I guess one of the most exciting things in my life was working in a music shop and selling the first Beatles’ UK No 1 single, Love Me Do. I was a temp during my school holidays. My boss, a guy called Derek, had to decide how many copies of Love Me Do to order from EMI, the distributor. He asked me what I knew of The Beatles. I said I’d heard the song on pirate radio and thought it was great and would do well. ‘Shall I order one or two boxes?’ he asked. Each box contained twenty singles and I suggested he went for two boxes. He decided on one. The EMI order came in at 10 a.m. the next day. There were queues waiting outside the door and the shop sold out in about fifteen minutes. After that, I didn’t spend much more time at the sales desk, instead I was asked to climb a ladder and paint the front of the shop.

Following my short spell as a record salesman and a decorator, I spent a few eventful years as a marine commando. After the initial training, I was posted to a unit deep in the Borneo jungle. Our task was to protect the border with Indonesia from marauding Indonesian communist insurgents intent on taking over and controlling Malaysian Borneo. In a tense, but successful, skirmish with the terrorists, I was shot and wounded and had to be hoisted from the jungle into a helicopter and flown to the nearest field hospital. In the rescue helicopter with me was the body of my friend. He had been killed.

When I left the marines I became a retailer for some years. I joined Marks and Spencer as a trainee and after a short spell with them; I sort of fell into the role of retail mercenary, moving from one company in crisis to another. I worked with eight different well-known retail brands, including setting up my own franchise of a popular American brand. I witnessed corruption, deceit and blatant power politics; enjoyed success, experienced failure and avoided personal bankruptcy by a whisker. When my time came to move on, I didn’t linger.

I started to write when I’d finished with retailing. It wasn’t by accident. I’d always wanted to do it, but never had the opportunity. When the time came, I signed up to a part-time creative writing course and began to write my first book, never published. I’ve written seven more since then. I write because I enjoy it, and hope those who read my books will enjoy them too.

I have four children and live with my wife in Bucks.

If you want to know more about me go to Part 2