Category Archives: ————

Where do ideas come from? The inspiration behind Wishes Come in Threes

Where inspiration comes from is always something of a mystery, but Wishes Come in Threes is a novel where I can pinpoint exactly how the idea came into being. It happened in two parts. With about three years between them. The first came on a family holiday in Austria. My daughters had been watching theContinue reading “Where do ideas come from? The inspiration behind Wishes Come in Threes”

WHY I STARTED WRITING FOR CHILDREN

The short answer is I had children. The slightly longer answer is this: Once upon a time – between 2015 and 2021 – I had five novels published for adults. During that time I was working in advertising, my wife worked in media and we were raising a young family. It was tough and carvingContinue reading “WHY I STARTED WRITING FOR CHILDREN”

Walking a Tightrope

Here’s the first line to my new novel: Adam has been dying for eight weeks now, but he isn’t getting any better at it. I think that’s a pretty good line, and I feel comfortable saying as much because I didn’t write it. Not really. In sixteen words, this line introduces us to the heroContinue reading “Walking a Tightrope”

“I Hope You Die First.”

Have you ever had that conversation with a loved one? The one where you discuss who you would prefer to die first? It’s a bit morbid (okay, entirely morbid), but it’s romantic too. It’s about love more than it is about death. You’re watching some TV show when one of the protagonists is hit byContinue reading ““I Hope You Die First.””

The Inspiration for a Debauched Story

Someone will ask me what my new book’s about. “It’s about two couples who swap partners for the night,’ I say. And then I count and wait for the inevitable response: 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . “It wasn’t inspired by real life, was it?” And they laugh, nervously.Continue reading “The Inspiration for a Debauched Story”

FOUR: Reading group questions

CAUTION: There be spoilers ahead! 1. Alistair is the least sympathetic character in the book. But did he achieve redemption in the end? 2. From one perspective, Faye is the least ‘powerful’ character in the story. How does that power shift throughout the course of the story? 3. What happens to Mike and Sally afterContinue reading “FOUR: Reading group questions”