I've been writing novels for nearly six years now, and I can tell you the date when it all began: 21 November 1995. I'd just finished my final exams in plant pathogenic fungi and virology, and I was craving a light read. I went to the library, checked out eleven books, and couldn't get into any of them.

I was frustrated. I wanted entertainment. So, I sat down at my computer and decided to write what I wanted to read.

I couldn't believe it when I reached the end of chapter three. Was I really writing a book? It was the most I'd ever written, other than my BSc Honours project, and I had no idea where it was heading. All I knew was that I didn't want to stop. I had a real shot at completing an honest-to-God manuscript and I didn't want to blow it.

When I'd finished it, I knew Trees was the greatest book ever written. Before the courier had sped to the first name on my "publishers" list, I'd already budgeted the money for the cash advance. After all, I'd read the writing manuals. I knew exactly how much money I was going to get!

I'd also started working on the sequel. I was afraid, because the first one had seemed like such a big commitment in time and energy, that I'd never write another book. I didn't realise it was already too late. I'd contracted BWV (Book Writing Virus). I just kept writing, until I'd finished six books in that series.

The publishers were probably much kinder than I deserved. Very encouraging, and full of suggestions for sending my manuscript elsewhere. Since then, I've rewritten that book eleven times, but I still cringe at the thought of those first manuscripts, that found their way onto the editors' desks.

Now I'm working on book thirteen. It took a film company to get me to branch out. They read that first book (Trees), and told me they'd enjoyed it, but didn't do fantasy. If I could come up with something in science fiction, they wanted to see it.

The result was Light Play. While they were reading it, I went on to Light Plays (book two), and Grave Images. I wrote the third one in The Light Play Trilogy (Lightning Play) next, and then the sequel to Grave Images (Graven Image).

Clocktower Books discovered me around book seven. One of their other authors - A. L. Sirois - had read Light Play and recommended me. If there's ever another vote for sainthood, I'm going to send in his name.

Meanwhile (somewhere in my second year of writing), I'd discovered I could paint. Shocking, and totally unexpected! I'm sure the people at Clocktower were a little alarmed when I asked whether I could give my bookcover artwork a try. They were pleased enough with the results, though, for Brian Callahan (of CTB) to put his typography genius to work on the titles. Now, we have a nice collaboration going. I produce the cover paintings, and Brian does the layout and typeface for the titles. I'm really pleased with the results.

Clocktower has published all of my finished books: The Trees Series (Trees, Crystals, Mud, Shades, Fire, Light), The Light Play Trilogy (Light Play, Light Plays, Lightning Play), and The Grave Images Series (Grave Images, Graven Image). Grave Imagery, the third in the series, is in rewrite now. It should be out in a few months.

The future? I've written a few screenplays for my books, and am working on book thirteen, Static. It's another suspense novel with a science fiction slant. It will probably have a sequel (I always love my characters too much to let them go after one book), but I'll write Grave Images four first. I have around twelve thousand words on it already.

I'd like to get into animation, and try my hand at directing movies. I'd also like to do more work on plant viruses and fungi. I can't ever get enough of that stuff, and I've been in the arts too long. With all this writing and painting I haven't so much as glanced under a microscope for four years. It would be great to get back into science for a while, and grow some more "roots"...