And then there’s the other world — the one I built quietly, in the early mornings and late evenings, in notebooks, in half‑formed ideas held in my head. The world of stories. The world of DI Matthew Goodwin and Penny Stock. The world where I get to decide the pace, the stakes, the silence.

When readers think of Aloha Goodbye, they picture the Pearl of the Pacific: the ocean, the heat, the endless decks, and the murder that pulls DI Matthew Goodwin into an investigation he never planned to lead.

This week Thai Die is on promo, and Don’t Die for Me, Argentina is heading towards its full launch on 2nd May. Two books set on opposite sides of the world, shaped by two very different chapters of my life — but tied together by one unexpected thread. Horses.

On Instagram, TikTok, and Threads, there’s a constant stream of posts urging people to “support indie authors,” “drop your books below,” or “share your links so I can boost you.” It sounds wonderful. It looks supportive. It feels like a chance to be seen. Except… most of the time, nothing happens.

There are moments when life feels like it’s handing you a metaphor with a bow on it. Last Friday, somewhere between Dijon and the Italian border, we had one of those moments. We’d pumped up a flat tyre the night before, hoping it would magically behave itself for the long drive. It didn’t. Of course it didn’t.

People often assume writers know the ending from the moment they begin. As if the story arrives fully formed, waiting to be typed up in a neat, linear line from Chapter One to The End. But that’s not how it works. Not for me, and not for most writers I know.

That moment, the first reader, is the heartbeat of my ARC team. The first to turn the page.

Lately, my writing life has stopped behaving like tidy shelves labelled “fiction” and “non‑fiction”. Instead, everything seems to be talking to each other — ideas crossing over, themes echoing, one project nudging another awake. And honestly, I’m enjoying the chaos.

a good review is worth its weight in gold. Not because it feeds an ego or ticks a box, but because it represents something far more meaningful—a reader who connected with the story I poured my heart into.

Thai Die is a strong start to my series, and visibility matters. Getting it into the hands of readers is the ultimate goal.

When I first became a writer, I thought I was a content creator. And I was—original content, the written word, the story itself. The book was the content. Simple. Pure. Mine. But no one tells you that once you publish, the content creation doesn’t end there. In fact, it multiplies.

There’s something magical about the first draft. It’s not polished, not perfect—but it’s alive.

Driving to Crete with Rupert for a writing retreat—ferries, road trip tales, and fresh inspiration for my next crime novel.

Finishing the writing phase of Lethal Leith Hill

Secret case file on the case before Thai Die, delivered to your in box on signup

Managing a corporate team or a police investigation its all the same when it comes to dealing with different characters.

How Leith Hill and my history with it features in Lethal Leith Hill.

Exploring the contrasting psychology at play in the alternating DI Matthew Goodwin detective series.

Crossing the boundary between Crime Fiction and the Non fiction that inspires my writing.

Do you need a plotline, timeline or outline for your writing?