I'm a semi-retired former English teacher, journalist, marketer and comms manager/consultant living in Ellerslie Auckland with my wife Jill and two adult sons Cam and Duncx.

I've been writing professionally and personally since the 70s but only recently - on turning 60 - found the resolve and bandwidth to start making my own books and sharing them with whoever I felt might like or benefit from them. That includes my first book a text on employee communications (Talking With Your People 2018) which has gone to a second edition, two books of poetry (Houses of the Small Sea Dead - 2019 and Piece of Me - 2020) and a book on woodturning and its absorbing meditative properties (Turning Your Life Around - 2020). More on these on my website www.wrytings.com.

I've spent the last few years working up my first novel, Coromandel Dreamin', which is poised for release in September 2023 - and another batch of poems (tentative title - The Art of Peaceful Repair) planned to emerge next summer.

Writing is and has always been my core trade and a strong abiding passion. The arrival of cancer (melanoma) in my life in 2019 has placed some urgency on my desire to surface the creative ideas I have and I proposed to keep writing till I can't (for whatever reason). The list of books in the wind is long - and it's a discipline to just focus on one project at a time but nothing gives me more pleasure than shaping a text and refining it into shape to share.

Outside of the writing, I enjoy surfing when I can, yoga, walking, music (playing and listening), meditation, and keeping up with some favourite sports teams - notably the ABs. I'm also a keen follower of Stoicism with a small Facebook group page (The Porch) I admin to keep those philosophies of tranquility and resilience alive for my friends.