About the Author
"I was born in Alberta Canada. My education included Gordonstoun and Palmer College of Chiropractic, USA. My interests include international travel, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East, Egyptology, The Roman Empire, International Politics, Philosophy and Fencing.
I arrived in Reading from Alberta Canada in 1963 with my parents and have lived in Caversham since 1996. From an early age I was surrounded by a library of books as both my parents read from a wide range of subjects and interests.
From an early age I discovered that the school library upon its many shelves contained a treasure trove of foreign travel and adventure that I could immerse my imagination in. This provided a welcome escape from the pain of learning endless French verbs and trying to solve difficult mathematical equations. I would borrow many books at a time and read late into the night, eventually tiring and falling asleep, but always enthralled and fascinated from exotic locations and dangerous exploration. In those early teenage years I was introduced to John Buchan, Rider Haggard, Anthony Hope, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and many others. I also read much non fiction which included an interest in World War II, in part due to my grandfather Sir Richard Pim who was in charge of the map room under Sir Winston Churchill during the war years leading to vivid and personal accounts of the time. In more recent times I have read almost exclusively non fiction. Many of these true stories have left me inspired as well as better informed.
The novel that stood alone for me was The prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope. This was because not only was the story brilliant - An Englishman has to save the Kingdom of Ruritania by taking the real Kings place at his coronation as the real king has been poisoned by his brother Black Michael (who wants the throne). At the end there is a wonderful fencing scene between the Englishman Rudolf Rassendyll and one of Black Michael’s henchman the German Rupert of Hentzau. But it is the romantic dimension of Rudolf Rassendyll falling in love with Princess Flavia that captivated me aged 16, and the powerful impression has remained ever since.
Soon after finishing The Prisoner of Zenda I developed a deep frustration - it was then that the Greek Ring was first conceived. I then started to write a story of adventure and romance - I had began the long journey of writing what I wanted to read - but could not previously find."