Frequently Asked Questions

When will your next book be released? Conspiracy of Law releases on August 3, 2026. After that I'll turn my attention to my Victorian project, Penny Dreadful Books. My next novel is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2027.

How did you become a writer? My mother bought me a hardcover collection of children's stories and fables from a door-to-door salesman. I still have it. I read every story in those books until I practically knew them by heart. For my thirteenth birthday she bought me a typewriter. Looking back, I think I always knew I'd end up here. It just took a little longer than I thought.

Which authors have influenced you most? Contemporary writers include David Baldacci, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, John Grisham, and Stephen King. Crichton's prose is so clean and effortless it's almost poetic. Among classic writers, I most admire Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. Collins' The Moonstone is widely regarded as the first modern detective novel, and his influence on crime fiction can still be felt today.

What is your writing routine? I write every morning for at least three hours.

Do you write every day? Six days a week. Sunday is optional.

Are any of your books being developed for television or film? Every novelist hopes to see a book become a film or television series, and I'm no exception. My Victorian projects, in particular, were conceived with streaming television in mind.

How can readers contact you? The easiest way is through the Contact page on this website. I read every message.

Do you mentor young writers? I love to, but I scare them. I make them co-write with dead people.

Do you have any pets? Two very spoiled dogs. Snoop Dogg and Beauregard ("Beau").

Why did it take thirty-four years to finish Conspiracy of Law? Because life happened. Marriage. A son. A career. A business. The story waited patiently until I was ready to come back to it. Fortunately, it never stopped whispering.

Why do you set so many stories in the past? Because technology changes, but people don't. And because life moved more slowly, stories had room to breathe, suspense had time to build, and characters had time to develop.

Coffee or tea? I'm Irish, so Tea, then Bush Mills when a book is done.