Born with Talipes, a condition that altered the development of my feet in the womb, I spent much of my childhood navigating the corridors of hospitals. Amidst those challenging and solitary years, I found solace and joy in the pages of books, kindling a lifelong passion for reading.

From A Series of Unfortunate Events to Artemis Fowl, Tintin to His Dark Materials, I devoured any literature I could get my hands on. Immersing myself in the unfathomably beautiful world of fiction was the perfect escape from the painful reality I was living in. Without the support of my amazing family and the comfort of books, I would have struggled to weather the storm.

At nine years old, when I first showed an interest in storytelling, my parents gifted me a typewriter—and that’s when my passion for writing truly flourished. I was captivated by crafting tales of vampires, ghosts, and ghouls, drawing inspiration from the chilling adventures in R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. The excitement and fear that horror writing evoked in me was something I deeply cherished.

My journey in creative writing began at Portsmouth University, where I explored a diverse array of genres and writing styles. That experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to dabble in everything from poetry and fan fiction to fairy tales, romance, erotica, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and magical realism. After earning my degree, I was fortunate to receive a scholarship for a Creative Writing Master’s programme. My thesis project was a novella in the young adult fantasy genre, featuring telekinetic orphaned twins. Despite the positive feedback, I realized that this genre wasn’t the right fit for me, so I pivoted to a genre where I felt more at home: Crime Fiction.

Writing The Mannequins was a four-year journey where I invested my utmost effort and passion. It marks the culmination of over ten years of honing my craft until I found the genre that truly resonated with me. My hope is that readers will derive immense pleasure from this novel—even if it’s just a fraction of the joy I experienced in creating it. I’m currently working on the sequel.

I live in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, with my wife and son, and I work as a Further Education teacher, specializing in English and Creative Writing.