I’m very private, but here we go…
British by birth, international by choice. I’ve lived in four countries, which means four different cultures, and four ways of thinking. Without that behind me, I’d be a totally different person. Worse for it, I believe.
I was educated as an advertising copywriter, at the renowned Central St Martin’s School of Art in London, and went straight into one of London’s big ad agencies.
Therefore as a twenty-two year old, my path was laid out before me, and it was as straight as a Roman road. But if you can see everything before you get there, then what’s the point going? I prefer twists and turns.
So while still young, I did a bit of everything: some soldiering, I taught people to ride motorcycles, I worked with a gamekeeper in a private forest, I even served tea once to HM Queen Elizabeth II. I made these dramatic life changes, because I wanted to experience it all.
Inevitably, in the end I returned to what I’d been trained to do.
In a new international marketing role, I was writing press releases, marketing copy, and catalogue content for our products. Then I had a Eureka moment; I was attending international events and wanted more magazine exposure. I was also a trained writer who’d already befriended the relevant editors, so the solution was obvious. I started to supply magazines with mutually beneficial content.
That was 2001, and by 2004, I’d left marketing to become a full-time magazine writer and photographer. A role I held for two decades.
In that time I shot images and wrote words for magazines all around the world, about a huge variety of subjects. I’ve got a back catalogue of work that includes glossy calendars, non-fiction books, voice overs, motorcycle riding for TV, and still-image creation for TV.
I expanded my client base further by supplying similar images and words for commercial companies too, creating fresh new content for their magazine ads, catalogues, websites etc.
Finally I side stepped into fiction. But instead of attempting to recycle the formulaic characters and plots of other successful authors; I used the twists and turns of my own varied life and the cultures I’ve experienced, to create a new “endearing” kind of hero; one battling to overcome news-inspired, gritty challenges -ones that aren’t typically discussed.
Books are special. The way they involve us is unique. Unlike other storytelling methods, casting actors and choosing locations, leaving us as spectators; a book has the ability to work in conjunction with our own brains, allowing us to create a world that’s part author creation, and part our own. I’ve ensured that the characters are yours, as much as they’re mine. Their individual roles have been carefully researched too, as you’d expect from a magazine writer. But I’ve also given each character their own voice, not just in terms of dialogue, but their inner self too, and the story line switches perspectives constantly, creating an understanding and empathy for all characters involved.
Having a variety of writing experience in my rear-view mirror, I even chose a style that would help with the story’s flow. Hit & Split is an intense story, tracking fast moving events, and the writing style encourages you to read at speed. Binge read even. The most enthusiastic feedback is from those who’ve gone from cover to cover, in just a few short days.
If you’re still on the fence, Hit & Split is now an award-winner, recognised as one of the best Espionage Thrillers of 2025 by Readers’ Favorite awards. So if you’re in the market for something new -give Hit & Split a go. There’s even a follow up story, Rescue & Redemption, which has also been declared a 5-star read.
Simon
