I have an early childhood memory of going to the headteacher's office to be commended for writing a comic book. I was terrified, thinking I was being sent there to be caned.

For the next fifty years, I avoided becoming a writer in favour of 'sensible' office jobs. Even so, writing was always close to my heart. If starting novels was a sport, I would be the world champion. I also became an expert at writing procedure manuals that nobody used.

Miraculously, I did complete a novel in 2011, but that coincided with my becoming a hypnotherapist, so writing was once again prodded into obscurity.

I always dreamed of becoming a writer 'when the time was right' and that happened in 2020 during the Coronavirus lockdown. It only took a pandemic to make me do the thing I always wanted to do.

Making up stuff that people enjoy is a dream come true. Now I just have to make a living out of it.

I live in the beautiful North Devon countryside with my wonderful wife and dogs. My two children are probably more grown-up than I am.