For someone who would go on to write at a later age, the house I grew up in was conspicuous for its lack of books.Unlike most authors who seem to have been writing since they were able to hold a pen, I was too busy exploring the bush, fishing, hunting and generally doing foolish and dangerous things, to sit down long enough to write anything even if I had caught the bug.Despite this start, in my turbulent teenage years I discovered poetry, and became fascinated by the way words could work magical transformations in the reader’s mind.Around this time, I also made efforts to understand my place in the universe. I haunted bookstores and local libraries, seeking out those semi-banned books about the occult tucked away on lower shelves in the back racks. Attempting to hide them like that only increased their mystery and appeal. As I have grown older my interest in spirituality and our existence as soul has increased.A question I have been asked – and it’s a good question – is “if you never considered yourself a natural author, why did you write The Legend of Animarl series?”I’ve always struggled to come up with a completely satisfactory answer, and the best I can do is relate the story of a movie I saw when I was seventeen. It was narrated by an old man who had lived a harsh and eventful existence, with a fair share of suffering and bad decisions. Despite the difference in our ages I related to this man’s story. I was especially struck by his introduction to the movie, which went along the lines of “I have made that many mistakes in life I consider it my duty to write them down and try to make sense of it all.”Whether it is possible to take your whole life and put its learnings into a single book – or even a series of books – is debatable. I leave that to readers to judge. Whatever the case, I love writing and I hope readers enjoy my books.I am currently working on further instalments to the Legends of Animarl series plus a related series based on Captain Wilder & The Dragon of Margundor. Just join my mailing list to stay informed about publication dates for these titles.