in a way that the modern reader can relate to.

I have a novel called "The Perfect Circle" almost ready to publish and am at the very early stage of a new novel called "Lies".

I am influenced by a wide range - from Homer to Mickey Spillane. I have no clear favourite - the perfect work of fiction has yet to be written.

Of course - and i still have a copy. "The Peregrine Falcon" about a village that was excommunicated because they stole Simon de Montfort's falcon in the 13th century.,

Anarchic - i have bursts when I am inspired and long periods of thought. The thought leads to the research which in turn leads to turning everything into an image. I then have another burst.

Not the first but an early one was Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I later read it to my young sons who also loved it. The mental images it creates are stupendous. It proved you could take something from the past and make some magic.

Simple. Basic. Minimalist. I dislike covers that are busy - I've got my own imagination; I don't need to be told what to think.

History

Android

None yet - word of mouth

Messy

The toilet

Watching sport

Voltaire's Bastards - J R Saul - amazing in depth analysis of the modern world
The day the Universe Changed - James Burke - wonderful vignettes from history linked by an intelligent theme
The Levellers - Christopher Hill - the birth of modern political thought
Ethics - M Bakunin - great mind, the way we should be going
All Quiet on the Western Front - best war novel of all time