I've published 5 books to date and despite my genre is fiction I make a point of incorporating factual detail that lends more realism to the world of my characters. The amount of research I carry out depends on the story itself, For instance, The Archer's Diary, my latest book took overall some 9 years to write (in periodic bursts at the keyboard) most of which was devoted to researching the historical background I needed to create. Then it's a case of actually writing which, for me, is putting into words the visual images playing in my mind very much like a movie. In a sense I'm putting to paper a detailed movie script. And I am that type of writer who tends to allow my characters to take the lead and to a great extent dictate the story. Quite often even I am surprised by the twists and turns that occur.

Story ideas and characters appear to me out of the blue. I keep an open mind and having a 45+ year background as a graphic artists in the publishing industry means I have a pretty active imagination, so much I am hard pressed keeping pace with and putting to paper some of the better ideas that come to mind. The concept for my military action adventure book, The Pits, came from reading an article in an ASPCA magazine about US Marines fighting alongside their K9 counterparts and encounters with the blood sport of dog fighting encountered in Afghanistan.

Providing negative reviews are genuine and come from someone I believe has a decent appreciation and understanding for what they read, then I turn those "negative" reviews into a comment by which I can learn to improve my work.

I suppose I began writing when I was in primary school in Sydney, Australia. My English teachers then, and even through high school, had us write stories or 'compositions' based on topics set out by the teacher. I always achieved the highest marks and compliments for my work which I carried with me well beyond school life. That goes back to the '50s. But it wasn't until much later I actually wrote my first book when my second wife challenged me to put an idea I mentioned to her into book form.

Don't be afraid to link up with groups of fellow writers on FB, etc and ask questions. Believe me when I say if you run into an issue with your writing ... anything ... there are countless others of us who have had the same problem and only too happy to help a 'pen friend' in need. And speaking for myself, one of the best things I ever did to help assist my writing was to sign up for AutoCrit. The services and support they offer writers of all genres is nothing short of phenomenal, and the tools they make available to fine tune your work are invaluable. Plus you get to meet a host of others treading the same road you walk.

To date I have published 5 books and of those my favorite is the latest one, The Archer's Diary. Why? I have a passion for history, but most of all anything to do with ancient and medieval England. The story that came to mind 'out of the blue' that laid the foundation for the book idea was rooted in medieval England. It lit a spark within me to tell a story I felt had been inside me for ages needing to be written and shared. Many of those who have read it have encouraged me to further the story and I have plans for a potential 2-3 book series to do just that.

I can't speak for other writers, but for me to stay focused on my work I need peace and quiet, and space ..... lots of space for my research notes, and reference material which can comprise illustrated and photographic references of clothing, weapons, to name just 2 items on a long list. And access to Google Earth which plays an integral part in pinpointing locations and setting in which my characters have to live, love, fight and sometimes die.

Oh, there's a problem. There are 3 distinct authors whom I'd love to meet and have a day set aside to pick their brains — Griff Hosker, Jack Whyte, and Bernard Cornwell. I share a love for historical fiction with each of these masters-of-the-word and dream of the day my work could be even half as good as theirs.