Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a writer of romance and erotica, mostly but not exclusively m/m (gay male).  I’m quite new to published fiction; my first story came out in June 2009, although I’d been dabbling in writing for a couple of years prior to that.  Although most of my published stuff so far has been contemporary short fiction, I’ve also written a couple of
historicals and some urban fantasy;  I’m currently working on a werewolf novella.

I spent the first eighteen years of my life trying to escape from the Isle of Wight.  When I finally got away from there I overcompensated and ended up in Germany, a fact which tends to crop up in my writing every now and then.

What made you decide to write erotica?

The short answer is, ‘because I can!’ And I think most writers would agree that it’s hard to write a genre well if you don’t yourself enjoy reading it, and read a lot of it.  What’s more, it’s not much fun trying!  I write because, as Terry Pratchett has said, it’s the most fun anyone can have on their own.  ;D

 But why gay erotica?

Well, the obvious answer is, I like men, so if one man=good, two men=better!  But I think the real reason goes deeper than that.  I’ve also written f/f (lesbian) and m/m/f (menage) stories but the one thing I feel really uncomfortable writing (although I have done it) is het, and that’s because of the gender dynamics.  Yes, it’s societal conditioning—but I find it hard to get away from having double standards, and worrying if my female character will be seen as a slut if she jumps into bed with a guy on the first date.  Plus, I like playing on the edges of BDSM when I write, and I’d find it hard to have a guy dominate a girl or vice versa without making a feminist statement out of it.

What’s your favourite story of those which you’ve had accepted – and why?

Oh, that’s a toughie!  My favourites tend to be my firsts: my first story published (Different Strengths, in Torquere’s Cherry anthology) or my first historical (Pleasures with Rough Strife in the Dreamspinner Mistletoe Madness line).  But I think actually my favourite is one which has been accepted by Dreamspinner and will hopefully be coming out next year (presently called Angel, though I don’t know whether that will be the final title name).   Although it’s an m/m romance with explicit sex and BDSM scenes, there is a very strong Christian theme.  There’s a lot of hate spouted against LGBT people in the name of Christianity, and I wanted to show there doesn’t have to be.

 What sort of books do you like to read?

I think it probably goes without saying that I read a lot of m/m romance!  You may have guessed that Terry Pratchett  is a long time favourite author of mine, and I’ve been a fan of Sookie Stackhouse and Harry Dresden since way before they got on TV.  I also like mysteries of the old-fashioned, country house murder mystery kind.

 Tell us three things – anything!

 1. I own over forty Agatha Christie novels translated into German.  And one in English.

  2. My sense of direction and grasp of geography are equally non-existent, to the extent that I once accepted a job in Middlesborough thinking it must be in the Midlands somewhere (it’s actually about as far north as you can get and still be in England)

3.  I jived for Cambridge University.

Any last words?

I’ve got a story coming out next year in the I Do Two anthology in support of marriage equality in the US.  Please consider supporting this very worthy cause!