Hello everyone,

I was born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne, living first in Gosforth, then Jesmond. Ten years ago, I moved to North Shields and enjoy spending time walking my Welsh terrier along the beautiful beaches we have here in North Tyneside and learning about the fascinating history of our fishing industry.

At school, I struggled with spelling and grammar and think, had I been born a few years later, I may have been tested for dyslexia. However, I'm a firm believer in not giving up on something you're passionate about, just because it's difficult. I find writing novels can be compared to martial arts. They are both thrilling, exhausting, and rewarding.

Speaking of martial arts, it's no secret I consider myself part ninja. I work as a taekwon-do coach and am a massive UFC geek. My ideal Saturday begins with an intense workout, followed by a long bath, a spot of writing, steak and red wine, and retiring to the sofa to watch the latest title fight. In fact, I came up with the idea for my debut novel, The Only Weapon In The Room, the morning after Rousey Vs Holm.

My writing process involves drinking ridiculous quantities of tea and hot chocolate, boucing ideas off my friends and family (who worry about the strange plots I come up with), typing with one hand while cuddling the dog with the other, and gettting distracted by Twitter and TikTok.