The Man Who Built The World

1. What type of books do you write?
I write mainly in the speculative fiction genres, that is to say, science fiction, fantasy and horror. However, I like to try new things and have written in a variety of different genres. Among my current projects are a action-comedy novella series and a romance novel.

2. What is the latest book you have written?
My latest release is a horror/thriller called The Man Who Built The World. It is set in a fictional village on the edge of Dartmoor, in Devon, England. The central character is a man named Matthew Cassidy who returns to his village after sixteen years to attempt the funeral of his sister, facing up to the demons in his past in the process. It is very much like Stephen King's The Shining, in such it features an alcoholic writer on the verge of madness. However, the root of Matthew's problems are far deeper than even he could have imagined.

3. Is it part of a series, if so which one?
This one is a stand-alone novel. Series seem to be all the rage these days and I have one myself - The Tube Riders trilogy (only part one has been published) - however I believe a lot of readers enjoy reading one-off stories. I know I do.

4. When did you start writing?
The earliest I can remember writing stories is about age 8. I won a prize in school age 10 for a story I wrote. No idea what happened to it, I imagine it's in a drawer somewhere now! Through my early teens I tapped gamely away on my dad's typewriter, then when we got a computer when I was about 16 I stepped it up a level. I submitted my first short story manuscript at age 18 and finished my first novel the same year.

5. Why did you start writing?
I had an overactive imagination and I just always had stories to tell. My earliest stories were pretty much Lord of the Rings fan fiction - as in unlikely hero goes on a quest - but these days I feel I've developed my own style and never write the same book twice. Readers that are new to my work would be best to expect the unexpected. My books will always entertain but my stories won't always turn out the way they're expected to.

6. Who are your influences?
Early on I read tons of fantasy and horror, stuff like Terry Brooks, David Gemmill, Stephen King, Dean Koontz . . . these days I read a lot more varied stuff. Probably my favorite writer is Iain Banks, a Scottish writer who writes sci-fi and mainstream books, although a lot of them are truly genre-bending which is why I like them.

7. What can we expect from you in the near future? Book signing events, other details
I'm working hard on new material plus brushing up lots of older manuscripts. I recently started a novella series entited Beat Down! under a pen name so look out for it. I'm also working on part two of my Tube Riders trilogy. After that one is finished I'm going to take a break before I write part three to write another sci-fi book. There's a lot to come from me so keep a look out.
Further Information can be found on the following sites:
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