Photo by Anne-Janine Nugent
A chance encounter with a copy of The Hobbit and a gift of The Lord of the Rings from my maternal grandfather gave birth to a love of fantasy that has never diminished over the years since.
Born the son of a lawyer and a former primary school teacher on the first day of 1968 in Glasgow, Scotland, I have lived all my life in The Shire (or Lanarkshire, as it is really known), unlike my younger brother who is now a fully-fledged resident of New York. Married to a drama teacher, the father of two teenage sons, the step-father of three adult step-sons and one step-daughter, and the step-grandfather of three boys and a girl (so far!), all of whom are their own source of pride and inspiration to me, I am a press officer and former journalist who wrote news stories for 20 years despite a head full of fiction.
A big lover of sports, I am a life-long fan of Motherwell Football Club, an experience that taught me from an early age to deal with disappointment and savour the rare moments of triumph... an excellent grounding for life as an author. I brainwashed my sons from birth in the same sporting affiliation to ensure that they wouldn't miss out on this valuable life-lesson! My poor wife has been remarkably understanding throughout this process, and has even been drawn in by the claret-and-amber herself.
Born the son of a lawyer and a former primary school teacher on the first day of 1968 in Glasgow, Scotland, I have lived all my life in The Shire (or Lanarkshire, as it is really known), unlike my younger brother who is now a fully-fledged resident of New York. Married to a drama teacher, the father of two teenage sons, the step-father of three adult step-sons and one step-daughter, and the step-grandfather of three boys and a girl (so far!), all of whom are their own source of pride and inspiration to me, I am a press officer and former journalist who wrote news stories for 20 years despite a head full of fiction.
A big lover of sports, I am a life-long fan of Motherwell Football Club, an experience that taught me from an early age to deal with disappointment and savour the rare moments of triumph... an excellent grounding for life as an author. I brainwashed my sons from birth in the same sporting affiliation to ensure that they wouldn't miss out on this valuable life-lesson! My poor wife has been remarkably understanding throughout this process, and has even been drawn in by the claret-and-amber herself.
