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.

One of the constants in my writing life is that real experiences are fundamental in my fiction. Sometimes it’s a location I know well. Sometimes it’s a conversation I once had, or a character trait borrowed from someone I met years ago. It’s never a direct lift, and it’s never the whole story. But on The Story Behind My Stories, there isn’t that same layer of distance. When I talk about what inspired a scene or why a character behaves the way they do, I’m talking about the re

And when I write, whether it’s crime fiction, travel‑infused adventure, or the behind‑the‑scenes stories that shaped them, those places come back to life. They remind me who I was, what I felt and why the story mattered in the first place.

So yes, the fervour around KU and AI is real. But my response is simple: I will keep writing from the raw, unfiltered truth of my own experience. Because that is the one thing AI can never replicate.

We pause to remember the courage and selflessness of those who served.

Travel doesn't just inspire me. It immerses me in the sensory details that makes my fiction feel alive.

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

Slowing down to bring in abundance

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.

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

Not all authors always loved English or writing. I hated it! I was an avid reader enjoying everything I could get my hands on to do with...

As an author I wanted to do a series of blogs letting you know a bit more about my writing journey. This series will run alongside 'The...