Q: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

A: As an ex-special ops detective, yes, but if someone wants to find me in this digital world, they can. And it’s easier promoting under your own name.

Q: What is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

A: Giving false bad reviews to others, or false good ones to yourself. But plagiarism must top the list.

Q: Does writing energise or exhaust you?

A: Both: it’s all-consuming when you are writing new material, and it empties you. But you feel euphoric once a book is complete.

Q: Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?

A: Anyone can learn to write structurally correct, but not everyone can tell a story; and describing a character’s emotions is a key part to the reading experience.

Q: Your last two books WITH PREJUDICE and SHOOT TO KILL are SAS thrillers set in Northern Ireland. Was that a big change from your previous crime novels?

A: I had to do a lot of research, but there were a lot of transferable skills such as surveillance. And I have some experience investigating the IRA.

Q: As a writer what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

A: I have a 1932 Imperial ‘portable’ typewriter in my office. It’s the same year and model as the one Enid Blyton used. So, when I’m struggling, I look at it and think, ‘If she could write on that, what am I complaining about!’

Q: What do you feel are your biggest achievements?

A: Becoming a published writer with my first book, nothing replaces that feeling. To then go on and publish several more is special, too. And to have achieved No: 1 bestseller status on Amazon on 6 occasions was amazing, also. But currently, I’m just chuffed that Aspects of History have seen fit to longlist WITH PREJUDICE for their Spymasters’ Book award.

Q: What advice would you give a budding novelist?

A: Learn your craft; learn how to structure a story, get point of view right, decide who is your main viewpoint character, as in whose story it is? Grammar can be polished later, but a badly structured story is probably terminal. Try to avoid authorial voice. The more story told through the eyes of your characters, the more engaged your readers will feel.

Q: Are your books plot driven or character driven?

A: Mainly plot driven, but with full characters riding the plot and taking it in directions I’m not always aware of.

Q: As a detective you must have experienced many crimes, do you use them in your crime novels?

A: My experiences drive my creativity and I do sprinkle some truisms in to help shine the narrative. And I have used some real cases to mix in, but only ones I myself was involved in investigating.