I've been writing for as long as I can remember, although my first "book", when I was about six years old, was made up of Jacob's Club wrappers (and I was devastated when it blew away!)

 

I lived in Belgium between the ages of seven and thirteen, then I returned to England and one of the first projects was to write an "extended" story. I ended up writing 30 pages. Later, I continued writing about the characters and added some new ones over the next eight years at which time a continuous narrative was completed. It was around 260,000 words. It was never submitted for publication. 

 

My first major employment was working in a film company as Production Assistant and Script Editor. Around this time, I started writing (and finishing) novels. My second novel, Spirit Level, was published in 1990. I then moved down to Plymouth and joined an Environmental Organisation, responsible for their Press and PR. 

 

At the age of 24 I went to University, studying English Studies at the University of Stirling, where I tailored my degree to specialise in Medieval Literature. I then studied an MA in Late Medieval Studies and a PhD in Medieval Literature at the University of York.

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I am currently Senior Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at the University of Northampton. I am also Adjunct Associate Professor at Richmond University, the American International University in London where I lecture in British Fantasy Literature