Student, athlete, insurance clerk, soldier, roofer, sailor, backpacker, mountain-leader, tour-leader, cow-milker, fish-packer, husband, diplomat, actor, father, house-husband, real-estate agent, corrections officer, probation officer, writer, civil servant, cook.

As you can see, I've been a bit of a Jack-of-all-Trades, Master-of-None. I've had the fortune to travel, live and work in over 65 countries, including three years or more in places like Pakistan, Morocco and New Zealand. Probably the most fun job I've ever had was working as an Adventure Travel Tour Leader - getting paid to visit wonderful places and hike in the mountains!

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not much of a socialite (I'm rubbish at online messaging and chatting, and posting on others' walls...). I do enjoy talking with like-minded people but am, at heart, quite shy. I'm happy to friend others, both authors and readers alike, though if you're a reader, I'd be grateful if you at least read and comment on a story or two that I've written before asking to be my friend.

I guess you could say I’m not one of the ‘popular’ writers, though I like to think that people who read my stories do enjoy them. Typically, I tend to write stories with sex in (rather than sex stories), which I know doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone on Lush.

I also strive to improve my writing. I do this partly by entering some of the competitions and partly by trying to write in the different categories available on Lush. I believe this challenges me as a writer and has broadened my ability and skills.

If you do read one of my stories, I welcome your feedback and (constructive) criticism. Leave a ‘like’ and perhaps a comment. Please be polite, even if you don’t like what you read – we all have our preferences, so please take note of the category and tags before telling me it’s ‘not your thing’.  

To date, I’ve entered 14 competitions, resulting in (much to my surprise) two Firsts, three Thirds ( my five Editors' Picks) and two Recommended Reads. I’ve written in 40 of the 58 categories and, eventually, I hope to write in at least 8 of the remainder and achieve the Prolific Writer badge.

If you’ve got this far and are still interested, below are some of the stories which I think represent my best writing and that I am most proud of. Hopefully, there is something that appeals to everyone among them – I hope you enjoy at least one of them, and I’d love to know what you think:

Fabian's Folly - my winning entry in the 'Whodunnit' competition.

Think Of Me… - my winning entry in the 'Dirty Talk' competition.

Down the Rabbit Hole - my third place in the 'Unleashed' competition.

The Intimate and Top Secret Files of Lady Agnes Jackhammer - my third place in the 'Punked' competition.

Farewell, Johnny Fletcher - a Recommended Read honouring those who gave their lives in wartime.

A Date with Sandra - my second most popular story - in the 'mature' category.

A Friend in Need - a firm favourite in the 'Wife Lovers' category.

Venus Flytrap - my entry in the 'Quick & Risqué Sex' competition and my most popular story.

Carpe Diem - my entry in the 'Time Travel' competition and a personal favourite.

The Marshes Of Avalon - a Recommended Read and my sixth place entry in the 'Myths and Legends' competition.

A Precious Gift - a Recommended Read and my entry in the 'Free Spirit' competition.

Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to your thoughts.

Interests
I love acting on stage, reading, watching movies and hill walking. I also have a love of travel and experiencing different cultures and cuisine. And, if it's not already obvious, I enjoy writing, too.

Favourite Books
Lots. Unlike with movies I do have an actual favourite; The Time Traveller's Wife, which I can re-read and enjoy time and time again. Others; To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Out of the Shelter (David Lodge), The Chrysalids (John Wyndham), The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Harry Potter series, The Secret History (Donna Tartt), the Quiller spy novels, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. For a relaxing read I still turn to Dick Francis and Desmond Bagley.

Favourite Authors
Bernard Cornwell, David Lodge, JK Rowling, Harper Lee, John Wyndham, Len Deighton, Adam Hall, Dick Francis, Desmond Bagley, Donna Tartt.

Favourite Movies
Hmmm - difficult to place a favourite with so many different genres. Here are a few: 

2016 - Arrival; 2015 - The Martian; 2014 - Pride; 2013 - Blue is the Warmest Colour; 2012 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower; 2011 - The Adjustment Bureau; 2010 - Monsters; 2009 - Whip It; 2008 - Let the Right One In; 2007 - Into the Wild; 2006 - Glory Road; 2005 - The World’s Fastest Indian; 2004 - Miracle; 2003 - Love Actually; 2002 - Whale Rider; 2001 - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; 2001 - Donnie Darko; 2001 - Amelie; 2000 - The Legend of Bagger Vance; 1999 - American Beauty; 1999 - Notting Hill; 1999 - The Thomas Crown Affair; 1998 - The Truman Show; 1998 - Run Lola Run; 1997 - L.A. Confidential; 1997 - The Full Monty; 1997 - Good Will Hunting; 1996 - Trainspotting; 1995 - 12 Monkeys; 1995 - Apollo 13; 1995 - The Usual Suspects; 1994 - The Shawshank Redemption; 1994 - Leon; 1994 - Four Weddings and a Funeral; 1994 - Forest Gump; 1993 - Groundhog Day; 1993 - True Romance; 1993 - What's Eating Gilbert Grape; 1991 - L.A. Story; 1991 - Thelma and Louise; 1991 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day; 1990 - Dances with Wolves; 1990 - Pump up the Volume; 1989 - Field of Dreams; 1989 - Dead Poets Society; 1988 - Rain Man; 1988 - Heathers; 1987 - Dirty Dancing; 1986 - Aliens; 1985 - Back to the Future; 1984 - The Terminator; 1983 - Risky Business; 1982 - Blade Runner; 1981 - An American Werewolf in London; 1979 - Alien; 1976 - The Outlaw Josey Wales; 1970 - The Railway Children; 1969 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; 1969 - The Italian Job; 1963 - The Great Escape

Favourite TV Shows
I don't watch much TV, but these have stood out over the years. Edge of Darkness (UK BBC series in 1986), Band of Brothers, Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining), The West Wing, Fringe, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; Sense8; The Expanse

Favourite Music
I have eclectic and varied taste in music, including world music.